On a planetary level, in a dog-eat-dog world, individuals and nations compete for limited resources and goods because the more you get the more you have. If such individuals and nations are like cells and organs in a living body, this would be like having cancer.
However, in a world where all individuals and nations are considered part of the family, the more individuals and nations cooperate, share, and give--the more they have. This would compare to a healthy living body.
On a personal level, the most counterintuitive, beautiful irony is that with the habit of having calm and detached awareness, non-judgment, and unconditional acceptance of all our thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, spoken words, and actions, in every here-and-now moment--we can gain insight and discover more and more of our true Self, which is, lo and behold, identical to the all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, infinite God that created the universe. Though it may be camouflaged by many layers of egotism and unconsciousness, that spark of divinity is ever-present within us and in all things.
Yogis, swamis, Vedantists, Christian mystics, transpersonal psychologists, and others think and believe this way, and it is referred to as the perennial philosophy or ageless wisdom. Through the discipline of meditation and selfless love, they can achieve high levels of self-actualization. But if God, the Absolute, or the Universe--whatever you want to call it--is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful, why is it, that he, she, or it is always so silent, hidden, and seemingly nonexistent when there is tragedy? How could a loving and knowing God allow hunger, poverty, and disease to exist that is largely caused by the enormous discrepancy between the rich and the poor? For whatever reason, we seem to be on our own.
When individuals awaken and attain a state of Oneness, they transcend all duality, and they claim that the ordinary world that most of us usually inhabit is all maya, or like a dream that is less real in comparison to the transcendent state of Oneness.
Through the powers of logic, reason, and empirical science, much has been learned and amazing discoveries have made our lives more comfortable, yet the world and planet are in disarray. If we are so smart and advanced, then why haven't we learned how to live together in peace? Perhaps the next stage in our evolution requires making a paradigm shift that gradually allows more and more of us to transcend the ego, or selfishness, and become more loving, joyful, and cooperative.
If enough people can wake up and prevent nuclear holocaust and reverse the vast economic disparity, we can collectively provide the healing that the world and planet need. Perhaps there will always be an element of paradox and mystery in life, but we will never live fulfilling lives until we learn to love and care for others, as we love and care for ourselves.
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