One point I return to again and again -- I've probably written on this overall topic at least 100 times and I'm sure I'll visit it again -- is the interconnection of all things. For me, this frame of reference is so vitally important because it could beneficially alter the course of history in a very dramatic way. Many of the entrenched societal ills that we wrestle with generation after generation could be significantly mitigated if we moved away from the concept of viewing all aspects of this world as constituting separate spheres and instead viewed the totality of existence as interconnected or manifestations of one reality.
If we look at our everyday lives, it's easy to see that we want what is best for and give the benefit of the doubt to -- ourselves. We want to be loved and respected by others. We want to have the sufficient means to feed, clothe and shelter ourselves. We want to have time to develop our minds, enrich our artistic vision and be able to kick back in fun and frivolity from time to time. Most of us desire good health and a long life. Most importantly, when we goof up, we want others to cut us some slack because...hey, nobody's perfect!
Beyond our immediate person, we tend to extend these same expectations to our family, our social group, our gang, our gender, our race, our religion, our company/business and/or our nation. By viewing life as marked by separation and exclusive boundaries, we have unwittingly set up a system in which the expectations of different individuals and groups are thought to be at odds with other individuals and groups -- an adversarial system.
But if we could come to see that these exclusive boundaries truly don't exist -- that everything in this life fits inside of one solitary boundary -- then our expectations become universal. The specter of competition vanishes and is replaced with cooperation.
Is this a panacea? Of course it is! But an overall change of perspective would place society on a completely different road. While there is no doubt that we would never achieve "perfect" cooperation or "perfect" love for all things, walking toward this objective would be a far cry better than our current ethos -- running AWAY from it at breakneck speed.
If we look at our everyday lives, it's easy to see that we want what is best for and give the benefit of the doubt to -- ourselves. We want to be loved and respected by others. We want to have the sufficient means to feed, clothe and shelter ourselves. We want to have time to develop our minds, enrich our artistic vision and be able to kick back in fun and frivolity from time to time. Most of us desire good health and a long life. Most importantly, when we goof up, we want others to cut us some slack because...hey, nobody's perfect!
Beyond our immediate person, we tend to extend these same expectations to our family, our social group, our gang, our gender, our race, our religion, our company/business and/or our nation. By viewing life as marked by separation and exclusive boundaries, we have unwittingly set up a system in which the expectations of different individuals and groups are thought to be at odds with other individuals and groups -- an adversarial system.
But if we could come to see that these exclusive boundaries truly don't exist -- that everything in this life fits inside of one solitary boundary -- then our expectations become universal. The specter of competition vanishes and is replaced with cooperation.
Is this a panacea? Of course it is! But an overall change of perspective would place society on a completely different road. While there is no doubt that we would never achieve "perfect" cooperation or "perfect" love for all things, walking toward this objective would be a far cry better than our current ethos -- running AWAY from it at breakneck speed.
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