The Illusion of Separateness

I don’t understand the self-destructive war between humans and the Earth. It’s a fight picked by humans who continue to act as the aggressor. For years I have contemplated this question and have come to what I believe to be the root problem: We believe we are separate from nature, from each other. If we believe we are not connected to others, to the planet, we will act with destructive intentions for our own, self-centered goals irregardless of anyone or anything else.

In my own struggle to reach a place of peace and balance regarding the Gulf Oil Spill, I have uncovered within myself anger and frustration at humanity–not just to the oil companies or our government, but to all of us as consumers and uninvolved citizens. As I have done the inner work, read books by Joanna Macy and others, and explored the spiritual side of this disaster, I am convinced that it is our collective belief in separateness that allows violence toward each other and the Earth to continue.

How can we heal this belief that keeps us isolated, removed from a deep sense of belonging to our planetary mother? Without a soul connection to the Earth and each other, we experience profound loneliness and emptiness. We hunger for connection and try to fill the inner void by consuming more and more, thereby creating more destruction from our excessive demand for ‘goods.’ The vicious cycle will continue until individually and collectively we recognize and honor the interconnectedness we have with all life.

During one of my recent meditations I heard a question: Can you have compassion for the men that made decisions to continue drilling when the Deepwater Horizon Rig was malfunctioning? I pictured the corporate executives in a board room and I saw myself walking into the room. I breathed deeply and allowed my anger to dissipate. I saw them as my brothers, as part of the human family to which we all belong. I imagined animals from the Gulf in the room, not as judges but as part of our extended family. I recognized that only in seeing the connections we all have, can we begin to make a difference.

There’s no magic pill that will erase centuries of destruction nor is there a wand we can wave to erase our anger and frustration at the ongoing assault on the planet. Yet as more people recognize the interconnectedness of all life, our world can evolve and become a place that honors and respects all life. It begins within each of us and it takes daily practice.