The bottom line of materialist thinking is constant obsession with trying to control things. But all attempts of controlling any aspect of life always fail in the end.
In attempting to control, materialists have to start by dividing the world into mechanical components. They then develop models of how these mechanical components work. That is called science.
From the assumed understanding provided by science they devise methods and technologies to influence the natural course of events.
The basic flaw in the materialist approach is to ignore the wholeness of existence, its infinite vastness and subtlety, and do as if it was possible to divide it into small compartments to which deductive reasoning could be applied separately.
Nevertheless, despite its root weakness, fragmented materialist thinking does manage to produce spectacular achievements.
Sending a rocket in space, creating a computer, keeping a premature baby alive are all impressive accomplishments of modern science and technology.
But all of them have unintended consequences which ultimately overshadow initial assumed benefits.
So many rockets have been sent in orbits that space around the earth is now littered with tonnes of satellite debris which create a real danger for cosmonauts.
Computers are marvellous, but generalised computerization is turning sections of human society into bunches of insensitive blind robots.
Keeping a premature baby alive may be great, but what happens when too premature babies are maintained in an artificial existence without anybody questioning why the foetus wanted to get away.
There are many examples of the same pattern: science and technology enable us to create a particular object or procedure seen as promising. Production of the object or application of the procedure is repeated on an ever bigger scale. People involved in them develop vested interests in going always further. They obfuscate collateral damage, deliberately or unconsciously. Finally unintended consequences of every particular type of object or procedure interact with those of thousands of other products and procedures. The end game is systemic chaos.
The futility of trying to control can also be experienced at the individual level. Try and reflect calmly about the succession of events in your life and in the lives of people you know. Notice how things always turn very different from what had been planned.
In fact, the urge to control is a manifestation of ego.
The ego sees itself as separate from universal oneness. It sees itself as different, special. From the vision of specialness comes the idea of one’s right to use other people, nature, anything for one’s own assumed advantage. And the rest flows from there. Arrogance, manipulation, lies, hard intrusive technologies, violence, repression…etc.
Trying to control and failing is part of our experience. We need to have had the experience to appreciate the vacuity of ego, and finally take the big step of intuitive “let go”.
Let go into complete trust in the universe, let go into kindness, non judgment, pure love.
Fear not, feel your lightness.
Love,
Leo
Copyright © Leo Foresta 2012
Leo Foresta 