Thursday, January 26, 2006

To Love or be Loved..


There is something about the "ideal" clergyman that I personally don't understand. All the priests of the world are celibate, unmarried men who are following, per se, the divine prophet "Jesus," who, is thought, to not have had a wife or children. There is no way man can become united with God, without love. Love is the first step, love for oneself, for others around, and for everyone. Passion of the inner beings, being able to look past human err and understand the fundamental essence of each and every being that we are surrounded by is the first step towards reaching God. So, why do these clergymen, those who represent the elite of the religious, deprive themselves of one of the basic, although most profound, realities of life: love. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. Some people claim that loving others is a fault. This is a common misconception, it is not love, but lust. There is a massive difference between the two, but once again, the English language has managed to divulge the two into somewhat of a similar meaning. Love is appreciating a person for who they are, knowing that they are perfect in every way, knowing that they will always be there, not just because they are attractive. This is the same love that we must devote to the Lord, and by neglecting it, there is no way we can fully appreciate His radiance. Never underestimate the power of love, it will set us all free.

Monday, January 16, 2006

The First Step...


The Journey of a Thousand Miles starts with the first step. It's hard to believe that the very essence of these words, describes the very nature of this life we live. A friend just asked me whether praying would fulfill his obligation to write up a school essay. Of course not! Praying is not about fulfilling ones obligations, it is about working towards His. The Journey that this quotation screams about is in regards to that of God, the path towards Heaven, or the equivalent in other religions. But, it also makes clear reference to every single choice that we make in our everyday lives. Procrastination is a clear result of not taking that first step; although that step has to be taken at some time, the choice to take that step should be at a much earlier time than that. However, in conjunction to this specific adage, I believe another wordily quote can also be employed "If you take one step towards God, he will take a thousand towards you." Another beautiful quotation that, once again, pertains to this quality of moving forward and unlike Waiting for Godot, actually getting places, moving in the right direction, along the path towards wherever one wishes to go. Just remember that it is the first step that will provide the foundation of the rest of the journey, and it will, ultimately, lead you to your final step, for that is what is, ultimately, the most important. It is a babies first step that founds their ability to walk, to stand, in life. It was Neil Armstrong's, or Buzz (or neither..Depending on what you believe) first steps on the moon that have defined man's very presence in space, and, of course, one gargantuan step for mankind. Each and every journey is lined with steps, but, remember, before you can get to the end, that first step must be taken, or else, there will be no journey of a thousand miles.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

If Only...


Up until recently, I used to be very picky about everything, always correcting small errors, never overlooking even the most minor details, of course, all the products of mankind. I still am picky today, just picky about what I'm picky about (makes sense). Anyways, it was upon realization of nature's perfection that I really stopped questioning, well, most things really. The beauty of the butterfly, the vast spectrum of life that allures this world, the very essence from which we are built. It is even safe to say that we are perfect. I am not saying, in any way shape or form, that I am perfect, I'm not, far from it. But, in our divine state, when we realize the truth about this life, this present, we will be perfect. The next time you walk past one of natures creations, stop for a minute, admire it, absorb its perfection, and move on. There is nothing like a water droplet, adsorbing a lakes perfectly still surface. Nothing like a cocoon erupting into a butterfly. Nothing like a coral reef, housing million inhabitants and still maintaining such immense beauty. If only I could be like that.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud,
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

I can't say it any better than this man, William Henley, the last two lines of this poem define each and every one of us. We are, most definitely, the masters of our fate and the captains of our souls. Although it may seem that people control our lives at some times, that control is limited as it is, ultimately, ourselves, that decide what we want to do, when, and how. It is when we realize this that we will become Invictus, Unconquerable, Invincible.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Science/Religion and Evolution of Knowledge


