A friend of mine asked if I thought that some of us (humans) were simply born to be sheep. Would this explain the current state of sheep-hood so prevalent in the world today?Are some people followers and others leaders? Is this the "natural way" to be human? If we look at other animals, we see that many species create a hierarchical order system which helps them survive. Is this the natural order for us as well?
If you've gone outside (or turned on your tv) recently you may have noticed that, when it comes to the human species, we have created a world where there are many sheep and a few sheep herders. Every element of our society-from spirituality, to government, to entertainment, to business, to the domestic sphere is becoming more homogenized and centralized. In a strange paradox of Western civilization, we have created an illusion of more choice when we have actually created less. As we see in nature, whenever a system becomes homogenized-either through human causes or otherwise, that system is likely to collapse. Heterogeneity, and its essence: balance, is required to sustain life.
So here we are.
At this juncture, the work of humanity is two-fold.
First, we must deconstruct the dominant paradigms, ones that are destroying our planet and ourselves. We must ask ourselves what elements of these paradigms are no longer serving us and what elements we wish to keep as we move forward.
Second, we have the task of building new paradigms, ones which recognize the interconnectedness of all life and help us to achieve balance, the key to sustainability, and hence sustain life for generations to come.
The paradigms we are currently operating within are a result of an out of balance masculine principle-intellect.
The intellect seeks to maintain order. Order is necessary to life. In nature, we see order in many forms- intricately balanced ecosystems, animal pack orders, human language, etc. Order creates structure which allows chaos (a feminine principle) to manifest in a tangible way. Order is essential.
Order is the way that the intellect interacts with the infinite, chaotic nature of the universe and of ourselves. When the mind or intellect is exalted as the highest principle, as it has been in Western civilization, we find ourselves in an out of balance state of control and domination. This eventually led us to create systems where we have given a few of us control and relegated the vast majority of ourselves to slavery. We have created our own slavery system within which we ask others to make choices for us in an effort to avoid the responsibility of navigating the unpredictable, infinite nature of the world.
When order is taken to an out of balance extreme we create control, hierarchy, power imbalance, domination, and polarity. Polarity is one way we have chosen to deal with the multiplicity inherent in the universe. It is "easier" to have two choices than many. In order to understand and make sense of its unpredictability, we have tried to create order, safety, and comfort. Gender and sexuality is one arena where we see this polarizing principle at work. In our society, we tend to label others as either straight, gay, or bisexual. Male or female. The reality of gender is that it is a spectrum. If left to express their true nature, one human may love a man earlier in his life, a woman later in life, and then a man again. This is just one example of how we have taken the inherent multiplicity of existence and attempted to impose external order upon it. Religion is another. We have created a society in which some people are leaders and others are followers. This has created an illusion of safety, when in reality we have created systems of control.
When we deconstruct the paradigm of external control and externally imposed order, we are left with a call to radical self-reliance. We are required to then listen to our Selves and open to the infinite nature of the universe and ourselves. When we open to our infinity, we have no choice but to recognize the "good"and the "bad" of our true nature. Just as the universe exhibits both light and shadow qualities, as do we. We realize that no human can be all good or all bad. This means that we must actually interact with the good and bad within ourselves and others rather than labeling and shutting out. We must actually face and engage with the world as it is and ourselves as we are. Opening up to the fullness of existence requires becoming vulnerable and allowing yourself to be seen in the many manifestations of yourself, including those you have been taught were undesirable. Self-reliance requires that we take responsibility for our own choices, decisions, actions, and behaviors.
The paradox is that when we remove the external mechanisms we have created to help us create comfort and safety, we are left with the kind of safety only found by complete trust in ones self. It is the safety of divine intelligence. This type of safety transcends the illusion of safety we have created through systems of external control. When we let go of the illusion of external control, we are able to create order within ourselves. When we surrender to the universe and trust our selves, we are able to awaken to the fullness of creation, creating the potential for universal consciousness and deep healing for ourselves and the planet.
I do not believe that some people are born to be sheep. We have decided collectively as a culture to breed sheep. As humans, we have choice. I believe that we are all born leaders, just as we are all born healers, teachers, artists, visionaries. We may choose which principles to express in our lifetime. Human consciousness is life becoming aware of life. As each of us contains the universe inside of us, our expression of our Selves is only limited by what we choose not to express.
In the healing work I do with others, I seek to cultivate self-reliance. I attempt to create a container which nurtures balance and allows for the exploration of the infinite self. This means exploring the parts of ourselves that we have attempted to marginalize, polarize, and control and welcoming them home. This act of whole-ing and re-membering allows us to open to our full and infinite nature. This is true empowerment. This is the "natural order".
As a society, we have needed to explore the extreme of the principle of order to see what we do not want. We needed to create a state of disempowerment in order to access our empowerment. This had to happen because it is what happened. Now, we are being asked to make a choice to either continue down a path of disempowerment or empower ourselves to create a life, and a world, that inspires and sustains us for infinite generations.
