by Gregory James

(This is Part II of a three-part series.  If you haven’t already, for the sake of context, I recommend you read Part I before proceeding with Part II.)

The most basic human impulse is the desire for happiness.  What each person considers happiness to be may well be quite different, nevertheless, everyone seeks it.  And no matter who you are or what you want, happiness originates in — or takes place through — satisfactory relationship to others.  Without relationship, expression is not possible, exchange is not possible, interdependence is not possible, growth is not possible, and therefore, happiness is not possible.  Since happiness depends on relationship, and relationship is ultimately the platform for expression and development via interdependence and exchange, we can recognize from this Truth that the most basic Nature of being human — indeed of the Universe itself — is development via expression.  No matter who you are, everyone ultimately wants the same thing: to be heard, to be understood, to get a message (no matter what that message is) to someone else — at the very least, we seek to reflect on our natural sensibilities as they relate to our environment and circumstance.  It is as the Oracle in “The Matrix” films so eloquently put it:

“We’re all here to do what we’re all here to do.”

This is how we know we are here, by measure of our impact and influence on others and on our environment (both temporal and abstract) and thus, on our own selves through our realizations.  Whether that impact or influence is healthy and positive depends on the health and alignment to Universal Law of the individual giving the message.  The reason for this is because the very nature of the Universe and all phenomena fundamentally begins with a Message:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ~John 1:1

This is not just a dogmatic Christian perspective but an observation pondered by the great philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, some 350-400 years before it appeared in the Bible.  It is furthermore at the core of Eastern Spirituality, expressed most universally as the Holy OM — the Foremost Resonate Emanation of the Center.  Moreover it is the realization of both ancient mysticism and modern quantum physics that everything IS ultimately energy vibrating at variable frequencies — that is, a Signal, a Message, a “Word” that gives expression to that which therefore exists.  The evolution of life is the result of this fundamental expression and development; all things that are now — including consciousness itself — are the product of evolution (perhaps not the evolution we learned about in school, but evolution nonetheless).  And from the very beginning of our lives as babies and young children, our entire being IS pure expression and development.  Everything we eventually become is resultant from our exploration within this fundamental, complimentary dichotomy (expression being the outreaching force that feeds development, which is the gathering and assemblage of input that becomes the platform for further expression).

Thus, our happiness depends entirely on expression — on our ability to impact and influence others and our environment, resulting in our own development.  This is perpetuated through the interdependent origination and exchange inherent to relationship / relativity.  The whole world and indeed the Universe (and the Power of its Way) is a kind of canvas or stage for this expression — this is the deepest and essential-most meaning of the word “Dharma”.  Even Bodhisattvas, activists, freedom fighters, and relief volunteers — those performing the greatest Service to others, beyond illusory self-importance — live for the importance of their respective message; it is their Life and their Work.  The Way of Universal Law ultimately IS Expression and Development.

This profoundly Creative Truth is embedded in us as the very basis of our existence.  It’s why we keep probing and exploring, from religion to the depths of psychological processes, from biological science to evermore complex mathematics, from the inner workings of the most elementary particles to the furthest reaches of outerspace, from artistic expression to all practical applications of the internet, from economics to political science.  Everything, all relationship, is ultimately space for expression — a conduit for our respective “messages” to be heard.  Indeed it is why the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights is freedom of speech and expression; it is obviously an unalienable Right!  

“Declaration of Independence”, by John Trumbull, 1819, oil on canvas:  an idealized depiction of the drafting committee  presenting their draft of the Declaration to the Congress, 28 June, 1776.

