Friday, July 27, 2012

Man's great body

"The Vedic cosmological experience is not mainly temporal or spatial, as if Man were thrown into a limitless temporal or spatial sea, he himself being of different material and capable of witnessing what was happening. It is a prolongation of the experience of Man himself. The worlds are not empty places devoid of Men: they are Man's great body, the real theater where his existence unfolds. " (Raimundo Panikkar, The Vedic Experience)

At one time we humans were aware of our "great body," but over time our awareness has shrunk until many, maybe most, of us seem to believe that we are isolated particles in an alien universe. We wail and yowl and look to find our place in the order of things. We look to "make" a living rather than "be" a living. Money is our god and our religion is the constant seeking of pleasure and security.

The Vedic scriptures (as well as other cosmological stories) tell us there is a larger rhythm in this falling away from awareness. It is the rhythm of birth, death (sacrifice) and resurrection. Humanity follows this cycle. (There have been many humanities before this current one.)

Many say this humanity of which we are a part is in its death phase. Others say that is fine; it means resurrection is near: the resurrection of fresh new awareness that we are the cosmos, that we are the cosmos embodying.

As the human society is built upon this understanding, this knowing that each of us is a cosmic citizen, we will shed our clothing of death, of mistrust, violence, and despair. This transformation is happening now. Many of us are awakening to this anciently new knowledge.