	LEADING THE BLIND By Judith Goldberg, MFA		327 Route 105 Jay, VT 05859 Phone: 802-988-9664 In Baltimore (once a month for 5 days): Chase Executive Suites 10710 Beaver Dam Rd Hunt Valley, MD Phone: 410-340-2722 Email Us
"The world presents itself according to the viewpoint of each person. Whatever kind of person one is, one will see that kind of world; whatever kind of mindset one has, one will derive that kind of conclusion." Fo Yin The parable of the six blind men and the elephant, a well known Indian tale from the Buddhist canon, has survived so many centuries of re-telling because of the power of its message. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with this classic tale, or who, unlike the proverbial elephant, have forgotten it, here is a link to a version worth the read. All of us, at some time, could be accused of wearing blinders that allow only selective sight. Or, we see the world through filters (aka belief systems) that color our reality. In fact, while we all share the same planet, most of us live in different worlds. Missing the Big Picture Even with 20/20 vision, one can become so focused as to miss seeing the forest for the trees. Lack of peripheral vision, invites the dangerous tendency to extrapolate that a vast forest may be populated only by a single species of tree, or that an elephant is no more than a wall (side) a post (leg) or a brush (tail). Whoever said God was only in the details? As the Buddha warned in his famous parable, teachers, preachers and gurus are often guilty of such sins of omission. Each is limited by the scope of his vision, prior experience and pre-conceptions (beliefs) about the nature of reality. Each is privy to a partial truth, that he believes to be The Whole Truth, (and nothing but the truth), and therefore worthy of universal adoption. Conflicts (sometimes bloody) arise when such theories compete for dominance. In our contemporary world, the drama plays out in the arenas of religion, philosophy and science, those disciplines that purport to answer the really big questions about the origin of the universe and the purpose of human life. Subjective Purposes As previously noted, (see article entitled "The Quest For Life's Purpose"), since the ingress (entrance) of the planet Pluto into the sign of Sagittarius in the mid 1990s, a cultural phenomenon has grown up around the quest for life purpose. As witnessed by the volume and diversity of material, both in print and on the internet, this trend cuts across many sectors of the population. Pluto is ruler of the collective consciousness and Sagittarius holds dominion over truth, religion, belief systems, the search for meaning, big picture thinking and, not coincidentally, large animals such as elephants. Nevertheless, the picture that is emerging is fragmented and subjective. The marketplace is so full of opinions that the elusive answer to the question "What is the purpose of life" may simply be "It depends on who you ask". Therefore, we must, at this juncture, take a detour to examine the ground of being—and in this case, the beings (as in human)-- that give rise not only to the question but to the very ability to question itself. Of necessity, we begin this inquiry with yet another question—"Who are we as human beings?" Psychological Models In the modern era, contemporary sciences, physical, metaphysical, biological and humanistic, are widening our scope of understanding of ourselves and our world. Just as quantum physics has reshaped the material universe, modern psychology has re-mapped our interior space. Developmental Psychology gave us excellent models of the growth stages of the human mind. More recently, the emerging field of Evolutionary Psychology has expanded these models, identifying and mapping the development of the collective psyche. In the evolutionary model, humanity's group consciousness progresses through universally identifiable stages that correspond to the development of individual consciousness. From cave dwellers, through the rise of civilization and into the modern world, these archetypal cycles have unfolded, and continue to survive, thrive and evolve in the present-day. A Theory of Everything Einstein spent much of his career searching for a "theory of everything". In 2000, philosopher Ken Wilber, one of the world's most avant-garde thinkers, published a book by that title. While Einstein's definition of everything was limited to physical phenomenon, Wilber in "A Theory of Everything" (T.O.E.) defines his as an "integral vision" that includes "matter, body, mind, soul and spirit as they appear in self, culture and nature". In this and previous works, Wilber focuses heavily on the evolution of consciousness as the primary ground from which human socio-political and cultural institutions spring. In T.O.E., he introduces Spiral Dynamics TM (SD) (www.spiraldynamics.com ) a system of developmental hierarchies originated by evolutionary psychologist, Dr. Clare Graves. In this color-coded evolutionary model, lower order group consciousness (such as that found in primitive societies and third world countries) corresponds to individual early life experiences and more successively evolved group psyches (found in the developed countries) correlate with later life stages. The system illustrates that individuals and groups migrate through the various stages, and that concentrations of individuals at all stages coexist in percentages of the population at all times. Graves' successors have produced a significant body of research, giving us a demographic picture, world-wide, of the numbers and distribution of individuals in the various categories. Identity Crisis Who Am I?" Obviously, a seven year old will be satisfied with a simpler exBoth on an individual and group level, developmental stages represent an unfolding of cognitive abilities, accompanied by increasing self-awareness. Human growth is characterized by a series of identity crises. The process is purely Plutonian (Pluto rules the death/rebirth cycle), as at each juncture, something with which the individual is identified must die (an ego death) before a new, more expanded identity can emerge. Wilber, in fact, defines