The Tao of Cosmic Goodies:

How to access and enjoy good stuff and times in life!

An early admission.  The title isn’t accurate as it primarily relates to the yin aspect, as I’ll clarify.  However, it really is catchy, don’t you think?!  And, I believe, pertinent.

Oh, and the subtitle isn’t really accurate either.  It would better read “How to access and enjoy good stuff and times in life while concurrently living in harmony with the earth and its inhabitants,” but that would be too long a subtitle. So I shortened it.

Anyway …

As you may know from my previous writings, I conducted groups in my private practice as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor for clients court-ordered due to domestic violence and other acts of violence. I occasionally informed them of the cosmic goodies, which, I explained at the time, were the arts, nature and friendships. I’ve expanded the list markedly since retiring in 2024.

The clients, mostly guys (men and women attended separate groups by law) listened obligingly, though I’m sure begrudgingly and perhaps slightly amused.  They most likely thought I was a complete loon. Anyway, as they were a “captive audience,” they heard the message of cosmic goodies more than once during their mandated 29-week course of treatment. I like to believe that I planted seeds in their minds that may have stuck and flowered into buds of understanding. Or perhaps enlightenment. 

As noted above, cosmic goodies are within the yin aspect.  Here’s my updated Taoist model of treatment that I used in the groups, for reference as I proceed.

My hypothesis is this: If one adamantly pursues the Yang aspect (Dharma/purpose) in alignment with the evolutionary impulse, then “the Universe” (God, Spirit, Future Self, etc.) provides increased access to, or the path to, the goodies, such as caring relationships, the arts, prosperity (in so many forms), friendships, laughter, health, etc. If one aligns their intentions and actions with the “Way of Tao” (wholeness), then vis a vis synchronicity, or Divine Appointment, good fortune more likely follows. I italicize the words more likely as this formula does not trump all circumstances like natural disasters or unnatural dictatorships. (No pun intended in the sentence.) Evolution, as well as chance, work in unpredictable and mysterious ways. This is not offered as an exact, or empirical science. At least not yet.

The second piece of the equation, in italics in the paragraph above, is “in alignment with the evolutionary impulse.” I present this diagram from my mentor, Barbara Marx Hubbard, who wrote Emergence: The Shift from Ego to Essence, and Conscious Evolution.

Bottom left on the diagram you witness Universal Intelligence (often referred to as cosmic consciousness, the quantum field, love, or in more sacred terms such as God) evolving through stages to form the universe, the earth, life, animal life and human life. The stages are each delineated via crises and transformation into a more complex and adaptive way of being to survive and prosper. We are now finding ourselves, predictably, in such a stage of crisis. I’ll not elaborate on the subject. You know what I mean. And, as Barbara’s book implies, we are emerging via conscious evolution to become universal humans. Living in alignment with the evolutionary impulse simply means to flow with universal intelligence. Do the right thing. Cooperate. Show compassion. Care for the earth and its inhabitants as we are one.

This is all related to The Emerging Story of Oneness, Wholeness and Interbeing which I’ve written about extensively in the past. We are evolving into our next iteration as humans to address global crises. “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.” And, in my belief – no, the age has already dawned. It is here and now.

The Sacred Story of Creation leads us through the Wheel of Co-Creation, enlarged below:

We may express our expanded worldview of oneness, wholeness and interbeing through our unique passions, talents and proclivities, to effectively herald changes in whole-system design. Whole-system design recognizes that all is connected at the collective or global level. In other words, systems, or institutions, or governing bodies listening and responding to community needs and to employees and to the surrounding environment. We can bring our expanded worldview and our passions to the workplace and to our wider surroundings to participate in the emergence. As an example, if your passions center on the environment, you can learn about and support permaculture at home and work assignments. If your passion is related to the healthcare field, you can embrace mind/body modes of treatment and psychoneuroimmunology. If your passion is social justice, you can march and advocate for legislation to support diversity, equity and inclusion. Or become an attorney and advocate for these goals through the profession. In the wedge piece of relations, you can commit to resolving any conflict in the home nonviolently. Or become a counselor, like me, to teach about our interbeing.

At the more personal level, it’s as much about what we are as what we do in the process of becoming whole, holy and healthy. (The yin is our aspect of being and yang is our aspect of doing.) In the emerging worldview, we are one with a living earth, each other, and a conscious universe. Coming from this understanding, embodiment and application of our wholeness, and entering into systems supporting this emerging worldview, humanity comes back into alignment with The Tao (cosmos) and the living earth (Gaia), and peace becomes more possible.

And … we get the cosmic goodies!!! Back to our theme!!

Get it?! If we live in alignment with our greatest good, from our sacred center of compassion, we benefit, and the collective benefits.

It must be noted here that cosmic goodies are not the only offering or ingredient of the yin aspect. Also in the yin is contemplation, nature, compassion, and a whole bunch more. Cosmic goodies are a fringe benefit. A yummy benefit at that! So, the equation now becomes: If you pursue your highest good in harmony with earth and its inhabitants, and if you earnestly pursue a meditation practice and plant an organic garden (or some other hands-on connection with nature), you are more likely to receive the goodies.

I’ll add one more suggestion to support my hypothesis regarding acquisition of cosmic goodies. I mention synchronicity and the Divine Appointment above. This suggestion also includes access to psi phenomena – our extended human capacities. By embodying wholeness (balance between our yin and yang aspects) and thus living in alignment with the evolutionary impulse, we gain access, via innate, intuitive channels, to the nonlinear realm, beyond the space/time boundary. One with universal consciousness. There is no separation. The space/time aspect resides primarily in the yang while the quantum, or sacred aspect resides primarily in the yin, but they are both aspects of the whole. Living whole (holy/healthy) provides access to the nonlinear realm where synchronicity and psi are not only wholly possible but most likely highly probable. Again, this is a part of the hypothesis. There is scientific research supporting this emerging worldview related to the primacy of consciousness.

To summarize: Human beings have agency (choice/power), and via our consciousness and right choices, we have greater opportunities to prosper and enjoy the cosmic goodies of life. I offer the Buddhist Metta meditation: May ALL beings be happy and know peace.

And such is the value of grokking wholeness from which all good things cometh!