Is it possible to follow a spiritual path without the guidance of any organized religion? I certainly think so. But I’ve learned the hard way that there is no easy way. I’ve been wandering around for years looking for clues to guide me. I’ve tried easy fixes, pat little formulas like “Be here now” or “This is It” or “God is Love” or “The Path of Least Resistance”. Nothing makes living with quality and integrity easy. The only real choice you have is how you learn and grow from your experiences.
Organized religion offers a tested path. Sometimes it’s better to seek a known path rather than potentially getting lost finding your own. On the other hand, getting a little lost is a sure way to learn the territory well. As with any solution, one size doesn’t fit all. Perhaps a hybrid mish-mash of the best of all paths would be more adaptable to different needs. My exploration has certainly exposed me to wisdom I would not have “invented” on my own.
What I’ve found in my search for spiritual growth are a few simple rules (patterns*) which have no particular religious affiliation, but which can be found in almost any religious prescription. I like to think they are deeply thought common sense. (*since writing this, I have decided that the word “rules” has too strict a connotation- please allow me to call them “patterns“)
Pattern 1: The existence of a “soul” which lasts after this life is impossible to prove. Yet, though there may be no “spirit” after life, the fact is, our energy is never born and never dies. A cloud is water vapor, which may become rain, then a river, then steam or ice. So there is in fact a continuation of “me”, albeit in a different form. One could even deem this “continuation” of energy a spiritual axiom, though few would find it comforting. Consider this. No matter how important or “everlasting” you wish your personal self to be, your life will inevitably pass into some other form which can never really be known. So the bottom line is that we need to make the best, best, best possible life we can with the one we have.
Pattern 2: The fact is, we are not separate from the rest of the world. Our bodies are only minimally separated by porous skin from the air around us and from the rest of the physical world. Because of this illusion, it is incredibly easy to believe that we are alone and separate from the world. If we believe this long enough, we make it true. Our minds will make it true. Many of us live in this lonely hell. But if we can stay open to the idea that we are part of something greater than our individual self, we can, with lots of patience and persistence, thrive on our intrinsic connection to the world. Everything we do affects more than just ourselves. Caring for our bodies is caring for the world. Caring for a family member is helping all humanity. Caring for a plant or animal is embracing compassion. Helping planet Earth helps yourself. A smile felt from your heart goes to someone else’s heart. On the other hand, anger at one’s self is harmful to the world, and on and on through all the emotions of the lonely, false self. (this rule is the hardest for me to realize, by far, yet it is perhaps the most important)
Pattern 3: Accept your uniqueness and begin by loving yourself. You are the beginning of the rest of the world. Embrace this fact. You cannot love anyone if you can’t love yourself. I do not mean smug self-adoration over all others. This kind of false self love is toxic. It indicates that pattern two, our universal connectedness, has not been noticed. One must be responsible for one’s actions and even one’s thoughts. Only we can monitor our own psychological reality as it occurs to us. Hateful thoughts and words are only a breath away from similar actions.
Pattern 4: Learn from mistakes, yours and others. Life is like music. Becoming spiritual means playing that music more beautifully, with more meaning. Pay attention. No matter how much we read or listen to the teachings of others, we tend to have to “reinvent the wheel” to some degree. Ideas for improving your ability to give meaning to life’s music come from multiple sources: from friends, from books, TV shows, blogs, from a pet’s gentle eyes, a sweet smelling flower, the sound of water, and especially from your own inner voice. Listen to your conscience. A junior High School math teacher once said to our class, “Your conscience is like a pin prick which reminds you of what your gut is telling you. Ignore it long enough and you wear the pins down. Sooner or later you don’t feel the prick.” Don’t ignore your conscience. Don’t ignore your heart.
Pattern 5: Forgive as you go. There is a letting go in this feeling, letting go of impermanence, clarifying your spiritual permanence in a flawed world. Forgive yourself and forgive others, over and over, second to second, day after day. Forgive with each breath. Forgiveness is letting go. Cleanse yourself with forgiveness. If you remain in a constant state of forgiveness, you are much more able to learn from mistakes and to love through suffering. This is a paradox. But the fact is, a clean slate is easier to write on.
As forgiveness soaks through every cell of my existence, an airiness fills me, a porous lightness which allows pain, suffering, fear, anger and resentment to pass through me, leaving more room for growth and love.
good stuff to live on and grow on.
