zandtao's bag is what zandtao offers as embodiment, his bag is pathtivism. This blog is a companion blog to his book on pathtivism that will hopefully be freely available online here within the year. Pathtivism is concerned with bringing the spiritual path to activism - fully explained in the book, but in zandtao's bag there will be occasional pathtivist advice. On the spiritual path comes two journeys - the inner and the outer; simply put the inner journey is the path to consciousness and purpose, and the outer journey is embodying that path in daily life. For zandtao's embodiment he chooses working in grassroots activism, he calls that pathtivism and that is his bag.
In zeer-consciousness, zandtao has already put forward aspects of the inner journey (under final review now) in the hope that a seeker can interact and through their practice find the purpose - consciously loving and evolving consciousness.
Out of that inner journey grows compassion and the need to embody that compassion in daily life. In the system-for-the-rich (societal infrastructure discussed here) we are already distanced from the journey towards purpose so maturing and following the path of the inner journey is already difficult. Out of this inner journey comes compassion whose imperative is the outer journey of embodiment, and the system-for-the-rich (societal infrastructure) makes that almost impossible.
People following the path ask for compassionate social change but this asking for change tends to remain within the spiritual community. Some seekers ask for this compassionate change for all yet they focus their energies on their inner journey, some even completely withdrawing to a life of bypassing - lacking embodiment. zandtao argues that there is a need for embodiment as an imperative, but it is the choice of the individual's autonomy how to live that embodiment. zandtao's choice is pathtivism, and he calls it zandtao's bag. It concerns zandtao how few people on the path are grassroots activists. It is understandable that activism is difficult for seekers because of the prevalence of ego but there is a whole arena of activism for change, and yet where is the path? Is Marianne Williamson a lone voice? It is understandable that people following the path want to be spiritual teachers but all people on the path cannot be teachers, with so many ways up the moutain this could be confusing. zandtao's bag is to advocate for seekers to join the movement of grassroots activism.
In his book on pathtivism zandtao discusses the need for path and pathtivists in grassroots activism. Basically the premise of the pathtivist is to embody compassion in activism. As will become clear from the book, activism is a minefield in which an infusion of path and compassion is much needed. Currently most activism arises out of rejection of the system-for-the-rich, and is based in confronting that system; lacking any power such confrontation has been manipulated discouraging inclined people from becoming active. The path needs to bring the directions of love, wisdom, sila and truth to this grassroots movement, and in the book zandtao argues why the path and Unity-consciousness as a whole will benefit the movement. The path needs to be embodied in all aspects of daily life as nature would require, but the system-for-the-rich fears activism so the minefields in grassroots activism are deeply entrenched and manipulated.
The movement requires seekers - embodiment in the movement; whilst zandtao understands the distaste for the egos involved in the movement grassroots activity is where change could happen - the true source of democracy. Hopefully pathtivists can guide activism away from the confrontation and other strategies that is currently being manipulated. This puts a burden on seekers but that burden can be easily carried by the conviction and love-wisdom of the path.
For seekers choosing pathtivism there is little difference in their own practice, they follow their paths; with the compassion comes embodiment in the outer journey that seekers often bypass. In the book will be presented a possible embodiment in pathtivism; in this blog is contained advice on that activism. This is not advice on knowledge of the issues nor knowledge of the politics as zandtao is outside the political arena; such knowledge must come from the activist concerned. It is advice on how we bring the path into activism, how we can use the path to avoid manipulation by the conditioning and conformity of the system-for-the-rich; at present their manipulation is winning as the grassroots movement is divided and ordinary people fear becoming involved in it because of that manipulation.
Path-Activism is for Life
As with the path pathtivism is for life, and given the pressures of the system-for-the-rich such a commitment to activism can best come with the conviction of the path. This is why a pathtivist's first commitment is to the path to ensure their own unity with consciousness and secondly to ensure that there is a state of harmony that the pathtivist brings to the movement. It is this Unity-consciousness that the movement needs and hopefully seekers can bring this harmony to activism.
Compassion has the truth of consciousness, bringing compassion and therefore truth to the movement is a way of bringing true action to the movement, but sadly few see this. If seekers on the path joined the movement then there would at least be compassion underpinning the movement.
zandtao's own activism is a distant past due to old age and a weak heart but luckily mind and fingers still work; hopefully this advice will be of some use.
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