by Gregory Toole
We live in times of rapid change. Is it possible that it could speed-up some, or at least in ways that are more enlightened?
In the arena of human rights and social justice, in our time we have seen the civil rights movements of the 60s and 70s that eventually led to greater equality for African Americans and women, the election of the first Black president of the United States, and now marriage equality that includes gay and lesbian couples.
On the global scene, the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union dissolved, and the Apartheid system of South Africa was dismantled, the latter of which I witnessed personally on the ground in the form of the first fully democratic elections in South Africa.
These are but a few examples of the enormous changes that have occurred. Yet, why do I ask if we could get better at hastening some change? Mainly, it is because so much suffering was wrought in most of these changes before they occurred, often over a period of decades or centuries.
Have we now evolved to a place as a human species where we can skip the mass suffering part? Philosopher Ernest Holmes stated, “The world has learned all it should through suffering.” Can we see into the mystical truth of oneness, the connectedness and sacredness of all of life, and today end the infliction of suffering as part of our evolution?
The wisdom already exists to do so, if there is the willingness. We know enough to eliminate suffering and injustice in all its forms. All that remains is for us as a human species to let go of our need to maintain the status quo, our fear of change, and our need for gradualism.
The issues of immigration, homelessness, famine, genocide, animal cruelty, and so many others have solutions in the full recognition of our oneness and connectedness with all other beings. When we truly understand and live from a place of oneness there can be no ‘other;’ all suffering is our collective suffering and we come together to eliminate it.
Here are some practices, values, and ethics that, if embraced, have the power to eliminate needless suffering from injustices:
- Make it a priority to end suffering due to injustice in all its forms.
- Allow your greatest quest to be understanding the truth that all of life is one indivisible whole, and look deeply into this truth to discover the common ground that already exists.
- Embrace and learn to love change and personal growth. (We cannot evolve very well as a human species if we are not committed to our own personal evolution.)
- Put your attention on core universal truths and values, such as oneness, love, fairness, and justice rather than personal opinions and dogma.
- Expand your capacity for empathy, truly desiring to understand life as it is lived through and as other sentient beings.
- Dispel the myth that change can only occur gradually.
- Practice unconditional love of all sentient beings by living in the question, “What would I do if I loved each being (and myself) unconditionally?”
Will you join me in up-leveling human evolution? Together we have the power, wisdom, and love to change the world in enlightened ways that are unprecedented. Let’s do just that!
Enjoy the journey.
Somseva™ 
An inspiring post Gregory. Yes, I agree it’s as easy as you say,…for those who are already there. For those who are not there, it is not quite so easy, and there are more of those people who make up the body of social consciousness, then there are people who have risen above it. For myself, I have yet to figure out how to quickly change a life time of social conditioning, on a global scale, or even on a national one. I hope you do a follow up to this post. I could use the answers to those questions if you have them. Keep up the good work. we need every enlightened person we can get working this situation.
Thank you, Sanora1. I will certainly consider a follow-up to this post. You paint the scenario very well and I do believe many are ready to make the shift, with some help on the “how to.”