Posted on June 7, 2014
by Jerry Alatalo
Tens of thousands of Spain’s men and women marched in demonstrations calling for a national referendum to end the nation’s constitutional monarchy. This came after King Juan Carlos decided to hang it up after 39 years of crown-wearing. Evidently there is now an effort to rapidly name Carlos’ son Felipe as the new king before any referendum takes place. Seventy percent of the Spanish people are in favor of ending the monarchy/royal institution after some recent scandals involving the Carlos family.
A corruption scandal involving Juan Carlos’ daughter and son-in-law, the king’s high-priced elephant-killing trip to Botswana, the country’s continued economic problems, and basic human evolution have all joined to place Spain in the near future without a monarchy. Perhaps men and women reading this share the feeling when watching film of past and present kings, queens, and “royalty” that the “blue blood” thing seems like something that has already gone extinct, and that displaying such adoration, reverence, and solemnity surrounding fellow, equally flawed human beings has become a simply bizarre phenomenon.
Scenes of kings and queens sitting on gold-adorned thrones, with royal garb (that seems very tacky actually), and odd headwear that varies depending where the “royal” resides on Earth, produce thoughts when viewing like “even if I were a king, I wouldn’t wear that gaudy clothing and jewelry or ridiculous hat” and questions such as “do these people really believe they’re in the highest ‘class’ of humans on the planet?”
When we were young we had a saying about people who thought they were better than others, or belonged to a higher class: “He/she thinks their sh*t doesn’t stink.” As one who is open-minded to the concept of reincarnation, who knows if each soul experiences being royalty in one or more incarnations, and that such an experience had been chosen for the lessons that would be learned. Whether reincarnation is a reality or not, the whole concept of monarchy in 2014 just seems very odd and very strange.
“The Buddha was an actual historical person. Although he is among the leaders of the world’s great religions, he did not claim that he was, in any way, divine or otherworldly. Buddhism teaches that the Buddha was born a man, not a god. Because of his inquiry into the nature of reality, of self and the world, he achieved enlightenment. This enlightenment did not come about through the intervention of outside, mystical, or otherworldly forces. The Buddha Way is the way of clear-seeing rationality; it is the way of reality; it is the way of critical examination and sustained inquiry into the nature of life. The Buddha himself taught that blind faith and devotion alone do not lead to freedom and enlightenment, useful as they might be at a certain stage.
When the Buddha was living in his palace, he was a good person, kind to his wife, family, and servants. The potential for enlightenment may have been present for all to see, but it was the arduous inner work the Buddha did on himself after he left the palace that led to his perfect enlightenment.
The Buddha was born a human being not so very different from you or me. Through his own efforts, he was able to reach perfect awareness and self-knowledge; through his own efforts, he was able to know all things knowable. The implications of this are extraordinary: If the Buddha could achieve enlightenment, then we can all achieve enlightenment. If the Buddha could know the truth of things as they are, then we – you and me – can know the truth of things as they are. Never forget the revolutionary gospel, the good news, of Buddhism: Each of us is fully endowed with luminous Buddha-nature, the potential for awakened enlightenment.”
(“Awakening the Buddha Within” by Lama Surya Das, Broadway Books, Published 1997, page 54)
So, Buddha was a member of the monarchy in his land and time. There are probably not too many people living in Spain who have come to the point where they describe themselves as Buddhist, but looking at the relationship between the original Buddha’s relinquishment of royal life, the people of Spain wanting to rid themselves of monarchy, and we see that both are part of a correlated enlightenment process.
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers or elders. But, after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason, and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
– The Buddha
Monarchies have existed for a long time, we’ve heard about them, but that doesn’t mean we have to believe in them. Monarchies have been handed down traditionally for many generations, but again we don’t have to believe in them. Monarchies, because they further intensify class-consciousness and division among people, are not conducive to the benefit of one and all, and are thus unacceptable.
The people of Spain have observed and analyzed their constitutional monarchy institution, now finding it does not agree with reason, and are calling for a referendum to abolish it in Spain – because they’ve determined that monarchy does not benefit one and all. Perhaps Spain’s people, by abolishing monarchy, could be the ones who pushed the first domino that starts a worldwide, one-after-another fall of royalty and hereditary sovereigns. This includes corporate, hereditary “monarch” owners.
This movement in Spain is part of the profound evolutionary events now occurring on Earth, leading to a worldwide understanding that each man, woman, and child is equal in the eyes of the Creator. No human being is more important than the least among us; the Spanish people are leading the way toward a world of equality between all people. Human evolution continues.
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(Thank you to euronews @ YouTube)
THE ONENESS of HUMANITY 