development as "a successive decrease in egocentrism". Each individual's worldview is inextricably linked to his internal experience and corresponding level of self-consciousness. For example, a child cannot ask "Why am I here?" until he has achieved a modicum of self awareness. And, this question cannot even be addressed until he has asked and answered (perhaps subconsciously) the more primary question "planation than a more sophisticated thirty year old. The answers to both of these questions will change with each level of expansion. As successive layers of blinders are removed, they let in more light. Climbing the Evolutionary Ladder A popular axiom states, "The more things change, the more they stay the same". There exists currently on the planet, a multiplicity of belief systems, entrenched dogmas promoting a particular point of view to the exclusion of all others and power struggles (think wars) between competing visions. This all-too-human condition persists, because these belief systems are a by-product of the evolution of human consciousness. While those at the forefront of consciousness evolution have a more enlightened, holistic perspective, large segments of the world's population are composed of individuals on lower rungs of the evolutionary ladder. These groups co-exist as closed systems, largely in an atmosphere of hostility and distrust, where one group's truth is another's heresy. Captive Audiences Like the blind men, each of whom could claim to be right within a narrowly defined territory, each of these systems has legitimacy in its own domain. Each, in turn, supports its proprietary gurus and teachers. Looking from the outside in, one may be tempted to categorize this setup as a prime example of "the blind leading the blind". However, suspending judgment, in an environment where all the students are also blind, a blind teacher, one who shares their common experience but has developed some coping skills, can provide a powerful example of how to function optimally within that system. Adherents are a captive audience. Each group espouses a particular worldview that corresponds to its level of consciousness. In turn, these paradigms give rise to a diversity of socio-economic, cultural and spiritual beliefs, behaviors and structures. Answers to the universal questions about the origin of the cosmos and the meaning of life will vary according to the tenets of each group. Transcendence Developmental and evolutionary psychology have contributed much to our understanding of the human condition. However, they are limited in scope, in that they address only the ego and psyche, the mind/body connection, per se. In the 1970's SD researchers Don Beck and Christopher Cowan observed the emergence of a new level of consciousness they termed "integral" or "holistic". They dubbed it "second tier" because it transcended the previous model and represented a quantum leap forward. Second tier consciousness is a merger of mind/body and spirit. Widespread adoption would represent the best hope for ending the warring states mentality of the six levels that comprise SD's first tier. The 1970s were a turning point. During this time period, the more recent discipline of transpersonal psychology began making inroads into the mainstream. Transpersonal psychology, as defined by practitioner, Michael Daniels, PhD, "is a branch of psychology that is concerned with the study of those states and processes in which people experience a deeper or wider sense of who they are, or a sense of greater connectedness with others, nature, or the ‘spiritual' dimension. The term ‘transpersonal' means ‘beyond the personal' and a common assumption in transpersonal psychology is that transpersonal experiences involve a higher mode of consciousness in which the ordinary mental-egoic self is transcended." Ken Wilber is widely considered to be the leading theorist in transpersonal psychology. Chironic Consciousness In 1977, the planet (some say planetoid) Chiron was discovered. Planets are discovered in remarkably synergistic fashion. Pluto, for example, was discovered during the 1930's when Jung's theories about the subconscious mind and the shadow were gaining widespread acceptance. Named for the god of the underworld, Pluto was a natural to claim dominion over this territory of the psyche. Because Chiron orbits between the inner personal and outer collective planets, astrologers have dubbed it "the bridge". The mythological Chiron, a centaur, was half human and half god. Metaphorically, the planet appeared on the scene just as humanity was jumping the chasm between the body/mind and spirit and beginning to understand and embrace both its human and divine dimensions. Chironic consciousness therefore represents this new awareness of the divinity within humanity. The Search for Enlightenment This inquiry on the purpose of life began a month or so and a dozen or so pages ago. While closer to the possibility of uncovering a universally inclusive truth that will satisfy all conditions, at this point, we must pause to ask "Are we there yet?" The answer is "almost, but not quite". The picture that is emerging, however, is one in which the process of becoming successively more enlightened seems in many ways more important than the end product. In other words, living in the question trumps finding an answer. The evolutionary journey itself and the rich tapestry of experience it creates may just be the purpose of life. Some things are right under our noses, and we just don't see them. Postscript The journey continues. My summer reading includes assorted books by a variety of authors, about which I will subsequently share. Each presents a point of view that mirrors an evolutionary stage. I will also set my own big TOE in the metaphysical waters and look at these issues from a Karmic Astrologer's vantage point. Copyright by Judith Goldberg 2005 Judith Goldberg, MFA is a Karmic Astrologer, specializing in life purpose and "Right Livelihood". She has a private practice in Baltimore MD. You may contact her for a telephone consultation, or offer reader feedback at judith.goldberg@verizon.net .	Discovering Your Soul Mission No More Goodbyes

