In his book ‘A New Earth’, Eckhart Tolle wrote a paragraph entitled ‘Our Inherited Dysfunction’.
“If we look deeper into the ancient religious and spiritual traditions of humanity, we will find that under the many surface differences there are two core insights that most agree on, the words they use to describe the those insights are different, and yet they all point to a twofold basic truth. The first part of this truth is the realization that the “normal” state of mind of most human beings contains a strong element of what we might call dysfunction or even madness. It is perhaps specific teachings at the heart of Hinduism that are closest to seeing this dysfunction as a form of collective mental illness. They call it maya, a fraud cover. ”
I often think on that paragraph. At the heart of our ancient and current religious and spiritual practices we also seek to understand and overcome the collective illness. Many live by faith, believing that there is something bigger and better than our experiences in this world. That hope carries them.
Many may choose to be disconnected. Being fully engaged, violent or constantly concerned would mean buckling under the pressure of social injustices and the universal evil prevailing in our world. We watch those with obvious mental illness roam the streets and see that they are not burdened by the demands of the system. Some sleep where darkness casts their shadow, shower when it rains and eat where they can.
Here in Guyana, it is easy to identify the collective dysfunction. It’s open. I watched the protests this week, studied the faces of the distressed and thought of our collective dysfunction. Sugar workers protested for better wages, nurses called for the removal of the CEO of the Linden Hospital Complex who accused them of abandoning their duties to get issues, Bartica protested their choice of leaders, and there was protest at Georgetown about anti-Blackness and injustices.
There are chaos agents who find joy in the dysfunction. Many Guyanese have died just knowing that Guyanese life experience is one of struggle. Some of the same burdens our ancestors have taken have taken new forms or remained unchanged. Our collective dysfunction is largely based on our reluctance to change.
I read about the ten year old boy who was shot and killed by thieves who often invade our private places and break us. The dysfunction has made criminals out of many. The unfair system we’ve created is fueling it.
Thieves often break our bodies by injuring and killing us. They also break our peace of mind. They are breaking our trust. They break our faith. They are agents of chaos. All are at risk when society breeds chaos. Whether it’s our elders being raped and beaten or our children being killed.
I thought of the alleged serial rapist who was arrested and accused a few weeks ago of rape and torture of a woman. This was not his first arrest on allegations of rape.
But our society watches many vessels of destruction spread their stain from woman to woman. They are bred and molded in this society. From time children are touched, and from time pedophiles are protected by their families and society. Predators are often more exposed than predators. International Women’s Day was on March 8. How can we say we stand up for women, but women are constantly broken in this country and it is often excused or ignored? And if the allegations of the attack in the National Assembly are true, what hope is there if our leaders are the epitome of this dysfunction?
I thought of the young woman who put her life at risk by becoming a drug mule. Man-made money continues to drive our dysfunction. Greed is a major factor in our collective mental illness. We’re three months into the year. Three months of the constant damage against each other in public and private. And just what is mentioned is what made the news.
COVID numbers continue to rise. Over two hundred people have died here. Some believe the solution is in the vaccines, but no vaccine can fix how broken, mentally exhausted and forever changed some of us are because of COVID-19.
Three people I knew, all from the same family and living in another country, died in two months because of COVID-19. The last death shook me to the core. She was a friend. I spent days battling the urge not to sink into the dark. While we collectively tackle dysfunction, the road is often only when we have to struggle to make sense of it on its own. The confusion, infection and joint dysfunction that COVID-19 has overwhelmed us in many ways. The mystery of its various origins and manifestations is of concern.
Our existence is gradually getting darker while light at the same time also illuminates our world. How we hurt each other indicates our dysfunction. Jealousy, betrayal and selfishness stifle us. How we fight against each other. How we have enslaved each other. How we kill each other. How we differ on the basis of skin color and social status. How dissatisfied we are. Infections of the body and mind all kill us.
Some are lucky to find the balance to make sense of this life; recognize that we are essentially imperfect but capable of promotion. Whether they find this through religion or spirituality, it still often seems like the madness shadows the sanity. It may be our task when we are born into this world to find the way that calmness shadows the collective dysfunction. Maybe when we find out we will not die even in death.