Some people have wondered why I bother engaging some views that I find unhelpful or unhealthy when the people that hold these views seem so contracted in them and unwilling to dialogue. Why do I bother getting into discussions and arguments with people who quite clearly disagree with what I am saying or how I am saying it? I am actually grateful for these questions that some concerned friends have kindly voiced to me in messages and emails. They have caused me to ask myself these questions and try to get at what is really motivating me to say what I do, what is motivating me to engage the various people I encounter, especially on facebook. And after having done some personal reflection and introspection concerning this question, I would like to say here that I do not really engage such discussion for the sake of the ones making it so much as for the sake of the seekers who are perhaps inadvertently exposed to it and listening to the discussion. I guess it is no surprise to any of you that my sense is that there are some understandings that are quite prevalent in the Non-Dual spiritual scene that lean very heavily toward a complete dismissal of the relative phenomenal world as illusory and not real on any level whatsoever. This of course would include the human body, the planet, environmentalism, politics, human society, problems like poverty and world hunger, animals and their rights, other human beings, human roles and functions such as fatherhood, motherhood, friendship , career, and many other things that really make up the lions share of any ordinary human life. This wholesale dismissal of all these things as basically illusory and unreal on any meaningful level, is IMO representing a rather simplistic philosophical nihilism, no matter how you slice it. And such a view of reality does not lead to liberation and peace as it proposes but to meaninglessness and despair and apathy. If you doubt this you can simply look at history and see examples of the trickle down effect such a philosophy of life has had in societies and cultures where it became prevalent. It is one thing to understand and directly intuit that there is an absolute, unchanging and eternal reality that transcends the relative passing realities that make up the whole phenomenal world. I always have recognized the need for such a clear seeing of the transcendent aspect of reality. Without such a clear vision of the absolute it is virtually impossible to move through the relative world with any skill or perspective. That being said, it is an entirely different matter to dismiss the relative, phenomenal world and all that is included in it as entirely illusory and as inconsequential. This is basically saying or at least very strongly implying, that our whole human existence has no meaning at all and can be ignored without any real consequence. Sometimes we just have to stand up as human beings and say, No, sorry, but I do not agree with that viewpoint and I find it unhealthy. This may mean rocking the boat sometimes and going against the grain of some people and some prevalent views. That of course is never an easy or pleasant thing to do. But what if no one ever did this in other areas like the right of everyone to marry who they want, civil and racial rights, equality for women? Our world would be a much heavier and oppressive place to live in if this dynamic that inspires some people to speak out were lacking, wouldnt it? If I do not speak out against such a nihilistic spiritual world view, I would be tacitly agreeing with it and so by omission, would be leading people toward a philosophy of nihilism, meaninglessness and despair. And I just cant quite allow myself to do this in conscience. Does that make some sense? This question is the big purple and pink poke-a -dotted elephant sitting at the board room table that no one wants to talk about! I do not intend to be a trouble maker here, I just feel that I have to state clearly what I see to be the truth of life and living and human wholeness. And sometimes that can mean stating clearly what I do not hold to be helpful or true as much as stating what I find to be so.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 23:49:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015