Nihilism – The Scourge of the Modern World
(My response to the talk below and to the question of nihilism… To a general audience, as (virtually) always, speaking to the general public.) * Nihilism is the scourge of…
spirituality
Enlightenment Now
“Alan Watts – Trust the Universe”, on YouTube. Here is a brilliant talk. A bit one-sided, but the point is clear. Thou art that! Realize your true nature, as it…
Cutting Through The Chaff
A brief metaphysical musing on the nature of enlightenment, being and reality There are indeed many paths up the mountain. Sectarianism is juvenile and problematic at best; and dogmatism is…
The Heart Of The Perennial Wisdom
Or, The Heart Of The Perennial Philosophy The Crux, Or Core Of The Matter: What is the nature of good and evil, being and reality? An open letter to two…
Boethius, Stoicism and The Consolation of Philosophy
While I would recommend Boethius, and the Consolation of Philosophy, to all, I would not recommend Stoicism to anyone, for two reasons: 1. It encourages a banishment of feeling and…
The God Fetish, the God Phobia, and the Fetish of Words: Or, The Idolatry of Ideology
There are some who will read my writing and think – he’s a dangerous right-winger! But if they read more, they will realize that is obviously untrue. Others will decide…
The Essence of the Path
Here are a few things that I have gleaned, from listening, from study and contemplation, and from some genuine experience. I believe they can be helpful. But above all, think…
Getting Off The Treadmill: Seeking More Through Less
Newer, better, more… Newer, better, more… On and on the circle goes. But when you begin to see through such delusions and self-limiting, self-imprisoning patterns, then the door to true…
Core Wisdom: Compassion & Ferocity
I choose compassion because I want others to be happy and not to suffer. That is the intelligent way to live. Not that I am infallible, but I strive. Kindness…
The Gospel Of Thomas: A Key Text In World Religions & A Gateway To Mystery
The greatest scholar of world mythology, and one of the greatest scholars of world religion, Joseph Campbell, introduced me to the Gospel Of Thomas, and made clear its monumental…
Angkor Wat: Reflections On Our Modern World
~*~ Angkor Wat is the crown jewel of a 400 square kilometer set of temples and holy sites, set in the jungles of Cambodia. Built as a Hindu temple in…
Laying Waste To The Religious Right
A few brief thoughts for perspective: “Censorious scrupulosity” – Stephen Toulmin is as witty as he is brilliant. Make it viral (so to speak… Yikes, we will soon have to…
The Collapse of Modern Civilization
More than 150 years ago Thoreau commented, “Our sills are all rotten.” He was right. It is for that reason that Western, and Westernized, “modern” “civilization” is collapsing. This could…
Fantasy and Indoctrination: Rough notes on a few fantasy novels: part two
Here are two more fantasy books that I could not get through. That makes three in a row. And to think, I had a love affair with Terry Brookes’ Shannara…
Reflections On Stillness & Action
We need stillness and action – both, and urgently so. This should be becoming perfectly clear. I’ve travelled through 20 countries, but still I find stillness the greatest adventure, and…
Sunrise
Photo by Lilian (click to enlarge) And then this: a gift freely given every day. Clouds floating on a sky like water. Fire above, mysteries of home below. Filed under:…
Enlightenment: Raising Consciousness & The Cloud of Unknowing
Ideology is neither salvation nor liberation. As important as a paradigm shift, a shift in world view, or a shift in consciousness and perspective, clearly is, we must understand this.…