~ ∞ ~ Masters of Storytelling – Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Now, let us expand this a little. From the above-mentioned, it becomes obvious that human life is clearly a story. More specifically, human life can be seen as a repeated story, or as a series of stories that are more or less related, intertwined and interconnected. If one takes a moment to reflect on their life, they could reasonably see it in terms of various story lines, whether parallel or intersecting or distinct.

As it turns out, there is a term for this type of understanding: “samsara,” as it is called in Sanskrit. It refers precisely to the idea that human life is a repeated story; the one we all have been caught up – a dream from which we are unable to wake up. Samsara is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth – see?

This brings us to something called a “Hero’s Journey,” or short, a monomyth. In the following few paragraphs, we will briefly look at this, but just before we do that, let me ask you this: Is it not indeed the case that we are all heroes of our lives? Is it not, indeed so, that we are all on a journey – some more invested and committed than others?

Joseph Campbell’s theory of the Monomyth (Hero’s Journey), asserts that various myths, legends, and fairy tales throughout human history share a common story structure involving a hero who departs from known reality in order to confront a series of trials and tribulations before returning home as an initiated master of both realms.

In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell studies many hundreds of fairy tales, folk tales and legends in order to unearth a common “pattern” in the structure of stories. Campbell defines this as the “monomyth” or “hero’s journey” – the typical trajectory of a story, across all cultures and religions. Comprising three stages – separation, initiation, and return – the hero’s journey offers a narrative framework for understanding the progression of a character, namely the protagonist.

The journey, according to Campbell, usually includes a symbolic death and re-birth of the character. The religious idea of “cleansing” is also important, giving a sense of the character transforming from old to new – the character arc. The journey undertaken sees the character undergo both physical and emotional battles, which work together to bring them to a better understanding of their life and their place in the world. As such, the journey is full of duality – symbol and spirit; body and soul; manifest and myth; plot and story. In other words, as the character does (action), he or she becomes (character arc).

If there is anything to take away from this, it is this: stories we tell reflect who we are, what we believe, and the futures we envision. This is why powerful stories resonate within us. In a similar way, archetypes of the characters resonate within us – some more, some less. We identify with certain characters more than others, be it heroes or the villains or something in between, because we share those tendencies inside of us.

Powerful stories show the light and the dark, point to a greater cause, teach, and leave room for interpretation. The interesting part is that not only do stories share common elements and structure, but so does human life as well – our individual paths may be different, but they share many common elements.

Even though each path is different, they all lead to the same final goal or destination – eventually. Some paths are more difficult than others, having many obstacles to overcome; some are full of hardships and suffering, while others may provide moments of joy only to be followed by extended periods of distress. Even though each path is different, on constant remains: like a river flowing into the sea, the Soul returns to its Source, becoming one with the Ultimate Truth, eventually experiencing absorption of Self into the Ultimate Reality – this is the Hero’s Journey, you see?

The journey becomes much more easy when one realizes that life has its own order, its own discipline, if you will. Hence, you simply move with it, you float with it – you don’t try to push the river, you become one with it and the river takes you to the ocean. Indeed, we are all on a journey – some more invested and committed than others; the path we tread is full of ups and downs – and some of them are very steep.

Sometimes we may feel that we have lost our way on the river of life; with its many twists and turns we might find ourselves wondering which direction to take. But all is not lost, for you see, if we choose to use our free will to find the strength that dwells within, we find hope – a compass directing us in life. With patience and persistence, we continue to move forward, overcoming any obstacles we may face, and eventually we will prevail, you see? And this is where the wisdom lies – sometimes the obstacle is the path, for every obstacle presents an opportunity to grow and become better – see?

If we take into consideration all the above-mentioned, we can arrive at the conclusion that everything seems to be cyclical – not only the stories we tell, but also our lives and everything in it, including our thoughts and ideas; everything in life seems to be rediscovered, reinvented, recycled, reused and repurposed time and time again – intriguing, isn’t it?

And so you see, as it has been before, so it shall be again, and what has been done will be done again; life is a full circle; coming back around, again and again, in hopes of meeting ourselves; in hopes of seeing and really knowing ourselves; around and around and around we go, in this thing we call life – see?

And with this, we arrive at another aspect of the same. Earlier in the section titled PROLOGUE, we briefly discussed the idea of “Original Thought,” and reached the conclusion that this thought preceded any other, and hence everything springs from this singular source. Therefore, everything arises in dependence upon this thought. This is also the main reason why we don’t actually have any original thoughts, even though we might think we do. Everything that can be written and everything that can be said, has already been written and said before using different flavors of words.

Indeed, there is no such thing as “original ideas,” for you see, everything is derived from the one and only Original Idea there ever was, is, and ever will be. All we have are merely new creative expressions of what has already been said, written, or otherwise expressed – see? And now you may ask: Why? Well, to answer that question we would need to start with the following truth: the very words we use to express our thoughts are coming from outside of ourselves, and therefore it is extremely difficult to think freely and independently.

The words we use in our language comes from the community we live in and were brought-up. Words themselves are symbols representing things and ideas known to us; language is created out of these words and used by masses of people to express things and ideas experienced by their senses and mind. So when we think in a language that our community gave us – it means that eventually we are not thinking our own thoughts. Intriguing, isn’t it?

And when it comes to originality: at first glance, it might seem that everything that is presented as being “new, fresh, and original,” is actually a variation of what has been done before. We see this clearly in our world today – every story we tell each other is in some way or another a recycled version of previous stories we have told. For instance, the movies and TV-shows of today are just retelling of the same stories that have been told for thousands of years.

In much the same way as traditional stories are recycled versions of previous stories we have told, science is also a story, a narrative, and scientists are storytellers who keep circling the same ideas and theories time and time again.

