My children, I cannot keep silent any longer. I must share with you some truths, wisdom, and secrets I discovered. I see you struggling with decisions in your lives now that you have entered adulthood. I agonize while watching you grope for answers, make mistakes and live with regrets. I know what you are feeling and going through. I’ve kept my words to myself because I realize you must experience the same growing process I did.

But these are more difficult times, so many challenges, issues and rapid changes. The pressures are enormous and from all directions. So many standards to live up to. So many ideals set before you: Be a success, the best. Have a gorgeous, number 10 body. Be a good lover and partner. Give your child the ideal childhood. Don’t litter, don’t waste energy, don’t endanger any species. Get in touch with your creative right brain and find the “real” you.

You question if you can do it all. You feel torn apart, in constant conflict. At times you are all mixed up, trying to keep up with the house payment, caring for elders, dealing with the wrong-doing of others, the ozone layer, and world conflicts. Your hormones rage at the sight of a co-worker; you would like to punch out your neighbor; your mate wants fantastic sex; your child has a fever of 103 degrees and won’t stop crying; and you pulsate with fear, rage and guilt at the same time.

My children, I have found the one element, the one pillar on which you can make your decisions - the light which can act as a marker, a beam guiding you along the way.

This one truth is the root of all behavior, customs, religions, laws and nation. It is the cause of all revolutions, miracles of healing, earthquakes, coupling and infidelity, the seasons, and personal adornment. It is the reason why birds sing, go south and nest; why stags kill one another; why snakes have venom; why rocks metamorphose; why humans make machinery; why seas swell; and why babies cry.

If you understand this one truth, children, you will understand yourself, others and the world: why you seek approval; why you are afraid to be alone; why you fall in love and why you smile; why you hate and fight; why you want more than you have; why others mock you, cheat you, and betray you. You will know the cause of mating, grouping, warring and worshipping.

And if you understand this truth, you will use it as the basis for all your choices, actions, goals and relationships. You will know what is the right thing to do, when to do it and why. And if you accept this insight, it will give you foundation, grounding for all your thoughts and behavior. It will give you conviction, clarity, power and purpose.

Your primary purpose is to live.  All else is secondary, only sidelines.  The one thing you are meant to do, the one mission for your existence – is survival.  Your mind, your body obeys one command:  live.  And not only to live, but to preserve, continue and perpetuate Life.

The rule is simple:  Base your decisions, goals, commitments, relationships, and efforts on Life.  Make choices that will confirm, secure, protect and perpetuate Life for the longest term.

Notice the words “for the longest term.”  This is where it gets complicated.  We begin to consider preserving life on a longer term basis.  We seek whatever leads us to safety, security and continuity for the longest period of time.  We try to access every means possible to increase the likelihood of sustaining life down the road – beyond this moment, this circumstance.  We make conditions more enduring not just for today, but for tomorrow, for generations, for centuries, for the longest term life. 

The certainty of our life increases at various levels of our participation.  When our needs at one level have been met and are no longer threatened, we move to the next level.  When we feel safe, we reach for assurances of life still longer term.  Each level offers us something more towards securing longer lasting life.  And moving to the next level increasingly ensures survival of the previous levels.

·        Foremost is our own individual life.  Our function here is to stay alive; to survive; to live and express life.

·        Secondly, is the life of your mate, loved one, spouse, partner, with whom you share life for mutual support.

·        We branch out to other groups looking for further support systems – our organizations, professions, community, and society at large.

·        On the state or nation level we seek a government that provides law and order as well as protection from outside enemies, invaders and exploiters.

·        On another level we have a drive toward survival of our species – protection of the human race against human predators, disease and disasters.

·        To ensure the species and all living things, we know we must be concerned with the environment of planet earth – our air, water and soil.

·        And even our planet is dependent on larger systems – our solar system, the galaxy, the universe.  Each particle in our midst is a part of and responds to the forces of an interrelated cosmic design.

·        Finally, the ultimate, the longest term life possible is on the eternal level.  We seek life after death, beyond time and space, beyond the body.

The deepest longing at our core is our “connectedness” to Life – to its ongoing, continuing and perpetual movement.  This is what we do here; this is our function, our meaning, our importance.  And joining Life’s purpose, serving its creation and perpetuity will bring you the highest fulfillment possible.

About the Self...

Life is glorified through your existence. You are a stroke on its canvas, the flow of its color, one aspect of its design. You are one form of creation in the universe. Life is pin-pointed, centered in you. It is particularized and individualized by you. And every part is holy purely be existence, by “being.” Any other expectations are self-made by humans.

