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The National Karma: Sarcasm Helps?
The temptress hangs out in the place where she's bound to be seen; between immediate interests and the vaster reaches of the future. The genesis of karma begins there—where choices still exist. For some, the tension is palpable. Not every entity experiences the conflict. Inadequate imagination renders the region plain and pointless. Refusing to consider matters recognized as relevant comes hand in hand with living for the moment. The mind of the unenlightened sophisticate chants the doggerel, "It's an accidental universe. Only a fool would believe otherwise." They don't need to care. They're under no obligation. But, out of the munificence and abundance, the self-righteous, ethically developed and financially endowed, make generous donations to various charities. The poor should be kept from starving within a nation’s borders whenever possible. Shelters for the homeless, sometimes the jails and wards do a fair job at keeping the bums off the street. They should be thankful for that. Sometimes it’s necessary to sacrifice small portions for the greater harvest. Corporations are people because they're living to make money. That’s the whole reason for their existence. In that regard, they also resemble nations. The sooner people understand that, the better. Good business practices demand attention focus on the bottom line. Profit is sacrosanct. Peace needs to be fought for just as hard. It needs safeguarding, just like money. If anything gets in the way, or threatens people’s safety, they need to be taken out. Sometimes religion gets in the way of economics. That’s happened more often than not. As far back as the 19th century, before the United States was fully united, before all territories were admitted into statehood, at a time when the Civil War was devastating the finances of both sides, trade with China was being threatened by a religious faction, the Christian zealots called the Taiping. America's leaders didn’t feel great about intervening, joining Britain, France, Russia, Spain and some others to quash the Christian crazies in their attempt to take over the empire, but couldn’t trust them to hold to the agreements already secured concerning the trading of opium for tea . . . From a reclusive, Daoist hermit to a prominent scientist on the world stage, the belief in the basic rules of cause and effect tends to hold the same amount of water that hit Newton on top his head.
Sometimes the cause is already there, and there's no choice but to deal with the effects. Assuming we want the best for all, when choices do exist, we try to make the best choice to bring about the most desirable outcome—the karma of our dreams. But, sometimes, the best choice isn’t clear. Alternate ways may produce equally satisfying results. Natural forces beyond our comprehension may work to shape momentary experiences, giving our futures deeper levels of direction and producing actions that favor equality and welfare for all. Sometimes. Maybe. Heard about the giveaway?
Care to give it a shot? Search Stirring Li Chao for words from lyrics found in two Dylan songs, “She Belongs to Me” and “Things have Changed” (complete lyrics can be found online). Take a look at the first few pages of Chapter 13; Rabbit. (If you haven’t access to the July 2017 edition, you won’t find it—so go to the book’s Amazon page and use the “Look Inside” feature. Maybe search for the word . . . (“pervasive”)? Entries can be sent as an email to: slcship@pahasapapress.com or as a comment on our website’s (pahasapapress.com) contact page: https://goo.gl/i2ufvi GIVEAWAY TREASURE HUNT |