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Welcome Metaphysics Realization Resources Anil Mitra
Contents A note on the possibilities of religion Introduction to yoga and meditation Templates, affirmation, and dedication Traditional and modern approaches to living in the world Small capitals indicate significant concepts. PrologueA human aimTo understand and seek our real being is an essential human aim. Though not all subscribe, this is characteristic of some persons and significant historical movements. From the way of being > metaphysics > real metaphysics, there is an ultimate or highest or peak being, the aim is to realize it, and, if enjoyment is a value, there is an imperative to it. Were it not for the real metaphysics, we might think that peak being is not the Gods of the religions, but that, just looking at the natural world, we might speculate that it arises from the elements of nature, that it is a process, that we are part of that process, and that the process is on the way to some indefinitely known ultimate, that we might be able to enhance the process, and that the traditional systems (e.g., religions, magic) have symbolic value where they lack truth or have weak truth (weak or non-robust truth is defined in the documents linked just above). Given the real metaphysics, these speculations are true. The aim above is a form of the aim of the way of being. The ideas of ‘good’ and ‘right’ are included by implication. To seek real being does not deny our world—it also emphasizes living materially, morally, and aesthetically in our world. That there is an imperative is a value and is not intended as an imposition. Aim of the essayThe aim of this document is to synthesize (a) a way based in the way of being (b) consequent pathways to the ultimate. The sources for the synthesis shall be way of being (above), received tradition (ancient to current), experience, action (and experiment), imagination, and criticism. The next division ways and pathways will consider the real metaphysics and some of its consequences relevant to the aim. Approach and outlineWays and pathways and The way of being > A variety of ways and kinds > Select ways in greater depth > Synthesis. Ways and pathwaysWe begin with the way of being as it is an ultimate framework for realization; the discussion of the way will also introduce some concepts. We then consider the essentials of ways; a variety of ways and their kinds as options and illustration; and, for synthesis, select ways in greater depth. Ways and pathwaysA way of realization or WAY is a set of ideas, which include a worldview—the way the world is and our place in it, practices, and general actions that specify ultimate being, and a pathway, pathways, or ways of realization in the immediate world and beyond that aim at realization of the ultimate. A received way—e.g., a religion, a practical metaphysics, or a secular way—has a set of ideas such as a world view or cosmology or the way the world is and our place in it including conceptions of this and ultimate worlds, a communal system, a moral system for behavior in all worlds, a system of reward and punishment for this world and beyond, and a pathway, pathways, or ways of realization in the immediate world and beyond that aim at realization of the ultimate. Though received ways may fall short of ideal both empirically and rationally, they have elements that may be useful. According to the metaphysics of the way, realization is certain, but the occasion of its occurrence and the quality and effectiveness of the process is not given in advance. We will provide pathways but emphasize that they are and must be experimental (given that we are in limited form). Worldviews and their elementsThe worldview may be (i) explicit and defined by logic in its most general sense (ii) implicit in a set of defined or communal practice. The explicit kind typically has a cosmology, which describes the world and the variety of beings, relationships, and processes, and, often, ideal beings and states of being, psychology, and practices to achieve those states. The cosmology may be mythic, which, even if it lacks logical foundation, may have selective value. Alternatively, the cosmology may have logical foundation, especially in philosophy and metaphysics. The worldview defines the condition and aim of living. It may include afterlife, eternal destiny, spiritual and divine being or beings. It may provide social bonding and motivate individual and group action. Potential future integrationWhile there is a range of kinds of way—religions, magic, secularism (tacit, humanistic, and scientific)—the next section will show that these may be brought under one universal, ultimate, and true system, which will negate logical need for distinct ways and practices, but which in its intrinsic nature cannot be imposed and, cannot be expected to displace the range of kinds and ways (i) pragmatically, because of individual and communal investments in inherited ways (ii) as will be seen, below the level of the universal, experiments in ideas, practices, and exploration will be needed. Some distinctionsSecular vs transsecular. Received vs in process. The way of beingOriginsThe Way of Being is an outcome of a mission to discover and realize essential being. It grew out of experience in the world and historical reading. It was found that standard received secular and transsecular paradigms of the world are limited and that we may go beyond their real and symbolic limits by employing, critiquing, and extending their contents and limits. The real metaphysicsWe found the