Ave, Sandum Citizens!
The history of three years of our state has been long and, at times, changing and uncertain. Throughout the changes, however, from one state to another, two tendencies have remained: Socialism and Buddhism. When we discuss Socialism, it is clear we discuss the political, rather than economic, application of Socialism. Indeed our issue has been how to create a Socialist economy from the ground up, but it has never been our trouble in the capacity of forming a Socialist society and political culture. When we discuss Buddhism, it is clear we do not discuss the religious aspect of it; rather, we discuss, for the most part and with some momentary exceptions, the philosophy of Buddhism. Both of these are important values for our State and we have often followed their examples in our government.
This essay will precede the III Novembro MMXII CCPS Party Congress which shall meet to deliberate on this value of the Sandum State, to establish civil oaths to the government and to this value. Should the party elect it, these oaths shall be made ceremoniously amongst present Sandum citizens before their close friends. In addition to this, as the Party too shall decide to elect further democratic devolution of power to the People in the form of a parliamentary Party, oaths will be made for Party Comrades and Comrade Citizens and a bureaucracy of the people shall form, which shall devolve even more power from the Office of the Sôgmô and engage citizens. This concept of a bureaucracy was attempted to be artificially made during the time of the Spring Equinox of this year, but has not been implemented. Rather, should it grow through evolution, a bureaucracy suitable for our State may grow.
Yet, so begins our contemplation:
Buddhism and Socialism in the State & Government
From ancient gurus to modern lamas, we’re told that life is suffering; all that we will experience in this life is marked by suffering. We shall experience old age, disease, and death, and no end to them. We shall experience suffering spurred from desire, ego, fear, ignorance, and hatred. However, the teachers tell us that suffering can be extinguished by rooting out these aggregates and eliminating them. We do this by following Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Actions, Right Livelihood, Right Understanding, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration — quite rigorous. However, the teachers give us five precepts that we ought to follow, a short list of these broad Eight, which are:
– abstain from killing
– abstain from stealing
– abstain from sexual misconduct
– abstain from false speech
– abstain from intoxication
Socialism and, especially, Marxist Socialism view a similar truth. Both view that workers are exploited by the bourgeois, those who control labour and the production. Workers slave away for the bourgeoisie, losing money while they slave away. They work in squalor conditions and, often, their homes may be the same way. However, if one looks towards the livelihood of the bourgeois, they observe luxury in both workplace and home. Socialists, therefore, believe that the people should be the rightful owners of the means of production, so as to end that exploitation of the majority of the population. In this regard, we have numerous options: revolution or evolution; democracy or socialist vanguard; pure workers’ democracy or nationalisation. Thankfully for our State, we have all of these.
So too do Socialists believe that the infrastructure of the state should be owned by the people: the hospitals, education, food, transportation, and so on, and therefore be universal to the people.
Therefore, in Sandus, both of these exist. The Buddhist belief is transcendental of religion — whose liberty is founded amongst the people — and, as a philosophy, can connect people beyond their cultures; therefore, Sandus connects Buddhist-minded philosophers and followers alike. This Buddhist capacity forms the society and education of our State. The Socialist belief is political and, therefore, connects Socialists to Sandus. It is a capacity that forms the politics and society of our State. Therefore, because both focus themselves on the suffering of people, they both become united into the realm of mind and the society of our State. The Middle Path — i.e., not having too much or too little, not being poor or being rich — becomes important too in the State. This Path helps to explain the moderate lack of desire which, thereby, facilitates the Socialism of the State.
Our State, too, combines a third but minor belief. That is, that Sandum citizens are free and equal individuals forming the Sandum society. Some call this Social Liberalism, that is – the view that society ought to be free and support an individual’s liberty. This is especially true of social and cultural rights and liberties in the State. Our State has no official religion; our State forces no one religion on any citizen; our State, too, does not even force Communism on its citizens but, rather, its citizens remain leftists by fact of social contract.
As a result, Buddhism and Socialism form for the State the backbone of our society, our culture, and our politics. With moderate emphasis on Buddhism, by which all Sandum citizens must agree to the Buddhist precepts and the Dharma on suffering, and with the focus on Socialism, which all Sandum citizens find themselves a part of, the State combines Social Liberalism, Socialism, and Buddhism to form the intent, belief, and value of the State — the Heart of the State.
The Heart of the State
Therefore, the purpose, the intent, the value, and the belief of the State and the Sandum People should be for the destruction of suffering. Whereas this suffering can be categorised into deep or genuine suffering — i.e., perceived suffering, suffering arising from desire, or so on — and the more worldly suffering — i.e., suffering arising from exploitation, famine, or so on –, the Sandum value should be for their ultimate destruction. It should be for the education on deep or genuine suffering, such as hatred and ignornace, and it should be for the destruction of worldly suffering, such as famine and war. The compassionate activities of the people and policies of the government which arise from this are the closest value of the State and it forms the basis of the Sandum philosophy. Just as suffering arises from the aggregates of ego, fear, ignorance, hatred, and desire, Sandum citizens shall educate themselves and others and work for their destruction; just as suffering arises from famine, war, exploitation, abuse, and so on, so too shall Sandum citizens work to combat the forces which create these events.
In sum, it should be the duty, the belief, and the value of all Sandum citizens, who by law are granted liberty of conscience, to work for the destruction of suffering by education and by work. This has been and shall ever remain the innermost, the Heart value of the State of Sandus.
— Sôgmô Sörgel.
sandus.org 