"Cartesianism," which is a philosophical system based on the ideas of René
Descartes. Cartesianism is known for its emphasis on reason and the role of
doubt in the pursuit of knowledge. Here are some key elements:
Method of Doubt: Descartes is famous for his methodological skepticism, which
involves doubting everything that can possibly be doubted to establish a
foundation for true knowledge. This leads to his famous conclusion,
"Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"), which he considered an
indubitable truth.
Dualism: Descartes proposed a form of dualism that distinguishes between
two kinds of substances: mind (or soul) and body. According to Cartesian
dualism, the mind is a non-material, thinking substance, while the body is
a material, extended substance. This distinction raises questions about how
the mind and body interact, known as the "mind-body problem."
Rationalism: Cartesianism is a form of rationalism, which holds that reason
is the primary source of knowledge, as opposed to empiricism, which
emphasizes sensory experience.
Mathematical Approach: Descartes applied mathematical methods to philosophy
and science, believing that clear and distinct ideas, much like
mathematical truths, could provide a solid foundation for knowledge.
Cartesianism had a profound influence on the development of modern
philosophy and science. It laid the groundwork for later thinkers like
Spinoza, Leibniz, and even some of the existentialists, despite their
critiques and modifications of Cartesian ideas.
The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and
various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally,
spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to
recover the original shape of man", oriented at "the image of God" as
exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world.
The term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented
toward the Holy Spirit and broadened during the Late Middle Ages to include
mental aspects of life.
In modern times, the term both spread to other religious traditions and
broadened to refer to a wider range of experiences, including a range of
esoteric and religious traditions. Modern usages tend to refer to a
subjective experience of a sacred dimension, and the "deepest values and
meanings by which people live", often in a context separate from organized
religious institutions. This may involve belief in a supernatural realm
beyond the ordinarily observable world, personal growth, a quest for an
ultimate or sacred meaning, religious experience, or an encounter with
one's own "inner dimension".
Etymology The term spirit means "animating or vital principle in man and
animals". It is derived from the Old French espirit, which comes from the
Latin word spiritus (soul, ghost, courage, vigor, breath) and is related to
spirare (to breathe). In the Vulgate, the Latin word spiritus is used to
translate the Greek pneuma and Hebrew ruach. Spiritualism hence was once,
connected to spirits of the dead which changed to AANMEEKAM STUDY ABOUT
ANMA @ SOUL. THE HISTORY IS LONG.
The term "spiritual", meaning "concerning the spirit", is derived from Old
French spirituel, which is derived from Latin spiritualis, which comes by
spiritus or "spirit”. The term "spirituality" is derived from Middle French
spiritualité, from Late Latin spiritualitatem (nominative spiritualitas),
which is also derived from Latin spiritualis.
Definition There is no single, widely agreed-upon definition of
spirituality. Surveys of the definition of the term, as used in scholarly
research, show a broad range of definitions with limited overlap A survey
of reviews by McCarroll, each dealing with the topic of spirituality, gave
twenty-seven explicit definitions among which "there was little agreement".
This causes some difficulty in trying to study spirituality systematically;
i.e., it impedes both understanding and the capacity to communicate
findings in a meaningful fashion.
According to Kees Waaijman, the traditional meaning of spirituality is a
process of re-formation that "aims to recover the original shape of man,
the image of God. To accomplish this, the re-formation is oriented at a
mold, which represents the original shape: in Judaism the Torah, in
Christianity there is Christ, for Buddhism, Buddha, and in Islam,
Muhammad." Houtman and Aupers suggest that modern spirituality is a blend
of humanistic psychology, mystical and esoteric traditions, and Eastern
religions.
In modern times the emphasis is on subjective experience and the "deepest
values and meanings by which people live", incorporating personal growth or
transformation, usually in a context separate from organized religious
institutions. Spirituality can be defined generally as an individual's
search for ultimate or sacred meaning, and purpose in life. Additionally it
can mean to seek out or search for personal growth, religious experience,
belief in a supernatural realm or afterlife, or to make sense of one's own
"inner dimension".
