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Copyright © 1997 by Guy McCarthy
All rights reserved. Inquiries should be addressed to
Twelve Star Publishing, P.O. Box 123, Jefferson, MD 21755
Several articles have recently appeared in earthlight!
dealing with the science of natural forces inspired by Austrian
philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Based on his rigorous scientific training
and the gift of clairvoyant sight, Steiner's life work was to
promulgate a new approach to arts and science that takes into
account the essential, spiritual aspect of earthly phenomena.
Despite the many successes of Steiner's approach in fields
as diverse as agriculture and education, the basic tenets of spiritual
science remained firmly outside the currents of mainstream thinking.
But then, in 1994, the situation changed entirely.
Enter the Walt Disney Co., creative and market-savvy champion
of animated feature films. Following on the surprise box-office
success of Beauty and the Beast, Disney set out to create
a large screen epic, with an entirely new story and set of characters.
In the summer of 1994, Disney released The Lion King.
Woven into the story is an important metaphysical principle
that has been largely lost in modern thinking, yet one that is
essential for harmonious living. For those unfortunate few who
haven't seen the movie, here is the important dialog that occurs
when Mufasa, the elder lion monarch, shows his son a sweeping
view of their kingdom:
"A King's time as a ruler rises and falls like the sun," begins Mufasa, speaking in the rich tones of James Earl Jones. "Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As King you need to understand that balance and respect all creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
"But Dad, don't we eat the antelope?" asks Simba, the young lion cub.
"Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great circle of life."
It sounds simple, but this essential balance between individual
and environment is one thing that has been lost in the industrial
age. And to recover this knowledge is to gain a basic understanding
of the principles of spiritual science, as revealed by Steiner.
To explore this a bit, lets make a diagram:
Now let's take a closer look at the three organisms
involved. The reductionist tendency, which has dominated western
thought for three centuries, is to examine each part in (I)isolation
from(I) the whole. So the reductionist might say, "The Lion
is the ruler; he eats the Antelope."
But the tendency of spiritual science is to examine each
part in relation to the whole. The spiritual scientist would say,
"The Lion lives and eats, then dies and decays." Take
a moment and think about the difference between these two statements.
Can you see how the reductionist view leads away from natural
balance? Now imagine the reductionist view as applied to decision
making, day after day, for three hundred years. No wonder we have
reached the point of environmental crisis!
The essence of each organism, in relation to the whole,
can be pictured like this:
Each half of the circle represents a natural flow of
energy. The Expressive flow is directed outwards, and tends to
create structures of greater complexity. The Digestive flow is
directed inwards, as structures are reduced to their simplest,
nutrient form. Once digested, these nutrients become the seeds
of future growth, beginning the cycle all over again.
The dual streams of life force, expression or expansion,
and digestion or contraction, underlie all physical processes
here on earth. In fact, both streams can be recognized within
the organism of man, like this:
The upward growth of our physical body, in particular
the complex and expansive nervous system represents one stream
of the life force. The digestive system, which reduces organic
matter to simple nutrients, is the other.
Note that it would be incorrect to think of the streams
only in the vertical orientation. In a lion or antelope, whose
bodies parallel the ground, the streams flow horizontally. A more
accurate visualization of the dual streams would stress the expansive
tendency versus the contractive:
From here this principle of duality can be applied to
any field, such as Art (where "cool" colors are contractive,
and "hot" colors expansive), to Business (where "competition"
is contractive, and "cooperation" is expansive), to
Physics (where "gravity" is contractive, and "levity"
is expansive).
The lesson that Rudolf and The Lion King teach us is simply
this:
"To live in harmony, each must understand his relation to the whole. The dual streams of life, expansion and contraction, must remain in balance."
Guy McCarthy is a writer, philosopher, and engineer.