Life in any form is a gift, a privilege, and an honor. You have an obligation to value the life within you, to cherish it. Begin servicing Life by servicing it first within yourself. It starts with you...with your survival.

My children, if any behavior, belief, program or defense mechanism obstructs you from survival, your own continuation of life or the lives of those you love; if you are reacting with rage to certain circumstances, letting spouse beat you or if you are beating your child; if your addictions are uncontrollable; if you feel you must feign, lie, cheat, manipulate or steal to get what you want; if you are afraid to leave the television, go to a job interview or leave your parents after reaching a mature age; if you cannot stay in a relationship...then healing is necessary!

Liberate yourself from the reactions, urges, pain, the fears that lead you to behaviors counteractive to your survival. Take the time and make the effort to clean out the blocks and remove the thick layers of covering. Unlock your “real” self, your healthy sense of selfhood. Let out the bound up little self, imprisoned inside all those walls and shields of defenses, false beliefs and programs. Penetrate the barriers and the defenses will break down and crumble. The little prisoner will break out.

The inner self will come through to guide you, inspire you - toward Life. Recover your wholeness so that Life may pulse through you, guide you, give you creative power and joy. It is your responsibility to your self, to those around you and to Life’s Will.

About a Mate...

So you are pretty secure now. You have food, shelter, and are in no imminent danger. But you feel something is missing. You want something more. Something aches inside; you feel a vacuum, a longing, an emptiness. You feel incomplete.

Hormones are pulsing through your body; your flesh craves touching, exploring and caressing. There is a growing pressure between your legs. You seek out the attention and contact of the opposite sex. You spend a lot of time looking in the mirror, fixing your hair, selecting flattering clothes, and worrying about body and mouth odors. You are upset about being overweight. Jealousy hits you when a gorgeous human specimen shows you up.

Everywhere you turn there are enticements to romance and sex in magazines, movies, and television commercials. So much of the music you hear is about love.

Those of you who are married may be tempted by a co-worker, or that handsome person at a party. A young glamorous model in a magazine may arouse you. You may be questioning your choice of life partner. The spark is gone, there is no more excitement. You are tired of the same old, same old. You feel used, ignored, trapped and bored. You wonder if you could do better. There might be someone out there who could see the best in you, and appreciate you.

If there is so much pain and stress, and if there are so many problems involved in a relationship, why bother? Why is the bulk of our lives spent around mating? Are we all crazy?

About children...

Now that you have a mate who enhances your life, and with whom you share and extend your life, you may still feel the need for a longer lasting linkage to Life - one that endures after you and your mate are gone, one that continues indefinitely into the future.

Children are the perpetuation of your life, a means to longer term survival. They are that part of your selves that persists for generations. They carry your permanence. Individuals are temporary, but their genes move on with new carriers.

But what about today’s treatment of children? Why are our children being abused, beaten, molested, kidnapped, abandoned, drowned, sacrificed, sold, mutilated, tossed in garbage cans, and left in public toilets? Are they becoming “disposable?” Has their importance, their value disappeared? Are they gone because of overpopulation, stress, lack of resources, greed, indulgence, selfishness and vanity? Is the Pied Piper taking them away because we are not paying him the price?

About family ties...

Now that you are well positioned in life, have a compatible partner and are reproducing children, what about your previous ties? What happens to those people you grew up with? Parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles and all those distant relatives who showed up at holidays, weddings and funerals. Those with whom you laughed and cried, shared dreams and potlucks. Those who offered you encouragement and help in times of despair. Those who told you stores of the old days and gave you pride in your ancestors. Is that all over? Do you drop the old and move on to the new? Should you focus on the survival of your smaller nuclear unity without the obligation of staying in touch, fostering good will, reciprocating gifts, attending family affairs, and putting up with quirks, intrusions and inconveniences? Or is there some advantage to keeping those relationships alive? Can a family tree still bear fruit?

About society...

Humans spend a lot of time seeking the company of others. We are all “people who need people,” as the song goes. We flock together in clubs and cities, hang out together in bars and churches, and join together to build bridges and space crafts. We feel more secure, more sheltered within a group or community.

But at the same time we undergo anxiety about being suitable for the group. We fear no being “with it.” Have you noticed how you worry about what others think or say about you? You fear rejection, being cast out? You want approval, reassurance that you are okay? You spend a lifetime winning status in the class structure?