Development of the meaning of spirituality
In a Biblical context the term means being animated by God. The New
Testament offers the concept of being driven by the Holy Spirit, as opposed
to living a life in which one rejects this influence. In the 11th century,
this meaning of "Spirituality" changed. Instead, the word began to denote
the mental aspect of life, as opposed to the material and sensual aspects
of life, "the ecclesiastical sphere of light against the dark world of
matter". In the 13th century "spirituality" acquired a social and
psychological meaning. Socially it denoted the territory of the clergy:
"the ecclesiastical against the temporary possessions, the ecclesiastical
against the secular authority, the clerical class against the secular
class" Psychologically, it denoted the realm of the inner life: "the purity
of motives, affections, intentions, inner dispositions, the psychology of
the spiritual life, the analysis of the feelings".In the 17th and 18th
centuries, a distinction was made between higher and lower forms of
spirituality: "A spiritual man is one who is Christian 'more abundantly and
deeper than others'." The word was also associated with mysticism and
quietism, and acquired a negative meaning.
Modern spirituality Modern notions of spirituality developed throughout
the 19th and 20th centuries, mixing Christian ideas with Western esoteric
traditions and elements of Asian, especially Indian, religions.
Spirituality became increasingly disconnected from traditional religious
organizations and institutions. It is sometimes associated today with
philosophical, social, or political movements such as liberalism, feminist
theology, and green politics.
A major influence on modern spirituality was the Theosophical Society,
which searched for 'secret teachings' in Asian religions. It has been
influential on modernist streams in several Asian religions, notably
Neo-Vedanta, the revival of Theravada Buddhism, and Buddhist modernism,
which have taken over modern western notions of personal experience and
universalism and integrated them in their religious concepts. A second,
related influence was Anthroposophy, whose founder, Rudolf Steiner, was
particularly interested in developing a genuine Western spirituality, and
in the ways that such a spirituality could transform practical institutions
such as education, agriculture, and medicine. More independently, the
spiritual science of Martinus was an influence, especially in
Scandinavia.The influence of Asian traditions on Western modern
spirituality was also furthered by the perennial philosophy, whose main
proponent Aldous Huxley was deeply influenced by Swami Vivekananda's
Neo-Vedanta and universalism, and the spread of social welfare, education
and mass travel after World War II.
Neo-Vedanta An important influence on western spirituality was
Neo-Vedanta, also called neo-Hinduism and Hindu Universalism, a modern
interpretation of Hinduism which developed in response to western
colonialism and orientalism. It aims to present Hinduism as a "homogenized
ideal of Hinduism" with Advaita Vedanta as its central doctrine Due to the
colonisation of Asia by the western world, since the 19th century an
exchange of ideas has been taking place between the western world and Asia,
which also influenced western religiosity. Unitarianism, and the idea of
Universalism, was brought to India by missionaries, and had a major
influence on neo-Hinduism via Ram Mohan Roy's Brahmo Samaj and Brahmoism.
Roy attempted to modernise and reform Hinduism, from the idea of
Universalism. This universalism was further popularised, and brought back
to the west as neo-Vedanta, by Swami Vivekananda.
"Spiritual but not religious" {sbnr} After the Second World War,
spirituality and theistic religion became increasingly disconnected, and
spirituality became more oriented on subjective experience, instead of
"attempts to place the self within a broader ontological context". A new
discourse developed, in which (humanistic) psychology, mystical and
esoteric traditions and eastern religions are being blended, to reach the
true self by self-disclosure, free expression, and meditation.The
distinction between the spiritual and the religious became more common in
the popular mind during the late 20th century with the rise of secularism
and the advent of the New Age movement. Among other factors, declining
membership of organized religions and the growth of secularism in the
western world have given rise to this broader view of spirituality. The
term "spiritual" is now frequently used in contexts in which the term
"religious" was formerly employed. Both theists and atheists have
criticized this development
Judaism: Spirituality in Judaism may involve practices of Jewish ethics,
Jewish prayer, Jewish meditation, Shabbat and holiday observance, Torah
study, dietary laws, teshuvah, and other practices. It may involve
practices ordained by halakhah or other practices.
Christianity: Christian spirituality is the spiritual practice of living
out a personal faith. Pope Francis offers several ways in which the calling
of Christian spirituality can be considered: "Christian spirituality
proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and
encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep
enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption"; "Christian spirituality
proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with
little."
Islam An inner spiritual struggle and an outer physical struggle
are two commonly accepted meanings of the Arabic word jihad: The "greater
jihad" is the inner struggle by a believer to fulfill his religious duties
and fight against one's ego. This non-violent meaning is stressed by both
Muslim and non-Muslim authors.