Science, therefore, is a work in progress, a construction that emerges at a very specific juncture in the hi(story) of humanity; it is a story about ideas – often abstract, often technical, often complex – and all the energy and profundity and drama of science comes from the interactions between these ideas. All this drama that comes from the battle of ideas might be our downfall in science, and its salvation in spirituality – intriguing, isn’t it?

We can conclude this chapter with the following: considering all the aforementioned, one should be inclined to ask the following question: Is it not, indeed so, what has been said long ago, in the Bible (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10), and is it not, indeed, that it holds true even today?

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new?’ It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.”

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ Masters of Storytelling – Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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In the previous chapter, we touched upon the truth that the stories we tell build up our world. The context in which this was brought up involved something called the human condition, from which the false sense of self originates and springs. You see, the human condition is basically a collective story, an unstructured narrative we buy into and believe in.

This collective condition, or story, if you will – has shaped not only the individuals themselves, but also our culture. This is because stories are the foundation of our lives and character, and because our lives are influenced by the stories we tell, they have the power to create our reality.

This brings us to an important point: if there’s anything we humans excel at, it is most definitely storytelling. We make stories for everything, and this is why stories are how we learn and remember – they provide a way of understanding our place in the scheme of things by structuring our understanding of events. Stories are how we make sense of life because they root us in an on-going stream of history by providing us with a sense of belonging and helping establish our identities.

For thousands of years, we have used the art of storytelling to enlighten, to inform, to provoke, and to entertain. And so it can be said that at the very core, our shared reality is based on stories – the stories we tell build up our world. Indeed, every culture is built upon stories and beliefs passed on by its leaders, family members and elders.

All cultures have stories about the beginnings of the universe, and thus all religions have stories at their heart explaining our existence and purpose here on Earth. Stories are our interpretation of reality – they describe to us how we believe the world is. Indeed, our entire worldview and memories are created out of our stories.

Stories are clearly a double-edged sword. You see, at best, stories can encourage, inspire, and inform; they can also be healing and cathartic for both the teller and the listener alike. At worst, stories can be harmful in several different ways: they can express falsehoods, half-truths, attitudes and dispositions that can lead people feeling and behaving differently than they would otherwise.

This, in turn, can have much greater consequences and impact than most realize, even long-lasting, civilization-wide consequences. You see, unfortunately, often times, we adopt our stories as truth, and because we believe in them, stories become our reality – they create the world we perceive and inhabit.

This leads to the creation of an agreed-upon concepts of reality – more specifically, a social construct*1 called “consensus reality.” It refers to an agreed-upon concepts of reality which people in the world, or a culture or group believe are real (or treat as real), usually based upon their common experiences as they believe them to be.

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*1 A social construct is something that exists as a result of human interaction – it exists because humans agree that it exists; some examples of social constructs are countries and money.

In this type of consensus view of reality, we are often involved not only with our representations of the world, but with our representations of those representations. This is why we humans believe that there is a real world “out there,” but in all actuality, the “real world” is always interpreted by our mind and filtered through our senses, which goes on to say that what we see and hear are merely interpretations of reality through our minds and bodies. In other words, based on our beliefs we create representations of what might be out there in the world — see?

It is against this backdrop that we can understand the following: each moment everything is happening on the canvas of Life, which is being painted with non-material things like awareness, consciousness, feelings, emotions, experiences, memories, thoughts, and will, but also with material things such as particles, cells, neurons, and endless other interconnected pieces that come together like the colors of the spectrum. It is precisely through our stories how we make sense of it all, you see?

Although storytelling has evolved along with our language, communication and technology — the basic premise remains intact — stories (narratives) communicate ideas, and thus we teach and learn through story. In so doing, we learn to perceive the world around us through the stories we tell each other. And because the stories we tell create our future, it is paramount that we learn to tell better stories.

To begin to break away from the old, outdated and outmoded, limited narrow view of the world, which is colored by the human condition — we need a new collective story, that of empowerment, equality, compassion, and unity — see?

Hence, it is reasonable to ask ourselves: What would our life be like if we would include the storyteller into our stories? Not as some external unspecified entity narrating the story, but as an intrinsic part of the story — the listener, the story and the storyteller becoming one intertwined symbiosis of Living Life; we humans ourselves being active storytellers of our collective human story, you see?

Now, let me ask you this: What could we accomplish if we truly cared about each other and each others’ well-being? What could we accomplish if we really took care of the whole world — allowing people to think clearly and express themselves in creative ways instead of suppressing every non-conventional creative endeavour?

Because stories are the foundation of our lives and character, they have the power to create our reality, and this is precisely why the stories we tell ourselves can make or break our future. This realization has many implications that have not been fully recognized. You see, without awareness, we give our personal power to the story, and in so doing, the story writes itself. But with awareness, we recover the control of our story, and in so doing, we can choose what stories we believe, and in turn we can change the old story to better fit our needs and values.

Should we choose to reclaim our personal power and recover the control of our story is entirely up to us, is it not? Should we choose to learn from one another and help each other along the way, is once again, up to us — both individually and collectively. Now, take a moment and imagine the endless possibilities we could achieve, dream, envision, and create together.

What will our future hold and what will it look like is but anyone’s guess, what matters most is the truth that our future is ours to envision, discover and co-create together. We are the ones who write our own destiny, with how we choose to live our lives, with what we choose to learn, unlearn, and relearn, with what we choose to let go and leave behind, with what we choose to envision and create, and what we choose to cherish and value — see?

