Consciousness… Week 04

a Moment for Wisdom…

Consciousness

 Sharif Abdullah

Personal Wisdom:

Are you willing to have a direct experience of reality?  Are you fearful?

In your past, did you have belief systems that limited your experience?  When did they change?How?

Societal Wisdom:

a Moment with Sharif…

 Greetings;

What is it that you believe?  Are you prepared to be wrong about your belief?

We’ve talked about beliefs before… how our beliefs cloud and color our “reality”.  That at times our beliefs actually take the place of our direct experience of reality.  That some of us would rather give up our reality than give up our beliefs.

So, what’s the benefit of having beliefs?  The prominent one is that, once we have a “belief”, we can pretty much stop having to think.  As I’ve said before, “consciousness” is reserved for that which we are unsure of.  Once you have a “belief”, doubt disappears.

But, there are some things, LOTS of things, that we really need to be confused about, lots of things that we need to have doubts about.  Our learning edges are in the realm of confusion and doubt… no doubt, no learning. 

People who tend to get twitchy when faced with doubt and ambiguity tend to be drawn to fundamentalism – the fundamentalism of the Right as well as the fundamentalism of the Left.  Fundamentalists have all the answers… even if those answers are wrong, or incomplete, or inappropriate.  One size fits all…

The operative word in the above quote is “willing”.  Are we willing to have an experience of reality?  Are we willing to be doubtful, or even wrong about things?  If not… why are we living?

Peace,

Sharif

Consciousness Exercises:

This week’s “Consciousness” exercises: 

1. Think of someone you consider to be “fundamentalist”:

1. What do you agree about their beliefs?  Where do your beliefs
   coincide?

2. What do you disagree about their beliefs?  Where do you beliefs
   diverge?

3. Talk to them about their beliefs, STARTING with the parts where you agree.

2. How would you identify your political position (Left/Progressive/ Democrat; Right/ Conservative/ Republican; Third party/ Independent).  Can you identify someone who is “fundamentalist” in your group?  How do their views differ from
   yours?  How are they the same?

3. Do the same exercise with your spiritual beliefs.  Identify your beliefs, then identify someone who is more “fundamentalist” within your group.  How do their views differ from yours?  How are they the same?

Acknowledgments:

All photos by Sharif Abdullah, unless otherwise noted.