#taoism and buddhism readings loving hand in loving hand.

[seventh-fantasy]

okay... idk at all if this has been discussed or that I'm just stating the obvious. I'm posting any way to get more feedback.

so. can we be sure that the last boat scene even happened (in the way we saw it at least)

yeah the letter was delivered to the intended recipients. the letter also did say 李相夷绝笔 lit. the final writing by li xiangyi. there's a brief exchange between him and the assumed "boatman" asking him where he was going. and we see he spat blood while writing yeah but:

llh/lxy's eyesight had been failing for some time.

Professional Letter Writers are a thing in the past in service to people who can't write their own letters (idk enough to verify the historical accuracy in this specific context though)

what has been bugging me since forever is the manner of speech of the letter. yeah it's different from their everyday speech, but that's actually perfectly fine since this is A Letter so I'm good with it being more formal. but... there's something I just can't quite pinpoint. especially with the use of the 君 jun pronoun by llh/lxy to refer to dfs when there could be other pronouns with less connotations of intimacy (and scholarly/imperial court system) implied and still conveyed cordiality, marking a shift in their relationship. (I'm not well versed with wuxia as a genre enough to know what are the conventions. someone else who does can say something though.)

whatever these put together means (eg. he may not have written the letter personally, or he wrote it in a different situation from what we saw, etc etc.) alongside:

this scene existed only as part of a visualisation as the letter content is revealed to the audience (or assumed to be fdb reading the letter to dfs & guests of the wedding spectators of the duel)

the boat lxy/llh jumped on is not the same as the one he was writing the letter on - the boatman is also not on it despite the conversation at the beginning, but lxy/llh's dressing and hairpin are the same as the ones before he jumped. (the boatman delivered the letter so he's real though.)

also as @wonderfulnonsense happened to have just pointed out in the tags left in my other post: it's in fact the same boat he took to go fight dfs at donghai 10 years ago. (edit: or maybe it isn't? as pointed out by anon.)

if we viewed whatever we perceived in this scene as imaginary (not what actually happened), then the reading of it being a metaphor for lxy/llh being on his way to enlightenment just makes sense. (the boat being a carrier on his spiritual transformations.) especially when you consider that 彼岸 the other shore is another concept in buddhism to represent enlightenment, alongside the motif of lotuses. (credits to @markiafc for the buddhism reading - edit: mark's meta here) and then, consider the beach ending... yeah.

[tetsunabouquet]

Do you think Shaman King has a “morality problem”?

That's a difficult question. For one, at least the original series, was a mixed bag. You've probably read my various posts already about how the series does have a problem with victim blaming kids and the adults getting away easy, but that's just the bad part of the original series. Because there are also good lessons to be drawn from it, like the subject of love, the philosophy and some of the religious aspects. Like Horohoro's stance on hunting and killing animals for personal use, is something I agree with. If we make sure every part of the animal was used, we didn't make it suffer to enjoy its pain and in my personal case, it's also an older animal that has already lived its life and had children to ensure the species survived, then to me it's okay. As much as some people like to deny it, humans are biologically omnivores, there are nutritions that people need in meat which is why most vegans suffer from vitamine deficiencies- a statistic they either deny or will say, "I can take supplements for it". As much as people like to deny it, plants actually do have feelings. Science has proven that plants have a pain reaction and they can keep track of time (at least the Venus Fly Trap does). Meaning going ham on plant-based products actually increases their suffering. As much as people like to deny it, more chemical alternatives to stuff like clothing materials like nylon, are way worse for the climate then using biological material. From the excess waste in clothing production areas to the poisoning of waters through the chemicals used, this is undoubtedly not a good thing either. This is where I really like to point to Yoh's philosophy which seems to stem a lot from zen buddhism (that ironically was inspired by Taoism), 'that what is good for one person, may not be good for the other'. Because when it comes to the killing animal stance, one person might have food digestion issues that makes meat a little more dangerous, to these a more vegan diet with a bit of cheating would be the better lifestyle, but to another person physical needs' another diet would be better. With the clothing industry, one can pick their own poison because every industry has blood on their hands- its just on the person themselves to pick which blood they mind the least. In this, I really like the way Shaman King deals with moral issues because there isn't an absolute truth that is right for everyone. Except for love (at least the healthy kind).

[collectsfallenstars]

Azaleas for Lt. Jeong Taeeul: A close reading of Kim Sowol’s poetry in “The King: Eternal Monarch”

Korean Literature is divided into the Classical Period and the Modern Period. Literature under the Classical Period is heavily influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, and to some extent, Taoism.  The earliest form of literature came about in the 8th Century during the Shilla Kingdom.

The break-off point between Classical and Modern Literature is found in the Choson Dynasty which lasted from 1392 to 1910.  Modern Korean Literature flourished when the Chinese writing script took a backseat to Hangul, the Korean alphabet.  It was developed by King Sejong, or Sejong the Great, who ruled between 1418 – 1450.  If you watched the first episode of The King: Eternal Monarch, that huge statue of a seated king in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square where Lee Minho hugged Kim Goeun without any warning? That’s King Sejong.  Thanks to him, Korean language and Korean literature flourished.

Now, during the Choson Dynasty, two kinds of poetic forms came about— Shijo and Kasa and some of the most common subject matters from these poetic forms can be found in the Kim Sowol poems that were used in the kdrama, “The King: Eternal Monarch.”  These are the themes of nature, grief, and the loneliness of traveling.  However, when used against the backdrop of the drama, the poems, written during Kim Sowol’s lifetime between 1902-1934, take on a new life.

Let’s take a look at the poet’s life first and see how it informs our understanding of some of his poems.  He was born in 1902 in an area that now belongs to North Korea.  He suffered from a troubled childhood with a father who was mentally ill and beaten up by Japanese construction workers and therefore was unable to provide for his family.  Kim Sowol was then raised and supported by his grandfather and his aunt.  It has been said that it was his aunt who sang folk songs to him and told him traditional stories during his childhood and that it was this that stirred his love and talent for poetry.

But aside from poetry, he also loved a woman named O-sun.  However, during their time, love rarely played a role in marriages and they were soon married off to different people.  O-san then committed suicide at a very young age and losing her led to the first and last poetry collection that Kim Sowol ever published— “Azaleas.”  His poetry carried the quality and rhythm that could be found in old Korean folk songs, possibly the ones his aunt had sung to him when he was a child.   However, Kim Sowol found it hard to find his place in the world with just his poetry but without O-san.  He committed suicide in 1934 at 32 years old.  He remains, to this day, the most beloved Korean poet.

INVOCATION OF THE DEAD Kim Sowol

O shattered name!
 O name parted from me in mid-air! O name without owner! O name I’ll call until I die!

The words left in my heart,
 In the end, I wasn’t able to utter all. O you whom I loved! O you whom I loved!

The red sun is hanging from the western summit. The herd of deer also cry sadly.
 Atop the mountain that has fallen off to the side, I call your name.

I call your name til I can’t bear the grief of it. I call your name til I can’t bear the grief of it. The sound of my call sweeps forward but sky and earth are too far apart.

Though I turn to stone standing here O name I’ll call until I die!
 O you whom I loved!
 O you whom I loved!

This poem is largely different from the rest of the collection because it is loud in its grief while the rest in the collection are like “Azaleas,” quiet, subdued and dignified in their sadness.  In this one, the persona calls out to the beloved directly with lines that begin with an expulsion of breath and grief in “O,” and punctuated with exclamation points.  But even in this intensity, the persona still can’t call out the beloved’s name.

There are several reasons for this.  It pains the persona to even say the beloved’s name.  Or it could be that the beloved’s name is as lost to the persona as the beloved is.  Or it could be a staunch denial of the beloved’s departure.  I’m going to go with the last one.    

This poem is closely linked to the Korean pre-funeral custom called the Chohon, which involves calling out the name of the dead 3 times by the Sangju, the chief mourner who is usually the closest family member of the deceased. They go to the roof of their house, face north, and wave the deceased traditional shirt or blouse in the wind.

This stems from the Confucian belief that the human being is made up of the Hon (ethereal soul) and the Baek (corporeal soul) and the union of both is what keeps humans alive while their separation means death.  The Chohon is then performed to keep the Hon from leaving the world because they hold on to the hope that they can bring back the soul to the dead. It is only when this ritual is finished that they can confirm the death of the person and then they can begin with the funeral rites.

Now, in the first stanza, “O name” appears 4 times in 4 different ways that can’t be called a repetition.  The second stanza only contains 2 of the same lines with “O you” in it. The third stanza has one line with “your name” in it while the fourth stanza has only two lines with “your name.”  The fourth stanza contains 3 lines but 1 has “o name” and the 2 have “o you.”  The persona avoids the Chohon, even though the beloved is gone.  By refusing to turn this into a Chohon, the persona evades thinking of the beloved as completely lost.

“O shattered name!” is a reference to the separation of the Hon from the Baek, resulting in the death of the beloved. “O name parted from me in mid-air” speaks of someone being gone too soon, someone who is only in the middle of his or her life. This could also mean that they are gone before the persona could even hold them, like a ball thrown in their direction and disappearing before it can be caught.  “O name without an owner!” is especially painful because even though the name belongs to no one now, it’s still in the memory and on the lips of the persona.

The second stanza has many different translations but the gist of it means that even at this point when the beloved has been lost forever, without any hope of return, he still can’t bring himself to say the beloved’s name and complete the Chohon.  He refuses to accept her death.  Undoubtedly, this sentiment comes so close to Kim Sowol’s loss of his own beloved, O-sun.

The third stanza speaks of the setting sun and the lament of animals— it is grief found at the end of something.  The top of the mountain replaces the roof of the house the persona should be on top of because they did not belong to a house, to anywhere, really.  They probably belonged to other people too, like KSL and O-sun.  

On the fourth stanza, the persona stands on top of that mountain, calling out the beloved’s name and hoping to bring back their soul, knowing it is impossible. The grief of this practice in futility comes to him in the realization that the sky and the earth are too far apart.  No matter how long he stands there calling out her name, or how loud he can be, she will never hear him, nor return.

But even under the light of his sad epiphany, he remains steadfast in his love for her. He says he will call out her name until he dies, loving her and only her, for the rest of his remaining life and possibly even after death.  It isn’t too far off to think that this may have been exactly what Kim Sowol felt at the death of his beloved.

Now, how does its use within the world of The King: Eternal Monarch add another layer to the poem.  In the third episode, Lee Gon (Lee Minho) stood in the middle of a bamboo forest arguing with Jeong Taeeul (Kim Goeun) about his name.  He’s trying to convince her that a parallel world exists alongside modern day Korea and in that parallel world, Korea is spelled with a letter C and operates as a Parliamentary Monarchy.  He is also trying to convince her that he is the king there.  Jeong Taeeul, being a police officer, insists on asking for his identification, his name, and he refuses to give it because there is a rule in Corea that no one is allowed to use the king’s name.  At this, JTE makes fun of him and asks him if he is Kim Sowol, quoting the second stanza of “Invocation of the Dead” to him.

Spoiler alert, they eventually fall in love.  But this moment leads LG to a bookstore in search for Kim Sowol’s one and only poetry collection, “Azaleas.”  He finds it and opens it to the poem that JTE quoted to him.  In the background, we hear Lady Noh, whom he eventually gifts the book to, reciting the poem. It switches to LG’s voice at the last line, indicating that he had read the poem as well.  On screen, the frame is split between JTE and LG, directing the viewer to relate the poem to the pair of lovers.

The poem then acts as, of course, a foreshadowing of the events to come. Spoiler alert, no one died. So obviously, the poem does not act in its original capacity as some form of elegy for the dead.  What it does do is drive home the point that LG and JTE are going to have a love that will be threatened by separation.  Love between two people from parallel worlds with a ticking time bomb for a gate between them will not be easy.  It will also be painful, should the separation be permanent.

Now, if one were to ask you, if you knew how painful this love was going to turn out to be, would you still have allowed yourself to fall in love?

LG’s answer will be a quick yes. He’s been in love with JTE for most of his life, and has literally held on to her name, by her ID, since he was 8 years old.  JTE, on the other hand, took longer to gain access to, and use his name.  He gives his name to her on the 5th episode, and she uses it to him on the 6th episode.   She now has his name and will now know what to call out and hold on to, when she loses him in the future. Spoiler alert, she gets him back on the last episode.

So even though they don’t exactly lose each other like the persona and his beloved in “Invocation of the Dead,” or even Kim Sowol and O-sun, who lost their beloved to the sky while they remained on earth, the poem points us to a different kind of physical separation— that of two parallel worlds. While the persona in the poem vowed that he would defy time and space by loving her until his death, and even beyond, in the world within The King: Eternal Monarch, that vow was fulfilled.  They found a love that could defy time and space.

(from Episode 10, The King: Eternal Monarch) *if anyone can help me find the title for this poem, I shall be eternally grateful to you ^_^ ---------------- by Kim Sowol

When the sun goes down over the white rapids, I shall wait by the gate. Between the shadows of the birds singing at dawn, I see the world brightening up In its still calmness. With my eyes fixated on the traveler passing by At the break of dawn, “Is that you?” “Is that you?"

By the tenth episode, LG and JTE have redefined and upped the game for long distance relationships.  Much like the Kasa poems from the Choson Dynasty, the 2nd and 3rd poems used in “The King: Eternal Monarch” have grief and loneliness in travel as their subject matter.  Long distance relationships have it easy now with plenty of choices for communication and travel (except now, with the ongoing pandemic).  But one can only imagine what it was like for a lover to leave during the feudal Choson Dynasty.  There is no assurance of a safe return, nor of an actual return.  The waiting would seem endless without any word, just silence for months or even years.  One can’t just text, “Where u?” every five minutes, or mark oneself safe during a village siege.

LG and JTE had to contend with this aspect in their relationship as both held important positions within their own worlds.  Cellphones bought in one world would not work in the other.  There’s no magic two-way mirror, faces in fireplaces for a Fire-call in the Floo Network or even owls, crows, or pigeons. Do despite being lovers in the 21st Century, LG and JTE’s temporary separations and the subsequent waiting in between visits feel like those from the Choson Dynasty.

This poem is a prime example of that with a persona who vows to wait for the return her beloved.  She positions herself by the gate by sundown and stays there until dawn.   She stays in the shadows of the birds who see the dawn before she does.  This image is especially powerful in its quiet strength and fierce loyalty. The persona vows to wait for her beloved even through the darkness of the night.  No matter how difficult or painful it is to wait, she will.  And even if she doesn’t see the light of the dawn, or the end of this long night, she will still wait. She survives the nights of waiting by holding on to hope, despite the dire circumstance.

And life rewards her with the safe return of her beloved.  It seems only fitting that this poem is read aloud during their brief reunion under a moonlit night in the bamboo forest.  They are a long way from dawn, but hope and strength are there.

Note the way that Kim Goeun, who plays Jeong Taeeul, delivers her lines, “You’re finally here. Did you just get here?” as if they are the same line even though one is a statement and the other is a questions.  Her inflections do not change.  This echoes the last two lines of the poem, “Is that you?/ Is that you?”  The repetition allows for a slight change in emotion— the first is a question, an expression of disbelief, while the second is filled with relief.

(from Episode 12, The King Eternal Monarch) *if anyone can help me find the title for this poem, I shall be eternally grateful to you ^_^ ---------------- by Kim Sowol

What is your reason for doing that? You were sitting alone by the stream The green grass was sprouting And the water was splashing From the spring breeze You promised that even if you go, You won’t be gone forever.

That is what you promised I sit by the stream each day And think about something endlessly

When you promised that even if you go, You won’t be gone forever Were you asking me not to forget you?

This poem plays on memory and remembrance. In the first stanza, the lovers are in the beginning stage of their relationship when everything is like spring—  new, full of hope and potential for growth.  While at this stage, it is easy to make promises like, “Even if I go, I won’t be gone forever.”  It is meant to comfort the one who could be left behind. In the middle of bliss, that promise might sound comforting.

But as the poem progresses to the second and third stanzas, the persona is now alone on the same stream.   No longer in spring nor the middle of bliss, the persona is left only with the vow that her beloved made to her.  And it provides no sense of comfort.  Instead, it makes her realize that the vow had been made as foresight.  Her beloved must have known of his imminent departure and it was the only way he could ask her to wait for him— because every act of remembering him is an act of loving him.  And when there is love, surely there must be hope for a return.

This poem is read by Lady Noh in background while LG and JTE are getting their picture taken— an act of remembrance, of keeping something frozen in time so that one can always remember the moment.  Ironically, this is also the time when the world freezes. This is the side effect of one half of the Manpasikjeok crossing over into the parallel world.  This is the moment that Lee Gon is made even more aware of their impending separation.  The gate between the worlds is beginning to crack and the amount of frozen time keeps increasing with every crossing.  Pretty soon, he will have to choose between righting the wrongs that Lee Lim created and staying with JTE.  He is the King of the Kingdom of Corea— there is no question what his choice will be and he knows it.

He goes through all of these emotions in the hour that JTE and the rest of the world spends frozen in a smile.  JTE is still in spring but LG is already far off into the future.  But when the world unfreezes, LG slaps a smile on his face and has his picture taken with JTE. This is the perfect adaptation of the third and last Kim Sowol poem used in “The King: Eternal Monarch.”

AZALEAS Kim Sowol

When you leave, weary of me,
 without a word I shall gently let you go.

From Mt. Yak
 in Yongbyon
 I shall gather armfuls of azaleas and scatter them on your way.

Step by step
 on the flowers placed before you tread lightly, softly as you go.

When you leave
 weary of me,
 though I die, I'll not let one tear fall.

“Azaleas,” the titular poem of the Kim Sowol poetry collection, is not included in “The King: Eternal Monarch” but I think it is still important to discuss it as it relates greatly to the character of Lt. Jeong Taeeul.

Outside the context of the kdrama, the poem “Azaleas” has a persona who is the embodiment of dignity and strength in the face of utter devastation.  The persona, by saying “When you leave,” shows her awareness of his inevitable departure.  She knows in the future that he will leave her because he will get tired of her.  And yet, she continues to love him.

And when that dreaded by unavoidable day comes when he leaves her, she vows to let him go as gently, and as lovingly as she can.

She promises to decorate his path away from her with flowers from her hometown.  This is seen as an act of blessing.  And although it’s tearing her apart in the inside, she refuses to let him know that him leaving is killing her.  So it’s an even classier way of saying, “To the left, to the left, everything you own in a box to the left, don’t you ever for a second get to thinking you’re irreplaceable.”

Now, while Lee Gon doesn’t get tired of Jeong Taeeul in the drama, he does eventually leave her in order to save both worlds and right all the wrongs his uncle made.  And in the 15th episode, when she finally realized that Lee Gon had made his choice and it did not include her in his world, she actually says the words, “I don’t think I can stay here and endure it alone…I think I’ll die.”  Spoiler alert, she did not die. She does get stabbed though, but she did not die of waiting.

Instead, she found a way to get to him.  Although it was unsuccessful, she did manage to kill Lee Lim of the present while Lee Gon killed Lee Lim in the past.  She’s definitely not the type to spread flowers on the feet of the man who leaves her and then goes to cry quietly in the corner.

But the thing is, the azalea flower is the key to all of this.  Azaleas are wildflowers that can be found in the deepest areas of forests that were previously destroyed due to deforestation or wildfires.  According to “The Plant Book of Korea,” azaleas are known for their endurance and long lifespans.

So when the persona in the poem “Azaleas” spreads the flowers in the path of her beloved, she is reminding him that she will survive his departure.  And when used within the world of “The King: Eternal Monarch,” Lt. Jeong Taeeul is the wild and resilient azalea flower.  She will not stay in her place and simply wait for him to come back.  She tried to find a way to get to him.  And when that did not work, when being strong meant loving him even in his absence and waiting for him even if there was no hope in his return, she still mustered up enough courage and strength to love him and wait for him.  And in the end, her strength and resilience were rewarded with the return of her beloved.

REFERENCES:

“(485) Poet Kim So-Wol.” Koreatimes, 10 Jan. 2008, koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/01/137_17042.html.

Foundation, CK-12. “12 Foundation.” CK, flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-chemistry-flexbook-2.0/section/2.1/primary/lesson/matter-mass-and-volume-ms-ps.

“In the Midst of Death, Let's Have a Party.” Korea JoongAng Daily, koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2007/10/28/features/In-the-midst-of-death-lets-have-a-party/2882042.html.

Klaudia Krystyna Writer. “Korean Funerals: Traditions, Customs and What to Expect.” Cake Blog, www.joincake.com/blog/korean-funeral/.

Korean Literature (Character of Korean Literature, Korean Classical Literature, Modern Literature of Korea), www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/literature.htm.

“The Most Beloved Poet of Korea, Kim So-Wol.” The Yonsei Annals, annals.yonsei.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1896.

국립민속박물관 . “Temporary Spirit Tablet.” Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture, folkency.nfm.go.kr/en/topic/detail/537.

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Spiritism and Religion

I've talked elsewhere about the universal nature of Spiritism, but I thought it might be appropriate to look more closely at the topic of Spiritism's relationship to religious traditions. In this article I will be using quotes from the 1893 edition of The Spirits' Book, as translated by Anna Blackwell.

Early Spiritists came mostly from a Christian (specifically Catholic) background. Researchers would say this is for the simple reason that Kardec and his associates just so happened to be Catholic, and I would tend to agree with them, but for the fact that I believe what helped the Spiritist cause early on was growing from religious traditions that more emphasized mysticism than others. Many French Catholics, for instance, joined the Spiritist ranks under Kardec as a way to expand their already profound experience with the divine. With their doctrine of the Saints and angels who often intervene on human affairs, it was much easier for Catholics to reconcile a much broader spirit world than what is normally taught by religion.

Quakers, or members of the Religious Society of Friends, were also among some of the first participants in what we might label "Spiritualism," although the practices are as varied as there are practitioners. Since the beginning of the religious movement the Quakers have put an importance upon a continuing revelation and avoidance of reliance upon outdated texts. I think this could be one of the reasons why so many became quickly interested in Spiritualist and Spiritist thought. It can be connected to this idea of receiving sacred information directly from a divine source, rather than second or third hand. This belief is built into the religion itself, and even today participants in Quaker worship services often act as mediums for sacred messages.

As Spiritism grew as a movement, it slowly enveloped many of the occult movements of the time, including members of the Theosophical Society, Freemasons, Rosicrucians, etc. Without a doubt, many of the same influences upon the forming of these societies also influenced the codification of Spiritist beliefs, especially those of the Theosophical Society with their emphasis upon reincarnation and karmic debt. Nineteenth century Europe had an abundance of new occult societies, many already using the techniques of Spiritualism as a basis for their beliefs and practices. What Kardec brought to the table, among other things, was a more rational approach to the spirit world, based heavily upon an inward form of spirituality, less emphasis on what might be considered "strange" or "fringe" practices, and a more conversation-based practice of mediumship without the need for a spectacle.

Some of the more interesting varieties of Spiritism come when we look at how this philosophy spread to the French colonies (or other areas influenced by French culture). These are areas of the world that still to this day have high numbers of Spiritists. One of these is Brazil, which has the highest concentration of Spiritists in the world. There are a few ways traditional Spiritism manifests in Brazil today. First is by way of indigenous religious traditions like Umbanda. It's interesting to note that the areas of the world that still have a large Spiritist presence are areas where Spiritism and indigenous spiritual traditions have mixed. In the case of Brazil, Umbanda is the tradition most influenced by what we might call "traditional" Spiritism, as opposed to traditions like Candomblé. I should note here that I'm by no means an Umbandista, or an expert on most of these traditions I'm going to talk about, so if you have an interest I would seek more academic research. Currently, the majority of Brazil's Spiritists follow the teachings of Chico Xavier, a prolific writer and medium who authored over a hundred books with his spirit guides. Xavier was heavily influenced by the traditional Christian side of Spiritism, with an emphasis upon a personal relationship with Jesus as messiah and divinity. As a non-Christian myself, I can say that Xavier's works, while interesting in the scope of modern Spiritism, are hard to read for those not aligned with Christian faith. His works, however, are massively popular and have greatly influenced many other modern mediums and writers.

Throughout Central/South America and the Caribbean, Spiritism is known by the name Espiritismo, of which there are hundreds, if not more, varieties. In Brazil, as I've already mentioned, Espiritismo is mostly seen in the indigenous-based religions of Umbanda (as well as its cousins, Quimbanda and Macumba) as well as in a modern form of Christian Spiritism as taught by Chico Xavier. In Cuba and Puerto Rico the tradition of Espiritismo has also merged with indigenous beliefs to form the tradition of Espiritismo Cruzado, or "crossed" Spiritism, referring to the mixture of European Spiritism with indigenous beliefs and traditions. This also gave rise to Espiritismo de Cordon, another area of research for those interested in Espiritismo. In Venezuela, Spiritism has taken on a fascinating form in the Maria Lionza religion, another mixture of European Spiritism and indigenous traditions. Unlike other varieties of Espiritismo, Maria Lionza mediums channel not only indigenous figures and folk heroes of South America, but also Vikings, European Saints, and even East Asian philosophers.

Another religion that I couldn't possibly avoid mentioning is Đạo Cao Đài or Cao Dai (often called Caodaism), a Vietnamese religion founded in the early part of the twentieth century. As with other traditions we've mentioned, Cao Dai is a highly syncretic religion that combines indigenous Vietnamese beliefs with Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, holding everything together with the philosophy of European Spiritism. The religion itself was founded during an automatic writing session held by three Vietnamese spirit mediums well versed in the works of Kardec. Since the beginning, all of the major texts and revelations for the religion have been provided by mediums, a tradition that continues even today. Cao Dai mediums have famously channeled such spirits as the Jade Emperor,  Joan of Arc, and Victor Hugo, which might seen like an odd combination, but it fits perfectly within the Spiritist worldview.

What exactly is this worldview? While some critics have claimed that Kardec made Spiritualism dry, stuffy, and unappealing to anyone outside of academic circles through his codification, this is far from the truth. In his works, Kardec sought to address directly what he considered to be the faults of Spiritualism, mainly mediums (or so called mediums) tricking people out of their money to talk with dead loved ones, and needless rituals and prayers plucked from different traditions without discernment or understanding. Spiritism as it is defined by Kardec isn't a religious tradition at all, it's a philosophy. Some modern writers like to think of it as a "path" or "way," much like Sufism, which is traditionally thought of being beyond religion and at the same time contained within all religions. This is why Spiritism has easily been translated and merged with so many indigenous traditions. Spiritism provides a framework for viewing human relationships with the spirit world, a notion lacking in many mainstream religious traditions. It defines the form of the spirit, its function as we know it, and how the existence of our own immortal spirits affects the way we see our purpose in the universe. This framework is universal in nature, meaning it appeals to and can be translated into many different religious and spiritual traditions. While Kardec often wrote from a very Christian-centered worldview, his works are also filled with universalist ideals. His overall message is for the unity of humanity on the forward progression through the Spiritual Hierarchy.