Should we choose to use our free will to rewrite our story and redefine how we do things — is entirely up to each and every one of us. Is it not, indeed, up to us to choose our path? The decision is ours, and ours alone, and has been so from day one. Should we choose to acknowledge it, is once again, up to us. Whichever path we choose, it will surely determine the fate of our species for a long time to come.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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~ ∞ ~ Metaphysical Paradigm Shift 3/3 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Like mentioned earlier, we are blinded by our hubris and denial of things obvious, so much so that we often think that we have discovered some of the great truths of life; some even believe that they have cracked the mystery of life through some sort of equation or formula. But alas, the honest truth is that science alone cannot solve the ultimate mystery of life, simply because we ourselves are an intrinsic part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.

Therefore, it is obvious that we need to better understand ourselves to understand the universe, nature, and life itself, you see? We need to better understand how we relate to the world and to one another – how we are in the world, how we relate to where we are, and how we act towards other people. Other such explorations would include such considerations as why we are the way we are, and what it all means for who we as individuals and as a species want to become.

By virtue of the aforementioned, it is paramount to highlight the following truth: it is evident that in the coming decades science is poised to explore the mystery of consciousness – a new and ancient world of Souls and Eternal Spirit – the Inner Universe of the Mind (Innerverse).

And so you see, just as we are now discovering that consciousness is distributed through every cell of the body, soon we may discover that it is distributed in every photon or particle of light throughout the universe and beyond. The realization is indeed dawning on us that the universe may actually be conscious in every part of itself. This new understanding may help to modify the deeply entrenched belief that spirit and nature are separate and distinct.

Against this backdrop, we can see that science and philosophy would need to ask different kinds of questions and explore other ways of knowing beyond the limits of reason and the limited spectrum of the senses, which goes on to say that there are other ways of knowing – such as feeling, intuition and direct knowing – direct experience of non-sensory realities; these types of knowing are equally valid and need to be encouraged, honored and developed, would you agree?

It follows, then, that if we cultivate these types of knowing, we can begin to see Existential Intelligence become more prominent in the population, you see? Existential Intelligence can be seen as the ability to be sensitive to, or have the capacity for, conceptualizing or tackling deeper or larger questions about human existence – the proclivity to pose and ponder questions about life, death, and ultimate realities.

This type of intelligence is needed and welcomed as we move toward a new era of awareness. As such, it can be said that it is an essential prerequisite to possess this kind of intelligence in a larger population for us to make a population-wide shift in paradigm. And so you see, if this were to happen, it in itself would be, precisely, the said metaphysical paradigm shift.

This kind of metaphysical paradigm shift may eventually restore our lost sense of connection with the Sacred Earth and a Conscious Universe. This is because, on a deeper level, Existential Intelligence includes the capacity to transcend the physical and material aspects of life, and hence the ability to experience heightened states of consciousness, by which the ability of utilizing spiritual resources to solve problems comes to fruition.

As indicated earlier in this section, it requires new ways of going about things to take us from mechanical to natural, from machines to ecosystems, from straight lines to curves, from hierarchies to networks; to see not just the parts but to see the whole, not just analyze but to synthesize. This change of paradigms means not only shifting our thinking from the parts to the whole, but also from structure to process.

In this new paradigm, we consciously recognize and acknowledge that we are an inseparable part of a Living Universe, which means that we are aware that process is primary and every structure we observe is a manifestation of an underlying process, which makes them living structures – and these together form a living system – see?

Ultimately, the understanding of living structures is inextricably linked to understanding renewal, change and transformation. Therefore, the shift of perspective from the parts to the whole can also be seen as a shift from objects to relationships.

Let us go deeper. A simple observation shows that all living systems are non-linear in nature – their basic pattern of organization are networks; all non-linear networks have emerging and flexible structures. At each level, the living system is an integrated whole with smaller components, while at the same time being a part of a larger whole.

Living systems are integrated wholes whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller parts. Their essential or “systemic” properties are properties of the whole which none of the parts have – they arise from patterns of organization that are characteristic of a particular class of systems. Ultimately, as Quantum Physics has shown – there are no parts at all, for you see, what we call a part is merely a pattern in an inseparable web of relationships.

Throughout the living world, we find living systems nesting within other living systems, which means that nature has learned how to create organisms that grow and self-organize without planning – still working in unison. To give an example: cells combine to form tissues, tissues to form organs, and organs to form organisms.

Material world, therefore – ultimately, is a network of inseparable patterns of relationships. This means that also the Earth as a whole is an Intelligent Living System. In other words, an autopoietic system – self-producing, self-perpetuating, self-organizing, self-maintaining and self-regulating intelligent system.

Understanding the pattern of self-organization is the key to understanding the essential nature of life. So therefore, to understand these types of non-linear living systems, we need to use a new kind of thinking. Instead of limited, linear, serial processing – we should be using unlimited, non-linear, parallel mental processing.

This upgraded version of operating includes a new way of thinking that would be more in the lines of a direct acknowledgement and instant knowing – the type that is demonstrated to a large degree in this book. If we shift our perception from linear to non-linear, we can see possibilities emerge that were once invisible.

In this way, we are changing our behaviors and attitudes from self-assertive to integrative, from rational to intuitive, from reductionist to holistic, and from separation to connectedness. For the sake of analogy, rather than seeing water as merely a physical element necessary for life, we should acknowledge it as a transformational agent that can lead us into new fresh ways of innovative thinking and action – see?

Let us end this chapter and section with the following words. Non-linear way of operating is based on the universal behavioral patterns of non-linear living networks – it provides a hopeful, creative, peaceful, and ecologically harmonic framework to experience the world around and within us. Non-linear way of operating demonstrates Unconditional Love (Agape – Universal Love, Loving-Kindness and Compassion) as its ethical value and guiding principle, which is the core of Spiritual Intelligence.

