And the simple, but not so easy, solution
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
We as humans all have different cultural, socio-economic, and environmental backgrounds that tend to divide us. There are also many other should-be trivial things that separate us as a united people, such as; religion, race, gender, sexual preference, nationalism, profession, political affiliation, history, education, age, style, musical taste…the list goes on and on. None of these things really make us different from one another. Rather, the perceived differences between us are merely distinct qualities that make each of us an integral piece of the same puzzle. They are all just different facets of the same thing: a unique, diverse body of human beings.
For example, I have two ears on my head. Although they closely resemble each other, they are not identical. Yet they are both my ears and are still a part of my one body. And my one body would not be whole without both of them.
As long as we remain separated from each other we are nothing more than scattered puzzle pieces on the table of life; we are one body of people detached from itself. Only when we bring these pieces together, will we have an intact and complete work of natural art. We are all, each one of us, just individual members of the whole body of humanity.
Why then, do we seem to live in a society that spends so much time attempting to prove that we are so different from one another? Why does it seem so important to so many people to announce and parade their individuality in extreme ways? Why are there so many groups of people fighting to prove that they are right and everyone else is wrong? Why do so many people seem to be hellbent on the destruction of other human beings and their way of life, in one form or another?
Whether it be the thrill and escape that comes from abusing drugs, alcohol, money, violence, success, people, gambling, sports, material possessions, food, attention, or any other external stimuli; the majority of people in the world seem to be chasing something that constantly evades them. We live in a consumer culture where more never seems to be enough. We have all been duped into believing that what we are searching for will come in the next big purchase, the next promotion, the next high, and so on. Just like I could never receive enough love from others until I learned to love myself; we as a society will never receive enough until we collectively realize that we are already enough. The absence of this realization has created ideological cancer among us.
Dictionary.com defines cancer as – a. a malignant and invasive growth or tumor, especially one originating in epithelium, tending to recur after excision and to metastasize to other sites. b. any disease characterized by such growths. 2. any evil condition or thing that spreads destructively; blight.
This disease has a devastating effect on the human body. It attacks one part of the body and then rapidly spreads to the rest of its members; destroying everything in its path. Once again, we as human beings make up a universal body of people. This combined human body is suffering from widespread disillusion and dis-ease. The collective conscience of humanity has become deeply infected by malignant psychological and spiritual cancer. We have somehow arrived at the deluded belief that we are separate from one another. This idea alone is the insidious infection that is eating us from the inside out.
I truly believe that each one of us holds the potential to access a limitless amount of forgotten sacred power within the very core of our being. Our thoughts and words alone possess the capacity to create and destroy beyond the comprehension of most in our present form. We have somehow lost our way and forgotten our true identity and purpose over the millennia. We have been malignly coerced and deceived into breaking apart from that which makes us whole; taught to segregate from and struggle against our true nature of unity and oneness.
But who is responsible for this malevolent web of illusion and trickery that has baffled our minds and caused us to forget our rightful heir to the throne of inner fulfillment? Society and its leaders are responsible for our gross displacement and mass confusion, right? But aren’t we society? Was it not our ancestral society who chose somewhere in the distant past to break away from one another and war against each other; to set up hierarchies and caste systems that deem some worthy and others unbefitting of all the spectacular glory and wonder that this universe has to offer?
We seem to have collectively lost our way, and each of us is responsible for awakening from our individual self-induced slumber. We must begin to seek inside of ourselves what we have been searching for outside ourselves, come together as one and set things right, if we hope to survive. Although we are caught in a struggle against ourselves, we hold the key to our own restraints. We, humans, are still very capable of freeing ourselves from the shackles of our minds and harnessing the ever-burning flame of righteousness within us.
Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky. — Sonia Gandhi
Once we fully surrender to the falsehood of the idea that we have any power or control outside of ourselves; we become acutely aware of the powerful force locked deep within us. Only when we are willing to make this complete and whole-hearted change will we be capable of using this newfound awareness to break through the walls of ignorance and suppression that have built up over many centuries. We each hold this power within us, yet it pales in comparison to the power available when we come together in unison. Through mutual love, acceptance, and understanding we can unite shoulder to shoulder, in solidarity and freedom. Individually you and I are powerful, but together we are an unstoppable force.
Featured image by Alex Young on Unsplash
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