A governing perspective

[jimsun]

An infinite number of perspectives can be adopted
Any perspective constrains perception, interpretation, assumption, argumentation, conclusion, process.

Some perspectives may be similar enough to inform each other
Others may be dissimilar enough to represent alternate views which cannot be evaluated against each other in terms of greatest truth
Yet other perspectives may appear to transcend and include subsidiary perspectives

One could search for an ultimate perspective, which would transcend and include all others
But any formulation of and investment into such would simply create one more perspective, with its own limits and thus transcendable or deniable

There is a natural space beyond or prior to perspective, which is not perspective, is not a thing at all, and thus does not solve the problem of the quest for an ultimate perspective; rather it represents the breaking or releasing or clarifying of that subject-object quest
This is not at the top or bottom of all perspectives, it is not developed or created
It is the ultimate and the everyday

Yet within the realm of perspectives, there is this quest for a meta, maha, organizing, foundational, governing perspective

A culture at a time and place in history promotes many perspectives, which allow various aspects of society to function
Each may have a vocabulary, roles, agreements, etc
To the extent that a culture is a whole, then the perspectives supported must in some way coordinate with each other, or they are made to do so if they don't naturally
The culture forms a governing perspective which provides this coordinating function
Perspectives which are simply too contradictory to this coordination are often banned, suppressed or denied resources and viability

While an idealistic individual may be frustrated in attempting to discover a governing perspective which is also ultimate, society simply requires one that works and lives with the best it can find for that purpose

Yet, a culture grows and changes, like any living thing
This happens partly because the constituent perspectives grow and change, new perpectives are birthed, old ones abandoned, varieties of combinations and mergers of perspective occur

So, a healthy culture, while having a governing perspective which can maintain enough coordination for the society to function well and happily, also grants a living, breathing quality to this governing perspective

Sometimes this need-to-breathe is systematized as a set of basic rules, basic values
Honoring a level of freedom in people's lives, or in commerce, in religion, etc, is one way
Or having a collective religion which upholds a certain ultimate unknowability and flexibility is another
Or having an elite which is highly and specially educated and held to higher moral or spiritual standards is another
All these systems are potentially flawed, yet all represent attempts to add some mystery and flexibility to the governing perspective, so that everyone can flourish properly within it

The culture's governing perspective is important to the well-being and growth of members of the society
Who owns it, who interprets it, who controls it, who can critique it, is important
It's always important, no matter how simple or obviously true the formulation of the governing perspective is
The politics, personalities and agendas around it are always relevant to the members of society

Sometimes a culture and its governing perspective, fractures
This can come about because of a clash or merger of cultures, advances in technology, the birth of a new generation, widespread availability of education or connectivity, etc
At such a time, there will be competing attempts to formulate a new governing perspective

At first, certain people will 'feel' the fracture before the rest of the society
They will begin to intuit a way forward and may create preliminary maps and vocabularies: perspectival experiments
Yet, if they reveal these to the society at large too soon, then they are likely to be shouted down and potentially see their inspiration crushed by the onslaught of resistance and reaction

So, often they will proceed based on intuition, and attempt to create a more grounded, well argued, further clarified structure before revealing it
What's important to note is at this stage you have a new governing perspective which is not and probably cannot be properly justitifed by evidence or consensus; it is justified by intuition, vision, passion
It then works its way back down to earth via research and elaboration so that in the end it might appear to be simple, rational, obvious to all
Along the way it changes a lot, and may look much different and more mature than when it began

There is a kind of joining of old and new that occurs
The old governing perspective finally starts to acknowledge some of its own limitations and buried needs
The new finally starts to make real sense and becomes not only a great vision, but a viable, practical, humble and creative bridge
Both old and new start to come to terms with their own limitations, but see the value in a bridge that leads to greater possibilities for all
So what starts as a perspectival war, ends up being more like a transformation, which involves both sides

When history looks back at the change, it will perhaps speak less of a war, and more of a turbulent time of changing attitudes and deep experimentation, which led to a new stable governing perspective

[Susan]

Perhaps:

Mull-tea perspective

Sow many kinds

Religions as kind-nests

Stable as mined

Stable as B-earth pLace

Win-does clear

The buck sTops hear

The buck stops hear

The quiet Windhorse

Fee-ding well

Resting well

Done-king

Dunking

sWells

Well?

Watch Tower
tum(me)bull

http://www.escapefromwatchtower.com/shambhala.html

Thank you
fore inspiration
un-shun!
_________________
"It's all Ati. Now, let's be practical."
Chogyam Trungpa