For this piece I joined two articles together, so as to better illustrate the introduction to Pantheism. The second article is titled; "The Golden Rule", so as to relate how pantheism is an all inclusive philosophy. In other words, it's tenets do not conflict with the secular or religious communities. And in fact pantheism is embraced by many that refer to themselves as pagan, christian, etc...
Pantheism is a philosophy of community, wherein the divine and miracles are us, and all that exists in this living. Where "holy-days"/ holidays, are every day and as other faiths believe in the divine emissaries some call angels, pantheism would say that we are the angels. Our charity to one another, our empathy, compassion, the heart that is open is the the prayer of god and we , at every moment, are given the opportunity to live the blessing of being that answer that saves the world, by first believing the world is divine, by nature.
This post is intended to engender a conversation about a philosophy that sees god as immanent. I request religious scripture, or flames, be omitted from replies to the topic. I look forward to your thoughts.
T E N E T S O F F A I T H
Indigenous peoples had no word for 'religion' because spirituality imbued every facet of their lives. Similarly, contemporary Pantheists don't confine religion to Sundays and certain holidays, but instead embrace the tenets of their religion as a way of life.
The famous Dutch philosopher Benedict Spinoza and others have taken Pantheism to sophisticated heights, yet the essence of the religion remains straightforward and down to Earth. As a Native American Lakota elder put it:
"The truth can only be held in your heart; God is Nature, Nature is God. That is very simple. We have know it from before time."
With this primary belief as a springboard, PAN shares seven additional commonly held precepts, showing some of the ways Pantheism permeates and exhilarates our lives. How many of these of the tenets resonate with your own?
Many Pantheists believe in:
1. The Sacredness of the Earth.
The word 'religion' comes from the Latin 'religare' which means "to bind together." Pantheism creates a quintessential religious bond between Nature and humanity. With god immanent in Nature, the Earth is sacred and the Universe divine. This sacredness evokes a reverence for creation. Pantheism restores a radiant sense of the sacred to everyday life.
Given the sacredness of the Earth, our church is all outdoors! Communion with Nature brings us in touch with divinity. Union with the divine links us to the source of our being and brings serenity to our lives. The Earth’s natural beauty further couples us to divinity. As John Muir observed, "No synonym for God is so perfect as Beauty." The loveliness of wildflowers, the majesty of mountains, the delicacy of butterflies, the allure of seashores, and the artistry of snowflakes gladdens our hearts and elevates our spirits.
2. The Oneness of Nature.
Pantheists perceive the wholeness of Life, the unity of body and mind, the singularity of visible matter and invisible energy. Nature’s creative force, embodied in evolutionary processes, affirms our oneness with everything in existence. We arose from star dust, as basic elements of the Universe--carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen--combined in a primordial sea to form living matter. We retain a proportion of salts in our body that resembles seawater, reminding us of our intimate connection to the Earth.
The science of Ecology underscores the oneness of Nature, revealing myriad interdependencies between life forms and their environments. This is the way the world works; ecology provides us with the closest approximation of reality that we can hope to obtain.
3. The Pantheization of Life
Pantheism adds meaning and joy to virtually every facet of our lives. A profound relationship with Nature simultaneously takes us deeper into ourselves and further outside ourselves. Inwardly, we gain a sense of personal identity and self-understanding by viewing ourselves as a part of Nature. Outwardly, we gain a sense of responsibility and selflessness by caring for creation. From a pantheistic perspective, communion with Nature and warm human relations are ultimate sources of happiness--family and friends, simple pleasures and Nature’s treasures--these things bring us the best of life.
Each minute of life is an unrepeatable miracle. Pantheists live in the present moment, immersed in the world, as fully, as consciously, and as imaginatively as possible. Everyday wonders --a bee’s sweet honey, a friend's warm smile, a rainbow's iridescent colors--heighten our happiness. We glory in Nature, and joyful amazement fills our days. From the vagaries of sub-atomic particles to the vastness of space, we stand slack-jawed before a universe filled with unfathomable mystery. Science reveals objective facts, but many questions science cannot answer. Non-rational modes of thinking, intuition, and imagination help us, as William Blake expressed it, "...to hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour."
4. Mother Earth and Gaia Visualizations
The Earth is our mother in a very real sense; she bore us through evolution and she sustains us with air, water, plants and animals. Extending the metaphor, we strive to be good offspring, showing her honor, respect, and gratitude. And as children of the Earth, we feel at home in the world. Other forms of life are also progeny of the Earth. We have a kinship with all living things. We marvel at fellow creatures and admire how they adapt to their environments. With plant and animal ‘relatives,’ all around us, we find the world full of fascinating companionship.
Indigenous peoples have long held that the Earth is alive. Today’s Gaia Hypothesis affirms that the Earth carries on self-regulating processes as a lifelike entity. To visualize the Earth as an animated organism fosters protective feelings for our surroundings; rather than dealing with ‘dead’ matter, we are interacting with a living world. Such primordial wisdom has deep roots. As a species, we have spent 99 percent of our time as hunters and gatherers. To feel relaxed and healthy often entails simply attuning our behavior to the way a hundred million years of evolution has equipped us to behave. We surround ourselves with warm air, green plants, and animal companions, mimicking the tropical savanna from which we evolved. We have a biological need for the sights and sounds of Nature. By spending more time outdoors and by learning about the native plants, wildlife, and natural cycles in close by areas, we can restore a "sense of place" to our lives. We can also glean insight from our forebears sacramental approach to Nature and their perception of dependency upon the Earth.
