I hope you are well. At the moment, there is a resurgence of national identity in some parts of the world, leading to conflict with other nations. Of course, this is the root of war – people with a different ethnic or national identity fighting with other groups, usually over territory or resources. 

I have never understood nationalism. Of course, I have a superficial identity as a British or English person, but I also know that I am no different to any other human being who lives elsewhere in the world. I don’t feel any special affiliation with my nation, or with the other people who live on my island. I feel an affiliation with all human beings equally, and with all living beings, who live all over our planet’s surface. 

The idea of countries is an illusory abstraction. We're just groups of human beings spread across our planet's landmass, all descended from the same original group of humans. To believe that we are different people with competing interests leads to unnecessary conflict and stops us solving our collective problems.

That’s why I feel that the present resurgence of nationalism is a temporary phase. I predict that future generations will outgrow nationalism. This will be a natural consequence of the evolution of consciousness. Spiritually awakened people transcend group identity, whereas unawakened people cling to national identity to gain a sense of belonging and identity. 

 I wrote about these issues in an article a couple of years ago, called ‘What if the World Was One Country?’  You can read it here. 
 

The Fall
 

The above discussion relates to my early book The Fall, which came out nearly 20 years ago. The book describes how ego-separateness gave rise to (and still gives rise to) pathological phenomena like warfare and patriarchy, as well as psychological issues like chronic boredom and unease, and a sense of duality to nature and the body. In the last part of the book, I suggest that we are beginning to collectively transcend ego-separateness, and so starting to transcend these pathologies. 

I have a soft spot for The Fall – it felt like it was channelled through me, that I had no choice but to write it. It also led to my association with Eckhart Tolle. Strangely, it was published on the very same day as Eckhart’s book A New Earth. When I realised this – and also noted that the books covered a lot of similar ground – I sent a copy of The Fall to Eckhart’s office. I was pleasantly surprised when he contacted me a few months later to say that he loved the book and wanted to help me promote it.

I’ve returned to the book in recent months. Last September, I gave a talk on the book at the European Transpersonal Association conference in Oxford. The association asked me to write a paper based on my lecture for their journal, which has just been published. The article is called ‘'Fall and Rise: The Original Separation and Reconnection to the Cosmos.' Unfortunately, the published article isn’t available online, but let me know if you’re interested in it, and I’ll send you a copy. 
 

New Online Course – 

               Returning to The Calm Center
 
Starting on April 13th, I am leading a new online course. It runs for seven weeks, and is loosely based on my book of poetry The Calm Center. The course is designed as a journey of spiritual awakening through poetry and meditation. We will experience many moments of stillness, presence, oneness and harmony. I will provide guidance on the journey, and share many practical exercises and spiritual contemplations that could become an important part of your life.

The course will take place on zoom, and all sessions will be recorded in case you can’t attend in person. For more information, or to enrol on the course, see here
 

Poems

As usual, let me finish me with poetry. These are two unusual poems I’ve written recently. They are based on two imaginary characters who embody spiritual principles. The first poem, in particular, seemed to come from nowhere. The phrase ‘the woman who lived slowly’ came to me while I was meditating, and once I sat down to write, the rest of them poem flowed out quickly. The two poems have quite a different style to my usual poetry, so let me know what you think! 

The Woman Who Lived Slowly 

They laughed at the woman who lived slowly
at how she sauntered instead of hurrying
and stopped to gaze at trees and clouds
at how she weighed her words before speaking 
and waited for her intuition to guide her.

They complained about the woman who lived slowly
because she never rushed to answer queries 
seemed oblivious to deadlines, impervious to pressure
and spent her days watching and listening to the world
instead of joining their frenetic activity.

But soon they respected the woman who lived slowly
for the wisdom of her quiet mind 
and the craft of her careful hands 
because the decisions she made slowly were right 
and the work she did slowly was perfect.

And in the end, they loved the woman who lived slowly 
for the benevolence that arose from her stillness 
the calmness that arose from her presence 
and the spirit that flowed through her purely
because she lived so slowly.

The Man Who Was Happy For No Reason

There was a man who was happy for no reason.
He smiled for no reason as he looked up to the sky. 
He laughed for no reason as strangers walked by.
He lived simply but seemed to want nothing. 
He sat quietly without ever seeming bored.
He had no wealth, success nor future goals 
but somehow seemed fulfilled.

His neighbours were suspicious of him. 
They knew that happiness always has a reason – 
a piece of good news, a compliment
pleasures that lift our mood for a while 
chemicals that charge our bodies with good feelings. 
entertainments that distract us from our unhappiness. 
How else could anyone be happy?

The authorities questioned the man. 
They searched his house but found no secret sources of pleasure.
Scientists examined him, but found no unusual genes 
or abnormal neurological activity 
that could account for his irrational happiness.

Psychiatrists wrote reports, convened panels to discuss his case.
Should they give him medication? 
Should they even section him? 
After all, what could be more insane 
than being happy for no reason? 
But they concluded he posed no threat to society
and even had some entertainment value
as a clown, or a village idiot.

But if anyone cared to ask
the man was happy to share his secret. 
“It’s easy,” he said. “Happiness is your natural state.
It’s an energy, like the glow from a fire. 
But you can’t feel the glow inside you 
because you’re too busy looking for happiness outside.
Stop searching, planning and striving
relax and rest inside yourself
and you’ll find that you’re already happy.”

But no one was ready to listen
to the man who was happy for no reason. 
He spoke too calmly for their restless minds.
His truth was too simple for their complex thoughts. 
His happiness was too unreasonable
for their rational minds to grasp.

All best wishes and blessings

Steve