Can We Change Now?

     "'Is the universe a friendly place or not?' ... If we believe that the universe is unfriendly ... peace will be elusive at best." Joan Borysenko. “Fire in the Soul. A New Psychology of Spiritual Optimism.” Warner Books, 1993. 

     In the interim, ever more human beings keep ravaging our fellow humans, animals & Nature. We continue to prioritize short-term gain & profit over sustainable peace. We are not merely unfriendly, but openly hostile. Can we change sufficiently before we destroy our planet & ourselves along with it?

      "Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don't know it, are asleep. They’re born asleep, they live asleep, they marry asleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence. You know, all mystics – Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion – are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is well. Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to be sure. But, tragically, most people never get to see that all is well because they are asleep. They are having a nightmare.”
     Anthony de Mello. “Awareness. The Perils and Opportunities of Reality.” Doubleday, 1992.

     “If a man achieves or suffers change in premises which are deeply embedded in his mind, he will surely find that the results of that change will ramify throughout his whole universe.” Gregory Bateson

     "The non-dual understanding (direct path or Advaita Vedanta) addresses two essential questions: one, ‘How may we be free of suffering and find the lasting peace & happiness for which all people long above all else?’, and two, ‘What is the nature of reality?’
     In relation to the first question, the non-dual approach suggests that happiness is our essential nature, or simply that we are happiness itself. We might then ask, if happiness is our essential nature, why is it not experienced all the time? And the reason is simply this, that whilst all people have a sense of being or knowing their self, not all people know their self clearly. It is this absence of clear self-knowledge that is responsible for the feeling of lack that accompanies most people’s lives and drives them to seek fulfillment in objects, substances, activities, states of mind and relationships.
     ... chances are that the search for happiness in objective experience has failed you sufficiently often to make you doubt that it can ever be truly found there. The non-dual understanding suggests not. In fact, it suggests that in order to find lasting peace and happiness one must know the nature of oneself as one essentially is. As such, self-knowledge is considered to be not only the means by which peace and happiness may be found but the very experience of happiness itself. It is for this reason that the non-dual teaching starts with an investigation into the essential nature of our self, and you can find a video giving an ‘Introduction to Self-Inquiry’ in this section of the website.
     This clear knowledge of oneself is also the basis of the second aspect of the non-dual understanding, namely, the recognition that reality is an infinite, indivisible whole, made of pure consciousness, from which all separate objects and selves borrow their apparently independent existence. Everything we know or experience is mediated through the mind, and therefore, the mind’s knowledge of anything can only ever be as good as its knowledge of itself. In order to know what anything truly is – that is, what reality truly is – the mind must first know its own essential nature. Therefore, the investigation into the nature of the mind must be the highest endeavor upon which any mind can embark, and the knowledge of its essence or nature the highest knowledge.
     Thus, whether we approach non-duality as a means of finding lasting peace and happiness or, more philosophically, as an answer to the ultimate question about the nature of reality, we begin with an investigation into the nature of our self. This understanding is found at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions, and is expressed in the particular language of the time and place in which it arose. For instance, in Christianity it is said, ‘I and my Father are one’. That is, the essence of our self and the ultimate reality of the universe are the same. In the Sufi tradition, ‘Whosoever knows their self knows their Lord’. That is, whoever knows the essential nature of their self knows the ultimate reality of the universe. And in Buddhism, ‘Samsara & Nirvana are one’, meaning the nature of the world and the essence of the mind are identical.
     Indeed, the words ‘Know Thyself’, carved above the entrance to the temple of Apollo at Delphi, indicate that at the very foundation of Western civilization lies the non-dual understanding that our knowledge of our self is not only the means by which lasting peace & happiness may be found within an individual, but is also the basis for peace amongst individuals, communities & nations, and must, as such, be the foundation of any truly civilized society." Rupert Spira https://rupertspira.com/non-duality/introduction-to-non-duality

 

Listening in Silence is an Act of Trust in Life Itself

     Can I trust life enough to sit quietly and deeply listen to nature for a few minutes?
     Can I trust the universe not to fall apart for a few minutes during which I do nothing; go nowhere; be no one?

