INNOVATION & ILLUMINATION
Harmonizing the Technologies of the World
with the Technologies of the Mind
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Innovation and illumination - when used together, these two words can open a pathway to an awakened, enlivened, generative future for humanity. These two words hold open the possibility for all of us to redefine and rejuvenate our relationship with the Earth and to each other. Let me explain…
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Several years ago, while sitting on a meditation retreat, I had the privilege of a private audience with a great Tibetan master, Rahob Tulku Rinpoche. For the first few moments of our meeting, we sat together in silence, bodies and breath totally relaxed, our minds softened in such a way that the artificial boundaries of self and other dissolved into a blended wholeness. Then, as if a cosmic alarm clock sounded, signifying the next phase of our engagement, our gazes met and the Rinpoche began to speak:
"Today, we live in a world where the technology of the material world has significantly advanced. We have everything we need in the material world at our fingertips. This is wonderful! At the same time, it is vital that the world understands there is also a technology of the mind. In most of the world, the technology of mind lags far behind the technology of the material world. It is vital that the world brings into balance the advancement of the mind with the advancement of our material technology."
His message was simple: We are living a life out of balance. A preference for the material world of science and technology has resulted in humanity’s lopsided development. We’ve favored the world of computers, transport, and pharmacological medicine, but while failing to give equal emphasis to the world of consciousness, human potential, and the further reaches of our own being.
Rahob Tulku Rinpoche comes from a culture that emphasized just the opposite. Rather than giving preference to material technology, Tibetan contemplatives emphasized the development of consciousness. They sought out and discovered what it was that could bring true, lasting happiness. They examined the mind to such a degree that they’ve now become some of the world’s most sophisticated experts on the topic.
In a certain way, for centuries, Tibet has been the Silicon Valley of the mind. And just as the average Tibetan may not know much about augmented reality, the average person outside of a deeply committed spiritual practice knows very little about the transformation of consciousness. The time is ripe for these two forces for good to come together.
What I love about Rinpoche’s message is that he wasn’t saying that one form of technology was better than the other. He was simply holding open the possibility that there is a whole world of development and “technological advancement” in consciousness that many of us have not even begun to explore. His message was an invitation.
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The profundity of his words has stayed with me in the years since, and I continue to ask questions. What kind of world would we live in if these two domains were to come together? What would our world be like if the technologies of the material world and the technologies of the mind were given equal attention? What would it take for the evolution of consciousness to catch up to the evolution of material technology?
“Innovation and Illumination.” On November 6th, the Global Purpose Movement (in partnership with the Institute of Noetic Science, Consciousness Hacking, and East Meets West) will gather a group of five iconic entrepreneurs and innovators to discuss how these two worlds are intersecting in their own lives. We invite you to join us and to register by clicking here:
Details and Registration for Innovation and Illumination
(Please share link to event and spread widely)
As more entrepreneurs, innovators, founders and funders begin to transform their own minds, it is natural that all that they manifest begins to reflect these incredible advances in consciousness. I am filled with more hope now than ever before that we are on a pathway to balancing these two great technological streams. May this event on November 6th echo the words of Rahob Tulku Rinpoche. May we find a balance between illumination and innovation in a way that shines benefit throughout our planet and beyond.
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