Spirituality- [To Be Connected]
Human Spiritual Evolution, Religion vs. Tribalism
A work in process by - F. Sanford Mahr 1998-_______
“The spiritual self completes the trinity of the three selves. It manifests qualities of selfless courage, love, compassion, wisdom, altruism, and joy. It serves as a “cheerleader to the soul.” Dan Millman
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Shakespeare
"If I do good I get good. If I do bad I get bad, and that is my religion." Abraham Lincoln
"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. "William Blake
What is strange, what is marvelous, is not that God really exists, the marvel is that such an idea, the idea of the necessity of God, could have entered the head of such a savage and vicious beast as man; so holy it is, so moving, so wise, and such a great honour it does to man. (Fedor Dostojevsky; The brothers Karamazov)
"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
~ Dalai Lama (Lhamo Humdrum) The current Dalai Lama, 14th, is in exile in India.
Having and maintaining a spiritual awareness is congruous with being an integral and connected part of the universe. Organized religion although often confused with spirituality is partially in my view an earthly formula, devised by humans (albeit leaders,) enabling humanity to act and interact based on the paradigms of those leaders setting them forth for the masses to comply with and follow. Thereafter based upon those prescribed actions and interactions, for mankind to achieve a state of harmonious coexistence, (mutual respect,) with all living things in the universe and thus a state of spiritual being. The problem is more often than not; most contemporary religious practice has fallen short of its purpose. Although laden with custom and tradition it has left a void in the realm of spiritual fulfillment. That is not to say that those that understand and relate to the practices of various religions, can and in many instances do find spiritual connectivity, however most do not.
In Joseph Campbell's, " The Inner Reaches of Outer Space," he writes, " Reviewing with unprejudiced eye the religious traditions of mankind, one becomes very soon aware of certain mythic motifs that are common to all, though differently understood and developed in the differing traditions; ideas for example, of a life beyond death, or of malevolent and protective spirits.
The Messianic Age, which most modern religions pray for, I believe, is not nor will it be marked by the coming of an individual or entity, but rather by a state of universal awareness. This will prevail as we continue to evolve as a species, physiologically, intellectually and spiritually. As we continue toward our quest for an understanding of spiritual realties that are within each of us, yet beyond each of us as well.
Religion as we know it in the many forms it has taken and continues to take, has and continues to serve by enabling mankind to exist and co-exist throughout the unexplained and irrational wonder of life. It seems to me that the various forms that religion takes, is serves as an evolutionary tool as human beings advance in the next step of our evolution. Human Beings had to be evolved enough and had to have experienced enough history and lessons, to be able to comprehend and receive the 10 commandments, a code of conduct and life, 5,763+/- earth years ago. Metaphorically we had to go through the industrial revolution before we were able to go through and experience the technological revolution we are now in, etc.. There are many that believe and in my view rightly so, that as we advance and discover more in the technological and scientific realm our spiritual awareness, and our current evolved ability to comprehend a new level of spiritual awareness will likewise progressively take on new dimensions. However, as yet our still somewhat primitive state and position on the vast evolutionary ladder of existence, albeit advanced compared to our human experience and history, limits our intellectual ability to comprehend. The possibilities are actually limitless of what reality could be, or may be.
It is beyond our ability to comprehend life beyond the confines of our experiences on earth, which have been changing and evolving throughout the history of our planet. The Kabbalah speaks and alludes to this throughout its teachings.
We as a species have been largely operating based upon the influences of tribalism that we each have inherited from, and by the various tribes we are each descendants of. Each of us is committed to and fully vested in the beliefs that our varied tribal customs and practices have dictated over time. One of the inherent problems however is that the practices and customs we have inherited, in many instances have not evolved and grown at the same pace or in step with the evolution and changes that have taken place since they were originally conceived. The Kaballah teaches that G-d is an ever changing force, that the G-d of today is not the G-d of yesterday, nor the G-d of tomorrow. Nothing remains constant. " Birth and death, creation and destruction seem an inevitable part of existence. Nothing lasts forever in the form(s) they currently hold. Even stars eventually burn out and die." Everything is in a constant state of change, so too spirituality. Religious practices however, throughout recorded time, as administered to the masses by the leaders of various religions or divisions within various religions, places special emphasis on certain aspects according to the needs of the members of their tribe and of time. An example is when King David was the leader of Israel long before Christianity. He stressed certain principles of conduct and selectively only some of the commandments (mitzvoth ,) in an attempt to improve interpersonal relationships. He addressed the needs of his people at that time, as he believed them to be. Unfortunately most of us are influenced by the dictates and pressures that are imposed upon us by our tribal customs, families, etc.. This does not take into account the fact that individual differences in talents, personality and sensory and intellectual abilities, create differences in opportunity, needs, desire and points of view.