It works! I can comment on your blog now- somehow you’ve solved the mystery! I admire the way you’ve spelled out your spiritual rules- in fact, I can’t think of a more worthwhile endeavor. I suspect that now would be a great time for me to start focussing on these matters. That you for the nudge, and also for solving your mysterious comment block!
Hugs,
Betty
Thanks, Betty. I’m glad to have finally solved the mystery!
The more I think about it, the more these simple rules make sense. They can be tricky to apply, but with only 5 rules, they’re easy to remember. I hope to explore each one in more depth soon.
take care,
Garnet David
Your expression of your spiritual beliefs is very heartfelt.
Like you, I wandered and wondered many years to come to these conclusions. You expressed yourself beautifully, and I hope to link others to this page, as it also expresses my beliefs.
Thank you for taking the time to give voice to your Truth.
Namaste,
Jan
Nice thoughts, GD. Simplicity is key isn’t it? And yet I’m glad to hear you say you may explore each in more depth. Of course, most of the points mentioned are also mentioned in varying ways in most of the worlds spiritual traditions, but I like that you put your personal twist on each point. Lately, I’ve been enjoying reading the Tao Te Ching (Dao de Ching according to traditionalists).
Two phrases stood out to me recently: 1. “The Tao that is named is not the true Tao” and, 2. “When you define yourself you cannot know who you really are.”
Interesting to say the least. They would also appear to be connected, or similar in concept. The first speaks to rule one above in that you can’t prove the existence of ‘soul’ or spirit. Human language is inadequate to ‘define’ the indefinable, the ineffable. The second almost echo’s the first but in a more personal way. Any defining of ourselves would be woefully inadequate at best, and overly simplistic at worst. We are, like soul/spirit, wonderfully ineffable…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sometimes your posts are a little long in coming but are always worth the wait.
P.S. to the above….In case you were interested here is a link to a poem that speaks to the discussion: http://ronrussosjournal.com/word/?p=159
(I hope this isn’t too shamelessly self-serving since it links to my blog. I just thought you might like it.)
Jan- Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you relate to these ideas. I hope they are fairly universal. At least that is the idea. I will check out your blog as well.
peace,
David
Ron- Nice to see you! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I don’t mind the link to your poem at all. You are a known friend and have visited here often. I will check out your poem post-haste.
I also appreciate the nudge about the sparsity of my posts. I am “gestating” some ideas to get back to regular posting. However, I’ve learned that forcing this “past-time” of mine is a sure way to ruin my love of writing here.
I would like to start a blog of “place”, featuring photos and descriptions about a new wildflower/prarie field near my house.
I’d like to write some thoughts from the point of view of “Dorn”, whose story reflects the more radical side of me.
And I will certainly continue my explorations of spirituality and its manifestations in daily life.\\
For some reason, poetry doesn’t seem to be in the cards, but you never know.
take care,
David
Fantastic article, I just found your site and I’m loving it already! I think you’ve summarised much of the most helpful spiritual teachings into your five statements – very well done!
nice job david. here’s a little different version . . . a little tongue in cheek but mostly true.
Guide To Making Your Own Religion
*
A. Relationship Of humanity To The Infinite Is Ultimately Unknowable
Step One – formulate a system where this is not the case. make Yourself into a deity or the one who ‘knows’ depending on Your level of benevolence.
B. Relationship Of humanity To The Infinite Must Be Learned
Step Two – complicate, define, and control the learning process. use big words so acolytes feel stupid and inadequate.
C. People Are Afraid Of Dying
Step Three – create immortality and utopia for successful adherents. also create eternal damnation for those who don’t listen to You.
D. People Won’t Believe Just Anything
Step Four – write really good stories. use clever justifications, appeals to tradition, magic tricks, guilt, and violence to convince them.
*
Avoid Reason At All Costs
Enjoyed reading this. I used to be a Super Christian in college and gradually started over again with Atheism. I’ve come to find immeasurable truth inside and outside of religion since, though it took a long time to recover from religion.
I appreciate the respectful post; I believe most religions began as honest efforts to understand spiritual energy and have many good things to offer, even if they’re obfuscated in rhetoric and legalism. The same truths, though, can certainly be had without the structure (and without attacking it!).
Cheers!
Very similar to the thoughts of Christianity….
