Essays

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Beginner’s Mind

The odd thing Is that every Westerner Approaches the practice of meditation With a goal in mind Without exception The even odder thing Is that from an Eastern point of view [Particularly Daoist/Zen Buddhist Which are very related and symbiotic…
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Nature and Nurture

Nature and Nurture Nature versus nurture The great psychological conundrum That we ask ourselves each and every day While we confront the challenges and obstacles That stand between us and what we want Obstacles as it turns out That could simply…
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Reason and Logic: The Precursors to Science

It's clear in studying early religion and philosophy that mythology and cosmology in antiquity was not only theological in nature, but also had a political motive as well.  But at some point in antiquity there was a break from which reason and knowledge was…
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The Reductionist West and Ancient Wisdom

Modern science tells us that what we can truly say about empirical reality only has relative (Relativity) or statistical significance (Quantum Mechanics), Quantum Theory in particular calling into question the role of the observer[1] but each…
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Chinese Monotheism: Worship of Heaven (Shangdi)

Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism (Daoism), all rich and prolific theo-philosophical traditions of the East which thrived in ancient times and still flourish today, were and are much more accepting of the worship of many different…
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Confucian Philosophy in Antiquity

Confucius (c. 551 – 479 BCE) stands alongside Laozi as one of the great independent Chinese philosophers in antiquity, supposedly having consulted Laozi on some aspects of funeral rights and being impressed with his insight, or so the tradition…
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Divination in the I Ching

Divination, omens, portents etc. was a common practice throughout all of the ancient world in fact.  As already mentioned we see the practice, and its relationship with the priestly class not only in ancient Greece but most certainly ancient…
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The Book of Changes: The Wisdom of the Far East

One of the most unique, lasting and influential texts that has come down to us from the Far East that in antiquity is the Yijing (I Ching), also known as the Book of Changes.  The work has a long history, its roots dating back at least to Bronze…
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Stoic Philosophy in Antiquity: Its Origins, Metaphysics and Ethical Principles

Introduction Consistent across all of the Hellenistic philosophical schools was the importance of the Soul, the distinction of the human soul as having the capability to reason (what came to be known as logos, a very important term in early…
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A Walk with Moses

Moses and his One God: Jewish Roots Christianity and Islam are the most wide spread and influential monotheistic religions in the world today by any measure, and both sprung from and were heavily influenced by the monotheistic religions, and…