Within the evolutionary stages of spirituality for example are the Jewish laws of mitzvoth (613 deeds or commandments contained in the Torah as a formula for earthly existence,) or the practice of the Christian and somewhat global Christmas spirit. that prevails during that time of year, or the current Christian metaphor contained on t-shirts, and various other paraphernalia , "W.W.J.D." ( What Would Jesus Do .) The “New Age” movement that is currently pervasive throughout society, is producing with a rapid pace, books, writings and the like that are more spiritual than religious in nature. Therein, and there are other examples, are keys and signs of the gradual movement towards this state of awareness, that we as a species have labeled the coming messianic age. Perhaps it was even necessary for mankind based on their intellectual emotional and spiritual development at the time, to have a physical specimen of themselves to relate to in order to be able to embody the abstract concept of Godliness, hence Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed and his Allah, came at times that the tribes they impacted, had imagery to help define what was too abstract to have a meaningful influence otherwise.
Notwithstanding those from many religions that are completely committed to their ways and their ways only, (examples can be found in all religious groups, their denominations and varying sects,) resisting the spiritual evolution that shows signs all around us. In my view we are slowly coming together as the unified population of the planet earth, and tribalism will eventually dissipate. " There is only one God, but there is more than one religion…. there are many paths to God and many ways to worship the Infinite. People's manner of worshiping the Infinite depends on their culture, their family and their own personality." This will take us in perhaps a few thousand earth years or so to another level of awareness and perhaps a closer connection to the forces of life that are beyond our as yet undeveloped mental and sensory ability to truly comprehend what God is and what we are really a just a small part of.
The existence of and or the possibility of extra terrestrial life forms elsewhere in the universe, or even the theory that earth was visited before by aliens, in my view does not provide the answer or answers. For if, as in all probability other life forms do exist, they too must be subjects of a greater whole. A whole and divinity that is beyond our still evolving ability to comprehend. Divinity although is inside each of us. It is a major part of our being. It's very existence is perhaps an explanation of the state of spiritual euphoria we experience during those times when we connect with it.
The essence of that which is divine lies within all things. Organic or inorganic. Animate or inanimate. Known and unknown. We are all part of an infinite whole. Our connection does not necessarily lie within a physical structure, rather much deeper in our divine and spiritual link with all things. Our behavior, our thoughts, our beliefs, our actions or inactions, (microcosms) affect all of the other components of the universe (the macrocosm). It is like the tiniest ripple in a still body of water. Perhaps tiny, but a force nevertheless. One that serves to displace the otherwise stillness that existed before it. So too is each of our individual spiritualness. Depok Chopra writes, " The physical universe is nothing other than the Self curving back unto Itself, to experience itself as spirit, mind and physical matter The source of all creation is divinity (or the spirit); the process of creation is divinity in motion (or the mind); and the object of creation is the physical universe (which includes the physical body)."
Rabbi Joel C. Dobbin writes in his book, The Astrological Secrets of the Hebrew Sages, "…….there is a divine balance that links God, man and the universe into one balanced process which never ends in life or on other planes of awareness of life."
Neale Donald Walsh, writes, “You are a threefold being. You consist of body, mind, and spirit. You could also call these the physical, non-physical, and the meta-physical. This is the Holy trinity, and it has been called by many names. Some of your theologians have called this father, son and the Holy Spirit. Your psychiatrists have recognized this triumvirate and called it conscious, subconscious, and super-conscious. Your philosophers have called it the id, the ego and the super-ego. Science calls this energy, matter, and antimatter. Poets speak of mind, heart, and soul. New Age thinkers refer to body, mind, and spirit. Your time is divided into past, present, and future. Space is divided into there, here, and the space in between. The three aspects of you are actually three energies, thought, word and action.” The entire structure of all in the universe of all that is spiritual is thus linked. “ The process of creation starts with thought, an idea, a conception, a visualization. Thought is the first level of creation. Next comes the word, everything you say is a thought expressed. It is creative and sends forth-creative energy into the universe. Words are more dynamic than thought, because words are a different level of vibration from thought. They disrupt (change, alter, affect) the universe with greater impact. Words are the second level of creation. Next comes action. Actions are words moving. Words are thoughts expressed. Thoughts are ideas formed. Ideas are energies come together. Energies are forces released. Forces are elements existent. Elements are particles of God, portions of all, the stuff of everything. ”
It seems that in essence spirituality may be the sharing in fellowship between mankind and the divine. Spiritual connection enables us to achieve a euphoric state and one of peace. " Scriptures say in Psalm 23, G-d is our Shepherd, he makes us to lie down in still waters, and so he restores our soul. " The beginning of all relationships whether between man and woman, man and man, woman and woman, city to state, state to nation, nation to nation, world to the universe, is based upon obtaining knowledge which leads to wisdom. The next of course is communication. It has been said, that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom Knowing of God is likened to a circle. Our knowledge of God and divinity is what is inside the circle. The outside of the circle is what we do not know. However the more we know as we evolve and develop the bigger the circle becomes. The result however is an awareness that there is so much that we don't know or are able to comprehend yet outside of the circle. This by the way also applies to technology, scientific and medical knowledge and discovery as can be readily evidenced by the leaps we are taking today in all of those areas. Human creativity in these areas has greatly improved the quality of human life by reducing our helplessness before the forces of nature. Notwithstanding where we are however and what wondrous things we have discovered in those areas, we have merely scratched the surface. There is a progressive effect with discovery and technology albeit always unpretentious in the beginning and early stages. Our human existence began with perhaps the use of a stick to pick up small insects for food. Then use of a stone or a club, that extended the arm's hitting range. Which led over time and with many more advances in gradual technological evolution, to today's Internet. Our boundaries on earth have been shrunk dramatically, we have linked the far reaches of our planet to new levels of communication and shared information. All of our known information has been catalogued and is now readily available to all. This latest technological advance is enabling the synergistic development of new technology in all fields, which serves to meld our individual talents and powers, to reach out to the galaxies as a unified population of the planet earth. Our next step in the evolutionary journey of our species. However this latest step, as advanced as it may seem to us now, is yet merely another beginning and is likewise as unpretentious as our other early stages.