Please remeber that Christianity is a realtionship and not a “Religion” There is no “ism” in Chist.
Good stuff thanks.
Your thoughts and conclusions are much as my own, which is reassuring, since its sometimes easy to let slip the faith in your beliefs. A persons self-discovered spirituality (rather than the safer pre-determined religious path) is a profound and central requirement for any person to truly grow and enrich their lives, and the lives of those around them. It is not something that is worn on ones sleeve, as I believe institutional religion tends to be, and is a true manifestation of love of ones self and empathy for others.
Be happy and at peace, you guys!!
Not a bad start, but it’s got some holes;
for example, a narcissistic megalomaniac would fit quite well into your rules.
rule 1) live on in other forms
Great. I’ll probably still be the most special part of it after I’m dead too.
rule 2) not separate from world, everything part of me
Sure. Everything I want to make me happy is in everyone’s best interest.
rule 3) love self, beginning of the rest of the world
Big check there.
rule 4) learn from mistakes of self and others
Others mostly, they owe it to me to let me know what they did wrong so I won’t. If they don’t then that’s their mistake.
rule 5) forgive
Sure, I won’t them too responsible for making those mistakes. They’re not perfect.
This is a great breakdown of some of the most basic spiritual questions. It makes good sense, and is a comforting read. I would like to emphasize something that I think is significant to your discovery: You did not take the easy path. Never stop questioning.
-A
To anyone who is interested in spirituality I recommend reading the Seth books by Jane Roberts. There you will find all your questions answered. The Nature of Personal Reality and Seth Speaks are great book to start with but there are many other books by Seth equally amazing.
They changed my life and answered all the questions about life and death, reincarnation and the eternal validity of the soul.
God is all around you and everything exists with “God’s Mind” so to speak if you think of God then God is there..
There is no future and there is no past only the eternal present so be in it and pay attention..
This has been said by many in the past from Jesus and Buddha and Allan Watts..
The Creator is creation, and “The Kingdom of Heaven is within and around you..”
So yes you can be religious again so to speak and yet not belong to an organized religion..if you prefer the word spiritual then fine spiritual..
Just try this and see how it works for you..
“Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you..!”
Wow, what a wonderful array of comments, like flowers in a vase! I will answer each one in one long comment here.
UrbanMonk- Your supportive enthusiasm is greatly appreciated, especially since I’m still roaming around a bit on my path. Glad you like this post.
Mark- Good job distilling the essence, and the snares, of organized religion. Have you read Bennett’s “Breaking the Spell”? He does the same thing in his detailed studies of religion as a natural phenomenon.
Dylan- You’ve been on both sides and have not lost your love of the truth in religion. That takes a lot of soul searching. Your comment is very perceptive and apt for this post. Anyone who merely attacks religion is unaware of how un-spiritual that behavior is. On the other hand, the religious establishment uses the sacredness of “beliefs” to prevent any critical thinking about those beliefs. Thanks to Sam Harris and others, we can all begin to think critically and still maintain respect.
Matt- You are so right. The man Christ is the greatest of teachers along with Buddha. You wonder if Jesus knew of Siddhartha’s teachings.
Bob- What’s really interesting is that Christianity and Islam have been used to further the power of exactly the kind of ignoble person you outlined using my rules.
Andy- Thank you so much for that gentle support. I am so glad to be alive, considering how much I wandered off the straight path. Now I can hopefully digest my experiences in a way that other’s can benefit from.
Julian- I will check out the Seth books by Jane Roberts. I had not heard of them. Thank you.
TJ- You have offered some valuable summations of similar rules to mine, and in a little more poetic way than mine. Thank you.
Illusion !! Moment “Rules” are made, a “Religion” is created. Chaps will now add, modify and debate “Rules”. Someone will “administer” these Rules. Eventually becoming the “Ruler”. A century later, a band of loyalist will fight another band of modernists. And so on….
The picture fits well
You can not create “Truth”, you only able to find it, to detect it. Not everyone can detect it, it need pre-condition. One of them is you have to control all your will, you have to be the Master of your own self and become a good person as your habit. Once you’ve passed this pre-condition, then your heart can listen very clear, then you can detect, which one is Truth wich one is not, which one is like Truth but actually not. You can actually find later on, that the Truth you found out there is exactly matched with the Truth inside your. Finding the Truth is not mind game, IT IS a game of doing. How much you practice is much matter than how complex or deep you think/contemplate.
passerby- Thank you for your perceptive observation. I was thinking yesterday that the word “rule” is too laden with negative connotation, as you pointed out in your comment. Perhaps “idea” or “truth”. But any good advice can and will be corrupted in the wrong hands. So do we then stop trying to find “rules” or “truths” to live by?
