Being connected is pretty much what Buddha meant when he said he was awake. It is difficult to reach this point in awareness and know that you have what is said to be awareness and not some lesser level. Stand by, every expert out there will be glad to tell you that you are not on THEIR level and need to jump to their tune. Well, they're right and not right.
Right for their vision and probably not right for your vision. How can one person tell if another is "connected" or even if they (the judges) are connected? If we work at this together, we can get a better idea of being connected. I don't have all the answers and it's likely that no one really does have all the answers but then, if I don't have all the answers how would I know when I find some one who does (unless they tell me)?
Point one: being connected seems to me to have many levels. Basically, I see everyone as connected. Each person is attached to and aware of the things which help them survive at the first level. At another level, everyone is aware of what they need to satisfy their ego. That takes care of the basics of brain circuits one and two (biosurvival and ego). There is for most of our lives a connection to the sexual response and an awareness or connection to the sexual situations that turn us on. This is the fourth (sexual) brain circuit. With training (college, on the job, or trade school) we become aware of our specialized area of expertise around us. Thus, the psychiatrist sees people interactions, the carpenter notices the warped door or window, the engineer will stop to admire bridge construction, and so on. This is a third brain circuit (rational mind) function of awareness.
Point two: most people who talk about "being connected" have some special area they are pushing. Some tell me to get in connection with my inner child. Others say something similar and say to get connected with myself. Getting connected to higher levels, connected to God, Jesus, my female side (my alpha male connection just said "whatever the hell that is" so I guess I found a connection there ok); others tell me to get connected to just about anything and everything.
Point three: I don't think I can do all the connections people seem to want me to get plugged in to. I don't actually believe anyone can do all the things our population can think of to connect to. That means I don't think Buddha did that nor any other great (or small) religious or spiritual leader (or follower). This leads to:
Point four: being connected must come from within and not from outside. That means to me that I can't touch you and get you connected. I can't teach you and get you connected. I can't do anything to get you connected. This writing and my teaching can open doors for you. And these doors will likely work for you if you go though them, work hard at what is available and do this in the spirit of growth and dedication. Clearly, we must do our own hard work. If I pay someone to go to college for me, take my classes, take the tests, etc., I am foolish to think that will get me an education. If I want something, I must do it.
With these definitions in mind, I can tell you something of how I get and stay connected at the level possible for me at present. Can you believe all those I's? Makes me feel like someone is watching me and I hope you will accept my apologies for so much of the first person in this. There is only me after all to give to you.
Connectedness (if such it can be called) comes from remembering that to be human and therefore similar to each and every other human. Tastes are similar, touches are like others, a hurt or pain feels like yours and theirs, and so on. We are all hooked up the same. Same engineering, same materials, same project plan, same command center, same defense league, same entertainment group, and so on. Remind yourself all the time that I'm not different from any other human at all of the basic levels of design, material, and construction. Thus, the use is the same at all those levels. I really do like that.
The way I build on this is by noticing my sensations, taste, vision, touch, movement, feel of things, smells, and so on. I look for universal (at least on this earth) things like clouds, wind, water, earth smells, flower smells, and such to keep in connection with everyone that is alive or ever lived. In this manner, I see the same clouds Buddah saw, the same earth smells Christ sensed, the same touch of water or cold or wind, etc., that all other peoples have felt and sensed.
If I keep this in mind as I observe these things (clouds, cold wind, warm water or whatever) then I can feel and see just as did anyone else on this earth that meant to observe rather than ignore the world around them. Even those who were too busy or pre- occupied to pay much attention spent some time noticing a nice day or a rainy day, or a cold day. And, when I need to focus and work hard on some mental project, that too is an association and a connection. Break the enforced connections provided which you are meant to be thinking, step back and look at it all again to see the true picture.
Keeping in touch this way helps me to gain understanding about how others feel. Even more, I can take the words (at least the so-called words) of the worlds great leaders and try to gain more of an association with how they saw and thought as they came to their conclusions and knowledge. Kind of nice and it seems to work for me. Try it.
The story goes thus:
The Buddha was walking one day with his favorite student, Ananda. A fly landed on his (Buddha's) brow and he shooed it away with a hand. A minute or two later, Ananda noticed the Buddha shooing away an imaginary fly. Ananda asked "Why are you doing that? The fly is no longer there." The Buddha replied, "When it was there I chased it away without thinking. Now, I would like to be aware of the experience." That's sort of what I'm trying to do. If Buddha had flies on him, then I too can experience that sort of thing. Also, if Buddha did things without thinking and then had to go back and do them again to experience them fully, so can I.
So can we all.