universe to be realization of the possible in its most inclusive sense (logical possibility), which demonstrated and perfect knowledge, joined to pragmatic knowledge and its process, form a real metaphysics. Implications of the real metaphysics include— ConsequencesThe universe has identity. The universe and its identity limitless in extension, duration, variety, peak, and dissolution of being. The only limits to realization of a concept are consistency of the conception. More precisely and completely, these are limits of logic, which are not limits on the real (for example, that there are no square circles is not a limit on the world). As it (logic) is understood here, deductive systems such as propositional and predicate logics are examples of logic. However, in the present understanding, logic includes (i) any other system of necessary inference (i.e., true conclusions certainly follow from true premises, which is opposed to an inductive logic or reasoning, in which conclusions are likely but less than certain, even when premises are true) and (ii) means of establishment of necessarily true facts, either by perception or thought. If we relax the requirement of necessity, to degrees of confidence less than certain, logic will include science. Individuals inherit the power of the universe. That is, individuals have no real limits—i.e., no absolute limits. We do of course experience and think of some limits as real (for example physical limits, birth, and death), but they are limits only while we are in limited form, which ought to be given due respect, but which may be overcome in ‘this life’ (perhaps rarely) and are overcome beyond it. Peak being is a process and end; we are part of that process with ground in elementary being and the end or aim as peak. Pleasure and pain are unavoidable; pain is not to be shunned; pleasure is not to be cultivated to excess or only for its own sake. The proper address of pleasure and pain is to employ cultural therapies as an element of being on a path to the ultimate. This is the only address to pain, including pain that seems to serve no purpose (as in cancer) or seems absurd (the pain of an infant) or is the result of cruelty and uncaring. Enjoyment is ideal appreciation of experience of self and world, which includes perception, thought, emotion, pleasure, and pain. Intelligence may be seen as effectiveness in negotiation issues of thought and action and classed according to whether the thought-action is in the world or for the world. There are intelligent and effective paths to the ultimate. Even passivity leads to the ultimate—however, if enjoyment is a value, there is an ethical and aesthetic imperative to develop and be on paths to the ultimate. To be on the way to the ultimate is also to cultivate—not to ignore—the immediate. The way of being includes to live in the immediate and ultimate as one. A variety of ways and kindsOne aim to my study of and looking into religion is to learn from the religions. To a secular thinker, the religious cosmologies are often absurd. From the real metaphysics, except where a cosmology is illogical, i.e., harbors explicit or implicit contradiction, the cosmology is realized somewhere-when. However, that the cosmology with contradiction removed is realized in our cosmos is practically unlikely and that it is realized at all, is non-robust (robustness is defined in the little manual). Regardless of these considerations, even an absurd cosmology may have real and spiritual significance. What is the significance of belief in the remote god of the Abrahamic religions (note I choose this example for its absurdity)? Obviously there may be negative significance, real, spiritual, and moral. Yet, at the same time it has real significance (our own higher being), spiritual significance (access to higher being), and moral significance (that since all beings aspire to and have such access they are not distinct from one another). Many aspects of many religions and modern ways, e.g., modern religions and therapies, have such significance. My aim is not to justify the religions, but, where they have positive significances, to see and discover them, and, if indicated, to integrate them into the way of being. A range of ways and pathwaysThere is a range of primal, traditional, and modern approaches to the aim of the ultimate. The primal are the ways of peoples living in close contact with nature and include Shamanism and Dreamtime. In the primal there is the immediate world and the spirit world of the inferred but unseen. The spirit world dictates prescribed and proscribed behavior which are determined by narrative as well as semi-empirically. The traditional include the world religions, their interpretations, and related philosophies which may justify andor generate them. Popular Hinduism has many strands colors and gods. There is a philosophical core, especially Advaita Vedanta, that sees the universe as cyclic. The cycles of emergence, sustenance, and dissolution are Brahman—the conscious living universe. The individual, Atman, lies within and is ultimately Brahman. In original Buddhism, metaphysical speculation is eschewed, life is an impermanent stream of becoming, all things are interconnected, what we think and do affects what we become. The human condition is specified in the four noble truths—suffering, its cause, therefore a way to eliminate suffering, and a path (the eightfold way). In Christianity, God is the creator and lord, of the universe and morality—as in the commandments. Life is eternal and its destiny is heaven or hell. To achieve salvation