Complexity

How can you look at the universe and not be filled with awe at the vast mystery that unfolds before you.
 
We are just beginning to understand how wonderfully complex it all is. Trillions of suns like our own spinning around billions of galaxies. 125 million miles of encoded DNA data in the nuclei of each and every one of our cells. Strings at the quantum level that fluctuate matter and energy, an earth that seems aware of itself, and human beings that can build computers and explore space but who only use 10% of their brains and whose consciousness is just beginning to open up to even more infinite possibilities.
 
But why is there such complexity? What purpose does it all serve? And most surprisingly, why are we conscious of this complexity?
 
Our ancestors stared at the universe with the same awe and encoded their visions and mysteries in remarkable ways through myths, architecture, astrology, astronomy, art, alchemy, music and religions. They tried to explain the complexity as God or Super Consciousness or Buddha nature. They saw that the complexity seemed to have its own consciousness that seemed to express itself in everything, from the spiral of the nautilus shell to the swirls of giant galaxies.  
 
They mapped the heavens and found seven bodies that seemed to be dynamic and living in cycles around us at the center: the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They gave them divine powers to affect us. They turned this sacred seven inwards. They reflected what they saw in the heavens within their own bodies and found seven spheres, heavens and Chakras that if concentrated upon would tune them psychologically and biochemically into different states of consciousness.
 
They saw that the stars in the background formed patterns that become constellations. They found that these numbers were to be found in everything in nature – the cycles of the moon 4 by 7, the cycles of precession – 21,600 years to complete one full round of all the star constellation, 60 years to complete 1 degree of precession, 1800 years to complete 1 house, 432, 108, 9…all these numbers became sacred.
 
They looked at the earth in the same way and saw her as a mother that gave nurture through gestation cycles of the seasons. They developed mysteries to celebrate the cycles of nature and gave them divine dimensions. They developed ritual and hallucinatory experiences for their devotees to experience the mysteries of nature. From the Amazon to the plains of Mongolia, Shamans and mystics developed techniques of inducing trance states to commune with their internal nature and in turn the external universal nature.
 
Psychologically, our ancestors found ways to control their bodies and minds and unleash amazing internal experiences and transformations. Through fasting, rhythmic dancing, meditation, prayer, drums, music, art, breath, silence, darkness, plant hallucinogens and concentration. Mankind was able to tap into supernatural realms through its own mind. Whether these were actual journeys is difficult to prove but the psychological and spiritual transformations gave birth to all religions, mystical practices and spirituality.
 
In these states man found creativity, mysticism, God, angels, demons, art and the stories that make up our myths.
 
All these techniques are still available to us, but in addition our knowledge of the universe has expanded to incredible new heights and our emerging knowledge of consciousness, microbiology, genetics, cosmology is all opening up new languages for the mysteries.
 
Do we still need God? Perhaps we should leave the door open for the possibility of her existence.

Reposted from Raja Choudhury’s Blog http://themodernmystic.typepad.com/themodernmystic/