Reprise

The reprise -- see comments for this previous post.

Well, Aaron, between you and mike, I think your two are the most 'religious' among my friends, in-so-far as Christianity is concerned. Correct me if I'm wrong here...

Also, not having studied eastern religions with much scrutiny, my apologies if I have misinterpreted the strict definition of Nirvana and related terms.

Lastly, I do believe now, that I've quite possibly reached the understanding of my own spiritual journey, and what my life means (more or less).

To continue, this does not mean that I will not grow, however, it means that I have figured out the path I am travelling down, and I'm content with it.

Despite the misgivings you may have for 'contentedness', I don't think it's standing still -- at least by the loose definition I'm applying -- rather, I've realized that good or bad, it's all part of following my 'Tao' (path), so to speak. And I'm okay with it, whereever that leads.

This isn't to say that I've become a fatalist -- I don't think things are predetermined to the point of no decision. To be a true fatalist, one would have to imagine the universe as a giant computer, where each particle is simply the universal equivalent of a bit. If this was positively true, then, logically, everything would just be a matter of math.

I, however, cannot accept that things are that straightforward. Where, in such a cosm would there be room for a soul/spirit/chi/blah, of which every person is aware of, regardless
of their spiritual background.

My personal best measure of the spirit and associated concept of supreme being is fairly open-ended. I don't say that one is right and another wrong, however I cannot accept that either of the aforementioned are absent in the universe.

I'm leaning to a philosophy that Evan, Aaron, Brad, and even Mike may have seen a similar form of when watching Babylon 5 -- that of which the Menbari (speeling?) chose to follow. This concept wasn't new to babylon 5, but it is an example of a published and recognizable idea.

The concept goes somewhat as follows: The Universe itself is the supreme being, and in a journey of self-realization, it breaks off portions of itself to operate in an independant fashion (That would be us.) Thus, since we are born of the universe, we are acutely aware of the universe, and yet have the unique ability to observe the universe from a fresh perspective. At the end of our time, we merge back into the universe and it then gains some understanding from our experiences that we've gained in life.

An interesting concept to say the least, as it doesn't preclude any established religious types (mono-theist, poly-theist, or eastern internal based spiritualisms). I rather like it myself, but have only postulated on that as a possibility.

Really, all that you really need to care about is as follows: I believe that there is a supreme power in the universe, and we are decendants of that power. Second, and persuant to the former, we have a spirit, and that is not a measurable, quantiying thing. Third, the teachings and moral standards set out by most religious institutions are fundamentally sound. Lastly, our role as individuals in the grand scheme of things is that of an explorer -- exploring the physical world as well as the spiritual world so as to better understand the universe around us.

Those four points define my own spiritual grounding in life. With those points in my mind, I can fulfil all fundamental questions about the world, which is what a religion is formulated to do, and yet I don't have the overhead of unruly institutions. This doesn't preclude Christ from being the son of God any more than it precludes the 'mother earth' (in the spiritual context) of the North American Natives.

Finally - I realize that this may be a challenge for some existing religious types to accept, and -- as you probably already know of my personality -- I am open to discussion. I may even put up with people trying to 'convert' me (to a limited extent), and may even associate myself with established religious groups from time to time. This does not change my fundamental underlying belief.

Anyways -- Be safe -- I look forward to debate, comments, arguments, excommunications, or whatever comes my way.