A map is a document of location, a covenent of security and place. It can comfort us, by showing us exactly where we are, or if we are lost it can show us the way home. The mandala shares this purpose, this powerful reason for being. Every mandala is a map of the entire universe, with all its fleeting moments, eternal truths and infinite possibilities. It is a cartography of cosmic structure, a visual representation of the potentiality of form, the variability of circumstance, the endless expressions of beauty that can emerge from the pulsing heart of being. It is as if we could stand outside of the universe and draw a diagram of the relationships we see, the interwoven threads of cause and effect that stretch from the origins of time and space into the unimaginably distant future. It is a vision of such beauty and complexity that we can never hope to fully grasp it, deep and rich beyond our capacity to understand. And for all the apparent chaos that we see around us, to all appearances it remains invariably out there—around us, enveloping and even isolating us. But whatever the mandala’s pattern, however chaotic its flow, there is always a central point, a bindu, to which its strength and stability are anchored. And this central point is the “You Are Here” label that situates you in the world.

     Just as the mandala is a map of your universe and of your life, its central point represents you, surrounded by the cosmic maelstrom that is the world you live in. When you think of your world, whether as a physical location or as a cluster of circumstances, you always find yourself at the center of this mental picture. In the same manner that the elements of the mandala flow to and fro around the bindu, the elements of your life flow ceaselessly around you. It is an instinctual assumption, though a mistaken one, to think that this swirl of activity is a distinct and separate thing, that it is isolated and different from you. The illusion of separateness is a powerful psychological force that is difficult to resist. Yet ultimately the mandala shows you that you are not at the center of all things, rather you are the center of all things—you are an essential and integrated part of the whole. The mandala, then, becomes a diagram of connections, links and relations that together define the greater expanse of the universe. And the central point is not a spot around which everything happens, rather it is the focal point for all the brilliant bits of energy that define you.

     Understanding our place in the scheme of things is crucial to enjoying a secure and stable state of mind. However, this “place” refers not to our centrality in a geography of chaos, but rather to our connectedness within a pattern of order. Our place at the center of existence is only a relative truth, evident to every individual that considers the matter. The mass of energy that seethes and swells unto being itself, these bits of density and movement, of potentiality and actuality, woven so intimately together that they are ultimately indistinguishable from each other, this is the ultimate expression of your self. It is this connected state that defines your life and even the universe as a whole. And it is this whole, this indivisible entirety, that is the true you. Remember that the “other” elements of existence that surround you are not really separate from you, and therefore they are not really “other” at all. The mandala teaches us that there is no such thing as other, it is all one, we are all one within it all, and that within and without are meaningless descriptions in an infinite, heterogeneous whole. We are localized regions of Being in a greater region of Being, like fractals in a never-ending series of form and function.

     And so we are, very simply put, one with each other. The immediate ramifications of this fact are manifold, not least of which is the realization of the direct impact that your every action has upon everything around you. And so the only sensible behavior is behavior that benefits others and that regards the well-being of our surroundings, whether it be your neighbors, your environment, or even simply yourself. It is not a moralistic decree that you should develop a compassionate nature, nor a command thrown down by a deity greater and wiser than you. Compassion is instead a universal precept because it is the only course of behavior that recognizes the underlying unity of being. The way of violence and greed is frought with self-denial and self-hatred, because it can only be pursued by one who is blind to their place in the greater whole. And it is really very easy to suffer from this blindness, many would say it is the state of most of Humanity today. But the mandala is always there to remind you that you belong, whether as a beautiful painting or a glorious flower, as the eddies of a passing wave or the glittering stars in a velvet sky. You need only see, consider, understand.

     Study the map of the mandala, feel your place in it, and suddenly the path of compassion and love will glow with the warmth of a comforting embrace. Make this path your life’s journey, for it is the only way that makes any sense at all. And it is such a beautiful stroll…

April 4, 2011 by Peter Patrick Barreda,
material copyright 2011, all rights reserved

     It is a wondrous, harmonious experience to gaze upon a mandala, feeling the movement of its undulating lines, the energy of its sweeping curves, the stability of its central point, the bindu. Yet when you are engaged in admiring the mandala’s beauty and harmony, you would never say that these qualities are concentrated exclusively in the bindu. You feel it in the entirety of the image, in this tiny detail, that little shape, finding the unified arrangement of elements to be pleasing and harmonious. Our awareness moves through the mandala, visually, mentally and spiritually, experiencing its harmony as a complete and cohesive unity. We intuitively feel the intimate relations among its various parts—parts whose apparent individuality dissolves away as their underlying oneness becomes evident. This is a vision of deep and intense subconscious impact whose relevance and importance are mirrored in our own personal experience. Yet we forget how accurately the mandala can describe our lives, the day-to-day living of it. We must remember that ingrained in the mandala are the patterns and structures of ultimate reality, and that these are valuable lessons toward the betterment of our lives. To behave in greater accordance with the mandala is to live in greater harmony with the universe.

     Harmony is a state of being wherein there exists no conflict among the elements involved. However, harmony does not necesarily imply a peaceful state—there may be chaos, hectic energy and disturbances aplenty, but all this activity will be found to occur within a self-sustaining, homeostatic system. The characteristic required in order to describe a system as harmonious is only that the elements and activities that comprise it are acting in conjunction with each other, behaving in such a way that the current state is stable and perpetuated. This recalls the image of the mandala, its impressive variety of elements and the complex inter-relations between them, all of which together exemplify a harmonious condition.

