By Andy Ramsay
Humanity is either on the brink of catastrophic annihilation or a whole new paradigm, a New Earth. Never before have we been faced with such seemingly insurmountable odds as we are at present. The complexities of the modern industrial/information era have impacted our planet’s delicate ecosystem to such a degree that we’re seeing global warming and mass extinctions, unlike anything that’s occurred in thousands of years.
The systems that served us so well in the past don’t seem to be working anymore. In our hour of need, what can we do individually to address the growing concerns that face humanity so our children can live long enough to see their grandchildren? What can we do as a community that will ensure we not only survive to the next century and beyond but absolutely thrive as global culture in celebration of the magnificence of this thing we call Humanity and this experience we call Life?
It might be harsh, but also fair to say, that the one biggest contributing factor in the moral decline of humanity and the destruction of the planet is the same factor that would cause us to deny there is a problem in the first place.
So what is this factor?
The one undeniable factor in the cause of our destruction is the belief that we are a thinking mind that is separate from the external world.
In other words, the biggest problem on the planet right now is your mind!
But before we start pointing fingers, I’d like to also add the good news.
The good news is that the biggest opportunity for the creation of a new paradigm and a new Earth is You!
Forget yourself
People who have had near-death experiences report an overwhelming experience of inner peace, expansion, and freedom. At that moment when they realized they were no longer ruled by their mind of fears and concerns, they were free to simply “Be”. Many of these people’s lives were radically altered after these experiences because they realized something vitally important in their lives was missing. They realized the sublime state of simply “Being”.
In this state of “Being” an individual experience a much deeper state of conscious awareness than they would in normal everyday waking life.
We’re all familiar with the term Human Being, but most of us haven’t stopped to consider what this term really means and represents. Considering the real meaning of the word “human” could be quite a challenge, and yet there’s something about the word “Being” that most of us know has a profound significance, if only we grasped the simple reality of it.
So what is Being, and how important is it for us to understand it?
“Being” is the aspect of the human spirit that’s eternally connected to the present moment of Life.
It is “felt” internally as the “hum” of life within the body. Being is literally the Life within your body, the Life that is You. It’s the same life that allows you to be conscious and aware of yourself, your mind, your emotions, and all of the experiences in your life.
“Being” is what the animal kingdom lives from. They don’t rely so much on a conscious mind that thinks first before the body responds. If animals were to think first in the moment of an attack it’s obvious what would happen, lack of instinct, lack of response time, and therefore possible death. An animal simply can’t rely on the mind to fulfill its natural instinct; the mind is too slow and gets in the way.
So where does that leave us? We rely so heavily on our conscious mind and the information it sends us. But we can see by this example when we rely “too much” on the information from our mind we lose touch with our natural instinct and therefore our connection to nature and other living beings is compromised.
Another word for instinct that’s often used is the word intuition. By relying so much on thinking we have lost touch with our natural ability to intuit any situation. In other words, we have lost our ability to really connect with the intelligence of the body, the planet, and the universe.
We can see the effect of this nonintuitive, mechanistic and separatist behavior on the decline of our ecosystems and the wars we fight with our enemies in the external, “separate” world.
So who’s doing the thinking?
So who’s the thinker and where’s it located? Surely this should be easy considering we spend most of our waking lives interacting with it. And yet nobody has EVER found it, or even located the source of this “thinker”. We’ve mapped the brain and discovered how thoughts appear as electrical impulses.
We’ve discovered how different areas of the brain relate to different functions of the nervous system and even the influence on emotions. But we still have no idea where the “thinker” resides.
So it begs the question, if we can’t find it anywhere, then does it even exist?
Until we discover the source of the thinker, then maybe we can assume that if we haven’t found it yet, then maybe, just maybe, it’s not that important.
So let’s focus on something that can actually be of great benefit to us.
The Observer
We’ve become so accustomed to thinking that most of us consider thinking to be our only sense of identity. With only a small amount of introspective awareness, however, we can see that there must be an observer of thinking. For us to know that we’re thinking at any moment requires that we’re observing thinking taking place. Who is the observer and what’s required to get in touch with it?
The observer is the real you. The observer is prior to identity. It’s the spaciousness in which your body and your mind exist. It’s pure awareness without a judging or critical mind. The observer is always present and here in the eternal moment. It is You in your most sublime and peaceful state of Being. It’s what you are seeking as you look outside for freedom and salvation.
Your ego is the thinker. And yet it’s nowhere to be found. Isn’t that paradoxical?
Your ego is unable to be the observer. Your ego is confined to the realm of thought and emotion. It can’t separate itself from this realm. That’s why it’s so destructive when left unchecked. Because the ego has no “Being” of itself, it doesn’t know oneness and it’s out of touch with life and separate from all others. That’s where the destruction of the planet occurs. The sole cause of the destruction on the planet is because we have mistaken ourselves as the ego and the ego is separate from the One Living Being and not in touch with life.
The Solution
Your Ego identity must begin to dissolve for the planet to survive. Who else is going to take responsibility for the mindless destruction of the planet if not you? Who will make the choice to simply no longer “believe” the incessant ramblings of the mind and start to put their faith in greater awareness, the awareness of Being, the awareness from which all universal wisdom and unified intelligence reside?
The awareness of your being is needed now more than ever. Your gifts and talents, your caring and empathy, your strength and courage. Your wisdom is what is needed right now. When wisdom is coupled with strategies and plans for the future of humanity, then we have a much more holistic and responsible approach to the future.
Simply one more person taking responsibility for their destructive thoughts, words, and actions is enough to make a massive difference to the future of humanity and this planet.
So how does one person make a difference? What can you do to change the world?
End all suffering within yourself and you’ll contribute to the end of all suffering on the planet.
So how do you do that?
Well, that’s the topic of the next article…
In the meantime take action now and complete the following enlightening practice.
Try this Now
Start to listen to your mind, really listen, and notice how repetitive and crazy it really is. Notice the craziness, just notice, witness. Then notice the space between your thoughts. See if you can open up that space. Appreciate the space. Start to notice that you’re aware of your incessant thoughts and yet also be aware of the space in the same moment. Be OK with the crazy mind, allow it to just ramble on. Then be aware of the space between the thoughts, enjoy it, access the peace which resides here, and trust that all is OK in your world.