Crashing Into The Theory of One

The pairs of opposites keep us in an illusion and make us think, 'This is this, and that is that'. At the same time by throwing a greater light upon things we shall find in the end that they are quite different from what we had thought. Seeing the nature and character of life, the Sufi says that it is not very important to distinguish between two opposites. What is most important is to recognize that One which is hiding behind it all. Naturally after realizing life the Sufi climbs the ladder which leads him to unity, to the idea of unity which comes through the synthesis of life, by seeing One in all things, in all beings. Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

I know I'm late checking out this movie, but having seen it I feel as if I could write about it, talk about it, debate about it for hours and hours. Okay, so what does Crash have to do with the Sufi belief expressed above?

From my perspective, the most interesting position of the movie was that judgment, in all its many forms cuts many ways. At first glance there are clearly racist and ignorant people running rampant in this world. And I know that's no surprise to anyone. But look a little closer, because those same bullies and villains are full of compassion, understanding, helplessness, disillusionment, Love and all of the other emotions that make us human.

What is good and what is bad changes when we change our vantage point. Judge not lest ye be judged, comes to mind. How can any of us know the why of another's actions? I think of the number of times I have done things and not understood the why of them until months or years later.

If the path of our Soul can be hidden from us until the time of our individual understanding, it can only be arrogance that has us believing we know the Soul of another.

Je m'accuse! I am guilty of the offense as charged. And so we come to another essential question. How do we remember, honor and make room for the path of our fellow beings? We live in a world where duality appears to rule. You bring me pain, but I want pleasure. I do the unexpected and you label it 'bad', I behave as you wish and you label me 'good'. I hate you and yet what I want is to Love you. We bounce between these poles and believe this is Life. And when we're not bouncing we're stuck and waiting for the next 'good' thing to happen or working to avoid the next 'bad' thing.

I'm starting to believe that Life is more than the trip between opposites, more than the shades of gray we seem to find around every corner. I am asking myself to look around behind the thing in front of me and see the One. What is there that I cannot see? What is the essential answer that makes pain or pleasure meaningless, right or wrong irrelevant, Life or death illusion?

There is only One that can do that when given our attention. That Everything that has many names, none of them complete. It is the All of Life, beyond our ability to conceive until we reach past duality, and then we can sense only the barest inkling. To get there I think I have to be open to the reality that is right in front of me. Open to the people I Love and the people I say I can't Love. I struggle with that, because it FEELS like some people are more worthy than others. Because some people bring out in me what feels 'good' (and oh, how I Love to Love them) and others bring out the parts of me that are challenged and challenging - so I feel 'bad' (working day and night not to hate them).

What's a being to do? I circle round on this planet, through the cycles of seasons, lessons, births and losses. I try to remember that I am - I try to remember that I AM! To honor this Life as the living representation of its Creator. And here, at the mid-point of my Life, I am learning to remember that you too, are the living representation of my Creator; along with everything else of energy and matter. Here, at the mid-point, I've come crashing into the theory of One.

What The Bleep

What The Bleep Do We Know

Being a parent means coming up with the answers - how to figure percentages, solve algebraic equations, even deciding what's for dinner. It's a part of the job. But what do we do with the really tough questions? Questions like what's the purpose of Life, why I am here, why does it hurt sometimes, how can we ever really know each other, have we been here before and will we be back again.

They are the essential questions that I've asked myself, and doubtless you have too. These days I wonder if I will be able to articulate the stumbling answers I have found when the wonder I call Sky asks them. (You can see that I am ever hopeful that when she asks I'll be one of those folks that she turns to for help with the answers) I feel as if I am still searching for answers of my own. But if asked today here is what I might tell her:

We are here for Love. To give it and receive it, to expect it yet not demand it. We are here to give freely from our hearts, to join consciously with our Spirits, to share openly with our minds. When it hurts it's because we've forgotten why we're here, and if we hang in with that hurt (though not necessarily with the person who helped give rise to it) - we can remember what we have forgotten. That we are perfect creations in a perfect and orderly Universe which is ever expanding and unfolding. That much of what we think we know is only what we believe and each of us is as wrong as we are right. That our perceptions of time and space are mental tricks that we have a difficult time breaking out of.

But, sometimes we have miracles that overcome those false boundaries - miracles of night dreams and daydreams that bring messages; or when a book that holds some truth we need shouts at us in a bookstore or friends and strangers alike recommend it with no way of knowing how much we need that very book; or when a friend or relative we've been thinking of calls; or we get an idea to take a different route to work and find out we saved 2 hours in traffic because the usual way was backed up by an accident. You know what I'm talking about, maybe you call it coincidence. I call it Spirit and it speaks to us all the time.

There are so many markers on the road to our freedom, so many messages whispered to our souls, and we need to pay attention. The real tricky part is that my path is not yours - we're each on a very unique journey. And yet, we're all connected on the journey to One. It's a real mystery, full of seeming contradiction. But for each of us there are also things that we know are true. My one hope is that, for my young one, the path to truth holds as little pain as possible. A hope shared by many a Mom.

So what do you think of the essential questions?