from Verse Forty-TwoThey consider a thousand lives as one evolution, they regard ten thousand differences as of one source...They keep to the simplicity of wholeness and stand in the center of the quintessential.~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
From the standpoint of the Abrahamic religions, first there was this entity called God/Yahweh/Allah and he made all these individual life forms. It's a belief system built upon the idea of duality -- each being created is isolated and separate from all others.
Taoists and other belief systems from the east imagined a world that is not dualistic. There is the One and everything else is a manifestation of it.
In some ways, this may sound like splitting hairs. I can hear some people say, "What difference does it make? Dualistic. Non-dualistic. Pfttt."
For me, I it makes a helluva lot of difference. In a dualistic world, it's hard to feel a sense of kinship with people from different belief systems or cultures and it's next too impossible to feel connected to any non-human life forms. In essence, each person is stranded on a desolate island and the only real connection that can be established is with the creator being.
In a non-dualistic world, everything is connected. All things share a sense of kinship and no one or nothing is stranded on a desolate island.
More importantly, when beings experience a sense of connection, they act in ways that are beneficial for all. For example, most people tend to behave in ways that maximize the security and well-being of their family. If you view all of life as your family, then it means you will work to ensure that everyone and everything shares in this sense of security and well-being.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
Taoists and other belief systems from the east imagined a world that is not dualistic. There is the One and everything else is a manifestation of it.
In some ways, this may sound like splitting hairs. I can hear some people say, "What difference does it make? Dualistic. Non-dualistic. Pfttt."
For me, I it makes a helluva lot of difference. In a dualistic world, it's hard to feel a sense of kinship with people from different belief systems or cultures and it's next too impossible to feel connected to any non-human life forms. In essence, each person is stranded on a desolate island and the only real connection that can be established is with the creator being.
In a non-dualistic world, everything is connected. All things share a sense of kinship and no one or nothing is stranded on a desolate island.
More importantly, when beings experience a sense of connection, they act in ways that are beneficial for all. For example, most people tend to behave in ways that maximize the security and well-being of their family. If you view all of life as your family, then it means you will work to ensure that everyone and everything shares in this sense of security and well-being.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
Given how disconnected I feel from everything/one else, I can only dream that one day I will consider everyone else my family. But, hey, it's a good goal to have, I'll admit that much.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly understand the feeling of disconnect from people. But do you feel the same disconnect from dogs, cats, trees or flowers?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I can say that what I feel is connection. I think they're cute. I think they're beautiful. I love looking at them, but connected? Somehow I can't grasp that. It is as if my overly rational brain can't handle that concept.
ReplyDelete