Karl Popper argues that scientific knowledge can only be considered scientific, if the ultimate result is falsifiable. In light of such a claim, we must also consider the fact that each and every knowledge claim, is a product of mankind, and the product can only be as good as those who make it. Considering the limitations we possess, perception being one of the most obvious, the theories by which we have associated the origin of life on earth, are susceptible to scrutiny.
Although, quintessentially, the nature of the pseudoscientific Genesis viewpoint and the stressed ‘fact’ of evolution have originated from the same beings, the essence of these so called ‘theories’ is based upon one thing, faith. The primary constituents of the Darwinian theory of evolution are based upon observation, molding of data, analysis and the conclusive theory. Of course, the scientific method is used here to enshroud the truth behind that theory. It hides the fact that an assumption, however slight it maybe, is being made in linking these two species of, finches, for example. Additionally, it also relates to the fact that, in nature, mankind tends to look for logical relationships between two objects, such as, in the gathered fossil evidence of recent times. We tend to overlook the fact that even though A preceded B, A did not necessarily cause B. This exemplifies that even some of the most fact based evidences of our time can be rendered useless, and is, clearly, falsifiable. The major benefit of the Darwinian theory of evolution is the factual evidence that supports it. Generally speaking, seeing is believing, and with such a multitude of facts behind the theory, people overlook that tiny leap of faith made in the beginning, and focus on the claims formulated ultimately.
Similarly, the theory proposed by the Book of Genesis of the Old Testament, is largely based on this concept of faith, and more distinctly, belief. In consideration of its religious background, Genesis is based purely on faith, clearly demonstrated by the fact that there has been no factual evidence discovered to support the fact that the Earth was constructed in seven ‘days.’ A limitation of Genesis, however, is in its use of the word days. This may have been a result of a point mutation in the transcribing and transliteration process, but, nonetheless, it serves as a lucid error that can often be exploited during the raging debates occurring between the Creationists and Evolutionists of the day. The major weakness behind the Creationist theory is that it’s not falsifiable, and by definition does not have to be, but it’s based purely on knowledge by authority, and, arguably, intuition. This is simply because without aforementioned knowledge of the subject of God, and without the scientific claims of the day, we would all tend to devote the occurrences of the systems around us, to a more-highly developed source, an Intelligence being of some sort. People, generally speaking, tend to question beliefs that are not determined by a reason of some sort, or questions that have too many different answers. One example pertaining to the fact that people of the Sikh religion are not permitted to cut their hair, but with no sustainable reason as to why they can’t cut their hair, and in light of the “conformity” issue, Sikhs of that day have ignored this restriction. Both of these theories confirm the same occurrence, that we originated, but they differ in the ‘why,’ and therefore, exemplify the evolution of knowledge itself.
Genesis, the first of the four knowledge claims in accordance to this specific topic, is based, primarily, on faith and belief. As the Enlightenment procured, and the fundamental beliefs of the scientific realm were formalized, the scientific method became a medium from which scientists could derive a hypothesis, and ultimately, a theory. Lamarck’s theory, more commonly known for its colloquial terminology: acquired characteristics, proposed that the collective desire to change to more suitably fit the environment, progressively altered the gene pool of that population. Following this theory, both Wallace and Darwin (working independently, but coming to the same conclusion) recognized several characteristics of population genetics that Lamarck hadn’t. Perhaps the best way to surmise the Darwin-Wallace theory is “survival of the fittest,” with the terminology ‘fittest’ meaning most suited to that environment. Both of these esteemed scientists noticed the flaws behind Lamarck’s theory, which was published a century before, and proposed an alternative theory, which, according to observation, proved more promising than the desire to change. As is quite clearly portrayed here, the alternative theories, through the process of falsification, clear the path for the evolution of this specific topic, whereas in other instances, other factors may also play a role in selecting the final, partially ubiquitous, theory.
As with every issue, the strengths and weaknesses are most commonly noted for the purposes of entertaining the need to find something ‘wrong’ with it. This is why the Creationist-Evolutionist debate is a continuing generational conflict. The falsification processes of all of these ‘theories’ are due to the desire to falsify these ‘theories,’ and this therefore, makes this more of an issue of personal involvement, rather than of collective debate. The prevalence of these four solutions to the one problem, however, gives insight into how exactly we, as the human race, develop our ideas and the process of mental evolution. The values and limitations of knowledge claims provide us with reasoning for which we actually develop an alternative means of approaching the issue, and the ultimate decisions we make in the evolutionary processes that we undertake as well.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Musician In the Rain


