Sunday Musings - August 23, 2020
Covid-19 continues to be the star of the show on planet earth although there are other reminders that Mother Nature is consistently in charge. For example, two storms are approaching the golf coast of the United States. Fierce fires take advantage of the drought in parts of California. In many other ways she reminds us no matter what we do she will decide our ultimate fate. This is true despite the amazing ingenuity of humans in discovering the combination of ingredients which will produce vaccines and treatments. We humans continue to be the part of creation which does all we can to destroy the synchronicity of all existence and then we attempt to create “cures” for the damage we cause.
In the mist of the chaos, we continue to debate the questions:
• What is unique about us humans?
• If it is truly “dust to dust” why worry about what is moral or immoral?
There are those individuals who spend their life journeys as moral philosophers. Most of us will not, however, read the volumes filled with their observations and conjectures. If we do read their works and then learn about their day to day lives, we will find that the many volumes of works is inversely proportional to their ability to consistently design and live their life as they recommended. We look no further than our own lives to notice the contradictions between aspirations and behavior.
Given the fact that all our ponderings about these essential questions seems to produce little change in our behavior should we then revert to resigning ourselves to allowing our warring behavior with each other and Mother Earth to continue; to proceed to choreograph this opera complete with the latest in fashion, grand arias, and the very latest in other worldly set designs?
While it is true that it certainly seems as if we continue to excel in finding ways to destroy each other and the earth, the truth is that if we stand back far enough we will notice that overall violence is decreasing; the advances in earth friendly energy sources is phenomenal; the number of food challenged individuals is decreasing; and the speed with which we find treatment and cures is daily increasing. It may also be true that the number of individuals who refuse to particulate in the race to prove one’s essential worth by working the most hours, owning the most toys, or building the houses which rival the castles of yesteryear is on the rise, The first step in spiritual growth may be to simply notice that something is not working; that something is amiss; that there are indeed alternatives to the dynamics of how we humans life out this life journey.
Perhaps it is more important than ever to rewrite the works of moral philosophy. Perhaps we need tomes of “Moral Philosophy for the Average Person”. Perhaps we will let go of important sounding and confusing terms such as epistemological, metaphysical, ontological and even theological. Perhaps we can stick with our simply stated, basic questions which I earlier listed. Perhaps we can explore what it means to know how the mind of humans and the universe works; what it means to be with as opposed to being in opposition to; and what might result be if we live as if divine refers to the whole of existence. Perhaps in very simple terms we can explore what it means to be human; our purpose; what behavior adds to the quality of all of life, and how the behavior of each of us profoundly affects the entire universe(s).
Written August 23, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Covid-19 continues to be the star of the show on planet earth although there are other reminders that Mother Nature is consistently in charge. For example, two storms are approaching the golf coast of the United States. Fierce fires take advantage of the drought in parts of California. In many other ways she reminds us no matter what we do she will decide our ultimate fate. This is true despite the amazing ingenuity of humans in discovering the combination of ingredients which will produce vaccines and treatments. We humans continue to be the part of creation which does all we can to destroy the synchronicity of all existence and then we attempt to create “cures” for the damage we cause.
In the mist of the chaos, we continue to debate the questions:
• What is unique about us humans?
- • What is our purpose on this life journey?’
• If it is truly “dust to dust” why worry about what is moral or immoral?
There are those individuals who spend their life journeys as moral philosophers. Most of us will not, however, read the volumes filled with their observations and conjectures. If we do read their works and then learn about their day to day lives, we will find that the many volumes of works is inversely proportional to their ability to consistently design and live their life as they recommended. We look no further than our own lives to notice the contradictions between aspirations and behavior.
Given the fact that all our ponderings about these essential questions seems to produce little change in our behavior should we then revert to resigning ourselves to allowing our warring behavior with each other and Mother Earth to continue; to proceed to choreograph this opera complete with the latest in fashion, grand arias, and the very latest in other worldly set designs?
While it is true that it certainly seems as if we continue to excel in finding ways to destroy each other and the earth, the truth is that if we stand back far enough we will notice that overall violence is decreasing; the advances in earth friendly energy sources is phenomenal; the number of food challenged individuals is decreasing; and the speed with which we find treatment and cures is daily increasing. It may also be true that the number of individuals who refuse to particulate in the race to prove one’s essential worth by working the most hours, owning the most toys, or building the houses which rival the castles of yesteryear is on the rise, The first step in spiritual growth may be to simply notice that something is not working; that something is amiss; that there are indeed alternatives to the dynamics of how we humans life out this life journey.
Perhaps it is more important than ever to rewrite the works of moral philosophy. Perhaps we need tomes of “Moral Philosophy for the Average Person”. Perhaps we will let go of important sounding and confusing terms such as epistemological, metaphysical, ontological and even theological. Perhaps we can stick with our simply stated, basic questions which I earlier listed. Perhaps we can explore what it means to know how the mind of humans and the universe works; what it means to be with as opposed to being in opposition to; and what might result be if we live as if divine refers to the whole of existence. Perhaps in very simple terms we can explore what it means to be human; our purpose; what behavior adds to the quality of all of life, and how the behavior of each of us profoundly affects the entire universe(s).
Written August 23, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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