Isn’t it amazing how within a single generation we’ve taken a quantum leap in the evolution of our technology? Some of the gadgets and machines we have seamlessly integrated into our daily life, only 10 years ago would have been inconceivable. And the rate of technological development seems to be accelerating at an astonishing speed.
Have you noticed over the last few years that there are more and more inventions aimed at self development and life enhancement actually claiming to bring us spiritual growth and happiness, and even greater enlightenment?
This off course raises the question: is it possible that a machine can actually aid in our peace, happiness or enlightenment? The answer lies in understanding what technology really is, in the greater scheme of things.
If you think about it, technology has been with us for millennia already. When caveman drew figures on the rock as a means to visualize a successful hunt, he created and used a technology. It progressed from there to spears and hunting tools, to shovels and farming tools.
Somewhere along the line we had the abacus and ships, telescopes, wagons, pens, cars, and airplanes. Then we had all manner of manufacturing machines, even calculating machines, which led eventually to the mighty computer. This set the scene for us to get finer and more subtle in our technology – with the advent of software. With new software and hardware technology being released every month, who knows where it will take us next?
Because most of our technology currently takes the form of metal, plastic, glass or liquid crystal – mostly inanimate objects, we see them as something that is essentially separate from who we are, and certainly separate from the spiritual world.
Probably still the dominant belief amongst us, although fast changing, is that we are not as spiritual as God is. We believe that God is Spirit, and all of nature is directly connected with God – the heavenly bodies, trees, rivers and birds. We would thus readily use natural objects – fruit and leaves etc in any spiritual ceremony.
When it come to our own relation to the world of spirit, humans have over many millennia, engaged consciously or unconsciously in the ideas pertaining to who we are, what life is, who God is, and what this ‘whole big story’ is about. Collectively, over time, we’ve come to believe that we are removed from the spiritual world – separate from each other, separate from life, and separate from God. This is a mistaken belief, which does not even stand the test of clear reasoning, but from this we have inferred that anything we create must necessarily be even further removed from spirit.
In fact, if you take the view that we are separate from God, and that our inventions and technology are also separate, then you would conclude that God cannot make computers and man can!! Hence your next conclusion may be that humans are more powerful than God!! Closer to the truth is that God can make computers, and did – through us.
Humans are not separate from the divine creative force, but are beautiful extensions of it. And we reflect the creative nature of the universe in our lives and creations. As above, so below. So too with spears, cars, violins, airplanes, computers and i-pods – they are all extensions of who we are, and they can serve to enhance our abilities.
So, can a machine actually aid in our spiritual growth, happiness or enlightenment? Well it is helpful to remember that you cannot produce enlightenment, peace or self realization. You can only remove the blockages to it. Blockages can take the form of mental blocks (ideas), emotional and energetic blockages, or physical blockages. And this is where technology can certainly help, whether it takes the form of surgery or medicine, massage or magnetic plates; movies or mediation music, light or color therapy; biofeedback or brainwave entrainment.
I think it’s a blessing to have such an abundance of well-honed technology that can help us reach greater states of being with relative ease. And it’s certainly an exciting time to witness our ingenious species create subtler, even more intelligent technology which can produce enormous change in the nature of our experience on the planet, possibly reaching all the way into the subtler, heavenly realms! Perhaps the more important question of the day is not whether technology can help spiritual progress, but whether we will we see it and embrace it for what it is?
Will you?
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