You can have the most wonderful product in the world, but if people don’t know about it, it’s not going to be worth much. – Donald Trump
Is your own spirituality a wonderful product? What is the most wonderful product in the world?
Can God help you to become the person you want to be? Spirituality might be the uplift a person feels when seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time; a religious institution might be an arena for money, power, and politics. Such organizations as Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, and Co-dependents Anonymous emphasize spirituality over religion. What spiritual insights do we need and how might we find them?
Prophecy is what we all need to go by now. – Prince Rogers Nelson
Knowledge is not so precise a concept as is commonly thought. – Bertrand Russell
Religion is the most interesting subject of all. – Christopher Hitchens
You need to generate interest, and you need to generate excitement. – Donald Trump
What is enthusiasm? Is it that burning desire that comes from gods?
Light only comes from heat. – Christopher Hitchens
In terms of physics, visible light and radiating heat differ only by s shift in frequency. In terms of emotions, intellectual light and questioning heat require discipline and many human qualities, both admirable and offensive.
God is dead. – Friedrich Nietzsche
You should never criticize another person’s religion. – Kofi Annan
Should you never criticize things, people, or places that mean a great deal to another person? Diplomats are offered wine and banquets, but look what happened to Socrates.
Is every strong desire like a false god? Is every word a temptation to worship a false god of desire? Consider 6 hypotheses: Words, gods, and old soldiers never die – they simply fade away. Every word is a false god. Every god is a false word. Most gods are hidden in obscurity, seldom mentioned in words, but worshipped fervently in actions. All gods are false, but some gods are more false than others. Your soul is the sum total of the gods you worship.
Is the question superior to the answer? Are uncertainty, quantum electrodynamics, and ethical relativism the glory or the downfall of humanity?
According to “Unpopular Essays” by Bertrand Russell, “Enduring uncertainty is difficult, but so are most of the other virtues.” Does every person’s life carry a huge burden of unspoken desperation, conflicted emotion, anxious uncertainty, and unexamined habit?
Not the pain, but the cause, makes the martyr. – Ambrose, bishop of Milan
Do words promote and distort every cause? Is religion always held hostage to words? Do words act as false gods that both enhance and degrade spirituality? Why is every word a false god? People practice idolatry in believing that a word possesses magical powers. Habit and superstition create a belief that a word has precise meaning in use, valid weight in law, and honest freedom from duplicity. Words cannot possess the god-like powers attributed to them. Are we much more like misguided, noise-making chimpanzees than is commonly believed? Can words rise above the lowly creatures that use them?
Did people create God as teacher, guide, and placebo? Did God create our psychological universe? Do people need God?
The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it. – Ambrose, bishop of Milan
Does affliction send people in search of God? Does life change a person’s creed? Is each human heart a hidden book?
Make your own bible. – Emerson
According to Nikos Kazantzakis, by passionately believing in an entity that does not exist, we create that entity as a psychological reality. Do hopes, fears, incomplete knowledge, and unsuspected ignorance create psychological realities in all people? To see ourselves spiritually, do we need other people as spiritual mirrors?
Consider two proverbs: God who made the world so wisely, as wisely rules it. What a man desires, he easily believes. Is God the greatest placebo? What might God or science bring to people?
Consider three predictions: (1) From the year 1953 C.E. of the Watson-Crick DNA double helix model until the year of global human catastrophe, molecular biological knowledge shall more than double every three years. (2) By the year 2073 C.E., mammalian rejuvenation, ability to cure all human diseases, and superhuman intelligence in hominid form shall all be achieved. (3) By the year 2103 C.E., superhuman intelligence and global human catastrophe shall decimate the human species and create an irretrievably bad political situation for all people. Have I made the preceding three predictions from a prideful desire to proclaim my own pessimism and misanthropy?
God protect me from ever looking upon a man as an animal. – Emerson
Does God exist? According to Darwin, are people anything more than animals? According to Theodosius Dobzhansky, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Is human spiritual intuition anything more than a fact of biology? Without God and immortal souls, what might spirituality mean?
Do we need to discover the spiritual insights, perceptions, intuitions, experiences, hopes, wishes, and aspirations of other people? What is the best path to spiritual discovery? Can voting be an important means of spiritual discovery for groups of people?
