Tagged: human beings
Different consciousness
Every human being has a way of looking at things. That is what could be called their consciousness. When human beings decide to live together, then a collective consciousness arises.
That collective consciousness is a particular way to look at things. It is “their truth.” That is how “being right” or “being wrong” arises.
We only have perceptions and when we strongly believe in a perception, that becomes our reality.
For instance the Inca Empire had a particular belief system. They worshiped Nature and their God Wiracocha was a representation of Nature, especially related with the sea. Once the Spanish conquistadores assumed control of most of South America, then their collective belief system was imposed to the indigenous people due to a ‘religious purification policy’ ( Religious beliefs which in turn came from the Roman Empire) that was going on in Europe at that time, against Christian non-believers.
The queen Isabella from Spain, claimed the indigenous people as their subjects and that is how Christianity appeared in South America.
The above example is not meant to exemplify “good people” and “bad people,” because that does not exist. What exists however is fear to accept someone who is different. The Inca Empire was built by conquering and killing “others” as well. Many smaller cultures were wiped out by the Inca Empire.
Similarly, we have seen the same behavior portrayed by the “ great protagonists” of World History: Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, etc.
It is the belief of historians that those who have destroyed the most, should be remembered the most. 🙂
This is a clash of consciousness. Nevertheless, in such events what prevails is human brutality. The “change” of someone by the use of force.
That is the way people act even now. It is what is mildly called as “survival of the fittest.”
This is the culture of competition, the ‘winner’ mentality, the ‘cool’ but heartless fighter, the business deal with a kickback included, the “take care of number one” culture, etc.
As our awareness increases, then a sense of openness to other types of consciousness arises. That is not meant to “change you” but being open means to give yourself the opportunity to know and experience things which will be invaluable to understand “others,” by having a first hand experience.
Spirituality at this point in time, is about opening our consciousness from that individuality and rather than “tolerate others,” there is a sense of togetherness.
Reasons and logic do not change consciousness. Neither force or a belief in a particular God.
A logical and reasonable dishonest person could do harm when he only perceives “him” as being the world.
A brutal army can only kill to stop opposition when they perceive “them” as being the world.
A religion can become a tyranny once there is the perception of “them” being the only ones having the truth. The chosen ones.
However, those who have a violent life will experience a violent death.
That is the “law” in life. Not a human law.
As the consciousness of the human being remains unchanged, deeply settled into individuality and his own cultural beliefs, even though technology evolves, “progresses;” then that human being with an egocentrically babyish consciousness, will have the “toys” to continue his tantrum of destroying “obstacles” at a greater scale…until he realizes that the world is him.
Let us hope it is not too late.
Being virtuous and doing what is “right.”
Little Jimmy used to ask so many questions to his Daddy. Little Jimmy “used to” ask him, until his daddy sent him to his Mommy to answer the “hard ones” instead.
Little Jimmy: Are squirrels good or bad? Grandma told me that one of them stole some nuts from her table…
Daddy: That was a bad squirrel!… but squirrels aren’t bad…
Little Jimmy: What about a snake? They probably have accumulated “bad karma” from killing and eating live animals, right? They must be “bad”!
Daddy: Snakes usually eat alive animals for a living.
Little Jimmy: But they kill animals to survive…. That must be “bad”…
Daddy: “Good and Bad” are made up concepts by human beings. Nature or animals are neither “bad nor good.”
Little Jimmy: Isn’t a human being an animal?
Daddy: It depends who you ask. My answer is: Sometimes.
Little Jimmy: Sometimes? I don’t understand that. We are animals or we are not…
Daddy: Go ask your Mom to explain to you.
When a human being has lots of questions and learns about logical thinking and starts to reason, that human being wants to “make sense” out of the world.
Through that thinking, the need to come up with activities deemed to be “right” becomes a necessity.
That is what we call “morality.” 🙂
Life is not logical, nor Nature. If those were logical then a human being could be wise and happy just by applying logic to his daily life.
That is not the case. It will never be.
Nevertheless, the “thinking animal,” thrives in thought and that is how an artificial society has been born. It is artificial because it does not play harmoniously with Nature. A Human being is continually “fixing” things when his analysis fail to balance the reality of life.
Out of that thinking to “fix” things is how “doing” what is right appeared. “Doing the right thing” is usually an activity which is supported by a thoughtful “moral code.” That activity has to be continuous, that is there has to be consistency for a human being to be considered “good,” or even better a “great soul,” or a “saint.”
See that those labels are artificial and do not represent virtue in itself but the prevalent idea of what is “right.”
Obviously, that idea will change as societies evolve.
When we are caught up in “doing” right, we cannot be “good.” We cannot be virtuous. Why? Because we are not playing harmoniously with Nature. We are merely following a “code of conduct” believed to be the “right thing.”
This is how every philosophy, every belief system, every thought pattern has a contradiction in it, that is something which cannot solve itself with more thought.
Virtue as being in harmony with everything, means to interact with the “Totality” as “Oneness.” That cannot happen as long as there is a thought behind it, for a thought separates.
The thought of “uniting” 2 individuals is simply acknowledging the separation between 2 and pretending with further thinking, in being united.
That is not how animals in the wild act. Their sense of togetherness or unity is not based on “human moral codes,” but there is a “something” which binds their activities to a harmonious balance with the “Totality,” with Nature. That is a non-cultivated wisdom, which human beings have lost.