LEADING THE BLIND

By Judith Goldberg, MFA

327 Route 105
Jay, VT 05859
Phone: 802-988-9664

In Baltimore (once a month for 5 days):
Chase Executive Suites
10710 Beaver Dam Rd
Hunt Valley, MD
Phone: 410-340-2722
Email Us

"The world presents itself according to the viewpoint of each person.
Whatever kind of person one is, one will see that kind of world; whatever kind
of mindset one has, one will derive that kind of conclusion."
Fo Yin

The parable of the six blind men and the elephant, a well known Indian tale from the Buddhist canon, has survived so many centuries of re-telling because of the power of its message. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with this classic tale, or who, unlike the proverbial elephant, have forgotten it, here is a link to a version worth the read. All of us, at some time, could be accused of wearing blinders that allow only selective sight. Or, we see the world through filters (aka belief systems) that color our reality. In fact, while we all share the same planet, most of us live in different worlds.

Missing the Big Picture

Even with 20/20 vision, one can become so focused as to miss seeing the forest for the trees. Lack of peripheral vision, invites the dangerous tendency to extrapolate that a vast forest may be populated only by a single species of tree, or that an elephant is no more than a wall (side) a post (leg) or a brush (tail). Whoever said God was only in the details? As the Buddha warned in his famous parable, teachers, preachers and gurus are often guilty of such sins of omission. Each is limited by the scope of his vision, prior experience and pre-conceptions (beliefs) about the nature of reality. Each is privy to a partial truth, that he believes to be The Whole Truth, (and nothing but the truth), and therefore worthy of universal adoption. Conflicts (sometimes bloody) arise when such theories compete for dominance. In our contemporary world, the drama plays out in the arenas of religion, philosophy and science, those disciplines that purport to answer the really big questions about the origin of the universe and the purpose of human life.

Subjective Purposes

As previously noted, (see article entitled "The Quest For Life's Purpose"), since the ingress (entrance) of the planet Pluto into the sign of Sagittarius in the mid 1990s, a cultural phenomenon has grown up around the quest for life purpose. As witnessed by the volume and diversity of material, both in print and on the internet, this trend cuts across many sectors of the population. Pluto is ruler of the collective consciousness and Sagittarius holds dominion over truth, religion, belief systems, the search for meaning, big picture thinking and, not coincidentally, large animals such as elephants. Nevertheless, the picture that is emerging is fragmented and subjective. The marketplace is so full of opinions that the elusive answer to the question "What is the purpose of life" may simply be "It depends on who you ask". Therefore, we must, at this juncture, take a detour to examine the ground of being—and in this case, the beings (as in human)-- that give rise not only to the question but to the very ability to question itself. Of necessity, we begin this inquiry with yet another question—"Who are we as human beings?"

