Pablo F. del Real

Commonwealth starts in the mind. Sharing the same worldview or philosophy allows us to make commitments to sharing wealth and taking care of each other. That is no ordinary decision or commitment, it requires vows.

To question capitalism from a wisdom perspective is not to endorse marxism, communism, socialism, or any other economic theory. Rather, lovers of wisdom criticize capitalism for elevating love of money above love of god. And they manage money as commonwealth, not as private property.

Note: There is plenty of bad news these days. Lovers of god tend to not focus on bad news. Rather, they pay attention to what is alive and life-giving. In that spirit, this post is about the change in seasons, and changing systems that cause harm and thrive on bad news.

Amid tensions between god and empire, between life and money, between nature and machine, we have a choice. We can choose to ignore the natural month – the new moon – or we can choose to participate in it. To organize part of our life around it. To be alive to it.

In the face of unjust systems, multiple crises, and deep despair, what can we actually do? What am I going to do? “If there aren’t large-scale solutions to large-scale problems, it’s all about the small scale.”

To renounce anything (besides addiction) is not common in our society. Yet, renunciation is central to loving god. It is at the heart of every major wisdom tradition, the second step on the Path of Love. Until we renounce empire, we serve it instead of god or the common good.