Kundalini Splendor

The Bodhisattva Path

Once we grasp the unreality of self and the world which surrounds us, we are left to consider the implications of this revelation.

Some become angry with the discovery that "they" do not exist. They feel tricked or betrayed with the entire experience, and lapse into bitterness and resentment.

Others yearn to remain in such ecstatic awareness constantly, and grieve that they are unable to retain such states of consciousness, other than as memory or as intermittent and less intense returnings.

And others, having realized either through direct experience or through teachings the unreality of self and the phenomenal world, conclude that, since nothing is real, there is no need for compassion for human suffering, or concern for the preservation of the earth and its inhabitants, since "everything is illusion."

And some contend that, since all is "relative,” we can discard our moral compass and live without guidelines for our own and others’ behavior. What does it matter, if everything is illusion?

I feel that none of these responses is appropriate. No matter how intense our perception of such (seemingly) ultimate "truth," we do not live day to day in this world of the absolutes. We are here together in a shared field of experience and perception, and we must make the best of it, with caring concern for one another and attention to our own behavior toward others. In fact, from one point of view, there is moral obligation to live authentically, whether or not other planes exist, whether or not "god" exists, whether or not some teaching would lead us to discard notions of personal responsibility .

To shrug our shoulders and walk away, when confronted with the spectacle of wanton destruction of nations and cultures, whether at present or in the past, is, I think, to put oneself and the planet at risk. Most would agree that we are now in world crisis. That crisis has arisen out of our unconcern for the welfare of others beyond our immediate circle (family, tribe, nation, or self), whether such callousness comes from theory or mere selfish intent.

We must examine closely every teacher and teaching, each text whether ancient or modern, each idea and action we encounter, and draw out the best from each source, becoming, as Buddha said, “a light unto ourselves.”

Only when the cycle is broken, when we realize our inherent connectedness to others and to our earthly home, will we find our path to survival. Yes, there are other planes, but we inhabit this one, and it behooves us to be thoughtful caretakers while we are here.

In my view, this is the true Bodhisattva path, dedication to universal good, progress for the whole, whether such actions are “real” or not.

Dorothy Walters
April 7, 2007