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====== My Thoughts on Spirituality ======

These are some random thoughts I've had about spirituality. 

===== Caveat =====

I am worried about putting this information to page because I don't want people to follow me, per se. I worry that what I write is wrong, and that it might mislead people from the truth, whatever it is. I write with a form of humility that recognizes it's own limits. I believe that by carefully analyzing the world, one can see God. But, I might be wrong.

I am not a guru, I don't claim to have any special knowledge of the divine. If you like anything that I say here, make sure you like it for the right reason -- because it makes sense and is helpful. If you find my logic difficult to understand or obtuse, then please do not take it into your own life. I invite you to think along with me, not to follow me.

In short, I am not a teacher, I am a student sharing the answers to his homework. I can only offer thoughts about the answers to the problems of life, but it is, as always, up to you to make sense of them for yourself. 

===== The Meaning of Life =====

Suppose, for a moment, that God is real. What I mean is, that we are created purposefully, by //somebody//. If this is true, we must ask ourselves two questions about God:

1. Who is God?

2. What were we made to do?

Answering the second question is easier than answering the first, so we'll start with that. Everything that is made purposefully has a form which enables it's function. An axe is made to chop wood, so it has a blade and a long handle, which allows for good leverage in this act. A shovel is made to move dirt, so it has a long, flat head, and a long handle to enable a man to stand up while moving it.

Thus, if we wish to understand the purpose of a thing, we must first observe its form. Once we understand its form, we can begin to understand its function. And once we have understood its function, we can begin to understand its purpose.

For example, suppose I show you a hammer. A hammer is a heavy object, with a flat, metal side and two prongs at the end. This is the form of a hammer. Then you might observe that there are other objects called nails, and that these nails have a sharp end, and a flat end. From the form of the nail, you would understand that it's function was to hold things together. Thus, the function of a hammer is to drive nails. Then, you might look into the purpose of a nail, and why we might want things to be held together... you would naturally say that the purpose of the nail was to hold together useful structures, such as houses, banks, and schools. Thus, the purpose of a hammer would be to build these useful structures.

What is the form of a man? Well, he has two arms and two legs. But what is the form of a man's soul, or mind? A man has many parts. One part are his emotions. He sees some things that are beautiful, and he sees some things that are disgusting. Secondly, he has a sense of morality, so he is able to understand that his own actions may either be disgusting or beautiful.

Almost important as what a man //is// is the question of what a man //isn't//. A man is born with a sense of right and wrong, but not with a sense of true and false. If I ask a person whether it is okay to murder someone, they will usually say no. But if I ask them if the temperature in Beijing is 56 degrees, they will not know.

This is a very strange state of affairs. Consider, for instance, that a man might see a problem in the world and be moved to action by his morals. Then, without meaning too, he might make the problem worse. This would happen because he has knowledge about right and wrong, but not knowledge about how the world really is.

And, yet, we have the ability to learn about the world, and we experience a distinct drive and pleasure in learning. We are curious, and when our curiosity is sated, we are briefly satisfied, before being filled with curiosity again. If man is meant to eat because he gets hungry, drink because he gets thirsty, and have sex because he comes aroused, then surely a man is meant to ask questions because he gets curious. 

This, too, is a strange state of affairs, because our ignorance stands in opposition to our curiosity, almost as a house divided against itself. It would be as if I made a lighter with a built in water sprayer to extinguish fires. Unless, that is, motion is the purpose of the thing. People make cars that move from place to place, because moving from place to place is it's purpose. Otherwise, a person might say: "Why are we making a machine that can move from point A to point B, when we could simply put the machine at point B"? 

Thus, I understand the function of man to be this:
1. Appreciate the beauty of the world.
2. Do your best to act morally.
3. Ask questions about the world, and, more importantly, about God. 