     An innate characteristic of Humanity is continuous movement—physical, intellectal, and spiritual—and one way in which this compulsion for movement is manifested is in the desire for things. We may desire the attainment of certain social status, we may desire the acquisition of certain material objects, we may even seek knowledge and wisdom as an egoistic quest to improve our standing within our view of the world. These goals, all of which are desires of one kind or another, were strongly warned against by the Buddha. He taught that desire was one of the principle causes of human suffering, and this idea is evident in our modern culture. To seek harmony as an end-state, wherein we expect that all our problems will disappear, is as much a material quest as is dreaming of riches and power. Searching for harmony in this way is as futile and fruitless as any ego-inspired quest may ultimately be. Harmony is not a thing, it is a process. It is fine to want things in our lives, or to acheive certain goals. Social as well as universal principles drive us toward this behavior. But to take these actions with the expectation that upon the achievement of our goals we will find true and utter happiness is to set ourselves up for an endless series of failures. It is to create and to perpetuate a cycle of struggle followed by disappointment, repeating itself without end. When desire drives our actions and our intentions, then we live in a perpetual state of wanting. No matter what it is we desire, we can never find ourselves satisfied. Happiness will forever elude us as long as the driving force behind our lives is the wanting of it. We struggle toward our goals, and as soon as we reach them we find something else to want, and so on. This cycle feeds itself with a continuing series of disappointments—it never ends because it can never be truly satisfied. In response to the difficulty and distress this creates, we desire relief from this suffering in the form of harmony. We think of harmony as peace, as quiet, as blissful happiness, and in the morass of daily problems we long for a magical transition to a mythical, imaginary state of unconflicted being. But we mustn’t think of harmony, or a harmonious state, as a set and pre-defined goal toward which we must struggle. It is not a blissful state of being wherein we have accomplished all goals and have made it past all the impediments in our life. Harmony is not an end-state.

     When we focus too strongly on the goals we desire, then we cannot experience the pleasures that may be found on the journey toward them. If we could learn to see our lives in a more linear fashion, where everything we do is part of the grand adventure, we would realize that our efforts are as enjoyable as the fruits of our labor. Harmony may be ours when we realize that the act of being is exactly what it is, what it should be, and what we are supposed to be doing. There is no other. Dis-Harmony is the illusion that the destination is more important than the journey. It is the victory of ego over nature, and the drawing of a hood over the eyes of the universe. It is completely mistaken. The human tendency to desire what we don’t have creates a deep, dark pit of deception and suffering in our lives, so that we can not see the natural harmony that surrounds us. Yet happiness and harmony are everywhere, all the time—it is the natural state of being.

     Rather than envisioning our lives as inherently difficult, and harmony as something we must struggle and suffer for, we should see that harmony is enfolded into every action that we take. One may feel a desire to study medicine, or to learn to play a musical instrument, or to visit a foreign locale. We must realize the joy of the process, where we can enjoy the learning or the striving, rather than seeing these as necessary evils on the way toward our ultimate goal. Likewise, upon acheiving our goals we should enjoy them. We should appreciate the having of them, the being of them, rather than immediately going after the next pot of gold that crosses our path. If you struggle to start a business, then you should enjoy the actual process of the business, the trials and the challenges involved in achieving its success. And you should enjoy its operation and its management, so that your daily involvement in the business is a source of satisfaction and pleasure for you. Otherwise it is a useless endeavor, embarked upon solely as a means to an end, and the difficulties that the struggle brings into your life will render the goal a bitter and unrewarding pill to swallow. Harmony lies in the entirety of the journey, not in the destination alone.

     In this same way, the beauty of the mandala lies in its essential wholeness. We do not look at a mandala and see a beautiful point in the center toward which we must impatiently struggle. Rather, we see a unified image of peace and of beauty, where harmony is glorious and resplendant, where every curve, every line, every point is an integral part of its overarching spirit. We should take in the centrality of the point as but one element in a wondrous tapestry of harmonious interaction, rather than struggle to separate the point as a goal unto itself. Without the rest of the mandala, the bindu is only a point, isolated and alone, barren of the harmony it enjoys as an element in the greater universal mandala. We must recognize the powerful link, indeed the direct correlation, that the mandala has to the universe as a whole. It is as much a product of universal evolution as are we, as complex and beautiful as anything can be. Through this connection we may study the philosophy of the mandala in order to help bring our lives into greater accordance with the forces of nature. By ceasing to struggle against the flow of the universe, by learning to enjoy every wave, every dip, every bend in the watercourse of cosmic being, we will finally find the harmony we seek, and we will realize it was within us all along.

October 25, 2009 by Peter Patrick Barreda,
material copyright 2010, all rights reserved

(This piece was written for a wonderful unity art group called
Artistic Maneuvers on deviantArt.com. Please visit them at
Artistic Maneuvers to see all their captivating work.)

     Several times I’ve been advised by friends to check out artists in the deviantArt community, and honestly have always been very impressed with dA’s amazing roster of talent. There is so much great work there, and in such an astonishing variety of styles, that it always makes for a breathtaking experience to visit the site. I think dA is doing an amazing job of giving these artists the exposure they deserve, with a venue that is comprehensive as well as visually arresting.

     Since as far back as I can remember, I’ve been drawing images that were clearly precursors to the mandalas I draw today. Little childish doodles on scraps of paper, but always possessing that radial quality, that growing out from a central point that still describes my mandalas. There were always many different elements to them, bits of matter coalescing around a focal point. And they were always just black and white, as they are today. People often ask me why I don’t use color, and the easy answer to that is that I’m not inspired to do so. I see the mandalas that I draw as all being variations of the well-known yin/yang diagram—they all exhibit the apparent duality of the universe we live in, convey the intimate interrelations that define our existence, and confirm that there is an innate unity that permeates all the infinities that surround us. In Carl Jung’s famous work with mandalas and their relation to human psychology, he found that it is actually very common for persons who know nothing about mandalas, or have never even heard of them, to draw them in moments of passive mental activity. Many people absently draw mandala-like images while talking on the telephone or listening to a speech. This seems to imply that the basic structure of the mandala is inborn to the human psyche, that somehow this shape connects us to something that is deep within us but is not readily apparent. Jung also discovered that his patients, especially ones with some form of psychological imbalance, were notably more relaxed and focused after drawing mandalas themselves. The physical motions involved in creating a mandala have a visible, measurable effect on the brain that results in a calmer state of mind. This says to me that there is something about the mandala… its form, its patterns, its movement—or maybe something more subconscious and mysterious than these—that connects us to a pure and original mindstate, a point of uncorrupted calm and stability, from which the disturbing influences of society and ego continuously lead us astray.

