Stories

  • The Order of ChivalryRamon Lllull

    The Order of Chivalry
    Ramon Lllull

    The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275) was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe.

    Until longbows and gunpowder came into widespread use in the 14th century, an armored knight was a formidable force on the battlefield. Something like a ‘tank’ in medieval warfare. So Llull thought that with this great power comes great responsibility. (more…)

  • Einstein the Plumber?

    Einstein the Plumber?

    In November 1954, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to a magazine in which he declared that, were he a young man again, he would not try to become a scientist: “I would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in the hope to find that modest degree of independence still available under present circumstances.” Across the United States, plumbers responded. The famous physicist was offered membership in the Chicago plumbers union, and Stanley Murray, a New York plumber, wrote to him: “Since my ambition has always been to be a scholar and yours seems to be a plumber, I suggest that as a team we would be tremendously successful. We can then be possessed by both knowledge and independence. I am ready to change the name of my firm to read: Einstein and Stanley Plumbing Co. (more…)

  • The Quest for Wisdom in a Scientific Age

    The Quest for Wisdom in a Scientific Age

    In an age where science has unraveled the mysteries of the cosmos, offering us unparalleled knowledge about the physical world, we find ourselves grappling with a profound question: how do we use this knowledge wisely? The distinction between knowledge and wisdom has never been more crucial. While science provides us with facts and understanding, wisdom guides us in applying this knowledge ethically and meaningfully.

    The Origins of Philosophy: A Dual Quest for Understanding and Ethical Living

    To explore the roots of wisdom, we turn to the origins of philosophy, particularly the pre-Socratic thinkers — Greek philosophers who preceded Socrates (c.470 – 399 BCE). These early philosophers were not only pioneers of rational inquiry but also ardent seekers of ethical living. For them, understanding the cosmos was intrinsically linked with living a virtuous life. Figures like Pythagoras and Heraclitus delved into the nature of reality and human existence, proposing that true wisdom involved a harmonious balance between knowledge and ethical action. (more…)

  • Ants Contemplating Einstein

    Ants Contemplating Einstein

    “We have art so that we shall not die of reality.”  —  Friedrich Nietzsche

    The book of Genesis in the Bible famously says that God created humanity “in our own image.” We’ve returned the favor – creating Gods in OUR own image. That is, human-like, only really really big. For example, the God of the Bible may not have a physical body, but certainly behaves in all too human ways: He loves and hates: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” (Mal. 1:2-3). He exacts revenge: “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay.” (Deut. 32:35). He regrets: “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth.” (Gen. 6:6). He is jealous: “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Ex. 34:14). Examples abound.

    It’s called “anthropomorphism” – “anthropos” = human beings and ‘morphos’ = the form of something. So anthropomorphism is projecting human traits and actions onto things and situations that aren’t human, such as pets, or “an angry storm,” or “my phone died.” (more…)

  • Rengetsu — a Nun Poet Who Brought a Civil War to a Peaceful End

    Rengetsu — a Nun Poet Who Brought a Civil War to a Peaceful End

    I recently encountered the story of Rengetsu (1791-1875) — a Japanese Buddhist nun with an extraordinary story.

    She was the love child of a geisha and a high ranking samurai. At 10 days old she was adopted by new parents. As a teen she was called to serve as an attendant at Kameoka Castle, and during her 9-year stay she received a samurai education in deportment, calligraphy, painting, poetry, tea ceremony, flower arranging, dancing, and a thorough grounding in the martial arts. At age 16 her troubles began — she married, then her husband died, she married again — he died too. So did her brothers and all five of her children, about which she wrote a poem: (more…)

  • Sacred Geometry: The Language of the Cosmos

    Sacred Geometry: The Language of the Cosmos

    Mighty is geometry — joined with art, irresistible.
    — Euripides (480-406 BCE)

    The idea of ‘Sacred Geometry’ is that mathematics can be beautiful. For example, here’s one of the most famously beautiful equations in mathematics:

    eiπ + 1 = 0

    It’s called “Euler’s Identity,” after the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707-1783, pronounced “OIL-er”) who first discovered it. You have to be far into math for this equation just to make sense, much less to find it beautiful.

    Geometry is another story. Here’s a geometrically generated image: (more…)

  • What Is ‘Spiritual Alchemy’?

    What Is ‘Spiritual Alchemy’?

    Introduction

    Spiritual alchemy uses the quest for turning physical base metals into gold as a metaphor for the path of transforming the ‘base’ human soul into the ‘gold’ of enlightenment and our best/highest selves. Rooted in mystical and philosophical teachings, it is the art of transmuting the soul, leading to spiritual enlightenment and inner transformation.

    Historical Background

    The origins of alchemy date back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and the Islamic world, where it was practiced as both a proto-scientific and spiritual discipline. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, alchemy flourished in Europe, often interwoven with Christian mysticism, Jewish Kabbalistic teachings, and Islamic alchemical texts. (more…)