…..
And this is how the United States — as an idea — allegedly formed: giving expression to a fundamental, unalienable Freedom, as articulated in one of the most inspiring documents ever put to practical use, The United States Declaration of Independence.  It was a magnificent message sent to the whole world, that mankind is Free by Nature and that tyranny and oppression need not and should not be tolerated.  And the message wasn’t perfect, mind you, but at least it left room for further expression and development — which was perhaps the most beautiful thing about it (ideologically).  The US, originally (at least in theory), was an intentional community formed to facilitate this process of expression and its subsequent expansion of happiness:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

To be sure, our respective equality then was little better than today (as I said, the message wasn’t perfect — or at least it wasn’t applied perfectly).  How “…all men are created equal,” was interpreted, for instance, was that you were “equal” so long as you were a white man (preferably a wealthy, land-owning, white man) and so long as you weren’t a black man, a brown man, a red man, a gay man, or a woman!  And so long as we are misinterpreting Truth, we might as well insist that we are not all equal regardless of our race, sex, or social status.  After all, some of us do good things with our lives, and many of us do not.  Some of us are intelligent, inspiring, brave, gifted, and seek earnestly to make the most of our short time here; and others of us are weak-minded, abusive, cowardly, soul-sucking wretches who seem to do their very best to make life miserable for the rest of us!  So where’s the equality, really? 

Well, we must first note that being “equal” does not mean being the same.  We are definitely not all the same!  However, we are all created with the same fundamentally equal, Universal Power of Expression and Development.  Again, this isn’t to suggest that we will all impact the world in an equal way, just that we all have a say; we are all made of the same Universal Law, and we are all equally responsible for our own expression and development, as well as our unified evolution — based on our respective “place” within it.  Whatever that means to you will depend on you and how you choose to act or not act.  Regardless, one way or another, each of our respective choices will impact the whole.  Whether that choice is actively pursuant of Truth or deficiently apathetic — contributing only to social entropy — the choice remains yours, equally!  What you do with your life, at least in terms of the attitude you choose toward it, is your equal Right.  It is tragic indeed that there are people and their inflicted circumstances that attempt and sometimes succeed in thwarting many of the choices we would like to make, yet even if the whole world is against you, you retain the Right to choose your attitude (never forget that).  In all, our Universally equal position under “Nature’s God” assures us balance, in the end (see below).  Yes, we all have a say, and that’s why it is:

“…self-evident, that all [people] are created equal…”

The entire body of innovation, division of labor, and infrastructure that spawned from this basic and evident Truth is the very foundation of what was supposed to be a Free and Natural society — one that liberates individuals substantially from the basic needs of survival, and thus bestows the freedom to pursue activities that are aligned with one’s own natural interests and talents, perpetuating the Way of Expression and Development — allowing individual expression and development to permeate national, social and cultural expression and development.  This development, of course, would ideally be improvement rather than perversion, but this depends entirely on our adherence to, or violation of, Universal Law — which, just like the Way of Expression and Development, begins with the freedom and subsequent responsibility of each individual.

So the question is: how is humanity, society, the government and economics arising from them a natural movement of consciousness, and how does our individual and collective Happiness depend on them?  

With the development of advanced societies, governing systems naturally emerged.  (How these governments came to be highjacked and adversely manipulated is another story.)  It is somewhat incorrect to say that government is unnatural.  The governments of man are certainly manufactured, yet the natural gathering of people and their respective conscious energies naturally fosters communication and exchange of ideas so to support a collection of “good” ideas to ease the burdens of life.  Thus the original purpose of these governments was to help coordinate the functioning of society, to preserve social order, and otherwise facilitate the purpose of society, which (as outlined above) is principally the health and happiness of its members via a socio-economic network of individual and collective expression and development.  While governments and civilizations have increased in size and complexity, the general purpose of government remains the same — and yet it has become obvious that other agendas have supplanted this original purpose.

Throughout the course of history there has been an undeniable darkness looming.  In recent times, this darkness has finally come to a head.  And as the challenges and complex demands placed upon society have grown increasingly severe, governments have strayed from their basic purpose.  Instead, they are preoccupied with managing crises, maintaining order via clandestine and often hostile ways, and fighting to preserve power.  Most world governments have now become so paralyzed and tangled by self-inflicted problems and political infighting that they have become like a cancer to society.  Large political and activist movements have even arisen so to assert that governments are not only failing to fulfill the interests of society, but have actually become an obstacle to that fulfillment.  This growing inability of governments to deliver satisfaction to their citizens has led to frustration, popular unrest, and political-economic instability worldwide.  Social-economic inequality is the name of the game.  Our politics must now move beyond multiculturalism, beyond the charade of the two-party system, beyond the media pretense, beyond this insane and wasteful consumerism.  We need profound changes, and fast!  The many currents of dissatisfaction that saturate the masses will only further our degradation.  Now, more than ever before, is the time for a radical shift toward Universal Law!