Mike, glad you like the photo. It is a bit odd, as one StumbleUpon commenter pointed out, but I like the idea of fungi as a metaphor for religion.
Isa- I like the last sentence of your comment the best. How much you practice is more important than how deeply you think. That is a great truth. However, after reading the Bhadivad Gita, which states that doing and not doing are both valuable, I have come to realise that action (doing) and deep thinking (not doing) are both necessary. There are thinkers and doers. Both are important. It’s a yin and yang thing.
>> “So do we then stop trying to find “rules†or “truths†to live by?”
Yes. Man is lead by instinct and taught by conscience. Interference to this process creates confusion.
passerby- What you say is true. Still, my instincts and conscience have been clarified and refined by the process of keeping in mind certain “truths”, at least ones I believe. I do not assume they will work for others, but since I have learned from others I assume they might learn from my experience.
A collection of learning from others is indeed a religion.
So a gardening book is a religion? Taking lessons in a technique on how to use your body better is a religion?
Discussion was about spirituality, not gardening. “Without religion” implied direct experience, open minded, without pre conditioned ideas, beliefs, prejudices, doctrines, how-to’s and do’s-and-don’ts. All religious texts are written down experiences prescribing methods and processes by great souls who discovered the path and experienced divinity. It was written down to help others seeking similar goals. Much more comprehensive than a few pointers. Followers of a path often restrict themselves to one, to discourage the mind from straying. One can easily get attached to the path, so much so that even a minute disagreement by any other can produce disproportionate negative reaction. That would not be so in the case of “without-religion” path. For, in this path, there’s no one else to blame except oneself.
Amen.
Well said, passerby- Defensiveness is indeed a sign of attachment- You speak of the path of no path, the religion of no religion; yet they are a path and a religion none the less. 5 pointers are far more comprehensive than none and way too many for the one rule of no rule. But no rule implies all or any rules. This kind of slippery dialectic is false freedom.
My “rules” are not laws or sacred, unquestioned decrees, but simple, nearly universal truths practiced or noticed by nearly any searching person, whether devout religious or independent loner. They are what work for me, a free spirit with no path/all paths.
Spirituality is gardening: do nothing or work all day and you end up in the same place. Thank you for the clarifying inspiration. Peace.
You say that forgiveness is the key, and indeed Ive heard this before but however what can you do in a situation where you are trying to forgive someone who is a pathological manipulator? My life does seem to be filled with these types of people who i feel are constantly impeding my spiritual progress.
A- Forgive yourself for being manipulated and forgive the manipulator. But be wary of this person, distance yourself for your own protection. Growing spiritually requires that you know your limits and learn from them. If you have been gullible, then forgive and grow from it.
A – I believe that you have the right to shield yourself from other peoples bad actions. Many of the established religions do not expect a person to be utterly passive but others (eg. Buddhism, which I gravitate towards but disagree with in certain instances) do but this is where you have to choose your own path. As long as your methods are to protect your own being and not to in some way infringe on the aggressor I do not believe you could be judged (by your conscience) badly. To allow yourself to be assaulted in some way but to do nothing except forgive while it happens would be wronging yourself, which is as bad as wronging another in my opinion. I’m willing to be challenged on this since I do not consider my moral principles to be absolute but I’m fairly sure in my heart that you have the duty to uphold your self respect.
I would like to praise Chris for his comments and add more. I have always said people don’t just go bad their friends and family often let them go bad by not speaking out when it matters, i.e. right at the start. What’s this to do with religion and Spirituality? You might ask. Well they both invite self centred behaviour when they are used as answers to personal enlightenment and salvation questions of life. I look at people who will not condone euthanasia and wonder if their decision is more to do with their assured place in heaven than the person who is suffering. It is possible for a person to be spiritual and religious and yet be so remote from the world we live in that they appear to be hunkering down on their existence and waiting for something better. But all in all I prefer the company of people who ask questions about life and spirituality rather than those who accept doctrine on its own. I believe we must all find a spiritual life that benefits ourselves and those around us.
