#625 Deep Inside - What? Why? How?

     Einstein famously said: "I think the most important question facing humanity is, ‘Is the universe a friendly place?’ This is the first and most basic question all people must answer for themselves. For if we decide that the universe is an unfriendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to achieve safety and power by creating bigger walls to keep out the unfriendliness and bigger weapons to destroy all that which is unfriendly and I believe that we are getting to a place where technology is powerful enough that we may either completely isolate or destroy ourselves as well in this process.”

     Those of us who feel that the universe IS a friendly place likely do so, because we’ve intentionally looked within, via meditation / contemplation, and have repeatedly found at the very least, a measure of sanity, self-compassion, kindness, peace and joy.
     Too many, however, are of the opposite opinion - that the universe is hostile. These folks avoid introspection due to fear. They then project the evil that (they mistakenly presume) lies within, outward, onto the universe. Their unexamined 'shadow' is incorrectly conflated with the universe, resulting in adversarial (instead of nurturing) relationships.
     Can we help decrease such wide-scale, needless suffering by facilitating introspection?

     Please savour: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/07/367-discovering-manifesting-our-innate.html

cjf2   www.dpreview.com

#617 Wisdom? Me First!

     A popular 1970s poster showed a cave-man-like brute wielding a huge club, with the caption: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil, because I'm the meanest son-of-a-bitch in the valley." Each of us, as individuals, might carefully reflect on what it would take to make us use deadly force to get our way. How would belonging to a group of like-minded individuals change "what it would take"? We recoil in horror when an individual does precisely what people in uniforms do daily around the world. Is killing more polite, legal, civilized or healthy while wearing a uniform? If so, there'd be far fewer cases of PTSD among veterans.
     It's primarily psychosocialspiritual immaturity that can turn our beloved sons and daughters into killers - be they official terrorists, military, or elected officials who give the orders. And they are our sons and daughters. 
     All of us have the primary responsibility to intentionally mature into wise elders. Why me first? Because without wisdom, all I do is add to the world's confusion and suffering. Wisdom is the evolved, mature side of all major religions - without the childish, egocentric, xenophobic, violent posturing. Adversarial posturing - with weapons, religions, energy, water, food, etc - must end. Humanity can't tolerate any more selfish ugliness.
     Our world is one family. A healthy, functional family does not "wage war" on some of its members. Those made to feel excluded are more likely to behave insanely. We can and must improve conditions at home and abroad, to approximate the quality of life we want for ourselves and our own children. First as individuals - yes, it has to start with me - we need to embody, teach each other by example, the quality of life that only a loving, mature, civilized family can enjoy.

Black Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada