The next buddha will be a sangha: a matrix of human beings united in a common story of the self. Aligned with these defining stories, this community can hold us in the vision of what we are becoming.
Thich nhat hanh
Interdependence is a key theme of the current Silver Journey that I am running and the challenge it represents can be understood more clearly when we look at the meaning of the word: the dependence of two or more people or things on each other. In the early stages of life we are very dependent on our parents to help us to navigate the world so it is not surprising that as adults many remain wary about the idea of being dependent on another being. It makes us vulnerable to another’s whims: if you are running a pattern of vulnerability equals weakness, you are unlikely to put yourself in a position which is going to increase your vulnerability. Another example that illustrates this point can be seen when you watch a dog when it is doing a poo. The dog looks very uncomfortable because it knows how exposed it is at that point. I always talk to Benji, my dog, to reassure him and stand guard so that he knows I won’t abandon him and that he is protected.
Which level of the story do you tend to reside in?
We often talk about there being different levels of story. At the level of the individual there is my story; at the collective there is our story and then there is the story which encompasses all as it comes directly from the Divine. If we think of story in this way you can see how aligning human beings in a common story of the self would be some mean feat. To my mind it is why we experience politics in so many organisations because the ego is in charge. And of course it is always so much easier to see the ego of others rather than recognise our own. Why I love this quotation from Thich Nhat Hanh is that he points to the value of being with like-hearted people. That is how we grow by loving all the imperfections, seeing the triggers of others as a gift to our own healing. Together we are better because we can support each other in holding the vision of what we are becoming.
Fear is what keeps you feeling powerless
Right now there are many people who fear that Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine could lead to World War III. And as such it is not so big a step to getting to a fear of the world. This is not a fear that I could relate to when I read gareth higgins book with the Conscious Conversations book club; and the poll I did on LinkedIn around six months ago reflected that many did not relate to it. In the current geopolitical climate it is much easier to understand how one could have that fear. If you add to that the fact that around a third of the world’s sunflower oil comes out of the Ukraine and that it is unlikely that they will be able to harvest this year’s crop or plant seeds for next year; we have yet to feel the full impact of this war. In fact we are only just becoming aware of the multi-layered interdependencies of this situation.
And yet we always have prayer and hope. Gareth shares a great story in his book. He lived in Ireland at the time of the peace talks back in 1998. Feeling that he wanted to be a positive influence on the talks and unsure how he could impact them an ordinary civilian, he ended up entering Stormont with a group of others and praying in the grounds for peace. On the second evening he was there, he got to speak with Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. It’s an example of the every day miracles that can happen when we live our lives in grace, following our purpose.
Interdependence releases the grip of powerlessness
Interdependence, as we discovered during our three month Silver Journey, explodes the myth of self-sufficiency by helping us see that health and spiritual well-being are maintained through relationship. No one is so enlightened that they don’t need help. Rather, they are enlightened because they receive the help they need. Enlightenment is a state of dependency.
Seeing it in this way provides the key to dealing with powerless to form community with others and share our needs. I realise that takes a degree of vulnerability as it goes against many of the existing cultural norms. When you embrace it, you will find it is liberating. In the video I invite you to join my Conscious Conversations Community or if that’s not for you then set up your own community, all you need is two other people.
The Colour Mirrors bottle that provides a way in…
It was for all these reasons that I shared the Love Anchor bottle with you in the video. The Coral top allows you to connect to your vulnerability and see it as a strength rather than a weakness. This is possible when we are grounded in Divine love which is represented by the Magenta at the bottom of the bottle. Take a look at the bottle in the second half of my recent video. What do you make of the colours? Drop me a line, I would love to know.