wisewords
LOVE M
OVE & EVOLUTION by Peter Carlson
illenia ago, when our ancestors were becoming homo sapiens, an important genetic change
occurred. Somewhere, somehow, some beings began to talk, to make verbal communication that transmitted meaning from one individual to another. This likely occurred between a mother and child, as that is the most important tool for promoting survival. Somehow, that grew beyond the exchange between two individuals to a whole group of people (we can call them people because they functioned with speech, an ability no other species we know of has). Over time, that capacity became a characteristic of all humanity. The technological advances of humanity fostered by speech have occurred faster than the personal and social competence necessary to avoid disastrous results. This is obvious when considering the “never-ending” war we are engaged in, the disparity in the distribution of food and shelter and the painfully harsh language that is part of this political cycle. Additionally,
16 EVOLUTION
our environment is being signifi cantly disrupted—volatile weather due to climactic change, pollution of the waters, poisoning of the soil, and so forth. When I was in school in the 1950s, we learned that evolution requires “the law of the fang and claw,” that is, the need to dominate the environment aggressively: “May the best man win!” (obviously a sexist belief). This was attributed to Darwin’s evolutionary theories, as understood by the aggressive capitalist cultural bias of the late 19th early 20th
and centuries. This socially and
environmental domination has “matured” into the divisiveness in our culture today and the degradation of the earth’s environment. This is reaching a critical time in my life, perhaps in human history. The upheaval of political demagoguery and denial of environmental degradation is increasingly stressful for American life. I believe an evolutionary process is happening for the human race now— the experience of love, over the last several thousand years. Speech was an important evolutionary achievement,
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as it allows information to be passed down through the generations. Since the onset of the written word and, more recently, the internet, language is enormously impactful in our world. Love is now the next step in the growth of humanity, and the need for love is more critical than ever. What can be done? In a previous Natural Awakenings article, I quoted from the Buddha: “Hatred is not resolved through more hatred—only love can bring resolution.” I believe that love is the antidote for the current crisis, both political and environmental. Hatred is divisive and love is inclusive. Dominance over the environment is what is creating the global environmental crisis, and the antidote for that is to treat all life as we wish to be treated. This suggests a new understanding of Darwin’s evolutionary theory. Modern research into the complexity and interactivity of the planet’s ecosystem suggests that cooperation and consideration for how our behaviors infl uence our culture and the environment is what will promote the evolution of humanity. My understanding of love is that it is a unifying force in the world. There is a wisdom saying: “The mind builds chasms that the heart bridges over.” Love is inclusive, connecting, cooperative and fosters creativity. We are empathic creatures: “pack animals with language.” In the human brain there are neural clusters called “mirror neurons,” manifesting two functions: one is mimicry—we copy what we see or hear, and the other is empathic—when we see or hear someone else’s emotional expression, that experience stirs up similar emotions in ourselves. We are “hardwired” to respond to each other! We can build on this empathy through conscious development of love. Thousands of years ago, during what historians call “The Axial Age” in Asia, Persia and the Mediterranean basin, spiritual masters lived and taught. The core of their teachings was that of love and community, exemplifi ed in the Golden Rule, in Christianity: “For all the law is fulfi lled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Paul, Galatians) In Buddhism: “Comparing oneself to others in such terms as ‘Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I,’ he should neither kill nor cause others to kill.” (The Buddha, Sutta Nipata)
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