     The anchor of the mandala, that point which affixes it to our psyche in such a compelling and intimate manner, is the central bindu. In a very powerful subconscious gesture, the bindu represents the viewer that is in the act of observing the mandala. We carry in our minds a passive image of the world as it exists around us, and due to this aspect of aroundness that the world enjoys, we become by definition the center. Within each of us is the feeling that we are at the center of all reality, and that everything that happens revolves around us. This is a natural result of our sensory impressions of our surroundings. This impression of being the focal point of our reality is one important reason that the mandala resonates so strongly within us. When we see the form of the mandala our subconscious recognizes it as an accurate representation of its own subjective image of the universe. We see the ideal pattern of reality as we know it—a complex whole with a clearly defined center. This pattern not only reflects what we perceive around us, but it also describes to us a perfect structure that conveys stability and peace amid the often chaotic realities of life.

     Here we can see the crucial parallels that exist between the spiritual principle of the mandala and the state of society as a whole. The mandala is an expression of unified reality. Within its form lies a frozen choreography of egalitarian being, an eternal moment wherein all the elements that comprise it co-exist, co-mingle, and co-evolve. Within its form there is no segregation or condescension, rather an essential equality that lies at the heart of the ideals that we as a society should strive for. The infinity of points within that mandala mirror the breathtaking variety of the world around us, and in its pattern we can see that all the differences that we perceive between people are superficial and unreliable. The countless faces of the mandala must be seen as one face, and in that one face we will see that everything is possible. In the same way, the countless faces that surround us, friends and neighbors, even strangers and enemies, must be seen as extensions of ourselves, and therefore ultimately connected to us in a tapestry of spiritual unity that stretches across the universe. The qualities that seem to make other people different, maybe even threatening at times, must be seen objectively as conflicting characteristics in the egoistic drives of each group. But these differences, all equally sincerely believed and passionately felt, are really similarities at a deeper level. We all struggle for what we believe; it’s just that we believe different things. We want to mold the world into a better place, but we have different opinions of what constitutes "better". At our core we all want to do the right thing, so if we oppose each other’s actions without truly understanding our underlying motives, then we will never come to a point of mutual comprehension. At this core point we can find the state of unity that strings together all of our individualities into a coherent whole. While the outward manifestations of our beliefs and desires seem vastly different and often even opposed, our underlying goals are amazingly similar, if not exactly the same.

     In order to achieve a greater state of unity in our society, we must dissolve the barriers our egos have erected around us. Sometimes these barriers isolate us as individuals, sometimes as families, sometimes as nations. There is no limit to the damage fostered by these artificial distinctions that we have created and nurtured to the point of obsession. As the central point of our world-image, the ego craves more relevance than it really has by weaving an endless fantasy of exaggerated self-importance and imagined superiority. The mandala, however, shows us that as the central point of our personal existence we hold a place of importance, but also one of unified being. Our centrality imparts not so much greatness as it does interconnectedness, interrelation and interdependence. This is the wisdom that the mandala holds, and the message that it conveys to all who will listen.

Many thanks to Tammie and Max at Artistic Maneuvers
for permission to repost this editorial.

September 1, 2009
by Peter Patrick Barreda,
material copyright 2010, all rights reserved

     The mandala is a living being, everywhere ubiquitous through space and time and mind, growing flowing, being, simply Being… speeding, spreading, undulating… touching gentle fingertips to strings within the tapestry of light—each soul, each heart, each molecule of all-there-is. It fills the universe with the spirit of the dance, the inward/outward spiraling, unscripted choreography of destiny and chance as they unite careening through the starry depths of space… the edge of the mandala washing over everything like the ever-expanding crest of a joyous cosmic wave. Ever there the beating trancing irresisting rhythmic heartbeat racing to a finish that begins and ends between the instants of eternity, loving with compassion and enduring unawareness in a state of bliss and solitude and all-embracing gratitude. Soft surrounding silken are the arms of the mandala, hands that hold the frightened soul so tender and devoted. Reaching ever toward the center, thinking always of the lost eternal moment where the tale first began, where whispers of our Being-ness float off unfettered free… pondering the moment wherein all-that-has-been becomes all-that-will-be in the everpresentness of time. Rejoice reflect the movement of the spheres as all dimensions far and wide and ever-yet-to-be converge upon the bindu center sacred at the heart of the mandala.

     The mandala is reverberation resonation when our senses touch the silvered surface of reality, when consciousness within and consciousness without encounter one another like swiftly passing comets in the night. It is a pattern that pervades and spreads and seeps within, infused in the essence of the everything yet flowing forth with no connections to the uneternal moment. The universal pond so still, so peaceful, reflects itself and magnifies the inter-connections and inter-relations among its uncountable elements, its sweet chaotic heart, its undivided self… the pond, so motionless, so egoless, mirrors all within its unobstructed and unbounded sphere.

     Touch the mirror’s shadowed face and waves flow out as patterns lines eternal shapes and forms that reach from far before to far beyond yet all the while lie deep within—so dormant yet alive—and all these lines they breathe and live and glow with brilliant life unto the edges of the cosmic mind where lie the secrets yet untold, unknown, unknowable. The trails that they draw upon the dusty veil of space are the lines of the mandala reaching out across the heavens like the vibrations of a pebble dropped into the inner depths of self, whose impact grows and flows and permeates the cosmos with a vision hitherto unseen. This vision is a dream of Oneness cast upon the waters, drifting in and out unto itself like slivers of a shattered past, distant memories, dreaming of coherence and centrality, of a unified existence before the boundaries of awareness snared the universal and confined it to the psychaotic poetry of Mind. It is a dream of starlight and vibration, of darkness and vacuum and energy, of points and waves and particles that drift and collide and unite and transmogrify the hidden faces of the forever forgotten flavors of Being.

     The mandala is a map on a parchment of dust, crafted with ink of unenvisionable hue… leading the sightless into landscapes unknown. It is a viewpoint blinded by brilliance, from above beyond before the everything that is not everything, the all that seems to be enough but in reality is not. It guides the un-observer to the end that has no end, the distant edges where to fall into the void means to land back in the center of the everything, the bindu that remains forever present and unreal. It is to fall into the illusion of Being, the ultimate truth of all existence that is no truth but rather an awareness of the boundaries that surround us. The mandala is a guide that speaks no words yet takes us to these edges, to the tipping point, and casts our spirit off into the bright eternal where the currents travel fast and free and merciless unto the afterness of space. It is a paradigm of paradox, where truths unfold into magnificent delusions, and behind every lie is a wisdom older than the most ancient of gods.