      Einstein felt the most important question a human being needs to answer is, "‘Is the universe a friendly place or not?’ ... If we believe that the universe is unfriendly ... peace will be elusive at best."
      Joan Borysenko. “Fire in the Soul. A New Psychology of Spiritual Optimism.” Warner Books, 1993.

7-minute Adyashanti video

Mood?

     Our mood* - the overall tone of our emotions - is something we typically assume to be like the weather, entirely dependent on external circumstances ie completely out of our hands. So we tend to do nothing about the one constant, major influence over how we perceive and respond to everything.
* "an emotional state. In contrast to emotions, feelings, or affects, moods are less specific, less intense and less likely to be provoked or instantiated by a particular stimulus or event. Moods are typically described as having either a positive or negative valence. In other words, people usually talk about being in a good mood or a bad mood." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_(psychology)

     "Einstein was asked what he thought the most important question was that a human being needed to answer. His reply was, ‘Is the universe a friendly place or not?’ 
     And indeed, our answer to that question is the cornerstone on which many of our values and beliefs inevitably rest. If we believe that the universe is unfriendly and that our very souls are in danger, peace will be elusive at best." 
     Joan Borysenko. “Fire in the Soul. A New Psychology of Spiritual Optimism.” Warner Books, 1993.

      If our mood is generally "bad" - and for many it is - it's likely due to a deep underlying conviction, conscious or unconscious, that the universe is unfriendly. Such an assumption can ruin any sense of hope & optimism, so that only cynicism, depression or at best, a grim determination to survive remains. But does such misery make any sense? Is the universe really unfriendly??
     Scientists, as well as deeply self-reflective people would say that life operates according to impersonal natural laws. If you sit under an apple tree, and an apple falls & lands on your head, the universe is not out to get you. Similarly, all manner of interconnected causes & effects have continuously been in motion since the beginning of time, so everything is changing constantly in a very complex, yet "lawful" manner. Aging, sickness & death (existential facts) are part of this. If we decide that gravity, the weather, aging, death or any other natural phenomenon is personally offensive, then we're not only mistaken, but causing ourselves needless suffering, and would benefit from professional help. Like Dylan Thomas, "Do not go gentle into that good night, but rage, rage against the dying of the light" we may reflexively protest & rigidly cling to unrealistic preferences. BUT maturing wisely, becoming intimate with all of life, is a far, far better choice - AND WE DO HAVE A CHOICE.
     Given that the universe is at worse neutral, if not evolving in a positive direction, we might pay closer attention to our mood, and adjust it to mesh with reality. Cheers!

Our Human Body, The Universe, & Finding Home

     "In the Vajrayana traditions of Tibet, in the yoga traditions of India, in Taoist meditation in Taoist yoga, and elsewhere in world religions, the human body, and the totality of the universe, are equivalent realities, only in a different scale. To put it in another way, the human body (microcosm) is the reality of the totality of the universe (macrocosm), with all of the space, all of the eventfulness, all of the energy, all of the vast display, only happening in a different frame of reference, a different scale – the scale of the human body. 
     When we do somatic descent, it’s very important that we have this understanding. At the end of the day, the ultimate mysteries, the ultimate sacredness, the ultimate power, the ultimate immeasurable expanse of the universe is actually present in our human body. Now we can say that these are equivalent realities happening on a different scale, but there’s one way in which they’re not equivalent, and that is that we don’t have direct access to the infinity of the universe. But we do have access to the infinity of the universe in our body. So the external universe can only be known by observation, measurement, deduction, and we’re very reliant on scientific technologies to know about the universe in its most expansive extent. But within the human body, we are given the opportunity to experience those very same cosmic realities through direct experience, through the non-conceptual experience of our body. ...
     What we’re saying here is that when we breathe into the lower belly (hara or dan tien), and we discover the space – the empty, open, vast space – that is the source of our life, in our lower belly, we feel this is me. This is really me. And when we bring that energy up and we uncover it, discover it in the central channel, we feel this is my core. If I’ve been wondering my whole life who I am, and if I have been looking my whole life for my identity as a person, my ultimate identity that will be unshakable in the face of any storms and any onslaughts, we feel, we experience, that this is me. It’s probably one of the deepest experiences of human life. This is who I am. This is who I’ve always been. And we see that it’s indestructible, and it’s neither born, nor dies. 
     This experience of our eternal aspect, again it’s not abstract, and it’s not theoretical. It’s one of the most intimate, personal, affecting experiences you can ever have in your life. Once you discover that space in your own body, in your lower belly, and in your central channel, and you see for yourself, in terms of your own experience, that this is who you are. It gives you a different foundation for your living."

