"Until the sixteenth century, men in general thought of space and time as though they were limited compartments in which objects were juxtaposed and interchangeable. The human mind believed itself to be perfectly at home in this universe, within which it tranquilly wove its pattern of metaphysics. And then one day this attitude began to … Continue reading The Middle Path
"The transcendental law, Emerson believed, was the 'moral law,' through which man discovers the nature of God, a living spirit...The true nature of life was energetic and fluid; its transcendental unity resulted from the convergence of all forces upon the energetic truth, the heart of the moral law." -- excerpt from The American Tradition in … Continue reading Transcendent Awareness
The sun had barely awakened the new day; its first efforts to bring light back from beyond the night had only just begun, but I had been unable to settle down to sleep since just before dawn the day before. My heart and mind were heavy with an inner turmoil, suffering from an enduring doubt, … Continue reading Friendship and Pain
In the light of day, I traveled to a remote forest area several miles from the base in Massachusetts. I had driven-by the turnoff several times before while navigating through the surrounding areas, and the entrance always caught my eye. Curiosity got the better of me one day while I was still in what they … Continue reading Deep Forest Vision
Excerpts from "A Lament..." written by Japanese Poet, Yamanoue no Okura (660-733 A.D.)" What we must accept as we journey through the world is that time will pass like the waters of a stream; in countless numbers, in relentless succession, it will besiege us with assaults we must endure... Precious though life is, it is … Continue reading The Evanescence of Life: Finding Our Way
"Memory performs the impossible for man; holds together past and present, gives continuity and dignity to human life." -- Mark Van Doren, Liberal Education, 1943 "In a large sense, learning and memory are central to our very identity. They make us who we are." -- Eric Kandel, In Search of Memory, 2006 "Has it ever … Continue reading Ancient Mountain of Memory
"Every human being, and every human mind, has roots that extend indefinitely far back through time…the consciousness of the individual is inextricably tied to the consciousness of the whole…Everything in nature is actually connected or implicated with everything else…" - David Darling, philosopher, from his book, "Equations of Eternity "David Darling has pressed the matter … Continue reading Consciousness and the World We Create: Part Two
"The spiritual life justifies itself to those who live it; but what can we say to those who do not understand? This, at least, we can say, that it is a life whose experiences are proved real to their possessor, because they remain with him when brought closest into contact with the objective realities of … Continue reading Two Worlds Merge
"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." -- Aristotle Our everyday lives, often full of the mundane, and punctuated by moments of joy and sorrow, can sometimes lead us to become somewhat indifferent to the relentless changes that occur as a matter of course, weakening our awareness of things extraordinary. Thankfully, throughout these … Continue reading Friendship, Love, and Truth
mlewallpapers.com As a young soldier in 1974, on the journey of a lifetime in California, one might suppose it would be unlikely for me to know how important the events of those days would be, and even less chance that I would appreciate them fully at that point in my life, and prior to the … Continue reading California Impressions Part II
John's Consciousness 