Throughout my years of study, I remain continually astounded by how little most people know or care to know about this concept. All sorts of theories come to light on the subject, most of which are founded from a lack of information. In our attempt to stay westernized and "sophisticated," we often ignore the cultures most unique from our own; we deem this concept of cyclical time as ludicrous. This lack of diversity is a disturbing, yet pervasive trend. In high school, I remember the classes about "cultural diversity" we were required to take. Native American History, etc. We read books about slavery. And about "Indians". Having passed the class, we were given a figurative stamp on our foreheads that said we were "educated" and "diverse". I hated these classes.
I found it an insult to my intelligence to assume that I would be happy with this sloppily fabricated version of a diversified world view. At the same time, it sickened me that world history was a semester long class, the same as American history. The world has been around for thousands of years. We have only been here around 2oo. Yet the combined history of the entire world has the same weight and value as our measely two hundred years? How can we have the arrogance to assume we know everything there ever was or will be? Where is our humility?
As I was entirely unsatisfied with the educational system's definition of diversity, I began reading on my own time. I read about the army coup in Burma against which a staunch advocate of democracy was fighting silently. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for the majority of her life. Yet we learn nothing of this conflict. Even when thousands of monks march in peaceful protest, we know nothing.
I read first hand accounts of the war in Afghanistan. I read books written by the prisoners in Guantanamo. I read poetry from the East and the Mediterranean. I read stories of war and love, poetry from France, novels from Russia....I sought out the "classics" that were deemed less than relevant to our diversification in schools. There is such a wealth of information, of beauty in this world that we are not allowed to see! Is it any wonder our children grow up to think America is the center of the world? Is it any wonder we go overseas and expect these cultures to conform to our language and standards? We are not exposed to the immensity of life! How can we know better?
Understanding. We can teach our children to see themselves as individuals belonging to a World of information, of people, of culture. We can teach them to see themselves as citizens of this vast and wonderfully diverse planetary body rather than as citizens of a single nation or thought process. We can expose this next generation to every idea, every culture, every religion and great innovation, rather than confining them...condemning them...to a life of stunted and singularly "Westernized" perspectives of the world.
Western cultures see time and our lives on this earth as linear....progressing to a final stopping point from which there is no return. To our eventual dismay, this world view continues to remain incompatible to our observations of the world. We see the seasons come and go in cycles of death and rebirth. We see history repeat itself endlessly, and we find no explanation. We see ourselves developing in terms of cyclical stages of time, and we stand confounded by the phenomenon. Why? We have attempted to impose an unbending rule of the straight line onto the ephemeral diversity of nature, both in the earth and in ourselves.
When Sexson spoke the other day of the eternal return, I found his words on the subject both surprising and extremely engaging. He gave an example: Kayla may die but she will come back later in a different body, at a different time, and with different memories but she will still be Kayla. Finally! This is reincarnation. I was immensely greatful to see it so aptly explained in terms even a Westerner can understand. Reincarnation isn't the chance to come back as a frog...or a fruitfly. It's the chance of time, a chance to learn what needs to be learned in this life, this one chapter, and if need be return again to learn what is still needed. After one has developed to his utmost potential, to the very zenith of his capabilities, he frees himself from the turning wheel of life, the cycles of death and rebirth. His soul travels on to other dimensions of learning and growth. Reincarnation is the freedom from an end, the chance to be continually better than what we were.
I googled the word "reincarnation" just to see what would come up and I found this quote by Henry Ford. Here is an excerpt: "Time was no longer limited. I was no longer a slave to the hands of the clock". In a world of cycles and continued understanding, we have the time to read the eternities. We are the eternities.
