contemplativeI believe that others are necessary for enlightenment. This statement is prefaced on a Eastern/shamanic foundation that I will summarize in bullet form below. The statements begin with a shamanic foundation I firmly believe in: that all things are connected. The list ends in a statement of divinity.
- The sum of "we" are all connected
- Each person has their own experience of the this connection
- Within the framework of universal connection, each person is completely alone in the world
- The aloneness allows a person to connect to others
- People have finite abilities to experience the world, and hence cannot easily experience their aloneness
- People chase enlightenment because they realize their vision is finite
- Others are the reminders of the universal connection
- Others portray those parts of ourselves that we cannot see due to our finite vision
- The terms of inward and outward only have meaning in the finite vision
- The turning outward is a passing illusion
- The interpretation of others are only necessary to pull aside the curtain of finite vision.
- The remembering of the "we" connection strengthens the ties of love and compassion with others as the separation between outward and inward is removed.
- Others are us
- We are them
- Enlightenment is a word for remembrance
- Divinity is remembrance of connection