This new way of looking at the world has its roots on the wisdom of the ancients, on the already established “Systems Thinking,” and “Systems Intelligence,” but also on the emerging new type of intelligence that we don’t currently have words for – resembling the aforementioned Existential Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence; it involves thinking not only in terms of process, relationships, patterns, and context, but also in terms of energy, frequency, vibration, consciousness, and awareness.

This new way of thinking and seeing the world and ourselves can be seen as a form of intelligence that celebrates the Miracle of Life in many different ways on many different levels. Although not always immediately obvious, this new type of intelligence is a big part of the discussion throughout this book.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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~ ∞ ~ Metaphysical Paradigm Shift 2/3 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Now, if one takes a moment to consider everything we have already discussed in this book, it becomes evident that our inability to see “beyond the box” has had a significant impact on our ingenuity, which in turn has prevented us – if not solely, at least largely, from utilizing everything we have already discovered in the world of science in creative, innovative and beneficial ways.

We have made major strides, yes, but we still have a long way to go; to get to a place where we can live in harmony with each other and the Earth; to get to a place where we can live happily and comfortably with less, but with more of what we truly need and less of what we don’t. You see, living more is found in loving more, giving more, and sharing more. As things stand, in regard to the current paradigm, here is where we make our biggest mistake.

You see, humans as we know humans, usually do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons – more often than not, we are motivated by personal gain rather than the common good. Is it not, then, right here, where we need a shift in perspective, a different lens through which to consider what is good and wholesome, what is constructive and what is not, what is beneficial and what is harmful, what is sustainable and what is unsustainable?

Unfortunately, as things stand, we as human beings seem to be driven by power, profit and financial gain more than anything else, which goes on to say that people tend to value personal gain and success above the common good and the well-being of others. In a broader sense, this means that we’re not willing to openly share truthful and relevant information without a price tag.

Regardless of the field, information and findings, experimental designs and solutions that could be of immense benefit to everyone, foremost of which are, obviously, anything health related – are tightly kept secrets. These types of secrets often exist in layers, with some secrets buried under other secrets. All because of monetary and political interests that benefit the few at the expense of the many.

The relationship between politics and corporate interests has been well established, and thus it can be said to be common knowledge – nothing new in that; it is the shady morals, weak or non-existent code of ethics, and questionable strategies with opaque disclosures that do most harm. Apart from the political arena, most prominently we see this play out in the world of science and research. Secrecy, half-truths, and corporate interests are the things that keeps them moving – that is not to say progressing – two completely different things, you see?

And so it goes that, as things stand, scientific knowledge that shapes our perceptions and understandings of the world is influenced by political competition and pressure, which in turn is influenced by privileged cohorts with money and power. This is particularly harmful because not only does scientific knowledge shape our view of the world, but also our beliefs and prejudices, values and attitudes, actions and behaviors, and ultimately – our consensus reality – see?

The relationship between science and politics has been well established, with the politicization of science becoming increasingly apparent in recent years, having extended into nearly every scientific field, including biology, physics, medicine, and the social sciences.

With the current paradigm, not only do we blur the information and skew the results, but we also bury the truthful and relevant information with misinformation and disinformation; and on top of that, we also silence those who dare to speak the truth or challenge the status-quo, regardless of the field, you see?

Awful lot of resources are spent and much effort put into criticising and discrediting such people and their work. To someone who is observant and has a keen eye for detail, it may be impossible to notice that there seems to be an ongoing invisible war of narratives, of ideas, of knowledge – or the lack thereof. The battleground is our minds and hearts – see? What it comes down to is consciousness, and moreover – awareness, or the lack thereof.

Despite tremendous advances in so many fields, we still have great suffering in the world, and thus humanity continues to face enormous difficulties and problems. Many of these problems are directly linked to, and partly, if not solely, caused by the aforementioned status-quo, but there is another aspect to it, too.

Considering that personal suffering stems mainly from craving and ignorance – the same naturally applies to the suffering that afflicts us on a collective scale. We humans are beings who are particularly good at ignoring problems and their causes; we are beings who like to blame others and not take responsibility for our actions.

And since humans are not isolated beings, their interpersonal actions have much greater consequences and impact than most realize. Is it not true, then, that our tendency to be irresponsible inflicts suffering upon others? To inflict suffering upon others is to become more deeply involved in ignorance, deepening the problems we already have – see?

We as the collective human species – as humanity, have many shortcomings which are becoming more and more pronounced as the century progresses. However, we can overcome these shortcomings and the difficulties they bring with them – if we truly so desire, you see? Not only do we lack the will to do what is fair and just, but we hide behind our ignorance and wrap ourselves in a self-righteousness, and so it goes that regardless of the field, we prefer to acknowledge, credit, and support those who do the same – those who keep up a facade.

And so you see, those who we deem as leaders, teachers, specialists, and community leaders, are not always ethical, looking out for our best interest, or the real deal – no matter how much they claim to be. Blinded by groupthink, masses are doing the same – supporting, cheering, embracing and glorifying people who keep up a facade. In so doing, people give their acceptance and consent for this vicious cycle to continue.

As a result, wealth and power is concentrating at the top, into evermore fewer hands, increasing the gap between the haves and have nots, resulting in growing inequality and deepening poverty. And so you see, through ignorance, people are co-creating this privileged cohort – a small club of powerful and influential people who run the world through a complex web of lies and deceit. It’s a small club, and most of us are not in it – even those who think they are, probably aren’t – see?

By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to paradigm shift, it is paramount to highlight the following truth: we are so driven by greed, power and profit that even scientific ethics are largely guided by the commercial interests of corporate industry. The politicization of science has reached a point where even scientists do not examine their own motives very closely. The code of ethics of those scientists who are driving the scientific progress seems to be tied to our current paradigm through which we perceive ourselves as separate from everything else.

