are we a personal representation of the worst of humanity?
Vic Shayne
author
13 Pillars of Enlightenment: How to realize your true nature and end suffering
While it may be popular to smile broadly and proclaim that we are all one, wouldn’t that also have to mean that we represent the worst that humanity has to offer? Logic dictates that this would be true. If we are all one then we must be all of what humanity is. The sense of self, which is the person we take ourselves to be, cannot be somehow excluded from all the ills, ill-intent, ugliness, anger, and violence of humanity and still be included in the flowery statement “we are all one.” Are even the best of us no more than terrible people in disguise?
the self is an island unto itself
The sense of self believes itself to be an island cordoned off from the rest of humanity. The self, which is the “me” or the “I,” states, “I am here and you are there,” and “I am this and you are the ‘other.’” The self has no real acceptance of the reality of this world, its role, and all that goes on within it. Our psychological conditioning leads us to believe that we are separate — right here where we are — from out there where you are and everything else is. This alone creates tremendous conflict within us which is expressed in our society and all our interactions and relationships.
what is humanity?
We live in conflict because we accept some aspects of our humanity while rejecting other aspects. Even the word humanity is skewed toward making us seem like essentially wonderful people: “humanity: [noun] compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition : the quality or state of being humane.” But consider this other, more complete, dictionary definition of humanity: “human beings collectively. the state of being human.” What are we collectively and what are we as human beings?
who are you, really?
One of the most enduring teachings in spirituality is an idea as old as humanity itself and has been rekindled through revisiting several enlightened gurus such as Nisargadatta, Ramana, and various schools of thought such as Zen, Taoism, and Sufism. Asking yourself the question: “Who am I?” is far too provocative to dismiss with a quick answer and then be done with it — or answer the question with something we’ve heard or know by way of our religion or the teachings of Buddhism, Zen, Sufis, or Kabbala. The question begs to be answered by way of deep self-enquiry so that the sense of “me” is challenged to step aside so that consciousness alone can observe the “what is.”
what is “what is”
“What is” refers to what we are as a whole — not what we believe we are or what we wish we could be. Honesty is an absolute requirement to delve into the question of “Who am I?” And there can be no honesty as long as the egoic self is involved, because the self is biased, prejudiced, saturated in beliefs and secondhand information, and unable to experience clarity.
While we are quick to praise ourselves for our superiority, kindness, good sense, and wonderful qualities that the other guy doesn’t possess, the fact is that the “me” is also full of the worst that humanity has to offer. the self cannot begin to admit to most of what it is, and if it does it is inclined to become depressed or fall into a state of self-loathing or low self-esteem; but this is only because the self is unable to know itself without judgment, criticism, or partiality. Self-enquiry, then, must not be entered into by the self. Instead, only observation — awareness — without the self must be the way. And, paradoxically, when there is no self there is also no way, but only an immediacy of seeing “what is.” To uncover “what is” requires path, no system, no measurement, no ideas, no memory, no mantras, no concentration or contemplation, no knowledge of Zen or Buddhism, no New age ideas about oneness, and no thinking.
the trap of idealism
To see how life really is, and how we really are, there can be no fixation on idealism, whether we are looking at ourselves, the Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Gandhi, Jesus, the Buddha, the Pope, or our favorite saint or religious icon. We cannot go on the examples led by others, because we are not living vicariously through them; we have our own seeing, our own lives.
People are people, and this means they are the totality of good, bad, indifferent, and duplicitousness. Our repetitive patterns of history show that people are examples of a greater umbrella of consciousness that contains not only good, but also bad and indifferent. We are the effect and cause of the same problems that affect everyone else; and our societies are full of the same types of people that have always existed. Our efforts to not be petty or angry are but proof that we are petty and angry. Our inclinations to scream at some rude person on the highway or the grocery store speaks to our own anger and violence. The “nicest” people watch horror movies and films saturated with violence and they sit in a packed theater listening to a comedians of all colors spew racist remarks while complaining about racism.
are you a good or bad person?
Ask yourself whether you are a good person, but before you do so, put aside all thought, judgment, criticism, knowledge, logic, and tendencies for self-aggrandizement. Be honest. See, on present evidence, what you are and you will see what humanity is — which is the totality of thought, emotions, and memories. Jesus is credited with saying that he who is without sin may cast the first stone and President Jimmy Carter once said that he had to admit that he had lust in his heart. For his honesty Jesus was brutally murdered by the same peoples who came to adore and worship him; and Carter was unendingly ridiculed by the right wing for his candid comment.
What good does it do to know that we are not only the best of humanity, but also the worst? This is a question we each must investigate for ourselves.
