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fireworks_god
Sexy.Butt.McDanger


Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,855
Loc: Pandurn
Last seen: 1 year, 12 days
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Religion As Symbolic Spirituality
#5496517 - 04/09/06 01:05 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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I am a casual practitioner of feng shui. I used to read into it with great interest before I had a house of my own. Now I do, but I haven't gone to any great length to feng shui my house, beyond a general sense of organization and intention.
One of the great powers of feng shui is that purposefully rearranging one's environment for a specific reason associates aspects of that environment with a specific meaning. The greater the purpose and focus you put into the rearrangement of one's environment, and intentionally associate that placement with certain thoughts, the more one's mind will subconsciously invoke these thoughts and states of mind in the presence of these aspects of one's environment.
Interestingly, the title of the book that I most identified with was "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life". I really appreciate the symbolic viewpoint that feng shui encompasses. Our great gift is our experience of reality, and the overwhelming ability we have in creating that experience. Forming such a perspective, especially when making decisions on how your personal environment is going to exist (anyone who does not understand the effect one's environment has on one's experience needs to withdraw from life right now ), is great potential for transformation of ourselves.
I can see many aspects of religion sharing this symbolic sense, although I do not personally practice any religion. I am someone who does not see religion as being spiritual in itself. It is the pratice of religion within a certain mental context that relates religion with spirituality, and I think this connection is the symbolic sense of one's behaviors.
For example, the act of communion. The act itself carries with it no meaning. It, however, can be a powerful act for oneself when it is done with purpose and intention, the mind associating the action with a certain state of mind. The act eventually becomes synonymous with the state of mind itself. This is the power of ritual, and it is the same power within feng shui.
A concept of God can be seen more as an archetype than as a physical reality. A concept of God's great power is its psychological effect on the person who forms the archetype. Their idea of God becomes more of an aspect of their own identity than any external existance.
We use words to represent meaning, for a great practical reason. Why not use certain behaviors to represent, to act a key to, certain states of mind?
Perhaps the great flaw of religion is the passing on of the act itself, without instilling within one the purpose and intent? 
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Annom said: From the big bang thread:
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fireworks_god: The forum wasn't really split so that different topics could be discussed in different forums, but so that the same topics could be discussed in different manners.
Correct!
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fireworks_god: If the only problem is that some people might mistakenly post a topic in this forum and it is discussed in a manner that they did not intend on, then our moderators should gladly rise to the occasion and move it; hey, after all, that is why they are (suspossedly) here. As the thread starter has expressed no discord concerning the (lack) of discussion of his idea, then it most certainly belongs here.
Correct again!
 Peace.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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jcdangerously
I'll Cut You

Registered: 04/08/06
Posts: 422
Last seen: 17 years, 7 months
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Re: Religion As Symbolic Spirituality [Re: fireworks_god]
#5496548 - 04/09/06 01:15 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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First of all, excellent post. I agree with you on many points.
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Perhaps the great flaw of religion is the passing on of the act itself, without instilling within one the purpose and intent?
Because spirituality is relative to one's circumstances, personality, and state of mind, I don't feel that this is a flaw. Rather, the act should be passed on as a foundation for one to build one's own idea of what spirituality is.
Far too many people look at religion as a rigorous structure of rules and beliefs that must be adhered to strictly. I feel that this is a huge mistake, in that it does not promote free thinking and the development of new ideas.
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Edited by jcdangerously (04/09/06 01:17 PM)
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fireworks_god
Sexy.Butt.McDanger


Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,855
Loc: Pandurn
Last seen: 1 year, 12 days
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Re: Religion As Symbolic Spirituality [Re: jcdangerously]
#5496582 - 04/09/06 01:24 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
jcdangerously said: Because spirituality is relative to one's circumstances, personality, and state of mind, I don't feel that this is a flaw. Rather, the act as passed on as a foundation for one to build one's own idea of what spirituality is.
This is true, but my point is that the foundation is entirely useless without instilling within the other the state of mind that is to be associated with the ritual. It is a question of importance. The act isn't actually an act upon which one builds an idea of one's spirituality, the act is a reference point that is created to relate to one's idea of one's spirituality.
The ritual is an expression of the spirituality, which must exist prior to the formation of the ritual. The fact that the ritual tends to be treated as the foundation for a spiritual state of mind to be built upon is the exact reason why the ritual is passed on and the state of mind isn't - thus, the myriad of subsequent, negative results that everyone should be quite aware that religion is responsible for. 
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Far too many people look at religion as a rigorous structure of rules and beliefs that must be adhered to strictly. I feel that this is a huge mistake, in that it does not promote free thinking and the development of new ideas.
This "huge mistake" is one of the results from passing on the ritual without properly passing on the state of mind that the ritual is to accompany. The state of mind is the spirituality, and it does not even lie dependant on the ritual itself. It is like teaching another how to write and pronounce the word "vegetable" without ever teaching the meaning of the word.
 Peace.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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gettinjiggywithit
jiggy


Registered: 07/20/04
Posts: 7,469
Loc: Heart of Laughter
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Re: Religion As Symbolic Spirituality [Re: fireworks_god]
#5496935 - 04/09/06 03:23 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Excellent post indeed. I have the K-I-S-S keep it simple series, Guide to Feng Shui. It made a lot of sense regarding arranging a home for better organization, flow and a self nurturing and supportive environment. It is packed with models of mindfulness regarding environment.
To fully do your home would require designing and building it from scratch. The placement of my current home is pretty good though. No doubt, everything in the interior was placed with intention and purpose.
Cool how you took from it the idea of mindful, intentional placement of things in your extended environment with purpose and meaning to enrich ones life.
Reading up on some basic feng shui I think many here would get something from. No doubt, learning how to place the things around you with mindfulness of their effects can make a HUGE difference in your life.
I thought it was funny how in one section, they said it was bad feng shui to have a second story toilet over your kitchen. They said you were flushing toxic polluted energy down into your food and homes heart. I never would've thought such a thing. I live in a one story ranch but know others with that set up.
I have a lot of fire, water, earth elements represented. Air isn't as easy. High ceilings and an open floor plan help, which I have. I love it versus shorter ceilings and closed off rooms. I have a couple of wind chimes. My area is rarely breezy.
The bank of America was designed with Feng Shui philosophies to increase customer satisfaction and wealth. Donald Trump even started using it about 10 years back. There's something to the experiential change that adds so much quality and richness to life.
Awesome Post insight and idea FW! 
Maybe later I will grab some philosophies from it and add them here.
-------------------- Ahuwale ka nane huna.
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psyka
Praetorian


Registered: 06/09/03
Posts: 1,652
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I love wind chimes. They're symbolic to the natural harmony of life and the music and art that is naturally made. It gets even better when you apply rational thought with it. Buying chimes of certain frequency's and sound types that will harmonize together to form chords and even harmonize more. That is the beauty of science. Understanding.
Some frequency's seem to support each other and other's seem to try to dominate each other. I think Feng Shui might study this relationship through color.
The symbolism is based on the intereference pattern created through interaction.
-------------------- As the life of a candle, my wick will burn out. But, the fire of my mind shall beam into infinite.

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