Celebrating Independence and Stimulating Patriot Feelings
I yesterday got two e-mails from American friends both writing that around them there was Independence Day being celebrated, but that they didn’t feele like going into patriot feelings. With many countries it is a tradition of celebrating independence days, and often it is used to stimulate these patriotic sentiments – launching a space shuttle or waving flags, not only in football stadiums – are instrumental to this.
At its basis it is a good thing to celebrate independence – not just as a commemoration of gaining political self-determination, but the quality of an individual, a group or a nation to find one’s own way and rhythm of living – and to accept that of the others without imposing on others what one thinks is right for oneself. Everybody feels the way he goes is the right one, but it is arrogant to think that there is only one way.
Especially in the spiritual realm the respect for the individual – be it an individual soul or a nation – is very high. When we are in tune with our higher selves, we are thinking more from the perspective of the other and try to find out what their real needs are. This goes for nations, too – no ideological or commercial or violent aggression upon others.
Nations too have to attain to their highest aims and live according to it. Living in the light of the soul we are really getting independent – something worth celebrating.
