Structure of Goodness in Existence

Enhancing Goodness

The Primal Injunctions provide the awareness that enables every person's better Self to inhibit egotism and evil. Enabling a better social world is a framework that uses all the Injunctions. It is based in enjoyment and self-reliance, centres on caring about others—and perhaps even makes things a little better for all.

Using your better Self in this way seems to be about enhancing goodness in everyday life. The Tree has an internal duality as follows:

■ L"5-L"7 contain the upper 3 Centres that deal with Existence.
■ L"1-L"4 contain the lower 4 Centres that deal with Goodness.

The two poles have a pattern that repeats as follows:

■ The lowest Level in each half is a process that makes it possible.
■ The second Level in each half is the conception for realization.
■ The third Level in each half is an enabler for the conception.
&
■ The central Level (L"4B) is the social form of goodness.

THEE Note on Dualities

This analysis drew heavily on three types of duality.

• The internal duality is found when Tree Centres are divided into upper and lower sections. Because this framework is about using a better Self: the two sections appear to be about existence as the context, and goodness as the content of existence. (This conception fits with the notion of the Pleroma.)
• The oscillating duality demarcating the Primal Injunctions reflects opposite approaches to handling oneself, others and the situation: obedience either depends on getting a grip (odd-numbered Levels) or paying attention (even-numbered Levels).
• The dynamic duality generated the tension that allowed for active influences and combinations of Primal Injunctions. This tension in practice is found between the personal milieu and the social milieu within which obedience occurs.

Overcoming Social Pressures

There are many Tree frameworks relevant to social life and organized activities. The requisite dynamic duality is typically some version of the individual/personal v the group (or organization, society, community, collective &c.).

Examples: Achieving in Organizations, Handling Employment, Cooperating for Results, Determining Political Choices.

In these frameworks, the individual perspective is normally dominant at the single lower Level (L3), while the group perspective is dominant at the two higher Levels (L5 & L6).

So a single person can make a considerable difference to the more concrete and definite choices in everyday social life, while the group asserts control over the overarching system that determines identity, culture, structure or grand strategy. These are severe constraints on individuals: sometimes crushing freedom and justice, and applying coercive measures to prevent new values from taking root. Even when constraints are less grotesque, they may still be harmful and unnecessary.

Note that enabling a worthwhile communal existence shows the reverse situation. You experience life as occurring in a vaguely defined social milieu rather than necessarily in relation to a single given group or specific activity. That milieu, rather than your self, necessarily demands your awareness at the lower more concrete Levels. This allows unsatisfactory situations to come to the forefront of your attention so as to be handled or avoided. However, in regard to the higher existential Levels dealing with creativity and ethics, your personal perspective can and must be dominant.

Harmful Channels Not Mentioned

Investigate for yourself, and you will see that a variety of direct Channels are potentially harmful and cannot produce good Precepts. When people behave as if they use such combinations, terrible inhumane situations result that violate other Primal Injunctions and Precepts. See the Examples below.

L"6: Heed What's Right ↔ Become Aware :L"3

By ignoring the Injunctions to do your best-L"5 and care about others-L"4, the way is open for the development of ideologies which tap into the minds of children and avoid the test of practicality. These ideologies have the power to cause great harm to their own members as well as to their social environment.

Examples: Fundamentalist sects who are free-riders on state benefits, as found in Israel; Stalin and similar political ideologues who came to dominate Russia.

L"5: Do Your Best ↔ Holding Ideals :L"2

When Doing Your Best connects directly to Holding Ideals, the door is opened to grand schemes that ignore effects on others (L"4). In addition, those involved do not become aware-L"3 of the harm being caused. There may even be censorship &/or falsification of the truth. The lack of awareness of costs and blindness to key issues usually means the scheme is crippled and doomed to failure

Examples: Politician-generated grandiose public projects; CEO-driven exploitative commercial developments.

L"4: Care About Others ↔ Get Enjoyment :L"1

When Caring about Others-L"4 connects directly to Getting Enjoyment-L"1, without Becoming Aware-L"3 or Holding Ideals-L"2, the door is wide open for abuse.

Examples: Priests' sexual abuse of choirboys; doctors exploiting vulnerable patients.

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• Back to issues for review.

Originally posted: 15-Feb-2013