Asian Social Institute PhD in Applied Cosmic Anthropology Ronante M.

Angeles Language and Socio-Cultural Transformation 2nd Semester, S.Y. 2006-2007 April 2008 Prof. Felipe De Leon Jr.

A Journey Towards a Renewed Vision of Reality

An Attempt to Construct My Personal Worldview A worldview is a way of looking at life with a concept of ultimate reality which resides in the collective unconscious of the people 1 It is our way of looking at and thinking about ourselves and everything around us the frame of mind out of which we operate.
2

As such, it is the

conglomeration of how one describes the world, how one explains what the world is, of how one answers the question, where are we heading? A world view also tells of values, methods in goal attainment, truth and beliefs; and an account of its origins and construction.3 How I view the world now has been shaped by my own beliefs and experiences. Since childhood I have been made to believe that the world that exist is divided into living and non-living, male and female, good and evil, light and darkness, mind and body, master and slave, life and death. As years went by, concepts like matter and spirit, object and subject, thesis and anti-thesis were added to my vocabulary. All of these speak about a view of reality characterized by dualism, separation and contradiction. My way of perceiving, thinking, valuing and doing were influenced by this dualistic
1

This is how Prof. Felipe De Leon described worldview in his lecture in Semiotics and the Communication of Change Processes last November 18, 2006. Since that time I have tried to reflect on the way I personally look at reality. In the succeeding lectures he emphasized that the way we perceive reality influences the way we think, how we feel about ourselves, others and the world. It also dictates the things that are valuable to us and the way we conduct our lives. These ideas served as the starting point of the journey A Jouney Towards a Renewed Vision of Reality. 2 Duane Elgin, Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanitys Future, New York, Harper Collins, 2000. p. 45. 3 Apostel, Leo. Seven Elements of a Worldview, retrieved February 2006. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldview

worldview.

experienced

relationships

in

this

divided

world

with

protagonists and antagonists, winners and losers, oppressors and oppressed. ACA has brought me into a journey of going beyond this dualistic understanding into a new worldview a new way of looking at reality. In a previous reflection I have written in the subject Introduction to Creation Spirituality under Sr. Ann Braudis, I described and pointed out the realizations Ive had at the beginning of this journey and I quote; As I undertake my post graduate studies here in ASI, and in taking up creation spirituality, I realize that I am crossing a new threshold that enables me to become aware that I am entering a new spaceNow, such crossing over calls and invites me to shift gears, that is, to tear down established framework and re-assemble the pieces into something quite new. I am gradually challenged to expand my consciousness, to learn of realities that have been present ages before, and to understand them in a new light. This brings me to an important learning, i.e., to reclaim my sense of the sacred present in all realities. I am called to see my interconnectivity with the source of life, to go beyond the limitation of our thinking process so as to take us into a deeper awareness of the sacred that will bring us to know how to act. Reclaiming this sense of awe and wonder, leads me to recapture the contemplative nature within me. This awareness and wonder will lead me to experience the sacred and this will guide me in my own choices and actions4 The concept of the sacred I am talking about is a reality that speaks of spiritual realms and metaphysical understandings which obviously I have taken for granted for so long because of the influences of a world characterized by materialism. I firmly believe that if I am to re-construct a renewed vision of reality it should be grounded on a renewed vision of spirituality which is different from just being religious or pious. When I speak of spirituality what I mean is that a person is in touch with the deepest core of his/her humanity. In the course my personal journey I realized that the
4

