“We’re all just walking
each other home.”
In saying this, Ram Dass was in fact figuratively referring to the spiritual journey that each one of us must undertake as we travel through life on our way to our eternity. Throughout this journey, we are never alone, but are constantly relating with others in a variety of ways involving the use of all our senses, real and imagined. While some of these contacts will be ones we know and share our lives, but there will be many we don’t know as they cross our paths. But irrespective of whom, all along the way, we are continuously influencing, and being influenced by them. And not withstanding whether this proceeds consciously and unconsciously, it will certainly impact the direction of our subsequent journey ‘home’, and affect how we eventually choose to behave on our travel. This is probably why Norman Vincent Peale, the very influential American author, religious leader and inspirational speaker firmly advised us on the behavior we should adopt:
“To be successful is to be helpful, caring
and constructive,
to
make everything and everyone you touch a little better.”
Without
exception, all the world’s major religions are founded on the principle of
helping each other, and their members are constantly encouraged to treat others
with the same degree of care and attention that they will treat themselves:
Christianity: The main thrust in
Christianity revolves around the principle that God expects that believers must
love others as they love him. The Holy Bible overflows with clear and unequivocal
references:
“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees
his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how then does God’s love abide in him.” … John 3:17
“Truly
I tell you, whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do so for me.” … Matthew 25:40
“Whatever you wish others would do for
you, do also to them.” …
Matthew 7:12
Judaism: The principle of Lovingkindness,
the act of caring for others is considered a core value in Judaism. The
sense of inclusion of every person is stressed and the faithful are encourage
to think of praying for everyone, rather than alone.
Islam: Helping others is
considered to be a fundamental aspect of Islam. It is included as an integral part
of obedience to Allah.
“Whoever relieves a believer’s distress
in this world, Allah will rescue him from difficulties in the hereafter.” …Holy Koran
Buddhism: The Buddhist faith
was founded on the principle of Karma and the need for good action by serving
others, generosity and compassion. They stress that without this, it was
impossible to attain nirvana.
“As
human beings we each have a responsibility to care for humanity. Expressing for others brings inner strength
and deep satisfaction.” …Dalai Lama
Hinduism: Caring for others
in need is considered to be the heart of Hinduism. Vedic theology dictates that
everyone must help to relieve the sufferings of others. This is considered
their duty; their dharma.
Yet,
despite all the universal admonitions, the principle of taking care of each other’s
needs in this world remain sadly disappointing.
Ram Dass, in his masterpiece
publication in 1971, Be here and Now, explains that the reason for this
rests on the basis of man’s nature to be judgmental rather than allow the natural
course of events to take place. He compared man’s selfish actions to the
beneficial actions of the living trees growing in a forest. As the trees grow
freely and uninhibited, they will adopt their shape and size to accommodate the
other vegetation and allow all to reach their fullness. But with the humans
this is lost. They are weighed down by their judgmental attitudes and instead
of asking what help is needed, they prefer to find reason and excuse for the
shortfall in others. This attitude serves to increase the gulf of suspicion
that exists and widen the separation. He strongly argued that this can only be
overcome when we begin to replace the preconceived judgment by appreciation,
and rejection by universal acceptance. William Penn, the English born Quaker,
author, philosopher and founder of the State of Pennsylvania, offered a more
honest belief when he wrote:
“I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore,
there be kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let
me do it now, and not defer it or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again”
The whole world is presently held hostage
under a deadly grip of the vicious Coronavirus Pandemic, which has not
only caused vast and unimaginable havoc to the environmental and the economic health
of every single country in the world, but even more to the very survival of the
world’s population. It has so far resulted in causing millions of infections
and almost half a million in deaths without any end in sight; even while
continuing to ceaselessly ravage every single corner without regard. At times
like this, it would have been reasonable to expect the world to have come
together, to pool their resources and to do everything possible to help all those
in need. This after all, should have taken place if we all heeded the advice of
our God, our beliefs and our holy teachings.
But unfortunately for us all, Ram Dass was
correct when he accused the human race of being too judgmental and not caring
enough, and much more concerned about satisfying the self, at the expense of
the rest. Had he been alive today, he would have raised his hand high over his
head and would have cried out in horror that rather than walking each other out
of this turmoil, we are continuing to do, both individually and collectively,
everything as we please without any concern or regard to the needs of others. The
evidence is overwhelming; when the president of the country contradicts and ignores
the advice of his experts, when responsible people choose to deny or ignore legitimate
warnings, when people elect to horde rather than share, and when they publicly risk
spreading the disease by disregarding advice like avoiding crowds and wearing
masks, these and the countless other ways we have chosen to avoid our
responsibility of caring for one another, will confirm our sin.
Without question, the urge to satisfy our
egos at the expense of all else, is the single most damaging curse of humanity.
Quite unlike every other living thing on this earth, we are the only entity
that possess a deeply embedded ego that demands gratification at all cost. In
fact, many truly genuine and sincere people will willingly attest, as Ram Dass
pleaded, that this indeed might well be the greatest curse of mankind. Bob Marley,
a man for whom I have the greatest regard, not only as an entertainer, but
even more, a social philosopher, in his own inimitable way, was to the point,
when he observed:
“Live for yourself and you will live
in vain.
But live for others, and you will live
again”
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