The Connectivity Principle

There are two "Worlds" that people live in that determine their quality of life and how they experience reality: the World of Separation, which can be bleak, threatening, isolating, and cold, and the World of Connectivity, which is often colorful, safe, fulfilling, and warm. These two opposing paradigms of existence, which are reflective of two distinct Views, contain the roots and essence of all human problems, as well as the hope and promise for their successful resolution. The wise voices of many are now telling us that we humans have passed the point of no return and are on the verge of either an evolutionary breakthrough in consciousness - or a complete systemic collapse; the urgent need for quickly pulling ourselves together as One has never been more startlingly compelling.

Increasing our capacity for Connectivity, both individually and collectively, may be the key to our survival. This book explores these two paradigms of living in and experiencing the world, and the vast Continuum of Views that spans between them. It also offers the Bridge, a six-element personal system of practice for refining one's View and increasing our ability to expand our inherent energetic Connectivity. It also describes a way to safely navigate the Sea of Rules that creates, governs, shapes, and transforms all of our relationships: personal, community, business, and with modern technology.

Connectivity is a Co-efficient of Happiness. Very simply, the more Connectivity you have, the happier you will be. Consistently choosing this View and Moral Compass as one's guide for all that one does, says, feels, and thinks, will not only help incrementally increase one's level of happiness, but it will also assist in the process of evolving to one's highest spiritual potential. Adopting the View expressed by The Connectivity Principle can also contribute to the necessary shift in the collective consciousness that could prevent a worldwide societal breakdown, and see us all on the high road to peace, international cooperation, economic security, and advances in our social development that are beyond our current imagination.

Author_Bio: Dr. Stephen Long is the co-author with Bhante Walpola Piyananda of Thus We Heard: Recollections of the Life of the Buddha. Guided by thorough research in the ancient texts, it is acclaimed by many as the most skillful, accessible, and comprehensive book on the life of the Buddha ever written; it has been translated into Mandarin and Sinhala. He is also the co-author with Dr. Barbara Wright of Dharma and the Metta Map, which presents a new system for understanding, practicing, and teaching the Buddha Dharma; also translated into Mandarin. His first book is Karmic Ties: A Novel of Modern Asia, an epic "morality tale" that illustrates the operative nature of the law of karma. Dr. Long is the editor of several other books, and is also a business consultant, teacher, life coach, and ordained Buddhist minister based in Los Angeles, California.

Keywords: Connectivity, Buddhism, Mindfulness, Non-Duality, Meditation, Enlightenment, Spiritual, Happiness, Chakra, Yoga, Advaita, Consciousness