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Faith. I ended a recent post with the following thought: "Faith canot be a shortcut, simply there to justify part-time spirituality." I found this week that this applies not only to spirituality, but also to empirical exoteric goodness. There are no shortcuts, spiritually or empirically. Good intentions are not the same as sincere goodness. One must consistently work hard at aligning actions and behaviors with thoughts, feelings, and that ineffable/intuitive spirituality I have referenced frequently in recent posts. To clarify, the underlying spirituality portion must always be present in some form and inner work must be diligent and disciplined (study, analysis, contemplation, and reflection) to tie this transcendent concept to empirical considerations; but this is not enough. One must also work hard physically - I am talking about (sweat of the brow) physical labor as well as the considered, thoughtful actions and behaviors that set an example by sharing goodness.

Life is hard work; or, it should be. Much of that depends on the individual to consciously decide to work hard. When faced with a decision it is too often human nature to give greater weight to 'easy' and not consider (by ignoring, or being oblivious to) the learning opportunities available when one opts for 'difficult'.

In one recent post I maintained that "we are all individually irrelevant ... unimportant ... inconsequential." If this is true (and I believe it is) then some times (all the time?) all one has of relevance (empirically or spiritually) is one's hard work. And often, one's only judge of consequential character is oneself; (keeping in mind that anonymity validates exoteric goodness and spirituality emanates from inner transcendence).

We, as a culture of workers, have evolved from hunter-gatherers to agriculture and food production to manufacturing to service, and now seem to be transitioning into knowledge workers. I believe this progression encourages learning, growth, and spirituality but in turn dampens enthusiasm for physical labor. Often exercise and eating right become a piece of one's overall concept of spirituality which is good, as long as physical well-being does not supplant the overall fusion of empirical and spiritual considerations. Physical labor or exercise is a wonderful medium for contemplation and reflection and should be taken advantage of in that regard.

Today one does not have to spend all day, every day tracking, hunting, and killing a wild boar to ensure dinner tonight. Because one spends less time with these empirical considerations necessary for survival, I believe instead of the wild boar, one is too often found chasing a wild goose. Simply put (as previously stated) "one's only judge of consequential character is oneself." It is up to each individual, and not some self-help guru, to determine the validity of one's individual actions, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, behaviors, and spirituality.

Fad diets, fad exercise programs, fad business schemes, fad psychology, fad beliefs, fad movements, fad spirituality ... Not 'everything' is a fad, but various aspects of many things are, in that they are temporary. Even the nature of centuries-old religions change with the times. I believe that in all things there may be a core concept that is meaningful and potentially applicable to a given set of circumstances; (perhaps even widespread sets of circumstances); but I have found that ultimately the individual is still the best judge of what may be useful from any given philosophy. And one's individual judgment is ultimately the only one with meaning; provided one does no harm within the parameters discussed in 'this previous post' where I said "I strongly believe one should do no physical harm" ... but "uninhibited truthfulness should not be discouraged based on the 'potential for harm' because in so doing the 'potential for growth' is also discouraged and likely eliminated ..."

When one presses the 'easy' button, Life becomes filled with fluff.

Difficult decisions are difficult for a reason. Hard work is hard for a reason. And both are necessary.

I prefer substance over fluff.

Pride - a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

Righteous - 1. characterized by uprightness or morality; a righteous observance of the law. 2. morally right or justifiable; righteous indignation. 3. acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous; a righteous person.

Self-Righteous - confident of one's own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.

(The three definitions above are quoted from dictionary.com.)

I have visited two of the seven deadly sins this week; pride and anger. I believe these two human traits (collectively or individually) can encourage one to step across the line from righteousness to self-righteousness. It is a short step. I have utilized discipline and determination to ignore their pleadings. I believe I have been at least moderately successful.

I believe this is often true of human failings - it is not the weakness or the initial shortcoming; it is where that leads us. One must beware of being led deep into a labyrinth of compounded failings when imperfection first appears. When problem-solving with empathy and respect, I believe it is important to dig deep, asking "Why?" numerous times to get at the root or 'first cause' of a problem or challenge. But when a personal flaw or negative emotion appears, I believe it is important to recognize it as such, step back, objectively assess, and avoid compounding the issue with defensiveness or other all-to-human mistakes that may masquerade as problem-solving. Once inside the labyrinth, it is easy to get lost.

Truthfulness is uncomfortable; often for both the party sharing their perception, and for the party (or parties) processing the information in order to determine relevance and verity. It is easy to dismiss another's truthfulness thus lessening the discomfort. Pride and self-righteousness encourage rejection. Choosing to cast aside or ignore another's truthfulness does not disable its validity; and additionally it leads us deeper into the labyrinth.

Consideration is both thoughtful deliberation and empathetic regard and respect. I believe consideration must first be given before it can be received; if one does not offer consideration, one is not open/receptive to consideration. This is at times a difficult principle for me.

The second formulation of Kant's Categorical Imperative - "Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end."

Pride, Anger, and the other five deadly sins (as a starting point) are a means to satisfy base desires. When they appear (which they will), one must transcend the empirical in order to reach a moral, righteous end filled with Goodness.

Two Latin phrases widely quoted during the 17th century Baroque Period:

1. Carpe diem - Seize the day.
2. Memento mori - Remember that you must die.

Buddha to his followers just before he died - "Decay is inherent in all compound things. Work out your own salvation with diligence."

These references to death and decay (for me) encourage humility and facilitate the inner peace that comes from living 'harsh reality' and 'inner transcendence' united as one; and this in turn has the potential to lead one towards personal salvation. (See these two previous posts for further insight - 'Irrelevant Happiness' and 'Illusory Happiness'.)

"There are two kinds of truths. There are the superficial truths, the opposite of which are obviously wrong. But there are also the profound truths, whose opposites are equally right." -Niels Bohr; Danish physicist; 1885-1962.

This week I have discovered that in some instances 'one should not have to' but regardless, 'one should'.

Another Latin phrase; this one from sometime in the Middle Ages:

• Credo quia absurdum - I believe because it is irrational.

Spirituality from inner transcendence is, in many ways, irrational; and though I have approached it with reason in previous posts, much of its apprehension remains beyond words or rational thought.

This week I want to go back and expand on thoughts (or perhaps just one overriding thought) from this post (Irrelevant Happiness) three weeks ago. Towards the end of that post I casually threw in 'the meaning of existence' as one of the topics or concepts covered. Wow! Looking back, that was a pretty bold claim on my part to presume any sort of insight in that regard. I have to examine, pull apart, and dig deeper to determine substantive credibility or arrogant insouciance; (or perhaps, a little of both?).

First I would like to revisit the following sentence from the 'Irrelevant Happiness' post: "... day-to-day existence in this physical realm is given meaning through a dichotomy of harsh reality and ineffable/intuitive spirituality." This is not a spectrum. Nor are they combatants. In my mind they are the substance of Life, existing simultaneously, and cannot be given equal time, but should always be given equal consideration. I believe it impossible to give them equal time because I believe time to be a product of empirical reality, and only an illusion in the realm of spirituality which emanates from inner transcendence; but this is good because it allows spirituality to permeate reality. So initially, what I was referring to as 'the meaning of existence' in the previous post was recognition, acknowledgment, assimilation, and the resulting synergy from both reality and spirituality. They must be united as one for maximum vitality.

As always, easier said than done and in its perfection, unattainable; but definitely worth striving towards.

Next I would like to expand some on irrelevance, which I believe to be the 'harsh' part of reality. One cannot escape the fact of irrelevance in some, most, or (I might argue) all of one's reality. One can ignore it, hide it away, deny it, fight it, or - one can embrace it. I believe embracing irrelevance is the only way to consistently unite reality and spirituality. Think of a time when a harsh reality could not be hidden, denied, or ignored; one's tendency is to turn to spirituality or inner transcendence. Wouldn't it be better to seek inner transcendence and act upon one's spirituality full-time, rather than only when the need arises? Full-time spirituality emanating from inner transcendence it seems would require full-time recognition, acknowledgment, and assimilation of the harshness or reality; i.e. irrelevance. Embrace it.

So what about inner transcendence or spirituality? The fact that it may be present full-time if one embraces irrelevance full-time, does not necessarily make it relevant. Herein lies the dichotomy; irrelevance (harsh reality) makes full-time spirituality from inner transcendence possible, but one must then find a way to embrace it to make it relevant. So how does one embrace the transcendental, full-time, and use the irrelevance that is inherent in empirical reality to make transcendence relevant?

My first thought is that this would initially be more of an individual choice; at least in terms of individual beliefs. However, regardless of beliefs, I believe the mechanics to be similar; and necessary. Some constants that have helped me to stay on track include consistent study, analysis, contemplation, and reflection. I believe these to be applicable to various beliefs and learning styles; for me it is individual reading, thought, and writing; for others it could be group discussions, formalized classroom settings, technologically advanced methods, etc, etc, etc. These are the mechanics of living spirituality.

Study? Analysis? Learning? An objection of "when?" may arise. Keeping in mind the premise that in the transcendental realm time is an illusion, I believe one can find lots of opportunity for free thinking when performing the myriad of mundane daily tasks that take little thought, and as with anything, it is not a matter of time anyway; it is a matter of priority. And even when I am dealing with an empirical priority requiring more attention or focus, I've found that some aspects of my spirituality naturally incorporate themselves into my day-to-day existence. And then as I am able, (and the more I am able), to submerge myself into reflective thought, time becomes less of a factor impacting my empirical reality. In other words, in its purer forms, spirituality emanating from inner transcendence is not subject to the constraints of time put on our day-to-day existence, thus (in turn) loosening those time constraints as they impact one's empirical reality.

This is very cool; because what it means to me is that transcendentally - because time does not exist - time never ends; in this spiritual realm time is an illusion, so my inner transcendence is eternal. Additionally, this concept fits with many different spiritual schools of thought and it frees us from not only the empirical constraints of time, but also from the resulting fear of the end of time.

I would like to think that this expansion of previous thought lends some substantive credibility and furthers my understanding of the 'meaning of existence.' Throughout history humankind has sought salvation; some assurance that 'my' time will not end. Perhaps this salvation lies in the full-time fusion of reality (irrelevance) and spirituality (inner transcendence) and the refutation of time.

I sit here now (4 hours after writing the preceding paragraph) and have difficulty with the concept that time is an illusion. I see the clock move; I think back to younger days; I look ahead to growing older. How can one realistically maintain that time is an illusion? Part of the answer is that one cannot realistically (empirically) maintain that time is an illusion, because time is a product of this physical realm - the argument must be made from a transcendental perspective. Perhaps as one grows older the commingling of reality and transcendence, described in the previous post 'Irrelevant Happiness' as the embodiment of the transcendental nesting within the empirical, actually becomes the transcendental blanketing the empirical, thus emphasizing/strengthening the premise that time is (if not an illusion) at least an extraneous aspect of existence. I would like to think that as I grow older (and wiser?) I can embrace the transcendental to an extent that I have less and less difficulty seeing time as an illusion.

It is a tough sell, but I believe it approaches Truth.

Time is an illusion.

I don't necessarily mean that 'my' time won't end, but I do believe that the end of 'my' time is an illusion.

It is a tough sell, but I believe it approaches Truth.

In the beginning there was a warm center. As empirical time progressed this nugget of ineffable/intuitive spirituality grew and strengthened to become a recognizable aspect of my empirical existence. As I continue to grow (physically) older this inner transcendence (with effort and determination) will begin to blanket and fuse itself onto and into the whole of my physical being. In the (empirical) end I will be pure transcendence, beyond the bounds of time.

One final thought - Faith cannot be a shortcut, simply there to justify part-time spirituality.

A couple of times this week I have been in the vicinity of that elusive, peaceful, calm center; which (with some effort) I believe is sometimes easier to locate in the midst of upheaval and turmoil. Perhaps due to the contrast.