Why does spirituality exist? Consider two proverbs: This world is nothing except it tend to another. Heaven will make amends for all. – (proverbs from “The Dictionary of Best Known Quotations and Proverbs”)
Is there anything beyond the material realm? Is there a profound human need to believe in a supernatural realm?
Christian Trinitarians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, was crucified, dead, and buried, and then arose from the dead as the Holy Paraclete. Muslims believe that Jesus is a prophet of God, but Mohammed of Mecca is the last and greatest of the prophets of God. Many Hindus believe that Ganesa (a.k.a. Ganesha or Ganapati) is the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles. Atheists believe that miracles, immortal souls, and supernatural entities are false hypotheses.
Do atheistic materialists who work together need team spirit? What do people really mean when they use the words “spirit” and “spirituality”?
In Galen’s physiological theory, generally accepted by medieval European physicians, the spirit of the body had three basic types:
The natural spirit arose from the blood, was centered in the liver, and governed nutrition, growth, and procreation.
The vital spirit arose from the heart’s mixture of the air of respiration from the lungs with the natural spirit of the blood and conveyed heat and life through the arteries to the body.
The animal spirit arose from the brain’s conversion of the vital spirit and distributed the power of motion and feeling through the nerves.
Who possesses a valid theory of spirit?
Many writers on corporate success emphasize the importance of tremendous enthusiasm and team spirit. Good corporate culture is necessary for devotion to customer satisfaction. Corporate team spirit motivates constant innovation and improvement for customer satisfaction. Commerce emphasizes team spirit for material gain. Religion emphasizes transcendent spirit for eternal gain.
Who can measure spirit? Scientists and engineers can justify their expertise in terms of statistics and empirical experiments. Religious believers seldom attribute great significance to statistics. We might disagree with a person’s religious opinions, but how can we disagree with a person’s religious emotions? Should various groups of people vote in order to reveal whatever spiritual consensus might be found in a particular group?
According to the 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Latin “votum,” derived from “vovere,” to vow, meant a solemn promise, hence a wish, desire, or prayer. Does success in life depend upon a balance among material, emotional, psychological, and spiritual factors? Does a good life require common sense, sound judgment, empathetic understanding, wisdom, courage, humility, and skills in communication, social interaction, and decision-making?
Consider two proverbs: He who knows himself best esteems himself least. He who thinks he knows the most knows the least. What should we esteem the most? What is most important for us to know?
In childhood, young adulthood, middle age, and old age, do we have different spiritual insights? If you had to choose 4, and only 4, spiritual insights as most important to you, then what would the 4 insights be? Is humility the beginning of wisdom? Granted that humility is better than arrogance, could objectivity be better than both arrogance and humility?
Consider some proverbs: Arrogance is the obstruction of reason. It is not a sign of humility to declaim against pride. Pride often borrows the cloak of humility. Conversation teaches more than meditation. Does deep conversation with another person enlighten either you or the other person?
According to Will Rogers, the two best ways for us to learn are by reading good books and by talking to people who are smarter than we are. What do you regard as good? Who do you think is smart? Socrates asked: What is a good life? What should a person know? What should a person do? The painter Paul Gauguin asked: Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going?
There is not one fundamental form of human intelligence but at least several hundred forms. Any given person is probably smarter than you in at least several ways. On the other hand, are many books almost completely worthless? According to H.L. Mencken, the main thing to be learned from books is that most books are not worth reading.
Consider a proverb: A good book is a great friend. According to Aldous Huxley, “Every man who knows how to read has it within his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant, and interesting.” Are the best books for you those books that help you the most in terms of what is most important to you? Are the best spiritual insights for you those insights that help you the most spiritually?
Do other people have spiritual insights that you need? Can voting reveal an important spiritual consensus? In terms of spirituality, which books have meant the most to you? Where can we find the best books, personal stories, spiritual insights, and role models?
