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scales or instruments are employed, measurement existential anxiety this entails was well expressed by always comes to our minds via the visual sense. Indeed, _ Rilke: "And if | should cry out, who, among the angelic human beings do rely on vision to the neglect of the — hosts, would hear me?” In such a predicament, it makes other senses. Now, if we construct our world from visual = sense to get as much of life's material goodies, by data alone, we will necessarily perceive it to consist of | whatever means possible, before one is annihilated. solid material objects, all apparently separate from each The very motives driving morality have been undergoing other. It is thus that we get atomism and the changes which can only be seen as destructive. Natural increasingly costly search for ultimate particles. morality arises out of the identification of the self with However, quantum physics has forced us to consider others, as of course can be seen in properly functional an alternative view: of the world as waves or fields. It families. But although it can still be seen in some tribal was initiated by the puzzling finding, among others, that peoples, natural morality in relation to the what were thought to be subatomic particles also had = environment, arising out of identification with the wave-like properties, and what were thought to be __ natural world, has sunk to a very low level throughout waves (light) also had particle-like properties. It just | most of our species. Furthermore, morality in general, depended on how you set up the experiment to detect —_ rather than arising naturally, is coming to be seen as them. This is just like using two types of sense organs: imposed by authority: of parents, society and ultimately one, like the eyes, to see particles, and one, like the the Father God. ears, to hear waves. So, just as the visible aspect of the The impulse still exists, however, for reconnection world is completely different with the spirit. There remain from the audible aspect of the plenty of good-hearted people same world, so the particle- who are aware of the spiritual detecting experiment is quite There remain plenty of decline and want fervently to do different from the wave- something about it. Together detecting experiment. good-hearted people who with the moral degradation To obtain a feeling for the me exhaustively presented to us by wave view, it is a worthwhile are aware of the spiritual the media, there is thus, like the exercise to imagine what kind decline and want fervently white spot in the black side o to do something about it. the yin-yang symbol, an opposite trend, mostly served by the media with disgracefu of world you would construct if your only sense was hearing. Suppose we were beings who had no eyes or any other sense neglect. Never before have so except that of hearing. We many been aware of and would be aware, from the beginning, of a world of sound concerned about the sufferings of distant peoples. waves. It would consist only of tones (or frequencies) | There has been a phenomenal rise of non-governmenta and loudness (or amplitude). There would be no solid objects organisations, so many smaller philanthropic projects or materials of any kind. Indeed, within a society of such and good-hearted people working in both local and beings, the concept of matter would never arise. global arenas towards a better world. Nevertheless, our sound world would still be quite rich, At the same time, over most of the world, churches, with all kinds of noises, pure tones and chords, up to emples and mosques remain full. There is no lack o the most complex music—and, of course, voices prayer. Within the materialist paradigm, however, the conveying informative signals of great complexity. Let's belief is that only activity in the "real" world can bear assume, too, that we only had one ear, placed in such a tuit. The belief that prayer is any good is weak; mos way that we could not tell from which direction the people would be cautious about affirming that their sound came: we would then grow up completely lacking in prayers might bring results. Many also are meditating, the concept of space—a concept so basic for our materialistic world- but, as with prayer, the way in which it is seen as view. worthwhile is interpreted through the clouded lenses of So, just as we are taught in the Heart Sutra, our world he materialist paradigm. Here, while not asking for is a mental construct depending on our particular anything in the outside world, we often carry the evolution, genes, culture and language. Thus it is tha hought in our minds that meditation might "make us by building a world on vision, as we now do, only the better people" so that we may spread a good influence material world of objects is taken as "really real". And among others that we meet in the material world, and because of this, | tend to take my material body to be hrough them the influence may spread out slowly in the only real "me". physical space like ripples in a pond. But there is no After some centuries of scientific revolution, this kind = more real hope of any direct influence on the world of belief has gone very deep. Growing up with this view, outside than there is with prayer. people now believe themselves to be separate from al For all this to change, it seems, we need a radica other beings and ultimately alone in the world. The change in our world-view. And this, | submit, may There remain plenty of good-hearted people who are aware of the spiritual decline and want fervently to do something about it. view. So, just as we are taught in the Heart Sutra, our world is a mental construct depending on our particular evolution, genes, culture and language. Thus it is tha by building a world on vision, as we now do, only the material world of objects is taken as "really real". And because of this, I tend to take my material body to be the only real "me". After some centuries of scientific revolution, this kind of belief has gone very deep. Growing up with this view, people now believe themselves to be separate from al other beings and ultimately alone in the world. The 40 * NEXUS DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com