Amoki or Arnold- You’ve outlined the problem with many of the current popular religions, that they promise salvation after death, they promise a life which is better than what we have here on earth. This came about becaues people do suffer here, but now it’s an outdated idea, yet religions cling to it.
I believe humanist spirituality is the key. It is possible to feel a spiritual existence while accepting that life on earth may be all we have. Suffering needs to be alleviated here on earth, not in some fantasy heaven.
Your site seems very interesting…sorry I couldn’t make
much of it out.
Black on blown, Black on green. Illegible, I’m sad to say.
Hope I’m the only one here posting negatively…
Cordially,
John
Here’s my understanding, as best as I can describe:
The more simple you try to make your rules, the more abstract and harder to implement in real life they tend to be. But too many rules quickly start to become contradictory. My only suggestion is having an innate drive for understanding.
Trying to understand everything and searching for the truth leads you to greater wisdom. From that wisdom you can begin to see how even the words we use and ideas we have can never fully encompass everything that is. The truth is you will never be perfect, and once you discover that, you wouldn’t want to be anyway.
You’ll find that wise men tend to break things into either or situations and make one good and one bad in order to give the masses something to hold on to, but truth and reality weren’t made that way. It is basically a shorthand for more effective communication and will do nothing to help you spiritually.
Always search, always question, always discover. The goal isn’t to find one, or five, things to hold onto; it is to gain a more clear and true understanding of reality.
Your own perception is your greatest ally and worst enemy, the journey will usually start and end there.
Jesse- You are a wise soul. Thank you for that compassionate and clear overview of the problems and solutions for growing as a person. Your comment will appear soon in a post as a “glittering commentari”.
While I appreciate that these conclusions were the result of a spiritual journey, the fact is that there is nothing original here, and most of the “patterns” are derivative of a hybrid of eastern religions (even your tags include “Yoga thinking”, “Buddhist thinking” etc).
I find it interesting – and revealing – that many people who have responded to this blog express such credibility for someone who doesn’t even sign his or her name to it, yet the same people will doubt a hundred witnesses testifying to the divinity of Christ in the Bible.
I’m sorry to be so harsh, but this is the equivalent of someone singing a song by the ’70s band Bread while sitting on top of a hill with a daisy in their hair. All sentiment, no substance. I wouldn’t bet my life on this, but I would bet my life that Jesus rose from the dead to give us eternal life.
Please don’t let your spiritual questions end here, anonymous blogger – there are so many more answers that you can find if you keep looking!
Gaine- Thank you for your honest and detailed comment.
The suggestions in this post were never intended to be original. They are the result of a variety of investigative processes, including learning what Jesus taught. The point is they are universal in scope. And one doesn’t even have to put faith in an unprovable myth about someone resurrecting and flying up in the sky. Millions of people believed the world was flat until proven otherwise. That didn’t make it true.
It’s a shame so many good people are so duped about the “eternal life” issue. Young, naive children in certain Islamic countries are the victims of radical, hateful power mongers who brain wash them with similar nonsense in the name of “faith”. Leading a good, spiritual life never, ever depends on whether you are “saved” by some imaginary ghost. Now, if you want to use the metaphor of “living Christ” in the sense that his ideas are alive forever, I could abide by that. In that case, so are Buddha’s ideas.
The reason commenters support the ideas in this post is that they have found the same results on their own, not because I have more credibility than others. And I am not as anonymous as you think. Did you notice my bio, which detailed who I am? My persona here is merely that of “the muse”, not something to hide behind.
Peace, from a flower carrying hippie and modern, clear thinker,
(Garnet) David Thomas
“Words spoken well. The shift in consciousness happens when both the Knowing Mind and the Feeling Felt Energy Center are balanced. The western world exists most of the time within the mind. Since there is disconnection in our feeling center, we create a world with forms of unconsciously created suffering. The Feeling Center must be activated if we are to embody All that Spirit IS and bring SPIRIT, or LOVE, into Human Form. Where do we choose to create from? From within the limits and judgments of the mind? Or, do we lean to master our mind through what feels good to create…..” Many Blessings, love, and light, joel
“And about the previous response from The Christian woman above: There is a shift happening. That shift is the awakening of spirit in human form. Those that have their eyes focused narrowly on the structure, boundaries, and confides of religion may find it difficult to get on track with these changes.
