Mystery and Reverence

 

“…mine is not a smart-alecky atheism. I am no "evangelical atheist" (as I once heard someone described); instead I am a "reverent atheist." I have deep reverence for the immensity and wonders of the universe, including the mystery of the apparently deliberately fine-tuned constants of nature. I do not kid myself into thinking that I already have answers to those awe-inspiring mysteries. To accept a question-begging non-answer ("God did it") as their explanation would, for me, indicate disrespect for the wonders of our universe and for their continuing exploration.” - Leland B. Yeager

 

Wonder and awe should not be diminished by taking away from the complexity of nature and the universe. The creation stories of the Bible are examples of this gross oversimplification. Although, they can have symbolic meaning and therefore may be interpreted as a philosophical position on the nature of humanity. Those who read it as actual occurrence are missing out on the true brilliance of existence.  Creationists taking this position usually place their reverence and mystery in God. This view can be a respectable viewpoint so long as it does not attempt to discredit scientific findings (as many often attempt). If there is a God, we must look further than the Bible; therefore, scientifically exploring the nature of the universe can be considered one of the most spiritual endeavors. Although he was not religious, Einstein uses religious symbols in describing his  scientific quest for what may exist behind our observed reality. Science and Religion do not have to be in conflict; open-mindedness and faith can and do co-exist in many individuals. Whether you are a theist, atheist, pantheist, or deist, reverence for all in existence simply requires an open-mind.

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NPR: Your Brain on God

"More than half of adult Americans report they have had a spiritual experience that changed their lives. Now, scientists from universities like Harvard, Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins are using new technologies to analyze the brains of people who claim they have touched the spiritual — from Christians who speak in tongues to Buddhist monks to people who claim to have had near-death experiences. Hear what they have discovered in this controversial field, as the science of spirituality continues to evolve." (NPR, 2009)

See story at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997741

Dawkins Commentary On “Religious” Scientists

Richard Dawkins explains the use of the pantheistic metaphor in the physical sciences.  

Difference Between Wisdom and Knowledge

“’ What is the main principal of Buddha’s teachings?’        The Master replied, ‘Do no evil and perform what is good.’ Bai Juyi said, ‘even a three-year-old knows that!’ The master responded, ‘A three-year-old may know it, but not even an eighty-year-old can do it.’” - Recorded dialogues of Daolin

       This is the disconnect between the metaphorical heart and the mind. We can conjure up a multitude of idealistic thoughts, and just as easily neglect their transfer to action. This gap in thought and action can be seen in the smoker who, again, claims they are quitting, in the couch potato who wants to get in shape but never seems to take the necessary steps, and the student who knows how to obtain an ‘A’ but does not take the required action. It appears that we, as subjects, at times lack the willpower to carry out the thoughts that we consider virtuous. Though, this is not only a problem of willpower: this is is a problem of mind-heart disconnect. This problem is essentially a wisdom deficit. Wisdom is defined as possessing the knowledge of what is right and combining it with proper action. Eckhart Tolle describes wisdom very eloquently in the following passage:

“You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you, and allowing the goodness to emerge. But it can only emerge if something fundamental changes in your state of consciousness”

      This shift in consciousness is precisely the essence of wisdom. Simply trying to be become good is never sufficient since it draws upon that same state of consciousness that produced the suffering in the first place. One must be prepared to view the world through a new lens. Getting rid of a foggy or broken worldview may be the first step.

Reactions: Problems with the Soul theory

The original post can be found at: Philo-Psycho Freedom.

          This critique of a specific dualist theory by Philo-Psycho Freedom gives us insight into several fundamental problems with many peoples idea of soul. Although, this critique is too narrow in its view on dualism. It addresses the most common dualist stance found in western religious teachings: that the soul being unique to humans, it has influence over ones personality, and it has a specific role in the afterlife. To begin contemplating the nature of the soul we must first recognize the several possible ways  in which it may exist.

          First of all, we should not limit the conversation to only one soul for each individual since some cultures believe we possess several souls. Second, we must contemplate the interaction between the soul and mind. I agree with Philo-Psycho Freedom in the assertion that the soul does not affect the mind. Though, we must consider whether the soul/ mind interaction is only one way; the mind affecting the soul, but soul not affecting the mind. Third, we must ponder the question of where the soul resides. Does it reside in a specific place within, outside, or fully immersing the body? Philo-Psycho Freedom raises a very important question about whether the soul is unique to humans. I personally like the idea that a soul exists in every living organism; we are merely highly developed minds possessing the rare ability to contemplate  what has eternally existed in the essence of all things.   Lastly, we must ask the question that gets to the heart of spiritual contemplation: what is the soul after death to the body? Does it die with the body, transcend with in-tact memory, transcend with no memory, or become the essence of another living organism?  These are the questions we must ask when contemplating the soul theory.

