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| COSMOTHEANDRIC UNITY |
Human life is beautiful and wonderful. One cannot grasp the depth of it.
One can choose to live for oneself or for others. Even if one chooses to live
for self, has to relate with the ‘other’. The other can be his fellow being,
the nature around or some supernatural reality. Being living on the earth, one
ought to relate and depend on the earth and its essentials. These earthly and
relational essentials support the person. This does not mean, that the person
can fragment the earth for one’s greed and need. One may negate the existence
of the Divine and profess to be an atheist, but cannot negate the
transcendental or metaphysical existence which is still a mystery for humans. A
person cannot exist without the help and support from 'the other.' The very
birth of a person involves at least two individuals whom we call parents. Thus,
this whole world is nothing but a ‘web of relations.’
This web of relationship is seen from the microcosm to macrocosm. Let’s
take a tiny atom, say a Hydrogen atom. Within it, there is a proton, a neutron
and an electron. All three are in perfect unity. A slight change in the spin of
electron or position of proton, will affect the very nature and property of the
Hydrogen atom. If just one electron is added to it, the whole atom becomes an
inert atom, Helium. Similarly, in a large scenario, the whole universe is
related to every single atom. The motion of planets, stars and galaxies too are
in perfect harmony. A slight disturbance in the structure or movement of a star
causes enormous harm to the stellar harmony. One cannot but wonder as to who is
the master-architect behind this. Of course, it is not human being.
When we analyze our own surrounding, this beautiful mystery may unfold
us. Let’s take a fresh water pond as an ecosystem to unfurl the
inter-relationship. The pond may be naturally formed or human made. In any
case, it supports not only human beings, but also hundreds and thousands of
lives. There are living beings in the water, there are beings live on both land
and water, and there are lives which depend on this pond for the survival but
do not live in water. Even within the water there are fishes or living
organisms that feed on other fishes or lower organisms. This relationship is
intrinsically needed, if not the other living beings will multiply and cause
greater harm. So the nature itself puts a restriction. In Darwinian sense, it
is 'the Natural Selection.' The bottom of the lake is inhabited by certain
molluscs, which feed on the dirt and thus reduce the harm done to the other
living organisms living at the centre and periphery of water. If those molluscs
were not there, the life of other organism would have been tough.
When there are lots fishes, the birds and other animals which feed on
fish will find their homes around the pond. There will be water birds, wild
ducks, sparrows, cranes, snakes, mongooses and other animals making their way.
If there were no mongooses, the number of snakes would increase and that would
create havoc for the humans. When there are more mongooses, the birds such as
eagles and vultures will find their way. The same pond may be a life-line for
humans who depend on it for the food and water. Not only this, it may serve
food for the aesthetic hunger of many.
Human being is endowed with three essential things: Knowledge, Body and
Spirit. Knowledge is related to reasoning and thus it represents the human
aspect of the reality. The ability to think, reason out and the wisdom which he
applies to the situations of life allows one to transcend from one sphere to
the other. Body is the cosmic reality. It is the body which is the vehicle for
knowledge. The divine aspect of the reality is Spirit. Human is both spirit and
body. All these three things make a person human being. What lacks in other
beings is the knowledge aspect which differentiates from the others.
The web of relationship first and foremost makes a person aware of the
potentiality and goodness one has within and without and at the same time
teaches one to be the stewards of nature. Therefore, desecrating one’s body,
one’s mind and spirit basically is a sin. This applies even towards the cosmos
and divine. Any act of misuse of one’s potentiality is also a quality of
unbecoming. In this regard, misuse of nature and natural diversity is a grave
unpardonable sin.
The wisdom one has, need to be translated into our relationship with
the ‘other.’ Thus, this inter-relationship necessarily becomes ‘spiritual’.
This spiritual relationship enables one to lead a life of harmony, respect and
love; to heal the wounded beings, assists one to listen to the groaning of the
other with compassion which will enable to act concretely, reminds of one’s
sacred mission and duty to be catalysts in becoming messengers of peace and
above all invites one to abandon the destructive and disrespectful attitude
towards one and all.
Thus, the world-view, I comprehend is of an
inter-related, ‘cosmotheandric’ and pan-en-theistic. Every reality is
relational. Even a leaf does not fall down from a tree without a silent
knowledge and cosmic approval. It has its own significance in making the
universe, an ‘oikos.’ Our spirituality, aesthetics, rituals, sacred and
secular dealings find their expression here in making our earth, a Home of
Love.
Fr. Raju Felix Crasta
