As I've written previously, it is said that the next Buddha will be a community, not an individual.
Buddhas come for a given age, to lead people forward in their spiritual, social and psychological evolution. How appropriate that at a time of such division, to the point that it threatens the Earth's ability to support human life, the Buddha needed for the age would represent the ability of people to work together across differences.
That last part is particularly important. I don't believe Maitreya could possibly be a homogeneous group of people. It would necessarily represent the creation of harmony within diversity, since that is the task at hand.
How do we work together to make the environmental changes needed, when we are so easily divided into tribes by those who profit from our recklessness, selfishness and irresponsibility?
As long as our thinking is tribal, with in-groups we respect and value, and out-groups we are happy to see starve on barren land or choke on air pollution, we will not make the sacrifices needed far enough in advance to spare even ourselves.
In service work I've also found that there is a challenge in truly working together with equanimity and fairness. All too often a leader separates from the circle, forming a hierarchy. Sometimes there wind up being multiple layers, the charismatic leader, his/her protectors and "pets," and then everybody who is supposed to follow submissively. All ideas must pass muster with the leader, or they are silenced.
It is very hard to get together a group of people where they all have a similar enough level of expertise that they can truly function as a circle of equals. Different people have their own talents and skills, so not everyone has the same responsibilities, but the on responsibility they share equally is that of having the ideas that will guide the work.
The goals must be ideas that come from the "mastermind," the composite of the ideas of the members of the circle. The idea that moves forward should be an idea none of them came to the circle with. It should be an idea that required all their input and perspectives to even come up with.
The whole must be more than the sum of the parts, or you're not done yet.
This way of co-creating in community is important if the fruits of your labor are to be truly healing in their effect. If you want Spirit's blessing in how the work manifests in the world, then it must be in alignment with Spirit's truth even in its formation.
As above, so below
Things are not separate. Each layer affects the next. The creators, the creating, the creation, all of it amplifies the singular set of values of the endeavor.
If we value harmony, integrity, freedom, truth, abundance, generosity, love, compassion, diversity, then these ideas must be integral to the process. They must be represented in who is there, how the work is done, and what the final product is intended to offer the world.
The first step in creating this is assembling an auspicious team of people:
Once the group is formed it is important to prevent a singular leader from emerging. There will be a tendency for it to happen because, to be honest, people are lazy. People like to let someone else do the heavy work once they see that they can trust that person's decisions well enough. But this must not be allowed to happen.
No matter how charismatic, intelligent, and articulate one of the group's members may be, they will still never be able to match the genius of a true coming together of multiple minds, a mastermind.
Be a flat circle, not just any group of people
So commit from the beginning that everyone will take turns fulfilling the different leadership roles, even if certain support roles are sticky for those with that particular skill.
For example, the direction the group will take at various forks in the road should always be decided by the circle of equals, but who creates the zoom meeting links could be the same person each time.
Ideas come from everyone. Functions can be statically assigned.
If you work in this way, I truly believe you will have Spirit's wing at the back for your endeavor. You will be creating the medicine the world truly needs right now, no matter what issue area you're working to address.
It will be harder than falling back on the old ways, but it will be worth it if you truly care about the effect of your actions more than the idea of simply being active.
Let's end virtue signalling, and instead live our virtue, as Spirit embodied in all this complexity, striving toward harmony within that.
Much love to you. Namaste.
(All text and images (except the AT logo) are by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for HIVE.)
