07 Mar 2024
It was way back in 2007 and I was meditating on dependent arising. I had begun meditating in 2003 and my mind had turned to various concepts in Buddhism. I realised the truth that none of us are independent. As Thich would say, we are a combination of organic and inorganic matter - when we breath in, we make inorganic matter a part of ourselves, when we breath out, inorganic matter leaves our body and is no longer a part of us. I began to imagine all of the things that are us and how incredibly fuzzy and artifical the boundaries we create in our minds really are.
As I meditated on dependent arising, I thought of this as the central aspect of an emerging religion. I called this religion, The Commonality. I imagined that this was the central tenet of Buddhism. We would cling less and try to repulse less, if we realised that what makes us and others distinct are largely thoughts in our heads. Imagine an ethics based on our interdependency! Imagine practical approaches to conservation based on our interdependency! It all started coming together for me.
Sadly, however, it took me SEVEN more years to become vegetarian and ELEVEN more years to become vegan. Why? I understood through meditation our interdependence, but I had blinders on relating to what this really means. We are raised in a delusional state where we imagine ourselves as better, as distinct from others. We imagine our lives have more value. We think other beings exist for our pleasure, our tastes, our whims.
The more you focus on interdependence, the more the boundaries disappear, the more the sense of ego softens or its edges blur. What is The Commonality? It is a understanding of our shared existence. It is a sensing that we are never really alone. It is a more delicate walk through life, knowing that we affect each other. It is a compassionate outlook, approach and way of being.
Aroha nui,
Lee Sturgis
leesturgis.eth
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