But government cannot be held solely responsible!  A government cannot be situated among the people that is not a direct product of the people themselves.  Ignorance and apathy are no excuse.  If citizens violate Universal Law, ignoring what is natural and Right in life, then there is little that any government can do for them.  In fact, in remaining silent and apathetic — continuing to obey all the rules of the corrupt control system — all we do is enable governments to be evermore corrupt and putrid in the name of self-serving comforts and cheap pleasures.  We have forgotten the True Power we possess; it begins with our unalienable Freedom of Expression!  So, what are you saying?

This social entropy has gone on so long now that there remains nothing in nature nor culture that is not polluted and disfigured according to the means and interests of corporate greed and the political-industrial complex.  We cannot even begin to pick up the pieces and fix the problems in any conventional way because the system we follow is an endless abyss of legal and ideological safeguards — a spider’s web of catch 22′s.  You’d have to master the maze first, but by then you’d become a part of it, and few rock the boat they’re standing in — not when it means losing everything they’ve worked for.  Perhaps most shocking is that this backward conundrum is supported by degrees to what has become “normal” to the population at large.

So, are we completely, indelibly lost?  Well, maybe — if we are to be honest.  But I’d still argue that we don’t have to be.  However, if we are to change in any way that could possibly matter, it will require the Right Recognition of, and adherence to, Universal Law.  Here’s why:

All problems result from a “violation” of Universal Law.  To be sure, Universal Law is actually inviolable, meaning that when we disobey its principles, Universal Law sets the wheels of Balance in motion.  For example, if you drive too fast around a corner, superseding the applicable physics to maintain control of the vehicle, Universal Law will replace those physics with still more physics (namely centrifugal force) resulting in a chain reaction of natural events that ultimately end in a very predictable automobile crash — all perfectly in accord with the Universal Laws of physics.  Another example: if you poison your body with poor food choices, Universal Law will bring about ill-health and perhaps even an untimely death — and we mustn’t forget that ill-health and death, however unwanted, are perfectly natural.  You see, even when we do not accord with Universal Law by choice, it is nonetheless present and inviolable.  As such, problems of national health, crime, economy, education, and environmental issues are all problems born from a lack of appropriate observation of Universal Law — one way or another.

So what is Universal Law, exactly?  Universal Law is the orderly superposition of harmonic principles that govern all events and processes — a natural, Universal, order to everything.  A law of nature, as defined by science, is a precise description of how nature behaves under specific circumstances. This natural, Universal Law pervades everything; nothing happens that is not the direct result of Universal Law.  The actions of every cell in the body, every breath we take, every marvel of life, every movement of the cosmos, is governed by Universal Law.  Universal Law IS life itself.

Moreover, in addition to having tremendous energetic capacities, the deeper layers of Universal Law are increasingly profound and holistic.  The more commonplace (readily observable) expressions of nature can be understood as fractal, yet ostensibly separate — or at least distinct — expressions of the more unified laws governing them.  In other words, macroscopic behaviors are merely observable manifestations of more fundamental underlying processes.  For example, the behavior of objects can be derived on the basis of their atoms.  Furthermore, we can see from this understanding that the observable universe, while marvelously vast and diverse, is actually only a relatively small part of Universal Law — a superficial, partial reflection of the concentrated, potent intelligence and magnificent symmetries that exists at fundamental scales.

As above, so below.

Each layer is rich with profound order and remarkable comparisons between them.  Take for instance the beautifully symmetrical structure of the snowflake compared to the incredible symmetries displayed in the elementary particles; or the orderly structure of the atom complimented by the precise elliptical orbits of the planets; or the similarities seen between the structure of crystals and the highly ordered states of open thermodynamic systems.  Nature’s government is also maximally efficient.  Such incredible order to Universal Law illustrates both its pervasive, omnipotent quality and its indispensable factor of interdependence within all things.  As we can see from this, it only makes sense to adhere to Universal Law in the most precise way.