"Spiritual growth must be developed…the coming of the messianic age contrary to common belief is not a present from God, rather it is a goal humanity can achieve in partnership with God when we struggle vigilantly and persistently without despairing over our obstacles or becoming complacent over our successes."
In the Book Towards A Meaningful Life, The Wisdom Of The Rebbe, by Simon Jacobson, he writes, " There is a built in dichotomy, between the tangible nature of the body and the transcendent nature of the soul. Look closely at the flame of the candle, and you will see the approximation of your soul, the flame licking the air, reaching upward…..while the wick pulls it back to earth." The conflict between feeding the sensory desires of the body and nourishing the ethereal yearnings for connection of the soul, is the challenge we are presented with in obtaining spiritual fulfillment.
To be spiritual is not only to learn to transcend the desires of our sensual appetites. Rather in addition it is to obtain and maintain a connection with the divine, have an awareness of everything else we share the universe with a reverence for the essence of all that is, a part of which is in each of us.
Recently I had a very interesting dream. In it, a born again Christian friend of mine appeared to me. This friend had died about 2 years ago, but in my dream he appeared at the entranceway to a door in a building I owned and that I was trying to repair. He said he had to whisper a song in my ear, then asked me to sing it back to him as he knew I was a talented musician and then sign the back of a medal he had of Jesus that was very ancient. He leaned over to my ear and started to sing the song...and I felt euphoria going through me as he hummed the words...instantly my deceased father appeared and pulled me away. He sat me down in a room with him a bedroom actually, my deceased mother came in and he and I wouldn't talk while she was there.... she left to go to the other room, and my father in his soothing deep voice said these exact words to me, " fear not the trials and the stress. do not seek a premature end to the life you have been given. Experience it whatever it may be for all that it is. Have faith and surrender yourself to believe in the powers that have given it to you. Listen to the murmuring that lies within your heart. Live, love, believe and be reverent to all the forces that have created you. Tell these words to your children, your brother and sister, and teach them to others along your way." He then disappeared and the words repeated themselves to me from a very spiritual sounding voice that surrounded me over again three times, and then I just woke up. Those were the exact words and I immediately wrote them down verbatim.
“……the purpose of metaphysics is often misunderstood among religious thinkers. This is unfortunate. When a teaching becomes so dogmatic that it looses track of any sort of metaphysical understanding of the transcendental omnipresence, it becomes essentially stagnant and blind to what a spiritual universe is all about. Those familiar with the ancient mystical philosophies do not have a problem with the abstract universal principles of metaphysics and how they relate to the parochialism of theological traditions. Ideally, the ultimate goal of any theological tradition should be to bring the individual seeker to a state of spiritual awareness in which all such theological traditions are assimilated, and at the same time, not needed in their dogmatic form.”
Albert Einstein said, "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science."
" Individuality...is an active center of dynamic self-expression of the Supreme. In that case, true wisdom cannot consist in mere self-negation in an absolute void, or in self-annihilation in the formless absolute. The path of wisdom rather lies in the realization of one's essential oneness with the whole of existence and in the reconstruction of one's life on the basis of that realization."
