I understand wanting change. I understand not feeling that the way you are living is right. But change just for the sake of change is not really very useful. Replacing one figure head for another does not solve the problem. Most rulers are merely the macrocosm reflecting the microcosm. Otherwise they would not be sustainable; someone must be supporting them, even if only in a negative way. They are a symptom of the disease. One needs a plan B. Not just a re-imagining of the same structure.

It has been fascinating to watch this journey unfold. The people I would have labeled as ‘spiritual’ were the first ones to condone protests and overthrowing the government. Really? Really you think that the government is the problem. Perhaps ‘government’ as a concept, all over the world is a problem, but any one government? That is not very holistic thinking. Did anybody, anywhere, get it right? Some might be better than others, but did anybody really get it right?

As Gandhi said ‘change happens in the shadows’ on the subtle level. The manifested world is just a reflection a ‘manifestation’ of that blue print. Until the blueprint is changed, there is no change. The best examples are those ‘spiritual’ people. They talk inner peace, meditation, changing your thinking, and then when push comes to shove they are in the streets with the masses ‘demonstrating’. Did anyone think about what the word ‘demonstrate’ actually means? It is to show, give an example. It is a threatening maneuver on a ‘peaceful’ way. In the power game a threat is a threat.

As long as you take ‘outward’ action you are in the power game. You are feeding the ‘power’ paradigm. We need a new paradigm. How about the ‘empowerment’ paradigm? Empowerment is something that is talked about a lot but what is it really? And how does it play out in reality? Well the usual concept of power, with out actually saying it is ‘power over’. It is interactive. The power game is a push and shove, active- reactive. Empowerment is personal and does not need anyone else.

People keep talking about ‘rights’ we want our ‘rights’. Rights are disempowering. First of all they have to be defined, and as soon as something is defined then you loose everything outside of what is included in the definition. Like the Tao, whatever you name it it is not, because it is bigger than that. So defining is limiting. It is also fixed in the sense that it can be easily manipulated. As soon as you define it you can then find a way to get around it by using everything that is not included. As soon as you have rights then it is easy to find a way to take them away from you, or get around it by attacking everything that is not included in your rights.

Also rights have to be given and can be taken away. So there is an issue of external control, which puts us back in the power game. So what would be an equivalent of the concept of rights in our ‘empowerment’ model? Respect perhaps? We don’t need rights we need respect, respect for ourselves, for others. Respect is an internal state of being, which hopefully makes me act, externally, in an appropriate or humanitarian way. If I respect you I will treat you justly. And that will change from person to person event to event. It is dynamic, undefined. It points us in the right direction and unfolds in infinite ways.

This is merely one example. The point is to live consciously. That respect has to apply to you as well. We are all limited. We are all here to learn. Be aware and respectful of where your own limitations are. This will tell you something about yourself.

This is the problem with a power structure, which has leaders. Whether they are political leaders or spiritual gurus, they are human. They are limited and imperfect, walking their own path. Acting and reacting based on what needs to unfold for them. We have this concept that that they should somehow want what is best for humanity. Even if they do they are moving from their own limited perspective. It can never include all the infinite variations of people and experiences. They cannot be responsible for everyone. People need to take responsibility for themselves.

In ancient times leaders were initiated. They often had to pass tests or prove them selves before becoming leaders. There was also usually a spiritual component to their worthiness. Now ‘power’ has taken on a life of its own. It is running rampant. The type of people that would seek those positions are often ‘power-hungry’ or ‘powerless’ people. So why are we surprised by the types of leaders that we get? There are many people all over the world creating change without being world leaders. They just do it with out the need to be seen.