God and Science: Coming Full Circle?

Science Comes Full Circle

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This article hopes to go some way to giving respect to the important voices and messages of the East. Just as when we discussed the conception of science being a difficult event to pin down, the same can definitely be said of spirituality. Probably even more so because the moment Galileo looked through the telescope in is matched at various points in history by several equally defining moments with regard to the birth of spirituality and religion, such as: In fact, depending on what view of history you take, a slightly or even significantly different moment might be chosen. He lived in poverty and was raised just by his mother as his father died when he was only three years old.

By the time he was fifteen he set his mind to becoming a scholar. However, after marriage he spent a short period as the chief of police in the department of justice as he also had political ambitions and hoped to spread his ideas by influencing the existing social consciousness but he soon realised this was not the way to achieve his aims.

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So he resigned and devoted himself to teaching. He did for a period travel through China with some of his students spreading his ideas about Ren Pronounced jen — human heartedness, which he believed to be the highest virtue and the ultimate goal of education but his concepts at the time were largely rejected.

Over three thousand people came to study under him and over seventy became well-established scholars. As a consequence of his impressive personality and philosophy his disciples did, over the subsequent centuries, achieve what Confucius had tried to do but never did in his own lifetime, namely getting his ideology nationally recognised. By the time of the 2nd century AD during the Han dynasty, his ideas had won national approval and were embraced by the culture at large.

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Since then his ideas have been taught not only to the traditionally educated Chinese, but also to students in other Asian countries such as Singapore, Korea and Japan. Although he had failed in his limited pursuit to become a political figure there is no doubt his career as an educator and teacher was a tremendous success. His influence has been such that he is considered by the majority to be the most significant figure in Chinese history. Confucian philosophy revolves around Ren — human heartedness.

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Although there have been some scholarly disputes about its exact translation, it is clear that Confucius was talking about love. His definition of love was not that of the romantics; impulsive and instinctive. It was quite specific; it was a natural humanistic love, based upon spontaneous feelings which are able to be cultivated further through education. He saw Ren as a feeling that separated us from other forms of biological beings.

Confucius did not see Ren as inborn but as a kind of moral insight resulting from an ethical education and a life experience that provides a reliable evaluation of life. For him it depended on Li practice of right behavior or moral habits , the attainment of knowledge and Yi righteousness or proper character. He saw knowledge and then the practice of Li as the path to human perfection. For him, change was both inevitable and necessary and was therefore a fact. What he really argued is for a form of change that was not disruptive or violent, and was therefore gradual and harmonious.

This is Li but it is the adoption of Yi which he saw as a higher governing principle — righteousness or proper character, that ensured the application of Li in all contexts.

This application of Li would then create a peaceful world. The Great Learning which says: So we can see self realisation is considered the foundation of peace and order. The Upanishads date of composition is around years before Christ. This is the work of many unknown Indian philosophers and scholars. The word Upanishad gives us some understanding of this majestic text.

The word breaks down into three parts Up near , ni down and shad to sit. There are thirteen works that are described as the Principal Upanishads from this period and a collection of other works also called the Upanishads which came later, mostly during the medieval period.

This is the primary focus of this text: This hope is expressed in the prayer of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: The beautiful narratives of the Upanishads advise on inward journeys, deep into the self rather than on outward movement towards the world. There is an intense preoccupation with human consciousness and all that flows from the act of self-reflection.

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This extensive collection of poetry and prose tells us that the enlightened person realises that through self-knowledge, the knowledge of the whole universe is captured. The belief being that self-knowledge moves a person ever deeper into the Absolute. The Upanishadic thrust is that it is possible for every person to achieve what Christianity said, years later, only Christ could achieve i.

It is worth noting that the more one explores and examines the eastern philosophies, the more one discovers many of the ethics, values and principles that underpin human understanding were first conceived in the East.

