Everything Under the Sun

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 29 | 7/23/2023 Deep dive on Buddhism What I know of Buddhism is essentially nothing other than a feeling. I cannot articulate or intellectualize the Dharmas. I am unable to contribute additional depth to the millennias of thought dedicated to the Buddha. I cannot offer alternative translations to the Sanskrit, Chinese or English versions of the Lotus Sutra . But I can tell you what it is like to have been to a Buddhist nation, from the perspective of someone who grew up with no knowledge of such tradition. I can tell you what I observed, what I felt, and what conclusions I was able to draw. I can take my limited knowledge of Western Thought, from the Delphic Maxims to the New Testament, and tell you what I've learned of the East.  As one strolls through the concrete side streets of Japanese suburbia, there is an indelible solace which resonates through each block, inspired by the minimalist design and abundant tranquility. Stepping into ...

I arrive at these words with great grief and particular elation,  Aware of how I oscillate between tremor and satiation. Profoundly struck by the universality of this sensation,  It's a sense of duty to reality which salvages my salvation. I wonder what God might say to this product of his creation? Might he extend the hand of wisdom out as an invitation? Would he think this rambling of self awareness an appreciation?  Or a diatribe of ignorance and rejection of divine revelation? Despite uncertainty, I can say one thing with some authority,  That the pangs of my conscience have driven in me uniformity. A clarity in the same part of me which is tired of all the partying.  I've watched myself recoil from the ego I have been embodying. In the attainment of such wisdom, I have discovered my purpose. For reasons still unclear to me it beckons with distinct fervor. Like the 4 Cardinal Virtues: wisdom, prudence, justice, and courage.  The meaning of life I find i...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 28 | 7/16/2023 Deep dive on Stoicism Looking to annals of history, it's abundantly clear that the most common motif of conscious experience is suffering (to be continued in the Buddhism deep dive). Many great novels, documentaries and cinematic representations have highlighted the brutality of life on Earth, be it animal, insect, or man. However, the consciousness with which we've been gifted confers in us the ability to recognize the suffering of brutal reality, and in many cases, paradoxically, create it ourselves. So it is no surprise that religions and philosophies alike have sought to address this fundamental element of conscious experience. The Nihilists attempt to pad themselves by proclaiming zero meaning in reality, whereby they can take solace in the passage of time until their final hour, relieving them of the burden of life. The Confucians use the collective diligence and work ethic of establishing social order as the antidote...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 27 | 7/9/2023 Deep dive on Christianity  I am a novice of Christianity. Yes, I know the narrative arc, I know the rising actions, the climax and the conclusion. I even know some of the main characters, but admittedly, I lack a critical layer of depth such that my articulation and analysis of the narrative is elementary. Think about when you hear someone intelligent speak on a podcast, on stage or through an article; it becomes immediately clear that your own knowledge of the English language, the language of your native tongue, the only tool you have in your toolbelt to communicate, is severely incomplete. The diction with which you have access to is a fraction compared to an impressive individual and therefore your capacity for expression of complex, nuanced ideas is lacking also. In the same way, despite growing up in the Catholic church, attending Sunday school and being confirmed into the faith, I have come to understand that my reli...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 26 | 7/2/2023 Talk about the synergies between Eastern Thought and Western Thought Theologians and philosophers alike develop silos of ego, compartmentalized into self-containing rationalization, all born of competitiveness. It is a natural inclination to prove and disprove. It is counterintuitive to subject matter expertise to find similarity rather than identify difference. I grew up Catholic and rarely did I consider the larger philosophical and religious landscape of the world, until I learned of the world. Upon reading the texts of the stoics, who predated Christ, I saw parallel conclusions about fundamental features of the human nature. In deep diving the Old Testament, I discovered archetypes which could be found in ancient Egypt and ancient China. And in Japan, visiting the Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, I learned of the connection between observation, self-regulation, nature, and enlightenment, a central theme in both Stoicism ...