We're all Interconnected

Today during my morning meditation, the inner voice pointed out that we are all interconnected with each other and to all the elements of the world, universe, solar system. That would include the song birds and the green trees, the warm sunshine and the azure blue sky. And to one another. It became crystal clear to me at that moment this morning that it's not about us as individuals and our individual needs, it's about our part, or role in an inter-connected society of other beings. It's not about how events affect us individually, it's about how events affects others and the web of connectedness we share with one another. It's about working together in a spirit of cooperation with one another, both on an individual, societal and global levels.

It's not about the slow driver in front of us on the road, preventing us from getting where we want to go in a timely matter. That slow driver has wants and needs, too. Maybe that driver is old or infirm and cannot drive well. We are a community of drivers on the road, all trying to transport our bodies from point A to point B in order to fulfill our work and purpose in this life. It's not about our needs as individuals. It's about the our collective needs as a group, a society, and our individual part to play to fulfill the societal roles and goals.

The Dalai Lama's quote for Jan 12 discusses the issue that though a society may achieve a certain level of material wealth, it is the "mental development" that is important, "the internal attitude of the people that comprise it". (see The Path to Tranquility, Daily Wisdom).

I have long felt that our society is in its' decay, and that globally we are not developed enough as individuals to achieve lasting peace with one another or any hope of a Utopian society within the next several centuries. I remember becoming aware of this fact after watching "The Interpreter" several years ago. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Interpreter)

For global peace to occur, each of us as individuals must find peace within ourselves and with our neighbors. The discord we have with one another in our daily lives is amplified on a global level to cause war and strife. War is nations unable to work out grievances with one another, just as individuals fight with one another. Global peace begins within each of us as individuals.

When we are not at peace, disease (dis-ease) occurs. Chinese medicine sees the 7 emotions as a cause of physical disease in the body. The 7 emotions cause qi stagnation & heat accumulation (anger, grief, sadness, worry), which then cause disease processes to occur in the body; eg., stress related disorders [hypertension] or fibromyalgia.

I have personally found that a regular meditation and yoga practice (or qi gong & tai qi) to be useful in achieving inner peace (i don't claim to be there all the time, but I have seen tangible progress). For me, 30 minutes daily of seated meditation keeps me well oiled and functioning at peak performance. I have often wondered what the world would be like if all of our global leaders meditated. hmm. What if the CEO's did, too? KB