No one is disposable, and Stevie Wonder.
Hear me.
No matter how much we disagree, or what cause we are a champion of, our worthiness to live on this planet is not up for debate. Whatever alignments or allegiances we might claim, no one is disposable, or beyond redemption. We cannot discard whole groups of people, forms of life, or segments of our planet. It feels like the divisions between people are beyond repair, but looking forward to our planet's history there may be no other way to find the common ground that we need. We are learning to co-exist, collaborate, and co-create.
All our ideas, our beliefs, our assumptions, our opinions, our stories, our histories all arise out of the same context. We are beings, aware to varying degree, in a particular form and composition living on a planet which is an expression of cosmic forces. Although ordinarily we experience ourselves as discrete, separate, and different from all that surrounds us we most certainly are not. All living beings on this planet share the same protein building blocks, and all elements that create the atmosphere and composition of the planet share the same interstellar cosmic origins. Whatever we are, fundamentally, we are more alike that we can discern.
To be clear, our inner landscape of thoughts, feelings, desires, and needs are very real. The boundaries we need in order to stay healthy serve us to find ways to explore life's relationships. Boundaries allow us to feel safe enough to investigate more deeply into our nature and our relationship with the whole of existence. It is our responsibility to recognize what is harmful and helpful, to take ownership of the impact of our actions, and to be present for life as much as is possible according to our conditions. Having ethical guidelines to orient our mind to see how to be a loving presence in the world is vital. Being part of a community that uplifts us, and holds us accountable when we stumble, is what makes it possible to stay committed to our collective journey towards a stable world.
Our current climate of casuistry, punditry, and other self-destructive human behavior is extremely confusing. Our minds are easy distracted, and pulled into conditioned responses which often lead us to feeling unfulfilled, alienated, powerless, or stuck. Such a sense of desperation can lead to violence, selfishness, and hatred. These mental states are seemingly insurmountable, but as slippery and convincing as the mind appears it is also an expression of cosmic forces. Like all other existing things, it is constantly adapting and changing depending on what else is present. Whatever the mind is exposed to, it's surface reflects. Beneath the surface of the mind is an unexplored and immeasurable depth that is woven into the inexplicable wordless openness that permeates everything. The mind, even though it appears to separate us from everything, is our a gateway into our interconnectedness. All that appears to draw us apart is actually what will allow us to form deeper and healthier relationships. We all have work to do, but as the song says, "We Can Work It Out." (Stevie Wonder)
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