requires worship and moral life. Worship is of God and of God’s son, Jesus who died for our sins. Many modern Christians see the cosmology as symbolic; they are there for the Christian message (e.g., love), the symbology, and community. Other Christians regard the Bible (and some of its interpretations) as literally true. Traditional religions have an implicit psychology that is often seen today as having positive elements as well as deficiencies which include lack of clear recognition of the nature of suffering and mental illness. These are addressed (imperfectly so far) by psychology, psychotherapy (which is not inherently a-religious), and psychiatry. The modern include (i) the primal and traditional, with and without newer meanings and interpretations (ii) newer religions (iii) secularism which may focus solely on the material aspects of life and may see modern science as essentially defining the world (as known thus far) and has scientism as a degenerate form in which science so far defines the world and science and its method is the source of all that is real and all that is of value and knowledge of the same (iv) secular humanism, which places human values at the center of the real, has may have secularism as a pragmatic world view, but may be open to further possibility and spirituality, and may see human nature in light of modern psychology, psychotherapy, and psychiatry (iv) metaphysical views which may be (a) based in evident truth and reason andor (b) frankly speculative in more or less reasonable ways (depending on the interpreter). Secular humanism recognizes only the secular, natural, and human world and rejects the extranatural including God (but aspects of the natural world may be seen as God—as, for example, by Charles Hartshorne). Humans are not superior to other beings (animals); they are inherently capable of moral thought, attitudes, and behavior (imperfectly) but are not inherently good or evil. Science and philosophy are major sources of truth. Utilitarianism is the most common ethics, at least pragmatically. The concern for the individual and for humankind is fulfillment, growth, and creativity. Building a better world for ourselves and our children is possible and a primary value and may be achieved with “reason, an open exchange of ideas, good will, and tolerance”. Tolerance is not “anything goes”. It is many things, especially non-rejection of what is different and what is non-normative just because different or non-normative. But it is not tolerance of harm; it is not tolerance of intolerance. Yet its attitude to such things is to contain, understand, and limit, rather than to disconnect or punish. Though The Way of Being is a way and may (and does) develop pathways (below), it is unlike the fixed ways and pathways in that, though some elements have finality, some elements, especially the more concrete, of both the way and pathways are experimental and under development (as long as we remain limited beings). A note on the religionsThough not all will be referred to, it will be useful to list the ‘world religions’. While scholars distinguish what is and what is not a world religion, I will not (classification does not serve the aim of this document). The traditional religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and Baháʼí. The primal religions are called ‘indigenous’ by scholars, but the terms are not definite. Included are Shamanism, Dreamtime, and Shinto. A new religious movement (also, ‘alternative spirituality’ and ‘new religion’) is a modern alternative to traditional religion, often founded by a charismatic leader. What characterizes a religion? A system of cosmology and faith, a morality derived therefrom, a community, and, often, a system of enculturation that is psychological, economic, political, communal, andor physical. Are secularism, secular humanism, scientism, and atheism religions? Except scientism, I would say not, but they can be approached with an attitude of dogma regarding the real and value that lacks tolerance and matches some religions in intensity. Scientism, of course, is utter dogma. Is science a religion? I would say not, but it can take the place of religion. If tolerance is a value, ‘science as religion’ is acceptable where the attitude to science is open. I do not regard tolerance as an attitude of ‘anything is fine’ but an attitude of accepting difference, though not accepting destructive thinking and acting. Is The Way of Being and its approach to realization religion? It has a cosmology which is proven and about which doubt is healthy; a morality and a way of living (the pathways) may be derived from it (with supplement from ‘tradition’ critically imported); emotion, passion, and aesthetic sense are present as ways of being and as drivers of thought—in interaction and balance with reason; dogma, in its pejorative sense, is absent (I hope); thus far community is absent but sought; thus far I find enculturation difficult even for myself. A note on the possibilities of religionThe way of being finds (i) that to have an empirically defined concept of religion and to follow that concept, while it may have human social reality, is to seriously limit achievement of the real and that (ii) there is an ideal concept of religion as all being employing its entire being in search of peak being. This incorporates all human means and ways and is not the limited empirical notion of experience and scholarship. The name ‘religion’ applied to this concept may mislead, but the concept itself is of ultimate significance. For The Way of BeingFor living in the world, the