Good morning! Welcome to the DKos Sangha weekly open thread.
This is an open thread for members of the DKos Sangha and others who are interested in discussions concerning how we integrate our progressive political activism into our spiritual practice. If you have observations about the political discourse of the week, or about practice, or about anything else related to walking a spiritual path through the political world, if you wish to share, or if you seek support, or if you simply want to say hello, please do; this space is for you.
If you would like to write a diary for the DKos Sangha, please let me know.
If you care nothing for spiritual practice and only wish to denigrate and disparage, please do so elsewhere, and respect that this is a community diary for the DKos Sangha.
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Imagine for a moment that the universe is whole and complete, much as an ocean is whole and complete, and that everything made manifest in the universe is part and parcel of the whole, just as every drop of water in the ocean is part and parcel of the ocean. Further, imagine that everything in the universe is interconnected; that on a subatomic level there is no separation between phenomena, that all manifestations are woven together as a single field.
Still further, as a manifestation arising within this single field, imagine that you too, as the body and mind that you so intimately experience, are inseparable from this field; that you too are part and parcel of the universe.
And imagine still further that you and everything in the room within which you are sitting are manifestations of that one singular interconnected field, and that the interactions between all of the things in that room, including you, are interactions between different aspects of that one field of being.
Now, using your imagination a bit further, imagine that the universe has manifested through its evolution over time an exquisitely tuned instrument by which it can experience the interactions of its manifestations; an instrument advanced enough to even perceive itself.
And imagine that this instrument of perception, this human body/mind, as the universe perceiving itself in all of its myriad forms, realizes that when the veil of separation is lifted it experiences itself as the one interconnected universe, but also realizes that when the veil of separation is not lifted, as is the case for most of these human body/mind manifestations, there is the experience of separation and isolation and distrust and division.
This scenario we've just imagined need not be considered as much more than a scenario we've just imagined. But it can be useful in giving us a different perspective from which to view ourselves. To see ourselves as the universe experiencing itself can be illuminating. It can be useful in casting our relationships with others in a new light, in seeing that our interactions with others are essentially the universe interacting with itself. And it can further be useful in seeing that there is a difference between the interactions of those who see themselves as separate from each other and those who see themselves as inseparable manifestations of the whole.
When we experience ourselves as part and parcel of the whole, there grows within us the experience of compassion, because the suffering of others is our own suffering; they are inseparable from us.
All of us on this planet are interconnected; we are all in this together. Our evolution on this planet has brought us to the point where we are the universe perceiving itself. Our history has been one of separation, one from another, one against another; it is a history of conflict, of hoarding, of taking, of war. But our future can be different.
This is something of a paradigm shift. Instead of us against them, we can begin moving into an era of all of us together. Instead of fighting against each other, we can begin considering how we might work together.
And this paradigm shift begins with oneself. The transformation begins with each us. We cannot expect governments and politicians and corporations to do what needs to be done. We must do this ourselves, each in our own way, to the degree that each of us is able, starting right here where we are in this moment.
It is a long road, this transformation of ourselves and of our world; but it is a road worth traveling. It is the transformation of the universe itself.
Namaste
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You are welcome to join us each week in our Monday night group meditation here at DKos Sangha. This online group meditation is hosted by Ooooh, and the diary is posted at 7:00 Eastern. So that we are able to be together for as many here at Daily Kos as wish to participate, the meditation period runs from 7:30 to 10:00 Eastern. This group sitting is open to beginners and advanced, and is not restricted to any particular traditions or practices. It is not expected that you sit for the entire period; sit for as long as you like, when you like. The idea is that we are here together; supporting each other, holding space for each other.
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Enjoy your day!
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