This obviously leaves the question lingering whether there is any code of ethics at all these days, you see? Does it not, then, require a fundamental shift of paradigms – a metaphysical one, if we are to go beyond the limits of our current paradigm, to overcome our shortcomings and the difficulties they bring with them? This brings us to openness and transparency, which are the pillars of truth, trust, and progress – pivotal in many ways, yet too often forgotten or ignored, undervalued and overlooked.

Here we should ask ourselves: What good would science do if theories and ideas, findings, concepts and experimental designs would not be shared openly with the public? Are we currently doing so, or is it all for show – a facade? And so you see, to advance further, there would have to be a true shift in values – the pillars of truth, trust, and progress: openness and transparency are a good place to start.

And so you see, we would need to incorporate the art of giving and sharing into the world of science, research and technology in such a way that it truly and equally benefits all of humanity rather than just the privileged few. For that to happen, we need a shift of perspective, so that we can see, recognize, and acknowledge that the good of others is also the good of oneself.

Another way of saying the same is through negation: the suffering of the world is our own suffering as well – see? If this were to happen – a shift toward genuine openness and transparency, it in itself, would be a paradigm shift, would it not? Here we can but imagine what the world would be like, if we all – as the collective humanity, would strive for happiness and pursue the Ultimate Truth.

Now, let us explore this further. In this kind of metaphysical paradigm shift, we move from the state of separation and isolation to the experience of unity, from selfishness to altruism, from fear to trust, from competition to cooperation, and transition from hate to love, gratitude and forgiveness. It is this inner movement that will introduce us to a new era of awareness.

If we are to make this leap into a new era of awareness, we need to be willing to explore new horizons, boldly push the boundaries beyond the accepted norms and conventions, leaving no rock unturned when seeking better ways of doing things; we need to be willing to collaborate with each other like never before, so that we can find better ways and solutions to mitigate and overcome future challenges. When we work together on a common goal, we can achieve things beyond our greatest imagination.

Unfortunately, our current paradigm through which we perceive ourselves as separate from everything else, has led to a situation where instead of truth, openness and transparency – secrecy, hubris and ignorance are the guiding principles of today’s corporations and institutions; it is in these places where most of the scientific research and experiments are done. There are exceptions, of course; however, this seems to be a growing trend, you see?

In this type of climate, with shady morals, weak or non-existent code of ethics, and questionable strategies with opaque disclosures, scientific experiments are running rampant. By the political, financial, and juridical means and mechanisms these entities seem to get away with almost anything. The aforementioned political, financial, and juridical entities in and of themselves are another can of worms entirely, and is left out of the discussion for the sake of simplicity.

With regard to scientific experiments: shrouded with secrecy, we are fed half-truths all the time, and quite conveniently these half-truths are presented as facts and then marketed to us as “discoveries.” No one knows the true extent of the costs, problems, and other issues involved in these experiments.

One of our main shortcomings as humans is hubris – it may even be the greatest of them all. You see, in our hubris, we often think that we have discovered some of the great truths of life, and thus we are trying our best to perfect everything through science and technology. Both of them are works in progress – science being a construction that emerges at a very specific juncture in the history of humanity, and technology its practical application.

While all this may come with good intentions – perfecting everything, it is precisely those good intentions that often lead us astray, which is another way of saying that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” as they say. In other words, good intentions, when acted upon, may have long-lasting, unintended consequences. You see, the honest truth is that we cannot perfect nature – everything is already perfect; it is our perception that needs adjustment, not the external aspects of life – see?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ Metaphysical Paradigm Shift 1/3 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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The purpose of this chapter is to crystallize some of the more important themes which are woven through previous chapters. As such, it serves as a perfect segue to the next section where these aspects are magnified and explored further. Metaphysical paradigm shift, as it is referred to here, is an ensemble term used to describe everything that prevents us from seeing “beyond the box” and needs an “upgrade,” so to speak.

It includes everything that is considered having an impact in our lives, such as prevailing ideas, concepts, theories, narratives, assumptions, beliefs, perspectives, and values; it also includes worldviews, philosophies, theologies, ideologies, and even consensus reality – which, in and of itself, is the product of all the aforementioned – see?

We begin this chapter by defining metaphysics and paradigm shift, which will lay the foundation for more in-depth discussion of specific aspects of metaphysics in the context of paradigm shift. Metaphysics, according to its most common modern definition, has to do with a transcendent realm “beyond” what is perceptible to the senses; the term is related to “mysticism,” which is based on the word “mystery,” implying something hidden.

A paradigm is the collection of ideas and assumptions that pass from one generation to the next and which seem to be immutable. The paradigm shift, then, is when the paradigm shifts. In this process, everything that no longer serves its purpose – begins to fade away, to be replaced with something else; and with it goes all the old, outdated and outmoded structures that are limiting us – both as individuals and as a species.

This in turn gives way to a new understanding, a new way of seeing, a new way of living and being, doing and acting. And so you see, paradigm shifts are necessary for growth and transformation, are they not?

Given the current situation we find ourselves in, witnessing the deteriorating conditions of the Earth, growing instability of the social, political, and economic world structures, one can easily conclude that it has never been a better time to experience a shift in perspective, to experience a shift of paradigms and strive ahead with new ideas and approaches. You see, we are an inseparable part of a Living Universe, and therefore we can no longer leave ourselves out of the equation.

As such, we should grow in our understanding beyond what is currently known and strive to improve ourselves in every way possible; we should strive to be united as a species; focus our attention and energy for the betterment of humanity as a whole; use our intelligence and ingenuity to further improve the quality of human life, to grow and develop our skills and talents. And so you see, it is necessary for our evolvement that we go through a metaphysical paradigm shift, is it not?

