Sunday, October 26, 2008
The philosophy of education
The promotion of university as the pinnacle of education needs to be done away with. There are valid reasons to continue on with education, but it should not just be "the thing to do." For this reason, trade and technical schools should be created, funded and promoted as equally valuable avenues of education. Let us prepare educated, thinking and well trained people.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Righteousness
I grew up in a very conservative denomination of Christianity where spirituality is defined morally. If one wants to please God then one must act in a predefined moral way. Of course the outcome of such thinking is legalism (as a side note, legalism is death to spiritual maturity). Legalism is a strict moral code with God as the final authority. But as I began to explore my own faith and spirituality I found that morality is not based in legalism, but rather righteousness.
Righteousness is striving to act in the right way in the right time. There are no set and hard rules, for each situation will be different requiring a different right action. Which brings us to the point of this post: How do we know how to act? How do we determine the right action in the right time? I believe it comes down to character development.
I am not sure if we are all good or bad from birth. I think much of it is learned over time. I think it comes down to finding that balance between good for the individual and good for the community. Finding that balance is no easy task. As I reflect upon writing this post, my mind keeps moving towards specific, but I am trying to keep it abstract. So how do we teach character development and moral balance without falling into the legalism of endless does/don'ts lists?
I will end this post here and wait for a few comments to help find a direction for further posts on this subject.
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Idea of Art
And so what is my deep thought on the idea of art? I think art has meaning when it is made by the artist, that meaning may or may not translate to the audience, but the audience will develop their own meaning. My art is spiritual, although I do not require the audience to view it as such. In my art, I search for something that is "more" or "other" than the physical, the mundane. I would like to think that my art holds many meanings and each time it is viewed (meditated upon) one can walk away with new insights. I like to think of painting a piece as a spiritual exercise. I like to thinking of viewing a piece as a spiritual exercise. I know that may seem like much to grasp for... but I feel the same way about nature around me. My mood and attitude which I bring to the viewing can color (emotionally) a painting more than any descriptions or captions by the artist. I would hope that my art can reach out to others in the same manner. But if it does not I am not disappointed. I think of my art as spiritual expressionism.
Perhaps this is a wandering answer to the question, but it is where I am at this point. As my art grows, as my spiritual life grows I am sure my answer will also mature and grow. That is a part of life and a part of thinking deeply: growth into the next phase of life.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Absence
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
All that you can
One of John Wesley's maxims was:
Earn all that you can, save all that you can, give all that you can.
Now in America today it seems that maxim should still apply. But the maxim that seems to be in operation is Earn all that you can, spend all that you can and then find a creditor to help you spend more.
Look at the Wesley maxim:
Earn all that you can.
Earning gives one potential and opportunity. Not only does it better your own life but it also benefits the life of your family. Everyone is pulled up when you increase earning. But increased earning does not mean increased spending.
Save all that you can.
Earning allows you to live a better life. But some of that earning should (must) go to savings. Things happen and if a bad thing happens and you lose your ability to earn, then you need to have a safety net. It is advised to keep a few months of savings on hand. That would give you a lead time to find new work. Plus, one needs to save for retirement, save for vacation, save for kids' education, save to buy a house... save all that you can. Then you are prepared and ahead of the game when bad things happen. Or you are prepared and not needing credit when you wish to take a vacation or return to school or buy that car. The bank doesn't take part of your hard earned money in interest and fees. Saving money has the benefit of preparing for hard times, getting more for your money when you do spend it, and provides a certain peace of mind.
Give all that you can.
When is the last time you dug deep to give all that you can? We will take the most crazy opportunities to earn all that we can; sacrifice family, friends, and health to earn the big bucks. And if we want something bad enough, then we will scrimp and save to get it. But when do we really give ALL that we can? How does giving help? Why give? Giving creates solid communities. If the giving is going to help others who truly need the help to make it through a hard time then it builds a strong community. If the giving goes to programs that builds education, training, community programs, etc. then it creates a stronger society. And that is good for you because we all benefit from a strong society. Not only does it feel good to see the fruit of giving through better educational facilities, or better parks, or families being fed, but it also is good for them and for you. There may be a time when you need a little help and if the program is not in place because no one ever gave to it, then it won't be there for you either. How deep can you dig to give all that you can?