     Gaze unto the pattern, walk the corridors and listen to the echoes of the ancients whispering tales of creation and demise, of hopes and dreams unrealized, of clarity and enlightenment and truth. See them as they wander, flying floating fleetly flowing through the cavernous spaces with their secret smiles of understanding, of perspective gained and illusions dispelled by the knowledge of the nurturing winds. See the mandala unite them, touching each in ways unique and universal, giving peace and strength to each, and growing in turn from the touch of their spirit, ever-expanding inward and outward in a deafening symphony of vibration and evolving ever unto itself to the rhythm of the original sound, of the expanding breath, the un-beginning of the Cosmos.

     The secret memory forgotten in the dark recesses of time is that we are ourselves these ancient truths, these all-enlightened Beings… we hold the center that unites the bindu deep within, beyond our reach, beyond awareness, the point we hold within enfolds the All into the One so intimately, lovingly, undeniably eternal as the spirit that infuses our unimagined Self. We are the space between the stars, the cosmic dust, the pebbles at the bottom of the pond. We are the rushing water in the pond, the air and the fish and the Earth itself. We are the warm touch of sunlight on a single leaf. We are the leaf. We are the mandala that unites encompasses caresses everything, we are the Unity of Being, we are the truth that lies unspoken at the center that is not the center. We breathe, we think, we dance and love and spin through the hidden intricacies of space. We are kind and cruel, wise and foolish, enlightened and imprisoned. Yet we are none of these things, we are illusion and unreality, we are intangible potential. We are unrealized. We are the breath of the mandala, we are the blood of the mandala, we are the heart of the mandala. We are the mandala unto the eternal Self. And ultimately, gloriously, we very simply Are.

June 18, 2009
by Peter Patrick Barreda, material copyright 2009, all rights reserved