Think of how the magazine ads and television commercials aim at making you more presentable in the public eye by way of deodorants, cars, diet foods and fashion. Look at how many books have been written about how to make money, how to win friends, how to climb the corporate ladder, and how to put on a party.

On the other hands, we humans are choosy about whom we associate with. We don’t want sleazy or nerdy friends. We don’t buy into run down neighborhoods. We don’t want to work for shady organizations. We try to avoid scandal at all costs.

Why all this fuss? Why put so much effort into confirming a desirable place in a group, the community, and society?

About art...

Lasting art goes beyond ethnicity, race or religion - to the universal. It appeals to all humans, linking them in commonality, uniting us on a grander scale. It speaks of lasting concerns, those subjects that are relevant to each individual, to each society. It expresses an ultimate, higher purpose - Life... Life found in nature, color, children, sorrow, sounds and motion.
Does the art of today serve us? Rock music, graffiti, movies, television commercials, concrete gardens and amusement parts - are they conducive to Life? Do they bring us closer to one another, strengthen our values, give us some guidelines to pursue, and reveal to us any truths? Do our present myths give us a hero to model, one who exemplifies our ideals and shows us the way? Do we not need heroes who open new territories in science, space, medicine and world peace? Heroes who bring back the boon, new knowledge for society? And do not these heroes still require the qualities such as self control, valor, commitment, dedication and sacrifice?

About a nation...

History is full of examples of a healthy society with a thriving economy, a sound morality system, a rich heritage of art, customs and temples, being overrun by marauders who invade the territory, rob the land of grain and wealth, destroy buildings and cities, rape and ravage women, and carry off children into slavery.

The Indo-Aryans, some Native American tribes, the Huns, the Mongols, the Vikings, and Nazi Germany made pillaging a way of life. And, my children, the list continues even today. Terrorists blow up our buildings, airplanes and military bases; plant viruses in our bodies and computers; penetrate our citizenry to gain control from within; and abuse our immigration leniency while scheming ruination. Egomaniacal tyrants aim to destroy out of jealousy or revenge. Insurgent groups undermine and defy our legal system and ideals (but use them in their own defense). Rioters rule through violence and destruction.

Do you want to live in fear and menace, my children? Do you want to see your endeavors toward survival come to nothing? Do you want to lose everything to invaders and thieves who will reap the benefits of your efforts or destroy them out of maliciousness? Do you want to watch as society crumbles from within due to lawlessness and corruption? Do you want a sinister ruler to seize power in a moment of internal weakness? If not, you need a strong nation.

About our species...

The greatest threat to the human species has been humankind itself. We are our own worst predator and adversary. Raids, torture, murder, ethnic cleansing, war and weapons of mass destruction are used to kill each other off. Will we annihilate our own species?

A future race will not be a super race, one that eradicates all “others,” selected for its aggression and dominance. Instead it will be one of tolerance and understanding, a people able to see beyond separateness, factionalism, national identity and race. It will be a people with insight into unity and brotherhood, one that has concern for the species and a longer lasting order of Life. It will resonate to the total of humankind.

At times I watch documentaries about war times, slavery, the witch trials, the holocaust, the mass burials, the dismembered and raped children. I cringe at the brutality of humankind. It falls even lower than animal bestiality because humans know the pain and agony of their victims. It is fed by hate, power or sexual gratification, rather than the survival benefits of acquiring territory, implanting genes, or protecting offspring. And I feel overcome with disgust and shame for my own species.

Then I think of those who survived the extremes of brutality and exposure on frozen battlefields; who endured the tortures and horrors of slavery and imprisonment; who clung to life during famines, floods and earthquakes; and who nourished others as well as their own to continue life beyond themselves. And I feel pride, a reverence, and awe for them. For they are the reason we live on. They have given us the remnant, the perpetuity. And for their sacrifice I am grateful.

About the environment...

Astronauts looking back at our planet reported how beautiful it appeared compared to the gray lifeless ash and rock on the moon. They marveled at the earth’s colors of blue, white and green - so vibrant with Life. They pondered an atmosphere that filters sunlight and meteorites; oceans that make rain and rivers; green plants that photosynthesize sunlight into food. But the astronauts were also struck by the earth’s vulnerability - so isolated and alone, hanging in space. We forget how vital and compulsory the earth is to our survival; how dependent we are on it. It is our source of Life.

