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October 2009 
What if we saw the universe as a living thing?
Posted on Apr 22nd, 2009
by 
Centria
Centria
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for April 20, 2009:
oh, Earth. oh, Beautiful Creature spinning in the galaxies, how I want to see you as a living being, as something so alive that we talk together and make plans together and share blessings and tragedies and daily chit-chat.
oh, Earth. On one level, we're One. You know we're One probably more than I know we're One. I have an intellectual idea that we're One, and probably some feelings too, but I don't think I truly get it down to the pores, down to the cells, down to the basic simple level.
If we understood You at this level we'd take you into account with every decision. If you were our lover, or our parent, or our child we'd consult you. We wouldn't drive to town so randomly, fly across the country so wantonly, stuff excesses in our hungry mouths. We wouldn't fill up our gas tanks so thoughtlessly, wouldn't indulge so fruitlessly, wouldn't follow our whims and flimsy desires so heartlessly, thinking we were spinning toward God or Awareness or who-knows-what.
We'd make every action count. We'd decide based on a partnership. You would be ALIVE to us. We'd quiver before deciding, wanting to please you, wanting to create a partnership.
I went to the river today, the wild and cresting river filled to the brim with melting snow-water. The river of Earth spilled herself on the banks and poured herself in me. Did I realize our Oneness? Only the edges of it. Only the edges of it.
With what do we realize our Oneness so deeply that we're changed to the core? I hear words, words, everywhere which declare Oneness and yet actions so often declare personal desire. And personal desire so often claims authority, thrusting the universe as a living thing to the side.
What ways do I see the universe as a living thing? Are there ways which aren't blossoming forth in consciousness yet? Are there ways? I do see her as partner, as an Other, as a representative of Self come forth into the mirrored-world in which we walk. She's a giver. She gives nourishment, love, life, beauty. She is Ourself staring in the pond of Possibility.
I long to truly surrender to her so there's no separation, no background upon which we play out our lives, no inanimate background.
This prayer on Earth Day: May we realize your life beyond our intellectual ideals. May we surrender to every flower, every tree, every bird song, every wave lapping on the shore of our uncertainty. May our hearts fill with kindness. May the kindness blossom as flowers in the damp spring soil.
oh, Earth. On one level, we're One. You know we're One probably more than I know we're One. I have an intellectual idea that we're One, and probably some feelings too, but I don't think I truly get it down to the pores, down to the cells, down to the basic simple level.
If we understood You at this level we'd take you into account with every decision. If you were our lover, or our parent, or our child we'd consult you. We wouldn't drive to town so randomly, fly across the country so wantonly, stuff excesses in our hungry mouths. We wouldn't fill up our gas tanks so thoughtlessly, wouldn't indulge so fruitlessly, wouldn't follow our whims and flimsy desires so heartlessly, thinking we were spinning toward God or Awareness or who-knows-what.
We'd make every action count. We'd decide based on a partnership. You would be ALIVE to us. We'd quiver before deciding, wanting to please you, wanting to create a partnership.
I went to the river today, the wild and cresting river filled to the brim with melting snow-water. The river of Earth spilled herself on the banks and poured herself in me. Did I realize our Oneness? Only the edges of it. Only the edges of it.
With what do we realize our Oneness so deeply that we're changed to the core? I hear words, words, everywhere which declare Oneness and yet actions so often declare personal desire. And personal desire so often claims authority, thrusting the universe as a living thing to the side.
What ways do I see the universe as a living thing? Are there ways which aren't blossoming forth in consciousness yet? Are there ways? I do see her as partner, as an Other, as a representative of Self come forth into the mirrored-world in which we walk. She's a giver. She gives nourishment, love, life, beauty. She is Ourself staring in the pond of Possibility.
I long to truly surrender to her so there's no separation, no background upon which we play out our lives, no inanimate background.
This prayer on Earth Day: May we realize your life beyond our intellectual ideals. May we surrender to every flower, every tree, every bird song, every wave lapping on the shore of our uncertainty. May our hearts fill with kindness. May the kindness blossom as flowers in the damp spring soil.
Access: Public
Kathy, I was going to answer something similar as my answer on your comment in my blog. But I just saw your response to that so I'll just leave you a smile here…and a yes…and a smile…and a yes… and a hug…
Lucienne, you know how Rumi longs for His Beloved? That's what I feel for the Earth so often…a longing to love so fierce and intense and beautiful that it ends in passionate orgasmic union. It may be enough to love the Earth just this much…but the longing itself also feels beautiful in some strange way.
