{"id":206,"date":"2010-12-27T13:02:18","date_gmt":"2010-12-27T13:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/2010\/12\/from-the-archive-best-of-2010-mindful-politics.html"},"modified":"2010-12-27T13:02:18","modified_gmt":"2010-12-27T13:02:18","slug":"from-the-archive-best-of-2010-mindful-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2010\/12\/from-the-archive-best-of-2010-mindful-politics.html","title":{"rendered":"From the Archive :: Best of 2010 :: Mindful Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It snowed 30 inches in parts of New Jersey yesterday and I’m enjoying being stranded. An unexpected and welcome extension of the holiday weekend. I’ll be back in Vermont tomorrow and we’ll resume our regular meditation schedule at the Exquisite Mind Psychotherapy and Meditation Studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I’m reading through the Mindfulness Matters posts this post on Mindful Politics was well “liked” at least by Facebook standards. <\/span><\/p>\n

As the year draws to a close the lame-duck congress was busy passing legislation on taxes, nuclear arms treaties, and repealing “don’t ask; don’t tell.” Lauding congress for doing its job is a bit like NFL football players (especially on the defense) celebrating after making routine plays. “Isn’t that what you get paid for?” Likewise, it’s a sad state of affairs when what should be routine work in congress stands in such contrast to what is actually business-as-usual.<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

Here is the post from 2 October 2010<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

As the mid-term elections approach, political rhetoric is ramping up and along with it the usual fervor, apathy, distortion, and promulgation of hope (mostly false hope, I’m afraid). Here is a mindful perspective on politics from renown  Buddhist author and editor, Melvin McLeod.<\/span><\/p>\n

Melvin McLeod edits the volume Mindful Politics<\/i> (Wisdom, 2006<\/a>). “Politics is really about how we live together as human beings, and all spiritual practices point to one simple but profound truth about human life–that only love leads to peace, hatred never does. This is as true for nations as it is for individuals.”<\/span><\/p>\n

His proposed political platform: (if The Buddha was a politician and the Brahma Viharas)<\/span><\/p>\n

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