Psychological Models

In the modern era, contemporary sciences, physical, metaphysical, biological and humanistic, are widening our scope of understanding of ourselves and our world. Just as quantum physics has reshaped the material universe, modern psychology has re-mapped our interior space. Developmental Psychology gave us excellent models of the growth stages of the human mind. More recently, the emerging field of Evolutionary Psychology has expanded these models, identifying and mapping the development of the collective psyche. In the evolutionary model, humanity's group consciousness progresses through universally identifiable stages that correspond to the development of individual consciousness. From cave dwellers, through the rise of civilization and into the modern world, these archetypal cycles have unfolded, and continue to survive, thrive and evolve in the present-day.

A Theory of Everything

Einstein spent much of his career searching for a "theory of everything". In 2000, philosopher Ken Wilber, one of the world's most avant-garde thinkers, published a book by that title. While Einstein's definition of everything was limited to physical phenomenon, Wilber in "A Theory of Everything" (T.O.E.) defines his as an "integral vision" that includes "matter, body, mind, soul and spirit as they appear in self, culture and nature". In this and previous works, Wilber focuses heavily on the evolution of consciousness as the primary ground from which human socio-political and cultural institutions spring. In T.O.E., he introduces Spiral Dynamics TM (SD) (www.spiraldynamics.com ) a system of developmental hierarchies originated by evolutionary psychologist, Dr. Clare Graves. In this color-coded evolutionary model, lower order group consciousness (such as that found in primitive societies and third world countries) corresponds to individual early life experiences and more successively evolved group psyches (found in the developed countries) correlate with later life stages. The system illustrates that individuals and groups migrate through the various stages, and that concentrations of individuals at all stages coexist in percentages of the population at all times. Graves' successors have produced a significant body of research, giving us a demographic picture, world-wide, of the numbers and distribution of individuals in the various categories.

Identity Crisis

Who Am I?" Obviously, a seven year old will be satisfied with a simpler exBoth on an individual and group level, developmental stages represent an unfolding of cognitive abilities, accompanied by increasing self-awareness. Human growth is characterized by a series of identity crises. The process is purely Plutonian (Pluto rules the death/rebirth cycle), as at each juncture, something with which the individual is identified must die (an ego death) before a new, more expanded identity can emerge. Wilber, in fact, defines development as "a successive decrease in egocentrism". Each individual's worldview is inextricably linked to his internal experience and corresponding level of self-consciousness. For example, a child cannot ask "Why am I here?" until he has achieved a modicum of self awareness. And, this question cannot even be addressed until he has asked and answered (perhaps subconsciously) the more primary question "planation than a more sophisticated thirty year old. The answers to both of these questions will change with each level of expansion. As successive layers of blinders are removed, they let in more light.

Climbing the Evolutionary Ladder

A popular axiom states, "The more things change, the more they stay the same". There exists currently on the planet, a multiplicity of belief systems, entrenched dogmas promoting a particular point of view to the exclusion of all others and power struggles (think wars) between competing visions. This all-too-human condition persists, because these belief systems are a by-product of the evolution of human consciousness. While those at the forefront of consciousness evolution have a more enlightened, holistic perspective, large segments of the world's population are composed of individuals on lower rungs of the evolutionary ladder. These groups co-exist as closed systems, largely in an atmosphere of hostility and distrust, where one group's truth is another's heresy.

Captive Audiences

Like the blind men, each of whom could claim to be right within a narrowly defined territory, each of these systems has legitimacy in its own domain. Each, in turn, supports its proprietary gurus and teachers. Looking from the outside in, one may be tempted to categorize this setup as a prime example of "the blind leading the blind". However, suspending judgment, in an environment where all the students are also blind, a blind teacher, one who shares their common experience but has developed some coping skills, can provide a powerful example of how to function optimally within that system. Adherents are a captive audience. Each group espouses a particular worldview that corresponds to its level of consciousness. In turn, these paradigms give rise to a diversity of socio-economic, cultural and spiritual beliefs, behaviors and structures. Answers to the universal questions about the origin of the cosmos and the meaning of life will vary according to the tenets of each group.

