THE NATURAL WORLD, WHICH MUST BE SEEN AS INCLUDING OURSELVES, MAY NO LONGER BE VIEWED AS BELONGING TO THE REALMS OF MAGIC, BUT IT AND WE HAVE TO BE VIEWED AS BEING ‘MAGICAL’. THAT IS THE SPIRITUAL IMPERATIVE OF OUR TIME. IT IS NOT DIFFICULT FOR US TO ACCEPT THAT THE ANIMAL KINGDOM – WHICH INCLUDES US – IS SENTIENT, IS CONSCIOUS, IS AWARE AND OFTEN SELF-AWARE. THAT ALONE PLACES HUGE SACRED AND SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBILITIES UPON US. AS WE DELVE EVER DEEPER INTO THE SO-CALLED MECHANISMS OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM, IT IS NOT EVEN THAT DIFFICULT FOR US TO SENSE SOME SORT OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN PLANTS AND FUNGI. SENTIENCE AND PURPOSE – IN PHILOSOPHICAL SPEAK THAT IS TELEOLOGICAL PROCESSES; IN OTHER WORDS THE CONCEPT OF THE FINAL CAUSE IN WHAT HAPPENS RATHER THAN JUST THE EFFICIENT CAUSE IN PHILOSOPHY SPEAK – NOT ONLY OFFERS INSIGHTS INTO OURSELVES AND OUR WORLD AND HOW WE AND ALL OF IT WORKS, BUT IT ALSO POINTS US TO THE HIGHER PURPOSE OF US AND OUR WORLD. AND OUR HIGHER PURPOSE IS THE SPIRITUAL, MYSTICAL AND INDEED SACRED PILGRIMAGE TOWARDS ONENESS WITH THE ALL, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL GOD.
The scientific and philosophical revolution that occurred around the 16th and 17th centuries, saw the triumph of the principle of the first cause, or efficient causality. In other words explanations regarding how the world worked and indeed what the world was, were essentially grounded on the principle that ‘D’ was caused by a prior event ‘C’, and that both ‘D’ and ‘C’ could ultimately be explained by prior event ‘B’ and so on. This was, without a doubt, a powerful and profound insight, that has led to a previously unimaginable awareness of how things work, and of course has led to our scientific and technological progress that has transformed the world and indeed for many people has transformed lives for the better. It is possible, however, that we are nearing a tipping point in which we become aware that although efficient causality is a crucial factor in the universe and indeed in our lives, it does not explain everything about us and our world. So long as we see some sort of purpose in what we do, in other words that not all that we do can be explained through efficient causality, or more to the point through machine-like mechanisms, then suddenly we begin to grasp something fundamental about ourselves, and indeed about the very world and universe in which we live. The natural world, which must be seen as including ourselves, may no longer be viewed as belonging to the realms of magic, but it and we have to be viewed as being ‘magical’. It is not difficult for us to accept that the animal kingdom – which includes us – is sentient, is conscious, is aware and often self-aware. As we delve ever deeper into the so-called mechanisms of the vegetable kingdom, it is not even that difficult for us to sense some sort of consciousness in plants and fungi. Sentience and purpose – in philosophical speak that is teleological processes; in other words the concept of the final cause in what happens rather than just the efficient cause in philosophy speak – not only offers insights into ourselves and our world and how we and all of it works, but it also points us to the higher purpose of us and our world. If we and our world are essentially mechanistic, then there is no purpose. But if we and the world in which we live are as much moved by purpose as we are by what happens to us, and if we can accept that and be aware of that, then we stand at last upon the threshold, the tipping point, of a greater awareness of what we and all of creation is. Our very sentience is the key. Our purpose is to become mindful of, and embrace, and become ONE with the sentience of everything, the sentience of the ALL.
