Digital Distress 17.0
There are legends about two ancient lost continents and civilizations called Atlantis and Lemuria. Although many of the stories surrounding these places and people are meant to be symbolic representations of various human attributes and foibles, many people to this day feel the continents actually existed. It is thought by some that these cultures were quite advanced and employed subtle energy technologies beyond imagination. It is also suggested that these technologies led to the demise of those people.
I do not really know if any of this is true, but I do think energy technologies have the potential to do great things—or kill us. I’ve been in the throes of digital distress these past few weeks, dealing with an email change and all the associated headaches. This was not a choice; my provider just decided to make changes and ‘improve’ things. I continue to discover little glitches with my online bill paying, healthcare, and other things. So, I am glad I have a meditation practice!
My practice helps take the edge off things, but I have to admit my mind still periodically rages. The advent of our digital world has not made things simple. We have to keep track of an ever-growing host of details. We communicate and miscommunicate without the real-time feedback of presence. Our energetic atmosphere is polluted with all sorts of wireless waves. And we are tethered to all this if we choose to live in the modern world.
I have fantasies of completely unhitching from the digital world, but for the Dharma Center and other responsibilities—and I like research and my word processor. Although I rarely use my cellphone except to make calls and an occasional text, I feel the wireless tether tugging at me from all sides because everyone expects us to be available all the time. I imagine the old masters are laughing at how we created such a monster by monetizing our need to communicate, be entertained, and feed our ego.
Maybe digital IT/technology is another kind of samsara, a world of cyclic existence and suffering. Maybe it has to get so annoying we finally do something else with greater awareness. Maybe the challenges of the digital world are calling us home to recognize pure presence. Maybe we will remember the sublime beauty of physically engaging the interconnected world through a deeper understanding of love. These are my prayers—as I type this on a laptop computer and upload it to the website!🤪🙏🏼📿🧘♂️