[This was originally written and shared in 2015 to a small, private group of spiritual practitioners – now edited and shared here]
Today’s family outing was to the California Academy of Sciences. If you are in this area, it is worth a visit.
This trip lent some much needed perspective.
In the exhibit on human evolution, I learned to my dismay that “homo sapiens sapiens” (us humans) got out of Africa to move to the rest of the world, only about 60,000 years ago, and the various races that make up the human mix were formed only within these past 60,000 years or so. In the time span of the earth, which is over 1.5 billion years, this is such a minuscule portion and yet, so much of “modern civilization” has treated other humans in horrible ways based on differences in color of skin, race and such. As a species, we are a literal newcomer, and yet we divide ourselves in untold ways!
In the exhibit on the rainforest, the sheer biodiversity of the ecosystem was staggering. And yet, all those species need each other to have the ecosystem survive in the first place! And there is a natural harmony between those species and their participation in “life” in the rainforest. Except, when us humans step in. We indiscriminately destroy the rainforest in a quest to use its resources, kill of species to the point of extinction, eliminate their habitats, and cause irreparable harm to the world!
In the exhibit on undersea life in various locations in the world, there is an amazing variety of life that is simply bewildering. Some things that stood out: a catfish that swims upside down, jellyfish that live only on their back, sea dragons that literally look like dragons underwater, camouflaging fish … and it goes on and on. Hundreds of thousands of species of life, of which I know barely anything at all.
In the planetarium, the show was on the fragility of our planet, and the narrative went on to show how there are literally billions of suns just in our own Milky Way galaxy, and how our Sun is just an average star on the rim of the galaxy, and how our earth is just this little precious dot that is not even visible when viewing the Milky Way as a whole! AND, that our galaxy is only one of billions of galaxies in the known universe. So vast! On this microscopic dot of a planet, “I” am a mere microscopic dot in terms of being a noticeable lifeform!
And yet, what ego! What arrogance a single human carries in their mind! And what absurd self-importance! All of this, when truth of creation shows that we are absolutely nothing in the big scheme of the cosmos! And what we know can only be the tiniest nano-speck of knowledge of reality!
So, why all this self-important drama!
There, dear friends, is the main problem. The “I” we believe ourselves to be. The “separate I” we consider ourselves to be. It is this “I” that refuses to be in the continuum of life, a part of a living whole! It is this “I” that is the virus!
And we can see evidence of it in our own lives, in our cities, states and countries … how our presence as this “I” threatens everything!
One more reason, to Awaken!
One more reason to irrefutably know the Truth of who we are!
And in doing so, jettison this “separate I” from life.
And live as True Self.
This is the way of harmony!
The way of returning to our rightful part of this living whole!
It is so important that we stay unwaveringly on the path, and wake up! All the discordance we experience in life, starts right with the discordance we experience in believing that we are a separate I.
In the traditional system of Reiki, the precepts of the founder, Mikao Usui points us to “Be Humble“, and “Be true to your way and your being.” This is the way the Master points us to recognize that we are not this “I” which is separate, but the very continuum that is One, the Great Bright Light, the Brahman, the Tao!
With Grace, may we abide in and as True Self!
Love
Sundar.
~~–
* Check out the book, “What is Enlightenment? A Simple Guide.“ It clarifies what Enlightenment is, and what it is not. It also addresses preparatory practices vs direct paths to Enlightenment.
* Available now, “Awaken: An Experiential Exploration of Enlightenment” – this book guides you on the direct path of Self-Inquiry, to the experiential realization of Reality, your true nature.