Completely independently, many indigenous groups developed concepts of a fundamental ‘spiritual force’ which they perceived as pervading the whole of reality.
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As these peoples perceived it, this force is not a personal being such as a deity, who watches over the world and requires human beings to worship it. It is usually seen as an all-pervading force or power, with no gender or personality
Yes, I think this is pointing along the right path. Reality as a whole is somehow infused with awareness, and indeed a manifestation of awareness? And all things, all events, everything that has been, everything that will be, is infused with ultimate meaning. A meaning that eludes us in our daily day to day existence, but whose existence might be very briefly glimpsed with peak experiences and mystical experiences. Jus' thinking aloud.
Great post, Ian. I would add, here is a very helpful exercise to get more insight into what Taylor (the author of the article you linked to) is saying.
ReplyDeleteClose your eyes.
Visualize a flame.
Note two aspects of the experience - the flame (the object) and the awareness of the flame (the subject).
now, erase the flame.
Stay centered in the awareness that remains.
Now, open your eyes, staying centered in Awareness ("Chit" in Sanskrit).
Note that Awareness encompasses all phenomena.
There is no reason to assume that the phenomena (the purely objective aspect of experience) exist independently of Awareness.
This assumption does not necessarily change any aspect of current science. It should, but it doesn't necessarily do so.
How would it change things if one desired to do science differently?
One would start with Awareness, and discover the vast, almost limitless process of "stepping down" which occurs as Awareness manifests the various phenomena we take to be "objects" independently existing in physical space time.
Having taking our stance as Awareness, it would then be possible to eliminate physical technology and directly shape the phenomena by means of the various "stepping down" 'levels' (or whatever you want to call them - planes, structures, etc).
Fortunately, I believe this will not be possible as long as we are ruled by our drives of aggression and fear. This is not just "goody goody" morality, but an aspect of how the universe of Awareness is structured. Aggression and fear last as long as we take ourselves to be this "little me." Fundamental knowledge of Awareness is impossible as long as we take ourselves to be this "little me."
Once this identification is dissolved, Awareness is known directly. Then all else flows naturally, spontaneously, organically, with infinite ease, joy, love and peace.