 Embodiment - Need for Collective Activism
Where is the path in activism?
Our paths are Nature’s way of telling us about how to be compassionate. Paths are nature’s blueprints for action, as we learn about ourselves there is wise embodiment and action. Yet where is the evidence of this path in grassroots activism? Indigenous peoples identify path with their actions - perhaps because their connection with Nature is under threat from the societal infrastructure that is western life. Yet when as western seekers finding our paths how much emphasis is placed on activism?
Western life lacks connection - lacks Unity-consciousness, and the love and wisdom that arises from our paths does not seem to take us to active change. We recognise there is a need to change but conscious embodiment is lacking. Instead western movements for change are not guided by elders on the path but arise through idealism and emotional reactions to upbringings that are part of a destructive patriarchal system.
How can the path be absent from activism? As awareness grows seekers know that there is a need for change but in our Culture of Awakening where is the direction that seeks social change? To begin with there is awareness of developing consciousness, and this search for purpose tends to focus on developing wisdom. There might then develop a love-wisdom balance - equanimity, but does that equanimity lead to activism?
For all following the path there comes some kind of Unity-consciousness with Nature, but where is embodiment of this consciousness in grassroots activism? When we examine western society for leaders in the movement for change - for Unity-consciousness with nature, we find an autistic Swedish schoolgirl. Lifelong political activists might be angered by youthful derision as to what older people have done to fight exploitation but where is the path amongst those older activists? Greta’s criticism can legitimately be applied to the spiritual movement who have not been active within struggles, and when we examine grassroots movements we see such immaturity and lack of progress because the path has not been involved. Where is the conscious activism?
For the rest of thezeer zandtao will be examining the need for embodiment in grassroots activism. The Zeer is modular by design enabling zandtao to add new insights as appropriate outlines but the first 5 chapters are sifficuently complete now. As zandtao works through gabiK's Falling Up he finds increasing applications within the grassroots movement.
There is a certain dishonesty in zandtao's pathtivism. Whilst he considers himself an agent for change throughout his life, apart from a short while in the 80s and 90s that agency was not in the grassroots movement. Yet zandtao has no doubt that humanity's failure in grassroots activism is a significant reason for the increasing social impact of authoritarian demagogues. zandtao is asking for path embodiment within grassroots activism - however uncomfortable egos there might be.
zandtao wishes to pay tribute to grassroots activists who have unconsciously found an egoless path within this activism. Can seekers who have fortunately consciously found their paths direct their embodiment to the quagmire of ego that is grassroots activism and find a harmonious way of change to promote human development?
Hopefully the harmony presented in zandtao's bag can help.
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