This eastern influence is not confined to our past. If, for instance, we look at just the birth and evolution of psychoanalysis, which started with Freud and now has countless modern manifestations, we can still hear the echoes of eternity dressed up as new ideas, ringing loudly in our ears. The concept of the ego, id and superego are first referred to, albeit in a different language, in the Upanishads; later references can also be found in the Bhaghwad Gita.

In fact, there are numerous references that can be cited in Jainism, Sufism, Islam and Buddhism, long before the time of Freud and his contemporaries. And yet the eastern contribution seems not to have been adequately commended for such concepts and ideas.

We will come back to this point later but let us continue to tell this important tale of conception…. Buddha was born in India in BC. He was one of a handful of human beings who mirrored the highest human qualities throughout his life. It was his noble character, penetrating intellect, love of humanity and transcendent wisdom that led to his adoration by millions.

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Buddha was a philosopher, a doctor of the mind and he became a religious leader. The religion founded in his name started in India, spread all over Asia and eventually throughout the world. Its impact remains after more than 25 centuries. Buddhism is such a tolerant and gentle teaching that not a single example can be given of blood being shed in order to convert others to its ideology and principles. How unique is that, when so many wars have been waged in the name of religion! The rigid caste system was born with all its inequalities and disadvantages. The philosophy of the Upanishads spoke of an ultimate reality underlying the material world, an absolute power and intellect, transcendent, pure consciousness, known as Brahman.

The right and wrong actions committed by the person form his karma, good actions bearing good fruit, bad actions further imprisoning Atman. Karma is therefore intertwined with reincarnation. There were many bright minds, young, energetic seekers, who were not satisfied with the Upanishadic philosophy. Although it was a new, refreshing departure from the Vedic ritualism for them it did not go far enough.

Buddha belonged to this group. His father was a Chieftain and King and Buddha was born as a Prince and lived a life of luxury in which he was sheltered from the trials of ordinary life. On one of his rare trips outside the palace, Buddha noticed an old man, a sick man and a corpse. He realized that the infirmities of old age, the pain of sickness and the certainty of death highlight the inevitable sufferings of life. He began to wonder if there was a way of life that could conquer suffering and lead to tranquility. This question was to become the driving force of his life. To such an extent that he renounced his family and his kingdom and became a wandering ascetic monk.

At first he pursued the path of yogic meditation, which enabled him to achieve elevated states of consciousness but this was not enough for him. He went on to practice severe austerities such as prolonged fasting, suspension of breathing etc. So severe were his practices that he came close to death but his questions had not been answered. Finally, he resolved to take a seat under the Bodhi tree, facing east and not to rise until he attained enlightenment.

It is said that on the night of the full moon he ascended through four stages of trance and during the last few hours of that night he acquired enlightenment Bodhi and Gautama became the Buddha The Enlightened One. He was now thirty five years old. He wondered whether the world was ready for his teaching.

This is because he rejected both asceticism and hedonism as one-sided extremes. This period of history would be incomplete without reference to Lao Tzu. Dates about his birth and death are ambiguous and have become the stuff of legend. Instead of harnessing our energy in endless fighting, Full Circle chooses to optimize the opportunities to build positivity. Full Circle is the literal taking of responsibility - for yourself and for those around you. Full Circle is providing people the opportunity to co-exist without judgment and preconceived notions.

Instead of focusing on stereotypical references and connotations, the organization is going against the grain and representing a unified spirituality. In Full Circle everyone believes and chooses to find commonality in the very definition of believing versus scrutinizing everything.

The Place I Started My Spiritual Studies – Life Comes Full Circle (Part 4 of 4)

We are all in a practice of focusing on what is positive in our world. The question many may be pondering is whether or not non-denominational facilities, like Full Circle, are the future? Everything we do has a cause and effect, and being mindful of that is really the Full Circle way.

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Studies have conveyed and proven a decline with the religion for millennials. Research believes that millennials find old institutions hypocritical and not relatable. We view it as our job to carry forth the cultural project they began—and here I mean spiritual, artistic, political, and intellectual.

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