Reason with a Capital R

Following Reason is simple, except when its complicated and hard. Its simple because there's nothing complicated about respecting all life. Its hard when it pushes us to make a choice we'd rather not make or set aside differences we'd rather cling to.

Respecting life, especially your own, means that smoking doesn't make sense. That's simple. But choosing to quit, and following through on that, has proven to be hard for most.

Making sure no child goes to bed hungry. That's life speaking through Reason. So far, Reason hasn't been enough incentive for the world to come together and make it happen. Individuals and communities work to make lives better. But it stands to Reason that it be a global endeavor.

And there is the vast expanse of the mind which we never touch or know; that mind is vast, immeasurable, but we never touch it, we don't know the quality of it because we have never looked at anything completely, with the totality of our mind, of our head, of our nerves, of our eyes, of our ears.

~ J. Krishnamurti ~

There's nothing wrong with having beliefs. Its difficult (impossible?) to live without some. Even if you say there is nothing to believe in, you believe there is nothing to believe in.

Beliefs do not need to cause division, but they do.
1) Beliefs cause division when they are based in fear, are about survival, power, righteousness, and the old perennial: greed.
2) Beliefs cause problems when people (single or groups) identify with their beliefs. "If you trash my belief, you trash me!"
3) People, or groups of people, that identify with the same belief(s) are easily manipulated or controlled.

Here's where Reason comes in, and has always come in. Even though I'm not aware of all religious, philosophical or spiritual practices on Earth, they boil down to the same thing: love, forgiveness, the golden rule, respect for life, or whatever name you have for it. People have known this for how long?

Beliefs can maintain diversity-in-wholeness when they are based in Respect, Reason, Love, etc. The costumes we wear, the rituals performed, the objects used, DON"T MATTER. We need to stop living as if they do. That is just good sense.

If Reason is to be of use, it has to include humor. But how can that be when many things requiring Reason involve suffering.

I have a couple thoughts on this. One is that if Reason didn't allow for a sense of humor, we could perish by Reason's light. Another is that life is funny. Everyday, I find that life is funny. Humor helps us see ridiculousness instead of blindly succumbing to it. Laughter keeps our energy moving. Laughter penetrates difference and brings people together.

If you don't realize your gullibility, that is ignorance. If you do realize your gullibility and rationalize it away, that's stupidity. I know because I've been stupid many times.

RATIONALIZING is not Reason. Rationalizing is finding (or making up) reasons to not stick with Reason. Its a way to avoid something we don't want, or assure the continuation of something we do want. Its throwing away self-responsibility, or not rocking-the-boat. Rationalizing is a form of fiction. It strips us of our personal power and sense of worth.

"Most of us, when all is said and
done, like what we like and make
up reasons for it afterwards."
~ Soren F. Petersen ~

Beliefs aren't static; they result in behavior. So when you watch your own behavior, you are seeing your beliefs at play. If a poor black home-less person asks you for a handout at night and your response is to say nothing and walk away, consider all the beliefs that could be at work: "Black is dangerous, the night is fearful, strangers can't be trusted, any response will get me entangled, poor people are lazy or crazy or weak, to associate with them means I will be one of them one day." When you stop defending the behavior of your beliefs, they become less sticky. You regain freedom to think and believe in a new way.

~ Depak Chopra ~
taken from his book Life After Death, Three Rivers Press, pg 234