This week my thoughts have revolved around substance and fulfillment, and I am finding them most accessible through exoteric goodness and by doing the right thing. 'Exoteric Goodness' and 'Doing the Right Thing' sound very close to the same, but I don't believe they are. I believe, to leave Goodness in your wake, one must first decide 'What is the right thing?' And I think that can only be decided with a depth of inner reflection; and even then there is uncertainty.

Exoteric Goodness is felt externally and in its purest sense, is left or passed along anonymously. Doing the Right Thing is formulated internally and in its purest sense, is unattainable. I don't have a system or a method for deciding the 'right thing' but I can tell you (for me) it is often not the easiest thing; nor is it necessarily the most obvious thing, the most popular thing, or the loudest thing. This week I have found it lonely and painful, yet also peaceful; because, while this may not be 'THE' right thing, I feel it is as close as I will come.

I am talking about a significant change in my empirical reality, but (as it should be) through this process I have grown transcendentally. And, from feedback received I believe I have left (at least a little) Goodness in my wake; (I hope as time goes on, this is borne out). As stated above, it is important that the recognition of this not be my motivating factor. I do strongly believe that the most impactful, effective Exoteric Goodness is that which is anonymous. Just as a gift grows with each passing from one to another, so to should Goodness grow as it is passed from one to another; each one adding 'a little something extra' - lagniappe. And as I think this through it is very true that my thoughts, feelings, and actions this week have been influenced and encouraged by many others who have passed their gifts along to me.

... It has been a lonely, painful, peaceful week.

When I cook gumbo, I make a roux. When making a roux, some people use oil; some use butter. I'm in the butter camp. Some people like a dark roux; some like a lighter roux. I'm in the lighter camp. Some people use tomatoes; some don't. I'm in the tomato camp. The day I cook it and serve it hot, it has a very rich, full-bodied flavor. Then, after we've had our fill, I let it cool and I put the leftovers in the fridge. I make sure there are always leftovers. When I take it out of the fridge the next night, the fats (because I'm in the butter camp) have solidified on the top. I can't help myself - I always remove them before reheating; even though I know they will disappear when reheated. Now that I have seen the ugly reality, I have to get rid of it. When facing reality, some people are hiders; some are dealers. I'm in the dealers camp. Some hiders hide reality; some hide from reality; and some are oblivious (as I am on the first day of gumbo). When reality is hidden or misunderstood, I am usually in the oblivious camp. Some dealers deal reality; some deal with reality. I try to make frequent visits to both camps. (Of course, at this point, it should be noted that, as always, it is easier said than done.)

Gumbo would not be gumbo (as jambalaya would not be jambalaya) without bell pepper, onion, and celery; often referred to as the 'holy trinity' in Cajun and Creole cuisine. In gumbo, these raw, chopped vegetables are used to arrest the roux (keep it from burning and getting bitter) once it reaches the desired color; (the celery, onion, and bell pepper serve as a shutoff valve to control excess). If you burn your roux, you must throw it out and start again. Constant stirring and attention are key to the right-for-you roux.

Some people like chicken gumbo; some like chicken and sausage (typically andouille); some like seafood; some like vegetarian; and some like uncommon or even exotic proteins (such as ground meats, turkey, deer, gator, nutria rat - the list is endless). I have pitched my tent in many different protein camps but almost always start with chicken. It is a matter of personal taste and character.

Most people ladle their gumbo over rice; some like it over half a sweet potato; a few like it over potato salad. I am definitely not in the sweet potato camp; the potato salad though is very interesting.

When I am doing something other than a seafood gumbo I like to take some broth from the stock pot and boil some shrimp in a smaller pot, then offer my guests the option of adding a few shrimp to their bowl of gumbo. This is lagniappe - 'a little something extra'.

And I haven't even touched upon the spices, other vegetables (okra is common; corn is controversial), the number of prep/cook/simmer hours, the bread, and the importance of leftovers - (Gumbo is always better the second day).

...One can learn a lot from a pot of gumbo.