     Each of us is a thread—every person, every single thing that exists—weaving its way through the intricate tapestry of time and space that enigmatically comprises the universe. We are not merely points in this grand masterpiece, isolated and irrelevant, rather we and our influences stretch backward and forward through all of time and space. As threads we touch more than we know, and we hold together the fabric about us through connections we barely understand. Unfortunately, we are not aware of the linear nature of our being, since we immediately sense only what surrounds us at a given moment. This very limited viewpoint creates the impression that we are only a self-contained pocket of elements and circumstances. In reality, however, the details that describe you, your behavior and your personality are not isolated qualities that exist by themselves, having appeared out of nowhere. They are the products of long strings of forces leading back to the birth of the universe, forces that have gradually pushed and shaped what you and everyone else are today. Today’s reality is a product of yesterday’s reality continuously modified by the events and circumstances that occur moment by moment. So you—the collection of attributes that describe you at this particular moment—are not an entity unto yourself, rather you are an aggregation of incidents sculpted into form by physical and social inertia. You are an indescribably long series of events at a fleetingly ephemeral point in time, in this place, at this moment. Therefore we are much more than the entity that exists here and now, we are every place and every moment—we are a wondrous and infinite continuum of the self.
     Inertia is a principle in the science of physics that describes the tendency of any object in motion to maintain its speed and direction unless acted upon by an outside force. Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity eventually expanded this principle to apply to energy as well as matter, and the priniple clearly applies to the myriad forces that sculpt society, as well. Each of us, every individual on our planet, is an unimaginably complex collection of thoughts and views, behaviors and beliefs, morals and prejudices. Some of these are within our conscious awareness, but most are underlying tendencies that occur mostly without our knowledge. Every one of these elements of personality that compose our inner psychological structure is a product of some invisible social or physical force—something learned, inherited, mistaken or assumed. It is like a billiard ball striking and moving the others in its path, where something that we see or read or witness creates a conclusion or opinion within us. This conclusion, right or wrong, will later influence countless decisions in our lives. So we see the direct affect of one minor detail onto many others. If we were to multiply this phenomenon by some unimaginably large number, we may catch a glimpse of the complexity of the subject at hand. Each contact with us creates a position that affects a dozen future acts, then later influences a hundred others, and so on, increasing this way in layers of magnitude beyond our ability to conceive. That is the phenomenon of social inertia that makes each tiny element of our personality the point of origin for waves of influence that affect events to the far reaches of society. These effects carry themselves forward by statistical tendencies, in that the personality traits they engender in us tend to express themselves in ways that reinforce their own apparent purpose. That irresistable flow of event and influence is the wave pattern of human society. We are as one unified essence, waving to and fro in the currents of the cosmos. But instead of cherishing that unity, we tend to seek separation as a way to edify and deify our individual egos. Eventually we come to see that divided state as the natural condition of the universe.
     The separation that we mistakenly perceive is, after all, the grand illusion of sentience—in the course of our evolution it was supremely beneficial to see ourselves as autonomous beings in order to survive, conquer our environment and develop our awareness. It appears to us, as we move through the world, that we exist as an isolated collection of body parts and ideas. As such, we seem to be our own person, independent and autonomous, ruling an inner kingdom of our own design. This perceived independence creates a relationship of differentiation from our surroundings, wherein we stand tall within our own minds, separate and aloof, observing all that occurs in an outer, other, land. This appearance of separateness, of independence, of superiority over the world around us, is based on the illusion that you and the world are two distinct elements. In reality, however, the universe is not a vast grouping of individual elements, and to realize this we need only look back along the timeline of origin and development. In this way we would see the continuity of all existence, the unbroken spectrum of incident and circumstance that results in everything that exists. This concept, though true, is far from obvious because our thought processes have not developed which such a lofty goal as the comprehension of universal truths. They have developed solely to help keep us alive.
     Our awareness has evolved for the purpose of survival, and it has adapted wonderfully to fulfill that function. However, that does not mean that through it we can be aware of everything that exists, either materially or conceptually. Through the gradual process of survival and adaptation we have developed a sensitivity to light patterns, physical pressure, auditory vibrations, olfactory impressions, and oral chemical analysis that have served us well. We have continued through our history long enough, and successfully enough, to develop the higher brain functions that we refer to as complex thought, identity and planning. But to believe that these amazing abilities, while capable of getting us this far in our evolution, are sufficient to make everything that exists in the universe knowable to us is somewhat shortsighted. Everything that we can sense is not the same as everything that can be sensed. We have developed in a very specific environment and adapted to it well enough to get where we are today. But the universe is an unimaginably vast and varied theater, and it would seem to be a foolishly arrogant conceit to believe that the senses we have developed specifically to survive on this tiny, beautiful planet are comprehensive enough to sense and understand everything that exists.
     A basic truth of the existence of any element of universal evolution, including our own Human race and its newfound sentient nature, is that "existence" is actually a gradual process of "becoming." Nothing suddenly "is." Everything rolls out from something that came before it, in a process that fits the behavior of everything else that rolled out before. It is a process that stretches back as far as the beginning of the universe. We have evolved to find food, avoid predators, procreate, care for family members, and other characteristics that would best ensure the continuation of our species. But a clear understanding of concepts regarding the nature of the universe were irrelevant and unimaginable to us as we struggled to survive in the caves and forests of our distant past. In fact, all of our modern and sophisticated scientific knowledge is little different from our ancestors’ practice of going out and gradually learning which berries could kill you and which were safe to eat. We look out at the stars, we catalog, and we theorize. All of our science, our current understanding of the universe, is only Humanity gingerly touching its fingertip to the surface of a lake of infinite depth. It is this very limited degree of awareness that creates the illusion that we exist as isolated and discreet entities in a world that swirls independently around us. But we did not suddenly pop into being on this lovely planet Earth. We rolled out of it like eddies from a whirlpool, in strict accordance with processes ancient and established. This is an idea that we superficially understand, without really grasping the deeper significance of it.
     The mandala is a picture of all space and time, it is a map of the entire universe and everything in it. Try this meditative experiment: Look at any mandala and imagine that it is a tiny, close-up detail of a much larger image. Envision it spreading outward, revealing its vast entirety, its borders stretching into the distance, farther and farther—north, south, east, west—without end, to the edges of the universe. Now imagine that the mandala has a depth that descends into itself, as if you were looking into the cross-section of an orange that stretches endlessly inward. Now draw this depth back in the other direction, stretching behind you as well. You have filled the known dimensions of the entire universe with the mandala that sits before you. Now the structure of the mandala becomes a connective tissue that visibly links everything together into a tapestry of infinite beauty and detail. If you watch carefully, the mandala itself will begin to alter its form, slowly but continuously morphing into new and wonderful configurations. This is what the universe does at every moment, what it has always done, and it is these slow and ancient movements that have gradually brought about the tiny universal facet that sits here reading these words and wondering about the nature of its own existence. You did not come from somewhere outside, you are not a "thing" in a "place." Rather, you have grown naturally from the processes of universal evolution and are as intimately integrated into the fiber of existence as any given point within the structure of the universal mandala. This continuous process gradually arrives at not only what we are as physical beings, but as societal elements as well. Every person, at every instant, is simply a flash in the furnace of universal becoming. The circumstances that have led up to your existence, both physical and social, can be viewed as a continuing series of events and occurrences that are in this given state (you) at this given moment (now), but will, with each passing moment, become something new.
     What you are at this very moment is like the crest of a wave moving through water. If you follow the movement of the wave, you will see that as it approaches some floating bit of wood, the wood rises with the passing wave and descends again after it has passed. The same is true of the water molecules around the wood—they rise and fall, but are not moving forward with the wave. This is because the wave is not made up of the water molecules themselves. The form and energy of the wave moves through the water, through the molecules, and leaves them behind as it goes. If the wave is not made of water, what is it made of? Take sound as another example. As a wave of sound moves toward your ear it is not a wind of air molecules that is rushing toward you at 344 meters per second. The sound wave is not composed of air, so what is it made of? The essence of all waves is pure energy, and that energy uses the medium through which it moves (air, water, etc.) as a vehicle, nothing more. In this same way, you are a wave of universal circumstance. The molecules of your body do not define you, they are only a vehicle, even the thoughts and beliefs in your mind change from moment to moment, so they cannot really be what defines you. You are the embodiment of all the energy that has led up to your present process of being. Everything that we could conceivably believe defines us is only the latest incarnation of a 14 billion year old process of universal becoming. The body you move around in, the thoughts that speed through your mind, the mythologies you swear by, are all the slow and gradual accumulation of circumstances stretching back farther than we can imagine. Like the wave in the water, "you" are this energy that has come to call itself by your name at this point in time. The energy within you has always existed, and will continue to exist long after the processes that keep your body alive cease to function. There was no single day when all at once there popped into existence a planet Earth, or Life, or a Primate, or a Human, or a specific culture or race or religion. All these elements came about slowly, following what came before, in indefinable and inseparable stages that form an endless continuum of existence.
