Politicians, however honest they may be, only work on the conditions outside of people and thus only provide unsatisfactory answers. Their concern is not to solve the karma of human beings. Every society recognizes that it must protect the weak, the disadvantaged, the handicapped – protect them from domination, from violence, in a word: from selfishness. It must also help them in areas where they are disadvantaged and cannot cope on their own. It is the duty of a state governed by the rule of law to think of its governance in terms of respect, fraternity, sharing…
Nevertheless, citizens can at any time not follow these laws and instead follow the three poisons. Skilfully circumventing the laws, thwarting the work of justice and the police is possible, it is enough to be sufficiently clever not to get caught, sufficiently dissimulative to give a good image of oneself while following a dissimulated egoism.
The laws enacted by a democratic state like France are based on the values of equality, liberty and fraternity. They allow, in absolute terms, to live in harmony and peace with each other. For this, they give rights and duties to its citizens. But we must not forget what each citizen can and must do for the community. Some are responsible, ready to help, to give, to share, while others, on the contrary, only want to take advantage. This is the problem: it lies in the hearts of human beings. And there is not much that politicians can do about it. It is a problem of consciousness, of opening the heart.
Sotoshu :
Ecole zen Sôtô
UBF :
Union Bouddhiste de France