Recently, (November 11, 2000), on The Learning Channel, there was an interesting television documentary about scientific advancements that would enable and ultimately lead to the colonization of the moon, by humans. Advanced technology, that continues to advance built upon the technology that proceeded it, will be utilized and as such it is projected that a self contained city perhaps like like Las Vegas, however not necessarily with the gambling and entertainment can be eventually constructed there. We have the technology, engineering skills and abilities now to construct mega malls, albeit with retail stores, however the structures are self contained provide their own sources of air and air treatment, water flow, power generators, plant life food preparation and a myriad of uses for shoppers, employees and customers. Similarly on the surface of the moon, a structure could be constructed that was self contained, and instead of retail stores, movie theaters and the like, living environments, areas for farming and growth of plant life for photosynthesis, synthetic sunlight, work areas, entertainment areas, water processing, exercise facilities, and the list goes on and on to include all other areas required by humans to exist, live, work and play. The possibilities are limitless, and in fact if one looks at the relative short time in which the expansion and colonization of the United States of America took, in only a couple of hundred years, without the advanced technology of today, it is apparent what can be accomplished for this next phase which could be on the moon. This of course will open up new horizons and possibilities, as thereafter it will be used as a staging area for further space exploration and population. Thinking about the way we have explored and populated the planet earth, example this country which a few hundred years ago that was mostly unpopulated save the natives, and how we have migrated and populated most of this planet in stages, leads me to only imagine what our grandchildren and their grandchildren will become familiar with. Also the way that robotics and computerization is now merging and blending with living physiology to take on new and only imagined future forms of life. This concept has been an ongoing subject of interest to me, Then there is the Kaballah, the Jewish mystical study which according to many that claim to know, speaks to the development of these issues and more....We are continually confounded as a species, yet more receptive on our quest to try to understand it all... As I have stated many times throughout this paper, and in short, I believe we are not yet evolutionarily advanced on a sensual level to even begin to comprehend. It seems clearer and clearer that we are experiencing steps on the evolutionary ladder. The steps are slow, and much patience has to be accepted. My dear and lifelong friend, Kenny Kaufman, recently created a metaphor for me in helping to paint an image to use in trying to teach my son how to achieve something that required patience, persistence and ongoing effort. Kenny said that if one wanted to climb Mt Everest today, it would be almost impossible to do so. However if one could develop the patience and persistence to build a ramp that only went a couple of inches a day, eventually almost anyone could reach the top. Similarly patience persistence imagination and creativity has to be employed to be able to recognize and embrace these concepts. Kenny also so aptly states his theory, “There IS only One God……Your God.”
One of my favorite aphorisms, is, "When the impossible has been eliminated, all that remains no matter how improbable is possible." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
We should recognize evolution, for what it is. Not as an answer to all unanswered and un- comprehendible aspects of the life existence and meaning, but rather because it is every conscientious scientist's best guess as to how God got us here in the first place. English may not be the best language in the world; however it is most probably used because it's the best means we have to communicate with each other. The same holds true for the theories abounding regarding evolution. It is not perfect by any means, but it's the closest we get to articulating the mysteries we thank G-d for putting us here to ponder.
Passions run too deep about relationships with the divine source. It seems that part of our human frailty and perhaps tragedy is the immaturity we have or the lack of evolutionary sophistication that would enable us to see that the Protestants and Catholics fighting over their way in Belfast, is as senseless as the Palestinians and Israelis, which is as senseless as the North and the South in the civil war, which is as senseless as the Crusades. Yet the passion of intense belief in their way being the only way continues to dominate human existence at the expense of others seeking a human existence albeit their way.
My dear and lifelong friend Ken Kaufman, as part of a dialogue we have been having sent the following to me. He stated, “There are some good points here that we should all consider. At what point in the human existence do we become sufficiently evolved to transcend the passions seemingly in some of our tribal ways? This tribalism in the name of promoting each of our versions of how to relate and become one with our G-d. Isn't he/she the same even though each of us chooses slightly different paths to him/her? How can any one us or any one of our groups/tribes of the 6 Billion + of us on this planet be the only one to have the right way to communion with divinity? Isn't it that each of us find our path to him/her by virtue of the customs and traditions we were born into? Why must leaders incite the masses through religious/spiritual passion to establish, preserve or further their power base at the expense of others?
After the tragedy of the terrorist acts to The World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, many things were written, expressed and espoused. The following that was written by Depok Chopra, I find to be poignant and strikes a chord into how these acts were tribal in nature and the effect may and hopefully will transcend tribalism.
"As fate would have it, I was leaving New York on a jet flight that took off 45 minutes before the unthinkable happened. By the time we landed in Detroit, chaos had broken out. When I grasped the fact that American security had broken down so tragically, I couldn't respond at first. My wife and son were also in the air on separate flights, one to Los Angeles, one to San Diego. My body went absolutely rigid with fear. All I could think about was their safety, and it took several hours before I found out that their flights had been diverted and both were safe.
Strangely, when the good news came, my body still felt that it had been hit by a truck. Of its own accord it seemed to feel a far greater trauma that
reached out to the thousands who would not survive and the tens of thousands who would survive only to live through months and years of hell.
I asked myself, Why didn't I feel this way last week? Why didn't my body go stiff during the bombing of Iraq or Bosnia? Around the world my horror and worry are experienced every day. Mothers weep over horrendous loss, civilians are bombed mercilessly, refugees are ripped from any sense of home or homeland.
Why did I not feel their anguish enough to call a halt to it?
As we hear the calls for tightened American security and a fierce military
response to terrorism, it is obvious that none of us has any answers.
However, we feel compelled to ask some questions.
