At a certain point, if someone doesn’t break away from their [the guru/holy book/tradition/etc.] and find their own way, then the best turn of events would be to become bitterly disappointed with what they’ve chosen to venerate, because that would be the only way to move beyond fawning adoration toward actual transcendence.


13 thoughts on “Musings

  1. For a lot of people, tradition and heritage define and structure their perception of life and existence. In my opinion, no one is truly an island, totally isolated from their history and culture. My wife is Jewish, and while she’s not particularly observant in most of the traditions, I’ve known some Jews who take great comfort in the daily prayers, which for men can include the use of specific types of clothing and other items as a way to provide a tangible as well as spiritual means of connecting with God.

    Yes, I agree that at the end of the day, no matter our religion, traditions, or whatever, we each, as individuals, negotiate our relationship with the Almighty, but almost always, we do so using methods that many generations before us have used.

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  2. Mapping out the development of a person by age, education, experience, relationships produces a framework for advancement and “transcendence.”

    Defining “At a certain point,” is critical to a prescription for actualizations.

    I do not feel that a child has the ability to consider such adult notions. In their development, they would need guidance and discipline to get past the ages of most vulnerability while retaining the magic of childhood.

    Nor do I feel that many young adults have the maturity to see the values, consequences, and dangers of venerating their celebrities/traditions/religions/philosophies. They have not asked and answered the questions that lead to understanding, discernment, and discretion

    The best “turn of events” for many adults is seeking mature interpretations of the ideas and rules they have accepted without question. They need to discover the values of the relationships they form with others and the paths they choose.

    They need not experience complete schism to select and refine their viewpoints. I think a person should look at all the choices and pick those parts of belief systems that are right for them. This collection can be adjusted to change, add, eliminate, and transform the ways they live.

    The biggest danger, which you point out, is to commit without thinking to rigid, extreme notions that do not serve family, friends, coworkers, and authorities in reasoned, human ways.

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    • True. Children have a pronounced vulnerability to malice, but if they are put in scenarios where they can clearly see the advantages of critical thinking, it will lead for a stronger individual, as well as a stronger society. For example, patriotism to me has nothing to do with being conservative, liberal, or whatever. It has everything to do with being able to deliver a sound argument that is well articulated. Blind loyalty to a flag or concept in the presence of fallacious thinking, is the exact opposite of patriotism, in my opinion, as it weakens the collective.

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      • THIS ^^^ Children need to be parented and taught. Part of that is discipline and systems of belief and behavior (it’s easier to understand those things when you experience it first hand). But a HUGE portion is teaching and allowing children to think for themselves. That includes helping them to put many things in perspective (such as not allowing them to idolize/deify celebrities) before they get lost to some ideal or belief that does not allow for critical thinking and making choices for themselves.

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  3. Well said. Faith isn’t about blindly following what someone else has laid out for you. It is about questioning what’s in front of you and charting your own path towards being the best person that you can be. Some verses in scriptures still hold good today and some are no longer relevant. It’s important to separate the grain from the chaff.

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  4. Religion, spirituality and observing traditions can be healthy complements to one’s life, but I agree; eventually one must look within for guidance. To be able to trust what is found there and follow it requires a tremendous amount of courage.

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