These three functions are actually all part of the same function, in a sense that's difficult to put into words... but I will do my best. Part of the beauty of the world is how little we know about it. The moment we know everything about something, it ceases to have value. Thus, since we are continually ignorant, we are continually in awe of things, and continue to be -- well, blessed by it all. 

God is the source of all good things, all good things come from God and are, themselves, a reflection of God. Thus, as we experience the unfolding beauty of the world, we experience an unfolding of our spirit. We are like flowers, with petals closed, slowly opening ourselves up to bask in the rays of his light.

Moral actions, are, themselves, beautiful, because people are the greatest and most valuable creation. The mind of a man is as deep and as wide as the ocean, full of secrets, some things hidden to others, some things hidden to himself. A person is like a diamond, refracting a kaleidoscope of different colors depending on the situation.

The best things in life are participatory, not consumptive. When we participate in things, we become a part of them, and we gain a more perfect and intimate understanding of them. When we consume, we see things as though through a glass darkly. Thus, when we love one another, we are participating in the beauty of man. In this way, when we love others, we are appreciating the beauty of the world.

All of this points in one clear direction -- that life is a gift. We aren't on this earth to trudge about in fear and alienation from ourselves, but to enjoy this crazy ride. We aren't cursed here on Earth, we are blessed in a marvelous and incredible way, and every one of us is given the opportunity to enjoy God's light. And why is it so? Because God is Love. He loves us in an incredible, perfect way.

This is... controversial, because I am saying that to be unsure is the greatest blessing a man can have, as opposed to organized religion which purports to have the answers. I don't hate organized religion, I think that it points us in the right direction. I think their hearts are in the right place. I think many good people are in organized religions. If you are able to worship God where you are, then, by all means, keep doing so.

I'm not trying to throw a monkey-wrench in anyone's worldview, I'm not a rebel, I'm just a guy that is trying to follow God in the way I know how. I'm claiming this gift that I've been given. I don't know everything. I'm a fool in so many ways, but I am trying my best... I'm a kid in a candy shop.

===== The Treacherous Path to Wisdom =====

In the previous section, I spoke about how we are born ignorant, but one of the purposes of life is to explore God's nature, to ask questions, to challenge yourself, and to grow. I believe in my heart that God is good, so I believe that God will show each of us the correct path of wisdom. If we never achieve true wisdom, at least we are following the path, this is the path we should endeavor to follow all of our lives.

Yet, the path to wisdom is treacherous, and many falter. God is good, his light illuminates the path, but we can sometimes get in the way of the light. When we do, our view of wisdom becomes twisted, corrupted by our own shadow.  If we follow the path laid out by this twisted view, we will find //something//, but it will be a corrupted, twisted version of truth. The version of truth you find can only frustrate you by providing an incomplete view of God.

Why do people get in the way of the light? It's because of an incorrect attitude. One's attitude should be pure when on the path. It should be to remain open-minded to whatever the spirit says. One's attitude creates their intentions, and their intentions end up creating the reality that they see. So, rule over your attitude, continually purify yourself, if you wish to follow the path.

^ Attitude ^ Intention          ^ Result             ^ Frustration ^
| Greed    | to gain power      | The Occult/Alchemy | Everything you do will be self-serving. You will continually desire goodness, but be unable to attain it, because you are ruled by your own greed. You'll step on your own toes every time you wish to do good. |
| Hate     | to judge others    | Legalism           | You will create a list of rules to approach God, but you will never be able to approach God yourself, because you still have hatred in your heart for your fellow man. The list of rules will grow in volume to the point in which you are a slave to it. You won't be able to understand the world, because your idea of God will be one of wrath, and you won't be able to square that with the blessing that this world is. |
| Pleasure | to have a good time| Hedonism           | You will create an idea of the world that says that life is meant to be enjoyed, and for you to have a good time... but you won't have a good time at all. You will only be able to experience things from an arm's breadth, only able to see the vague outlines of true pleasure. So you will find yourself acquiring more and more //stuff//, because you won't be able to see the beauty in the things you already have. |