The shift of paradigms requires not only the expansion of our perceptions and the ways of thinking, but also of our values – from consumption to conservation, from competition to cooperation, from quantity to quality, and from domination to partnership. Hence, it goes without saying that we should mature and grow spiritually – it is an essential part of transformation, progress and growth.

In this context, it may be immensely helpful to “flip the script” for a moment and consider a different kind of approach than what we are accustomed to. If we can see evolution as a spiritual path, we must then see that consciousness is the most spiritual thing there is, and therefore we must be willing to surrender to the spiritual process – the process of fulfilling the telos of human existence, if we are to evolve further, you see?

To achieve this, we need a new paradigm – one that will help us adjust our lifestyle in a way that would allow us to bring health, harmony and balance back into our everyday life. To achieve such a state of dynamic balance – a radically different social and economic structure is needed, as well.

The creation of a new paradigm includes:

– a new understanding of God or Spirit.
– a new understanding of reality.
– a new understanding of nature.
– a new understanding of ourselves.

In this transition, we move:

– from a view of the universe as dead and mechanical to alive and dynamic.
– from separate parts to interconnected wholes.
– from objective to subjective.
– from control, prediction, and certainty to influence, probability, and uncertainty.
– from unaware to mindful.
– from events and outcomes to process and patterns.
– from either/or to both/and.

Now that we have covered the basics, we can take a closer look at the details. What essentially defines this shift of paradigms is the following: what was once considered “outside the box” thinking or thinking “without” the box becomes the new normal. It is through this change in perspective that we stride by leaps and bounds into the future.

Metaphysical paradigm shift has largely to do with the notion of a Living Universe, which is consistent with the now widely accepted Gaia theory, which wonderfully demonstrates that the Earth itself is a Living System. All life exists in an interconnected web, which means that what happens to the Earth affects everyone, and everyone’s behavior affects the Earth – together they form a symbiotic relationship, you see?

Therefore, it is essential to be aware of, and to appreciate the Interconnected Web of All Life. Human beings are an intrinsic part of this Interconnected Web of Life, and since humans are not isolated beings, we need to know how we work as a sub-system within the whole. When we relate to other human beings, to the living nature around us, to human organizations, and to the economy – we are always dealing with living systems.

Thus, we as human beings are always part of different systems, and we can act intelligently from within those systems, e.g., every day humans live immersed in social systems – dynamic groups of interconnected people functioning together as a whole.

Whether we are able to act intelligently within these systems – is up to our level of awareness, and thus if we want to have a complete picture, we need to know the basics of what constitutes a human being. And so you see, in order to have a complete picture, we need to start from the beginning and ask ourselves: What is consciousness, and further: What is awareness?

Now, let us remind ourselves of one important truth: Life is simpler than we think, and yet, at the same time, it is more complex than we can imagine. This goes on to say that simplicity makes sense in a Living Universe. Indeed, simplicity is the true form of perfection, and therefore it is only natural that simplicity is at the core of every Living System. It is unfortunate that we fail to recognize this single most important truth.

Therefore, it is not unsurprising that we can see the results in our everyday lives. You see, the current mechanistic worldview permeates through every facet of our lives, making it difficult to see “beyond the box.” But if we shift our thinking in such a way that we begin to think in terms of energy, frequency, vibration, consciousness, and awareness – a whole new world begins to open up for us.

This metaphysical paradigm shift will make it clear that consciousness is the next great frontier, for science, for philosophy, for our personal and collective well-being. That is to say, without knowing the Innerverse, we would know nothing at all, and everything we think we know – would have no deeper meaning. Therefore, we should ask ourselves: How could we possibly know anything at all, if we don’t know the Innerverse – consciousness and awareness?

It goes without saying that asking the same kinds of questions and doing the same kinds of things over and over while expecting different results is the epitome of foolishness, isn’t it? Against this backdrop, we can see that we would need to ask different kinds of questions to get new kinds of answers; we would need to explore different kinds of approaches and perspectives to see beyond what seems possible; we would need to push the boundaries beyond the accepted norms and conventions.

Now, let me ask you this: Wouldn’t it be great if we would strive to liberate our minds from what we are familiar with, so that we could reach toward something new and exciting, striving to push the boundaries of what is possible, gradually venturing into the unknown – to discover what lies beyond the limits of the known?

When you really think about it, doesn’t it seem as though this unexplored world of consciousness – Innerverse, is both the great mystery we are afraid to explore, and dogma that we are too afraid and reluctant to burst open? It certainly would help if the bubble of scientific dogma would burst open first and scientism that blinds us from seeing beyond self-imposed limits and illusion would be dismantled altogether, wouldn’t it?

Apart from the aforementioned, it would help tremendously if the politicization of science would be dismantled altogether as well. You see, the relationship between science and politics has been well established, becoming increasingly apparent in recent years, having extended into nearly every scientific field. It follows, then, that these influences in combination with ignorance and hubris are having a major impact on our lives in so many different ways on so many different levels.

Our view of the world profoundly impacts how we live and interact with the world and with each other – it is essential, then, that the scientific knowledge that shapes and limits the contours of our social reality should be expanded to include non-measurable phenomena – such as values, meaning, purposes, and feelings – in other words, subjective inner experiences of the individuals, or short – consciousness and awareness – see?

That said, it should be noted that science is a wonderful tool for showing us the ways of interpreting the physical world; as a tool and system of inquiry, science excels in this role of exploring the physical reality exceptionally well. However, scientific paradigms can become a form of dogma, resisting the scientific revolutions of thinking and discovery that always, eventually, make these old paradigms obsolete.

