Our Insane Society
A Call for an Essential Spiritual Radicalism
Let's be honest. The thoughts that bounce around our brains are largely the result of our conditioning… our domestication into the tribal, cultural, and collective teachings and modeling of our human society.
How often do we teach our children how to 'be'?
How often do we take our children into nature to be present in the essential energies of Life…without feeling the need to fill them full of data, labeling, and 'knowledge'?
The adult world emerges from the domesticating years of youth where the thought forms, beliefs, and rules are passed along either directly or by example.
We give lip service to respecting others, to live by the golden rule, and on and on. But how often do the actions of adults actually match the words?
We can see the evidence of corporate ethics that are, for the most part, governed by the bottom line. We can see the financial industry and banking leaders shape practices that encourage gambling tactics with worthless paper and with no rules or accountability.
In the politics of our world, the desire for power and control outweighs the essence of public service and stewardship of Life. It accepts the philosophy that the means are always justified as long as "we" win, even when it means telling lies or creating deception in other ways to intensify survival and security fears.
Where is the spiritual center in our social living these days?
There is always a presence of Life that is here right now…in any and every situation.
And it must come from you and me as we choose to learn to move beyond thoughts and feelings and conditioning of our human domestication.
We cannot think our way to Peace… or to Love… or to Being…
We cannot think our way to the essence of who we are…
We cannot think our way to the meaning of our Life…
We can only find that essence … that Essential Life Force that breathes through all form… by letting go of form…of labels….of thinking…of 'knowledge'…and moving into that space of no-thing… into the full emptiness of Being…
As we close our eyes, shut out the noise, let go of thought… silence the mind… we can glimpse the essence of the present moment… and in this moment, which always is, we are left with awareness… we are conscious of our being…of our consciousness….beyond any identity from our past or present… we become conscious of being conscious… as consciousness looks back upon itself, we find the oneness that is Essential Life Energy ... That formless, timeless essence of Being… Life itself… which exists beyond and before and after time…
While we must use words to point to that which is beyond words and symbols… we only get to know 'Being' …the essence of Life... as we pause… and still our minds…
We may find this intimate One identity in quiet meditation…. We may find it as we sit or walk in nature and merge with the essential energy of Life… or we my sense this center of awareness in the midst of a crowded room… simply observing the movement of human energy as part of the One Big Life…
"Insanity" is not meant to be used as a word of judgment. It is rather meant as a description of a society that seems largely out of touch with the pure awareness and oneness of being…of Life. It is a challenge to wake to the oneness of being and then to also carry that unifying center into the tasks and interactions of social living… of everyday life situations… and it is a challenge we can meet…
Our insane society continues to repeat the same processes of trying to manipulate and control others and the planet in order to create what we may think is a better world… Often the "better" world can be reduced to what "I" think that "better world" should be… which is all too often simply tied to creating wealth at the expense of the planet and other beings…
In our societies, humanity is asleep and insane, having lost our true identity and connectedness to the Essence of Being… of Life…
More humans are waking up as human "Beings" … and we can trust that this awakening will continue… When there is a critical mass of human 'Beings" who are truly Being Present on the Earth, then we will see service with respect and Love from the heart, an appreciation of the connectedness of all … and our responses, laws, contracts, treaties, and interactions will flow from a new level of awareness and integrity based on True Identity… a Spiritual wellness that transcends ideology and creed…
We notice how people walk the Earth looking into another person's eyes…looking for a sign of Life's essence… of the Being that always knows the other….as a brother or sister… As more people wake up now to that presence, we will continue to see a working together… not as members of this team or that team…or this group or that group… but as all part of our One Life Team…
We each find our unique path of Service and Creative Expression of the One Source Energy… and first we must make the decision to invite a change of consciousness… letting go of ego…of past… of future… even of our own perceived or preferred identity and status… and make space in our time to be here….really be here, now…
We might even take some time now, if we choose, to simply be… to breath… to quiet the mental stream… and to enter the pure awareness of Now… inviting another new birth into this Moment… the only Moment there is…
John Hutchinson
April 9, 2010
Sundance Center for Conscious Living
