The Living Universe (10 page)

What was the core realization that the Buddha awakened to? At the foundation of the Buddha's teachings is his description of the simultaneous arising of all things in the universe. Variously translated as “interdependent co-arising” and “interdependent co-origination,” the Buddha said this insight was at the heart of his awakening. According to the Buddha, to discern the moment-to-moment, interdependent co-arising of all things in the universe is to awaken to a reality that is subtle, sublime, hard to perceive, and not accessible through logic alone. Because the co-arising of all things in the universe is a process that completely includes us, we cannot stand back to
observe it; instead, to know this reality we must relax completely into ourselves and become transparent to more subtle levels of our own experience. When we consciously experience ourselves in this way, we find nothing permanent; instead we find complete dynamism and flow, including the direct experience of ourselves.

From the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama has written, “At the heart of Buddhist cosmology is not only the idea that there are multiple world systems . . . but also the idea that they are in a constant state of coming into being and passing away.”
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The Tibetan teacher, scholar, and artist Lama Govinda writes, “The world is in a continuous state of creation, of becoming, and therefore in a continuous state of destruction of all that has been created.”
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He also writes, “This apparently solid and substantial world [is] . . . a whirling nebulous mass of insubstantial, eternally rotating elements of continually arising and disintegrating forms.”
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Namkhai Norbu, another esteemed teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, states, “All phenomena . . . no matter how solid they may seem, are in fact essentially void, impermanent, only temporarily existing.”
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Because the world around us is being continuously regenerated—arising freshly in its totality at each moment so absolutely nothing endures—it makes sense that the Buddha would describe existence as a “flash of lightning in a summer cloud,” a “flickering lamp,” an “apparition,” and a “phantom.” The world flashes into existence as a unified whole at one moment—presenting itself in all its vividness—only to disappear completely and be replaced an instant later with a new representation of itself. In learning the skills of meditation, the Buddha said we can become centered in the flow of natural time and experience directly the co-arising of the cosmos.

Turning from the Buddhism of Tibet to that practiced in Japan, we again find this insight of the moment-to-moment arising of the universe. The respected Zen scholar and teacher, D. T. Suzuki, has
Written, “My solemn proclamation is that a new universe is created every moment.”
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Elsewhere he writes, “All things come out of an unknown abyss of mystery, and through every one of them we can have a peep into the abyss.”
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Also from the Zen tradition we have this unequivocal statement from Alan Watts: “The beginning of the universe is now, for all things are at this moment being created, and the end of the universe is now, for all things are at this moment passing away.”
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Others in the Zen tradition describe the continuous arising of the universe. Robert Linssen describes the world seen through the eyes of a skilled meditator: “A tree, a stone, an animal cease to be seen as solid and durable bodies . . . in their place the practiced disciple discerns a continual succession of sudden manifestations only lasting as long as a flash of lightning. . . .”
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At the foundation of Buddhism, then, is the view that the entire universe is arising freshly as a unified whole at each moment. Because everything arises or emerges along with everything else, this means that the condition of anything depends upon the condition of everything to which it is connected—and that is the totality of the universe.

Taoism and Confucianism represent the spiritual beliefs of about 6 percent of the world's population. They are the foundational religions of China that have also influenced Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

The origins of Taoism are generally traced to the third or fourth century
B.C.E.
and Lao Tzu, a mythical figure whose existence is still debated. Legend has it that as the “old master” prepared to ride oft” and disappear into the vast China desert, he was asked by a customs
official to write down his philosophy. In response, he wrote the Tao Te Ching—roughly translated as “The Book of the Way and Its Virtue.” This book is the only written record of Lao Tzu's philosophy.

At the heart of Taoism is the understanding that the Tao is the sustaining life force and the mother of all things; from it, all things “rise and fall without cease.”
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The Tao is the source of all there is and so is the unifying principle that resolves all contradictions and oppo-sites. Because the Tao is both everything and the source of all things, the Tao is ultimately beyond names, language, and thought. For this reason, it is called the “nameless way.” The Tao is the “Mother of the Universe,” a generative and maternal life force that continually gives birth to the universe. Because the Tao is regarded as inexhaustible and unbounded, it is empty of limiting characteristics.

The goal of Taoism is to live in harmony with the flow of existence. Life is forever moving, never still, always becoming, so the wise person learns to watch carefully and ride the ever-cresting wave of life's flow. Taoists see the universe as a vast ocean of interacting energy. Since they believe that
chi
, or life energy, is abundant throughout, great importance is placed on cultivating harmony in our energetic connection with the universe. By bringing an awareness of life energy into our direct experience, we see ourselves as participants in a vast dance of becoming, where everything participates with everything else. In experiencing ourselves within the flowing river of life, we can sense when we are pushing against the current or riding with the flow.

The second great religion of China is Confucianism. Its primary concern is the establishment of harmony between the energies of heaven and Earth. This religion was founded by Confucius, a sage and social philosopher who was deeply concerned about the troubling times in which he lived. Although his ideas gained little
acceptance during his lifetime (551—479
B.C.E.
), his teachings have deeply influenced Eastern Asia for twenty centuries.

Confucianism perceives life as a seamless and continual interaction between three realms: “Heaven” (a life force), “Earth” (the natural world), and “Humanity” (the socially constructed world). Confucian social ethics were intended to bring a harmonious interplay between humans, the natural world, and the forces of heaven through the binding force of the life energy or
chi
. This energy is the unifying, vibrant, and ceaseless vitality that underlies our physical reality. Ch'i is the life force of heaven that gives birth to the universe and nourishes it in a profoundly unified, interpenetrating, ceaselessly active cosmic process.