Everything has a cause, so we have to ask, What was the root cause of this
evil? We must find out not superficially but at the deepest level. There is
no doubt that such evil is alive all around the world and is even celebrated.
Does this evil grow from the suffering and anguish felt by people we don't
know and therefore ignore? Have they lived in this condition for a long time?
One assumes that whoever did this attack feels implacable hatred for America.
Why were we selected to be the focus of suffering around the
world?
All this hatred and anguish seems to have religion at its basis. Isn't
something terribly wrong when jihads and wars develop in the name of G=d?
Isn't G-d invoked with hatred in Ireland, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan,
Israel, Palestine, and even among the intolerant sects of America?
Can any military response make the slightest difference in the underlying
cause? Is there not a deep wound at the heart of humanity?
If there is a deep wound, doesn't it affect everyone?
When generations of suffering respond with bombs, suicidal attacks, and
biological warfare, who first developed these weapons? Who sells them?
Who gave birth to the satanic technologies now being turned against us?
If all of us are wounded, will revenge work? Will punishment in any form
toward anyone solve the wound or aggravate it? Will an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth, and limb for a limb, leave us all blind, toothless
and crippled?
Tribal warfare has been going on for two thousand years and has now been magnified globally. Can tribal warfare be brought to an end? Is patriotism and nationalism even relevant anymore, or is this another form of tribalism?
What are you and I as persons going to do about what is happening?
Can we afford to let the deeper wound fester any longer?
Everyone is calling this an attack on America, but is it not a rift in our
collective soul? Isn't this an attack on civilization from without that is
also from within?
When we have secured our safety once more and cared for the wounded, after the period of shock and mourning is over, it will be time for soul searching. I only hope that these questions are confronted with the deepest spiritual intent. None of us will feel safe again behind the shield of military might and stockpiled arsenals. There can be no safety until the root cause is faced. In this moment of shock I don't think anyone of us has the answers. It is imperative that we pray and offer solace and help to each other. But if you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world. "
The most terrifying aspect of the terrorist attack last Tuesday on the twin symbols of America's financial and military might is the abysmal hatred, which fueled it. After all, the sort of people who are capable of completing pilot training on Boeing 757 simulators are not your run of the mill mass murderers or maniacal suicides who are determined to take as many of the hated enemy with them as possible.
What could be the source of the profound hatred, that motivated those 19 suicide killers and those who sent them and gave them support? The answer today is as clear as can be: Islamic fundamentalism.
Fundamentalist Islam is clearly the culprit at the present moment in history, but a little humility is in order. Historically, the correct answer is not so much fundamentalist Islam but fundamentalist religion in general, and especially the purportedly humane monotheistic religions.
The fact is that even religions that preach humanity, such as Christianity and Islam, if their charismatics and clerics insist on their exclusive connection to G-d and their possessing the one and only TRUTH, sooner or later as history bears witness to, turn bloody, if the circumstances and conditions permit them to.
As an aside after having read over these musings and observations, it occurs to me that if I had lived during many other periods throughout history, I would have been persecuted, tortured and eventually killed. I would have been ostracized for sure at first, then perhaps burned at the cross or caused to suffer even worse heinous atrocities, for these writings ...
Myopic beliefs such as those demonstrated by most organized religions, have generally been strong throughout the eras of history. Most recently illustrated by the period designated as A.D. (after the birth of Jesus), and as a matter of fact, evidenced with strengths, commitment and conviction way before then by the various prevailing belief systems of those times. During the periods of Paganism, they were as crystal clear and met with as much conviction by the masses during their times, as are the ones now to those with zealous conviction that their beliefs have the exclusivity to the one and only true path to the infinite and divine.
The concept of monotheism as first popularized and presented as a revelation from Abraham, although a quantum leap forward in advancing a more meaningful and realistic path to understanding that which has eluded man since the beginning of time, is still not exactly correct in my view and the view of my friend Ken Kaufman. During one of our lengthy philosophic discussions recently Ken stated, “The new monotheism recounts that yes there is only one TRUE G-d. The one and ONLY true G-d is an accurate concept, however the definition of the one and only true G-d is that he/she/it is your G-d and or he/she/it is my G-d." What he is saying is that godliness lies within each of us, and as such, it is each of our purviews to connect with and commune with the divine and the infinite in a personal way from within. We each are a part of the divine. We are each in partnership with creation, hence the concept of "Tikkun Olam."
" Isaac Luria, the renowned sixteenth century Kabbalist, used the phrase “tikkun olam,” usually translated as repairing the world, to encapsulate the true role of humanity in the ongoing evolution and spiritualization of the cosmos. Luria taught that God created the world by forming vessels of light to hold the Divine Light. But as God poured the Light into the vessels, they catastrophically shattered, tumbling down toward the realm of matter. Thus, our world consists of countless shards of the original vessels entrapping sparks of the Divine Light. Humanity’s great task involves helping God by freeing and reuniting the scattered Light, raising the sparks back to Divinity and restoring the broken world."