          There are a lot of questions with no simple answers. Although Philo-Psycho Freedom targets only a fraction of this complex topic, they provide a logical and compelling critique of the dominant cultural stance of the west on the nature of the soul. 

Wake Up to the Common Beauty

For lack of attention a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day. - Evelyn Underhill

 

Brooks from Shawshank Redemption couldn't have put it any better when he said; “ The world has gotten itself into a big damn hurry”.  Mindful awareness of our surroundings is killed as we rush through our environments, completing  task after task without getting the chance to reflect. This is the super saturated reality many industrialized capitalist societies experience. We look for beauty when we get a break from the everyday, but fail to notice the beauty confronting us while we are in it. We often discredit the common artist or musician in favor of those we consider distinguished and honorable.

Like the classic philosophical idea of the tree falling in the forest; if a great musician plays well and no one hears, was he any good?

Beauty can be seen as a matter of ones perception and personal opinion on one end of the spectrum, while as something that can be measured on the other. The logical position would be that beauty resides somewhere in-between these two extremes. Whether we see it or not, beauty exists in the places we pass by without even taking notice. Our perception of common situations is tinted with a grey fog of monotony and disinterest.

The Washington post illustrates this perfectly in their social experiment “Pearls for Breakfast” on the perception of common street musicians.  They put one of the world’s best violinists, Joshua Bell,  into the Washington Metro Station with a 3.5 million dollar violin for one hour and watched what happened. Considering he had recently sold out the house at Boston's stately Symphony Hall at $100 a seat, one would expect he would receive plenty of attention for his 6 Mozart pieces. This couldn't be further from the truth.  Within the hour he managed to gather some pocket change and a handful of  half-interested pauses from busy city-goers, only to be met with an awkward silence in place of an applause after each brilliant piece.

 

 

If we can so easily walk past a violin performance from  Joshua Bell, what other beauty may we be missing?  We need to learn the importance of opening our consciousness and realize the beauty that may be eluding us everyday.

Interconnectedness of Events

A novel look at the interconnectedness of events from DoubleEdgeFilms.

Existential Viewpoint: Taking Responsibility

Seems like everyone is sleep-walking through their waking state or wake-walking through their dreams; either way won't do them any good – Waking Life

One bares the the responsibility of giving one’s life meaning. There is no fixed path, no proper way, and living a fulfilling life depends the individual. In the tradition of Existentialism,  free choice triumphs over determinism. Your life is like a ball of clay; you are what you make of it.

Start by taking control over your life course by realizing the meaninglessness in most activities of the everyday. Seek authenticity and become conscious of unconscious actions or rules you may follow. Once you realize these rules, you are free to consciously evaluate whether you want to follow them or go against them; the meaning of your actions are decided by you. Questioning the everyday and making unfamiliar the familiar is necessary in pursuit of this awakening. Deconstruct discourse, question the use of language, expand your awareness from self centeredness to realizing the fullness of life that surrounds you in the everyday. This shift in perspective is the shift necessary to  taking back reality, creating your own meaning, and realizing the possibility of possibility.

With freedom comes responsibility. If we lived in the eternal day portrayed in the movie Groundhog Day, our actions would not matter since we would have eternity to test the outcome of every imaginable action. As entertaining as this may be (for a while at least), we can only dream of such a reality. Reality as we know it must be faced with the freedom and boundlessness of a lucid dream, but with the responsibility of wakeful consciousness. We need to release blame from our mentality and see ourselves as agents of our own interaction rather than merely objects of external forces. All too often the object of blame is God. Realizing a metaphysical force does not dictate our lives releases the individual from using God as a scapegoat. When our lens of reality shifts, our actions follow. Going through life taking on the role of a victim and feeling like the object of various external forces only creates a distorted lens which is destined to cause suffering for ourselves and those who are in our presence. Taking full responsibility for the direction of your life starts with the awareness of individual meaning and agency.


For more on existentialism see: Existentialism: a guide for the perplexed

Dawkins Scale of Belief

 

 

          

Source: Christopher Sisk

Neither this site nor myself are in any way associated with Richard Dawkins or the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.