Transcendence

Developmental and evolutionary psychology have contributed much to our understanding of the human condition. However, they are limited in scope, in that they address only the ego and psyche, the mind/body connection, per se. In the 1970's SD researchers Don Beck and Christopher Cowan observed the emergence of a new level of consciousness they termed "integral" or "holistic". They dubbed it "second tier" because it transcended the previous model and represented a quantum leap forward. Second tier consciousness is a merger of mind/body and spirit. Widespread adoption would represent the best hope for ending the warring states mentality of the six levels that comprise SD's first tier.

The 1970s were a turning point. During this time period, the more recent discipline of transpersonal psychology began making inroads into the mainstream. Transpersonal psychology, as defined by practitioner, Michael Daniels, PhD, "is a branch of psychology that is concerned with the study of those states and processes in which people experience a deeper or wider sense of who they are, or a sense of greater connectedness with others, nature, or the ‘spiritual' dimension. The term ‘transpersonal' means ‘beyond the personal' and a common assumption in transpersonal psychology is that transpersonal experiences involve a higher mode of consciousness in which the ordinary mental-egoic self is transcended." Ken Wilber is widely considered to be the leading theorist in transpersonal psychology.

Chironic Consciousness

In 1977, the planet (some say planetoid) Chiron was discovered. Planets are discovered in remarkably synergistic fashion. Pluto, for example, was discovered during the 1930's when Jung's theories about the subconscious mind and the shadow were gaining widespread acceptance. Named for the god of the underworld, Pluto was a natural to claim dominion over this territory of the psyche. Because Chiron orbits between the inner personal and outer collective planets, astrologers have dubbed it "the bridge". The mythological Chiron, a centaur, was half human and half god. Metaphorically, the planet appeared on the scene just as humanity was jumping the chasm between the body/mind and spirit and beginning to understand and embrace both its human and divine dimensions. Chironic consciousness therefore represents this new awareness of the divinity within humanity.

The Search for Enlightenment

This inquiry on the purpose of life began a month or so and a dozen or so pages ago. While closer to the possibility of uncovering a universally inclusive truth that will satisfy all conditions, at this point, we must pause to ask "Are we there yet?" The answer is "almost, but not quite". The picture that is emerging, however, is one in which the process of becoming successively more enlightened seems in many ways more important than the end product. In other words, living in the question trumps finding an answer. The evolutionary journey itself and the rich tapestry of experience it creates may just be the purpose of life.

Some things are right under our noses, and we just don't see them.

Postscript

The journey continues. My summer reading includes assorted books by a variety of authors, about which I will subsequently share. Each presents a point of view that mirrors an evolutionary stage. I will also set my own big TOE in the metaphysical waters and look at these issues from a Karmic Astrologer's vantage point.

Judith Goldberg, MFA is a Karmic Astrologer, specializing in life purpose and "Right Livelihood". She has a private practice in Baltimore MD. You may contact her for a telephone consultation, or offer reader feedback at judith.goldberg@verizon.net .

Discovering Your Soul Mission

No More Goodbyes

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LEADING THE BLIND

By Judith Goldberg, MFA

327 Route 105 Jay, VT 05859 Phone: 802-988-9664 In Baltimore (once a month for 5 days): Chase Executive Suites 10710 Beaver Dam Rd Hunt Valley, MD Phone: 410-340-2722 Email Us

"The world presents itself according to the viewpoint of each person. Whatever kind of person one is, one will see that kind of world; whatever kind of mindset one has, one will derive that kind of conclusion." Fo Yin

Copyright by Judith Goldberg 2005

Judith Goldberg, MFA is a Karmic Astrologer, specializing in life purpose and "Right Livelihood". She has a private practice in Baltimore MD. You may contact her for a telephone consultation, or offer reader feedback at judith.goldberg@verizon.net .

327 Route 105
Jay, VT 05859
Phone: 802-988-9664

In Baltimore (once a month for 5 days):
Chase Executive Suites
10710 Beaver Dam Rd
Hunt Valley, MD
Phone: 410-340-2722
Email Us

"The world presents itself according to the viewpoint of each person.
Whatever kind of person one is, one will see that kind of world; whatever kind
of mindset one has, one will derive that kind of conclusion."
Fo Yin