I hope that this does not sound too preachy, but it seems that a lot of today's financial and economic problems are due to people's misperception of money and its role in life. Money serves us, we should not serve it. If you don't control your money then it will control you. Be wise with the penny and you will always have an extra dollar.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father's Day
Sometimes I get to thinking about being a Dad. I mean when we are growing up you just take parents for granted. But after you have your own kids and you find yourself saying and doing things that you remember your own parents saying or doing to you... well you have to stop and think. It also makes me appreciate my parents and all the crap I put them through. Now it all makes so much more sense. I mean you really have to live it to sympathize with it. Parenting is tough.
The funny thing is you really do have to live it. You can read about it, study it, observe it, critique it, but ultimately none of that can prepare you for living it. Words of wisdom, advice about life and raising kids is all fine and dandy but until you are really knee deep into it none of that advice makes much sense. And then try to remember what some auntie or grandma said about kids and discipline and education and.... everything else they like to go on and on about. It all just goes right out the window once living the life of a parent begins.
Yes I think there needs to be some underlying philosophy of child rearing that holds relatively consistent between the parents and other care givers, etc. But really... Sometime life just runs you over and it all flies out the window. Sometimes you will just do whatever it takes to get five minutes of peace and quiet.
I love my parents and have a much better understanding of where they were coming from and who they are. I think they did a good job in spite of all my attempts to sabotage their hard work.
I hope that someday my kids look back on me with the same attitude, until then I will pick my battles, hold the line, and do the best I can each day.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Natural vs. Artificial
Think about Nature and the natural flow to life:
- Seasons
- Birth/death cycle
- Migratory cycles
- Sunrise/sunset time frames
- Eating when hungry
- Subsistence living
- Hunter/gather: nomadic
Natural living is the rhythms inherent in nature expressed through intuition and instinct.
Now think about artificial living and the flow of life it creates
- 9-5 work hours (set work days) and long commutes
- Clock time
- Calender time
- Money ordered existence: consumer mentality
- Residential housing, private ownership
- Existence (self worth) defined by career or ownership
Artificial living is through constructs created to shape life with ulterior motives dictated by external pressures not internal needs.
Now I know perhaps I have lost some of you at this point. No, I don't advocate going back and living in caves as hunter/ gatherers. But I do wish that we could allow natural rhythms to have a say in how we live and commune with each other. What if I could eat when I was hungry instead of at dinner time. If I was tired can I sleep in or will my boss get mad if I am an hour late, even though the extra sleep will make me more productive? Yes, there are easy abuses in this system. I think it takes a lot of trust in fellow humanity. Can I depend upon the other person to do their job? But does that matter? Look at the stock market. That is a completely artificial system built into and on top of other artificial systems. But even it has its natural rhythms. And will it collapse if I take a few extra minutes sleep? Can a company be run upon the ideas of natural rhythms in life and in trusting others to do their jobs? Or are we all that cynical and suspicious?
I watch these squirrels run around my back yard. Right now they are mating and eating and doing squirrel stuff. But in another few months they will begin to store up for the winter. Those who store up enough survive; those who don't die. Pretty simple. Apply that to humanity. Is it even possible to live that simply? Think about it. Think about what would happen if the tree charged the squirrel a percentage for the nuts. And the dirt, a charge for storage. And then some hawk had to be paid for security. Of course the tree doesn't want more nuts; it wants fertilizer. So the squirrel has to find a way to trade nuts for fertilizer which introduces the middle man and then of course, the bank who charges interest on the exchange rate. And now the poor squirrel has to gather twice as many nuts to pay all the fees, charges and taxes (because those hawks can't be left unsupervised and the banking system needs to be regulated and so they need a government). And still it may not be enough to make it though the winter because there could be fluctuations in the exchange rate that eats up all the savings. How is a man to make it in this new crazy world? This is a drastic oversimplification. Or is it? Can we simplify society, life, community, work, etc. to reflect the instinctual natural tendencies? Can we blend the natural and the artificial to create a balanced, harmonious life, taking the good that both has to offer? Or is this a crazy Utopian dream? Maybe 2012 when force and answer or maybe not.
