To me Reverence for Life is a deeply intrinsic value just like Gratitude. It is simply inalienable-- a recognition of life itself- in oneself and everything around us. When that recognition dims or fades, unconsciousness takes over and with that comes a feeling of fear and the illusion of unempowerment. I believe we are always empowered through our will and choices, however trivial that may appear in terms of their ability to imapct. Loss of power is an egoic experience and hence an illusion.
I have never really felt unempowered but experienced various degrees of empowerment that seems to emanate from within and less from without. My deepest sense of reverence comes from the earth itself - from the tallest mountains to the tiniest speck of life. My sense of unempowerment comes from experiencing collective unconsciousness like War or the systematic destruction of our planet in the name of progress or economic growth. But even such a context, i see a resurgence of life and hope-- like the syrian immigrant to Germany who is looking to qualify for the olympics or the movement for a shared economy. Hope and with it true power takes birth in the crucible of despair. In the truest sense, we are never really disempowered! This is what helps me maintain reverence towards life.
On Apr 12, 2016 Indira Iyer wrote :
To me Reverence for Life is a deeply intrinsic value just like Gratitude. It is simply inalienable-- a recognition of life itself- in oneself and everything around us. When that recognition dims or fades, unconsciousness takes over and with that comes a feeling of fear and the illusion of unempowerment. I believe we are always empowered through our will and choices, however trivial that may appear in terms of their ability to imapct. Loss of power is an egoic experience and hence an illusion.
I have never really felt unempowered but experienced various degrees of empowerment that seems to emanate from within and less from without. My deepest sense of reverence comes from the earth itself - from the tallest mountains to the tiniest speck of life. My sense of unempowerment comes from experiencing collective unconsciousness like War or the systematic destruction of our planet in the name of progress or economic growth. But even such a context, i see a resurgence of life and hope-- like the syrian immigrant to Germany who is looking to qualify for the olympics or the movement for a shared economy. Hope and with it true power takes birth in the crucible of despair. In the truest sense, we are never really disempowered! This is what helps me maintain reverence towards life.