Why the Surprise?

It is said that every cloud has a silver lining and that no act can be all good or all bad.  Quiet and detached reflection reveals the absolute truthfulness of this statement.

The events of this past week in New York City, the demolition of the World trade Center seem to be no exception.  Never before have I seen or heard the general population talk about the deeper questions of life. Never before have I seen such an almost complete dropping of the entire irrelevancy we normally preoccupy ourselves with.  Never before have I seen people so less consumed with themselves and more with the plight of others, albeit on a purely superficial level because ultimately these "others" are part of "us". 

Why is this so?  Why has tragedy succeed in making people think about their lives and the bigger picture providing perspective and insight where books, wise men and Life itself has failed? 

This tragedy has, for the American people and New Yorkers especially, touched hearts in a way no sermon could have.  The nature of "tragedy" when we are touched by it is that, in its aftermath, most people, most of the time, gain some perspective and insight of their individual situation and its relationship to the greater whole, albeit for a short period of time. The more severe the problem, it seems the greater the insight. It seems we need a shock, a proverbial slap in the face, to shake us from our obsessive and shameless pursuit of material well being and all that is ultimately meaningless. 

The burning question is not why this was done, because a modicum Of introspection into our own nature would reveal the answer to that, but why the surprise?  Is this not another example, in a history littered with examples, of man's inhumanity towards man?  Senseless violence is nothing new to the human experience, only Man's capacity to inflict damage on a grander scale has increased.  This in no way trivializes the brutality of last week's event; it seeks simply to put it into perspective. 

So-called "civilized" Man, much like his ancestors, seems to be short on love and compassion and long on anger, greed, hate and violence. We, perhaps, try and delude ourselves that we are more "civilized". Certainly we look cleaner and dress smarter; and perhaps our language is more refined and we may even be better educated (read: more knowledgeable, as in have more facts at our disposal), but spiritually are we, in any discernible manner, any more aware, any more compassionate or loving? 

The fact is that Man has a capacity for violence, which has never been too far from the surface.  The "civilization" of Man has, by imposing a set of rules to behave by, suppressed this violent streak, but a little scratching beneath the surface will reveal the truth.  Anger, frustration and violence are never too far away when one's person (physically or even one's ego, that sense we have of who we are) or possessions are threatened.  The recorded history of Man is a violent and ugly history, which outlines numerous acts of violence perpetrated by Man on Man.  In fact, we are here today because our ancestors were the most powerful and violent cultures, which emerged victorious over more peaceful tribes. 

How is this destruction, as terrible as it is, any different?

Is it possible that our admittedly spectacular strides in the fields of science and technology have deluded us into thinking that we are in some significant way different from our forefathers?  And ultimately, what is the value of scientific progress? Certainly it makes our lives a little more comfortable, but if it does not, and surely it is clear that it does not, bring us that inner peace and tranquility that we all yearn for, we need to keep it in perspective. 

The fact is that atrocities have been plentiful and are still continuing to this day in many countries around the world.  But the plight of suffering millions around the globe has not touched us as deeply as the death of some thousands on our own doorstep.  Why are we so sensitive to tragedy when it is in our backyard and, by definition, so insensitive when it happens in someone else's family or in some else's country or to someone else's religion.  Why is our "compassion" for the plight of others so limited? 

We need to ask these questions because if we examine ourselves closely we will realize that we are not very different from the perpetrators of this dastardly act.  They feared for their safety, felt they had been wronged and struck out in revenge and now we seek to do the same.  How much sense does this make?  Have we not learnt that violence only begets violence and love begets love?  But how is it possible to respond to this heinous act with love? 

The simple fact is that it would be extremely difficult to live our day-to-day existence mindful of all the injustice, pain and suffering going on in different parts of the world every day.  Actually we could not.  We would need to change and very few surrender meekly to change. But change is what we need! 

The response of many people has been to strike out and hurt those who have hurt us and yes, this is a "natural" response if you will.  But how will killing and violence lead to a world of compassion and love. Please do not misunderstand the message, it is not that people should not be stopped from committing acts of senseless violence, they must!  But we understand that punishing criminals is a short-term solution to a long-term problem and if we fail to explore and shed light on the root of the problem, the criminals will simply replaced by other names and faces, but nothing much will have changed. 

It is "natural" in times of fear, confusion and uncertainty that we close our ranks and move within more comfortable circles.  When the Global village fails us, as it has in this instance, then it is quite "natural" for individuals to seek refuge in "their" country as symbolized by the National flag.  For others, who cannot feel completely safe in the "American dream", comfort is sought in their religion or local community, others not comfortable there will close ranks within their family and seek comfort and safety there.  But there is a danger in all of this.  We must understand that by waving the American flag and seeking refuge behind Nationalism we fan the very flames that are the root cause of this present situation.  We are accentuating the "us" against "them" syndrome.  When Man feels divided and separate from others, hate, anger and fear manifest.  It is this very division that is at the root of the fear that is the cause of all our woes. If only we can somehow understand that we are all in this together. 

Modern technology, science and the population explosion have done us a great service in "showing" us that it is impossible to live in a vacuum oblivious to our neighbors even if they live at the other end of the world. If we can understand that the artificial borders of nationality are perpetuating a myth of separateness that is false.  This is as true of skin color, religion, language and the numerous other ways that we create an illusion of separateness. 

All the labels we identify with are simply our periphery and at this level there seem to be great differences.  Certainly a Jew is different from a Hindu; a black man is different from a white man; an American is different from a Turk, a man of means is different from a poor man, etc. But as we move beyond the obvious and deeper towards our very core, we will find that there is something that connects not only every human being in the Universe, but every animal and even our environment. 

Deep down that energy that makes our heart beat is the same energy that moves in a dog or cat, which in turn is the same energy that allows the flower to blossom or the tree to grow outside your home and the same energy that is responsible for the blades of grass beneath your feet.  Yes, it is the same energy that shimmers down the spine of the villager in Afghanistan, the unemployed young man in Palestine, the widow in Northern Ireland and the orphan in South Africa. When we feel that sensitivity or connectedness to each person, regardless of skin color, religion or nationality; to each chicken and cow; to each flower and tree, then and only then will the world change. Certainly, we cannot make this sensitivity happen to another, all we can do is transform ourselves and that is where it must begin.  Where else can it begin?

The mystics and wisest of our kind throughout history have continually tried to describe their own state of being and their own experience.  They have repeatedly talked of a sense of oneness, a sense of wholeness in which the individual becomes a part of the greater universe; when the river flows into the ocean and becomes lost in it.  They have also told us that this can only be a personal existential experience; it cannot be intellectually grasped; no argument will be strong enough to convince those who have not "seen".  

In conclusion, the recent events in New York if we are to take The opportunity that is available to us, have to point us towards our own inner being.  It is through introspection of our own lives we will understand fully why this event took place.  It is only by looking into and understanding the anger, frustration, dissatisfaction, boredom, loneliness, restlessness and general discontent within ourselves will we be able to live harmoniously with all aspects of our Universe and become more sensitive to the different aspects of the one great big Universe that we live in.

It is always easier to focus on the outside or the "other" than on the inner or ourselves and often it seems more prudent to do so, but deeper reflection will reveal that all that manifests in the material world is a reflection, a mere shadow.  When we can bring some awareness to our inner being, the real us, we will see that the outer will change automatically without fanfare or strenuous effort.  We simply need to walk the inner journey, explore our own beings and all, not only will be revealed, but in that revealing we will see transformation.  And in that transformation lies the only hope for survival through peaceful coexistence.