real metaphysics reveals the approaches of Yoga and Buddhism to have robustness. For living in the immediate and ultimate as one, Advaita Vedanta is robust—and real metaphysics gives it foundation, realism, elaboration, and a path. Real metaphysics does not reject the Abrahamic religions but finds their cosmologies and paths (i) less robust as real (ii) having symbolic value in emotional and material terms. While the traditional and modern ways have value, for The Way they are seen as supplements to be regarded as experimental and subject to reinterpretation, redefinition, and enhancement. Perfection in this world according to the traditional-modern ways or individual internal criteria are valuable but it is always essential, in terms of values stemming from the real metaphysics, to keep such experimental notions of perfection in balance with being on a path to the ultimate. Select ways in greater depthSelect approachesThe aim is to have supplements to the way of being. Italicized items are of found to be of particular interest. Primal ways—the experienced world and its hypothetical causes are not split. Reference—Make Prayers to the Raven, Richard K. Nelson, 1983. Eastern, especially Hinduism (particularly, Yoga and Advaita Vedanta) and Buddhism (four truths, eightfold way of realization). Reference—Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, C.A. Moore, and S. Radhakrishnan, 1957. Abrahamic religions, especially Judaism and Christianity, and their symbolic truths. Reference—The Fifth Dimension, John Hick, 1999 (also a general reference on the meaning of religion). Secular, modern, e.g. secular humanism, material, existential, and approach from Being, psychotherapies and psychoanalysis. Some elements of the approaches follow. PathwaysThe eightfold way of Buddhism and of Yoga, the Christian life of faith, worship and morality are examples. The eightfold way of Yoga is described by Moore and Radhakrishnan in A Sourcebook of Indian Philosophy— “The special feature of the Yoga system, as distinguished from Samkhya, is its practical discipline, by which the suppression of mental states is brought about through the practices of spiritual exercises and the conquest of desire. The Yoga gives us the eightfold method of abstention, observance, posture, breath control, withdrawal of the senses, fixed attention, contemplation, and concentration. The first two of these refer to the ethical prerequisites for the practice of yoga. We should practice non-violence, truthfulness, honesty, continence, and non-acceptance of gifts. We should observe purification (internal and external), contentment, austerity, and devotion to God. Posture is a physical aid to concentration. Breath control aids serenity of mind. Abstraction of the senses from their natural function helps still the mind. These five steps are indirect or external means to yoga. In fixed attention we get the mind focused on a subject. Contemplation or mediation leads to concentration. Yoga is identified with concentration (samādhi), where the self regains its eternal and pure free status. This is the meaning of freedom or release or salvation in the Yoga system.” The way of yoga is similar to the eightfold way of Buddhism—right views, intention or resolve, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and right concentration or samadhi (‘meditative absorption or union’). Yoga—what is yoga?Yoga began in ancient India. Hindu writers hold its origins are in the Vedas and that it influenced Buddhism. Some western writers hold that it also had origins in non-Vedic elements, e.g., Buddhism. Nonetheless, there is overlap between Yoga and Buddhism, e.g., in the eight-fold way. The rest of the world, particularly the west today has adopted and transformed some elements of Yoga. In India, there were many strands of Yoga and related philosophies. A central theme (i) is that experience (see, e.g., the field manual and metaphysics) is the core of being and therefore, not only of persons, but also of the universe—of which, there is oneness (ii) experience has subject (experience of), object (the experienced) sides which come together in relation-process, i.e., subject-change-object (experiencing) (iii) the way to oneness (yoking or yoga) is via both sides, object-physical body and subject-experiential body, interactively. Thus, e.g., the physical ‘exercises’ and meditation. Meditation, too, has an origin in ancient India and, it too, has been exported to-imported by the rest of the world. But there are similar practices around the world and, so, what we ought to say is that the real thing (that Yoga is) and its practice are universal rather than singularly of ancient India. This does not deny the significance of the contribution of ancient India. Some questions now arise—(i) What is the ultimate aim of Yoga? I.e., if Yoga is an ultimate idea and practice, what is it that we ought to be trying to do? (ii) Can we regard received Yoga as the ultimate practice in this regard, or should we regard the received as valuable but incomplete and therefore see Yoga as in process, as much experimental as it is determined? (iii) If Yoga is to be ultimate, should we not seek other elements of world cultures to synthesize with Yoga? (iv) And should not the process elements be general experiencing of the world, experiment, reason, practice, living it out, and iterative improvement? This would allow, of course, that while we value process, we ought not to rule out finality. (v) What would those elements of culture and process be? (vi) Is there or would there be a full synthesis and, if