Kardec's message (or I should say the message of the spirit entities as channeled by Kardec and his associates) emphasizes the mystical experience of the individual. When he asks the question whether worship (adoration in this edition of the text) is dependent upon external manifestations he receives this answer:

"True adoration is in the heart. In all your actions remember that the Master's eye is always upon you." The Spirits' Book, entry 653

And again, when he poses the question differently:

"Does God accord a preference to those who worship Him according to any particular mode? "God prefers those who worship Him from the heart, with sincerity, and by doing what is good and avoiding what is evil, to those who fancy they honour Him by ceremonies which do not render them any better than their neighbours." The Spirits' Book, entry 654

And perhaps one of Kardec's more direct answers of universalism:

"Do not ask, then, if any form of worship be more acceptable than another; for it is as though you asked whether it is more pleasing to God to be worshipped in one tongue rather than in another. Remember that the hymns addressed to Him can reach Him only through the door of the heart." The Spirits' Book, entry 654

Kardec presents a very specific form of monotheism in his works. In this system God represents a sort of formless, distant creator who doesn't require any sort of worship. Prayer then is for the benefit of the individual, not the deity. Underneath God are a host of spirits that fit into various positions on the Spiritual Hierarchy. These spirits act as guides and intermediaries for disembodied spirits and incarnated spirits, helping them to advance and elevate. Kardec addresses this belief when talking about Polytheism:

"As phenomena attesting the action of spirits have occurred in all ages of the world, and have thus been known from the earliest times, may they not have helped to induce a belief in the plurality of gods? "Undoubtedly; for, as men applied the term god to whatever surpassed humanity, spirits were, for them, so many gods. For this reason, whenever a man distinguished himself among all others by his actions, his genius, or an occult power incomprehensible by the vulgar, he was made a god of, and was worshipped as such after his death." The Spirits' Book, entry 668

That is to say, that in the past humans have confused what are called Higher Order spirits for deities, when in fact these spirits are on the same hierarchy as incarnated humans. This idea is similar to those found in Buddhism, where even deities, as powerful as they might be, are still bound by the wheel of life, death, and rebirth. In traditional Spiritism, the ultimate goal is to learn and advance to the point of absolute nearness to God. This idea is still held by many Spiritist groups around the world, but has also been transformed by others. Personally, I choose to think of the "ultimate goal" as a form of supreme altruism, a transformation of the individual spirit into an entity of pure love, similar to the bodhisattva in Buddhism. For me, this belief requires no supreme deity.

While traditional Spiritism has often been viewed in light of Christian values and ideals, it isn't inherently Christian at all. In fact, as I've said before, Kardec himself discouraged readers from taking Spiritism as a religion in and of itself, or even as a representative form of any religion. While Kardec himself might have been Catholic, as well as his early followers, Spiritism itself teaches a universal philosophy that can be utilized alongside countless religious and spiritual viewpoints. The deep connection with the spirit world, coupled with a commentary on humankind's purpose in the cosmos, has made Spiritism abundantly popular not only to adherents of what we might call "traditional" religions, but also those seeking to deepen their expression of indigenous spiritual beliefs. Some researchers have even described Spiritism as a revival of European animistic beliefs in a modern age, a sort of modernistic European shamanism. I wouldn't go that far, personally, but it's indeed interesting to look at the potential of this system in creating and maintaining a sense of continual sacred revelation for a people so often bound to static texts and unwavering religious dogma. In this way, Spiritism itself can be used as a tool of religious or spiritual reform, not just for the individual, but perhaps for society as a whole.

[thinkveganworld]

Spirituality and religion are two different things.  Religious dogma binds the individual to a static set of rules and discourages thinking beyond the belief system.  Spirituality at its best is about directly experiencing yourself as both the “you” in the world (your body and personal identity) and the version of “you” that is conscious of being connected to all other living beings and the entire universe. People familiar with Eastern worldviews such as Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism generally understand that form of spirituality better than we in the West do. The Tao Of Physics by Fritjof Capra is one of many books explaining the ways theories of modern physics align with Eastern thought.  I’ll post more on the book later.

For now it’s enough to consider that the typical Western interpretation of religion is based largely on misunderstanding of our own (and other) religious traditions and their origins. In our Western culture, we are essentially brainwashed regarding religion, programmed from childhood to unquestioningly go along with whatever we are told about the subject by parents and church leaders.  For the most part, those parents and religious “authorities” are not well informed.  

Spirituality isn’t strictly about book learning or “head knowledge.  It’s possible to be in a good spiritual state without much intellectual information.  Yet if anyone has been completely misled regarding basic facts about spirituality, he or she can’t possibly make optimal rational choices.  

The most significant clash between religion and spirituality is that religious dogma focuses on rules with a judgmental attitude.  Spirituality focuses on love and direct experience, ideally without judging anyone for deviating from a prescribed course.  Being informed about the most important aspects of spirituality - for example about the original meaning of the lives and teachings of Jesus, the Buddha, etc., is worthwhile mainly because knowledge brings real understanding.   Thankfully there is no requirement for anybody to want to understand these things, and people who aren’t interested don’t have to learn more.  For anyone who happens to be interested, I’ll post additional info on this over time.  Capra’s The Tao Of Physics, Elaine Pagels’ The Gnostic Gospels, Parmahansa Yogananda’s Autobigraphy Of A Yogi, Shunryu Suzuki’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, the book Kundalini, Evolution And Enlightenment edited by John White, and the many Alan Watts books are just a handful of good reads.

[didim-dol]

Explanation of Shamanic Rituals in 손: The Guest

This is not the most organized of thought pieces, so I do apologize for that. I’m not being paid, so I honestly don’t care enough. 

Disclaimer: I am not a native Korean speaker, nor do I have any academic training, except access to academic texts, and a significant interest in the subject. Also, I’m married to a native Korean speaker, so trust me when I say, I badgered him all the time while we watched the show, asking questions that allowed me to better understand what I needed to look for in research. I can read Korean and type it, so I was able to find a lot with information he provided me. Google Translate sucks balls, but it’s often good enough, and/or points in the right direction. If you are a native speaker, and I’m totally wrong, please let me know. I will fix it and credit you! 

I know there were lots of vagueness and unanswered questions about the rituals, who Park Il Do was, and what the ever-loving-fuck was going on most of the time, so I want to address them. I don’t speak to the Catholic part of any of it, except to say, in Korea, Catholicism is one of the more tolerant of Christian denominations that proselytized/evangelized there. As you can see, while not the same, they are compatible with one another, like in structured rituals dealing with possession, among other things. If you are Catholic and want to contribute to the post, please do! 

First let me point out that in the entire show, the terms “possession” and “exorcism” are used rather loosely, and encompass many different rituals that don’t have obvious English translations. Some were more confusing than others, which I want to clarify.

Episode 8-9: Seo Joon (the little girl)

In Episode 8, when Seo Joon is questioned about what happened to her, she tells Hwa Pyung and YukGwang she was approached by an old lady ghost in old-fashioned clothing, who was frightening at first, but later wasn’t

YukGwang asks about the symptoms she had (digging, aching body), and says she has been “possessed” and she needs an “exorcism.”

The translations are a bit funky here: The English subtitle is “possession” which is true, but not in the way we think of it the west, which is primarily from the Catholic Church. What is actually happening to her is called: 무병 (巫病, mu byeong), or “spirit sickness/ghost sickness,” and she is experiencing 신병 (shin byeong) or “self-loss”, which is what happens to someone destined to be a shaman. They serve their spirit guide, take a new name, and thus “lose” their former identity.

Then he tells her grandmother she needs an “exorcism,” which is not a very good translation. He says she needs 내림굿 (naelim kut) which is the initiation ritual of a new shaman, meaning she needs to accept her role and become a shaman.

But when Seo Joon says the lady is gone, replaced by spirits with knives, they realize that can’t happen. The old lady she saw was the spirit who should have become her spirit guide, and the one she would serve as a shaman, but Park Il Do destroyed her, leaving Seo Joon without a guide, and vulnerable to the evil spirits that come for her instead.

In the end of the character’s arc, he talks about another “exorcism” which is, yet again, a different ritual. This is the 눌림굿 (nullim kut), or the ritual to suppress a potential shaman’s abilities to see spirits. It is the same one that was used on Hwa Pyung when he was a child.

Episode 12: The Blind Shaman

Choi Yoon goes to see the shaman who performed a 굿(kut) on Hwa Pyung as a child. She tells Choi Yoon she remembers the boy from the 세습무 (saeseummu), or “hereditary shaman” family. He asks which kind of ritual she performed on him, and she says nullim kut, but its effects are wearing off. She refers to the 큰귀신 (k’un gwishin), or the “great/powerful spirit,” which they call Park Il Do, that wants him. This weakening of the ritual’s power is why he is able to see the ghost of his father again. It doesn’t explain why his eye hurts or why he can’t touch the cross, though. 

Episode 16: The Ritual to capture and contain 손 

In the flashback in Episode 16, we see Yukgwang telling Hwa Pyung how to trap Park Il Do in his body. He uses two words the translators didn’t even bother with. I don’t blame them.  

The first word is the ritual that Hwa Pyung should use to trap Park Il Do, and is called the 팔문금쇄진 ( 八門金鎖陣; palmungeumswaejin)  or “The Eight Gate Lock Formation,” which comes from the Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is a fictional military formation, but also a real ritual used in Korean Shamanism. It probably comes from the influence of Buddhism and Taoism from China, which goes back to the 3-4th centuries.

Each gate represents one of the Eight Generals/Gods of the Eight Doors and the Eight Directions (If you have a better translation for these, let me know. I did my best.):

North- 휴문신장 (休門神將) - God of the Gate of Rest

North East- 생문신장 ( 生門神將) - God of the Gate of Life

East- 상문신장 (傷門神將) - God of the Gate of Injury

South East- 두문신장 (枓門神將) - God of the Gate of Fabrication

West- 경문신장 (驚門神將) - God of the Gate of Fear

North West- 개문신장 (開門神將) - God of the Open Gate

South- 경문신장 (景門神將) - God of the Gate of View/Scenery

South West- 사문신장(死門神將) - God of the Gate of Death

The act of doing this ritual is called 팔문진경 (palmunjingyeong).

In the actual ritual, an intricately cut piece of paper in the shape of a cylindrical net is hung from the ceiling where the ritual is taking place. Eight nets are then strung out from the center net to eight more hanging nets with the names of the above deities written on amulets in red ink, pasted to the corresponding net. The image of the ghost or spirit that needs to be captured is then placed in the middle of the net, like so:

Source

Because Hwa Pyung is trying to trap the spirit of Park Il Do in himself, he carves each of the god’s names into his body in, roughly, the proper directions. It’s much more gruesome, but works. His blood is red (the color of the dead)  which is a substitute for red ink. The last one, he writes on his arm which is significant because 팔 (pal) means “arm” in Korean, as well as the number “eight” in Sino-Korean numbers. 

The characters are Hanja, and correct as far as I can tell. I can imagine it would be quite difficult to carve complex characters into one’s skin, upside down, and they are kind of hard to read.

Side note: I tried to find out how these directional gods corresponded with the 오방신장 (obang shinjang), or the “Gods of the Five Directions” in Korean mythology, but I was unable to find anything. It may be that the difference is in pre/post-Buddhist and Taoist influence. I’m not sure.

손: The Guest

The term 손 (sohn or son) It means “hand” as well as “guest/visitor.” In shamanism is it referred to an “ominous force,” which is why the villagers call the thing from the sea, sohn.

It was unclear from the beginning if sohn and Park Il Do were the same or different, even in Korean, as Korean is very vague. Pronouns aren’t really used, so there is no real reference to who they are talking about except in context or direct questions. This is why Choi Yoon assumed that “he” was Hwa Pyung, not his grandfather, when the shaman said sohn was still in the body he had possessed back then.  

So at one point, they were not the same. Park Il Do was possessed by the ominous force known as sohn, then transferred to the driver. Then I’m not sure if he went into Hwa Pyung’s grandfather, or if there were more in-between. I can’t remember. 

As the grandfather was from a hereditary shaman family, his body was powerful enough to hold him for the 20 years, along with Park Il Do’s body buried in the backyard. This is like the crow that allowed Park Il Do put in the pickled shrimp, so he always had access to Hwa Pyung, even when he was far away. How he stayed attached to Park Il Do’s body, idk, except because it wasn’t destroyed or cremated. Wrapped up like that, the body didn’t decompose. 

Miscellaneous Words

살 (煞 sal) - “invisible arrow,” “evil spirit.” Sal is also a homophone for death in Chinese, and in pure Korean, it means arrow. Therefore one is struck with an arrow of misfortune. More generically, it is evil/bad things that are caused by malevolent spirits.

살푸리 (salpuri)- ritual to remove curses and evil spirits; or remove the arrows of misfortune. 

I’ll probably add more to this later on, but if you want to add to it, please do! If you have any corrections for me, you can message me or reply. But don’t be an asshole. 

11/23/18 - NEWLY ADDED

구마 (guma) - the Korean term for the Catholic Exorcism. 

저주 (chaju)- a curse (what happened to Choi Yoon)

Sources: 

Shamans, Housewives, and Other Spirits by Laurel Kendall

Illustrated Guide to Korean Mythology by Choi Won Oh

Other random sites I didn’t save. Sorry. 

[starwarsodyssy]

Force of Nature

One of the core realities of the Star Wars universe is The Force, which (reciting from my memory) is an energy field which surrounds everything and binds it all together. It connects all things, both living and dead, and for those who can tap into it, it can provide guidance and strength, as well as some other cool abilities. A good analogue would be like if after meditating for 49 days, Siddhartha achieved peace of mind and the ability to shoot fire from his hands. Which is as good a segue as any to discuss the real world connections to the force.

See, the force is hardly an original concept. The idea of an all encompassing energy field connecting all living things should only be a new idea to you if you are only aware of the top 3 monotheistic religions and the top 3 polythestic ones. Most schools in the United States often don’t teach about eastern religions like Buddhism or Taoism, focussing more on Christianity as a practice and Greek Mythology as a form of mythology. My only awareness of eastern practices stems from a boredom with my middle school curriculum, an ancient fascination with the video game Smite, and the aforementioned reading of Siddhartha. Yeah, say what you will about my generation being addicted to the internet, but never doubt that we know more than you think we do.

Regardless, meditation, symbols of harmony, and lack of distinction between good and evil in a deity are all things which The Force and Taoism/Buddhism share. And this isn’t by accident either. George Lucas himself spoke about how he based the force off of eastern religions because of their practices and their non-denominational nature. He decided, in a reckless and somehow successful endeavor, to create a fictional religion which had the essence of commonalities throughout real world religions. And in doing so George Lucas not only played with fire and didn’t get burned, he created a new light. The Force.