Sufism The best-known form of Islamic mystic spirituality is the
Sufi tradition (famous through Rumi and Hafiz) in which a Sheikh or pir
transmits spiritual discipline to students.Sufis consider themselves as the
original true proponents of this pure original form of Islam. They are
strong adherents to the principal of tolerance, peace and against any form
of violence. The Sufi have suffered severe persecution by more rigid and
fundamentalist groups such as the Wahhabi and Salafi movement. In 1843 the
Senussi Sufi were forced to flee Mecca and Medina and head to Sudan and
Libya.
Jainism Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an
ancient Indian religion. The three main pillars of Jainism are ahiṃsā
(non-violence), anekāntavāda (non-absolutism), and aparigraha
(non-attachment). Jains take five main vows: ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya
(truth), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (sexual continence), and
aparigraha (non-possessiveness). These principles have affected Jain
culture in many ways, such as leading to a predominantly vegetarian
lifestyle. Parasparopagraho jīvānām (the function of souls is to help one
another) is the faith's motto and the Ṇamōkāra mantra is its most common
and basic prayer.
Buddhism Buddhist practices are known as Bhavana, which literally
means "development" or "cultivating"] or "producing" in the sense of
"calling into existence" It is an important concept in Buddhist praxis
(Patipatti). The word bhavana normally appears in conjunction with another
word forming a compound phrase such as citta-bhavana (the development or
cultivation of the heart/mind) or metta-bhavana (the
development/cultivation of loving kindness). When used on its own bhavana
signifies 'spiritual cultivation' generally.
Hinduism Within this diffuse and open structure, spirituality in
Hindu philosophy is an individual experience, and referred to as ksaitrajña
(Sanskrit: क्षैत्रज्ञ. It defines spiritual practice as one's journey
towards moksha, awareness of self, the discovery of higher truths, Ultimate
reality, and a consciousness that is liberated and content. Traditionally,
Hinduism identifies three mārga (ways) of spiritual practice, namely Jñāna (
ज्ञान), the way of knowledge; Bhakti, the way of devotion; and Karma yoga,
the way of selfless action. In the 19th century Vivekananda, in his
neo-Vedanta synthesis of Hinduism, added Rāja yoga, the way of
contemplation and meditation, as a fourth way, calling all of them "yoga".
Chandogyopanishad suggests that those who engage in ritualistic offerings
to gods and priests will fail in their spiritual practice, while those who
engage in tapas will succeed; Svetasvataropanishad suggests that a
successful spiritual practice requires a longing for truth, but warns of
becoming 'false ascetic' who go through the mechanics of spiritual practice
without meditating on the nature of Self and universal Truths. In the
practice of Hinduism, suggest modern era scholars such as Vivekananda, the
choice between the paths is up to the individual and a person's
proclivities. Other scholars suggest that these Hindu spiritual practices
are not mutually exclusive, but overlapping.
Sikhism Sikhism considers spiritual life and secular life to be
intertwined: "In the Sikh Weltanschauung ... the temporal world is part of
the Infinite Reality and partakes of its characteristics." Guru Nanak
described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of
"truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than a
purely contemplative life.
African spirituality In some African contexts, spirituality is
considered a belief system that guides the welfare of society and the
people therein, and eradicates sources of unhappiness occasioned by evil
Contemporary spirituality The term spiritual has frequently become used
in contexts in which the term religious was formerly employed. Contemporary
spirituality is also called "post-traditional spirituality" and "New Age
spirituality". Hanegraaf makes a distinction between two "New Age"
movements: New Age in a restricted sense, which originated primarily in
mid-twentieth century England and had its roots in Theosophy and
Anthroposophy, and "New Age" in a general sense, which emerged in the later
1970s.
Characteristics Modern spirituality centers on the "deepest values
and meanings by which people live". It often embraces the idea of an
ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality. It envisions an inner path
enabling a person to discover the essence of his or her being.These are
aspects of life and human experience which go beyond a purely materialist
view of the world without necessarily accepting belief in a supernatural
reality or any divine being. Nevertheless, many humanists (e.g. Bertrand
Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre) who clearly value the non-material, communal,
and virtuous aspects of life reject this usage of the term "spirituality"
as being overly-broad (i.e. it effectively amounts to saying "everything
and anything that is good and virtuous is necessarily spiritual").[118] In
1930 Russell, a self-described agnostic renowned as an atheist, wrote "...
one's ego is no very large part of the world. The man who can centre his
thoughts and hopes upon something transcending self can find a certain
peace in the ordinary troubles of life which is impossible to the pure
egoist."the term "spirit" is commonly taken as denoting the existence of
unseen / otherworldly / life-giving forces; and words such as "morality",
"philanthropy" and "humanism" already efficiently and succinctly describe
the prosocial-orientation and civility that the phrase "secular
spirituality" is meant to convey but without risking confusion that one is
referring to something supernatural.
