Preface

The aspiration concerning this essay is to inquire into a number of disciplines, in an integrative manner, as an exploration of consciousness. This approach deals with each discipline as a valuable aspect or part of a continuum of human inquiry. Ultimately, an inquiry should lead to direct understanding, which is simply pure awareness which permeates each apparent level of existence. In other words, there are no real divisions, only Spirit. In practical terms the great wisdom traditions and various disciplines are humankind's way of understanding itself and the world it shares with other beings and inanimate objects. It is my wish to present this in a clear and somewhat original manner, leading the reader to further thought, study and perhaps spiritual inquiry. If I accomplish only a small part of this, I would be deeply gratified.

I embarked upon this project initially to explore my thoughts about science and philosophy. In the years previous, I had finished graduate school and accepted a position working in medical research. However, I was quickly becoming disillusioned with what I saw around me: the lack of creativity and real intellectual stimulation, not to mention the appalling bureaucracy of academics and corporate profiteering and influence over one of the most basic of human needs healthcare. I decided I would use whatever skills I had to do something different. And since the only real training that I had been exposed to was formal training in science, I turned to books and personal experiments as a way of exploration. I began to investigate further, in a cross-disciplinary manner, especially delving into philosophies of consciousness, both east and west. This was not totally new, since in college and in graduate school, I had tried to absorb as much as extracurricular material as I could, while keeping up with my coursework. Needless to say my interests widened, but the questions remained the same. I found it to be a natural progression from reading and study, to writing this book. As I look back over the many revisions, I have begun to view this essay as an inquiry into life, which can have many expressions such as art, science, philosophy, music and poetry to name only a few. Yet, more importantly, it is an inquiry into existence itself which points to simple and pure awareness.

The world of today is vastly different from that of Plato or even our parents. Today, the differences seen between generations have increased exponentially, with an ever-increasing magnitude and velocity. But of what is all of this a manifestation? What has remained the same? What has changed? From a strictly western view, we have developed great philosophical traditions with their various branches that honor our love of truth, science being an effective tool. Certainly, in many cases, philosophy has become side-tracked with intellectual conceit, for much of philosophy deals with bureaucratic structures at corporate driven universities and/or state ideologies, however, there is sincere, progressive and life affirming philosophy being done, and while few, there are some that are seeking directly into the ontological presence of existence itself. These individuals are the pearls that remind us of what we all are







Chapter 4

Ecology

It is politically correct today to accept that we are to do something about the environmental crisis, and for good reason. We speak these truths, but in many a case there is little behind the words. This is not enough for we cannot simply state something of good intention and be done with it or our view will become another sterile, intellectual viewpoint. What is needed is the movment of the heart, followed by a heart-felt sense in action. As we move into action, we would naturally enter into a meaningful dialogue with others and discover that our attitudes have changed considerably from the previous monologue of I am right, to a dialogue of We are together. Indeed, we might ask ourselves why we hadnt done this earlier



Chapter 7

Multiculturalism: The Changing Faces of Social Interaction

Without a doubt it will take a concerted effort to help preserve peace and stability in our world. Creating the conditions for peace is to live in harmony with nature and with others, to benefit from technology, and to reform and protect the world economic system. How can one balance the scales when such issues are at stake, with a wide range of possibilities for use and abuse? How do we live on a planet that is becoming smaller and smaller? How can this be achieved when there are groups that are seduced by the power struggle over boundaries, resources, ethnocentric domination and imperialism, that are more than willing to shed the blood of millions? We have a choice of such gravity we can hardly imagine. We can realize that there is a common bond of humanity, with creation, or we can continue to perpetuate our arrogance towards other peoples, and the earth. Whatever the outcome, the pressure to face these issues will only increase as we continue to become a global world and as the population increases





Chapter 11

Inquiry Into The Present

What are we left with when we stop trying to get somewhere better; whether it be a new job, ideology, a new home, or spiritual teaching? What happens when we stop seeing the experience that we are having as something out there separate from our us? We realize that we are right where we are with nowhere and everywhere to go. We are free. We are free from the sway of the mind and body. We rest in awareness only; a state of pure being. We are left with nothing and everything to do. We have the deep understanding that we have always been as we are, present, in this moment. We have transformed self-focus and realized that what we thought we were, is now only a trace of a memory, a result of wrong thinking. Our being expresses that we have found our true home, as we are, resting in being