Here is a sweet and longing Rumi this morning, unfulfilled and fulfilled in his love,
I am a sculptor, a molder of form.
In every moment I shape an idol.
But then, in front of you, I melt them down
I can rouse a hundred forms
and fill them with spirit,
but when I look into your face,
I want to throw them in the fire.
My souls spills into yours and is blended.
Because my soul has absorbed your fragrance,
I cherish it.
Every drop of blood I spill
informs the earth,
I merge with my Beloved
when I participate in love.
In this house of mud and water,
my heart has fallen to ruins.
Enter this house, my Love, or let me leave.
Thank you Kathy, very precious.
What can I say…my heart feels heavy for the longing…I wish to melt…
yes, heavy with the longing and allowing that to be OK too…our desires to melt and surrender. And then in the next moment maybe we'll be perfectly fine with everything exactly how it is. And that's love too. Oh how to live in this shifting merging melting building growing dissolving universe. I love you precious Lucienne.
Kathy and Lucienne, you inspire me so!
Thanks, Nicole, and guess who inspires me as well? YOU!!!
Mother Earth is filled with a wisdom that we may never understand, but I'm with you! I surrender!! Let the knowledge, the love, the peace, and the “being” just flow like the water she gives us to survive!
Hi Rachel, I suspect we're just smitten with Mama Earth, head-over-heels in love with her and wanting to surrender even more. Yes, that the being can just flow like water. You are such a water spririt, aren't you? Ahhh, the glories of the waters filling our lakes, our oceans, our rivers…twisting and turning across the face of our great planet. Survival and beauty. Oh yes. Love seeing your smile, girlfriend!
Amen to that, Kathy. I am a water spirit; I suppose I always have been and am really feeling the power and energy from it as I get older.
Your writing gives me that motivation to stay environmentally focused when I get thrown off balance. So, thank you, Kathy! You rock! : )
oh what a beautiful ode of love for earth & for the longing to be one.. I enjoyed reading this very much, thank you Kathy.
You are one of my favorite scribes of all time. I love love love this one and would love to cross post on Now I Can See The Moon on the EarthDay 2009 - Thanks for weaving like a curved pen. Hugs
Oh Rachel we do need to keep taking each other's hands when we get off balance and helping one another along. I remember a time or two when you have done the same for me. I love it that we can support one another to remember what's important, what counts, when we get off track or side-railed.
Tara, thank you dear one. I so love the earth so much. I am realizing this more and more each day walking upon her back, taking pictures, writing about her. That's when it began to dawn upon me that much of my previous declarations of love were simply words. Many of them still are. But the heart opens to her more and more each day.
Kathy, you may cross post this to our delightful Moon group, indeed. “Weaving like a curved pen”!! I love that. The first poetry of the morning… :)
Kathy,
These same kinds of thoughts have been filling my being and thoughts lately. The realization that I am somehow a very real “part” of something so huge as an entire planet.
I read someone's idea recently that Nature is indifferent to us. Can we really know that's true? (Just a hint of Byron Katie there) Can we really know that Nature and/or Gaia herself are not conscious?, just because we can't comprehend what such consciousness would be like? What if what we “think” we communicate with, that is Divine and we have labeled “God” and have thought of as a masculine entity, is really the intelligence and consciousness of Gaia herself coming through to us, because it is us?
Some philosophies do divide the reasoning, intelligent, conscious aspect as masculine / God and the emotional and physical manifestations, arising from the womb of the Earth as feminine / Goddess.
Never to mind about it too much. Dualities simply help us to comprehend huge concepts, in our limited human way. Concepts so large, we can't contain them logically within our mental functioning.
Happy to have your insights, always -
Deb
Deb, I like how you say that dualities simply help us to comprehend huge concepts, in our limited way. Thank you so much. You have just supplied the positive benefit of dualities so we can love & honor them instead of bashing them to see what's beyond. (said with guilt…I am so guilty of bashing dualities at times…but from this moment on will also see the gifts inherent in them.)
I think you are right…it is the intelligence and consciousness of Gaia herself coming through us, because it is us. How succinctly put.
Glad to hear your thoughts as well! Love, Kathy
I love the ways of your introduction…a formulation of what your thoughts are, and it's formulated dance of devotion, and the personal way you see and treat our beloved.
You shine of blessed candor, and your beauty is it's forthcoming of words for all to grow and nourish from.
Blessings to your passionate love, for all that you write is for all of us to nourish from. (((HUGS)))
“V” and Love,
Rita
Ohhhhh Rita your words are magic for my heart today. In fact, I'm even tearing up a little now. Love and joy to you, Kathy