The Integral Message
Relational Spirituality draws the three poles and it’s three sets of polarities, God and Self, God and Neighbour, and Self and Neighbour together into the one inter-related, inter-dependent non-dual unity.
Edinger and Developmental Psychologists such as Fowler have all contributed to the story of the maturing ego through the journey of life, from birth to full maturity. Panikkar emphasises the developing stages of sight that shapes our consciousness, the first being our sensory sight, the second sight shaped by the rational mind. Both of these developing perceptions of the world function dualistically, for the sensory and rational functions divide and analyse to then synthesise a narrative of life. Beyond the second sight is the third sight spoken of as integral consciousness. This level of development enables the maturing ego to perceive the inter-relational nature of all entities. That is the integral consciousness that perceives the polarities of life.
It is the task of the ego to manage the dynamic interplay of the three polarities. With the developed non-dual perception of ego, it will see that the interplay between the three is in fact the one dynamic inter-dependent reality. It captures a more complete and transparent awareness of our reality than the dualistic perception.
Through the story of Jesus, Judeo-Christian scripture presents a potent example in Jesus words, ‘When two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst.’ The pertinent point is found in the words, ‘gathered in my name’. This is a reference to the state of the spirit of Jesus which is manifest across all creation. It is in the perception of the interconnectedness of all creation, that the divine absolute manifest in the spirit of the risen Jesus. It becomes apparent when seeing with the third sight. It is the Relationality of Spirituality.
When the mind reverts to the earlier dualistic perception of the sensory and mental view, it will once again separate each polarity into its individual entities and lose sight of the interconnected nature of all reality. It is not invalid, but simply not as developed in the possible journey of the pilgrim of life.
The three disciples Peter, James and John were gifted such an extreme experience of the integral sight of Relational Spirituality on Mount Tabor in the experience of the Transfiguration. Panikkar presents the transfiguration as the mythos or symbol of spirituality for the third millennium.