Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Do you have a respect and love for the interdependent web of existence?

Unitarian Univeralists covenant together to affirm and promote seven principles and the most important principle of all, under which the other six fall, is the respect for the interdependent web of all existence.

Here at UU A Way of Life ministries we go beyond "the respect" for the interdependent web of all existence to the Love of the interdependent web of all existence.

It is from the interdependent web that all other things are separated and named. In the Tao Te Ching it describes for us the "ten thousand things" which are separate manifestations of the Tao but not themselves the Tao because the Tao is beyond description.

A favorite bar card reads, "If you think you know what you are talking about, you are full of shit." Blunt, to the point, meant to make one laugh at our arrogance and lack of humility.

The seventh principle fills us with humility and also, gratitude. We come to appreciate the whole. The system has a balance, an equilibrium of its own, which we can and should respect if we can rise above being enamored with the separate parts.

As the Buddhist monk said to the hot dog vendor "Make me one with everything."


1 comment:

  1. Great article. I especially like the bumper sticker. Would that we all would like to wake up now.

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