Zen Buddhism is full of stories about practitioners staring death in the face in order to cut through their mental habits and force a direct confrontation with the fundamental matter. Monks doing zazen on a cliff's edge to keep themselves alert, rōshis telling frustrated students to kill themselves if they cannot achieve satori by next sunrise, students taking death vows if they fail to awaken within a given period of time, etc.
So, I agree that there needs to be a mass awakening, in fact I’ve said this for a very long time. There are many things as you said that lull us to sleep, some are rooted in religious belief which perpetuates this skepticism of science. Another being propaganda, as you also stated. People are accustomed to having “leaders” figure out what they should or shouldn’t do, and “they’ll figure it out.” Never thinking that maybe...possibly they won’t. I agree with basically all you wrote, but that mass awakening has to be coupled with mass direct action. Eventually, when the climate crisis is in full swing, there will be famine, and violence would be soon to follow, it’s a natural course of frustration. There will also be the racists and xenophobes who will become extreme against climate refugees. And that’s the opposite of what will be needed. I don’t know what the end game is for the rich and powerful, it’s senseless. Unless they have already created an escape route that helps them to escape all the oncoming horrors. Nukes and climate change, extremism and anti-intellectualism...it’s all a bad mix. Rational thinking and quick decisive action is needed in times like that, and it just appears so hopeless. So many are dumbed down and want someone else to do the work. We cannot win that way.
You wrote: "Will we pop? Will we wake up? I don't know; we either will or we won't. But for the moment I can't help but stare in awe of humanity's crazy wisdom for getting itself into this mess."
I would suggest humanity will go a third direction: when the climate holocaust arrives, humanity will slog its way into the new reality, with a greatly reduced population, such as possibly a few hundred thousand-but certainly not enough humans to preserve current technological society-living as hunter-gatherers and farmers in places that remain cool enough: the Arctic and Antarctic regions. I tell myself Earth's ecosystems can then evolve quickly enough to preserve some lifeforms after the warming.
As a former student of Zen I find this comparison wonderfully apt. Recall the monk chased over a cliff by tigers who grabs a vine and holds on only to see tigers below as well. From the vine grows a strawberry; he tastes it and says, how sweet. Of course, a last minute Federation beats the Borg resolution would be wonderful but in the world of non-duality the choice is moot. If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you in the next one and don't be late sang Jimi H. In the meantime enjoy the strawberry. I also appreciate Granma's comment, recalling to me Dr. Hew Len's healing of the inmates of a criminally insane ward in Hawaii via Hooponopono. No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it; Einstein. Regardless of philosophy and metaphysics, thank you for your posts, they are needed.
What if the awakening were among those who wish to rule us, enslave us? What if the source of those lies became a source of truth? They are an extremely small number and even a few key figures such as Klaus and Bill (is Klaus an alien?) would shift the axis. So what if 10min a day we sat quietly (or stood or lay) and sent them healing energy? These are frightened, anxious people, you can be certain. We send energy so that they may know peace. 10 min/day. It's worth it, no? Thank you, Caitlin. May you be free of fear and know the Truth. Love, Granma
So, I agree that there needs to be a mass awakening, in fact I’ve said this for a very long time. There are many things as you said that lull us to sleep, some are rooted in religious belief which perpetuates this skepticism of science. Another being propaganda, as you also stated. People are accustomed to having “leaders” figure out what they should or shouldn’t do, and “they’ll figure it out.” Never thinking that maybe...possibly they won’t. I agree with basically all you wrote, but that mass awakening has to be coupled with mass direct action. Eventually, when the climate crisis is in full swing, there will be famine, and violence would be soon to follow, it’s a natural course of frustration. There will also be the racists and xenophobes who will become extreme against climate refugees. And that’s the opposite of what will be needed. I don’t know what the end game is for the rich and powerful, it’s senseless. Unless they have already created an escape route that helps them to escape all the oncoming horrors. Nukes and climate change, extremism and anti-intellectualism...it’s all a bad mix. Rational thinking and quick decisive action is needed in times like that, and it just appears so hopeless. So many are dumbed down and want someone else to do the work. We cannot win that way.
You wrote: "Will we pop? Will we wake up? I don't know; we either will or we won't. But for the moment I can't help but stare in awe of humanity's crazy wisdom for getting itself into this mess."
I would suggest humanity will go a third direction: when the climate holocaust arrives, humanity will slog its way into the new reality, with a greatly reduced population, such as possibly a few hundred thousand-but certainly not enough humans to preserve current technological society-living as hunter-gatherers and farmers in places that remain cool enough: the Arctic and Antarctic regions. I tell myself Earth's ecosystems can then evolve quickly enough to preserve some lifeforms after the warming.
As a former student of Zen I find this comparison wonderfully apt. Recall the monk chased over a cliff by tigers who grabs a vine and holds on only to see tigers below as well. From the vine grows a strawberry; he tastes it and says, how sweet. Of course, a last minute Federation beats the Borg resolution would be wonderful but in the world of non-duality the choice is moot. If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you in the next one and don't be late sang Jimi H. In the meantime enjoy the strawberry. I also appreciate Granma's comment, recalling to me Dr. Hew Len's healing of the inmates of a criminally insane ward in Hawaii via Hooponopono. No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it; Einstein. Regardless of philosophy and metaphysics, thank you for your posts, they are needed.
What if the awakening were among those who wish to rule us, enslave us? What if the source of those lies became a source of truth? They are an extremely small number and even a few key figures such as Klaus and Bill (is Klaus an alien?) would shift the axis. So what if 10min a day we sat quietly (or stood or lay) and sent them healing energy? These are frightened, anxious people, you can be certain. We send energy so that they may know peace. 10 min/day. It's worth it, no? Thank you, Caitlin. May you be free of fear and know the Truth. Love, Granma
Well done girl, you express so well what I am feeling too.