Perhaps We Could All Agree …

Homo-sapiens take pride in being the “animal that reasons,” in which case we should be able to reason together:  we should be able to agree on the answers to some basic questions.  Where do we start in this process of creating a sustainable human community? Where do we start in stopping the widespread suffering that characterizes the human condition? Where do we start to begin building a consensus that will bring people together in crafting solutions that are pragmatic and can be implemented immediately?

First, we ask this question: Is the way that we are living as human beings on this planet sustainable? I think we can anticipate the overwhelming response to that question is no. We now have the energy of human agreement and we can then continue to build on that energy incrementally.

Second, we then ask: Are we as human beings interested in changing the day-to-day experience we are having in our lives? To this question we would expect an affirmative reply.

Next, we must ask progressively more challenging questions like this one: Are human beings capable of changing their fundamental behaviors? If the majority answers no then the experience of that majority will be continued suffering and self-destruction. Those that answer yes can continue with the process of exploring the possibility of creating sustainable human behavior.

Now we begin to ask progressively more concrete questions the answers to which will reveal what specific steps we will need to take to transform human behavior. As some participants continue to choose to drop out of the process because they are unwilling to contemplate modifying their behavior, the rest of us remain undeterred because we know it is possible for as little as one person to transcend human suffering without the participation of others, although that participation would be desirable.

We now come to the unavoidable First Noble Truth – Life is Suffering.  Many people might react against this reality but we must all encourage them to remain in the process because a positive outcome is possible even though old illusions are almost overpowering. Life is suffering because we have identified with death, disease, old age, our bodies, our highly neurotic monkey mind narrative, and our past conditioning which has us in an almost continuous series of reactive afflictive emotions. This is the experience that many of us created for ourselves as individuals and in collectives or human communities of varying size and definition. This is our future … or we can put our past nightmares behind us and awaken to the freedom and joy of Simple Reality.

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