5. Ecological and Social Consciousness
The findings of ecology lift ecological consciousness to a paramount position. We try to "examine each question in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right as well as what is economically expedient," as Aldo Leopold phrased it. "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." Everything, from figworts to flamingos, has intrinsic value and a right to exist, whether or not it has utility to humans. We advance a biocentric or life-centered outlook, rather than an anthropocentric or man-centered view. The world doesn't belong to Man; we share the planet with millions of species. And we have a responsibility, because of our power, to care for the welfare of other life, as well as for our own.
Human problems such as poverty, malnourishment, labor exploitation, and religious intolerance command our attention. Ultimately, ecological problems reflect human problems, for example, locating environmentally hazardous factories in low income minority communities endangers human health. We support human values over machine values, fairer distribution of resources, respect for different cultures and religions, and the protection of remaining tribal peoples.
6. Working to Protect the Planet
Pantheists strive to educate others to appreciate and respect the natural processes that sustain life. Volunteering in conservation organizations, writing letters, and supporting vital ecological causes allows us to give back something to the Earth for all that the Earth gives to us. As Edward Abbey observed, " It is not enough to understand the natural world; the point is to defend and preserve it."
We aim to reduce our impact on the Earth, realizing the connection between resource consumption and environmental decline. Simplicity, frugality, recycling, conserving water and energy, in these ways we can help make the world a better place. "Be the change that you want to see in the world!" (Gandhi) A spark of divinity lies within us and we need to do our best to keep it aglow. Life is motion. To stay physically strong and mentally alert requires daily exercise, which can be done without harming the environment. Good food fortifies both body and mind. We help Nature and ourselves by eating lower on the food chain and by purchasing pesticide-free organically grown items when possible.
7. Placing Ultimate Trust in Nature
Civilizations come and go, but Nature abides. The sun rises, the seasons flow; Nature works. Nothing in human society is so dependable. Nature’s steadfast rhythms foster hope with the promise of each new day. We believe in Nature.
"Faith in wildness, or in Nature as a creative force," observed writer Joseph Wood Krutch, "puts our ultimate trust, not in human intelligence, but in whatever it is that created human intelligence, and is, in the long run, more likely than we to solve our problems." By aligning ourselves with Nature, by having faith and trust in its creative forces, we join hands with infinite power and find our greatest peace.
PANTHEISM AND THE GOLDEN RULE
By Gary Suttle
"What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?" Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The Golden Rule exemplifies human kindness, cooperation, and reciprocity. Many religions expound the renowned rule in one way or another:
Buddhism: A clansman (should) minister to his friends and familiars...by treating them as he treats himself.
Christianity: As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. \
Confucianism: What you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto others.
Hinduism: Do naught to others which, if done to thee, would cause thee pain: this is the sum of duty.
Judaism: Take heed to thyself, my child, in all thy works; and be discreet in all thy behavior. And what thou thyself hatest, do to no man.
Pantheism similarly heeds the Golden Rule. Pantheists strive to treat others as they wish themselves to be treated, but their warmheartedness spreads beyond humankind-- Pantheists agree with those who extend the Golden Rule to relations with other life forms and the Earth itself. Showing kindness and consideration to other creatures and to the environment is the natural thing to do (interestingly, the word "kind" comes from the Old English word "gecynde" which means "natural").
The Golden Rule may have arisen from early peoples connectedness to the land and the need for cooperation. Hunters and gatherers often acknowledged with gratitude any part of Nature they utilized. They felt kinship towards to the animals and plants that underpinned their survival. Hunting itself encouraged cooperation. A large animal kill would spoil if hoarded by a single hunter and his family; sharing the food avoided waste and garnered appreciation and reciprocity from fellow hunters. As the descendants of people who learned to share and care for mutual benefit, we have an inherent capacity for fairness and kindness.
Nature matches humans conscious cooperative behavior with innumerable unconscious acts of cooperation. Bees pollinate flowers, coyotes keep prey from overrunning their habitat, decomposing bacteria return nutrients to the soil. Pantheists, with their deep feelings for Nature and their recognition of our dependency upon natural processes, revel in these countless expressions of cooperation.
Of course, there's a darker side to life. In Nature, 'survival of the fittest' often appears anything but kind, as when stronger fledgling birds push weaker ones out of a nest to their death. In human society, sheer self-preservation sometimes tarnishes the Golden Rule.
Cruel acts occur all too frequently, requiring forceful amelioration or tit-for-tat action. Life-threatening warfare may necessitate hurting others. Even the simple act of living requires taking plant and/or animal life to sustain our own. But following the Golden Rule whenever possible can better the future. Pantheists join with people of goodwill everywhere to tap and expand the underlying human heritage of kindly cooperation.
The Golden Rule brings with it a golden gleam. Friendliness fosters felicity, and by extending kindness to others and to the Earth, we brighten prospects for a secure and sustainable world.
QUOTE
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
The Dalai Lama
