Chi

Chi is a Chinese word for the universal life force which flows through everything. Other words like Ki, Qi, Prana describe this concept.

 

The demise of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) in the U.S. at the hands of our Supreme Court has me thinking of organizational acronyms. I would like to see a social movement of CHIs. CHI would stand for Committed Humanist Individuals. Actually, I would like to see a CHI Liberation Front, or CHILF.

 

This is an age of gangs. Bad gangs and not-so-bad gangs. There are the hip-hoppers and rappers. There are girl gangs. There is the Latino familia which can be  seen crowding together in department stores, hospital waiting rooms and other locations. There are Twitter gangs and Facebook gangs. And there are born-again gangs, orthodox gangs and jihadist gangs. "Family restaurant" is a code for heterosexual gangsters who don't want to associate with those who don't share their "family values".

 

Gangs among the more affluent and sophisticated are often called "communities". There is the Harvard community, for example. Harvard Clubs exist around the world. These are places where the Harvard gangsters associate and compare the blueness of their blood over drinks. There is the Bilderberg Group, a gang of celebrities, politicians and CEOs. They get together in five-star locations to discuss how they will continue to shape the world for the rest of us to their own advantage as the aristocracy. And so it goes.

 

CHILF (Committed Humanist Individual Liberation Front) would be opposed to becoming a gang in any shape. CHILF would have no scheduled meetings. If a spontaneous gathering of CHIs (Committed Humanist Individuals)  happened to get together, they would perhaps share stories of individual good deeds, aspirations and initiatives. There would be no professional CHIs. No CHILF fundraisers. No CHILF initiation rites. No CHILF Centers. No non-profit CHILF corporations. Yes, I am being somewhat facetious.

 

The basis of all sustainable goodness in the world is individual responsibility and commitment. Marriage and heredity have not per se developed goodness in the world. In fact, heredity from marriage is at the root of much of the illness and evil in the world, especially when associated with either generational aristocracy or generational poverty. Organizations, gangs, communities are only as progressive as the individual members. Therefore, I celebrate the individual humanist who, regardless of whatever group includes him/her, maintains his/her own practice of propagating mindfulness and compassion in everyday life.