This goes on to say that we cannot solve old paradigm problems by dealing in old paradigm solutions – this is especially true with everything consciousness related, and hence metaphysical paradigm shift is more than welcomed. Someday soon, once we reach a new way of thinking that will liberate our minds not only from dogma and bias, but also from ignorance and hubris, can we approach this from another perspective, and truly proclaim to do proper science – see? Because of these reasons, it is necessary to unravel some of the layers in the following few paragraphs.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ The Living Earth (Gaia) - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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As an extension of the previous chapter, concerning the ancient wisdom and its resurgence, it goes without saying that in a book like this, it is appropriate to pay a homage to the idea of the Living Earth (Gaia). For however small this chapter ends up being, doesn’t matter as much as showing respect to this important area. You see, it should have become clear by now, at this point in the book, that Earth is, indeed, one single living system, which regulates the chemistry and conditions of Earth’s surface in an “automatic” manner – as all living systems do.

This goes on to say that whatever happens in one part of the world is connected to what happens in another, sometimes imperceptibly, but nonetheless related to the whole. So when a butterfly takes off in the depths of the Amazon, its influence on the wind patterns of the world may be minute, almost beyond imagination, but it is making a contribution to homeostasis; the same is true of humans, of course, and our impact on the environment can be much more noticeable.

Sadly, in our hubris, we have forgotten that the Earth is our home, and even our mother – as most tribal cultures consider Earth to be. As such, we should show our mother (Gaia) gratitude, respect, and honor for her gift of life. Gaia is a very old name for Mother Earth, or Mother Nature. The mythical Gaia was the primal Greek goddess personifying the Earth, the Greek version of “Mother Nature,” or the Earth Mother. In Greek mythology, she birthed many of the major gods who ruled over different sections of the Earth.

Gaia is known as the nurturer, sustainer and giver of love to all who come to the goddess for support. She is known as the spirit of the Earth, plants, rocks and water. In the 1970’s James Lovelock reintroduced the Earth-mother concept through the medium of Ecology. He proposed that all living things are interrelated within the self-regulating systems of the Earth, which provides the optimal conditions to support life itself.

The modern approach to the idea that the Earth is a Living Being is called the Gaia theory. It explains that the Earth is a living system; that the Earth functions as a self-regulating system; that living and non-living parts of the Earth form a complex interacting system that can be thought of as a single organism. It proposes that organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth – to form a synergistic self-regulating complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on Earth.

The idea of the Earth as an integrated whole – a Living Being, has a long tradition. Gaia hypothesis is the first comprehensive scientific expression of this profoundly ancient belief, which has been widely accepted by many scientists since the 1970’s – most notably, the acceptance comes from those who have the understanding that comes from another closely related area known as systems thinking. The most exciting part of systems thinking is applying the current achievements of system theory to Gaia theory (the living Earth theory).

Formulated by British atmospheric scientist James Lovelock, and American microbiologist Lynn Margulis – Gaia hypothesis states that the Earth’s climate and surface environment are controlled by the plants, animals, and micro-organisms that inhabit it. That taken as a whole, the Earth behaves not as an inanimate sphere of rock and soil, sustained by the automatic and accidental processes of geology, as traditional earth science has long maintained, but more as a biological superorganism – a planetary body that adjusts and regulates itself.

Fundamentally, the Gaia hypothesis finds the Earth to be more like a life form than an inanimate object adjusting to internal and external changes much as an organism might react to threats and opportunities in the environment. Lovelock likes to compare the Earth to a tree.

Lynn Marguilis, on the other hand, believes that micro-organisms and their constituent parts are as fundamental to life as atoms and subatomic particles are to matter and energy; meaning that bacteria – single-celled organisms without nucleus (the earliest life forms from which all other earthly organisms have evolved) are the building blocks of life.

Another closely connected area is something called Deep Ecology, which can be seen as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. Deep ecology is a philosophical school of thought – founded by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess in the early seventies.

Deep ecology does not separate humans, or anything else from the natural environment – it does see the world not as a collection of isolated objects, but as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. Deep ecology recognizes the intrinsic value of all living beings, and views humans as just one particular strand in the larger web of life.

Deep ecological awareness recognizes the fundamental interdependence of all phenomena, and that we are all embedded in the cyclical processes of nature; ultimately, deep ecological awareness is spiritual awareness, which goes on to say that when the concept of the Human Spirit is understood as the mode of consciousness, in which the individual feels a sense of belonging, of connectedness to the Cosmos as a whole – it becomes clear that ecological awareness is spiritual in its deepest essence, you see?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ Ancient Wisdom Resurfaces - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Now that we’ve had a glimpse of what this new vision entails, we can continue our discussion by noting that these kinds of visions are not new to humanity, for they have existed for thousands of years. You see, they are integral to human nature, and will always be so until we reach that penultimate goal of equilibrium, harmony, balance – from where we can achieve peace – with ourselves and with others.

Visions like these are driven by the underlying universal truths that are timeless – we all recognize them whether we acknowledge them or not. Hence, it can be said that through the ages, these same timeless truths keep emerging time and time again, and thus they can be colloquially referred to as “Ancient Wisdom.”

Most important of these timeless truths concerns the basic Oneness of the Universe; Oneness of Life – we are all One, interconnected and indivisible. And so you see, ultimately, the whole of humanity is a single being, having a collective consciousness – the sum total of all human life, having a collective direction and destiny. Each life is a link in a chain of lives, with ancestors at the one end, and descendants at the other; each life in a chain of lives is bound together by cause and effect, different, yet the same.

At the deepest level, this means that there is but one God to merge with, there is but one all pervading Spirit, and it is called the Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible – it exists in all Creation, it is timeless, universal, and self-existent; there is but one First Cause that has its Being of itself, and on which all other beings depend; there is but one Infinite Being, so there is but One God – see?

