The original sin
“All Law-breaking comes from the first evil thought, that original sin of placing yourself above the land or above other people” Tyson Yunkaporta, Sand Talk.
That delicious feeling of being superior. Of having access to what others do not. People, privilege, places. More followers than others. A better something. Being ‘the best.” Or ‘the greatest.” The smartest.
I know this place well. I have felt the sting of the tail of my own scorpion as she gloats at her superiority over another.
I know it from being that person stung by others and humiliated by their gloating.
The outsider. The diminished. Not chosen for the team.
Our world is led by many people who bask in the hollow glory of this original sin.
And it is hollow. The hungry ghost. Never satisfied. Addicted to the short-term high, the rush, of that superior feeling.
Our economy is built on this sin. We worship those with access, money, power, as if they are better than us. As if accumulation off the backs of the modern slave makes us someone worth following.
Our sting will eventually sting us. This is how I learned. Slowly and eventually.
I needed to learn that in my hubris I became an island. I wanted genuine connection yet got isolation. The path was not through being superior, but in recognising the unique brilliance of all of life of which I am an intrinsic part.
To be sure I have around me people who love me enough to remind me to kiss the dirt with reverence on a regular basis.
To know this law is to grow up. To become a vital part of the whole in the glorious dance of life. To be able to celebrate joyously, the brilliance of our fellow humans, in all their colours. Together, indeed, we rise.
**Tyson Yunkaporta is our guest on this months Syntropic Alumni + Open call. To register.
Photo taken August 7th 2020