Principles of Spirituality: number 1

All is not as it seems.

This is, I believe, the basis of spiritual investigation. Spiritual investigation is looking beyond the physical and into the spiritual, which can be defined as the underlying reality behind the apparent reality. Of course, there is an argument regarding the definition of what the spiritual foundation for apparent reality is, and there is also an argument regarding what the reality we perceive is, but in order for there to be spiritual investigation one must first understand this basic principle, that all is not as it seems.

I think this can be taken one step further as well. The spiritual reality underlying apparent reality is itself based on a deeper foundation. Thus, just as things on the first level are not as they seem, so too are things on the second level not as they seem. One can (and should) go on and on down the line until they find actual reality, which will most likely shock and amaze the investigator. At every level, thus, a person should attempt to avoid the trap of thinking 'this is it, I have found IT' and remember that just as they were once blinded by a veil, so too are they probably now still blinded by just another veil.

Various paths define this principle in different terms. Some say 'reality is an illusion', some say 'reality is a veil', others liken it to the skin of the body - the outermost layer of a deeper system. Some say angels and demons are the background, some say they are impersonal forces, others say it is microscopic molecules and yet others say it is simply varying degrees of unity and separation. All these people have gone through their own methods of investigation and have come to very different conclusions. How to tell who is right and who is wrong? The task seems daunting and possibly even futile. All these varying opinions, however, all have this one rule in common, that 'all is not as it seems'.

Comments

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Revolution-Wolf 2008-06-24 16:48:47

First off, I believe you're a bit too smart for Newgrounds. You won't find many to talk with when it comes to subjects such as these... though I suppose you can try.
I was somewhat able to understand the message you were trying to send, but I believe there are better places for you to discuss subjects such as these. Most on Newgrounds prefer not to look into spirituality, as they either refuse to comprehend it, or simply can't.

ThePeasant 2008-06-24 16:48:47

dig a hole, drop in a seed, wait and see.

I have another blog I post this stuff in which is in a better area. But hey, they gave me this space for free so I'm gonna keep using it this way. Hope I've inspired in some way :)

FaLk 2008-06-25 04:45:48

I like wat yor saying..i didnt understand all of it but i think i got wat u wer saying. all is not what it seems... all that we see is only a tiny speck in the universe its not that all is not what it seems, its just that we can't perceive what everything is, if we could know and see everything in the entire universe and beyond that then 'all' would be everything that it seems. i think reality is simply existence, if we exist, then we are real, and to exist is to understand what the opposite of reality is..

ThePeasant 2008-06-25 04:45:48

yes, you're correct that the 'all' I mentioned must be taken in context. I should be more careful with my words, really. I'll have to think of a better way to write this statement that will avoid the ambiguity you mentioned.

"to exist is to understand what the opposite of reality is" - are you saying that to exist is to understand non-existance? That the definition of being positive is understanding the negative? I don't know if I would agree with this part of your otherwise wonderful reply. I believe firmly that existance not only has meaning, but has intrinsic meaning in and of itself without relation to its opposite. I think that is the biggest point that Atheism has to contribute to spirituality, which is that Existance IS THE REASON for existance, above and beyond any other accidental reasons.

FaLk 2008-06-27 06:57:06

hmm.. thats true i guess only sentient beings could understand what the opposite of reality is and that doesnt mean that we exist

FaLk 2008-08-24 04:43:59

hey peasant u seem lyk a pretty philosophical kind of guy.. i hav come to the conclusion that if we do not know the meaning in life then there is no meaning in anything and therefore there is no point in doing anything. wot would u say to this??

ThePeasant 2008-08-24 04:43:59

I personally believe there is a meaning to life, but not having a meaning to life does not mean life cannot have meaning. Human beings have Free Will, to this there is no refutation. Whether there is an innate meaning to it or not, Free Will means we have the ability to create our own meaning.

Looking from the perspective of an Atheist, there can be many 'self-created' meanings which mesh with an atheistic lifestyle: the pursuit of wealth, the pursuit of honour, the pursuit of happiness, the pursuit of these things for the self, for the family or for the world, the pursuit for purity, pleasure, power, and the list goes on. Removing moral judgement from the mix, all these 'Invented Meanings' would definitely make a point to life, be they natural or invented.

NeverHundred 2008-10-28 15:01:47

haha, I had heard you're stuff before. In fact I left a review on one of your songs. It's a small internet.

ThePeasant 2008-10-28 15:01:47

Hmm, so you did! Whaddayaknow...