The Force is, as he had intended, non-denominational, inoffensive, and peaceful. It lacks an inherent morality system, with “The Force” encompassing both the light and dark sides of nature. The Force isn’t good or evil, it simply “is”. This isn’t the wrathful God of the Torah nor the all loving (and perhaps numerous?) God of the New Testament. There is no “force devil”, no Satan, and no tempress. There is only “The Force”. And the force is non-exclusive as well. We see in the Star Wars universe that there is no Force Crusade, no conversions, and no sermons. Admittedly, if you told me converting to Islam would let me move things with my mind, you wouldn’t really need to convince me to join.

Again and again, The Force is the main religious analog in Star Wars. It has its own pantheon, representations of its extremes, such as the inhabitants of the force-planet Mortis, and practitioners both inside and outside of the Jedi religion. Much like a real religion, there are different sects. There are the Jedi who, like Buddists, preach non-attachment, and the Sith, who value emotion as a gateway to strength. There are also those who explore both sides, such as the Dagoyan Order and the Night Sisters, both of which experienced different aspects of the force. Even isolated species who remained outside of the traditional reaches of religion, such as the Chiss and the Lasants, recognized a higher power which connected all things.

And while Star Wars often attempts to show a plainly black and white moral code of Jedi Rule, Sith Drool, neither are inherently good or bad. The Jedi are frequently exposed as hypocrites, as they are taught to protect life and yet are supposed to isolate themselves from connection, while the Sith harness emotions and yield a more raw power. This frees them from moral obligations, and while it is often a slippery slope, there are instances wherein remaining grounded in positive emotions have allowed individuals to wield the “Dark Side”. Quinlan Voss fell to the dark side out of love, and despite sinking deep into what can be called evil, he eventually regained his self control. Asajj Ventress balanced her morality on a knife’s edge, but learned to leave behind her rage and still utilize the force for her own purposes.

The Force is, as all different groups have identified, a connecting presence which guides others. It is a source of life, wisdom, and strength. What people do with that strength is up to them. It's no wonder that with its roots in real life religions and its open and accepting message that Jedi has become an officially recognized religion. After all, faith is one of the human constants, and The Force is a simplified realization of this. Everyone is driven to believe in it, and it's honestly not so farfetched to be unbelievable. Next Week, we are talking about Star Wars The Clone Wars. I realized that I don’t need to be deep or meaningful here, which means I can spend a few pages ranting about the Umbaran arc. 

[littlediggersau]

Senior Kindy Classroom

Senior Kindy classrooms are located at the School of Santo Domingo in Morayfield, Philippines. The name of the school is an acronym for Senior Kindy Senior High School. It is a private school for students above the age of thirteen in Morayfield, Philippines. There is an emphasis on academic excellence, creativity, and discipline among the students.

Senior Kindy offers students a strong Christian education that begins at the primary level. The curriculum is centered around the Bible and emphasizes the values necessary to lead a meaningful life. It also provides students the opportunity to experience the love of Jesus Christ first hand. Preaching the Word of God is a fundamental principle taught at the School of Santo Domingo. This is done through musical plays, student conferences, and various other types of presentations.

The students are assigned various elective classes depending on their interests. For instance, there is Art Therapy which is an elective class for those interested in becoming a licensed art therapist. Art Therapy deals with emotional problems of individuals and groups. There is Life Counseling which is a class for students who have recently experienced death in the family or have personal issues. Counseling helps students deal with life's problems such as grief, anger, guilt, depression, and stress. There is also Social Development, which is a class for students interested in human development, self-confidence, and leadership.

Students spend most of their time studying in the classrooms. Their studies include subjects such as History, Mathematics, English, Science, and History. Some of the topics that are taught in Senior Kindy Class are Life in the Western World, Filipino Folklore, The Bible, and Philippine Culture. English Composition is another class that students can choose to take.

Filipino Folkloric History is taught through stories and songs. Songs and stories reinforce values such as respect, honesty, and caring for others. Art Therapy is taught through sculptures, paintings, and other forms of creative expression. Art Therapy helps students explore emotions such as anger, fear, depression, stress, and sorrow.

Filipino Religion is an important part of Filipino Culture. It is part of the Filipino way of life. Students will learn about the beliefs and practices of the Filipinos. There are also studies on Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Daoism, and Islam.

There are many clubs that students may join. One club is the Tagaytay City Girl's Club. This is a girls only club with no boys allowed. There are also dances and workshops for the girls every month.

There is a band that has been doing music inside the Senior Kindy Classroom in Morayfield This is a rock band that sings both familiar songs as well as some that have not been released yet. Dance recitals are held every week. Students can be there to watch and to participate.

The biggest highlight of the school year for the students is First Week. Here, they get to meet their classmates and friends for the first time. It is also a time where they make new friends. And for those who have a special someone in the class, they get to meet that person during First Week too.

The environment in the classroom is very lively. There is a lot of activity going on, and a lot of singing as well. They even have dances during First Week. The students call this "The Big Dance." All the activities in the classroom to help students relax and at the same time build their self-confidence.

In the classrooms, students are encouraged to write. Students are asked to draw, paint, and write on the boards. Teachers encourage students to read aloud as much as possible.

At the end of First Week, the students are free to do what they want. On the weekends, there are clubs organized to help students have a social time. There are musical concerts, poetry reading sessions, and art centers. The school has a swimming pool, gym, and outdoor soccer fields. This is why it is considered to be a competitive and progressive school.

[veditudine]

The void, the light, the sex

In " Midnight’s childrens" Salman Rushdie recounts that, in India at the end of the 1940s, to circumvent the rule that on the film screen prevented lovers from touching themselves, to avoid corrupting the youth of the country, he invented a brilliant device: They kissed the objects. So, a lover kissed an apple and then passed it on to his boyfriend’s passionate lips and so on with various props: from fruit to swords to teacups. The indirect kiss was born which, Rushdie writes, represented "an infinitely more refined conception of everything we see in cinema today and really full of desire and eroticism". Yet, unfortunately, its success was fleeting.

*

And the season in which we were convinced that the "indirect life", the Net stands between us and the rest of the world during the first lockdown , even with some sacrifices, could worthily substitute for everyday life ended. In the second enclosure (in Italy lockdown can not be said) have practically disappeared the thousands of conferences/ exhibitions/ videos that have flooded the first and in general has passed from we are all on the same boat to a widespread astiosità.

Now, apart from the fact that the nostalgia of pre covid everyday life leads us to assume it as a private normality of a critical vision, it seems to us that we can define this period as an acceleration/explication of processes that have been going on for some time. We take poor Debord when he said that in the Market (he said in the Show): "Everything that was directly lived has moved away in a representation-... the show is not a supplement to the real world, its decoration overlaid. It is the heart of the unrealism of the real world".

It does not mean to trace a continuity: the acceleration was so great that it also became qualitative, but to question the "we will come back as before". Since we in the market have found that the reduction of rights has been taken without problems, it cannot be the prolongation of this condition that is the cause of the general discontent, or at least not the only one. It may be, however, at least in part, the increased awareness that the first will not return. After all, the joyful journey that we had already begun towards the exchange between our, now useless, autonomy and the phantasmatic flow of goods offered by the changing Market will not, at this point, be able to consolidate and restart. The distance between the innovation of the Market and the resistance of old habits, tends, sometimes and only for a while, to create discomfort.

Until now, therefore, we have avoided offering ourselves an apple to the indirect kiss of the Net. We already have in other articles motivated because, during the first lockdown, we did not recommend books, movies or made videos etc. On the other hand, one of our little habits is to recommend some text, usually in summer (here you can find that of last year).

However, at this stage when such advice, as I said, does not seem to be well accepted or required, it seems to us the best one to do so, loving the idea that it is unheard of advice.

 The sex life of Immanuel Kant

Jean Baptiste Botul

Let us imagine that in 1945, when the Red Army entered Königsberg, a handful of families began an extraordinary journey that led them to the foundation of New Königsberg in Paraguay. We also assume that these families idolize Kant, the most famous of their fellow citizens, and live like him, dress like him etc. A fundamental problem arises: if Kant lived in chastity, how can a community inspired by him not become extinct? The text contains a series of lectures, collected by Frédéric Pagès, held by the philosopher Jean Baptiste Botul to the attentive community of Kantians.

Botul raises a series of questions about the contrast between philosophy and marriage and more generally between philosophy and life. To respond, read again the Kantiane categories in this perspective. The thing in itself can only be sex (and in fact Kant develops a fetishism), metaphysics the desire to look under the skirts of reality and criticism, therefore, the attempt to harness it. Even the reasoned reading of the letters is interesting. Dear Marie Charlotte Jacobi invites the great thinker to find her and among other things writes : I will wait for you and my watch will be recharged". An extremely obscure phrase, but not for Botul who connects us to Kant’s stockings. Being a famous hypochondriac, the philosopher refused the use of garters fearing their pressure on the arteries. To hold the stockings he used the case of a watch with the respective spring, through which he adjusted the pressure of the wire. In this perspective, evidently, Maria Charlotte was making a clear sexual invitation.

This book is particularly dear to us because it made ridiculous the obnoxious Bernard-Henri Lévy, who did not realize, despite the hilarious conclusions of the lectures, that the philosopher Botul was but an invention of Frédéric Pagès and quoted it in his essay.

 original book

The ambition of Vermeer

Daniel Arasse

Why take care of Vermeer, since we define ourselves as a collective research of the contemporary? In fact it is to highlight how in this text by Daniel Arasse we avoid some clichés that now characterize the readings of the sphinx of Deft (including this nickname attached to poor Vermeer). After all, compared to his great contemporaries (recently we mentioned Metzu), from the first major modern exhibition dedicated to Dutch painting to today, ours has always attracted attention for its specificity, often attributed to a sort of enigmatic aura.

Arasse analyzing life, debunking the myth of his being misunderstood, and especially in detail the works shows how, instead, the effect of his paintings is a deliberate artistic choice of Vermeer. The fame of the painter is that of "fine painter" that can be translated into meticulous and meticulous. It is an obvious contradiction to the fact that Vermeer paints in nuance, even in the smallest of canvases (La merlettaia, 24*21 cm).

On the other hand, the fact that the "realism" of Vermeer’s paintings is actually more a search for coherence and balance, or disequilibrium, within the canvas itself can have many examples: from the semi-finished bulb hand of the Art of Painting (1665-1666) to the picture in the picture of the Woman with Libra, which goes lower to the right of the female figure than to the left (certainly not by mistake).

We could give several examples, such as the use of perspective from below, but, to demonstrate his conscious poetic research, it seems useful to us the use of light, which is often cited as a characteristic evidence of the painter’s finesse. In the Allegory of the Catholic faith the window, which illuminates the scene, is ajar. This, in addition to being an indicator of the author’s Catholic faith for which faith (light) must be found through darkness, serves in the representation to: indicate that with regard to the picture the light has placed the author, prevent the windows from being reflected in the glass sphere hanging above the head of the protagonist. The sphere is a recurrent element in many canvases of the time, but normally it acts as a mirror both for things (in this case it could easily reflect a cross) and for people, often a self-portrait. Vermeer instead makes them represent only light and color, represented by colored spots.

That then, more than the other painters of his time, Vermeer could take the luxury of creating his own poetics and sometimes get out of the clichés of contemporary representations (for example, not executing portraits) it is due to the fact that, having other proceeds, Painting was not for him a source of income. So much so that you can paint 2, 3 paintings a year and keep some paintings (even as challenging as the Art of painting) for yourself.

Aesthetics of the Void - art and meditation in oriental cultures

Giangiorgio Pasqualotto

Which east and which cultures? It’s a necessary question to avoid falling into false generalizations. Well here we talk about Japan and China and more specifically classical Taoism and Buddhism, as well as Chan and Zen Buddhism.

In essence it is argued, and certainly not a novelty since the text is part of a path of secular studies, which unlike the West, which fears the void, in these cultures it is the central core from which the energies and aesthetic provisions are directed. Provided we understand: the void is not interpreted as nothing, as not being, as the concept of emptiness but as the experience of emptiness, not being, as you can get with specific forms of meditation.

Meditation that is not prayer, no one is invoked, but it is focused attention to what happens in the heads, in the body and in the world. Such a practice is necessary to produce or enjoy such an aesthetic experience, the latter being itself a form of meditative exercise.

From here the author analyzes various forms of Chinese and Japanese art, giving an interpretation of its own starting from an in-depth analysis of the void (and of its dialectical opposite the full) in these cultures, and is the original character of the book. We will therefore understand why in the tea ceremony the path that crosses the garden that leads to the Sun (tea room) must be made of stones at a distance varying from each other, Because in haiku there cannot be a subject or that in ikebana symbolically the vertical branch stands for the sky, the median for man and the horizontal for the earth. We are particularly interested in the discourse on the theater no, if only because by poor Westerners hating the void, is what we have so far understood the least.

*photos are taken at the same time in the same place the days before the lockdown

there is no English version. we recommend this:

Francois Cheng Empty and Full: The Language of Chinese Painting

[modernmonkeymind]

the Buddhist Suttas

With all the dhamma books available for free from sites like Access to Insight, various monasteries and other organizations, and published normally, it is entirely possible to spend years studying and practicing without touching the primary texts. One could probably spend their entire life practicing without bothering with the primary texts of Buddhism, but you’d be missing a goldmine of useful, pragmatic, inspiring texts, straight from the source. The Tipitaka, the Pali canon alone, however, is massive, and still isn’t completely translated, so it can be a bit intimidating. I’d suggest taking a look at the Dhamma page on Access to Insight for a solid intro to buddhism as taught by Siddhartha Gotama in the suttas, and their Befriending the Suttas page is another excellent source. However, as someone with about a decade of study and practice under my belt who’s just now getting into a serious practice of the suttas, I thought I’d share a couple I’ve found most enlightening (see what I did there?):

Rahula Sutta: If you’ve read anything about the life of the Buddha, you know that Rahula (Fetter) was Siddhartha’s son, who he left behind when he went off to pursue enlightenment. What you might not know is that when His son got a bit older, Rahula went off to find his dad. The sutra named after him is a record of a talk between father and son, wherein Siddhartha gives Rahula some pretty solid advice thats useful to most anyone, regardless of age or life circumstance. Stuff like “don’t be an asshole” (paraphrasing, obviously) and “If you fuck up, reflect on what happened, figure out what you did wrong, and if you were responsible, try not to do the same thing again.” The Rahula Sutta is a great example of just how down to earth the Buddha’s teachings can be.