For some time we have heard about toxic chemicals, endangered species, radioactive fallout, loss of wilderness, depleting ozone, global warming, heat waves and droughts, dying lakes and oceans, and depletion of non-renewable resources. But have we listened? Are not these things very basic to life? We are talking about air, water, food, land, resources, energy - the fundamental requirements to survival. Yet it is shocking how human abuses have caused detrimental effects.

About the universe...

Why is it we look upwards to the sky for our beginning, and also to a heaven where we hope to go after death? Why not to the waters where we were spawned, or to the plants from which we get our nutrients, or to the soil where we will eventually become dust? Why do we look to the heavens for hope, for revelations, for constancy? And lately, why do we search for superior beings, aliens who we hope will save us from “all this?”

The answer could be because originally we came from “out there.” Our very substance had origins in the forging of the universe. Every element - the calcium in our teeth and bones, the iron in our blood, every hair follicle and toenail - came from the stuff of stars. The same stuff that planets, oceans, beetles and orchids are made of. We are literally made of “star dust.”

Can you fathom the workings of the universe, my children? Of how it supplies the essence of Life? Of how its energy, matter and the forces work together? Of how it uses processes of creation, conservation and reincarnation? Of its unity, design, and indivisibility?

Subatomic particles, atoms and molecules, planets and stars, galaxies and clusters act in conjunction to inner forces, direction and will. They pop into existence, interact with one another and act as though responding to an inner voice, a call. Each particle and object sings its song, acts in concert, harmonizes with the entirety, as though in connection to a higher will. The stuff of the universe takes shape, builds forms - each form still connected yet each form plays its individual role in the continuation and fulfillment of Life’s Will.

The big question is: As observers are we able to “see,” to perceive the universe in its entirety? Or is only a fraction of the total universe visible to use? Do we see only slits, fragments of the total space-time picture? Perhaps there is more to the universe than our abilities, our level of awareness is capable of perceiving. And because of our limited faculties, we are shortsighted, or we see only the play of “shadows” like that in Plato’s cave.

Our idea of “reality” is defined by what is observed, but we have learned from scientists such as Einstein, Heisenberg and Bohr that our observations are uncertain and relative to place, time and motion. Will other types of awareness emerge - ones that surpass the five senses? Are humans still evolving toward what is called “cosmic consciousness?” Will we grow and develop the ability to observe the whole of space-time? Will we eventually be capable of seeing “here and there”- the entire scope of space? And the past and future of time - all time in its entirety?

Of eternal life...

You have no doubt felt the fear of death - the terror of your life coming to an end, the loss of selfhood and personal identity. You dread entering the darkness, the void, experiencing nothingness or “nada” as Hemingway termed it. Surely you are sickened at disease, murder and mass graves; you feel horrified by brutality and evil - those encounters that remind us of our vulnerability, our impermanence, our frailty.

Then too, you have probably had those moments - standing on a mountain top, watching the incessant rush of ocean waves, or seeing the tall stands of the Redwood forest (my moment was overlooking rice paddies from the Buddhist temple at Borobudor in Indonesia) - when eternity stretches out before you. You feel the presence of forever and ever. You feel the awe and wonder of the mysterious, the “numinous,” the holy.

Humankind has an awareness of the eternal, the “heavenly.” Our minds have the capacity to conceive of something beyond the physical universe - something underlying, something overseeing, yet permeating all things. Call it a Higher Power, Spirit, Essence, the Sacred, the Holy or Divine.

And there is the drive within us to connect to the eternal. It is called our “spiritual” nature - the nature that seeks to replace our sense of emptiness and futility in the material world, that replaces our feelings of minuteness and insignificance, that relieves our fears of loss of self, of death and non-existence. It is that part of us that pursues spiritual fulfillment and completion.

Over the ages, humankind has come up with various religions to commune with the divine, to reach the ultimate, to attain Eternal Life. New sects, new denominations come and go, but not the demise of religion in general.
What about today? Are we entering another new era of religion? What can we believe that is compatible with the new ideas, theories and scientific discoveries that have recently come to light? What is consistent with what we now know about the forces at work in the cosmos? What coincides with the new information about relativity, quantum mechanics, and singularities that we looked at in Chapter 9?

Can we put it all together? What can we believe? Is there a God? What is God? Is there meaning to existence? Do we have a purpose? How can we fulfill it? How can we make that connection, that link to the Eternal - beyond space and time, beyond matter and energy, beyond form and particularization, beyond the processes, beyond good and evil, even beyond life and death?