Free The Living Universe by Duane Elgin

deadness to leave behind and move beyond? Or, do the wisdom traditions see the universe as a miracle of stunning aliveness? When people around the world and across the centuries offer their in-depth accounts of the nature of existence, what descriptions of the universe emerge? When sages and saints across cultures and history have come to a place of profound centeredness and quiet, what has become self-evident to them regarding the nature of the universe and our place within it?
    For more than three decades, I have been exploring how the world’s wisdom traditions view the universe. At the outset, I did not know what I would discover. Although views of the world’s spiritual traditions are fairly well known when it comes to themes such as love and compassion, it was not clear to me how they regarded the universe. Might wisdom traditions regard the universe as something “out there” and largely separate from the spiritual quest “in here?” Or, is our relationship with the universe seen as integral to our spiritual awakening and development?
    To show how wisdom traditions view the universe, I have drawn from a range of sources: Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Tao-ist, Confucian, Indigenous, and more. I realize there are deep differences, both within these traditions and between them. The clash of religions is a powerful and unsettling reality in today’s world. Nonetheless, if we allow for their many differences, and look at the way each tradition regards the universe, I think the similarities we discover are striking and of immense importance in revealing a common understanding shared by all wisdom traditions. Common themes emerge as different spiritual traditions describe their in-depth understanding of our common home, the universe. Often it is the more mystical tradition within a spiritual family that explores these depths most fully. Given differences of history, culture, and geography, it is not surprising that each of the world’s spiritual traditions would have a different way of describing the universe. It is important to receive each tradition on its own terms and allow it to speak for itself and inform us with its unique insights.
    We will explore views of the universe through the lens of a half-dozen wisdom traditions that comprise a majority of the world’s population. Although all belief systems deserve consideration, these few embrace the overwhelming majority of the human family andprovide us with a strong foundation for this overview. As a cautionary note, I recognize that some people may not give much attention to how their spiritual tradition regards the universe. Nor do people necessarily hold a view of the universe consistent with their particular faith. With care to not overstate humanity’s beliefs about the universe, let’s explore how the world’s spiritual traditions view the universe and humanity’s relationship to it.

Judeo-Christian Views
    Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have common roots in the idea of a single God. Despite their differences, all three religions trace their lineage back to the Hebrew patriarch Abraham whose life is described in the Jewish Bible known to Christians as the Old Testament (in the book of Genesis). From Abraham we find the core belief in a single, all-knowing, all-powerful, and transcendent God who created the universe as “good” and continues to be involved in its existence.
    It is important to acknowledge that, for many, the word
God
tends to evoke the image of a remote masculine authority figure who is separate from this world. However, another view runs through both Judiasm and Christianity and uses the word
God
to evoke the image of a powerful, boundless spiritual presence that infuses, sustains, and transcends the universe. It is this latter meaning of God that is the focus of this inquiry.
    The Judaic view of the origin of the universe is described in the first sentence of the first book of the