Christ, as I KNOW him, does not enjoy the concept of religion because it gives people a safe place to hide. He never came to earth to create a religion, or teach a religion. He spoke of TRUTH. When a person is open, and alive, and sensitive, A person can FEEL the resonance of TRUTH. Religion is not needed because we all have the capacity to KNOW TRUTH. This Truth is found within. This TRUTH is not found in Religion. Religion holds out a sign to point the way. But in Most Cases, it points the way to DEATH…so “we can get to heaven after living a “good” life. Jesus is the embodiment of the idea that we can become Eternal in THIS Lifetime, in Human Form. Amen!” Joel R Harris
I like this blog so much I bookmarked it. I like what you have to say and how you say it. I have been a buddhist for a very long time and it’s taken me just about the same amount of time to figure out that buddhism like every other religion has accreted stuff that has nothing to do with learning and “wisdom”. What I finally learned (and not very well) was that the only way to learn was from a basis of humility; any other gathering of information or what seems to be knowledge is just an accretion that will prevent learning and the expression of love.
Thank you Diego- I appreciate the comment and the wise words. The paradox of knowledge is that it prevents the mind from staying open.
Joel Harris- Many wise words flow in your comment.
Garnet, I do apologize for accusing you of hiding behind an anonymous blog …I see now that you have been quite open about yourself in your bio. I should have looked at your site more closely instead of criticizing you for that unfairly.
Thank you for your response to my post. However, in your message, I detected a veiled sarcasm and cynicism that belies something beyond the “peace and love” message wrapped around it.
The Bible says that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” and G.K. Chesterton said wisely that “There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions.”
In order to truly tolerant of all faith perspectives, you have to understand and accept that the central message of Christianity is the cross and the resurrection, because that is, historically, what has driven and motivated followers of the faith. If you can’t accept that, and wish to “rehabilitate” Christianity by focusing on the universal aspects of the teachings of Jesus, then you are not in fact embracing universalism but merely being intolerant of Christianity.
I do not follow Buddhism or other religions paths personally, but at least I respect them enough (and have studied them in university and through my relationships with people of those faiths) that I accept how solid their teachings and doctrines are.
Call Christianity foolish, say you disagree with it, but please do not pretend speak on behalf of it when you clearly reject the resurrected Christ, who was not a “ghost” but appeared in the flesh to many after his death. If you ever want to encounter the person of Christ. then meet Him halfway and He will meet you face to face.
You seem like a very wise and likeable fellow in many ways, so please accept my hopes and blessings for your continuing spiritual journey. You and your readers may enjoy these words:
http://www.poetrybycharlescfinn.com/pleasehear.html
Gaine- I’m glad you returned. I also do not wish to be sarcastic, but feel it’s necessary to submit all religious discussions to critical thinking. There are many stories about Buddha which are nonsense to me, so my harshness favors none.
You write “you have to understand and accept that the central message of Christianity is the cross and the resurrection, because that is, historically, what has driven and motivated followers of the faith. If you can’t accept that, and wish to “rehabilitate†Christianity by focusing on the universal aspects of the teachings of Jesus, then you are not in fact embracing universals but merely being intolerant of Christianity.”
In my opinion, this indicates to me that Christianity, however popular it may be, has been on the wrong path for 2000 years. And Christians need to begin asking themselves why the supposed miracle is more valued as a spiritual tool than the actual teachings of the living man.
Some aspects of his self-sacrifice hold lessons which can soften the hardest heart, and this could be argued as a viable model for ourselves. But beyond that, I simply do not believe in miracles. I would rather put my faith in critical reason and humanity.
peace
yes. i agree. a path but one that is born from your heart, so you feel the truth as it emerges with proper guidance, bringing you closer to where you’ve always been.
check out reiki tummo
justluv.
annette- “bringing you closer to where you’ve always been.” Excellent. Dissolving the illusion of separateness.
Learning is a path to self-knowledge.
Learning possesses the following transcendental guidelines:
“Be attentive, (to your senses and their images)
Be intelligent, (in your insights and ideas)
Be reasonable, (in your judgements – it IS / it IS NOT)
Be responsible, (in your decisions)
Be in LOVE … (with the OTHER).â€
Transcendental means “going beyond”
– going beyond yourself.
Each of the above stages “goes beyond” its predecessor.