       Reginald A. Ray “Somatic Descent.” Sounds True, 2016. 
       www.soundstrue.com/store/somatic-descent.html

Courtesy of Buddha Doodles www.buddhadoodles.com

Invitation from the Living Universe

     by Duane Elgin http://fujideclaration.org/invitation-from-the-living-universe/

      A living universe paradigm: A self-consistent pattern of thoughts, concepts, and assumptions about the nature of reality is rapidly emerging. Simply stated, we are seeing a profound shift from a non-living view of the universe to a view that regards the universe as uniquely alive. This is not a “new” perspective as, more than two thousand years ago, Plato said that, “the universe is a single living creature that encompasses all living creatures within it.” What is new is how a living systems perspective is drawing upon insights from science to validate this emerging paradigm that regards the universe as a unified system that is sustained continuously by the flow-through of phenomenal amounts of energy and whose essential nature includes consciousness or a self-reflective capacity that enables systems at every scale of existence to exercise some freedom of choice.

      A bio-cosmic identity: The paradigm of a living universe reveals that we are much more than biological beings whose identity extends no further than our skin. Instead, we are “bio-cosmic” beings that participate in the aliveness of a living universe. The energy of divine aliveness pours through and sustains the entire universe. Awakening to our identity as both distinct and intimately interconnected within a living universe transforms the feelings of existential separation and species-arrogance that threaten our future. We are participants in a cosmic garden of life the universe has been patiently nurturing over billions of years. A living universe invites us to shift from feelings of indifference, fear, and cynicism to feelings of curiosity, love, awe, and participation.

      A surpassing purpose: Living is more than “only not dying.” Our purpose in being here is to learn how to live sustainably and compassionately within a living universe. Our life is our gift from the universe and how we choose to live is our gift to the universe. We are on a sacred journey of discovery. In freedom, we are discovering our identity as beings of both earthly and cosmic dimensions. After nearly 14 billion years of evolution, we stand upon the Earth as agents of self-reflective and creative action at a time of great transition for the entire Earth community.

      A thriving planetary civilization: Through history, humanity’s capacity for self-reflective consciousness has developed progressively—from the magical world of the hunter-gatherer, to the nature-based world of the agrarian farmer, then into the dynamic world of the urban-industrial society, and now into a holistic perspective and collective consciousness rapidly awakening within our global brain. This new consciousness provides the basis for a new, global civilization. If our lives are nested within the larger aliveness of a living universe, then it is only fitting that we treat everything that exists as alive and worthy of respect. Every action has ethical consequences that reverberate throughout the ecosystem of the living cosmos. Our collective purpose shifts from seeking high-consumption lifestyles toward simpler ways of living that enable us to connect more directly with a living universe of which we are an integral part. Humanity’s journey of awakening has reached a critical turning point. We now confront the supreme test of living sustainably on the Earth, in harmony with one another, and in communion with the living universe.