Scientific research Health and well-being Various studies (most
originating from North America) have reported a positive correlation
between spirituality and mental well-being in both healthy people and those
encountering a range of physical illnesses or psychological disorders.
Although spiritual individuals tend to be optimistic, report greater social
support, and experience higher intrinsic meaning in life strength, and
inner peace, whether the correlation represents a causal link remains
contentious. Both supporters and opponents of this claim agree that past
statistical findings are difficult to interpret, in large part because of
the ongoing disagreement over how spirituality should be defined and
measured. There is also evidence that an agreeable/positive temperament
and/or a tendency toward sociability (which all correlate with
spirituality) might actually be the key psychological features that
predispose people to subsequently adopt a spiritual orientation and that
these characteristics, not spiritually per se, add to well-being. There is
also some suggestion that the benefits associated with spirituality and
religiosity might arise from being a member of a close-knit community.
Social bonds available via secular sources (i.e., not unique to
spirituality or faith-based groups) might just as effectively raise
well-being. In sum, spirituality may not be the "active ingredient" (i.e.,
past association with psychological well-being measures might reflect a
reverse causation or effects from other variables that correlate with
spirituality), and that the effects of agreeableness, conscientiousness, or
virtue – personality traits common in many non-spiritual people yet known
to be slightly more common among the spiritual – may better account for
spirituality's apparent correlation with mental health and social
support.{STANFORD
ENCYCLOPEDIA}
Spiritual experiences Neuroscientists have examined brain
functioning during reported spiritual experiences finding that certain
neurotransmitters and specific areas of the brain are involved. Moreover,
experimenters have also successfully induced spiritual experiences in
individuals by administering psychoactive agents known to elicit euphoria
and perceptual distortions Conversely, religiosity and spirituality can
also be dampened by electromagnetic stimulation of the brain. These results
have motivated some leading theorists to speculate that spirituality may be
a benign subtype of psychosis– benign in the sense that the same aberrant
sensory perceptions that those suffering clinical psychoses evaluate as
distressingly incongruent and inexplicable are instead interpreted by
spiritual individuals as positive (personal and meaningful transcendent
experiences).
As a matter of fact, neither the cartesian nor the spiritualism
are akin to the advaitha philosophy of India in sanatana dharma, though,
west is interpreting per-force, that advaitham is the root cause. Where
MIND AND BODY are two different things ther the dualism exist and hence
ONLY-ONE IS ABSENT so it is not a+DVAITHAM=ADVAITHAM. Where the Mind and
the body are treated differently, where the Paramatma and the Jeevatma are
treated as distinct, there aham brahmasmi veda concept, the basis for the
advaitham failed. That is why all duality leads to the arguments that from
where the other came about which is infinity and unending. Here alone the
concept of creation originates. Where there is one and one that divides as
siva and sakthi as ardha nareeswara which is ONE, NIRGUNA BRAHMAM ALONE
EXIST; and there is all in HIM and all emanate only out of HIM; so, there
is manifestations alone. Creation becomes secondary as an artist draws
pictures. Thus duality is followed by all religions including Indian
Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism. Thus Moksh gets defined differently by the
duality. Hence, either Descartes or Spiritualism, have no correlation to
sanatana dharma; hence they go only hand in hand with modern science.
Therefore, without ekam, nature, in duality, will only be hit.
