Buddha takes PoliticOmatic

How would Buddha vote?

“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship,” he wrote. “Without health life is not life; it is only a state of languor and suffering - an image of death.”

On another occasion, he is recorded saying, “To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.” And at yet another time, he said,“To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

Hmmmm. But nothing about IRS enforcement of mandated payments.

How would Buddha vote?

While Siddhārtha was a young man, his father, King Śuddhodana, shielded him from the outside world and arranged for him to marry at 16 the beautiful Yaśodharā, who bore him a son, Rāhula. However, sometime later for the first time Siddhārtha saw an old man, then a sick person, a corpse and a religious monk. These prompted him decide he would pursue truth by leaving behind his wife, son and kingdom.

He would write later: “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.”

He also wrote: “He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.” So, we will deduce that while he was not a family man, the Buddha would support all Americans’ right to “the pursuit of happiness.”

How would Buddha vote?

In the years that followed, he wrote: “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels nor by demons, heaven or hell.”

“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

“In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for the truth and have begun striving for ourselves.”

So, was he a pacificist? Would he oppose a strong military? It would appear so, particularly if we consider: “Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.”

How would Buddha vote?

He also wrote: “Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.” And: “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”

On another occasion, he told his followers, “To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.”

So, we are going to hypothesize that he would resist a society dependent on federal entitlements – instead preferring that we trust on providence … and overcome any need for worldly comfort.

How would Buddha vote?

A Ron Paul Libertarian? Really? According to the Politic-O-Matic analysis, our answers on behalf Siddhārtha indicate that he would believe that “government, quite frankly, is too big.”

“You’re happy to trumpet this belief from the rooftops,” continues Politic-O-Matic. “It spends too much, it regulates too much, it gets embroiled in foreign affairs that it has no business getting involved with, and it constantly passes laws that simply attempt to make itself larger. How many of the country’s problems can simply be attributed to rampant bureaucracy and governmental excess? Downsize Big Government and return control to the people and you’ve got a solid foundation for prosperity and success.”

Really? Perhaps we need to spend some time in self-denial as we meditate on this.