      by Duane Elgin http://fujideclaration.org/invitation-from-the-living-universe/

A living universe paradigm: A self-consistent pattern of thoughts, concepts, and assumptions about the nature of reality is rapidly emerging. Simply stated, we are seeing a profound shift from a non-living view of the universe to a view that regards the universe as uniquely alive. This is not a “new” perspective as, more than two thousand years ago, Plato said that, “the universe is a single living creature that encompasses all living creatures within it.” What is new is how a living systems perspective is drawing upon insights from science to validate this emerging paradigm that regards the universe as a unified system that is sustained continuously by the flow-through of phenomenal amounts of energy and whose essential nature includes consciousness or a self-reflective capacity that enables systems at every scale of existence to exercise some freedom of choice.
A bio-cosmic identity: The paradigm of a living universe reveals that we are much more than biological beings whose identity extends no further than our skin. Instead, we are “bio-cosmic” beings that participate in the aliveness of a living universe. The energy of divine aliveness pours through and sustains the entire universe. Awakening to our identity as both distinct and intimately interconnected within a living universe transforms the feelings of existential separation and species-arrogance that threaten our future. We are participants in a cosmic garden of life the universe has been patiently nurturing over billions of years. A living universe invites us to shift from feelings of indifference, fear, and cynicism to feelings of curiosity, love, awe, and participation.
A surpassing purpose: Living is more than “only not dying.” Our purpose in being here is to learn how to live sustainably and compassionately within a living universe. Our life is our gift from the universe and how we choose to live is our gift to the universe. We are on a sacred journey of discovery. In freedom, we are discovering our identity as beings of both earthly and cosmic dimensions. After nearly 14 billion years of evolution, we stand upon the Earth as agents of self-reflective and creative action at a time of great transition for the entire Earth community.
A thriving planetary civilization: Through history, humanity’s capacity for self-reflective consciousness has developed progressively—from the magical world of the hunter-gatherer, to the nature-based world of the agrarian farmer, then into the dynamic world of the urban-industrial society, and now into a holistic perspective and collective consciousness rapidly awakening within our global brain. This new consciousness provides the basis for a new, global civilization. If our lives are nested within the larger aliveness of a living universe, then it is only fitting that we treat everything that exists as alive and worthy of respect. Every action has ethical consequences that reverberate throughout the ecosystem of the living cosmos. Our collective purpose shifts from seeking high-consumption lifestyles toward simpler ways of living that enable us to connect more directly with a living universe of which we are an integral part. Humanity’s journey of awakening has reached a critical turning point. We now confront the supreme test of living sustainably on the Earth, in harmony with one another, and in communion with the living universe.

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Sitting - Breath - Universe

     "The ideal of sitting is to forget the breath. ... each breath is an independent thing. Your breath and the breath of the universe are the same. You share the same breath. Sitting and breathing in stillness is like a person who just shot an arrow. A moment later the result will be there, but all you know now is that the arrow is moving all right. It has left your realm, and yet you sense it is running well."

               Kobun Chino Roshi

Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, Fall, 2012 

Photo: Andreati   www.dpreview.com

Seeing with Wisdom - Beyond Self

     "The eye that sees the relationship of all dharmas, all existences in this relative world, is called igen, wisdom eye. The wisdom eye observes the relationship of all beings, not just your position, but everything related, interrelated, arising, and falling. Whatever comes to the mind, comes to your being, comes to your meditation, is nothing but your portion of this relationship. So whatever is experienced or observed can become the source of teaching.
     It is very important to experience the complete negation of yourself, which brings you to the other side of nothing. You go to the other side of nothing, and you are held by the hand of the absolute. You recognize yourself as the absolute, so naturally there is no more insistence of a self, of yourself. You cannot even speak of 'no-self' within that absolute. Before this, although everyone is there and helping you, you are a closed system. When you flip to the other side of nothing, you discover everyone, everything, is waiting for you there."  
               Kobun Chino Roshi

Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, Fall, 2012 

Photo: mattersdorff   www.dpreview.com

Healing, Growth

"All are nothing but flowers
in a flowering universe."                                Nakagawa Soen-Roshi

     "Healing is the ever-deepening process of bringing together or integrating that which is split or separated in an individual so that all aspects of that individual function as one, in harmony with self and environment."

     Bub B. "Communication skills that heal. A practical approach to a new professionalism in medicine." Radcliffe Publishing, 2006.

     "Growth fundamentally means an enlarging and expanding of one's horizons, a growth of one's boundaries, outwardly in perspective & inwardly in depth. ... Growth is reapportionment; re-zoning; re-mapping; an acknowledgment, and then enrichment, of ever deeper and more encompassing levels of one's own self."

     Wilber K. "No boundary. Eastern and Western approaches to personal growth." Shambhala, 1979.

 

Rudy Pohl   http://www.flickr.com/photos/rudypohl/sets/