The most pervasive component to Universal Law is the principle of expression through least action — being that all objects and phenomena are actually individual expressions of underlying dynamics, manifesting with perfect efficiency.  This principle shows that whatever nature accomplishes, it does so with maximum efficiency, economy, and conservation — that is, free and equal exchange via interdependent relationship.  In other words, all natural events unfold along the most economical path, the path where the action — the measure of energy used — is the least.  Nature is so efficient, in fact, that there is essentially no real waste at all; everything is either used to begin with or completely and naturally recycled — again employing the path of least action to do so.  We see this principle at work in the interdependent origination of all phenomena and change, from the simplest event to the most complex constructs of the cosmos.  In all physical and energetic processes, nothing is wasted; matter is neither created nor destroyed — it simply flows from one form into another.  And most interestingly, at the deepest level, nature is even somehow energy-producing.  In modern inflationary models of cosmology, the universe undergoes a period of abrupt, exponential growth during which — due to a delicate balance of gravitational and material energy — the universe expands by many orders of magnitude while maintaining a constant energy density.  The result is that the entire universe, with its unimaginable mass and energy, emerges essentially from nothing.  And this is a perfectly scientific observation!

We come full-circle with these principles of development via expression, interdependent origination and economy, with the observation that Universal Law is inherently evolutionary.  It has given birth to — and sustains the existence of — over eight-million species on earth (not to mention untold hundreds of millions of now-extinct prototypes).  And recent evidence suggests that this evolutionary quality is not, in any case, limited to earth.  Wherever marginally hospitable environments exist, living organisms are likely to be found, even deep within the earth, or deep within the ocean with temperatures above boiling!  Scientists have found microbial life or evidence of microbial life in some of the most unlikely conditions imaginable — even where it was previously thought impossible for life to exist.  Indeed, evolution is the very nature of life.  Wherever we see anything, we see evolution — biologically, cosmologically, and consciously.  Even the most cursory examination of life reveals that the nature of life is to develop through expression.  Therefore, the most basic errors we can make are to be mindlessly overactive, wasteful, and complacent — which are unfortunately very popular and increasing trends in our world!

To abandon participation in Universal Harmony, efficiency, and refinement of Consciousness is to futilely reject Universal Law.  And yet we see that our society, on almost every level, is morbidly indulgent, wasteful, and complacent as a typical way of life.  With this type of behavior, a great reckoning is soon to follow.  The ultimate inviolability of Universal Law will bring balance, but it may not be in any way what the human mind would recognize as favorable.

And while to anyone paying attention the world may look like a catastrophe waiting to happen, it is possible to reconcile our collective humanity, but it starts with the individual.  Being a Teacher, I know very well how challenging it is to help people to wake up and stop worshiping false ideas.  Nevertheless, we must keep Working to facilitate this Awakening; this too is Universal Law.  And once people really start to take a look at themselves and the mess we are in, objective judgment and recognition of Right Relationship become the most natural motivators of adherence to Universal Law.  Then, using natural amplification mechanisms that exist within the social system, it is possible to affect a society-wide Transformation from widespread ignorance of Universal Law to life in accord with Universal Law.  Drastic changes need to be made, for sure, but nothing can be done properly unless we accord with Universal Law.  Otherwise, it’s just “meet the new boss; same as the old boss.”  And therein, the pursuit of happiness is — by the devices contingent upon it — barely a faint shadow of the True Glory that could BE.

*****
….

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

~US Declaration of Independence, 1776

This essay is Part II of a three part series on the corruptibility of ideology and the importance of Universal (Natural) Law.  The importance of Universal Law and its objective reality versus the credulity and confusion inherent to ideology will be explained in my next and final post in this series.  Please subscribe to this blog; you will then receive email notifications of future posts.  (Your email address will not be shared or sold.)