Meta-crisis
I am tempted to write about the ‘meta-crisis’
(the crisis of all these multiple, inter-related crises we are facing)….
And related to that, the problem of “problems” in general….
Our mind is evolved for a story structure of a “here” (and now), a “there” (and then), a desire to reach there and some inevitable obstacles on the way.
My gut feel is that this process is out of control i.e. while we need some amount of problem framing-problem solving to live and thrive, we have gone way overboard, making problems where there weren’t any.
It is more our restless mind cutting reality in ways that can make it (the mind) more useful, more relevant and more central.
Why does the mind / ego have such a need to be seen, to matter, to be re-cognized again and again and how did it become SO GOOD at knocking us into the problem-solution mode?
Who knows! (Rather — that’s not the track I want to stray into)
People like Alan Watts, Fukoka and Krishnamurthi in different ways have pointed out to this tendency, drive to get somewhere that is relentless.
As I engage in attempts of social change, I realise that out there are effects caused by this restless, relentless process.
As Fukuoka points out, solving one problem after another, we have reached a point of becoming a civilisation that can wipe itself.
So a part of the meta-crisis has roots in our consciousness that’s run by the monkey-mind.
The other part of it seems to be sitting in language and numbers. We’re colonised and ruled by words and numbers — trapped in their prison, we mostly lose connection with reality that lurks just outside them. (this post being a case in the point)
It is a double bind — the problem exists in language and solutions also are worded there. Beyond these are the mystery and wonder, the sheer bewilderment that comes with the complexity of the Universe….
A way I make sense of it is that up there there is a cosmic play, and right down there is swirling stardust. In between, we’re trapped in this word-ly (and worldly) hypnosis trying to make sense of what the hell is going on!
Then is there a way ‘out’? A response?
Seems like…
At an individual level, the ingredient is your own version of ‘awakening’ — seeing the habits of your ego function, first hand (often without any external validation of whether you ‘got-it’ or not). This then expressing as a personal religion that freely draws from all the wisdom traditions as well as science to uniquely express your own sense-making of the world.
At the interpersonal level, we’re uncovering some new ground with circling practices and full consent or sarvanumati. When a collective decides to move ONLY with consent of each one, it starts approaching a much deeper spirit and consciosuness than what any one person is experiencing. And in doing that we challenge the system at its very roots — taking time out of the equation (sarvanumati can take forever though typically doesn’t) for example….
At a collective level, if such awakened people acting collectively challenge the system (while participating in it as much as they need to) — that’s when we’re pushing the boundary. The system is here because it works, because it is the best way we know so far to have our needs met and because we never imagined its unintended consequences (and now we can’t stop them!)
Moral reflection is essential in this third component — to what extent am I benefiting from the system? To what extent am I perpetuating it? To what extent have I been gagged by it, co-opted by it? And to what extent am I disrupting it, again and again and again?
To imagine what this might look like, it is good to start with Bruce Lee (in typical enter-the-dragon style where he is acting without pre-thought but in mastery)
Imagine a collective of such unique Bruce Lees (each one different from the other and expressing their essence). Further imagine this collective building a practice to act in-sync, together (like the individual Bruce Lee does)
And then that collective locating itself in the heart of the system that needs changing, at the tightest knots of the meta-crisis (wherever they may be) and then responding….like water….
Something like that….
Yes, I think we should be able to do something like that, all of us, together. It will be fun :)