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| ~ ∞ ~ The Emergence of a New Vision 2/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~ |
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Another truth worth considering: the questions and answers, the problems and solutions, are separated only by imagination and abstraction. And these, my friend, are connected and linked together by awareness, and what keeps them seemingly separate is the level of awareness. In the way of awareness, are the two main shortcomings of us human beings – ignorance and hubris, you see?
This brings us nicely to the next aspect of our discussion. As mentioned in the previous chapter, our tendency to divide the perceived world into individual and separate things and to experience ourselves as “isolated minds” is a form of ignorance that prevents us – if not solely, at least largely, from understanding our interdependence with all Life and our relationship with Earth.
Indeed, the foundation of modern-day problems is deeply rooted in our ignorance, and hence it can be said that the times we live in – is the pinnacle of ignorance. From this perspective, we can see that the crisis of our times is not only ecological and political, but more than anything else – a spiritual one.
Therefore, we as the collective human species are called to undergo a spiritual transformation in order to affect the economic, political and social changes needed. To do that, we have to snap out of our denial; this simple, yet deeply profound truth is the key and the first step in transformation. It is unfortunate that all too often we are not ready for that first step for whatever reason or excuse – this in turn keeps us ignorant.
Ignorance itself is the root cause of all suffering (Dukkha), and is most definitely the biggest challenge of our time. It is this very ignorance and estrangement from ourselves that explains our feeling of isolation from nature and Life itself. It seems that whatever we humans as a collective do – is creating more suffering, chaos and disorder into the world than peace, happiness, and equality.
In the previous chapter, we saw how the mechanistic Western worldview impacts our lives in so many different ways. And so it can be said: Western man today, it would seem, has no single philosophy of life that sustains or encourages him. Western man today, has forgotten and rejected nature, or at the very least, pretends, quite convincingly, to have forgotten nature. For this same reason, Western man today, when he looks into himself, fails to see the spiritual reality.
And so you see, in essence, the Western view of the world is rigid and inflexible. Western thinking is that everything is under man’s control. In contrast, the Eastern thinking is to co-exist with nature. As such, in essence, the Eastern view of the world is very much organic and intrinsically dynamic. This contrast is an excellent starting point for a continued discussion.
There is much we can learn from the Eastern view. For instance, the division of nature into separate objects is not fundamental, and therefore all objects have a fluid and ever-changing nature. In other words, all things and events perceived by the senses are interrelated, connected, and are therefore different aspects or manifestations of the same Ultimate Reality.
Furthermore, Eastern mysticism emphasizes the basic unity of the universe, which is the central feature of their teachings. In turn, the highest aim is to become aware of this unity and underlying mutual interrelation and interdependence of all things; to transcend the notion of an isolated individual self, and to identify with the Ultimate Reality.
Interestingly, there are striking similarities between foundational theories in the field of quantum physics and basic ideas in the philosophical and religious traditions of Eastern mysticism, foremost of which is consciousness. You see, in a completely interconnected universe, consciousness anywhere means consciousness everywhere. Non-locality tells us that anywhere is everywhere.
In fact, it would seem that energy itself, like matter, is an appearance of consciousness. This certainly fits with the observation we made earlier in this book, that no human has ever had any experience outside of consciousness or outside of the eternally present moment – see?
Certainly, the world would be a much better place to live if we were to combine the knowledge of science and ancient wisdom teachings and propagate that knowledge through education and awareness. If we are to find a better way, it can only be achieved through awareness; if we are to transform our old ways into something new, it can only be achieved through self-awareness – see?
From this, the question arises: What should we change in our ways of thinking and being to reach a balance as a whole? The answer may lie in our ingenuity, in our ability to innovate and create. One of our strengths as humans is our ability to simplify, so we should use it to our advantage. If we focus our energy and combined efforts on building the new, we can achieve great things together.
It is obvious that our systems must evolve to meet the needs of the times we live in; to be able to facilitate the growth and development. Especially our educational systems would need to undergo a deep and profound transformation towards a direction that could help nurture the heart as well as the mind.
And in so doing lay the foundation for compassion so that every individual could utilize their skills and abilities not only for personal growth and advancement, but also for the good of the world as well – see? What awaits us in the future is ours to envision, discover and co-create together, learning from one another and helping to build a legacy for future generations.
In the end, it is we ourselves who write our own destiny, with how we choose to live our lives, with what we choose to learn, unlearn, and relearn, with what we choose to envision and create, and what we choose to cherish and value. The decision is ours, and ours alone, and has been so from day one, you see?
Should we choose to use our free will to rewrite our story and redefine how we do things – is entirely up to each and every one of us. Is it not, indeed, up to us to choose our path? Whichever path we choose, it will surely determine the fate of our species for a long time to come.
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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~
Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony
~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~
Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony
[ Click » here « to read the next part: Ancient Wisdom Resurfaces ]
Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
