Just listened to an interview with Brian Swimme (http://evolutionaryspirituality.com/audios/ third from bottom). Each paragraph is an idea that stands alone, though the first two are related a bit.
He makes an interesting point about the mental models (or lenses) we use to take in and interact with the world. He notes that in our green movement we talk about wanting to "conserve resources," and points out that with an attitude of "those are resources" towards other life (animals, plants, minerals..), we are interfacing with those elements from an elevated position. That is, those things are there to serve us, they are our resources to be consumed... we just have to manage them.
He goes on to highlight that although we think of ourselves as very different from other life (and even other humans, with individualism), the science of genetics tells us that we're basically the same (our genes are) as all life. Yes, we're almost identical with a chimp, but we're also pretty genetically similar to a carrot, or a clump of broccoli. Something to appreciate.
Two more things...
If we use our industrial minds to shape the future, we'll colonize other planets, experiment with genetic modification, seek more, and never be happy with what we have. This mind will not lead to a sustainable world (or society).
Practice gratitude. Learn about life, evolution, and how incredible it is that we are alive. Reflect on that daily. We are miracles. Nature, every piece of it, is a miracle. The universe is a miracle. He said, "It's completely astonishing that I exist."
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Logical Argument For Seeing the World Through a Lens of Unity
Listening to Alan Watts "Out of Your Mind" Lecture Series, CD 1.
He makes an interesting point about what we are. We believe, and society posits, that we are individuals, that we are separate. He has an interesting argument for the opposite,
If we subscribe to the big bang theory, where all of space originated from the explosion of some matter, then we too, were a part of the big bang. The matter that is in us, that makes us up, was a part of the big bang. Furthermore, not only are we a part of the big bang, who decided the big bang was over? Who decided the creation of what's beyond us is over? It's not. So, not only were we a part of the big bang, or the creation, the creation is still going on, and we are apart of that.
Let's use an egg hitting a wall as a metaphor for the big bang. If you were to throw an egg on the wall- it spreads out. As humans we're on the edge of the splatter. We're a little egg drobuel*. In our pursuit of science and in pursuit of defining our experiences we've had to break the whole story (the whole egg splatter) into smaller parts... and since these parts are what we interact with on a daily basis, the broken, or non-whole-picture definitions find their way into culture and we start seeing ourselves as a distinct part rather than the whole. Though this we lose the bigger picture of what we are: matter in ongoing creation.
He continues to explain that as humans we need to start connecting with that fundamental truth- that we are creation, we are all one- not only with each other as a species, or with other animals and plants, or with the world, but with the distant star, with everything. I imagine if we start looking upon the world with this lens, we'll change. How do you think we'd change?
*Drobuel: DRo-bú-El, Nown. A goopy droplet.
He makes an interesting point about what we are. We believe, and society posits, that we are individuals, that we are separate. He has an interesting argument for the opposite,
If we subscribe to the big bang theory, where all of space originated from the explosion of some matter, then we too, were a part of the big bang. The matter that is in us, that makes us up, was a part of the big bang. Furthermore, not only are we a part of the big bang, who decided the big bang was over? Who decided the creation of what's beyond us is over? It's not. So, not only were we a part of the big bang, or the creation, the creation is still going on, and we are apart of that.
Let's use an egg hitting a wall as a metaphor for the big bang. If you were to throw an egg on the wall- it spreads out. As humans we're on the edge of the splatter. We're a little egg drobuel*. In our pursuit of science and in pursuit of defining our experiences we've had to break the whole story (the whole egg splatter) into smaller parts... and since these parts are what we interact with on a daily basis, the broken, or non-whole-picture definitions find their way into culture and we start seeing ourselves as a distinct part rather than the whole. Though this we lose the bigger picture of what we are: matter in ongoing creation.
He continues to explain that as humans we need to start connecting with that fundamental truth- that we are creation, we are all one- not only with each other as a species, or with other animals and plants, or with the world, but with the distant star, with everything. I imagine if we start looking upon the world with this lens, we'll change. How do you think we'd change?
*Drobuel: DRo-bú-El, Nown. A goopy droplet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)