My friend used this picture on his display picture for Messenger, and just when my eyes darted over his name, I saw this picture and was instantaneously hooked. The picture depicts a musician wearing a coat, and a hat, with an umbrella, only, the umbrella is beind held up over his musical intrument. Although I never held as much love for any musical instrument as much as this man may at that moment, it isn't hard to see exactly how much love this man places for his intrument, in fact, he's willing to sacrifice his own well-being (considering the risks of getting sick while standing in the rain) for a materialistic object, only, is it materialistic? From what I understand, an instrument, if one falls for music, becomes ones love. Only yesterday, my sister, due to some unfortunate circumstances, was depressed, and directly upon hearing this news, she brought out her harmonium and started singing her heart out. It's amazing how a couple of minutes with her instrument completely cleared her mind, helped her find clarity and simply calm down. Of course, for the some of us here who are musically challenged, simply listening to music sometimes paves the same path for us. This however is not the point, the Musician in the Rain, is amazing simply because this man has done something that we here, should be doing. In order to make this simple I'll use one of the SAT's formatted analogies: Musician's Instrument is to Musician as Earth is to Mankind. The instrument acts as a means to support the musician, it is the source of all its power, the nature of the relationship is symbiotic. The relationship with mankind and the earth is very similar, if not completely identical. But, if there were to be a picture called "Mankind in an Meteor Shower," the umbrella would surely be over our head. Despite the fact that every single thing that we have till this day is a result of our Earth, we neglect it. We continue to rip apart the ozone, deplete its resources, use its water unwisely; and whats worse is, we still don't realize it. To think that skin cancer may be a good enough sign to stop emitting greenhouse gases and ozone detroying molecules. But no, we continue to freely emit all the smoke neccesary to satisfy our own desires. The Musician in the Rain further goes to exemplify what we should be doing, not only in regards to the earth, but to every single person that is in our life. It is a photographic manifestation of the perfect act, to help others, instead of always thinking of ourselves. Actually taking time to place our umbrella over the man or woman sitting on the street living off coins and garbage, over children who have suffered from loss of parents, over victims of the many natural disasters, over each other, instead of over ourselves.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Man or God..


Man or God? Who created religion? Who created God? All religion's point to the same thing, from reading the Bible, to the Koran, to the Torah, to the Guru Granth Sahib, each describe the Almighty, each discuss a simple life, free of materialism, detatched from this devoid world and all hoping to reach the same ultimate goal, unity in the house of the Lord, or with the Lord himself. But, the question is now, why the segregation, why the division? Each religion teaches similar notions, but yet there seems to be this rift between the religions of the world. So, with this in mind, is religion a product of man or God? Would God create the many religions of the world, knowing in full confidence, such convolute would arise. Sure, dependent on intention, and we, as humans, have no right to interfere with God's intentions. But, the major problem between the religions is more associated towards custom and is often discriminatory based on infallible support for ones accustomed religion and patriotism for ones heritage. In regards to this, religion becomes the clear product of mankind.
In regards to the above, I have only given two options, Man or God. I refused to acknowledge any other possible answers, including a mixture of the two. Personally, I believe that it is a clear mixture; but as time goes on, we humans stray farther and farther away from the ultimate truth, in search of a more insatiable thirst for materialistic desires. It is with this that I introduce the novel "The Third Secret" by Steve Berry. Berry very subtly destroys the very foundations and pillars from the which the Roman Catholic Church was built, constantly censuring even its most traditional, canonical, customs. The novel claims that the very essence of the church had been destroyed when Man decided to juxtapose his word, with that of God, that of the Divine Truth, through the Pope. But, what is often forgotten when the pope is discussed is, the fact that he is, and will always be, no more than a man. He is capable of deceit, more than capable of fulfilling his own desires rather than that of the Church and, therefore, not worthy of speaking Divine Truth. Jesus Christ himself, never depended on other men kissing a jewel on his finger, but rather, placed himself among the people and taught them of the true path, the right path, the only path towards Heaven. I believe, however, that Berry mentioned several things that could very much represent the extent to which the Church has influenced the word of God, over the millennia. The deal with male priests was a decision based on the fact that Christ was a male, and on the fact that societies at the time were much more patriarchal than in those we live in today. So, through all this, it would be difficult to conclude any one thing, but the purpose was to illustrate that man's undying need for power, money and all that often clouds the truth, and such needs have occurred since before the coronation of the first supreme pontiff, The Holy Father Peter. The point is to realize that the so-called things we hold as 'truths' nowadays may never have been so, and may never be so.

Pas a Pas..


Step by Step, the path of life we should all walk. We all look for reasons to make this life of ours purposeful, always looking upon past mistakes, and subconsciously, revoking the same mistakes in the present and future. There is only one way to make full use of this life, pas a pas, step by step, the future comes along as you walk along the path of life, and the past stays behind, but more importantly, the present is relished to the extent in which it actually should be, for it is all we have. There is no assurance of a future; I could go into bed tonight, without coming out of it tomorrow morning. I know we've all heard this before, but what Kate Mosse revealed to me, more than anything, in her novel "Labyrinth", was that life is more of a burden than a privilege. Although we all maintain that we have happiness, due to the presence of so-called "toys" of the world, materialism only quenches ones longing for short periods of time. It is not everlasting, and in the end, it is this continuous need to be happy, that actually never permits us happiness. Pas a Pas, has so many levels of acknowledgement and, I, personally, feel, should be presented as one of the fundamental philosophies of every man, woman and child on this earth, as it gives the most viable option of happiness in this life. There is no point dwelling on past mistakes, no point focusing on future concerns, it is the present that is the present; treat it like one.