"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Those are the famous words of John Donne.
In terms of the question of "the wholeness of things," this passage raises in my mind a question: in what ways are we talking about the nature of reality and in what ways about how we "should" relate to reality, and what is the relationship between that "is" and that "ought"?
To put it another way: is it really "true" that when the bell tolls, it tolls for me, or is that just a commendable way for me to "feel" about the tolling of the bell for someone else?
It seems "factual" that "If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less..." In what ways is it also factual that I am "diminished" by any man's death? When he says that he is "involved in mankind," does he mean that he has a feeling of involvement? Or is he --and every other human being-- "involved in mankind" whether he wants to be or not, whether he knows he is or not?
And to the extent that we are talking about our feelings of involvement and connection, about whether we choose to feel a wholeness and connection with our fellow human beings, what status should we give that way of being in terms of our understanding of the nature of things, and of the meaning of "Seeing Things Whole"?
Andrew Bard Schmookler's website www.nonesoblind.org is devoted to understanding the roots of America's present moral crisis and the means by which the urgent challenge of this dangerous moment can be met. Dr. Schmookler is also the author of such books as The Parable of the Tribes: The Problem of Power in Social Evolution (SUNY Press) and Debating the Good Society: A Quest to Bridge America's Moral Divide (M.I.T. Press). He also conducts regular talk-radio conversations in both red and blue states.
"... some 'natural' disasters are really the indirect result of man's greed, carelessness, iniquity, and even negative emotions, because this world and all life on this planet are one interdependent ecosystem. When significant parts of it are badly damaged or in disharmony or out of balance, or there is widespread human pain or suffering, it causes many different kinds of harmful effects on, around and within this planet. It is as if our whole world is like us, and when our body, mind and spirit-soul are not in harmony and well, we are troubled and suffer in certain ways."
Those words were written by an author who also wrote this:
"It is now time to understand that a Christ, like an Avatar and other enlightened ones, can speak as the Holy One, but they do so for the Holy One within and above us all. It was in that role that Jesus may have said some things that have been misunderstood. And it was in that role that the great Indian Guru and Siddha, Meher Baba, said: 'I am the Ancient One. I am the One so many seek and so few find. For no amount of intellect can fathom me. No amount of austerity can attain me. Only when one loves me and loses one’’s self in me, am I found.'"
"That is such a profound truth. Those words communicated by Meher Baba, like some of the words attributed to the Christ Jesus, are what the Holy One would say if the Holy One were a person. And they are words that the Holy One did say and does say through a Christ or an Avatar or other genuine servant-representative of God, being one who is fully enlightened and has been blessed with divine self-realization and knowledge that they are one with God and one with humanity."
"Remember, the Christ Jesus said: 'For I was hungry, but you gave me no food. I was thirsty, but you gave me no drink. I was a stranger, but you did not take me in. I was naked, but you did not clothe me. I was sick, and in prison, but you id not visit me. Then they shall ask him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not care about you?' And Jesus gave the answer when he said, 'As you do unto the least of our brethren, so you do unto me.'"
Those quotes were written by the author of this web site:
Every human being alive today is related through common biological ancestors with every other human being. We are, in fact, one large extended family. Every individual death is the death of a family member. The survival of the human family is not itself guaranteed.
by
Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 21 diaries, 961 comments)
on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 6:08:28 PM
That's why I posted the first comment on this thread.
However, while the future of humanity may not be "guaranteed," as you say, many prophetic traditions foretell a time when this political-economic system will be replaced by one that provides equality, fairness and justice for all.
The author I quoted in my first comment explains on is web site how and why that will happen according to the prophecies of most religions. And he also suggests in his writings that it would happen anyway, regardless of any religion, because it is what the vast majority of humanity wants to happen. Most of us want our governments to ensure equality, peace, tranquility, and prosperity for all.
"many prophetic traditions foretell a time when this political-economic system will be replaced by one that provides equality, fairness and justice for all."
I can agree with that prophecy to this extent: it would be a fulfillment of the thrust of the evolution of life to achieve such an outcome, and it is our task in this world to lend our energies to at least move the world toward that ideal. If it happens, it will be because the Force of Wholeness (whatever that is) leads life to create synergies and harmonies and mutualities wherever it can, even as it is also must deal with the incompleteness of the Whole and with the possibilities for failure.
So life created Gaia, which is an immense work of cooperation among living things, even as those living things were also eating each other, infesting each other. And so now we as humankind, and as the experimental leading fringe of the unfolding of life on earth, are faced with the challenge to create a human order that creates synergies and not only preserves but develops living systems, just as with the order we came from.
And the idea of a human order in which the "political-economic system will be replaced by one that provides equality, fairness and justice for all" seems an apt way of describing what we human beings are called upon --by the Force of Wholeness, by the ideal of Wholeness, by the love of wholeness, by the need of the living systems on the earth for us to get our act together-- to create.
by
Andrew Bard Schmookler (297 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 140 comments)
on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 4:38:50 PM