" We meet related concepts in other religions. Christ promised to return with the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven and exhorted people to prepare through love, wakefulness, and charity. In Buddhism, the Bodhisattva vows to forgo final liberation until all beings have been freed from suffering. The Gnostics held that a spark of Divinity resides entrapped within the soul of humans."
"Tikkun olam encompasses both the outer and the inner, both service to society by helping those in need and service to the Divine by liberating the spark within. As we are, the Divine spark lies hidden beneath our layers of egoistic self-centeredness. That spark is our conscience, through which the promptings of the Divine Will flow toward us. By pursuing spiritual inner work to strengthen our soul and purify our heart, we grow more able to bear that spark without shattering, more willing to act on what we know to be right, less willing to act in harmful or grasping ways, and more able to notice the quiet presence of conscience beneath the din of our chattering minds and reactive emotions. The work of transformation, of building a soul creates a proper vessel for the Divine spark, for our unique share of the Divine Will, returning that spark to the service of the One Who sent it. By working to perfect ourselves, perfect our soul, and serve society, we each contribute in our own unique way to the perfecting of the world. This is our duty and our calling as human beings."
"To contemplate and enter the process of tikkun olam, repairing or perfecting the world, we need to understand the concept of world. All the major religious traditions present a hierarchy of worlds or levels of being, from the one we ordinarily inhabit to the ultimate world of Divinity."
"In Kabbalah, for example, the worlds include Asiyah or Action, Yetzirah or Formation, Beriyah or Creation, and Atzilut or Emanation. Beyond and permeating all these is the Ein Sof, the One God, the Boundless and Unconditioned. Each of the worlds corresponds to a progressively higher level of spiritual energy and its related level of soul. The world of Action utilizes the sensitive energy, from which the nefesh soul forms. The world of Formation is built on the conscious energy, the basis of awareness, from which the ruach forms. The world of Creation and Light works with the creative energy, from which the neshama forms. The world of Emanation brings the high Unitive energy of love, from which the chaya forms. And corresponding to the ultimate Ein Sof, touching the yechida soul, we have the transcendent energy. "
" The basic principle of Kabbalah is that the seeker pursues spiritual practice to transform his or her being and rise through the levels of worlds, to bring his or her own will back to the Divine will, while opening a way for the higher energies to flow down to this world, and thereby advancing the great process of tikkun olam. For millennia Kabbalists have sought to serve this process, for example by meditating on and opening to the higher energy, the Divine light, the light of the Shechina above their head. They allow the light to spread through them as if sitting in its midst and draw the light down for the Earth, for life, for their own soul. The possibility of opening to the Divine light stands within reach of us all, if we are prepared to do the necessary inner work."
"Tikkun olam places our spiritual practice at the heart of the epic, unfolding history of the universe: the evolution and spiritualization of the whole of creation. With each small act of kindness, with each moment of presence and practice, with each effort to see, cleanse, and integrate our inner life, with each heartfelt prayer opening to the higher energies, we build the new world and serve the Divine Architect of meaning. Rather than view tikkun olam as a return to the perfection that existed before God created the universe, we consider the spiritualizing action as reaching toward a new and greater perfection than existed before, toward perfecting this flawed world by imbuing the whole of it with the Divine spirit. Because of the freedom God necessarily placed into the world, we can surmise that the outcome of the whole process truly remains uncertain, that our free choice to serve the Divine and our planet through fulfilling our highest destiny really matters, that despite our insignificant size with respect to the universe our personal inner work makes a difference to the whole. And so, with the great Kabbalist, we discover a vision of unbounded meaning: perfecting ourselves, perfecting the world, and helping God."
Actually by loving life, and by respecting and loving all that is living, one must realize that we are inextricably connected and a part of all that has been before, all that is and all that will be. Mother Teresa said, " If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. "
Each of us needs to recognize that within each of us lies the answer. That is where the connection is. We each have our own connection and ability to resonate with the infinite and all of life sources and energies in whatever forms they may take. When we silence our thoughts, our conscious mind, and meditate or pray, in any form, we are in fact able to commune with the infinite, the life force if you will. As a result we reach a euphoric state, a different level of consciousness that elevates us. The saying goes, " If prayer is when we speak to G-d, then intuition is when G-d speaks to us." The prayer can come in the form of those praying to and accepting Jesus or Allah, it can come to those acknowledging and praying to Hashem as the Jewish refer to the creator of the universe, or it can come by meditating and seeking oneness with all life forms as the deists believe and do. Historically then each believes that their path is the correct one and only true one. Their prayer then reinforces their beliefs that their religious path must be the one and only correct one.
