We are Multitudes

As organisms of Earth our history is ancient. Going back to the first single celled algae and creatures of this planet that could not yet know that they were existing. Over the eons, cells began to converge together, cooperating amongst each other, building systems of function and purpose; a conglomerate of cells, eventually leading to the ability to mate and breed and create more life. And although we may feel extremely far from those early amoeba days, we are actually the living embodiment of our single celled ancestors.’

Buddhism taps this primordial knowledge, commenting on the lack of solidity in our experience of being a self. When you try to single out what defines a self, it is overly reductionist and thus inaccurate—selves are undulating beings of experience and subtle processes, beliefs, values, and actions, working tirelessly to create a coherent narrative of singular being. And this is why Buddhism claims self is an illusion. Our many cells have learned to function cooperatively across evolution to bring us to this human form of being. They are the wizards of oz behind a smoke screen of skin and bones and chemistry, creating a sense of “I.” The I we think of as self, is more like the AI of a software: our cells, our genetics are the code of our unique human software, tailored by time and experience and context, outputting the overarching intelligence of Self. We are the “Claude” of a the living breathing human computer.

Practice: Attune to the individual cells of your being. Mindfully attend to the parts of the whole, allow yourself to feel the space between your cells, and dwell in the singularity of nonbeing.

Challenge: Can you love each cell? Whether there is mutation or even dis-ease, can you give love to each part that makes up you?