I’ve been doing, lately, a great deal of research on the subject of sovereignty, as it applies to geographical political states. The concept itself is of primary importance to me because it extends so far beyond that: into the life of the individual on all levels and the ethics which govern his interactions with his fellows. {See also: commonwealth}

What defines a region as sovereign? Max Weber said that it was the monopoly of the use of force. Gandhi’s non-violent soul-force seems to overturn that as a potential political or personal truth. Gandhi believed deeply that to be authentically religious one must engage in politics. Popular sovereignty is the notion that sovereignty comes first and foremost from the people who actually live in a region. Religious advocates of that notion suggest that the sovereignty, in turn, comes to the people from the Godhead. Tom Paine’s Agrarian Justice advocated a guaranteed basic income to all people who were deprived of sovereignty over the land: since, he thought, that the riches of the earth were freely given by God to men, and therefore must be equally shared by all.

It’s a good way of thinking: that The Gifts of The Land, of Earth, of Life Itself™ come first from God and are provided for the Commonwealth: a mutual benefit society of sovereign individuals operating under the Twin Rules of Reason & Universal Brotherhood™ (caritas) to come to agreements for the allocation of God’s abundance within their shared value community.

How different does that sound from what we have now? But really, it’s not. It’s what we have now was founded on, what it still is and really can be. The only thing missing, for most of us, is an actual awareness of why things are the way they are™ today. It’s not willy-nilly. It’s not haphazard or some crazy machine out of control that needs to be overturned. Quite the opposite: it’s individual sovereign human beings trying to come up with the best way of doing things, and immutable human nature operating according to the same laws as it always has.

How then to overcome the perceived problems we find in our political and social landscape? First of all, realized that they are first perceived, and second analyze what perceptual filters you are applying to the situation. An ability to maintain Objective Judgement & Discernment are the first marks of a Sovereign. Next comes taking response-ability for problems you see within the Commonwealth. Learn how to effectively interact and equitably negotiate with other sovereign entities. Work together for the resolution of common problems in a way which meets everyone’s needs.

People talk about these types things as though they are the sole domain of government, but government arises from The People and from individual human people acting and interacting on a daily basis. To improve your government, first master yourself, and then lend your hand to the raising of your fellow-man. Dr. Bronner’s soap exclaims:

“A Human being works hard to teach ‘Love His Enemy’ to help unite all mankind free or that being is not yet human!”

Gurdjieff said you had to work to acquire a soul. I see it first as a matter of self-mastery: gain control over the habits from the imprinted neuro-social patterns which up until that point control individual behavior. From self-mastery (by way of God’s grace poured out upon he who tries to help himself™) comes the state of sovereignty: the King rules over himself with absolute clarity, tranquility and harmony. This is The State of the Sovereign™, the state of mind and the state of being. You become a sovereign when this state becomes stable, reliable and trasmissible through word and deed.

A sovereign recognizes all others as sovereign, even if they are not actively declaring and enforcing that state of being with their word or deed. This is why the Hindus bow to one another and salute the Atman, the gnostic spark or seed of God in all beings. Sovereigns govern themselves through the creation of accords: self-agreements and clear explication of intention, creating an allowance for the operation of Free Will.

Happy Thanksgiving. This is the state which the “Pilgrims” were supposed to be celebrating!