Reading: from “Respect for the Interdependent Web of All Existence of Which We Are a Part,” an essay from With Purpose and Principle, Edited by Edward A. Frost, p. 97

The spiritual discipline of offering our respectful attention to the interdependent web of life will automatically lead those who wish to advance the seventh principle into the most fundamental of religious practices: acknowledging the consequences of our actions and choices.

Jose Ortega Y Gasset stated the connection clearly in The Viking Book of Aphorism: Tell me to what you pay attention, and I will tell you who you are. What we choose to pay attention to determines to a large extent what we become.

We are not only a part of the grand design of natural selection and evolution; by the decisions we make, by the way we take care of, ignore, or increase the brokenness of our world, we ourselves are profoundly changed.

Seemingly inconsequential human actions, like throwing a cigarette butt or a candy wrapper on the grass, can alter the beauty and well-being of a landscape. But such small, thoughtless acts also damage the perpetrators. In the Hebrew scripture the proverb is simply stated, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling.” [Proverbs 26:27]

Sermon

In 1997, Leo and I went to New Orleans for a few days. One of our fondest memories was a boat trip on the Bayou. Besides entertaining tourists, our captain earned his living hunting alligators and selling them for their meat and skin. But he was careful never to kill one under 6-feet long. He said, “We take care of the Bayou and the Bayou takes care of us.” He was a big, burly fellow, full of folk wisdom and fantastic stories of how he got the numerous scars on his hands and arms. He was like a walking advertisement for our seventh principle, the interdependent web.

(Later, Leo relished an alligator sausage sandwich, perhaps wondering whether this sausage meat had fought our burly captain.)

There’s something wonderfully earthy about that area. I wonder whether the Bayou was spared damage in the hurricane last year and whether the captain left the area. I cannot imagine him anywhere except the Bayou. He depends on it and it on him.

We Unitarian Universalists are a diverse people in our beliefs. Did you know that of all our seven principles, we have the most common ground amongst us in the seventh principle? I remind us that it reads, “We covenant to affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” This principle was reworded at the last minute before it was confirmed. It used to read: “…respect for Earth and interdependence of its living systems.” This wording was focused only on the earth. The newer wording, “the interdependent web of all existence…” lends itself to the possibility of the mystical—at least some of us think so. After all, the “web of all existence” could point to the cosmos, or the cosmic or the Universe.

UU Buddhists sometimes refer to the universe as being like Indra’s jeweled net, a “vast net of jewels” that encompasess the Universe wherein the reflection from one jewel is contained in all jewels, and the reflections of all are contained in each. “As the Buddhists put it, ‘All in one and one in all.’ This sounds very mystical and far-out, until you hear a modern physicist explain the present-day view of elementary particles: …each particle consists of all the other particles, each of which is in the same way and at the same time all other particles together.” (p.38, Wilber) You’ve heard of physicists and the field of quantum mechanics. What's the difference between an auto mechanic and a quantum mechanic? The quantum mechanic can get the car inside the garage without opening the door.

By and large, Unitarian Universalists are grounded in everyday life, like their Jewish and Christian forbears, and we can include Islam as well. Jewish and Islamic laws are primarily about being good, behaving in a way that will make the world a better place. Jesus taught us to love one another and he meant we should do this by being kind to one another. And yet all three religions all have nuggets of mysticism in them as well. We explored the Jewish nuggets in the Kabbalah a few weeks ago. Jesus said some curious things, such as “All that is in heaven is within you.” Jesus’ most interesting mystical words are not in the Bible but in the Gospel of Thomas (p.28, Wilbur) in this quote:

They said to Him: Shall we then, being children,

enter the Kingdom? Jesus said to them:

when you make the two one, and

when you make the inner as the outer

and the outer as the inner and the above

as the below, and when

you make the male and the female into a single one,

Then you shall enter the Kingdom.

I suspect that this is part of the reason that the Gospel of Thomas was suppressed—because it was less practical and more mystical and philosophical.

Although Unitarian Universalists are very practical and down-to-earth like the other Abrahamic faiths, 92% of ministers and many lay-people identified our first source from which we draw out inspiration as a very important source! I remind us of the world of this source: “Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life.” So you see, though we are a grounded people and our seventh principle inspires much of our work for social justice, we also hold out the hope for the mystery in the universe and perhaps in ourselves.

Today, I led us through a meditation for transcending to the mystical level. As an image, I used Jacob’s ladder reaching to heaven and I asked us to climb seven rungs; this represents the seven levels of consciousness that are taught in Hinduism and Buddhism and many New Thought systems. (The actual story in the Bible doesn’t have only seven steps—I added that. It seems to have many steps with angels moving up and down it.)

But where are we when we “climb the ladder” of consciousness. Is it “out there” or “in here”? I do not know for it is something to be practiced and experienced rather than described. In his book No Boundaries, philosopher Ken Wilbur describes The Spectrum of Consciousness. The seventh level of his spectrum is called “unity consciousness.” Through the ages, mystics of all religions describe this level of consciousness in vastly different ways. Some call it the “unified field.” Here is a description of experienced by one person:

“The dust and the stones of the street were as precious as gold, the gates were at first the ends of the world…..Boys and girls tumbling in the street, and playing, were [like] moving jewels. I knew not that they were born or should die. But all things abided eternally as they were in their proper places. Eternity was manifest in the light of day….” (p.2, Wilbur)

Not all mystical experiences are visions. Some are simply extended experiences of bliss, infinity, and awareness of unity of all things with all things identified as one. Ken Wilbur says, “There is much evidence that this type of experience or knowledge is central to every major religion—Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—so that we can justifiably speak of the ‘transcendent unity of religions’ and the unanimity of primordial truth.” (p.3, Wilbur) Eastern teachers and Western mystics believe we will benefit greatly if more people would become aware of unity consciousness, which some people call God, Tao, Spirit of Love, and so on. I believe this is true and so I raised this subject to you today.

Think of all the people who are creating havoc in this world today. If they were to transcend to unity consciousness daily, could they really abuse, maim, and kill? Doing such things would actually appear foolish to one aware of unity consciousness for they would be killing themselves and God at the same time.

You have heard it said many times that having a spiritual practice will help us in our lives. There are scores of spiritual practices; transcending is one of them. Creating and listening to a sermon is also one of them. Personally, I think that climbing Jacob’s ladder is the easiest and most effective. Some of you who have attended my summer meditation sessions have learned about the Hindu chakkras, the seven points of energy that reside in front of the spine. These are the seven levels of transcendence residing in the human body, the Hindus believe. It is a powerful teaching.

Some spiritual practices keep us grounded very much in this world and some take us out (or in) to the Infinite. But today we will indulge in the spiritual practice of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the eating of corned beef and cabbage and the like. I understand that the Irish actually eat bacon and cabbage. Apparently, the Americans are teaching the Irish a thing or two about how to celebrate their patron saint. They never had marching bands on this day in Ireland but they do now because American bands go over to Dublin to play on Saint Patrick’s Day and the dollars are welcome. So the accommodating Irish accommodate their American visitors but stop at the practice of drinking green beer! So today might be the third day you can celebrate being Irish. Let us do it with spirit. Our last hymn is “We’re Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table.”

May we continue to do social justice work in the world with the seventh principle—the interdependent web—in our minds and hearts. But may we also reach for the Infinite with a spiritual practice for it will nourish our souls.

References

The following has inspired and informed this sermon:

Frost, Edward A. With Purpose and Principle: Essays about the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism, Boston: Skinner House Books, 1998.

Wilber, Ken. No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth, B

The Holy Bible, Exodus 28:12-17. This is the story of Jacob’s ladder.