Introduction
Since the beginning of time, humans have pondered on their relationships . Everything exists in relationship: every word, thought, feeling and action arises within a dynamic field of interactive relationships which is constantly changing.
It has been the business of sages and scientists to investigate the nature of this interconnected field of existence in order to gain understanding of the mysteries at its core. The word science (from the Latin scire - to know) means knowledge, as does the name of some of our most ancient sacred texts - the Hindu Vedas.
The task of knowledge seekers is a paradox - that of breaking down the vastness of the field into manageable chunks of wisdom whilst remaining connected to the mystery of its wholeness. This reflects the core issue faced by every incarnate being - experiencing oneself as an individual whilst knowing that one's very existence is constantly influenced by factors beyond one's comprehension.
The Illusion of Separation
Separation is seen to be the great illusion in Buddhism, for the conception of a separate self/ego gives rise to attachment to the conditions which the ego desires which results in suffering when they are not achieved or consequences when they are. This is our karma - our act or performance on the life stage - and it can have positive or negative effect, depending on our level of consciousness.
The Western exploitation of the concept of the pioneering individual who conquers space in order to imprint its identity has had devastating consequences ecologically and ethnographically. In his famous speech of 1854 Chief Seattle warns American Governor Stephens that the land he seeks to possess is not, in fact, empty but full of the spirits of his people's ancestry, reminding him that everything is interconnected "... all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man ... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports."
Jean Paul Satre famously articulated the full alienation that occurs within a society where individuals become isolated and lose their authenticity, oppressing each other as reflections of their own alienation, as he witnessed in the Holocaust. He defined Authenticity as 'having a true and lucid consciousness' (Anti-Semite and Jew) and freedom as 'fulfilled intuition' which cannot then contemplate 'destroying the freedom of others' (Notebooks).
The Spiritual Practise of Interconnectedness
The pathway to healing the core illusion of separation within the self and moving towards a lucid state of consciousness has been mapped out intricately and diversely by yogis, psychotherapists, healers, priests, artists and shamans. The common thread within the multi-colored tapestry of practices is a return to a state of interconnectedness where the individual gains self-realisation through attuning and merging with a creative source of awareness - diversely named as Brahman, God, Great Spirit, Self, Higher Consciousness etc.
The word "religion" comes from Latin re-ligare - to join together and the word yoga means to connect or unite, so through spiritual practice the individual is able to meditate and self-medicate (both coming from the root med - to measure) on its relationship to all that is. The sacred mantrams of many traditions invite the self back into remembrance of its divinity- including Tat Tvam Asi (Hindu - I am Thou) Ehyer Esher Ehyer (I am that I am Judaism) or Ong So Hung (I am Infinity - Sikh).
The self, when re-connected to the great field of awareness, becomes able to fulfill its creative potential and encourage growth in others, for as the realisation comes that 'Everything is God' (Upanishads) the other becomes an object of love and reverence.
Scientific and Political Articulations of Interconnectedness
This understanding is reflected by quantum physicists like David Bohm, who describes every entity as a hologram of the whole cosmos, containing within it the patterning of the whole: "We say that inseparable quantum interconnectedness of the whole universe is the fundamental reality, and that relatively independent behaving parts are merely particular and contingent forms within this whole." (On the Intuitive Understanding of Nonlocality as Implied by Quantum Theory, Foundations of Physics, vol 5, 1975.)
It is also articulated by political leaders like Barack Obama whose recent speech at Cairo University in Egypt included excerpts from the Torah, Bible and Koran: "Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; our progress must be shared."
A Politics of Peace
The acknowledgment that every living being is a precious manifestation of creative divinity within an interconnected field of awareness gives a platform for humankind to enter into loving and compassionate relationship with each other where difference can be honored, tolerated and respected in a shared mutual endeavour to grow and learn together. It forms the basis of a politics of peace.
Sources:
- Chief Seattle -1854 Speech as published in the Seattle Sunday Star October 29, 1887.
- Jean-Paul Satre - Anti-Semite and Jew, Notebooks.
- The Upanishads.
- David Bohm - On the Intuitive Understanding of Nonlocality as Implied by Quantum Theory, Foundations of Physics, vol 5, 1975.
- Barack Obama - Speech at Cairo University in Egypt.
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