It is up to us. There is no cure "out there", only within. We must look to ourselves for the answers as well as the questions. There is no manual for how to do this. We must write the manual together for all to learn and share, heal and be healed. Now, as always, is the most exciting time to be alive.
If you've gone outside (or turned on your tv) recently you may have noticed that, when it comes to the human species, we have created a world where there are many sheep and a few sheep herders. Every element of our society-from spirituality, to government, to entertainment, to business, to the domestic sphere is becoming more homogenized and centralized. In a strange paradox of Western civilization, we have created an illusion of more choice when we have actually created less. As we see in nature, whenever a system becomes homogenized-either through human causes or otherwise, that system is likely to collapse. Heterogeneity, and its essence: balance, is required to sustain life.
So here we are.
At this juncture, the work of humanity is two-fold.
First, we must deconstruct the dominant paradigms, ones that are destroying our planet and ourselves. We must ask ourselves what elements of these paradigms are no longer serving us and what elements we wish to keep as we move forward.
Second, we have the task of building new paradigms, ones which recognize the interconnectedness of all life and help us to achieve balance, the key to sustainability, and hence sustain life for generations to come.
The paradigms we are currently operating within are a result of an out of balance masculine principle-intellect.
The intellect seeks to maintain order. Order is necessary to life. In nature, we see order in many forms- intricately balanced ecosystems, animal pack orders, human language, etc. Order creates structure which allows chaos (a feminine principle) to manifest in a tangible way. Order is essential.
Order is the way that the intellect interacts with the infinite, chaotic nature of the universe and of ourselves. When the mind or intellect is exalted as the highest principle, as it has been in Western civilization, we find ourselves in an out of balance state of control and domination. This eventually led us to create systems where we have given a few of us control and relegated the vast majority of ourselves to slavery. We have created our own slavery system within which we ask others to make choices for us in an effort to avoid the responsibility of navigating the unpredictable, infinite nature of the world.
When order is taken to an out of balance extreme we create control, hierarchy, power imbalance, domination, and polarity. Polarity is one way we have chosen to deal with the multiplicity inherent in the universe. It is "easier" to have two choices than many. In order to understand and make sense of its unpredictability, we have tried to create order, safety, and comfort. Gender and sexuality is one arena where we see this polarizing principle at work. In our society, we tend to label others as either straight, gay, or bisexual. Male or female. The reality of gender is that it is a spectrum. If left to express their true nature, one human may love a man earlier in his life, a woman later in life, and then a man again. This is just one example of how we have taken the inherent multiplicity of existence and attempted to impose external order upon it. Religion is another. We have created a society in which some people are leaders and others are followers. This has created an illusion of safety, when in reality we have created systems of control.
When we deconstruct the paradigm of external control and externally imposed order, we are left with a call to radical self-reliance. We are required to then listen to our Selves and open to the infinite nature of the universe and ourselves. When we open to our infinity, we have no choice but to recognize the "good"and the "bad" of our true nature. Just as the universe exhibits both light and shadow qualities, as do we. We realize that no human can be all good or all bad. This means that we must actually interact with the good and bad within ourselves and others rather than labeling and shutting out. We must actually face and engage with the world as it is and ourselves as we are. Opening up to the fullness of existence requires becoming vulnerable and allowing yourself to be seen in the many manifestations of yourself, including those you have been taught were undesirable. Self-reliance requires that we take responsibility for our own choices, decisions, actions, and behaviors.
The paradox is that when we remove the external mechanisms we have created to help us create comfort and safety, we are left with the kind of safety only found by complete trust in ones self. It is the safety of divine intelligence. This type of safety transcends the illusion of safety we have created through systems of external control. When we let go of the illusion of external control, we are able to create order within ourselves. When we surrender to the universe and trust our selves, we are able to awaken to the fullness of creation, creating the potential for universal consciousness and deep healing for ourselves and the planet.
I do not believe that some people are born to be sheep. We have decided collectively as a culture to breed sheep. As humans, we have choice. I believe that we are all born leaders, just as we are all born healers, teachers, artists, visionaries. We may choose which principles to express in our lifetime. Human consciousness is life becoming aware of life. As each of us contains the universe inside of us, our expression of our Selves is only limited by what we choose not to express.
In the healing work I do with others, I seek to cultivate self-reliance. I attempt to create a container which nurtures balance and allows for the exploration of the infinite self. This means exploring the parts of ourselves that we have attempted to marginalize, polarize, and control and welcoming them home. This act of whole-ing and re-membering allows us to open to our full and infinite nature. This is true empowerment. This is the "natural order".
As a society, we have needed to explore the extreme of the principle of order to see what we do not want. We needed to create a state of disempowerment in order to access our empowerment. This had to happen because it is what happened. Now, we are being asked to make a choice to either continue down a path of disempowerment or empower ourselves to create a life, and a world, that inspires and sustains us for infinite generations.
It is up to us. There is no cure "out there", only within. We must look to ourselves for the answers as well as the questions. There is no manual for how to do this. We must write the manual together for all to learn and share, heal and be healed. Now, as always, is the most exciting time to be alive.
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