So the masses that have a need to be led, and not question, to just surrender and have faith, follow the rituals and the mythological interpretations of their designated spiritual leaders. It is an easier path for them. It produces results and doesn't require questioning or seeking all it requires is surrender and absolute faith. Religion is designed to offer the answers and make it an easy venue for most people to buy into and adopt as their own. Interestingly though it is an accident of birth for the most part. Whatever religion or belief system one is born into becomes the base line for the most part as to what their comfort level of beliefs are. Advanced spiritual people though throughout recorded time of all faiths and all belief systems, have transcended the myopic constraints and dictates of any one particular path, and have rather sought communion with the infinite and divine, a commitment to random acts of kindness to all living things (organic and inorganic,) and a respect of all energy and matter with a realization that we are all part and parcel of the same life force and energy.
Without trying to focus on any one religious belief system, a good example may be the teachings of Jesus. I am not referring to the misunderstood representations of him by other people such as Paul that 70-90 years after his death. He/they wrote their spin on what he was trying to impart. Which by the way his message may very well have been based on Buddhist philosophies framed within the context of the monotheistic religion of the time Judaism. It should be noted that there was a period of some 20-30 years where he was missing from historical recordings. It is theorized that as his word and teachings echo in many ways the philosophies of far eastern belief systems such as Buddhism, that he studied and incorporated them into his being those practices and philosophies. Jesus came back to the Mid East where his roots were and spoke those beliefs and philosophies as an augmentation of the beliefs system in that area, being the Old Testament. He never intended to change one word nor one letter what is now referred to by Christians as the "Old Testament.". He never represented himself as the son of G-d exclusively nor did he intend on there being a " New Testament." Rather quite to the contrary, he augmented the teachings of the then monotheistic religion, Judaism, and the practices and rituals and customs of it, with Buddhist beliefs and philosophies. He stated we are all the sons/daughters of G-d. That G-d is within all of us. That these things that he was doing we are all capable of doing. Metaphorically he washed the feet of others, demonstrating that we are all Godly all of us deserving of being attended to as such. It was never about him, it was never he who represented himself as anything other than one whom had revelations that enabled him to see things in an advanced light. Jesus was a highly evolved and advanced spiritual human being. The true teachings and message of Jesus, not the rendition 70-90 years later put forth by Paul and others to further his/their own agenda is a beautiful and highly relevant one. So too the messages of others highly spiritually evolved throughout recorded time.
Saul of Tarsus, a Jew, albeit a Jew on the fringes of society, later called Paul, 70-90 years after the death of Jesus created his own interpretations of what he thought Jesus was trying to impart based on his revelations ( or perhaps selective hearing,) and wrote them down from his perspective based on his paradigms and myopic views. What they wrote and what has become Scripture to this day was a different and misunderstood representation of what Jesus was trying to convey. Thomas Jefferson in his Jeffersonian Bible, through his studies has culled out much of the spin of Paul and the others misrepresenting Jesus and created a text that better represents the teachings and wisdom of the man.
The resulting conveyance of his message has been distorted and a entirely different spin placed on it by people that had their own agendas, bias' and issues. The various councils of men in power ever since, have debated and set forth various modified renditions enabling the masses, those, not wanting to think and analyze, but rather follow a prescribed path, a venue for not taking responsibility for their own actions or lack thereof ( i.e. sin ) but rather absolve themselves of it, by acknowledging that someone else gave up his life for them. All they have to do is follow the way his teaching has been codified by other men into an organized religious belief structure and their path to eternity will be assured with a ticket on his coattails so to speak. Absent that they will be doomed to eternal damnation.
There is a void within each of us. A longing if you will to be connected, fulfilled and to be able to turn to some understandable (comprehensible) source that can help guide us to answer and or find solace in those things that we have not yet evolved enough as spiritual beings based on our somewhat primitive sensory perceptive abilities to discover or become aware of the answers to. Those things that elude us, those that remain an enigma and unanswerable; those circumstances and life events that occur throughout our lives and at times bring us to our knees and render us helpless to deal with or solve, force us to seek a course of discovery that is sometimes just easier to follow not question. One problem is we are left with no where to go for resolution within our selves, and as such become blatantly aware of our human frailties and limitations. As such we turn to prayer in the form of our individual concepts of who we have been conditioned to believe the almighty/deity is. Thus we seek solution and resolution from what we believe to be his/her/its omnipotent ability to provide it.
In essence what we are doing is surrending ourselves to what we believe to be the source, based upon our tribal traditions and in the venue we have been conditioned to believe is the one and only correct path for each of us to resonate with it.
If you have ever noticed professional athletes for example after a victory praising his tribal deity (Jesus mostly but sometimes Allah,) and thanking him/her/it for granting him the victory or success. What about the losing athlete (s)? Are they any less connected to the divine that they should be deprived of victory/success?
Wouldn't a more appropriate and a more viable approach be in communion with the life force and energy that all living things, all matter whether organic or inorganic is a part of? To have gratitude for the ability to prevail and be successful, predicated on preparation, will, and to prevail beyond the random occurrences life provides as a matter of course within each exercise of living or being?
