Reconciling the world. This is a very broad topic. Within it, you bring up myriad other topics to support a cynical and pessimistic view. I too have moments of feeling like this but, lucky for me, they are brief and a broadening of view is where I find relief.
I think that for each of us, reconciling the world is the life long learning of reconciling the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (duality) with the tree of life (non dual). This one, age old, change in perspective makes all the difference in reconciling the world. It can also take a lifetime to understand and accomplish. The gift of duality is given so that we can learn from a very early age to give meaning and value to our lives. The joy of discovering what is good and overcoming what is not is called, for most of us, growing up. Reaching the age of maturity and understanding true unity consciousness comes at various ages, sometimes various lifetimes. Somehow, when we no longer see the world in terms of good and evil, we look back on others like children at play and wonder at the joy and pain of their play. But there is not much time for that, because the non dual opens worlds within worlds for us again, all inviting us into the becoming. On a social level, or how we live with others, there is again a marked difference between the dual and non dual. Those with a duality perspective tend to see resources as limited, and fear not having their share. The world is full of it. Fear and domination are central to it. I found this brief explanation here: http://www.cnvc.org/en/what-nvc/articles-writings/anger-and-domination-systems/anger-and-domination-systems: The Powers That Be and Engaging the Powers, theologian Walter Wink talks about domination systems being ones in which a few people control [many] to their own advantage. In domination systems you have to train people to think in ways that support the system, so they fit the system. Domination systems require: 1. Suppression of self 2. Moralistic judgments 3. Amtssprache (This expression was used by Nazi officials to describe a bureaucratic language that denies choice, with words like: “should,” “have to,” “ought.”) 4. The crucial concept of deserve Now anger is the result, it’s a fire alarm that tells us we are thinking in a way that supports domination systems; you are thinking in a way that contributes to the oppressive world order and you are part of it. If we are truly interested in reconciliation, we begin with ourselves and then move onto the bigger world, knowing that there is enough for everyone. There are terrific efforts in unity going on all around us that can tame our cynicism and present a good case for optimism: The Center for NonViolent Communication http://www.cnvc.org/ is an enormous global effort The Buckminster Fuller Institute http://www.bfi.org/ is based on design science but is also founded on creative problems solving, social living strategies and global communication The Future by Design Community Framework : http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED350518&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED350518 Anyone else know of some good ones? On Jul 26, 6:22 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Are we losing the ability to reconcile in the world? Have we slipped > so far from the understanding of brotherhood, of forgiveness that we > have simply become a world of hatred and revenge. We are literally > mortified by the specter of terrorism that is plaguing the world. The > mindset of terrorism is anchored in the inability to allow forgiveness > to override anger and instead caters to hatred, anger and violence > towards those deemed the wrongdoers without regard for the harm > imposed upon the innocent bystanders. > Aside from that our culture seems entrenched in the business of > revenge, we rather employ legal means to inflict suffering upon those > who we think have done us wrong before we would sit down directly and > discuss the problems. Politics seems to be leaning more toward > instilling anger and fears among us which leads to a polarization of > society while most media seem devoted to divisive and anger driven > reporting with a general attitude of who is to blame. > Can we ever stop sending messages attached to missiles, bombs and > bullets? Our attempts to establish peaceful means of resolution have > failed miserably because there is never a general consensus on any > issue. We sanction and punish to no end in order to force change but > to no avail. People are at war in every quadrant of the planet while > new agitations are festering in the background waiting to emerge as > full scale skirmishes. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