While Taoism and Confucianism are quite distinct in their specific teachings, they share a perspective of the universe that might be described as organic, vitalistic, and holistic.
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They both see the universe as a unified whole, permeated with life and involved in a continuous process of transformation.

The indigenous or tribal peoples of the world represent roughly 6 percent of the world's population. “Native” or “indigenous” or “first people” societies are found throughout the world, and historically they have relied on subsistence farming as well as hunting and gathering. Without a written language, native peoples have preserved their rich knowledge of the world in stories, rituals, songs, and legends. Many people living in cultures with a written language tend to view the oral traditions of indigenous peoples as more primitive and less articulate. However, this is an erroneous perspective, as native cultures often possess an extensive and sophisticated language with a subtle and complex worldview.

Indigenous traditions observe an invisible presence throughout the world—an animating force permeating the universe and connecting all things into a living whole. According to Navajo tradition, a “sacred wind” blows through the universe and brings the capacity for awareness and communication with others. Our individual consciousness is simply a local part of this larger, animating wind or life force that moves through all of nature.

For the Lakota, who inhabited the upper midwest of the United States, “religion” is a direct experience of an all-pervading aliveness throughout the world. Luther Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, said of his tradition, “there was no such thing as emptiness in the world. Even in the sky there were no vacant places. Everywhere there was life, visible and invisible, and every object gave us a great interest in life. The world teemed with life and wisdom; there was no complete solitude for the Lakota.”
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Since a living presence is felt to be in and through everything, all things are seen and experienced as related. Because everything is connected through the Great Spirit, everything deserves to be treated with respect.

One of the denser concentrations of Indian populations in North America—the Ohlones—lived in the fertile region that now extends from San Francisco to Monterey, California.
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The Ohlones, now extinct, lived sustainably on this land for roughly 5,000 years. Like the Lakota, their religion was without dogma, churches, or priests because it was so pervasive, like the air. Their religion was found everywhere, as nature was seen to be alive and shimmering with energy. Because everything was filled with life, power was everywhere and in everything. Every act was a spiritual act because it engaged the worlds of power. All tasks—hunting an animal, preparing food, or making a basket—were done with a feeling for the surrounding world of life and power.
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The Aborigines of Australia believe the universe has two aspects. One aspect is ordinary reality and the other aspect is the “Dream-time” reality from which the physical world is derived. In Aboriginal cosmology, the everyday reality of people, trees, rocks, and animals is “sung into existence” by the power of the Dream time—and the Dreamtime needs to continue unabated if the ordinary world is to be upheld and maintained.
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The Dreamtime for Australian Aborigines “. . . is an ongoing process—the perpetual emerging of the world from an incipient, indeterminate state into full, waking reality, from invisibility to visibility, from the secret depths of silence into articulate song and speech.”
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Like the Aborigines, the Kalahari Bushmen have a saying that, “There is a dream dreaming us.”
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The Koyukon Indians of north central Alaska live “in a world that watches, in a forest of eyes.”
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They believe wherever we are, we are never truly alone because the surroundings, no matter how remote, are aware of our presence and must be treated with respect. A clear theme emerges: Indigenous peoples have long recognized the aliveness at the foundation of the universe. They understand that we are not, and never have been, disconnected from the larger universe. With a cosmology of a living universe, a shining miracle exists everywhere. There are no empty places in the world. Everywhere there is life, both visible and invisible. All of reality is infused with a vital presence and this creates a profound relatedness among all things.

Although not a religion, Western thought is an integral part of the world's wisdom and has had an enormous impact on human development. Here again we find the idea of a living universe running like
a bright thread through the complex tapestry that is Western thought. More than 2,000 years ago, the philosopher Plotinus declared, “This universe is a single living being embracing all living beings within it.”
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In a similar manner, the ancient Greek philosopher and mystic Heraclitus said of the universe that “everything flows, nothing stands still.” “All things are in a state of flux,” he wrote, and “Reality is a condition of unrest.”
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Heraclitus also declared that, “For those who are awake the cosmos is one.”
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He wrote that life is an eternal becoming and the universe is continually “flowering into deity.”
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Giordano Bruno (1548—1600
C.E.
) was a visionary priest and philosopher. He maintained that a spiritual force is found in all things, and that even the most minute body contains a sufficient portion of spirit to animate itself. Bruno felt that God was present throughout the world—a life force that permeated the universe and gave all material things some measure of life. No matter how small something might be, he believed it would strive to organize itself into an animated body of some kind, whether plant or animal. Bruno's views of an infinite universe infused with an animating life force was seen by his contemporaries as undermining the authority of the Catholic Church, and he was burned at the stake for heresy in 1600.

The idea of a living universe surfaced again by the mid-eighteenth century as the industrial revolution was getting underway in Europe and America. This revolution was accompanied by a new sense of dynamism, particularly in Western thinking. No longer was life anchored in the seasons, going round and round in an ever-recurring circle, progressing not at all; instead, life was seen as moving forward as an ever-unfolding expression of the divine. The philosopher Friedrich Schelling (1775—1854) wrote, “History as a whole is a progressive, gradually self-disclosing revelation of the Absolute.” His contemporary, the influential German philosopher Georg Hegel (1770—1831),
viewed humans as vehicles for the universe to become conscious of itself. In Hegel's view, spirit seeks embodiment in matter as much as matter seeks transformation in spirit.