21 levels of Self-Deception: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

T W E N T Y - O N E L E V E L S

‘What is the human?’, asks Brian Swimme, ‘The human is a space, an opening, where the universe celebrates its existence.’ Elsewhere Swimme links our response to the universe with the flow and counterflow of form and formlessness. He says:

‘…the ground of being is generosity. The ultimate source of all that is, the support and well of being is ultimate Generosity. All being comes forth and shines, glitters and glistens, because the root reality of the universe is generosity of being. That’s why the ground of being is empty: everything has been given over to the universe; all existence has been poured forth; all being has gushed forth because ultimate Generosity retains no thing.’

Both quotes from Brian Swimme — The Universe is a Green Dragon.

Likewise, deep ecologist writer Joanna Macey says that our starting point in relating to the universe should be gratitude whilst Meister Eckhart suggests that if the only prayer you say in your whole life is ‘thank you’ this will suffice.

In Indian philosophy it is said that Brahman is manifest as ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’ meaning, ‘conscious joyful existence’. In similar vein, the Hindus describe Creation as ‘Lila’ — God’s play. The Earth has given us life. She provides our food and everything else we rely on for our continued existence. Perhaps you could stretch this and call it providence — or grace. Somehow life exists and thrives despite all the odds stacked against it. Somehow too, there is a strength that seems to come from beyond ourselves. The origin of grace is mystery. No

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