there is, what would it be? What elements of culture ought we to choose? Perhaps the religions, the sciences, the ways of exploration of the worlds of things and of meaning. The final question already has an answer—it is the real metaphysics of metaphysics. The real metaphysics is a synthesis of ideal elements, some described above, and pragmatic elements, which form a perfect means and way to the ultimate. It is given demonstration. Is there doubt? Of course, and such doubt is addressed and integrated, rather than eliminated. The perfection lies not in some received notion which would be unachievable in its conception, but which emerges in development of the metaphysics, and which is perfect in the sense that it is the best possible for all limited beings. In metaphysics, an ideal interpretation of religion was given according to which it is not its human practices, but rather the same as the real metaphysics as being using its entire being in realization of ultimate being. If we start with any human endeavor that is non-parochial in its aims and ask what its ideal form may be, we will find it to be the same—ideal science, ideal religion, ideal reason, ideal yoga, ideal metaphysics, and ideal search for the real. But is this not ‘everything is everything else and so there are no distinctions at all’? Yes, in the ideal it is. But, no, in the immediate world the different practices maintain their distinct identities (though perhaps not as distinct as we might have them be). What shall we call that ideal? We might call it Yoga, or Reason, or Science, or Religion. Here, we are concerned with yoga, but shall keep the idea of Yoga in the background. Introduction to yoga and meditationWhen moving from one way of life and thought to another, meanings change, even for terms that are retained. The yoga systems of India employed mind and body in the aim of attaining a kind of perfection. The word ‘yoga’ had a significance of joining the true self (Atman) of persons to the universal self (Brahman). In a limited sense yoga is meditative practice joined to meditative action. It is disciplined so as to become natural, not compulsive. But what is meditation? It is use and training of mind to ends, including, of course, but not limited to mental states of the person. That is, meditation is both end and process. Therefore, it will include (i) Shamatha (“peaceful abiding”, mindfulness) (ii) Analytic meditation (understanding, insight into self and world – as one) (iii) samadhi (‘meditative absorption or union’) In an expansive sense, yoga may include elements of mental and physical activity from all cultures, in the attainment of ends. Particularly of the ultimate achievement of peak being as in the way of being and the Brahman of Vedanta. In their expansive sense, meditation and yoga are identical. ReasonThere is the ‘world of ten thousand things’—daily life, economics, aspirations, politics, religion, science, philosophy, technology, grammar, space exploration, knowledge of fruit flies, ways of life – yoga, religion, rationality, reason… And they are all written, for example in Wikipedia, as if authoritative thought on authoritatively established and authoritative disciplines and activities. And relative to our finiteness, there is indeed some authority, though not necessarily in any one particular place. Finality is an illusion—is it not? Is there one enterprise under which it all lies? Is it developed? The answer of the way is “yes but as long as we are limited, it is a conceptual framework for a pragmatic core—and the framework is in principle absolute while the core is ever in process”. That core may be named yoga, reason, or something else (all in process). Here we name it yoga or reason. SynthesisWaysHere the way shall be (i) aiming at the ultimate as seen in the way of being (ii) living in this world and, so far as projection is good, beyond with attitude and action directed toward quality in the world and beyond, guided by the aim (iii) pathways informed by the received ways, especially yoga and reason. PathwaysAttitude and actionAttitude, practice, and action have specification in the way of being > consequences. Practice and action are (i) imported from parts of the way of being, a variety of ways and kinds, select ways in greater depth and (ii) conditioned by reason and experience. Community and involvementIn part for support and significantly due to the normative tendency regarding the nature of reality, community is essential. Sanskrit has the term Sangha which is common to Indian traditions and Buddhism. A monastery or temple may provide a venue for community, but community is everywhere. Without strength of personality, community is especially important to maintaining any contra-normative sense of the real. Phases of lifeProgression from birth to death. ‘All’ cultures recognize phases, at least implicitly. Some systems define stages and prescribe activities. Roles and careers. The main division is transsecular versus secular. Within the secular distinct roles and career paths reflect societal and cultural emphases and needs. Degree of social involvement. Imperatives to social involvement are the contribution and the rewards. Withdrawal and indirect involvement are (i) personally rewarding, (ii) learning phases, (iii) source of contribution and progress in secular and transsecular realms. Templates, affirmation, and dedicationThe material in the field manual > realization and templates, affirmation, and dedication (html) is sufficient and will be imported when the material is updated. Return to the welcome page | top |
