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| Yesterday's sunset |
I watched the sunset yesterday, it was glorious: the
huge orange sun slowly sinking into the pink horizon. I happened to notice it
just at that time in the evening when the world falls silent for a moment. The
birds were waiting for the right moment to sing again and we were all suspended
in the eternal few seconds of stillness. I felt so comforted by this as I felt
that we, for once, are becoming part, even if an unwilling one, of this “giving
space” to the universe to perform its wonders.
I haven’t really been sitting around reflecting on what the
current situation we are living means for us. I have just been adapting to it,
creating a little routine that helps me use my time productively and go through
each day without feeling desperate. Every morning, I meditate to find my centre
and not get knocked off by the turmoil around me, and I imagine sending waves of love
and light to all my loved ones, and to all the people in the world. I do read
the news from around the world every day and allow myself to feel the grief and
powerlessness that seem to me the normal response to the daily death count of
thousands of people and to the inaction, the lying, and the inadequate response
of governments all around. But, knowing myself I know that if I let myself
dwell on all the sadness of the situation, I will get consumed by that sadness
and will not serve any purpose either for myself or others.
There are moments, like yesterday’s sunset, when we get an
insight into reality. Not the reality of us stuck in our homes or of those
infected by the virus, but the reality of a Universe infinitely bigger than us,
of which we are part and which is always there for us to see when we come out
of our minds and of our relentless train of important activities. In moments
like those, we can but acknowledge the fact that there are two different
dimensions in which we live simultaneously: The Personal and the Universal.
At the Personal level, we are who we are within our bodies
and with our particular set of experiences, thoughts, and emotions. At this
level, we focus on our past, present and future, we worry about how this virus
and all the circumstances coming with it will affect us. As part of this level
we also feel the connection to our tribe, our family, our friends and loved
ones, and all the people that we feel we belong with. Our personal level is all
about our basic needs, and the safety of ourselves and our tribe. This is the
natural expression or our survival instinct and therefore necessary and an intrinsic
part of our make-up. However, an excessive focus on the Personal level can make
us feel entitled and righteous, and oblivious of the bigger picture. We may go
from being able to accept those outside our tribe and having concern for nature
and life itself, to feeling entitled to take all we want from nature and seeing
“others” as a danger to our safety who may take away our food, our jobs, our
security, or the toilet paper that are rightfully ours.
At the Universal
level, we are part of a whole and who we are, what we think, feel and do, has
an effect on our larger realm. This is much larger than our tribe, it refers to
the whole of humanity, to nature itself, and to all that exists. At this level,
my personal experience is less important than what is happening to the whole and
I worry more about the impact of my individual actions on the whole than the
other way around. When we focus on the Universal level, we try to do things
that we regard as positive contributions to the wellbeing of everyone around
us, of the whole of humanity, and of nature itself. However, excessive focus on
this level, and I have known some examples of this in my life, can make us oblivious
of our families and those closest to us, or negligent of our responsibilities towards
our bodies or towards our tribes.
Perhaps it is not possible for normal humans like us to be
aware of both of these realms at all times, but it is quite urgent for our human
family that we increase our awareness of the Universal aspect of our existence.
Our excessive focus on the Personal level is at the root of much of our
individual suffering and of all that is dysfunctional in our planet. The lack
of awareness of the impact that we have – both as individuals and as part of a
consumerist society subjected to globalisation- on the whole of humanity and on
nature, is causing our own destruction as well as endless suffering to living beings
around the world.
If there was ever a right time for an exponential growth on
consciousness, it is probably now that we have been forced to stop and listen. Interestingly,
as we stop and listen, we are getting delighted by beauty all around us, beauty
that we would normally not see or appreciate fully. This beauty is always there,
even if we are not looking. Let’s just sit
and watch it. Let’s watch it until we feel part of the scene, even just as
spectators. Let’s become part of the scene and dare ask how we can collaborate
with it rather than try to direct it or change it at our will, which is what we
are constantly doing. Let’s dare ask the scariest questions: How can I continue
to live in this world without destroying it? How can I collaborate with life instead
of hindering it? What does it look like to be a person aware of their impact on
the world, on the lives of all humans and all animals, and on the health of my
home the Earth? What does it look like and feel like to be a human being with
integrity and awareness? Let’s wait for the answers, perhaps we will get them in
our dreams, perhaps the neighbour unwittingly will tell us something over the
fence and it will be it, perhaps we will turn the computer on and a video will
pop up and tells us things, perhaps we will open a book we have never read and
it will open our eyes, or perhaps we will wake up one morning understanding
what the birds are saying.
I cannot deny that sometimes my hope for humanity wavers, but
there is something inside me that tells me that we have in us what it takes to
turn this world around and make it become a welcoming and nurturing place for
all who live on it. There was a time when our distant ancestors had immeasurable
wisdom, they lived in communion with their surroundings, had awareness of their
connection to the Universe, had respect for other species, and had reverence and
humility at the magnificence of existence; we have many indigenous communities
still living on the planet who testify to this. If our ancestors had the
capacity to live like this then surely, we must have at least some of it. Let’s
take advantage of the time we have been forced to take and, at least for five
minutes every day, let’s try to forget the very real fear of the epidemic and the worries that we all have
about paying our bills and keeping our
jobs; and focus on the bigger us, the “I’m part of this wondrous whole” us, and
see what comes out of that.
May we grow into the people who can make the world a better
place for ourselves and all who live on it
Sandra
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