When a human being acts as an instrument of the totality of life, there is a common binding element; that is virtue. When a human being acts as an individual, then his interest will be contradicting that Totality.
Again this is not something to think about logically to see where my words and phrases aren’t logical, but to observe in “reality,” that is in ourselves.
Virtue is not something that could be cultivated through thinking. That is a faked activity.
Virtue comes in connection, in relationship with wholesomeness, with the Totality as Oneness.
To get there is not a matter of more thinking, or accepting more beliefs, but a matter of opening our feelings to connect with everything without words, logic, solutions, or assumptions.
If our actions come from that connection to that Totality, that is the “common good” then that activity has virtue. If our activities just come out of some belief or some moral code, there is no virtue in that, but greater ego.
We cannot “practice” a virtue. We can practice a belief but never a virtue.
Lessons from the animal kingdom
In my walk around the Bay, a medium-sized bird jumped in the grassy area in front of me. The bird had a long beak and a small body. Don’t know the name of that bird (I didn’t ask the bird 🙂 ) After looking carefully at the bird, I saw that a small crab was in its beak.
The bird was trying to digest the crab and the crab was trying to run away.
The bird would drop the crab and peck the crab to break it apart so it could be eaten.
Despite the scene, it was an interesting time to observe myself. Thoughts were coming about “saving the crab” from the “evil” bird…but then, another thought came up about the bird needing to eat something to survive.
Animals do not kill for the “fun of it,” or because they need to make “more money,” that is human beings. Animals kill when they need to eat.
The word “kill” for some animals is the equivalent of “eating dinner” by a human being.
Then, my mind was divided. The more knowledge or information I have about things, then to “understand” the ways of Nature could be very challenging.
I dropped my thoughts altogether and merely observed without emitting judgment, without emitting human morality to understand things, just looking at the scene.
It was part of the experience of liberating myself from my own mind and from all what I had learned in the past.
Then, I wondered where those moral ideals came from? I remembered curious Billy in the Disney channel, saving his “cute” lab rat from being eaten by the “evil” snake dwelling in a crystal box inside the cold science classroom. I bet the snake doesn’t want to be there….
That snake eats lab rats to survive… but not curious Billy’s rodent! That Billy is a hero! 🙂
Forget about other rats…but Billy’s is out of the question. We don’t want to see Billy with a sad face. That wouldn’t be a “happy end” for a Disney program!
Interesting maneuver to manipulate moral standards…. But for the masses, we should save “cute” animals from evil predators, especially if they are “ours.”
I guess I did not feel that the little crab was “mine,” for otherwise the “morality” of “mine” could have attempted to save that crab…
It comes down to our sense of belonging, of possessing. That creates our morality. Take a look at any commandment; any rule. There is this sense of possession, which becomes important to “protect.”
It is my religion, my country, my family, my…that is what is important. Those things are “mine.” I have some interest over them, I posses them.
Morality is an attempt to protect what is “mine” from what is “yours.”
The interesting thing is that all of those teachings, which we have learned, only exist at the mental level. Those are human inventions, which do not fit the way “real life” works, that is Nature. Similarly, religious beliefs or any belief are only living at the mental level.
In Nature, there is balance. Predators are in balance with other species. It is only when a thinking human being enters into this balancing act; when things get out of balance. A paradox! 🙂
Then one species could disappear. Then another species could become human “pets” for they need “protection.” Then, chaos arises out of the need to “have,” to “possess,” to “accomplish.”
Then human moralists, thinkers, philosophers, scientists, etc. will create a definition, a concept for “everyone” to accept. That lost balance cannot be returned by more thinking.
Isn’t it funny how animals who don’t think live in balance with Nature whereas thinking human beings struggle to do that?
“I think, therefore I exist.”
“I think” that that phrase needs to be revised…
On Love in Valentine’s day!
We are love undisguised as a feeling of openness to life. As human beings, we could manifest this feeling to all creation as well as to particular individuals. There is no limit but the one imposed by our own minds.
In every human being there is the dichotomy of individuality with belonging to the totality of life.
Thus, love could manifest in both ways.
There is love to individuals, which is known by most people. In that, love is about a particular relationship with that “special” one.
In life, there is “uniqueness,” but to be “special” means to bring the knife which separates that “special” one from those who are not.
That “special” one could have many names. Some even use the name of God.
To experience “uniqueness,” brings the door of openness to life,
that is not to be attached to a particular knife!
In a loving relationship, we could learn about the game of “yin and yang.”
When we learn about duality, we could learn about life.
Male and Female are different polarities which are meant to complement each other.
To complement is to love.
That is a hard lesson to learn!
For most, a relationship with someone means to dominate, to possess, even to compromise.
Little is known that our mental separation of “you” and “me” gets in between.
Then, the feeling and the expression of that feeling becomes incomplete, unfulfilling.
Even love between individuals is meant to be the One!
“It takes 2 to tango.” We learn about a dance… by dancing.
That is the journey, the path… to find out that 2 dancers could become one!
This mental ideal, “utopia” may be hard to find, for to give love means to experience that which we are!
We could only give what we have.
We could only have what we are. 🙂
Love life, express those feelings.
Give, that is share yourself, don’t be afraid!
God is with you, when you are with Him.
That is, when you are love within!
Exploring the Depth of Living 