Monday, April 7, 2008
For Good or for Pleasure
I was reading in the Upanishads the other morning and I read a passage about the difference between good and pleasure. It is often a hard distinction to make. But it is a very real and very profound one. Think about it for just a moment.
What is good? In one situation what is good may be different than in another. I don't think it can be defined in any hard and solid ways. It is a loose concept with few parameters. If it is self- seeking then most likely it is not the good. Seeking the good puts the self as the subject not the object. The good extends outward from the one doing the action to the furthest reaches possible. It is not contained in the action or the one committing the act. The good begins in one place but then moves outward in every expanding circle of influence. What is the good? I think it is up to each person to wrestle with that question in their own terms, life and situations.
What is the pleasure? Pleasure is that which feels good but with the self as the object and others as the subject acting towards or on the object. It tends to be, ultimately, self-seeking. Do for "me" that which I want, like, need. Pleasure is a misleading but very enticing way of life.
What would happen to the world if we started seeking the good instead of the pleasure? What would happen to our life, our community, our countries if we stepped outside of our desire to find pleasure, but rather put ourselves second and sought the good for others? How big of an impact could we have with just a little perspective change?
This is a difficult idea because the difference between the good and the pleasure is often not that big and it is easy to slip from one to the other. And to seek the good is often a personal choice. No one outside that person can address the idea of motive, they can only witness the results. My seeking the good may look very different than your seeking the good. I just have to trust in myself that the good will be carried out and not fall into judging, condemning and second guessing those near me. I think ultimately actions will be proven with results.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Becoming an Artist
There are times where I might break from this expressive art and move to a more intentional art piece. For example, if I want to speak about the environment, a religious theme, capture a moment in time, etc. Then I will sit down to do sketches, work up colors, etc. and then begin the painting. I find those pictures hard to paint. Some of my frustration comes from lack of skill level, some from general frustrations that all artist have about perfection, and some from boredom. But in those moments discipline and perseverance carries the day. It is hard to move forward with a piece that seems to just drag on and on. But I also find that it is in those pieces that I have the most growth in skill development, patience, and reward.
I enjoy reading about art history and theory. I would say that to this date the biggest influence on my thinking and painting has been the German Expressionist, the Bauhaus and Kandinsky in particular, and Schiele, Klimt, (these last two being interesting because I am a landscape painter and they are primarily portrait painters), and Hodler.
Currently I am a bi vocational artist, I have to hold a "real" job to support my habit (my art). But a day I can spend in the studio is a good day. And after a really hard day or week at "work" I really look forward to my art time. It relaxes me, reconnects me and empowers me. Art is a must in my routine, even if just a little at a time (or all that I can get).
Thursday, February 28, 2008
World Literature
Why would I want to undertake such a task? Does it have any merit? I think the list itself would have some use. (I am secretly hoping it already exists some place and I will find it in one of my searches. So far I have only found lists segregated by their respective cultures or time periods). I think that human culture is more connected than we might at first assume. I think the segregation by culture or time period is artificial to how things really work. I think that ideas, concepts, philosophies, stories, fictions, etc. travel and flow with the human populations. I think that in the past, humanity traveled and with them so did their ideas. And as such through the study of what was preserved in writing we can get a glimpse of how ideas spread about the globe. Did the idea of monotheism spring up naturally in various places, or was it brought from one to another? Or the idea of democracy? Or the way in which armies waged battles and conquered lands? I think a project like this could have many different applications even though it is going to be daunting and I doubt I will get much past the first few centuries of the common era (CE).