Anapanasati Sutta: The Satipatthana is the Buddha’s instructions for mindfulness meditation. If you’ve read anything about meditation before you might be surprised by how uncomplicated and simple the basic instructions are. If you’re feeling stuck, just starting out, or need a refresher on the basics, you need to read this sutta. Pair with the Satipatthana Sutta: the Four Foundations fo Mindfulness or Reference

Dhammapada & Atthakavaga: For most of the history of Buddhism, very few if any lay practitioners bothered with the suttas. Monks studied them, but the laity had their own practice. The one exception was the Dhammapada, a collection of short poems about various subjects. There’s some great stuff in here, and it and the next suggestion on the list are great starting places if the whole “Thus have I heard…” of the majority of suttas is intimidating or puts you off. (I’m not overly impressed by this translation. My prefered translation is by Gil Fronsdal. I’ve also heard from multiple people that its more accurate, but unfortunately its still under copyright, so not available for free.)

The Suttas are divided into Nikayas, major collections, one of the Nikayas, the Khudaka, contains the Suttanipata, a collection of some of the oldest texts we still have. Interestingly enough, these texts are all in the form of poetry, not prose like the later works. Many of them are also included in the text of later suttas. One of the most intriguing, in my opinion at least, is the Atthaka Vaga, or book of eights, a collection of poems that might be the oldest text we have. Interestingly, the Atthakavaga doesn’t resemble the later teachings pretty much at all. The Sage, is held up as the goal, and the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, karma, and reincarnation simply don’t appear anywhere in the text. If anything, the text comes off as sort of Buddhist Taoism, more reminiscent of the Tao Te Ching than the Dhammapada or any other sutta, focusing on the importance of detachment.

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion is said to be the first talk the Buddha ever gave, in this case to the small cohort of renunciates he’d practiced with before going off on his own. The text lays out the foundations of what we know as Buddha Dhamma, focusing on the Four Noble Truths, and Noble Eightfold Path.

Kalama Sutta: The talk Buddha gave the Kalama’s is, to my mind, why Buddhism is not a religion in the traditional sense. Siddhartha instructs the Kalama’s to not simply accept teachings from any source, including tradition, elders, reports from others or any other source, but to test what they have been told by putting the teachings into practice, see what happens, and test their results against those of people they believe to be wise. This creates a sense of a sort of spiritual science. Note that, though some traditional Buddhists may claim this, the Buddha is NOT saying that the goal is eventually to come to an acceptance of Buddhism as the “Way, the Truth, and the Life” so to speak. If the dhamma doesn’t do it for you, thats perfectly fine. Buddhism is not an evangelical tradition.

Reading the suttas you may be surprised at how human the Buddha is, and how straightforward, pragmatic, and in some ways simple the dhamma he taught is. In the texts Siddharttha never claims to be anything but a man (at least in the Pali Tipitaka, the Mahayana and Vajrayana texts are a totally different animal), and a Pragmatist. Many of the suttas read more like a scientific paper or lab report. The Anapanasati and Satipatthana Suttas, for example, offer meditation instructions, explain what meditation is and what should happen, all things that you can test for yourself by following his instructions. This is not a religious teacher handing down instructions from a deity. Honestly I think Gotama would have been perfectly at home in Greece and Rome during the height of Western Philosophy, debating the founders and proponents of the major schools. These days Buddhism has been compared quite often to Stoicism, and I’d love to have heard a debate between Siddharttha and Zeno of Citium, or a discussion with Emperor Marcus Aurelius, or Seneca. I have a feeling that, while they would disagree on many things, they’d be intrigued by each others’ point of view.

[hanwitchx]

You say "laowais steal your shit" but as far as I know anyone can practice Chinese religions, am I wrong? I would like you to explain yourself a bit, if you don't mind.

Honestly, I completely disagree. Of course I can’t speak for all Chinese, we aren’t a monolith. Now to define “Chinese religions”, I have to specify that they refer to spirituality (religious Taoism, Buddhism, Folk Chinese Religion, etc.) 

I’m quite aware that Westerners absolutely love Eastern philosophy (philosophical Taoism, Wu Wei, etc.). Now for that, I have absolutely no problems with. The problem starts with our religious practice.

A clear example I can give of previous cultural appropriation is the swastika. The swastika used to be an important symbol in Buddhism and other Eastern religions. Now the Nazis absolutely stole it and warped it into their disgusting agenda and now any swastika imagery immediately turns heads, terrible for those who can’t use it as it was originally meant.

Now technically it’s possible for white people to practice Chinese religions. Now just because it’s possible, doesn’t mean you should. Now I know that the Chinese that live in Asia might think differently (I myself grew up and live in Malaysia for most of my life), the problem is that they don’t know what it’s like to live in a Western society where there’s constant racism and having to hide major parts of their culture. We Asians that grew up in Asia don’t face the same problems. I only know this because I can only speak English, and so I end up dealing with a different set of problems. 

With all of that said, I am now going to explain my opinion. I honestly don’t get why white people would want to practice Chinese religion. They did not grow up in the culture. Why? Is it because it looks cool? If you’re white, chances are you have roots in Europe, which is ripe with various indigenous religions and practices. I would imagine that would have more meaning to white people than Chinese religions.

Additionally, and this is from personal experience, colonialism has left severe repercussions on our culture. For instance, I mentioned before I can only speak and read English, meaning I am terrible in Mandarin/Chinese, believe me, I can’t read a lick of it. Now by all accounts, Chinese should have been my native tongue. But my parents made the decision to prioritise English instead, as they believe that it’ll provide me with more opportunities in the future (which they are right). Now seeing as I can’t speak or read Chinese, I feel a huge disconnect from my own culture. This disconnect happened due to the demands of a Eurocentric society, put in place by colonialism. I can’t access my own culture as much, and more salt is poured on to the wound when I see white people wanting access to my culture and having it handed to them on a plate. Right now I’m trying to rectify my personal disconnect by doing a lot of research and asking my parents a lot of questions about our culture. But it is immensely difficult when you can’t understand the language like me. Chinese religions have become so inaccessible and a lot of the times misinterpreted by white scholars, whose attempts have made it extremely difficult for me to access my culture. I have to search through ACADEMIC sources to find my culture, when it should have been my family who would’ve been the ones to show me my roots.

Sure it’s possible for white people to partake in Chinese religions and practices. But why should you, when I can’t even access my own.

[tipsycad147]

The Easiest Way to Charge & Activate Talismans or Amulets

In many modern Pagan traditions, amulets must be consecrated before their use. We do this because of two main reasons:

It cleanses and purifies the amulet, removing any residual energies from whoever handled it before you.

It activates its Power so it can interact and communicate with the Divine. 📿

This is especially useful if you don’t know who owned the amulet/talisman before you, or if the person who sold it to you was in contact with it, unintentionally passing their energies, good and bad.

This ritual works just like the consecration of your tools. It’s a small ceremony in which you invite the object to become a part of your identity and your spiritual path. By consecrating and blessing it, we are giving life to the tool, recognising its Power to change our life. Let’s see how to activate an amulet with a simple Wiccan ritual.

Ritual Consecration of an Amulet or Talisman

By offering the amulet or talisman to the Four Elements, it is consecrated and blessed from all directions.

Preparation

The preparation of a sacred space is important. You will need a quiet place, an altar or table, and enough time to perform the ceremony without rushing.

Think clearly about the reason why you want to consecrate this talisman or amulet. What is it that you want to bring to your life. It’s a good idea to write it down, even if it’s just a line or two on a piece of paper.

Each ingredient corresponds to one of the cardinal elements and directions. Place them on your altar each facing their corresponding direction. Learn more about this setup clicking here.

The salt represents Earth and faces North.

The incense represents Air and faces East.

The candle represents Fire and faces South.

The chalice with water represents Water and faces West.

Find more guided rituals here: #CastAlong Videos

The Easiest Way to Charge & Activate Talismans or Amulets

Recipe by Francisco Huanaco

Difficulty: Easy

Activate a Talisman with the Wiccan Powers of the Elements. This simple ritual will charm any amulet or object with protection, good luck or any other intention.

INGREDIENTS

1 white candle

1 glass of water (or your chalice)

1 small bowl of salt

1 incense stick (pick any aroma that speaks to you)

HOW TO ACTIVATE THE TALISMAN

Light the candle and incense.

Take the amulet you want to consecrate in your hands and stand facing North.

Hold it over the salt and say the following chant:

Turn to the East, and while holding the amulet over the incense smoke, chant:

Turn to the South and hold the amulet over the candle flame – be careful not to burn it – and chant:

Finally, turn to the West, and hold your amulet over the glass of water. Chant:

Hold the amulet up in the air, and say:

Read out loud or state the purpose of your amulet.

Wear the amulet or carry it with you and don’t take it off for the next 5 days.

How do you wear the amulet?

Carry the amulet in a pocket, a wallet, as a bracelet, pendant, necklace, keychain or in any other way you can think of. It is now a sacred piece of jewellery that will help you attract what you want, such as love, money or other things. Never doubt its Power. If after wearing it for some time you don’t feel comfortable wearing it, try doing the consecration again.

What is the difference between an Amulet and a Talisman?

Amulets generally offer protection by different means, for example attracting good luck, removing negative energies, bad spirits, preventing psychic attacks, anxiety and illness. Amulets are worn by people as a spiritual mechanism of defence, to act as a shield that blocks evil that surrounds them.

Talismans attract a more specific energy. You could create or consecrate a talisman to attract wealth, or a new job, or to improve your relationship. If you’re struggling with any particular aspect of your life, whatever it is, you can charge a talisman with the frequencies you want to attract and then wear it.

What objects can I use to make an amulet?

You can make an amulet or talisman from any object that you can carry with you. It could be a ring, a stuffed animal, a coin, a prayer card, even a piece of paper. However, the more meaning the object has, the stronger its Power will be. I suggest that you create an amulet using something that has real value to you and that you can understand its meaning and symbolism.

11 Common Amulets and their Meanings

Blue Bead

Also known as the Turkish Eye or Nazar, this eye is a traditional amulet of Assyrian origin which spread all around the world. It is usually worn around the neck and it offers protection against negative energies and envy (such as those caused by the Malocchio or “Evil Eye”) as well as attracting luck. Keep it close to you by wearing it as a necklace, bracelet, or keychain. To bring good luck to your home, hang it near the front door.

Hamsa

The Hamsa or Hand of Fatima (after the daughter of the prophet Muhammad) is a very popular amulet in the Middle East. Hamsa means “five” in Arabic, symbolising the five fingers of a hand. It is also worn to ward off the Evil Eye and other negative influences. It attracts happiness, luck, and fortune. The open hand is present in several Eastern doctrines and its meaning varies according to each religion. In Buddhism, for example, it bears the name of Abhayamudrā and serves as a talisman against fear.

Elephant

This tradition comes from India, where elephants are venerated and considered wise and strong animals. An elephant represents strength, dignity, balance and perseverance. It’s common to have an elephant ornament at home or on the office desk, with its back facing the front door. The red version of the elephant also brings protection against the Evil Eye.

Triple Moon / Goddess

The Goddess is the Universal Mother. She is the source of fertility, of infinite wisdom and love. The Goddess, while representing the feminine character of creation, also represents the states of life as the Triple Goddess. It is also associated with feminine energy, mystery and psychic abilities. The symbol of the Triple Goddess ☽✪☾ is often seen in crowns or other parts of the head, especially.

Dream Catcher

They were originally used by the Ojibwe people, one of the native tribes of North America. For the Ojibwe, dream catchers were able to filter dreams by letting only good dreams through, while bad dreams would get caught in the net and disappear with the first light of dawn.

Some people give it a different meaning, taking the word “dreams” in the sense of “aspirations” and “goals”, so they believe that the dream catchers help to achieve a goal in life.

Yin Yang

The yin yang is a principle of Chinese philosophy, where two opposite energies need and complement each other. The yin and yang are concepts from Taoism, which displays the duality of everything that exists in the Universe. Yang is a luminous, positive energy that presents itself intensely, whereas yin is a passive, negative light..The yin and yang is a symbol of harmony due to the balance produced by the interaction of the two energies.

Orizuru

Considered a sacred bird of Japan, the Orizuru (or Crane) has become a symbol of health, good luck, happiness, longevity and fortune. It is also associated with eternal love and fidelity, since cranes are monogamous birds. According to the Japanese legend, if a person makes 1000 origami tsurus while visualising their wish, it will be fulfilled.

Pentagram

The pentagram or five-pointed star was already used by Pythagoras around 554 BCE as a symbol of health and wholeness. For modern Wiccans, the pentagram has many meanings: The five points correspond to the elements of Air, Earth, Fire and Water, with the top corresponding to Spirit. It can also reference Universal Wisdom, or humanity in union with its environment.

Crescent Moon

This phase of the moon is the archetype of the Maiden (Diana/Artemis), a young virgin who is receptive to new experiences, enthusiastic and joyful. The crescent moon phase is considered a moment of creation and manifestation. It’s the alchemical symbol for silver, and it means new beginnings, strength, and seeds being planting both in reality and symbolically. It can help you increase self-esteem, develop motivation, and move forward.

Cross

The cross was the method of execution of Jesus Christ. It represents the victory of Christ over death and sin, because according to these beliefs, Jesus overcame death in itself and rescued humanity from condemnation. Some mystical interpretations interpret that the vertical portion represents the divinity in Jesus and the horizontal portion his humanity.