What did Jesus of Nazareth teach? Love your neighbor as yourself. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
To a considerable extent, did Jesus teach a practical way of dealing with other people? How can you understand people at the deepest level? Listen. Observe. Value. Empathize. If you value other people’s emotions, opinions, perceptions, and abilities, then shall you enrich your own life? Does success depend upon talent, experience, knowledge, motivation, and opportunity as well as wisdom, courage, spirituality, humor, and humility? According to Leonardo da Vinci, only the inadequate student fails to exceed the teacher. In terms of your spirituality, should you let everyone else be your teacher, and then learn to look at things from your teacher’s point of view?
According to Will Rogers, “Everybody is ignorant only on different subjects.” According to Alfred North Whitehead, “ Not ignorance, but the ignorance of ignorance is the death of knowledge.”
How can you learn what you need to know? Who are your three greatest role models? Are they better than Ben Franklin, Socrates, and Will Rogers?
In his “Autobiography,” Ben Franklin listed 13 subjects for spiritual improvement.
(1) Temperance – Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
(2) Silence – Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
(3) Order – Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
(4) Resolution – Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
(5) Frugality – Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
(6) Industry - Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
(7) Sincerity – Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
(8) Justice – Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
(9) Moderation – Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
(10) Cleanliness - Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
(11) Tranquility – Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
(12) Chastity – Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
(13) Humility – Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
How humble was Jesus? Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the Son of God and “the way, the truth, and the light.” If Jesus really was the Son of God in the Holy Trinity, then Jesus exemplified humble self-sacrifice. According to “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, the Jesus of the New Testament was one of three possibilities: liar, lunatic, or Lord. C.S. Lewis claimed that the historically documented miracle of Christ’s resurrection proved that Jesus is truly Lord. Many miracles are alleged, but few are historically documented.
In the 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, we find the entry APOLLONIUS OF TYANA, a Greek philosopher of the Neo-Pythagorean school, born a few years before the Christian era. He studied at Tarsus and at the temple of Asclepius at Aegae, where he devoted himself to the doctrines of Pythagoras and adopted the ascetic habit of life in the fullest sense. He travelled through Asia and visited Nineveh, Babylon and India, imbibing the oriental mysticism of magi, Brahmans and gymnosophists. The narrative of his travels given by his disciple Damis and reproduced by Philostratus is so full of the miraculous that many have regarded him as an imaginary character. On his return to Europe he was saluted as a magician, and received the greatest reverence from priests and people generally. He himself claimed only the power of foreseeing the future; yet in Rome it was said that he raised from death the body of a noble Roman lady. … In the 3rd century, Hierocles (q.v.) endeavoured to prove that the doctrines and life of Apollonius were more valuable than those of Christ …
Are there alternate universes in which the worship of Apollonius of Tyana lasted for at least two millennia? What shall be the roles of Christianity and Islam over the next two millennia?
The book “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis gives an excellent exposition of the basic ideas of Christianity. The book “The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James explores religion from a Christian agnostic viewpoint. The book “What Mad Pursuit” by Francis Crick explains atheistic materialism from a scientist’s viewpoint. Which of the three preceding books is closest to the material truth? Which of the three preceding books is closest to the spiritual truth? If I am on the wrong spiritual path, then I must first perceive the spiritual problem. I can then attempt to overcome my own confusion, fear, and indecision in order to deal with the problem. According to W. Edwards Deming, “It takes courage to admit that you have been doing something wrong, to admit that you have something to learn, that there is a better way.”
According to the book “The Deming Management Method” by Mary Walton, Deming told American seminar attendees, “You came here to learn how to change. Not just to patch up. Not just to work downstream. … My job is to find out the source of improvement, the sources of trouble. I said SOURCE, not downstream. That is what I have been doing. And as you go to the source, you see the change is absolutely necessary. … Did you ever stop to think of the power of teamwork? You don’t have it. We don’t have it in this country. It is every man for himself. Call it rugged individualism. Better stop to think, when everyone is an individual businessman – and the American style of management creates it – there cannot be teamwork. ….
The system is such that almost nobody can do his best. You have to know what to do, THEN do your best.”
Does Deming’s management method have an important spiritual component? Do you need spiritually-oriented total quality management that balances your various talents, goals, motivations, strengths, weaknesses, obligations, problems, advantages, disadvantages, and opportunities? Can a spiritual consensus revealed by voting help you?
