One of the many ways that we distinguish ourselves from one another is by our consciousness. The level of awareness regarding our goals, perceptions of interconnectedness, and purpose in life, for instance, varies widely, not only at the individual level, but also between communities. This variation gets further increased by religious, cultural, and environmental convictions. A simple way to consider this is that, while some societies have an excessive drive toward elevating living standards, other societies display such a lethargy toward progress, that makes the visitor wonder if they ever consider rising above the status quo. Another way is to consider the attitudes from various countries and their people: while some do everything they can to create and maintain peace, others do everything to create and maintain war. When critically reviewed, one may wonder whether the level of consciousness from people driven by shame, guilt, aggression, hate, lethargy, pride, or shortsightedness can be elevated. The opinions may vary on this.
Yet, while we may not be able to change the conditions under which we were born, we can improve the quality of our lives if we decide to. It all starts in our mind. It is determined by our consciousness: the awareness we develop toward all our actions, our way of thinking, and our mission on earth.
In a recent brainstorm session, we came up with the following suggestions. We can elevate our human consciousness:
- By sharpening our awareness in the treatment of animals, particularly the way these animals are treated toward becoming daily meals on our plates.
- By being of service to at least one other person, even if it is not always convenient.
- By realizing the reasons why we are where we are now, and why our life is furnished as it is.
- By getting ourselves in the mode of thinking through continuous education, whether formal or informal.
- By keeping in mind that nothing is permanent: everything arises and passes, and if we can see that through ourselves, why not learn to accept it from others?
- By gathering and assembling with others and talk about issues that can enhance our awareness.
I would like to invite you to comment on the above. Do you agree or disagree that our consciousness can be elevated? If you disagree, what are your reasons? If you agree, how do you think we raise our level of consciousness? Please reflect on your own practices, readings, things you have heard or seen, or ideas you can come up with. With this brainstorm session we can generate a nice list of practices and share ideas that can be helpful to all of us.
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