     Indeed, you are but the latest incarnation in an endless process of universal "becoming." Therefore, whatever you are, whatever qualities you possess, whatever adjectives can be used to describe you, these are just momentary glimpses of a wave of being that stretches backward and forward without end. All the details that we usually use to define ourselves—job, interests, family, etc.—are only temporary descriptions of circumstances, elements of our lives that are mostly outside of our control anyway. So what, if anything, can truly be said to define you? The problem is that all definitions are limited, inasmuch as they are an attempt to fix something in time and space for the sake of convenience and communication. Since everything is continuously transforming, every possible definition grows less accurate as time goes on. Of course, the application of definitions is a practical way of talking about the world around us and allows us to communicate with some degree of efficiency. But the world of the mind, of the self, is hyper-real, richly detailed and overwhelmingly intimate. We have an entire universe of impressions swirling about within us, an endless process of acquiring, cataloging, analyzing and theorizing. If we were to discard the self-definitions that describe our activities, our possessions, our personal history, our relations—in other words, if we do not list these superfluous circumstances of our lives as defining elements—then what do we have left? What does "I" truly mean?
     In fact, you can even discard the concepts of "you" and "I" completely, insofar as they are used to distinguish a person from its surrounding environment. They are convenient tools, just as your address and driver’s license number, but like the plastic in your wallet they have no true universal validity. Now, if you expand your reference so that when you use such terms as "you" or "I" you are referring to an element of self within the wholeness of the universe, the connective relation between you, me, everyone and everything, then in this way you acknowledge the unity that pervades all. You are an aspect of the universe, unique and wonderful, like the infinitely varied face of the mandala. And so we can see that there is truly no such thing as self-definition, for it necessitates a separateness that does not exist. The "I" that we revere so highly is an illusion, and while it is natural that we should have developed it in our history, it is not an accurate vision of our place in the universe. Even to say something like "our place in the universe" is inaccurate, because it presents the two as separate entities where no separation exists. Here we see why language is not suited for topics such as this—it is designed to isolate and identify, and so it must ultimately fail to grasp the holistic oneness of existence. There is an essential incongruity between reality and language. I use the term “reality” to refer to the physical universe we live in, both seen and unseen, including the less tangible realm of thought, imagination and philosophy to be found somewhere within the sentient mind. Reality is a holistic system where nothing is truly separate from anything else, while language is a cultural tool designed to separate and identify. Words and names serve to pick elements out of a wider landscape, to quantify them and categorize them. "Reality" is a unified tapestry of phenomena, each without practical individual identity. "Language," being a system of division and separation, misrepresents reality as a series of discreet elements while ignoring their connective essence. It is like trying to comprehend the information in an encyclopedia by analyzing the shapes of the individual letters. We may learn something about the alphabet, but we would remain unaware of the relationships between the letters that truly carry the meaning of the whole. Ultimately, the only accurate definition that can be given of any element in the universe must include a description of all its relations with every other element in the universe, and so the definition would necessarily be as extensive as the universe itself. This interrelationship is key to understanding the whole, and it emphasizes the holistic nature of reality– an underlying unity that pervades and harmonizes everything that exists. Words may point us toward understanding, but they can never convey the ultimate truth. The old Taoist and Zen monks knew this fact very well. So all that remains for us is to ponder these brief glimpses of cosmic unity and try to point our awareness toward a greater sense of spiritual interrelation. The self is a continuum of events and circumstances, an unbroken spectrum of being in the infinite tapestry of cosmic unity. Ultimately this unity is the only true definition that exists.
     The meaningful conclusion to be derived from this fact leads us to a much clearer understanding of our place in the world. Amazingly, we seem to both underestimate and overestimate ourselves at the same time. We underestimate ourselves by not realizing that we are an essential expression of the myriad activities of an entire universe. But we also overestimate ourselves, by assuming that our actions and attitudes are exclusively our own. Given the long and complex history leading up to what you are right now, there is only so much credit, and blame, for that matter, that you can correctly apply to your actions and to those of the people around you. Do not judge yourself or your neighbor too harshly for a foolish or hurtful act, and for the same reason pride and arrogance for our personal accomplishments should be held in check as well. When someone does something offensive to you, that action is the result of millenia of universal inertia—all the actions of that person’s life and the beliefs of his ancestors and the pressures of society as a whole have culminated in that one single action. Our thoughts and actions are a combination of genetic tendency, familial and societal teaching, and the ongoing experiences of life. These primary forces shape and govern, with nearly absolute authority, how we act and react to the world we live in. We can achieve some influence over our actions, but that takes a very conscious and directed effort on one’s part. We must recognize when we are acting out of this kind of behavioral inertia, rather than from careful consideration of the circumstances involved. Few of us are even aware of the need for such analysis, rather we tend to coast through our lives exhibiting mostly reflexive, reactive behavior. In order to have an effective influence over the crescendo of circumstance that puts us here and now, doing this or that, we must exercise an awareness of our state of being—what fuels our fears, our strengths, our desires.
     This ongoing sequence of events and circumstances that have made our present self into what it is at this moment has an inertia that governs itself and propels itself forward in increments that are statistically likely to occur. These events need no effort on our part, they are a result of their own history. We have the potential ability to affect this vast wave of circumstance, to change events, to influence this flow in very fundamental ways. But for the most part the entire world, not being aware that there is anything pushing it forward, believing its every action to be self-created and self-determined, exists on reflex alone and allows the incidents of their lives to just happen as they are likely to do. Of course, we do give thought to our lives, making decisions in a considered and calculated manner, but we do not realize that the mental processes we use to think these thoughts and make all of these considerations are as much a product of the great inertial wave as the uncalculated behavior of water in a stream or of a breeze blowing through a forest of leaves. Even our thoughts are as forcefully propelled by all past experience as our actions are. Our reason, our judgement, our morals and our discernment, all qualities that we cherish and revere, are only the products of history, mythology, egoism and evolution. As such, we must always consider them suspect, and subject them to the most rigorous scrutiny. To understand this is a large part of achieving some degree of influence over our life, but it is like an addict’s recognition of his dependency—seeing the truth doesn’t make difficult goals easy to accomplish. Still, it is a crucial step if there is any hope of success at all. When we become aware of the circumstantial forces that propel us blindly through our lives, only then can we put our efforts into changing our course toward a more considered future. When we can think about thinking, when we can consciously consider the unexamined shadows that linger behind our reflexive thoughts, then we have some hope of achieving influence over the situation.
     In this way we can truly see the logical argument for such previously abstract, though admirable, concepts such as acceptance, compassion and forgiveness. Who can be angered by the movements of a floating twig when they recognize that it is the force of an entire river that propels it so speedily forward? We observe the actions of the world around us and make judgements upon them based on our own inner standards and experience. But we must recognize that the subjectivity of our personal viewpoint renders it too limited to possess any great degree of accuracy or absolute reliability. We color every observation with our personal views, yet pretend that we see things exactly as they are. Every human experience is a combination of something perceived and someone perceiving it. Since the perceiving individual interjects so much personal color into the situation, you and I would give differing reports of any incident that we simultaneously witnessed. How great the difference is depends on countless personal details and circumstances. Whenever we observe the events of the world we must remember this and realize the foolishness of being too rigid in our beliefs. We must not be overly certain or judgemental of the world around us. Each of us sees the world from a different position, both physically and psychologically, and so every position is relative. In society, just as in the universe at large, there is no fixed point and no unassailable truth. Everything is relative to everything else, and nothing is absolute. We must realize that because of the inertial force of history, our thoughts and actions can only loosely be considered our own. It is the waves of circumstance that toss us about on the cosmic sea—only through disciplined analysis and effort can we find the clarity of mind to think reasonably and operate effectively beyond the forces of the maelstrom. But if anything can be said to be our duty, our responsibility, our destiny, it is to hope that we can one day act as truly reasoning beings, able to consider the universe for ourselves rather than acting only according to the impulses and forces that envelop us.