Ankh

The ankh is an Egyptian hieroglyph meaning “life”. It is also called the “key of life” or the “Egyptian cross”. In Ancient Egypt, it was a symbol of the search for immortality, but also of rebirth and an early concept of life after death. The goddess Isis usually carries an ankh. She is the sister and wife of Osiris, and represents the mother, queen, and goddess of all Egyptian gods.

https://spells8.com/charge-activate-talisman-amulet/

[focusontheeasternlightning-blog]

1 Frequent Liars Belong to Satan

Ke Nan    Pingdingshan City, Henan Province

In the man’s fellowship attached to Christ’s Talks with Church Leaders and Workers, it is said: “All people, after being corrupted by satan, have become the ones who are full of lies. Corrupt human beings lie about everything, and even none of their words is not mixed with a lie.

 They have all become experts in telling lies and master-hands in making up lies. It is very difficult to decide which of their words is true and which is false.” After reading these words, doctrinally we admit that there are too many lies in us, but in our heart we treat this matter as of no account. We are neither concerned nor worried about it but ignore it; and even though we lie, we have no fear, and much less do we pay attention to repentance and change. We can manifest such a state mainly because we do not realize that in essence frequent liars belong to satan, and also because we do not know God’s attitude toward frequent liars and their outcomes.

In the following paragraphs we will first talk about why we say that frequent liars belong to satan.

In the man’s fellowship, it says: “They can cheat God unscrupulously and unbridledly even before God…. How can such people be the ones who are of God? Only satan the devil dares to cheat God brazenly before God.” From these words we see that only satan the devil tells lies, and only it dares to cheat God. Now we can often tell lies and practice deceit; this proves that we have the same substance as satan and we are the ones who resist and betray God and the ones who belong to satan, which is a true fact that no one can deny. We all know that in the beginning when the ancestors of mankind were in the Garden of Eden, satan used the serpent to deceive and cheat them by its lies. At that time, God commanded Adam and Eve, saying that they were free to eat from any tree in the garden, but they must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when they ate of it they would surely die. But the serpent deceived Eve, saying that when she ate of it she would not surely die but instead her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. Thus, it beguiled mankind into betraying God. From then on, with the passage of time, satan’s various lies, evil teachings, and fallacies arose in increasing numbers, and they influenced and poisoned people, causing them to become more and more corrupt that they have all become devils and the embodiments of satan and had the same attributes as satan.

As mankind lived and multiplied from generation to generation, satan the devil invented numberless overt evil teachings and fallacies to deceive and corrupt them in order to permanently rule over and control them. These teachings and fallacies include the theories of evolution, atheism, and materialism, and all kinds of other doctrines and philosophical theories formulated by the giants and the famous people of the nations through the ages; the traditional cultures of every nation; the thoughts and teachings of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism; etc. All these are distortions of the facts, are lies, and are foul means by which satan deceives, cheats, and corrupts people. It is by using these evil teachings and fallacies that satan has fooled people so much that they have all become fox-headed and horse-faced demons in Hades, and become its puppets, spokesmen, and expressers. Particularly in the dwelling place of the great red dragon, the country where the great dragon rules, lying and cheating and disguising even more prevail; no one dares to face reality or wants to speak honestly and truthfully, but everyone practices falsehood and disguise habitually; and darkness and evil lurk in every corner. In this land, where evil spirits run amuck, it is obvious that the devil spares no efforts to suppress God’s arrival, people will be arrested and persecuted if they believe in the true God, and they are all living under the dictatorial rule, being enslaved, oppressed, and deprived of their human rights and liberties. However, the great red dragon shamelessly claims that China is a liberal and democratic country, and that its citizens enjoy their legal rights and interests for freedom of religious beliefs. It is obvious that the standards of social conduct have become worse and worse, morals have decayed, and its people are extremely evil. However, the great red dragon says that China is a land of courtesy and propriety, which stresses on morals and decorum. It is obvious that the great red dragon plays the tyrant and sits on the backs of the people domineering over them. However, it asserts loudly that the people are the masters of their own country and that the position of the people in this socialist country is high. It is obvious that every official of the great red dragon abuses his power for personal gains, grabs and plunders by cajolery and coercion, embezzles money and accepts bribes, and is reckless with greed. However, they have the cheek to declare and claim that they are the servants of the people, honest in performing their official duties and free from corruption and bribery. It is obvious that the country of the great red dragon is poor and backward, and its people in most areas have no means of livelihood and their voices of grievances are heard everywhere. However, the great red dragon says that its country is rich, strong, and prosperous, and that its people live happy and enjoy good health. It is obvious that the great red dragon’s regime is crisis-ridden, strong in appearance but weak in reality, and like a ramshackle air castle. However, it claims that the whole social situation is stable, its country is in the heyday of peace, and its international position has been markedly improved. It is obvious that in the country of the great red dragon the social morals are lost, every social stratum is in a state of chaos, and the people intrigue and fight against one another. However, the great red dragon asserts that the society is harmonious and all the people are of one mind. … From these facts we can see that in essence the great red dragon is evil and sordid and most good at lying and cheating, and that it deceives, hoodwinks, and corrupts people by all kinds of lies and fallacies in order to make them all follow and worship it but resist and reject the true God.

During several thousand years of being corrupted by satan, mankind have been continuously influenced and harmed by the poisons of the great red dragon, and they have unconsciously believed and accepted satan’s various kinds of fallacies and lies. As a result, their thoughts and viewpoints, lifestyles, and principles of living have all become absurd and backward. Lying and cheating have become the foundation for their existence, falsehood and disguise have become their most effective methods for getting profits from others while getting along with them, and they have completely become the ones who live on lies and deceits like satan. Although we, who are experiencing God’s end-time work, have seen the truth and known that we should speak honestly, nevertheless, driven by our satanic nature, we still lie to God without scruple in his presence. For example, we, while believing in God, leave our families, give up our careers, and offer up our youth or life obviously in order to gain blessings, avoid disasters, and rise head and shoulders above others; but we say repeatedly that we expend ourselves for God and dedicate our youth or life to God. It is obvious that we believe in God in order to seek our personal interests and we suffer in order to achieve our own intents and purposes, but we brag unblushingly that we suffer for the sake of carrying out God’s will and loving God. It is obvious that in doing the work we are exalting ourselves and testifying ourselves, contending with God for his chosen people, but we always say that we are serving God and testifying God. Clearly, it is because of the revelation and leading of the Holy Spirit that we have achieved some results in our work, but we unreasonably claim all the credit for ourselves. In doing the work committed by God’s family, it is obvious that we are too concerned for our flesh and do not want to suffer and pay a price to do them properly, but we say repeatedly that God’s requirements are too high and God is too demanding of us. Clearly, all the works God does are for the purpose of saving us and perfecting us, but against our conscience we say that God is tormenting and cheating us, and exposing and eliminating us. It is obvious that all our sufferings are brought about by satan and it is satan that has afflicted us to this day, but we unfairly impute all satan’s wickedness to God and say that all our sufferings result from believing in God. And so on. When we perform our duties or have contact with others, we are also full of lies and deceit. For example, during our coordination with others, sometimes we have prejudices against them and dislike them so that we cannot get along with them. But when they perceive it and ask us whether we have any critical view of them, we answer dishonestly, “No, I do not have.” When others point out our defects, we contradict them in our heart and do not want to admit them, but we say with our mouth insincerely, “I truly thank God for this. If you did not point them out, I would not realize them.” After having been dismissed from our positions as leaders, we are full of complaints and resistance inwardly, living by right and wrong and in a wrong state. However, to others’ faces, we pretend that we have known ourselves, saying, “God is righteous. Everything God does is good, and he can never do anything wrong. I was dismissed because I was too rebellious.” In receiving the commissions given by God’s family, we always have our own choice. When the commission is not to our liking, we think that God’s family stifles such talents as us, and that we are wasted in this commission. But, in order to conceal our arrogance and unreasonableness, we pretend to be obedient, saying, “I am with poor qualities, and it is God’s uplifting that God’s family assigns me to perform any duty. I am willing to obey.” When we are put in charge of the church life, we do not pay attention to leading and teaching the brothers and sisters to eat and drink God’s word in the meetings, but always lead the meetings perfunctorily and deceitfully, going through the motions. As a result, most of the brothers and sisters do not know how to eat and drink God’s word, even less know how to check themselves with God’s word. The meetings have become rituals, and we have them in a way of observing regulations and cannot achieve the desired results at all. But when our leaders come to check up on our work and find out this problem, we justify ourselves, saying that we have fellowshipped about what we ought to and said what we should, and that the problem results from the brothers’ and sisters’ being with poor qualities and not pursuing. When our leaders ask us about some person’s state, we actually know it, but we say we do not know much about it for fear that we may offend that person or that we will be held accountable for whatever may happen later on. When reporting on our work, we only talk about the good part of it and even exaggerate it, but cover up the bad part as far as possible; if we fail to cover it up in spite of our great efforts, we just mention it in passing, like a dragonfly skimming the water surface. And so on. All in all, whether in God’s presence or in our contact with others, in our performing duties or in our daily life, we are always unconsciously lying and cheating, even to the extent that we lie about anything, lie at any time and in any situation, and lie the minute we open our mouth. We may say that telling lies has become our natural expression and our basic principle of living. We do not need to be taught or forced by anyone, but we can very naturally tell different lies under different circumstances the minute we open our mouth, and we can also very naturally tell different lies when meeting different people; if our lies are exposed, we will even try to conceal them and deny them, and concoct higher-sounding excuses to disguise and smarten up ourselves. This is why we say that we have become the devil’s people who belong to satan, and become experts in telling lies and master-hands in making up lies.

From the above examples, we can see that as satan cheats and deceives people, so also do we cheat God and cheat people. As satan disguises itself and gives people a misguided impression of it, so also do we disguise ourselves and conceal the true facts. As the great red dragon makes up lies to blow its own trumpet shamelessly, so also do we exaggerate and boast of ourselves shamelessly. The great red dragon often distorts the facts and calls white black and black white; likewise, we always confound right and wrong and confuse truth and falsehood. The great red dragon does its utmost to cover up the true facts, being very much afraid that its dark side will be laid bare; likewise, we try our best to cover up the true facts for fear that our disgraceful, ignominious, and discreditable ugly deeds will be exposed. The great red dragon reports only the good news but not the bad, and it gives wide publicity to the things that can be put as feathers in its cap, but does not say a single word about the things to its disadvantage or tarnishing its image. Likewise, in order to preserve our fame, interests, positions, vanity, and faces, we report only what is good while withholding what is unpleasant. The most despicable characteristic of the great red dragon is that it itself does not speak truthfully, nor does it allow others to do so. Likewise, our most noticeable characteristic is that we do not want to speak truthfully, nor do we like others to do so, and even less do we like to accept God’s words of judging and exposing our real condition. Obviously, we have already been assimilated and occupied by satan; our substance is exactly the same as that of satan the devil, and there is no difference between them. So it is no exaggeration to say that we are the ones belonging to satan.

The main reason why we can often lie and cheat is that we have been corrupted by satan so deeply that crookedness and craftiness have become our second nature and we have altogether become the ones who belong to satan. And another reason is that we do not know God’s attitude toward liars and the outcome of liars. Actually, God hates frequent liars to the utmost, and he has long since determined the outcome of such people. Let us read some words of God concerning this respect.

God says: “He lies blatantly. I tell you! This kind of person will be driven out from my family from now on. He is unworthy to serve me in my family. I loathe him because what he does is blasphemy against me! ‘Blasphemy against me is an unforgivable sin.’ Whom is this word directed at? Are you clear about it? This person has committed such a sin, but he still does not think that the matter is so serious. He is really a stupid person, who is blind and ignorant and whose spirit is blocked!”

“The things people cannot discern are all laid bare before me, and they cannot be kept hidden at all. Maybe you can hoodwink a few people and win many people’s trust, but it is not so easy for you to do so before me, and you cannot escape my judgment eventually.Who dare be unfaithful and unfilial to me! Who dare not tell me the truth but a pack of lies! None of them can escape from my hand of wrath.”

“I won’t allow any created being to deceive me. Do you think you can make demands of me as you wish and tell lies to me at will? Do you think I have never heard or seen your words and deeds? How can your words and deeds not be seen by my eyes? How can I allow you to deceive me like this?”

“Those crafty people who act one way to others’ faces and another behind their backs are all ones who are not willing to be perfected and are all sons of perdition or sons of destruction, and they belong to satan, not to God. The ones chosen by God are not such people!”

From God’s majestic and wrathful words, we can see that God extremely dislikes and loathes liars, even to the point that he cannot tolerate them. Frequent lairs belong to satan, and they are the ones who do not have themselves searched by God and who dare to tempt God and blaspheme God. Such ones are definitely the sons of perdition and the objects to be punished and cursed by God! Through the ages, there were so many people who lied to God and were thus punished by God. Judas was one among them. Before the Lord Jesus came, Judas often lied to the brothers and sisters. After the Lord Jesus came, he still did not repent. He always stole the money of the Lord and often lied to people and to God. Finally, he betrayed the Lord Jesus because of this, and he was thus cursed by God—He died with his body bursting open. Take Ananias and his wife for another example. This couple kept for themselves some of the money they received for the land, but they lied and told the apostles that they brought all the money to them. As a result, they were struck down by God because of lying to the Holy Spirit—they fell down and died then and there. Besides the many cases in the past ages, today there are also many people around us who have been punished and disciplined by God because of lying to God. Take a sister for example. She took an oath before God, saying that she would never again plan to get married, and that if she did, may God curse her and send upon her the disasters that had seldom been seen for six thousand years. But after that, she cast her oath aside and again planed in her heart: “If the gospel work doesn’t end this year, I will get married next year.” And secretly, she even started to look for a boyfriend to marry. Because of this, she performed her duty absent-mindedly, perfunctorily, and deceitfully. Finally, she was arrested by the great red dragon while performing her duty. She was beaten up in a police station for nearly four hours, and later, she escaped from there while the police were off guard. However, on the way back, she fell into a ditch, and she was seized with unbearable abdominal pain. After she was sent to hospital, due to the doctor’s wrong diagnosis, they performed an operation on her, only to find that her bladder ruptured; but a very long cut had already been mistakenly made in her abdomen.She lived in great torment in the hospital, feeling that it was better to die than to live. She really regretted having lied to God. For another example, someone, in order not to fall behind others and lose his place in his leader’s heart, lied about the number of the people who newly accepted the gospel, and he even trusted to luck and thought that it was not a serious matter to lie about that. However, the Holy Spirit does not let off anyone who cheats God. So, he unconsciously lost the working of the Holy Spirit and lived in darkness, and his work results declined sharply. We ourselves also have more or less tasted the bitterness of being chastened and disciplined by God for lying to God. After we lied to God for the sake of our vanity and faces, or fame and positions, we had no word to pray before God, could not receive enlightenment when eating and drinking God’s word, felt depressed in our spirit, had no peace in our heart, and felt doubly condemned and rebuked in our conscience. We lived in God’s chastisement, and besides, in our work we not only achieved no results but also ran into snags and were foiled everywhere. From this we can clearly see that if we lie to God, there will be God’s majesty and wrath coming upon us, and there will be severe smiting and discipline accompanying us. If we refuse to repent and change, eventually we will end up like Judas.