Angeles, Ronante M. Reflection in Creation Spirituality

path to achieve this renewal is to devote a huge amount of time in meditation Meditation is something very important to achieve this transformation because it brings us closer to the source of energy within us We become more aware of who we are and our connectedness with the whole of the universe It is this experience with the sacred in awe and wonder which showed me my inter-connectedness with all cosmic realities, both seen and unseen. Being part and parcel of the universe leads us to see the profound bond that binds humanity with the entire universe. This common bond lies in the deep truth that we all came from one Source, that we are stardust, borne out of the one Great Light, and thus sharing in a singular history and journeying towards the same end. Although our individual lives are but dust and particles to the vastness of the universe, we form a viable part in the Universe story and are connected to each and every being that exist. The Universe story unfolds in the unity of opposites: of light and darkness, of positive and negative energies. In finding the point of convergence in these opposites, one is able to draw out the essence of what it means to be part of this cosmos. It is in the integration of these opposing realities that one could possibly live ones existence in its fullness... Problems and crises lead us to go back to the core and depths of who we are and to find our oneness with the rest of creation which undergoes the same process of birth, death and re-birth. As such, crisis is a truly spiritual experience since it leads us to discover the inner strength we possess despite our weakness, and the secret hopes and aspirations in our hearts even in the face of despair and hopelessness. In my own life, I am weaving my personal story which I know is becoming part of the greater story of the universe. One of the most painful experiences I have had in my entire life was the loss of my first born son. It was a very difficult and devastating moment in my life that I thought I will not be able to recover from this painful loss. After going through a period of intense grief, and of realizing that this void would remain in my heart, I came to understand that he is not gone, but has assumed a different form He is still with me in spirit His memory, which is part and parcel of my story, will continue to be

part of who I am. This experience has led me to become more spiritual.5 It is in the practice of meditation that these things came out. and get in touch with the core of who I am. As I

continue to go along the journey I came to realize I really have to go deeper It is there that I came to seriously get in touch and deeply relate with a reality, a mystery greater than who I am. To be in communion with this reality is to get in touch with the very source of life and energy. The above reflection was influenced much by concepts from the classes in creation spirituality which are the foundational subjects in the ACA program and the insights from Duane Elgins book Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanitys Future, published in 2001. Reconstruction of a new vision, a new consciousness and perception of reality to find appropriate expressions that can be carried forward to the future to achieve integration based on harmony, balance and interconnectivity to achieve wholeness of life and all life forms. 6 This necessitates a great amount of increased awareness and concern for unity and integration of life. The unity and integration of life will depend on the way we integrate the different modes of understanding the human condition and at the same time respecting the ways of expressing and experiencing what it means to be fully human. This emphasis on unity and integration in viewing reality is shaped by the idea of experiencing the universe as alive. In regarding the universe as alive and ourselves as continuously sustained within that aliveness, we see that we are intimately related to everything that exists. 7 This idea that we are interconnected to everything that exists in a living, continuously regenerated universe represents a new way of looking at and relating to the
5

These paragraphs were taken from a reflection paper I have written in Introduction to Creation Spirituality S.Y. 2006-2007 under Sr. Ann Braudis. 6 This idea is based on the conceptual framework presented by Dr. Mina Ramirez during the first day of class in Introduction to creation spirituality on July 1, 2006 at the Asian Social Institute. 7 Elgin, Promise Ahead, p. 43.

world

and

overcomes

the

profound

separation,

segmentation

and

fragmentation that have marked our past is continuously affecting us in the present moment.8 At the heart of this renewed vision is the startling idea that our cosmos is not fragmented and lifeless but a unified living organism.9 In looking and experiencing the universe as alive we will discover that our attitudes and behavior towards the rest of humanity and other beings will definitely change. The way we live our life will definitely be affected because everything that exists around has life like us. As Elgin puts it, When we are truly centered in the life flowing through us, we tend to act in ways that promote the well-being and harmony of the whole. Our connection with Mother Universe provides us with a sort of moral tuning fork that makes it possible for individuals to come into collective alignment . An underlying field of consciousness weaves humanity together, making it possible for us to understand intuitively what is healthy and what is not, what works and what doesnt The new paradigm will usher us into an era in which people will be inclined to live ethically because they understand that everything they do is woven into the infinite depths of the Mother Universe. 10 This new worldview influenced by my studies in Applied Cosmic Anthropology has helped me to situate myself in a context far beyond where I thought I was in relation to other cosmic entities. Now, I look at myself in a context that has to do with the human in relation to the whole cosmos not just with the world where I live. It also has to do with the meaning of life and existence which I continuously discover as I go deep within myself. To live we have to find meaning which we can only find in the spiritual realm which is deep inside us and in the whole of creation. This inward journey will continue. There are still more to discover in a universe far beyond mans consciousness. The universe is alive and will continue to live. Humanitys task is to uncover the mysteries the universe offers to the best way he can. I

8 9

Ibid., p. 44. Ibid., p. 46. 10 Ibid., p. 68-69.

am taking that challenging task as I continue to plunge my way to the deepest core of my existence.