Not only was the birth of Buddha preceded by his mother dreaming of an elephant entering her womb...even Buddhist Jatakas talk about the enlightened being born as the elephant king.
/We are standing at a historical juncture ( not of the entire mankind but of modern and post-modern cultures) where it is slowly sinking in that voting does not reflect the act of choosing. Moreover, we have lost faith in the Social Contract Theory, and we no longer know what to expect from the government. People living under dictatorships are fighting for democracy and yet people living withing democratic setups are yearning for dictators. But right now we are not in a position for a system overhaul, we are yet to imagine a post-democracy. Nonetheless, democracy is not just any another 'crazy'. People are passionate about it, give their lives for it....billions of dollars/euros/rupees are sent on it. It seems that the time has come to strip down democracy to its essentials...and then try to make it better.
It seems that democracy essentially has two ingredients.
Keeping these two needs in mind I propose (till we brainstorm/ + revolutionize a way out of electoral democracy), we go back to the old ritual of letting elephants choose the king. Ok, first of all, there will be no king. Just our regular councillors, MLAs, MPs and that sort. Just that election day will have a different name and on that day in every ward/constituency an elephant will be released and the person whom the elephant chooses will win. Then all the winners can get together elect a ministry and rule us. Our return to Ayurveda and naturopathy proves that we (re)acknowledge that nature is wiser (more enlightened?) than us. Democracy is all about enlightened choice, isn't it?
Only the people who want to be chosen need be out on the streets along with the election commission observers. (and the media!!), there will be no need for campaigning, rioting, opinion polling and so many other ings. (including voting)
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| Dream of Maya Devi, Sculpture Medallion on the railings of the Bharut Stupa, now the Indian Museum Kolkata |
/We are standing at a historical juncture ( not of the entire mankind but of modern and post-modern cultures) where it is slowly sinking in that voting does not reflect the act of choosing. Moreover, we have lost faith in the Social Contract Theory, and we no longer know what to expect from the government. People living under dictatorships are fighting for democracy and yet people living withing democratic setups are yearning for dictators. But right now we are not in a position for a system overhaul, we are yet to imagine a post-democracy. Nonetheless, democracy is not just any another 'crazy'. People are passionate about it, give their lives for it....billions of dollars/euros/rupees are sent on it. It seems that the time has come to strip down democracy to its essentials...and then try to make it better.
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| Illustration From ohn Lockwood Kipling entitled "Choosing the next King" for a story in Flora Annie Steel's Tales of the Punjab (Macmillan 1894) |
It seems that democracy essentially has two ingredients.
- To ensure that feudal or totalitarian social+economic structures do not continue. Rulers need to be rotated, and the theories of divine right to rule or hereditary right to rule have become unfashionable and we want to be ruled by prime ministers and presidents...not kings, not Furhers.
- Democracy was invented for the enlightened man (and then subsequently women)to vent his/her agency in politics. This participation also gives a ritual validity to the people and positions who govern us.
Keeping these two needs in mind I propose (till we brainstorm/ + revolutionize a way out of electoral democracy), we go back to the old ritual of letting elephants choose the king. Ok, first of all, there will be no king. Just our regular councillors, MLAs, MPs and that sort. Just that election day will have a different name and on that day in every ward/constituency an elephant will be released and the person whom the elephant chooses will win. Then all the winners can get together elect a ministry and rule us. Our return to Ayurveda and naturopathy proves that we (re)acknowledge that nature is wiser (more enlightened?) than us. Democracy is all about enlightened choice, isn't it?
Only the people who want to be chosen need be out on the streets along with the election commission observers. (and the media!!), there will be no need for campaigning, rioting, opinion polling and so many other ings. (including voting)
This is an extremely urgent change, the only way we can make democracy free, and functional in a world where enlightenment is a disbelief. The change will also enable us to watch TV or party or surf on social net working sites while democracy is taken care of.
Moreover, we won't need the ministry of the environment, we can be sure that elephants will not choose someone who will be harmful to animals and forests 