If we want to put away lying, above all, we need to pursue the truth. We need to spend more effort on the words through which God judges and exposes man’s crafty nature, know from the words our crafty nature of lying and its various kinds of displays, and see through and hate them. Secondly, we need to know God’s attitude toward liars and the outcome of liars. Knowing these can impel us to forsake our flesh and enter into the truths concerning being an honest person. Thirdly, we need to have ourselves searched by God in everything. Whether it be our daily living, our praying, our fellow shipping in the meetings, our reporting on our work, or our reporting on the situations, we should present them all before God. By practicing this, we will be able to restrain ourselves, and will not dare to follow our own will and say whatever we want to say, even less dare to make up lies in order to achieve our own ends. Fourthly, we need to consciously exercise to speak truthfully and honestly at ordinary times—call one one, two two, and not speak exaggeratedly or under statedly or with mixtures. And we also need to treat our every untrue word seriously and need to declare and correct it without delay. If we can persistently pursue to enter in and be strict with ourselves according to the above ways, our conduct of lying will be gradually changed.

May God lead us on, so that we can know that frequent liars are essentially Satan the devil and see clearly the consequence and seriousness of lying frequently, and so that we can enter in according to the ways to be an honest person, stop telling lies soon, and become the honest people whom God is pleased with.

[johnjankovic]

IN NOMINE PATRIS, ET FILII, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI

Going on from there, they passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, because He was teaching His disciples. He told them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise’. But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

Mark 9:30-2

The object of scorn, a workman whose labour is reciprocated with prosperity is rebuked as of late by the Catholic Pope himself which by implication does wealth become sin, ownership deemed wicked, and riches thought to be more equitably distributed without discrimination whatsoever. What of the sloth, or the idle, or the man who loves to sleep? That this man knows poverty is not the fault of the other who toils at the outset of spring and harvests in the autumn. Such it is that Marxist doctrine infiltrates the Church issuing from sheer ignorance of worldly matters. One of the Ten Commandments asserts ‘Thou shall not steal’ to the implicit affirmation of such a thing called private property lest the fruits of my labour never be my own but yours to take with impunity. So whereas a man who labours on end appreciates the real value of his work and is made honest for it, he who eschews such activity justifies his theft by distorting the words of Scripture for his proper ends. The righteous man is then charitable indeed because he labours so hard, the sinful man is not because he is lazy and with nothing to spare. Yet to unnerving pacifism, many within the Church agitate for a system rewarding this same loafer who, neither infirm nor lame, arrogates to himself the wealth of the workman.

Now to be well ensconced behind seminary walls for you shepherds immersed in the Catechism is of no utility if illiterate to the mores and misgivings of your flock. It is incumbent upon you to be factotums versed not only in the preserve of the divine but equally in the practicalities of life whereby everyday pragmatism ought to inform your ministry. To work hard is to be virtuous, to be indolent is not. A virtuous man, austere in temperament, averse to avarice, and entrepreneurial in spirit, creates wealth for both himself and others in what is christened a providential force for the good of society. Ethics of such individualism and free will begot what we know as Western civilization upon Christianity fostering moral opposition to slavery then widely prevalent in the Mediterranean and early medieval Europe when, under its rationale of our likeness to Father (Genesis 1:27), freedom thereafter came to be understood as nothing less than an inalienable right. The result was how capitalism became an epiphenomenon of Christian thought rather than anathema to it originating in Italy’s city-republics from Venice to Genoa until finally the Reformation codified it.

Unlike Judaism or Islam which frame faith under the yoke of law and obedience, Christianity seeks to understand Father through step-by-step reason by exploitation of the critical thinking He vouchsafed to us. Christianity, therefore, is inherently concerned with development, progress, and growth, not dogma. Whereas Moses and Muhammed issued directives, Jesus authored nothing of the sort and left chronicles of His life at the discretion of the Apostles. Whereas literalism is demanded from acolytes of either the Torah or Quran, the New Testament remains by and large open to an exegesis of one’s own since Father desires the same love as from a son or daughter not the fealty of an automaton. The New Testament is imperfect and admittedly so (1 Corinthians 13:9), the Quran by contrast proclaims itself to be the law (32:2), much like the Torah which is likewise authoritative. The teachings of Jesus, a foil to these Abrahamic religions, are not to be learned by rote but rather lived by emulation and reason. What Christianity went on to become was the foremost patron of freedom giving countenance to discovery and science so that with each generation as suggested by Saint Thomas Aquinas our love for Father deepened whereby the more educated we grew, the better we understood Creation, and the closer we were to Him.

Unlike Buddhism which sets great store in the narcissism of meditation to attain wisdom, or the paganism of Hindus in their propitiation of numerous gods, or the belief in the cosmic forces of Taoism which balance mystic energies, monks of Christendom resolved to make Father’s handiwork intelligible by way of empirical evidence together with their inauguration of the universities Bologna, Sorbonne, Oxford, and Cambridge amid the twelfth century. The Scientific Revolution by the sixteenth century became an intimate bedfellow of Christian theology in virtue of how renowned scientists like Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Gallilei, or René Descartes each sought to understand Father through their rational vocations. Amongst all the aforesaid religions, none were so dialectical or curious enough to contest the status quo of the universe’s mysteries which hitherto had been too esoteric for comprehension until their respective cultures inherited the physical sciences from Christians. Neither was the polytheism of the Greeks like Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle able to concoct similar advances in spite of its rich legacy of classical learning and geometry. It follows therefore that faith in Jesus begot the West whose quest for personal salvation has been perennially wedded to the search for truth (John 8:32).

Rational theology inspired by the Church is the provenance for the truths Christians hold dear and its application to commerce by medieval monasteries in Europe made the modern world. Asceticism of other religions, their condemnation of wealth, or their prostration before a deity effectively hamstrung them from impacting humanity in the same way Christianity did. Father is not of the mind that you should comport yourselves like little drones dispossessed of free will. Whereas Judaism and Islam apply their morality akin to an ironclad diktat governing a conquered people, Christianity is an inquiry into the meaning of the universe. Determinism for this reason does not substantially figure in the life of a Christian since it runs afoul of her choice in the person she chooses to be whether good or bad. Thus the teachings of Jesus are not laws but a compass and nothing else. From this premise our progress as a civilization remains a function of our attempt to rationalize Father’s omniscience upon a very long yet winding road in stark departure of our primeval ways whose enlightenment has inspired the material comforts we enjoy today.

Not until the end to Rome’s despotism, falsely denominated the Dark Ages when canons of Christianity underwrote freedom from bondage for the first time in world history, were new technologies disseminated for the masses once beholden to the social strata of elites. This sudden void of slave labour predicated upon Christian enlightenment hence spurred mechanical production with the help of energy begotten from waterwheels and windmills which monasteries exploited to great effect for local economies, furthermore agriculture of the Middle Ages would yield foodstuff surpluses ascribed to innovations in plows across Europe, and the clergy would author hagiographies in French to bolster literacy instead of Latin which was in the monopoly of the upper echelons of society. Better fed, educated, and housed were Christians during this precursor to the Renaissance than Roman plebeians who had yet to invent the horse collar for husbandry, printing press for erudition, or chimney for ventilated warmth. Medieval Europe would go on to erect soaring cathedrals in tribute to Father far more sophisticated in architecture than pantheons, colosseums, or bathhouses strewn about the empire. Our febrile search for truth in escaping ignorance ensured greater inventions were perpetually forthcoming as Saint Augustine legitimized commerce so long as the antidote to the corrupting effects of money was the righteousness and thrift of Jesus.

Dependent on this precept did the Church procure riches eclipsing those of royalty and straddle Europe as the largest landowner when profits were ploughed back for the acquisition of more acreage. Herein began capitalism’s first division of labour between Catholic estates like the Cistercians, Franciscans, or Benedictines whose specialization in crops, winemaking, livestock, textiles, blacksmithing, and pottery led to burgeoning trade. Their ethos of hard work precipitated the rapid growth of Europe as a juggernaut of a civilization compared to the peoples of the East and was chronicled by Saint Benedict who in the sixth century made expressly known how, ‘Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore the brothers should have specified periods of manual labour as well as prayerful reading…When they live by the labour of their hands, as our fathers and the apostles did, then they are really monks’. Moneymaking became an avatar for the work ethic of a man’s labour whose fruits were checked by his self-denial and in this sense there was a token of nobility in pain that coronated us kings and queens amongst men: we are good and honest in virtue of how this same self-affliction endows us with the empathy we rely upon to help our brethren.

[bernardschweizer1]

In the Yin-Yang Mountains

The footprint of human activity is relatively light in the Yandang mountains. Mostly, it consists of Taoist and Buddhist religious structures neatly tucked into topographical recesses or built literally inside cracks and caves. When I realized that these crack-inhabiting Buddhist structures were usually dedicated to a female patron deity—Guanyin to be precise— it suddenly dawned on me that something powerfully “yonic” was going on here.

For the non-literary critics among my readers, “yonic” is the female symbolical counterpart to the imagery called “phallic.” I guess, everybody knows what phallic symbols are—swords, towers, spires, and the like. For some reason, the term “yonic” is far less well known. In any case, it refers to things that call to mind female gender-specific anatomical features, i.e. cracks, tunnels, and caves—you get the idea.

Now, quite a few philosophies are built on the idea that life is structured by the dynamic and fruitful engagement of male and female principles. One of the more well-known applications of this principle originated in China, exemplified by the Taoist theory of yin and yang, with yin standing for the female principle and yang for the male element. The mutually interdependent and complementary natures of these two principles—with none of them dominating the other—is emblematically encapsulated in the iconic yin-yang ball.

I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to see a connection between phallic symbolism and yang and between yonic symbolism and yin. Which brings me back to the Yandang mountains. Indeed, on first sight, the whole Yandang region appeared to be in the thrall of the yang spirit because it looked phallic to boot: wherever one turned, there were all kinds of tower-like rock formations and isolated pillars sticking up.

But on a second look, after one penetrated deeper into the scenery, one soon came across many fissures, cracks, caves, and hollows that constitute textbook illustrations of the yonic element. Here is one.

The Taoist and Buddhist monks who flocked to the Yandang Mountains long ago must have been fascinated by the powerful yin-yang dynamic that puts its stamp on this landscape. Although the two religions should not be easily lumped together, they do share some common traits. In essence, the Chinese form of Buddhism, known as Ch’an (Zen in Japan) has emerged from a blending of Taoism and Buddhism. So, it should not surprise that ideas of non-duality originating in Taoism were taken up and given a Buddhist slant in Ch’an. Specifically, the Buddhist principle of non-attachment can be interpreted as an imperative to move beyond duality. 

Despite the philosophical tendency to overcome dualism, the devotees of both religions in the Yandang mountains express a strong preference for the yin principle. Not one temple, shrine, or monastery was built to sit perched atop one of the soaring rock spires, although this would have been technically possible. Instead, religious dwellings here were built to fit snugly into the cracks and hollows.

Following this preference for yonic locations, the faithful have built structures that were textbook examples of vernacular architecture: using local materials, notably hewn rock and timber, they erected buildings that responded naturally to the forms of the land.These structures seemed to be cradled by the the landscape, adjusting the human need to the lay of the land, rather than the other way around. Here, nature was primary, and human activity a beautiful and respectful afterthought.

Respect for the environment and love of the natural world are inherent elements of Buddhism and Taoism, to the point that one could consider them quintessentially ecological religions. Along the paths in the Yandang mountains, I saw sign-boards that read “Every tree, flower, or bird is pervaded by Buddha nature.” Based on this philosophy, the faithful had build sustainably constructed, “vernacular” dwellings. Trash was sparse along the walkways and gullies surrounding the monasteries, and the streams here flowed crystal clear, quite an achievement given the multitudes of tourists that this place attracts and given the widespread lack of environmental awareness among Chinese in general.

As indicated above, the most frequent object of religious veneration in these parts is Guanyin (or Avalokiteshvara), i.e. the goddess of compassion and mercy. One cavern featured a Guanyin figure that reminded me of the Virgin Mary statue in the grotto at Lourdes. Some ideas do seem to be quite universal, such as the pairing of the benevolent female deity and the cave.

Next to this statue of Guanyin, we found a tunnel that led to an underground cave with a positively “amniotic” pond gently illuminated by greenish backlight, with colorful flower cups--the insignia of Guanyin--floating on its surface. Here was an instance of yonic symbolism raised to the third power: cups floating on a pond inside a cave located at the end of a tunnel!

Guanyin was also on display with hundreds of helping hands at the topmost temple built into the mountainside far back in the valley.

