an enlightened society

The notion of an enlightened society is not some magical community wherein everyone has attained nirvana, or even has the perfect job or relationship. An enlightened society is actually very practical: it is a society based on having an open heart...

Worrying solely about "me" gets tiresome after a while. In other words, in order to really create positive change in the world, we need to shift our focus away from only thinking about ourselves...

Imagine what it would be like if one day everyone woke up and decided to shift the focus of their day away from always holding themselves at the center of the universe? What if each of us made our day about benefiting others?..

True joy does not come from acquiring new gadgets or starting another steamy romance, but from being present with your life. It comes from turning your attention away from always thinking about yourself, and opening to the world around you...

Through slowing down and being present with your world, you are more open to the suffering around you. Your heartstrings can be pulled by the simplest things: a puppy waiting to be adopted or a beautiful flower just beginning to blossom. While you may previously have walked right by these things, now you are open and available to your world. You feel an inherent richness and tenderness...

The simplest and most direct way to create positive change in the world is through connecting with our own awakened heart... Simple acts of being present and compassionate bring us happiness. We find joy in being openhearted...

You don't have to wait until you're enlightened. You don't have to ask anyone's permission. You just have to offer yourself, as you are, and allow your vulnerable heart to transform the world.

Lodro Rinzler

last gasp

The job of national and international politicians in contractionary times is typically to make a bad situation worse as expensively as possible, as they attempt to rescue the dying paradigm that has conveyed so much personal advantage in their direction. That paradigm is one of centralization - the accumulation of surpluses from a broad periphery at the centre of power.

However, the wealth conveyors of the past are breaking down, meaning that the periphery that can be drawn upon is shrinking. As the periphery shrinks, the remaining region within the grip of power can expect to be squeezed harder and harder. 'Twas ever thus. Rome did the same thing, squeezing the peasants for tithes until they abandoned their land and threw in their lot with the surrounding barbarians.

Nicole Foss