Dr Peter White's Blog

Thoughts and comments from Dr Peter White -- political, philosophical, spiritual, musical and more

My Photo
Name:
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

I am retired from the Uni. of Queensland, and have numerous interests inside and outside of the uni. I play classical, bluegrass, country and folk guitar (hows that for a mix?) I am a member of the Australian Labor Party and am currently branch secretary of the Mt Coot-tha branch. I'm also involved in developing virtual reality builds and websites. Never bored!

Monday, July 18, 2005

Changes

It's been a while since I wrote in this blog -- lots of things happening, both in the physical world and in my head.

The physical world has been traumatised yet again by the London bombings. But it's interersting that the physical world has not been as traumatised by the bombings in Iraq or in Palestine/Israel. Is it perhaps that we humans become inured and blase about terror and death -- unless it strikes areas that have not known such?

And of course, that coupled with the rapidly approaching endgame of capitalist monopoly, with greed leading the pack by a wide margin, may be sounding the death knell for our own freedoms and our own ways of life in the West.

My traditional response to human foibles and idiocies, politically and otherwise, has been anger coupled with thoughts about how to make things better, working on a philosophy that is principally judaeo-christian in its essence. That is, a philosophy that is based on the founder's thoughts, not on 2000 years of equivocation and cultural overloads. I have tried various things, working "within the system", and working outside it. Neither approach seems to have made a great deal of difference as far as I can see -- but like all of us I can't see very far. But, anger and the 'fix it' responses cannot be sustained over a long period of time. A new approach needs to be taken.

I have discovered that the Buddhists appear to be the sanest people on the planet, and their meditation techniques, and willingness to explore the Self and to be gentle with all things, may well be humanities' salvation. Compassion and loving-kindness as manifestations of love seem to be a far better approach. Loving action can stem from that, and perhaps might make things better.

But first! I must fix myself. That's hard enough. Anger must change to love. So there. I've said it. Back to work.

Enough for now.

PB White