I have talked many times about the need for Mindfulness (e.g., see links 1 and 2) to create a sustainable world. Too many people react to life instead of mindfully observing it and then responding with Love and Compassion that celebrate our differences as strengths, not affronts to be challenged. It’s too easy to be a victim and then blame the world. In this chaotic politically charged world we now live within, especially here in the U.S. it is more important than ever to find balance within our lives and not to become part of the problem of blame and polarization. Righteous anger is one thing, but to ‘cancel’ people because of their opinions is to play onto the hands of a mainstream narrative that serves the needs of a corrupt hierarchy that wants us fighting each other.
Sometimes tyrants do need to be removed, but how often has that been by violent means with untold deaths and continued suffering? For instance, Ghandi could have incited an armed rebellion against the might of the British empire, but instead he did it through a more mindful non-violent resistance. Unfortunately, he was assassinated and what followed was more reaction through sectarian reactions in which violent riots killed thousands. The newly created partitioned countries along religious lines of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh merely created new grievances. Indeed, Indian and Pakistan are still in an uneasy truce today with conflicts over border lines. Many analysts cite the various factions of political and religious extremism that continue to plague these countries. But, regardless of the complexities, it still comes down to reactions of people being extremely attached to their opinions – a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. With modern AI generated ‘Deepfake’ narratives, the reactive nature of people attaching themselves to ideas that are probably not even real is becoming alarming.
If we don’t make mindful choices and follow a more spiritual path, then we merely continue on the path of a corrupt paternalism that has controlled us for millennia. It’s a strange thing that when you just react to what is wrong in the world you add to the wrong. How many freedom fighters have we seen in the past century that create death and chaos with civil wars. Sometimes they win the war and then perpetuate the problems in a newer way. So, it you really want change, and most of us do, then now is the time to heal ourselves from centuries of suffering. I came across this website by Ike Onwubuya that has some sage advice about letting go and just finding a middle ground of balance where you are responsible for yourself. It’s not that we don’t try to change the world, but that the first change for a better world is to change ourselves first by healing ourselves.
This piece by Ike Onwubuya (Highlights mine): I asked a friend who has crossed 70 and is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following: 1) After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself; 2) I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders; 3) I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees; 4) I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am; 5) I stopped telling the elderly that they’ve already narrated that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past; 6) I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection; 7) I give compliments freely and generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say “Thank You;” 8) I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances; 9) I walk away from people who don’t value me. They might not know my worth, but I do; 10) I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat and neither am I in any race; 11) I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human; 12) I have learned that it’s better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone; 13) I have learned to live each day as if it’s the last. After all, it might be the last; 14) I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be! And; I decided to share this for all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can’t we practice this at any stage and age?
Neville Goddard’s book, The Power of Awareness (1952), “reveals our infinite power against which no earthly force is of the slightest significance. It explores the importance of consciousness as the primary reality and the driving force behind human experiences. Goddard emphasizes that a change in consciousness is essential for transforming one’s life, asserting that our thoughts and beliefs shape our reality. The book has been influential in the fields of neurolinguistics and spiritual philosophy.” Being mindful means to be conscious and not to react unconsciously as most people currently do.
It means to consciously live an enlightened life – Showing understanding and wisdom in dealing with others. Being open to new ideas and facts based on reason and science. Tolerant of alternative opinions. Guided by rational thought. Having an understanding of people’s needs that is not based on old-fashioned attitudes and prejudice. Free from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition. Receiving spiritual or religious revelation for mindfulness. Cambridge online dictionary.
So, how powerful is mindfulness? It might sound a little woo-woo but despite mainstream attempts to disregard it, there is substantial empirical evidence that it is indeed real and capable of immense effects on reality as we perceive it. But as with many ideas that do not fit mainstream narratives, the conclusions create polarization from ‘opinions’ of validity. Scientific-materialism cannot fathom a reality not rooted in absolute measurement via the five senses. Yet, new sciences as with quantum science and related fields of study, are showing that reality is far from being concrete as we believe, but is directly affected by our observations arising from consciousness itself. Rather than go into the arguments here (I have elsewhere many times in the blog) I will offer perspectives from the spiritual side of the question – what is consciousness?
If you read about the International Peace Projects done in the Middle East (and now meditation projects worldwide), the question arises whether we are just passive observers of reality or powerful creators of it? Results from these projects seem clear (although detractors question the correlational methodologies) that we are indeed co-creators and can create peace even in the midst of conflict. When we are convinced to maintain trauma as part of a reality belief, does it work for us? Unresolved hurt is one of our greatest problems. Our great healing is first of ourselves, which then begins our healing of the planet. If we can accept that we create reality with our thoughts and beliefs, then accepting we are more powerful than those intent on keeping us subdued as victims, is a path to be explored.
In some unusual experiments since 2012 (e.g., Nature 610, 433 (2022), isolated neurons in a Petrie dish had their dendrites plugged into ports in a simple silicon chip. This chip allowed the neurons to play the simple video game from 1972 ‘Pong,’ which they did well, and in which they learned. Where did the instructions to actually play Pong come from? Not the game chip or the neurons. The neurons it seems act like biological fractal antennae tuned to a signal. Quantum physicists recognize that a field of energy and information seems to underlie all existence – the Planck field. This brings me back to a statement I made a few weeks ago – the brain doesn’t produce consciousness, it is merely a receiver for consciousness that exists outside of itself (e.g., see early blogs about this – links 3 and 4) within a holographic universe.
This then raises the question of what exactly is the divine if not the Planck field? When innovative people are asked where great and creative ideas that they gain come from, whether from art, science. philosophy, etc., the answer is inevitably, “the idea didn’t come from me, it came through me as an inspiration.” That is, it came from something that is beyond our physical mind. What we call that field is named differently throughout the ages for different cultures, religions and even atheistic acceptance of a consciousness beyond the ego; nevertheless, it is what it is – consciousness is not explainable by neuro-chemistry. This recognition of creativity scares the powers-that-be who want to control us. When we unleash our ‘intuitive-selves’ by believing in ourselves, and follow divine inspiration and creativity, we can achieve wonders. We literally are the ones we are waiting for. Once we start healing ourselves, how do we work at the local level to change the world?
To Be Continued …………..
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