Perceiving Ordinary Magic: Science and Intuitive Wisdom

The Shambhala teachings of the Path of the Warrior, which form the philosophical and practical basis of this book, are a nonreligious presentation for modern times of the possibility of awakening to complete perception of this world, free from aggression, and to the gentle and fearless action which is part of this perception. The possibility of such awakening is based, as in the Buddhist tradition, on the practice of mindfulness and awareness meditation. The Shambhala and Buddhist teachings point to a fresh and delightful perception of this ordinary world available to everyone who sees beyond the presuppositions and partial and narrow views to which we habitually and often consciously cling. Meditation is the means to uncover our preconceptions to the deepest and most intimate level.

Hayward notes that the history of science is a continual revelation of partial truths that have often been clung to as the whole or the absolute truth. These partial truths are, often themselves created by science. Nevertheless, science’s role seems to lie far more in its disclosure of partiality than in any marked steady progress toward some supposed "truth." Take the insights of science personally, it, too, can throw light on the beliefs that constrain and entrap us, narrowing and limiting our perception of and participation in the ordinary world of nature in all its vastness and ineffability. When we begin to free ourselves from these limitations, we can discover a fresh perception of this world, one which is vast and unconditioned, yet full of power, value, and possessing an order of its own.