K RAJARAM IRS 13924
On Fri, 13 Sept 2024 at 10:54, Markendeya Yeddanapudi <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> --
> *Mar**Spiritualism-Vs-Cartesianism*
>
> *Spiritualism is Rationalism based on the conceptual bases of
> understanding based on breathing. Spirit means air. It is based on the fact
> that our eyes can see only 00.0037% of the reality and understanding must
> have the whole connecting conceptual base. Spiritual Rationalism needs the
> lush undisturbed nature in all its glory for breathing. Spiritual
> Rationalism is in fact only the first step in achieving the ultimate Cosmic
> Rationalism where the observer also participates while perceiving and
> feeling the cosmic reality. It needs the training of the body and mind,
> first to use the air or spirit for perception by means of breath control,
> in which not only the nose but every pore of the skin participates in
> perception while participating as a part of nature. In Spiritual
> Rationalism, nature is sacred and shall be allowed total freedom, by being
> treated as the Divine. Nature is sacred...God. Spiritual Rationalism
> ultimately subsumes emotionally the observer as a part of nature. It
> ultimately takes the observer into the space-time bliss. Bliss is a
> situation where breathing and positive and enchanting understanding becomes
> one.*
>
> *Cartesian mathematical reductionism is based on the dictum of Rene
> Descartes, who contended that every organism in the biosphere is only a
> machine, which has no feeling of pain, emotion, actually lifeless. The only
> exception according to him is the human being into whom God entered through
> the pineal gland in the brain. To prove that God created only machines, he
> nailed huge animals to wooden logs, cut them open and searched in the
> bloody mess the engineering principles of those bodies writhing in pain and
> shrieking piteously. This basic conceptual base of reality as mechanical
> continues even today, though his saying that animals are machines that do
> not feel pain is theoretically only dethroned, though the torture of
> animals and also nature continues in the name of science. In fact only the
> semantics have been changed, and now the contention is that nature
> including all life forms is economic resources. Propelled by the basest of
> the instincts—the greed for profit, and ego satisfying power, all nature
> from the Magnetosphere to the Solid Inner Core in the Earth,(though it is
> impossible to dig through the Asthenosphere or simply Lava) is sought to be
> subjected to deadly assaults. The Cartesian Rationalism has taken mankind
> into mass lunacy and total destruction of nature has become great
> scholarship.*
>
> *Nature is in shackles, and nature includes you.*
>
> *YM Sarma*
>
> *Chat GPT*
>
>
>
> *YM Sarma's comparison of **Spiritualism** and **Cartesianism** presents
> two drastically different approaches to understanding nature and the
> universe.*
>
>
>
> *### Spiritualism:*
>
> *- Sarma describes spiritualism as **rationalism based on
> breathing**—rooted in the understanding that "spirit" means air, and that
> breathing connects us to the larger cosmic reality. Since human perception
> through the eyes captures only a tiny fraction of reality (0.0037%),
> spiritualism involves using the entirety of nature and one's physical being
> (including breath) to perceive and connect with the world. *
>
> *- **Spiritual Rationalism** integrates the observer into nature, blurring
> the boundary between subject and object. The ultimate goal is to reach
> **cosmic rationalism**, where the observer not only perceives but
> participates in nature’s processes, culminating in a state of **bliss**—a
> harmonious unity of breathing and understanding. Nature, in this view, is
> divine and sacred, and should be treated with reverence and allowed to
> thrive in its natural state.*
>
>
>
> *### Cartesianism:*
>
> *- **Cartesianism** stems from the philosophy of René Descartes, who
> viewed all non-human life forms as **mechanical objects** devoid of
> consciousness or feelings. Descartes' notorious practice of vivisection on
> animals, based on the belief that they were insentient, reflects the cold,
> mechanical view of life that has persisted in modern science and
> technology.*
>
> *- According to Sarma, **Cartesian reductionism** reduces living beings,
> including nature, to mere economic resources. The mechanistic worldview,
> with its emphasis on dispassionate observation and control, is destructive,
> contributing to what Sarma sees as a **"mass lunacy"**—the relentless
> exploitation of nature for profit and power. Descartes' notion that the
> human being is the only exception to this mechanistic view (due to the
> soul’s presence in the pineal gland) has been overshadowed by the idea that
> all of nature is a machine, ripe for manipulation.*
>
>
>
> *### Conclusion:*
>
> *Sarma's critique of Cartesianism highlights how **mechanistic thinking**
> disconnects humans from nature, leading to exploitation and environmental
> degradation. In contrast, **Spiritualism** seeks to re-establish a deeper,
> emotional, and physical connection to nature through breath and symbiotic
> understanding, elevating nature to a sacred status and calling for its
> protection. The essay suggests a **return to a more harmonious way of
> life** through spiritual engagement with nature, as opposed to the
> destructive logic of Cartesian reductionism.*
>
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