In 1944, Adlous Huxley published “The Perennial Philosophy”. In his work, Huxley sought to examine the world’s religions through the lens of commonality. He guides the reader down a path that ultimately leads one to conclude that at their very foundation, the world’s religions share a common thread; namely that we are all divine spirit seeking to love and be loved by the same eternal Spirit of life. He concludes that humanity is bound together by the boundless drive that has no preference for race, religion, sex, or origin. Love is the eternal energy that binds us all together. Can we say we’re any closer to this truth?
Recent world events prompted me to once again reflect on
this foundational truth. As violence in
the name of religion rages around the world, it seems to me that while we’ve
journeyed far, we still have a long way to travel. Violence perpetrated or justified in the name
of faith is the antithesis of our divine heritage. Where there is violence, love has been pushed
into the shadows. Great atrocities have
occurred throughout humanity driven by the misguided belief that one religion
or political philosophy is superior to another.
When we get down to the foundation of why we’re here, no religion contains
the entire truth nor does it possess all the answers. Until we come to embrace that we are all spirit experiencing a human existence and bound to each
other in love, these atrocities will continue.
There are days I believe we are devolving, not evolving.
Whether its terror perpetrated in the name of God, the
coercion, kidnap, and forced conversion of young women, or the destruction of
sacred places, those that perpetrate these actions, do so as a direct assault
on Spirit. While perhaps well intentioned
at times, the zealous actions of one spirit against another, is a direct
assault on their soul and by extension humanity itself. The good news is that the eternal Spirit of
love cannot be defeated. While it may be
brushed aside, the divine within each of us cannot be silenced. The
resilience of the soul cannot and will not be denied. The visible may be destroyed, but another
cannot conquer that which is buried in every heart if we stand against it.
Let me go out on a limb and further suggest that such
violence is not limited to obvious acts of destruction and harm we may read
about in the news or revisit in humanity’s history. From my perspective, everyday action of
well-meaning parents can have the same effect.
When we coerce or force our children into a particular religion, we may be
inadvertently harming them. Parents
should act as shepherds not taskmasters.
It’s our responsibility to model love while allowing our children to
exercise their free will and find their own path. I’m not suggesting we leave children adrift
without spiritual guidance and support – far from it. Instead, we should view our responsibilities
to be more like a spiritual coach. By
loving versus pushing, we help our children develop their divine gifts. We allow them to grow into their higher
purpose and we accept them as fellow spirits rather than property.
I came to this perspective based on experience. My own parents are Christian yet as I was
growing up, they frequently drifted from church to church. There were long periods where we didn’t
attend a church at all. After getting
married and having children, I became a practicing Catholic. We brought our children up in the Catholic
faith, but as they grew older, we could clearly see this was not their chosen
path. As they became teenagers, we
relented and gave them the choice. One
of our daughters is deeply spiritual and gifted; I have learned much from
her. The other chose not to be confirmed
in the Church, but possesses a spirit of compassion that is nothing short of
miraculous. They are each able to
journey on the path that is right for them and we don’t condemn or criticize
them for it.
We may not be able to have a direct impact on events in far
away places. Our hearts may ache for the
pain inflicted on others but we often lack the means of stopping the
violence. By allowing ourselves to be
affected by their pain, we can join our spirits with theirs in common cause –
the search for love. As parents, we can
be loving caretakers guiding our children to the perennial philosophy and
helping them find paths of higher purpose.
By doing so, perhaps we may be preparing them for something much
greater. Who knows - they may become the
force of loving change that finally moves humanity toward its eternal purpose
and truth. We can always hope.
Duane Grove is founder of Connect2Action and an aspiring
quiet, reflective servant-leader.
Curious sage in perpetual development connecting all on a journey of
discovery of our highest purpose. Follow
Duane on Twitter @connect2action and connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook,
and Google+. Learn more about
Connect2Action by visiting www.connect2action.com.
You can follow his blogs at: mindfulperspectives.blogspot.com and
connect2action.blogspot.com
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