The bottom line, and it is so obvious if we merely shed the paradigms cast upon us based upon our tribal roots, is to be spiritual. All we need do is to connect with the Universe and all that was, is or will be. Commune with others. Respect life in all its forms organic and inorganic. Practice random acts of kindness and do well to others and ourselves. It is strongly my view that therein lies the answer. It is as it we are in an interactive Dance. Hence this poem I created, entitled “Dance With Me"
Dance With Me
fsm 1998
When raindrops fall
and gently caress,
the leaves of trees
the blades of grass.
There are images,
so strong………
Desires,
so innate………
to seek to be sought.
So too the moisture as it seeks the leaf
And glistens innately on the blade
Perfection knows no bounds
nor limits.
Satisfaction although, knows
the experience of miraculous moments.
A moment alone
MlRACULOUS,
Yet only the secure may dare.
Moments of connection
MIRACULOUS,
Treasures for all yet
so priceless and rare.
Dance with me as raindrops fall,
but caress my spirit
most of all.
Our Brains Strive To See Only the Good, Leading Some to God
October 28, 2005
Life is full of surprises, but it's rare to reach for a carafe of wine and find your hand clutching a bottle of milk -- and even rarer, you'd think, to react by deciding the milk was actually what you wanted all along.
Yet something like that happened when scientists in Sweden asked people to choose which of two women's photos they found most attractive. After the subject made his choice, whom we'll call Beth, the experimenter turned the chosen photo face down. Sliding it across the table, he asked the subject the reasons he chose the photo he did. But the experimenter was a sleight-of-hand artist. A copy of the unchosen photo, "Grizelda," was tucked behind Beth's, so what he actually slid was the duplicate of Grizelda, palming Beth.
Few subjects batted an eye. Looking at the unchosen Grizelda, they smoothly explained why they had chosen her ("She was smiling," "she looks hot"), even though they hadn't.
In 1966, Time magazine asked, "Is God Dead?" Even then, the answer was no, and with the rise of religion in the public square, the question now seems ludicrous. In one of those strange-bedfellows things, it is science that is shedding light on why belief in God will never die, at least until humans evolve very different brains, brains that don't (as they did with Beth and Grizelda) interpret unexpected and even unwanted outcomes as being for the best.
"Belief in God," says Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University, "is compelled by the way our brains work."
As shown in the Grizelda-and-Beth study, by scientists at Lund University and published this month in Science, brains have a remarkable talent for reframing suboptimal outcomes to see setbacks in the best possible light. You can see it when high-school seniors decide that colleges that rejected them really weren't much good, come to think of it.
You can see it, too, in experiments where Prof. Gilbert and colleagues told female volunteers they would be working on a task that required them to have a likeable, trustworthy partner. They would get a partner randomly, by blindly choosing one of four folders, each containing a biography of a potential teammate. Unknown to the volunteers, each folder contained the same bio, describing an unlikable, untrustworthy person.
The volunteers were unfazed. Reading the randomly chosen bio, they interpreted even negatives as positives. "She doesn't like people" made them think of her as "exceptionally discerning." And when they read different bios, they concluded their partner was hands-down superior. "Their brains found the most rewarding view of their circumstances," says Prof. Gilbert.
The experimenter then told the volunteer that although she thought she was choosing a folder at random, in fact the experimenter had given her a subliminal message so she would pick the best possible partner. The volunteers later said they believed this lie, agreeing that the subliminal message had led them to the best folder. Having thought themselves into believing they had chosen the best teammate, they needed an explanation for their good fortune and experienced what Prof. Gilbert calls the illusion of external agency.
"People don't know how good they are at finding something desirable in almost any outcome," he says. "So when there is a good outcome, they're surprised, and they conclude that someone else has engineered their fate" -- a lab's subliminal message or, in real life, God.
Religion used to be ascribed to a wish to escape mortality by invoking an afterlife or to feel less alone in the world. Now, some anthropologists and psychologists suspect that religious belief is what Pascal Boyer of Washington University, St. Louis, calls in a 2003 paper "a predictable by-product of ordinary cognitive function."
One of those functions is the ability to imagine what Prof. Boyer calls "nonphysically present agents." We do this all the time when we recall the past or project the future, or imagine "what if" scenarios involving others. It's not a big leap for those same brain mechanisms to imagine spirits and gods as real.
Another God-producing brain quirk is that although many things can be viewed in multiple ways, the mind settles on the most rewarding. Take the Necker cube, the line drawing that shifts orientation as you stare at it. (A cool version is at dogfeathers.com/java/necker.html1.) If you reward someone for seeing the cube one way, however, his brain starts seeing it that way only. The cube stops flipping.
There are only two ways to see a Necker cube, but loads of ways to see a hurricane or a recovery from illness. The brain "tends to search for and hold onto the most rewarding view of events, much as it does of objects," Prof. Gilbert writes on the Web site Edge. It is much more rewarding to attribute death to God's will, and to see in disasters hints of the hand of God.
Prof. Gilbert once asked a religious colleague how he felt about helping to discover that people can misattribute the products of their own minds to acts of God. The reply: "I feel fine. God doesn't want us to confuse our miracles with his."
