MYANMAR AND XENOPHOBIA: COUNTING THE COST OF SEPARATENESS

As I write, Myanmar (Burma) is counting the cost of two disasters. The first is a natural disaster called Cyclone Nargis. The second is a human disaster called separateness. The newspapers have reported that the cyclone has killed possible as many as 100,000 people. The media has also reported on the Myanmar Government (a military junta) refusing foreign aid from the United Nations and well-meaning countries who can afford to send aid. Although some aid has trickled in, the Myanmar Government has reportedly been obstructive and unhelpful. This is the human disaster: the separateness of the Myanmar Government which may result in a human catastrophe on an enormous scale – I understand that over a million people have been displaced by the cyclone. If they all succumb to illness and disease, the death toll will be much, much higher than 100,000.

I was reflecting on this scenario and wondering what it was that Life was offering by way of a lesson here. I concluded that one possibility was that Life had offered a learning experience to the Myanmar Government in the form of the cyclone. The Myanmar Government is notorious for cutting itself off from the rest of the world, barring foreign intervention and not permitting its people to have access of any significance to the outside world. In so doing, the Government has separated itself from the rest of the world. This is xenophobia, Myanmar style. The consequences of separateness in this instance, could be death on an enormous scale. If the Myanmar Government were to connect fully with the United Nations and its members, I would suggest that this could offer life both to the million displaced people and to the wider Myanmar society.

Closer to home, in South Africa, thousands of immigrants to my country are being persecuted by locals in an unprecedented spate of xenophobia. Foreigners are being beaten, burned, maimed and displaced by angry mobs who accuse them of stealing jobs, dishonesty and using up scarce local resources. There is a massive separateness between some of the local South African and the foreigners, evidenced by anger, fear, hatred and resentment. At the same time, aid groups and individuals are helping the foreigners in refugee camps by providing food, blankets, accommodation and other needs. Their connectedness is evidenced by their caring and empathy.

So how does this affect you, the reader, you might be wondering? Where is Andrew going with this?

As individuals, we are all capable of separating ourselves from ourselves, others and from Life. By the same token, we are equally capable of connecting with others and life (and, indeed, ourselves). Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling angry, guilty, resentful, hateful, fearful, deceitful, etc, you can feel quite alone and very separated from others and from Life. You also separate yourself from your inner essence, from the person that you really are. However, when you are happy, joyful, grieving, excited, etc, you are in fact connected with yourself, others and life. When we experience emotions, typically we will either separate ourselves or connect ourselves with our emotions.

The analogy between this and what is happening in Myanmar is that, when we are in a state of separateness, I would suggest that this is akin to a type of “living death”. The separateness from ourselves, others and Life (and for “Life”, some readers may wish to substitute the word “God”), we are in effect dead in many ways. If we are not dead, death will ensue. What I mean is the death of our spirituality, the death of our true essence, the death of our ability to socialize and the death of our ability to experience fully everything that life has to offer.

When we are connected through our emotions, this means life. We are alive to all the possibilities that Life has to offer. We are alive to the people around us, alive to our inner essence, alive to the splendor within and without, alive to all that there is for which we can be grateful.

Whether we are looking at things on a macro scale (e.g. Myanmar or South African xenophobia) or a micro scale (e.g. ourselves as individuals), it is very clear that separateness brings with it death of a particular kind, whilst connectedness brings with it all that life has to offer. So, when next you find yourself in a state of separateness, pause for a moment and think what part of you is being killed. Pause and think about what might be dying around you, such as friendships, relationships, passion and joy. As soon as you are able to get the full cost of your separateness, that will be the moment when you will be able to choose a different state, a state of connectedness, happiness and full engagement with yourself, life and others.

The beauty of this is that we are always choosing the state in which we find ourselves. It is very easy to blame circumstances for our anger or resentment, but ultimately we choose to be angry, resentful or fearful because of the circumstances which surround us. Despite the circumstances, we can equally choose to be happy, contented, excited, joyful, grateful. It just depends on how we see those circumstances. I choose connectedness.

In my up-coming web-based course, "I Create my Life", you will learn some of the tools that I have to offer to help you to re-connect with yourself, others and Life, even at times of disconnection. You will also have the opportunity to get one-on-one coaching with me as support for your evolution. Sound interesting? Watch this space for details and please pass it on to your friends.

Feel free to leave your comments on the Discussion Forum page.

Take care, Andrew

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Speak to you soon, Andrew