By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to Oneness of Life, it is paramount to highlight the following: every living thing lives within the continuous cycle of birth and death where the remains of one become the nutrients for the other – nothing is ever wasted, everything just transforms into different forms at various times; everything shifts between different levels of existence according to its vibrational frequency or awareness, you see?

This same dynamic applies to our Souls and Spirit as well, which becomes clear from the second basic truth. Furthermore, upon deeper examination, one ultimately finds that inanimate objects are energy – like anything else, and contain trace amounts of consciousness, as all energy comes from a source of consciousness. This understanding not only unites everything that happens in the visible outer world, but it also links the inner subjective world to the outer world.

All things – both seen and unseen, are bound together by cause and effect, which goes on to say that nothing can exist in absolute independence of other things or arise of its own accord; everything in the world comes into existence in response to causes and conditions – meaning that all beings and phenomena exist or occur only because of their relationship with other things – see?

Many ancient wisdom traditions have known this for a long time, but the Western culture seems to lack this understanding. For example, indigenous peoples of the Great Plains of North America have a prayer of Oneness and harmony of all forms of life in their culture – it is called Mitakuye Oyasin (All Are Related), which is a phrase from the Lakota language; it reflects the worldview of interconnectedness held by the Lakota people – all are related including humans, animals, birds, insects, trees, plants, and even rocks, rivers, mountains and valleys.

The second basic truth is that the universe is an intelligent field that is inherently conscious. It is through this field of consciousness that the inner and outer worlds are connected; we are connected to this larger field of consciousness through our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and intentions. All living things have consciousness and are inseparably linked to all other living things in this Great Cosmic Web of Life; even plants have consciousness – plant’s knowing of where to grow and how to turn to the light is evidence of this – see?

This leads to the third truth, which is that we are participating in the Life and work of God – we are participating just by being ourselves. It is our awareness that ultimately connects us to all other life. You see, all life has awareness in varying degrees, or more aptly, all Life is Awareness – Living Awareness that comes from Spirit.

Upon deeper examination, one finds that ultimately, the whole of humanity is a single being – having a collective consciousness, the sum total of all human life; each life is a link in a chain of lives, with ancestors at the one end, and descendants at the other.

Not only are we connected to each other, but we are part of, and intimately connected to, absolutely everything in the universe. The key to wisdom is the conscious realization and acknowledgement that we are Life becoming aware of itself in this form we call a human being – Life, finding its way to itself through itself; microcosm of the universal macrocosm, awakening to itself in itself.

Through our eyes, the Universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the Universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the Universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence. ~ Alan Watts.

From another perspective, one might say that we are the universe (Creation) becoming aware of itself – living and breathing, pulsating and vibrating miracle, which is another way of saying that the universe in and of itself is very much alive. In other words, everything in the universe is conscious, endowed with a consciousness of its own kind and on its own plane of perception.

In this sense, the universe has a spiritual nature, or at the very least, a spiritual cause; and thus it should be regarded and treated as such. But here we should not make a mistake of confusing Creation with the Creator, for you see, if one wishes to glorify something – let it be the Creator (God). This being the case, let all praise the Unity of God, for you see, there is but one First Cause that has its Being of itself, and on which all other beings depend; there is but one Infinite Being, so there is but one God – see?

This brings us to conclude that in our deepest core we are ancient – Infinite Living Awareness, taking different shapes and forms in the continuum of time. In this sense, we have been around forever, and there has never been a time when we have not existed, nor will there be a time when we cease to exist. We all have hidden within us this deep Ancient Wisdom that’s in every single one of us – we all carry this ancient gift from our forefathers and mothers.

Let us go deeper. Earth is an incredibly and wonderfully complex interdependent network of elements and life forms that co-evolved together. This is why the ancient humans felt a burning responsibility to show their respect, honor and gratitude to the Universe, to Nature, and to Mother Earth which gave them Life. Ancient wisdom holds that humans were created to be the caretakers of the Earth – we were placed here to care for its plants and animals, to protect its natural beauty, to show respect and gratitude for all the abundance that the Earth gives us every day, and to live in harmony with nature and all forms of life.

That said, it is clear that we as human beings are an intrinsic part of the whole – Sentient Intelligence, individuated, yet interconnected and interdependent on other parts. As such, we humans are an intrinsic part of nature, and therefore we need to better understand how to adjust ourselves to the physical environment without destroying it and ourselves in the process; how to be a natural part of the living process, and how to work holistically within the living system.

As mentioned earlier in this section, when we look at today’s world, we cannot say it’s one of peace and joy; rather, we find that we live in the midst of self-imposed chaos, which brings about the question: Have we totally forgotten what our forefathers and mothers have taught us?

Upon deeper examination, one finds that this self-imposed chaos is something that we may have created for ourselves to experience in hopes of meeting ourselves – to shake away old, outdated and outmoded structures that no longer can sustain us, which is another way of saying that we can no longer leave ourselves out of the equation. You see, at the moment we find ourselves in between conscious of the limitations of the old, and needing a new paradigm which transcends our ways of thinking, being, and seeing.

Here we arrive at the conclusion: If we want to continue living here on Earth, we need a completely new paradigm; meaning that we need a fundamental change in our thoughts, perceptions, and values. The change begins by shifting our current limited mechanistic view of life to match that of a holistic conception of life. You see, a living experience of wholeness is achieved by opening fully to our own pure awareness, which is another way of saying that clear experience of awareness brings a radically new way of relating to oneself and the world.

As we witness the deterioration within the ecological, social, political, and economic world structures, we can experience the re-emergence of ancient wisdom. You see, life is a full circle; coming back around, again and again, in hopes of meeting ourselves; in hopes of seeing and really knowing ourselves; around and around and around we go, in this thing we call life – see?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

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[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Living Earth (Gaia) ]

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"