So far, I have listed with mostly accurate dating writings from the Greeks and Latins before the common era (BCE). I also have a start into Sumerian and Egyptian literature. The most ancient text that has survived to date appears to be "The Code of Hammurabi" followed closely by the "Epic of Gilgamesh." Both of which seem to come from a pre-Babylonian era (that is from the land of Iraq). It is five centuries before you get to Homer and the Greek classics. There are writings in Asia and Egypt that seem to come from this same era (2500-900 BCE). After 900 BCE, writing seems to begin to grow in volume. But even then each century only has a few surviving authors, thinkers or works.
And so my first insights are:
- Writing seems to have appeared in various cultures around the same time.
- The fact that more of the written record is available the further forward you move in history may stem from either or both of the following: more people are writing and/or less time has elapsed for the record to be lost.
- Humans feel the need to preserve what they deem as important.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Spirit and Matter
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
First Spiritual Principle
- The interconnectedness of all things.
Within Eastern philosophy, and Buddhism especially, this is a basic principle. In the west it is a principle that is becoming more accepted through scientific study. In the study of statistics there is a game that is played called the "six degrees of separation." It states that within six moves or associations any two people on the planet can be connected. I know you, who knows so and so, who is connected to what's-his-name, who works with yaya's sister and yaya is the aid to the President of China. The interconnectedness of people. But that is still not quite what this spiritual principle means. In the scientific community, within quantum mechanics in particular, there is a principle called entanglement. It states (oversimplified and therefore much room for error) that when two particles come in contact they can become entangled. And then however one is manipulated the other "entangled" particle shows the same manipulated results. (Take a photon split it into two parts. Polarize one part and the other part, regardless of distance from the one being manipulated, will also take on the same polarization.) Now this is moving closer to the spiritual principle at hand. Take into consideration that everything has come from one event. Therefore, at one time everything was entangled. New energy is not being created or destroyed only changing forms. This brings us to the second spiritual principle. We will return to this idea in another post.
So the first spiritual principle: everything is interconnected. This can be understood physically and yet the world, the cosmos, is so vast that we cannot hold the complete interconnectedness of all things in our head at one time. We cannot see how it is connected. We can only believe that it is. This principle can also be understood metaphysically. God, or the One, or the Power that Is, or Energy, or Fate is moving things into position creating a master plan which is being played out with or without our consent. If we are religious then we have our own views and beliefs about this line of reasoning and where we stand on it. But now the idea of belief comes into play. We each set a burden of proof to our beliefs. Sometimes blind belief is enough (there's no burden of proof, or an authority figure said it so I will believe it). Perhaps the examples above are enough (or they will lead you on your own search either through science: quantum mechanics; or religion and philosophy: Buddhism) and then your burden of proof will be met. Or you may remain skeptical and need further evidence, something that has not yet come to light.
I understand that at this point, things are greatly simplified. But I feel confident that as I move through each principle with deeper explanations clarity will be obtained. So have faith (in that which you believe you can) and keep reading. Please feel free to post questions and comments.
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Perfect Human
In the past, it was thought that the first humans, the Golden Humans, were perfect. Their perfection was biological, sociological and psychological. It was not only the perfect human form, but the perfect human society, government and philosophy. But the perfection was lost with each seceding generation; the corruption broke down the society, the mind and the body. Perfection was lost and the result was a decaying human species becoming less and less with each passing generation. Even those who strive for perfection in one or more of the humanly characteristics could never fully recover what once was.
This is easy to see today. Genetic diseases are carried on and compounded with each new generation. Dysfunctional mental and social problems breeding even further dysfunctionality.
But then again: the fields of psychology, sociology, genetics are all new fields, even science as we understand it today is new in the grand scheme of human history. So maybe all of the ills which plague us today have always plagued us; it is just that no one mentioned it in the past in the scientific terms we look for today. Silence can tell us nothing. We do know that war, greed, corruption, love, compassion and sacrifice have always existed. But are the negatives on the increase and the positives on the decrease? Does the perfect human have yet to exist? In modern evolutionary terms humanity must always be striving forward. Modern science, psychology and sociology can now point to what may be, in some possible future, a perfect human living in a perfect society. Under the guidance of science, humanity can become greater and greater with each coming generation.
