Big View
Develop A Vision Worthy Of Your Compound Self
Photo by Tomaz Barcellos, Pixels.com.
Key Assertions That Help to Summarize This Article:
One’s body spreads out to all corners of the Earth—and beyond.
The Earth can be seen as a lost dimension of the Self—a forgotten component of one’s own complete, compound identity.
Spiritually speaking, to heal is to foster the return to a state of unity—that is, unity between not only one’s mind, body, and Spirit but also between one’s self, one’s beloved, and one’s environment.
Human growth, happiness, healing, and fulfillment cannot be achieved without also healing all relations and the Earth.
One needs to claim and enjoy one’s energizing, life-enhancing, and nurturing connection to Nature—thus combine what is Human and what is Nature into “humaNature.”
It is possible to psychologically toss aside your body and feel as if you are everywhere. It is your Ego that makes you feel skeptical of such statements. Your Ego makes you feel limited by your body. It is your attachment to your body that is limiting you, not your body. Your body creates no barrier between you and the rest of reality. Even your skin is just a porous filter, and not a very good barrier. Your attachment to your body is a contrived blockade. The whole of existence is your body. It is not separate. Your body is really only the closest existence to you. It spreads out to all corners of the Earth—and beyond. When you get rid of your attachment to your individual body, you lose your psychological imprisonment and find that you are everywhere. This is a key task for those seeking to become happy.
When you psychologically surrender your individual self you find your Compound Self—your Sacred Self. This Compound Self is an Ecological Self or a self in relationship to other people, other beings, the Earth, and the universe. Human growth, happiness, healing, and fulfillment cannot be achieved without also healing all relations and the Earth. Humans have deep Earth-rooted-ness. We relate to each other and to the Earth as a whole. This profound connection is so pervasive the Earth can be seen as a lost dimension of the Self—a forgotten component of one’s own complete, compound identity.
To heal—that is to make our selves whole, healthy, and holy—we as a species need to rediscover, befriend, and help save the earthy core of our own being. Spiritually speaking, to heal is to foster the return to a state of unity—that is, unity between not only one’s mind, body, and Spirit but also between one’s self, one’s beloved, and one’s environment.
There is an ecological base to one’s personality. As an individual, one will never be whole if one does not pay attention to one’s body, mind, Spirit, and relationship to the Earth. One needs to claim and enjoy one’s energizing, life-enhancing, and nurturing connection to Nature—thus combine what is Human and what is Nature into what we call “humaNature.” Dr. Cohen’s methodologies are a good way to begin to foster such connectedness.
To further break down eco-alienation, a person needs to first identify the segment of the world in which she lives as a part of herself. By setting aside the “Ego-self,” and replacing it with a more expansive and encompassing “Eco-Self”—that is, a sense of self connected deeply with all of life—one’s understanding of what constitutes real self-interest will begin to include the protection, preservation, and restoration of the Earth. One of the best ways I have found to bring forth this Eco-self is to mentally paint a picture of yourself as being like a virtuous bodisvhissatva--an altruistic person capable of giving amply, wisely, and sustainably to others.
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch, Pixels.com.
HumaNatureConnect Activity
Visioning The Compound Self
For this activity, create a vision of yourself in your mind as if you were a person of great virtue. More specifically, you are in this vision of yourself a person who has taken a faith vow, a person of compassion, and a person of wisdom. Choose whatever vow suits you. The vow of a bodhisattva would be something like “I vow to save boundless sentient beings, to eliminate endless afflictions, and to learn innumerable doctrines.” You may want to include as part of your vision of your Compound Self a picture of yourself in your mind giving in a way that is unattached--that is, being unattached to yourself as a giver, being unattached to the thing or service being given, and being unattached to the person receiving the gift. Concerning the aspect of your vision as a person of boundless compassion, picture yourself offering compassion without limits or boundaries. Write down ways you plan to become diligent in your giving.
