It is true that this civilization is made of lies, was grown by lies, is powered by lies, is controlled by lies.

And it is true that this civilization is woven from violence, was birthed by violence, is sustained by violence, is preserved through violence.

And it is true that this civilization is built on exploitation, is run on exploitation, exists to facilitate exploitation, is the product and the producer of exploitation.

And it is true that this civilization is flying facefirst toward collapse on myriad fronts and that any attempt to draw attention to this gets met with a "that makes me uncomfortable" hand-waving dismissal.

But it is also true that a staggering beauty rips through it all like a thunderbolt, continuously and pervasively.

And it is also true that there is a boundless intimacy hidden beneath all things that, if you like, could be called holiness.

And it is also true that the self is an illusion and that all that arises is innately free and deliciously purposeless.

And it is also true that science is in its infancy and that what we know is a tiny minnow in the vast ocean of what we do not know.

And it is also true that the universe is oh so very much bigger and oh so very much older than our tiny primate brains will ever be able to comprehend.

And it is also true that it is possible for the human organism to undergo a radical transformation in the way that it operates, from contraction around the ego illusion to a life-sized expression of the unity of all things.

And it is also true that the ability to see beauty in everything is a skill that can be mastered, and that a failure to appreciate the beauty of any moment is simply a failure of perception.

And it is also true that you can tell you're approaching clarity in this sense when you are able to see beauty in the billboards and bustle of a busy city just as easily as you can see it in the forest.

And it is also true that we are never meant to stop growing and learning, and that being the same person you were five years ago is a signal from life that something's not right.

And it is also true that our society's measures of success and failure are made of the same madness that got us into this mess and should therefore be ignored when crafting a beautiful life.

And it is also true that you can continue falling in love with your romantic partner for as long as you're willing to grow and expand, and that the honeymoon never needs to end.

And it is also true that your sexuality can be a powerful tool for healing, creativity and growth if you can succeed in making it conscious.

And it is also true that none of this erases the harshness of our situation and we must all be very tender with each other as we plunge into whatever comes next at this unprecedented point in human history.

And it is also true that you should be tender with yourself as well, because it is only by loving ourselves deeply that our hidden endarkened bits can be coaxed into the light of truth.

And it is also true that you are doing your best, and that any mistakes you have made up until this moment were only because you did not yet have sufficient consciousness to make different choices.

And it is also true that you are crackling with beauty, and it would be a damn shame if you never let yourself truly see this.

And it is also true that humanity itself is crackling with beauty, and that the only thing worse than our species slipping away would be if it slipped away without really seeing and appreciating itself.
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Reading by Tim Foley.

It Is True That This Civilization Is Made Of Lies

Readings of all Caitlin Johnstone's articles, usually by her co-writer Tim Foley.