But then again: it seems things don't really change, only the accessories in which we dress ourselves.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Spiritual Principles
A year or so ago, I wrote out a list of spiritual principles, or the beginning of my spiritual philosophy. At this point, there are twelve principles on my list. I tried to keep them simple, but you will notice that those further down the list tend to be longer. I think simplicity is a virtue, but there are times when explanations are needed. At this point, I will just list what I have developed and then flesh them out in later posts with more detail.
- The interconnectedness of all things
- Energy is the only reality
- Energy flows
- We can participate in the energy flow (We can participate in reality)
- Through participation we come to see (know) the interconnectedness
- We are limited in our control of energy, but it is possible to increase our control through knowing the interconnectedness, participating in reality and having faith in that which is (I.E. belief in the energy [God])
- Participation is not just metaphysical or abstract. It is also moral and physical. Real participation connotes real action. This is Righteousness: the right act at the right time. Although what is "right" may not always be evident; action is always better then inaction. But don't act in haste. Act with the flow to promote the flow to bring balance.
- Living in the flow is a way of life. It begins in the heart with belief, in the mind with understanding (knowing and accepting) and in the body with action.
- Life is not divided or compartmentalized. Psyche(mind)/body/spirit is one. Don't overemphasis one area to the determent of another. All three make the conscious person.
- Through meditation we strengthen our spirit. Through exercise we strengthen our body. Through study we strengthen our mind. Yet we should not compound the illusions but rather use meditation, exercise and study to find liberation from the preconceived, to come to know the interconnectedness of all and the power of energy in all.
- Love is the way of the heart towards peace and harmony; that is balance. It may never be reached, but the way will lead towards the goal. To live love is to live balance. If all is interconnected then love must be extended towards all: people, animals, nature, cosmos...
- By releasing that which we think we can control we can truly come to realize what is in our control and how to extend control further. It will be realized that use of force or anger is not control or power but rather the way towards confusion. Acceptance of the ego as secondary leads to release, which is freedom to gain the enlightenment needed to see the interconnectedness and move towards true control/power. This is the way of humility.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Philosophy
If we admit it or not, we all have a personal philosophy. Seldom do we think it through as a system of thought that controls our lives and our actions. But it is there nonetheless. We should think it through. Why do we respond the way we do to life? Why is our response towards this great big experience-creating machine called "reality" different than other peoples? Once we begin to think upon such questions, we realize a few things. We see that our perspective is just one out of six billion perspectives that are operative right now. We come to realize that life is greater than "me." We understand that there is much to think about when it comes to the dynamics of the relationship between the "self" (me) and reality (everything else).
When the tough questions are asked we should take the time to answer them. Ponder that tough question for a few moments and decide if it is relevant to your life and how, ultimately, it will affect you and your world. If we ask questions and seek answers, then it would only make sense to bring our actions into accordance with what we find.
A parable (it may be true... or not): A girl was watching her mother prepare dinner. The mother pulled out a large pot roast, cut a piece off both ends, plopped it into a large roaster and began cooking it. The girl asked, "Mom, why did you cut the ends off?"
"That is how I was taught to do it," answered the mother.
"But why?" Insisted the girl.
"I don't know. Go ask your grandmother, she was the one who taught me."
The little girl was not going to let it drop without coming to an answer. So she ran down the street to her grandmother's house.
"Grandma, why do you cut the ends off the roast?"
"Well, my grandchild," began the grandmother, "I had to because the pan I had was always too small for the roasts that your grandfather would bring home from the butcher's shop."
How many lessons have you inherited without asking about them: religion, science, culture, politics, ethics, etc...?
Your life does not become "yours" until you own it. Think. Seek wisdom and understanding. Once you do and say and think your actions and words and thoughts because they are yours, then you will be "you."