If you have followed this blog recently, especially in light of my extremely infrequent posting schedule, first, congratulations on your patience and thanks. Second, in light of my focus of late on more interior concerns than that of the body, you may have noticed that I’m defining health and wellness much more broadly these days.
For the last decade or so, I’ve been studying spiritual disciplines, philosophies and writings whose common underpinnings seem to be the illusory nature of the physical world and the simple but powerful assertion that the one true end to suffering is the radical acceptance of “what is”, or, simply, forgiveness.
The first concept may seem ridiculous since our senses quite clearly support the existence of a material universe. But the most sophisticated and respected areas of science seem to eerily parallel this idea. Quantum physics and quantum mechanics both postulate that what we hold to be true, in a practical sense (solid matter is truly solid and physical characteristics are constant and observable as such), is basically not the case. And if at each deeper level of observation (object, material, molecule, atom, sub-atomic particle) one can observe nearly 100% open space, that blows the idea that if you can see it and touch it, it must be real. So, now if nothing in our world holds constant or has predictable behavior, and the vast majority of it is just empty space anyway, then for all practical purposes, this whole drama is just a big dream.
I also understand the reluctance to embrace the idea of unconditional forgiveness. It seems weak, stupid or both to eschew moral outrage and associated responses in certain cases. But neither acceptance nor forgiveness precludes appropriate course correction or remedial action. If injustice occurs, it must be addressed. Emotional charge can be an effective catalyst for change but all that’s really required for right action is good judgment, courage and conviction. But revenge, retribution, and escalation has a pretty dismal track record in both the areas of group dynamics and individual relationships.
So I woke up this morning, as I do most mornings, with a mix of commitment to these ideals and predictable difficulty applying them in my daily life (the paradox of duality and separation). And I became that someone I care for is currently hurting in a deep and profound way. So I found this link that I thought would be helpful, intending it for her.
After I watched it, feeling the way I’d hoped she’d feel (at least a little bit), I realized that it’s for me. It’s for her. It’s for all of us.
If we want it.