February 15, 2008
by Peter Patrick Barreda, material copyright 2009, all rights reserved

October 23, 2007
by Peter Patrick Barreda, material copyright 2009, all rights reserved

Imagine a pebble, a smooth, tiny stone, floating not a millimeter above the glassy surface of a pond. It hovers there, effortlessly, for immeasurable moments. It knows no anticipation, no expectation—nothing but the peace of pure being. The pebble is the center as well as the whole, the focus of its entire universe. It is everything, yet it knows nothing, for it has no frame of reference, no "other," against which to be anything at all. The pond is there, serene and still, tantalizingly close, but it enjoys no interaction with the pebble, no information passes between the two. And so the pebble has no awareness of warmth or coolness, darkness or light, not even of the wetness of the water so near to it. In this state there is no action, only existence.

     And so we must remember to be the pebble, not the wave—to make an effort to see beyond the illusory chaos of the forces that continually threaten to engulf us, and to rediscover the identity of peace and stability that lies at the core of our being. We need no longer seek in desperation for that long-lost bindu state, for it was never truly lost. The essence of the pebble is always with us, its eternal peace residing at the very center of our spirit. To recapture that peace, we need only look mindfully within.

June 22, 2007
by Peter Patrick Barreda, material copyright 2009, all rights reserved

Though the experiences are beyond the reach of our memories and our conscious awareness, we have been here through it all, through every stage of universal evolution. Together we were there as the first stars formed, together we felt the moon emerge from the womb of the earth, and together we sensed the first stirrings of sentience on our planet. There can be no stronger bond between us, no deeper connection upon which to base our shared spirituality.
     The virtues that we consider to be of great moral and social importance are products of this vast yet simple system of absolute interrelation. Everything that we do, or that occurs at any point in the universe, affects everything else. These repercussions spread like waves from each discreet incident to every element that surrounds it until we can no longer make the distinction between the  incident and its environment. This is as true in astrophysics as it is in human society, where each kind act, and every violent aggression, affects even people that are not conspicuously connected to them. Every one of our actions and words to another person affects that person in ways both obvious and subtle, and that, in turn, will change the person in manners both observable and indiscernible. We are linked to each other so intimately, and so directly, that we should be devoting herculean efforts toward achieving comprehension and compassion on a global scale. These values are critically important because they lead us toward the pure and natural state of cosmic unity. As a society we value compassion, at least in principle, because at our core we know that this is the way of universal harmony. We harbor a subconscious understanding that to care for another, to sympathize with their condition, to practice kindness and charity toward others, leads all of us toward that essential unified state. We retain that seed of cosmic knowledge, though it is buried deep within us and is perpetually overwhelmed by the complexities and neuroses of the modern mind. Empathy is not only a state of identifying with another, it is also the act of finding ourselves within the heart of the other. We care for our fellow humans because deep down inside we know that within everyone and everything there exists the essence of our own self as well. This in no way makes it a selfish act, any more than you can consider the entire universe to be a vast, selfish organism acting only in its best interest. To give to another is to give to yourself, because in actuality the definitions that we ascribe to ourselves, the characteristics that we gather together to create the concept of "I," are too ephemeral and subjective to hold any true universal validity. We are a Gordian Knot of systems within systems, a complexity of such intricate beauty and grace that it staggers the imagination. Realization of the essential unity that exists among seemingly separate systems may be surprising to the human mind, but it is actually the true and natural state of the universe. This natural tendency toward kindness and empathy is the physical manifestation of the universal spirituality I describe. It is the behavioral product of our under-lying connection with the essential universal structure, and the vast web of interrelation and interdependence among its systems is the source of the spirituality of the universe.
     Think of the teeming web of life that thrives within a secluded pond, deep in a vast and ancient forest. All manner of creatures eat and breathe and reproduce here, shafts of sunlight piercing the shadows as their swiftly moving forms dart from place to place. There is the thumping, vibrant hum of life, the breathless activities of survival and of the passage of the genetic grail onward to the next generation. All the varied forms of life are connected here by the cool water that surrounds and permeates them. Yet to speak of the life within the pond and separately of the water that the pond contains is simply a question of limited perspective. We see the pond in the manner that we are used to perceiving the world around us, giving great importance to the individual organization of the self-perpetuating systems (the living things), and contrast this to a seemingly static background (the water). We create this distinction because the living things enjoy a more highly organized existence, and a clear and compulsive purpose—namely, to survive and reproduce. Yet if we look to a deeper level of organization we will see a gathering of molecules dancing like dervishes, fast and feverish, with a perfect equality among them. At this level the water and the life that moves through it come together as a single collection of entities, molecules each secure and stable in their own right. Whether the molecules be of water, protein, or even stone, they fill the pond with a furious activity not apparent to the casual observer. This perspective continues ever downward until we can see even the tiniest subatomic particles as representatives of universal equality. We can expand this scenario outward, as well, to include the forest that rings the pond, the valley that supports the forest, the mountains that surround the valley, and so on to the entire planet, the solar system, the galaxy, and ever outward until all that is, and will ever be, falls within our sphere of original elemental equality.
     This intimately interrelated structure is the true basis of our spiritual nature. At this level of awareness the mandala can be most clearly seen as the ultimate template for our universal structure. It is a microcosm that exhibits the mesmerizing infinity of links, relationships, cooperation and interdependence that are innate characteristics of the universal process. It is a tapestry wherein every thread depends on every other thread, every color touches every other color, and every image is born from every other image. Being so intimately woven into the fabric of existence, it should be clear to us that the morals and virtues that we celebrate as a species emerge as the natural products of universal evolution. 
     The elder mythologies exhibited a clear awareness of the intimate connection between humanity and its physical surroundings. Religions that venerate the Earth as Mother, one of the most common themes found in primitive mythology, recognize the filial relationship between humankind and the world around us. Like siblings, humanity shares with its environment the same blood, the same origins, the same essential matter. We are of the same spirit as the universe that surrounds us, and through that relation we inarguably establish our place in the cosmos. What is most difficult about this concept of humanity as sibling to the trees and the planets is to avoid being trapped by the idea that it is only a pleasant metaphor for the human condition. It is much more than that. We are, in all actuality and with absolute accuracy, brothers and sisters not only to each other, but to everything in the universe. We come from the same ancient mother, born of the same cosmic womb. The interrelation and interdependence we exhibit is as of cells within a single body, where each has the potential to form, nurture, support and enrich the other. We are vibrant cells in an organism that spans the cosmos, that is in fact the entire cosmos itself, and as such we have the potential for amazing growth and development, as well as for cancerous self-destruction. By truly understanding this intimate relationship and its accompanying responsibilities, we can fully experience the spiritual path of the universe. We can take the paradigm of cosmic unity within ourselves and effectively apply it to our internal mind-states, thereby implementing a phase transition of awareness wherein the entire world is transformed anew. The unenviable alternative is to live an unexamined life, condemned to a shrouded existence, as deluded by the illusions of perception as if mesmerized by the hypnotic dancing of shadow puppets.
     Most people think of spirituality as a facet of their personal religious beliefs. Modern religion, being an elaborately developed system of teachings and taboos, does at times draw on the principles of this underlying spiritual essence. Too often, though, it misses the point. To its members, religion offers an official explanation for the basis of their existence, their origin, the why and the how of their very being. If every detail of the story is not filled in, then what is left is considered a sacred mystery to which only the reigning deity is privy. Therefore, if one believes that their religion explains the mysteries of their origins, then the religious practices regarding the relationship with the deity are thought of as spiritual in character. However, the two are not the same thing:

Prayer, devotion and self-sacrifice are all considered aspects of religion that practitioners utilize to maintain communication with, and show devotion to, their particular god. Religions also often preach that such ideals as compassion and forgiveness should be practiced by their followers. In the heart of the individual these edicts ring true and feel wholly right—we say to ourselves, yes, we should practice compassion, we should forgive others—and so the teachings feel like a system worthy of our noble devotion. The problem lies in the convenient usurpation of those ideals when it is politically or financially expedient for the religious institution in question—by preaching kindness yet launching murderous crusades; by promoting equality as brothers and sisters under their deity yet practicing sexism, elitism and xenophobia; by teaching honesty and accountability yet inculcating an internal culture of corruption and impunity. All of these detrimental practices diffuse and dilute the strength of religion’s spiritual message, so that their followers see and learn from the hypocrisy thus presented. They learn to go to their places of worship and think kind thoughts, then go home and labor to get the upper hand over their neighbors and coworkers—just as they see many religious leaders doing. There is a fundamental and essential contradiction with this dogmatic form of belief, presented as the edicts of a supernatural deity to be followed under threat of a hellish afterlife for transgressors. At its base it relies on fear and coercion to enforce obedience and devotion. This, coupled with the self-contradicting behavior of the institution itself, leaves in the believer’s mind a subconscious impression of insincerity that undercuts the strength of the beautiful message to "love they neighbor."
     On the other hand, spirituality based on the simple and beautiful reality of Universal Being is inarguably sincere and wholly incorruptible. This true spirituality predates the human institution of religion by many billions of years. As long as the universe has existed, its self-consistent nature has been the seed of the true and essential spirit. Everything that exists in the universe is intimately related to everything else, both physically and systemically. This is as true of the earliest stars as it is of you and of me. We are all of us born of the same particles, passed through the same processes, forged in the same stellar furnaces. The inexpressible beauty of Being resides within all of us, deep and vibrant, drifting like a unifying breath through everything that exists. But as the phenomenon we call life has developed, this interrelatedness has become more difficult to perceive. As a species, our passage through developmental stages and processing capabilities has leapt forward at exponentially increasing speeds, so that it seems to us that we are essentially different and separate from—even superior to—our environment. But this is not truly the case. The lotus flower is of the same essential matter as the mud from which it grows, gently reminding us of the sanctity and beauty of the much-derided mud. It is only in the subjective comparison that we make a categorical judgment and come to regard one as desirable and the other as unclean. When we look deeper, however, we realize the folly of this comparison. If we were to freeze all activity in the universe we would perceive an exquisite mandala of particles differentiated only by their relationship to each other. Context is everything. This context, the systematic interaction among particles, and among individuals in our society, is the intangible but intensely real nature of the universal spirit. It is not only a matter of physical proximity, but also the very act of cooperative unfolding, the cohesive and unified wave of emergence and evolution that binds us together. It is the "happening" of us, of everything, as a single flower unfolding its petals, blooming under the gaze of eternity. It is the blood of the mandala coursing through our cosmic veins. It is what connects us all, and by "us" I mean more than only the human race, or even all of life on Earth. We must realize that what links us together does not stop at the edges of our family or our community or even our planetary atmosphere. We are One—each of us, together with the pebbles and the stars, elements in a vast universal entity that thinks and breathes and acts and is. We are cells in a being that sees itself, that knows itself, spanning the limitless distances of space, encompassing everything in its awareness. This unifying essence is the spirit of the cosmos that pervades our being and defines our existence. It is all around us, it is within us—it is the true and incorruptible spirituality of the universe.
By knowing it, we know ourselves. By pursuing an understanding of it, we come to better understand the nature of our Being. By seeing, finally, that we are a vibrant element of a grand, expansive and beautiful cosmos, we come to see the beauty in ourselves. We must look within to see without, and to finally realize that to love each other, and to love ourselves, is as natural and powerful a force as the attraction within atoms or the gravity that forms the fiery stars that sparkle across the heavens. That is the secret of the spirit that burns quietly within us, the flame that lights our way toward the brilliant and beautiful horizons of our future.

Sources:
(1) Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith.
Published by W.W. Norton, copyright 2005.
(2) The Deeper Dimension of Yoga by Georg Feuerstein. Published by Shambhala, copyright 2003.

October 10, 2006
by Peter Patrick Barreda, material copyright 2009, all rights reserved

August 18, 2006
by Peter Patrick Barreda, material copyright 2009, all rights reserved

March 29, 2006
by Peter Patrick Barreda, material copyright 2009, all rights reserved