But the most impressive manifestation of Guanyin that we came across was inside the largest cave in the mountains, at the base of “Spiritual Peak.” One first had to climb up a steep set of stairs to reach the base of the crack where the temple to honor Guanyin had been erected. Then, the pathway narrowed to a tunnel-like passage which one followed up another 60 feet or so until one emerged into the womb of the mountain, a vast cave at the center of which sat a regal, golden Guanyin surrounded by countless smaller deities gleaming in the shady nooks and crannies of the cave. The water dripping down from a hidden source deep inside the mountain completed the yonic associations of this place.

This site exerted a magnetic force that attracted not only tourists. Some serious religious activity was going on as well. For instance, in front of Guanyin one woman frantically shook a cylinder with rattling divination blocks inside, agitating the container until one of the blocks fell out; then, she scrambled after it in the semi-darkness, trying to see whether the message from the Goddess of Compassion contained reassuring news or perhaps a warning to avoid a dreaded outcome.

From the topmost terrace of this temple inside the crack, one looked outside toward a blinding mix of sky and rock. After one’s eyes had adjusted to the sharp contrast, one began to see a number of phallic spires that constituted the perfect yang complement to the shady, dripping interior of the yin cave.

Call it yin & yang in action or good feng shui or simply manifestations of dramatic geological activity. In any case, the contrasting landscape sent a powerful symbolical appeal, i.e. that we should consider opposites not necessarily as antagonistic but as complementary aspects of a larger whole, and that observable dichotomies were merely forces interacting in a dynamic system. It is a message that our world today could be heeding more often, especially the leaders who try to exploit opposition, division, and exclusion for their own gain.

Of course, Taoist and Buddhist monks have been drawn to unspoiled, remote natural locations for millennia. It is in such pristine settings that devotees of these religions develop their fullest potential, i.e. in close proximity to nature and away from the distractions and temptations of urban life. As indicated above, Buddhism and Taoism are innately ecological religions, teaching the interconnectedness of all things and emphasizing compassion with all phenomena, both natural and man-made. In that regard, eastern religions have a leg up on the monotheisms which tend to treat ecological considerations as an afterthought. Pope Francis is frequently the object of vituperation by conservative Catholics because of his ecological stance on global warming and his critique of capitalism’s environmental toll…

Anyway, I recently read an article in the New York Times (“What a Buddhist Monk Taught Xi Jinping”) about the relationship that Xi had built with a Buddhist monk during his formative period as a young party functionary. The article speculated that Xi might be a closeted Buddhist. It would be nice if the innate ecological respect of Buddhism had somehow rubbed off on China’s Premier. If that’s the case, then perhaps it is not so surprising that Xi Jinping has started to act as a global leader in the fight against climate change and as a staunch supporter of the Paris accord. At least it is nice to entertain this thought for a moment.

[eng251unvoicedthoughts]

                                        Spirituality and Religion

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds” (Westover 257). In Education written by Tara Westover, the mental slavery Westover is referring to is the lack of knowledge due to sheltered lifestyle or extreme belief sets. It’s at this point in the novel when Westover realizes that she needs to get her vaccinations done. Westover’s eccentric parents are against any kind of medical assistance, even in life or death situations. Her parents use essential oils to treat third degree burns as well as any other kind of injury. When I told my mom about this book and the similarities I felt our own family had with Westover’s family, my mom decided to read it. To preface these similarities, I’ll first shed some light on the parallels that can be drawn between Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris and Educated: A Memoir. Harris unveils an authoritative manipulation approach within religion. The “self-deception” and “exploited trust” one is susceptible to when being taught by a spiritual teacher can be due merely to the setup of them being the intellectual superior in that given situation. “The bishop and I met every Sunday until that spring. To me he was a patriarch with authority over me, but he seemed to surrender that authority the moment I passed through his door” (Westover 200). Although Westover paints her bishop in a more forgiving light, the fact that he had authority over her is not shied away from, it is written barefaced to help explain the gapping hierarchy. The hierarchy within the Bishop’s office followed her into her own home. Westover was abused mentally and physically by her older brother and mentally by her father. Nobody within the household would stand up to either male figure, even Westover’s mother was described many times to back down to the will of her father due to it being “a man’s house”. Although my family is very loving now and I am very fortunate, my household was once abusive as well, leaving my mother, my two older brothers, and me running from my father, staying with different friends of my mother’s to avoid my father finding us.  Maybe this is a coincidence and has nothing to do with the religion of my father, but I’ve always wondered if the hierarchy of males within the Mormon church has swayed the treatment of the women. Westover explains some of the teachings within the Latter-Day Saint church, “As a child I’d been taught-by my father but also in Sunday school that in the fullness of time God would restore polygamy, and in the afterlife, I would be a plural wife” (Westover 245). I, as well as most women within the church I’m sure, have always taken issue with this. Once, my sophomore year of college I asked my Bishop if it were reversed, and the men were told that in heaven they would be plural husbands to their wives, if he would still believe in the faith, to which he replied along the lines of, “Yes, if that were God’s will”. If the doctrine were changed, I honestly don’t see as many men being members of the church and I also don’t think sexism- against women, would be as prevalent.

“So long as it is impossible to distinguish among those women who requested the sealing after Joseph Smith’s death, and those who wanted an additional sealing in a Utah temple to further solemnize a ceremony of some sort that had taken place in Nauvoo, I will keep the umber of wives tentatively at forty- eight” (Brodie 12). Early polygamy within the Mormon church is widely known known by its members. Westover, author of Educated: A Memoir writes of her experience growing up within a Mormon family and being taught the origin of polygamy amidst her religion at an early age, “I had never made my peace with it. As a girl I had often imagined myself in heaven, dressed in a white gown, standing in a white gown, standing in a pearly mist across from my husband. But when the camera zoomed out there were ten women standing behind us, wearing the same white dress” (Westover 245). Brodie helps bring forthright research to these warily brought up religious topics.

Harris writes of the account of Tibetan lama Chogyam Trungpa where he orders a young girl to be stripped of her clothing and paraded around. While this is sexual assault, Harris writes that Trungpa’s followers viewed this occurrence as “a spiritual teaching meant to subdue their egos” (Harris 160). Within The Last Podcast On the Left with Ben Kissel, Henry Zebrowski, and Marcus Parks also tackle a time when Latter-Day Saint prophet, Joseph Smith safeguarded his way through illegal, degrading actions. According to their findings, Joseph had an affair on his wife and was caught doing so, before announcing his revelation for polygamy. However, members of the Latter-Day Saint faith are told his reasons for polygamy were to ensure celestial glories for the women of that time since there were more women than men and the women would need to be sealed. How many other teachings of the church have subtly quieted women into uncomfortable acceptance? If uncareful, will certain hierarchies within religions translate to feelings of superiority within the home?

Another similarity my mom informed me that the same essential oil that the Westover parents end up selling, Miracle Remedy, is the same essential oil the doctors had prescribed my brother after he had gotten in his motorcycle accident (Westover’s brother also got in a severe motorcycle accident). I’m unsure if it’s coincidence or if Idaho just has some bizarre medical practices. One time I was recommended a place to help with my scoliosis. When I walked in, the lady had me lay down and proceeded ask me questions about if I rest my tongue on the bottom of my mouth or press it against the top, as this can affect the shape of my spine. She began to move my feet in circular rotations, saying she was moving them the opposite direction that my mind was wanting them to go. She then placed both hands under my back, closed her eyes, and stayed motionless. She then explained that she had been thinking, ‘move apart’. That by having my mom do this with me every night before bed, that my spine would slowly start to regain its correct shape. I’m curious about other experiences people within Idaho and the rest of the world have had and if witch remedies are especially popular in rural Idaho. 

           Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris offers the audience methods of meditation to serve as proxy of religion. As the title of the book would suggest, spirituality is brought to the forefront, allowing the reader to delve into their own spirituality while questioning the methods of religion. Referenced in the annotation for Educated: A Memoir, Harris explains the perceived deception that can happen within hierarchies of religion, “A relationship with a guru, or indeed with any expert, tends to run along authoritarian lines. You don’t know what you need to know, and the expert presumably does; that’s why you are sitting in front of him in the first place (Harris 159).

Alan Watts is a British speaker that lived during the 1900s. He often spoke or wrote on philosophy as well as Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. Watts explains in his speech, the enticing and manipulative tactics of religions. Through explaining the manipulative process of  “only through this church will you be saved” tactic, Watts goes on to explain the inner workings of someone going through this decision making process, “You have to have an ingroup, see, if you want to know who you are. If you want to belong to something, say you want to distinguish yourself, because you know who you are because of the people that aren’t like you. There you get a contrast; this is the most basic arrangement for a church” (Watts).  Watts explains that through religion, the only way to avoid the “sinking beneath the human level or heresy” is to fall susceptible to the guilt trap of religion that has been around since Adam and Eve. It is only through the assurance of someone else’s damnation that one can ensure their own salvation.  It is then explained that those who are saved and those that are damned are synonymous to one another, that they need each other.  Watts then explains the hierarchy of power within churches, that is explained in Waking Up as well as Educated, that doubles as a means of preventing the members of the church from acting out or not knowing their place.

I recently was able to watch a couple episodes of Tiger King. Although I don’t fully understand the hype it’s generated, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the show, religion, and spirituality. The staff working on these cat farms are paid $100 an hour, so other than working with exotic animals, why would they stay?On Carole Baskin’s farm, she has organized a hierarchy through her employees through the color of shirts they wear. The longer they’ve worked there, the higher ranking of shirt they’re given, and the more attention received from Carole Baskin. This reminded me of the levels of priesthood within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Similar levels are given to the young women within the church as they progress through their teenage years. By being recognized through these levels, people are more likely to stay in particular organizations or cults. Another element that stood out was the admittance to luring in those that only have that job as their last resort. They are in desperate need financially, emotionally or both. How many religious members are using their beliefs or their religious community as a refuge from what they’re dealing with and sometimes, because of this, refuse to believe anything else?

Within Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, it reads, “Let this saying of Epicurus come to your aid, that ‘pain is neither unendurable nor everlasting, if you keep its limits in mind and do not add to it through your own imagination’. And remember this too, that many disagreeable feelings are really just the same as pain although we do not perceive them to be so-” (Aurelius 67). Harris writes about pain and the customariness of pain being perceived as negative until it is suddenly associated to growth, such as after a workout. Harris goes on to write about the emotional difference it would make if people regularly associated all pain with progression.

One of Joe Exotic’s employees ends up losing their arm due to a tiger attack. Although her arm ends up needing to be amputated, she jumps right back into work after her surgery. She did this so that Joe Exotic’s business wouldn’t face the repercussions of her injury. How many times do people subconsciously force themselves to believe in a prayer or a blessing given to them because brief disappointment is better than no longer having something to believe in?

While some authors can accomplish objectivity in discussing Joseph’s Character, others cannot be as subdued. “Blavatsky’s contemporary Joseph Smith, a libidinous con man and crackpot, was able to found a new religion on the claim that he had unearthed the final revelations of God in the hallowed precincts of Manchester, New York, written in “reformed Egyptian” on golden plates” (Harris 25). Harris continues to explain The Book of Mormon as an “embarrassing pastiche of plagiarisms from the Bible and silly lies about Jesus’s life in America” (Harris 25). Although Harris’s book is partially centered around the negative constructs of religion, I found it particularly unusual that his published views on certain religious figures were as bristly when religion was not his main focus. Although Harris’s objective of retaining spirituality in the absence of religion is aided through these views, I would prefer to shy away from harsh verbiage when discussing religion. Objectivity can be found throughout Westover’s writing, she includes a disclaimer at the beginning of her book explaining that her experiences with her Mormon family should not be a reflection of the religion itself, nor does the book showcase her own religious conviction. Westover touches on the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,  “My father wanted to visit the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York- the forest where, according to Joseph Smith, God had appeared and commanded him to found the true church” (Westover 300).  Westover continues by explaining a common teaching amongst Mormons and the importance associated with Joseph Smith and the “first vison” that led to the publication of The Book of Mormon. “As a child in Sunday school, I’d been taught that all history was a preparation for Mormonism: that every event since the death of Christ had been fashioned by God to make possible the moment when Joseph Smith would kneel in the Sacred Grove and God would restore the one true church” (Westover 318).

Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor, wrote Meditations, thoughts on stoic philosophy between 161- 180AD. Although this book tends to be more popular amongst seculars than the Bible, the amount of similarities between the two books is unexpected.  “You entered the world as a part, and you will vanish back into that which brought you to birth; or rather, you will be received back into its generative reason through a process of change” (Aurelius 26). This strikes similarity with John: 3 in The Bible when Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” to which Nicodemus answers, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (p. 1328). “Rarely is a person seen to be in a bad way because he has failed to attend to what is happening in someone else’s soul, but those who fail to pay careful attention to the motions of their own souls are bound to be in a wretched state” (Aurelius 12). When Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount St. Mathew 7: 3, the same concept is taught, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (p. 1197).

Another comparison between the two accords can be made regarding Aurelius’s description of Maximus in his last days, “How he behaved to the tax-collector at Tusculum who asked for his forgiveness, and his general conduct in such matters. He was never harsh, or implacable, or overbearing-” (Aurelius 8). This is similar to the forgiveness shown in The Bible when Jesus is giving the parable of the self- righteous pharisee and the humbled publican. Within St Luke 18: 12-14 it reads, “I fast tice in the week I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (p. 1308). Both stories hold the emphasized motif of being kind to someone that debt is owed to.

At this point throughout Aurelius’s writings I begin thinking that Meditations, to me, reads as a characterless version of The Bible and in doing so, provides a stripped version of religion down to the basic beliefs of spirituality. Sam Harris, author of Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion explains the taboo structure behind defining or even comparing spirituality to religion, “They don’t always point to the same underlying reality- and when they do, they don’t do it equally well. Nor are all these teachings equally suited for export beyond the cultures that first conceived them… In one sense, all religions and spiritual practices must address the same reality- because people of all faiths have glimpsed many of the same truths” (Harris 20). Harris goes on to explain that the fact that many religions have quoted from or adopted other religion’s beliefs, testifies that human interconnections outweigh the strength of religion. I find the ties between these two blatantly different accounts beautiful and a witness of the similarities between all human hearts and intellect.