PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY
September 25th to 28th
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 25
Chinese rule in Tibet
The land of Tibet has always been a place of fascination to the rest of the world. There have been whispers, for centuries, about mysterious monks who could levitate at will or travel in 'astral form' from one mountain-top temple to another. Tibet though, is no longer a magical place of sacred secrets. Now, the Chinese rule that land. Tibetans must either live under a repressive regime or struggle, as exiles, in scattered ghettos. So what of the secret powers they once preserved? Or do they no longer hold the guardianship of such knowledge? And if not, who does?
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26
The psychic storehouse
Once, if you told someone that you were interested in "balancing your inner energies", they would look at you as if you were crazy. These days, millions of people use Feng Shui - or Yoga - or meditation. Business executives take courses to learn how to walk on fire. Sales teams use ancient mystical 'visualisation' techniques. What has caused this change? It is tempting to imagine that somehow, the door to a "psychic storehouse" has suddenly been thrown wide open. Might this be what happened when the Chinese chased the Tibetans from their temples. And, if so, should we be glad - or worried?
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27
Violence in Tibet
There is now a 'peace movement' in every land. People don't just campaign against war, they seek inner peace; ways to attain 'higher consciousness', ways to live in harmony with nature and with one another. Meanwhile, in a twist of irony, those who once embodied the essence of such a spirit are apparently resorting to base behaviour. Exiled Tibetans who, for years, have stood for non violence, have begun to use force; not against the Chinese invaders of their homeland but against each other; over minor differences of belief. Tomorrow, I will suggest why this may be as hopeful as it is regrettable.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28
The pollution of prejudice
Every day, somewhere on this planet, blood is being shed in the name of religion. There is nothing new about this. It has been the way of the world since the world began. But maybe, just maybe, we are now watching the last act of this ugly drama. If high Tibetans, once the most enlightened souls on earth, can sink so low as to fight one another over minor matters of belief, the pollution of prejudice has surely spread as far as it can ever get. What else, in this world, remains to be tainted by intolerance? And what else can any tide do, once it has come all the way in, but recede?
NEXT THOUGHT OF THE DAY - BACK TO INDEX
|
