From the earliest known writings of humanity, we hear the voices of distressed peoples. Genocide, gender oppression and other harms to humanity litter the written and oral record over 5,000 years of our history. In ancient Sumerian myths, gods and goddesses were equally fickle and cruel to the humans they supposedly created. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the superhero, Gilgamesh (a great historical king of Uruk in Babylonia around 2700 BC), is on a journey to find Immortality and become all-knowing.   And like his gods and goddesses, he is cruel and oppressive to his people despite his exalted quest or great earthly works. As we look at our collective behaviors today and with 5,000 years of written history between us and Gilgamesh, it could well be that he is our archetype. Is it possible that little has changed in five millennia? 

 

Is our behavior innate? Are we locked into the same basic patterns all the other forms of life on this planet appear to exhibit? “Eat, expel waste, reproduce and adapt, no matter what” seems to be the basic mantra of life. Built into these behaviors are variations that enhance the chances of survival of a species such as the quest for good looks and strength.  In a non-spiritual worldview, that mantra would appear to be all there is.   In that ‘eat or be eaten’ worldview there is no judgment, no right or wrong. The question is only whether I survive to live another day. And in our current global societies, we see plenty of that worldview. Interestingly, like DNA, maybe all of us hold that worldview, at least some of the time. It is possible Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality and knowledge is merely a human version of life’s mantra. For humankind, the tool we use to help us in this worldview is Mind or thinking. Only tangible things are of concern in that view: to eat, survive and mate. Or is there more? 

 

Gilgamesh’s pursuit was largely about overcoming or gaining favor from beings more powerful than he, a familiar story even today. But you won’t find compassion or intuition or love in his approach. Redeeming those who have fallen or are weak, sacrificing for others, using trust and faith are all traits Mind would consider inferior. Mind rejects them without proof. Mind would tell you these things are created by us to make us feel better, but better about what? Being eaten? Unfortunately, for at least 5,000 years, Mind, the non-spiritual worldview, has ruled our human world.  Too much of our world is still in that desperately barren thought form. We live every day with the consequences of that worldview, sometimes at horrific levels such as the occurrence of at least six genocides in the last 80 years, or the continuing oppression of women and children in many countries around the world, including our own. 

 

Let’s call that other worldview Heart. It has been suppressed for millennia, but not eradicated. We see it emerge infrequently at times in history and play an important role. We see it play out every day in our own communities, mostly without fanfare, small acts of kindness by ordinary people. Heart is not out to defeat or replace Mind. In fact they both work best when they work together. Heart is not just about feelings. Like Mind, there are skills we can learn to operate better from our Heart. And like Mind, Heart wants us to take action. Without Heart, our creativity would not exist: no Bach, no Beethoven, no Beatles. Without Heart, every day is a day of terror. Without Heart, there is no joy.  With Heart, we can share a smile with a child.