Another “glimpse” from Sogyal Rinpoche’s book:

Wrong views and wrong convictions can be the most devastating of all our delusions. Surely Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot must have been convinced that they were right, too? And yet each and every one of us has that same dangerous tendency as they had: to form convictions, believe them without question, and act on them, so bringing down suffering not only on ourselves but on all those around us.

On the other hand, the heart of Buddha’s teaching is to see “the actual state of things, as they are,” and this is called the true View. It is a view that is all embracing, as the role of spiritual teachings is precisely to give us a complete perspective on the nature of mind and reality.

* See previous “glimpse” here.

It sounds like the propaganda boys of the brand new prime minister have prepared a slew of bright ideas for him. A catchy slogan. Release of ISA detainees. Lifting of newspaper suspensions. They sound pretty good but I’ve got a few questions for Mr. Najib.

1. Does the concept of “One Malaysia” mean that Ketuanan Melayu and mono-ethnic parties that divide the nation will be a thing of the past?

2. Does “People First” mean that the economic policies of Barisan Nasional will benefit all Malaysians and not just the politically connected?

3. Does “Performance Now” mean that we will immediately have good teachers in schools, professional police officers that actually solve crimes and public officials that deliver results?

4. Does the release of the ISA detainees and the lifting of the suspension of opposition newspapers mean that both the Internal Security Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act will be repealed in the next seating of Parliament?

I must confess that I do believe in miracles; and I certainly would like to believe that Mr. Najib can transcend the 30 years of Umnofication that he has been through, and spare Malaysia any more suffering.

However, for now, pardon me if I remain cynical until I see some real changes in his administration of our nation.