Think of various groups such as scientist, engineers, salespersons, managers, entrepreneurs, investors, historians, humanists, social scientists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. Within each group, the members might reach a consensus on categories for spiritual enlightenment. For example, books, personal stories, aphorisms, teachers, and role models might be plausible categories. Within each category, each member of the group might nominate 5 candidates for inclusion. After all the nominations are gathered, there could be a consensus vote for the best candidates. The vote could give a ranking for consideration within each category.
Truth flows from time, experience, and memory over generations. Proverbs are like pebbles that the stream polishes.
You can’t con people, at least not for long. – Donald Trump
Consider 12 proverbs: Money is a good servant and a bad master. Money and friendship bribe justice. Money begets money. Money is often lost for want of money. Money is the sinew of love, as well as war. Money, like manure, does no good until it is spread. Money makes not so many true friends as real enemies. Money is a sword, that can cut even the Gordian knot. Money is ace of trumps. Money is the best bait to fish for man with. Money is the only monarch. Money is the god of this world. Does atheistic materialism promote the worship of money? For every level of virtuous spirituality is there a corresponding level of evil spirituality? If the love of money really is the root of all evil, then how should we regard progress in science and technology?
The dollar always talks in the end. – Donald Trump
Does the material future belong to money and people? Do you need to understand other people at the most profound level? In order to understand another person’s experiences and emotions, is it essential for you to have undergone similar experiences and emotions? According to Ezra Pound, “No man understands a deep book until he has seen and lived at least part of its contents.” Is every person a deep book?
Are the most important facts about a person the facts of that person’s most profound emotions, insights, perceptions, intuitions, experiences, loves, hates, hopes, wishes, and aspirations? According to Aldous Huxley, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” Are the most important insights more a matter of faith than reason?
Are spiritual insights essential in dealing with people? According to “Problem Bosses” by Grothe and Wylie, “… while business schools often provide excellent training in areas like accounting and finance, they’re weak in the area of managing people. … Another problem with M.B.A. programs is their tendency to produce graduates who see themselves as special and more deserving of respect and rewards than other people. … In a world of computers and space shuttles, we’re still pretty dense when it comes to the subject of how people get along with each other …” What might be the key insight for promoting team spirit? Coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “I just think that there is something inside everybody that is really good.”
Do our concepts of good and evil profoundly influence science and technology? What are the greatest tasks remaining for science and technology? Is the answer to the preceding question to be found in money and what people want? Why do many people believe in God more than in money, science, and technology? According to the poet Byron, the two best agents for calming the human spirit are “rum and true religion.” Is God the best of all possible placebos?
But for the grace of God, there goes John Bradford. – John Bradford
If God were not a necessary Being of Himself, He would almost seem to be made for the use of and benefit of men. – John Tillotson
We are just another animal, really. – Alastair Fothergill
Does every creed distort truth and spirituality? Should you be slow to reject another’s creed and quick to doubt your own? Can a wax head contain a golden creed? Consider some proverbs. He that hath a head of wax must not walk in the sun. ‘Tis a wicked world, and we make part of it. ‘Tis an unhappy wit that stirs up enemies against itself. From hearing, comes wisdom; from speaking, repentance. ‘Tis easier to bear unkindness than affronts. Contradiction should awaken attention, not passion. God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. God send me a friend that may tell me my faults; if not, an enemy, and to be sure he will. An enemy is a perpetual spy. Beware of no man more than thyself. No vice like avarice. No fence against gold. Gold goes in any gate except heaven’s. He will never get to heaven that desires to go hither alone. In a calm sea, every man is a pilot. Danger past, God is forgotten. Without a friend, the world is a wilderness. In the deepest water is the best fishing. Corn is cleansed with the wind, and the soul with chastening. The soul is not where it lives but where it loves. Love can neither be bought nor sold; its only price is love. Love sees no faults. Where there is much love, there is much mistake. Do you love your own creed too much? Do we need to meditate upon the spiritual insights that might be revealed or obscured by various theories and creeds?
Everybody is talented at something. That is what makes the world go around. And we all need each other. – Prince Rogers Nelson
Do we need the deepest possible insights into what people want, believe, and hope for? Are systems of voting that identify spiritual insights truly valuable tools that all of us need?
