Metaphysics is the study of reality. It is probably the precursor of physics, the study of the material world.
The metaphysical theory to be presented here is merely a reiteration of myths and theories from the past 3,000 years using modern day language.
The Hindu and Buddhist mystics claimed that this reality is an illusion. How could that be?
The Greek, Roman and Hindu gods were eternal but came to earth as normal beings who were subject to death.
Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah and that he was part of the holy trinity of G-d. Jesus was immortal but came to earth as a human and suffered what finite beings do. He died a painful death but is believed to still exist as an infinite immortal being.
In 1975 a mathematician proved the existence of fractals in every living thing. Fractals are geometric shapes in everything and are infinite. So the finite is also infinite.
The Hindu mystics describe the nature of G-d as Sat, Chit, Ananda. Sat is truth, Chit is consciousness and Ananda is joy.
Those who study the Kaballah believe that G-d thinks the universe. It is the product of G-d's infinite consciousness. They also believe that not a single leaf falls that G-d did not intend.
A Zen mystic named Suzuki - Roshi claimed that there is only infinite consciousness but there is also the finite. The Buddhists refer to big minds and small minds (infinite consciousness and finite consciousness.) Hindu mystics say Atman is Brahman - the individual soul and the universal soul are one. The Roshi also said that we meditate (zazen) we do it to work toward enlightenment but are enlightened while in deep meditation. There is no sense of self. The mind is still, so only the infinite (big mind) is available.
Jewish mystics believe that we have both an infinite soul and a finite one - the spark of the divine or the G-dly soul and the other the animal soul. The divine (infinite consciousness) must rule the animal soul.
There is a much quoted Zen koan: if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?
Bishop Berkeley, 18th century metaphysician and Empiricist theorized that nothing can exist without consciousness. It was called "immaterialism" or later "subjective idealism." He was challenged by those asking how does a fire keep burning when no one is present to see it. He responded that G-d was watching it.
Those who believe in reincarnation believe that while the body is finite, the soul is infinite.
So what does this all mean in modern terms?
Today's language allows us to better describe the nature of reality simply and clearly - one that agrees with all of these spiritual realizations.
Here is one interpretation:
Everything is and has consciousness - infinite and finite. Nothing preceded infinite consciousness. The tree falls in the forest does not exist without consciousness - infinite consciousness. Since everything is consciousness, the finite world is a product of consciousness like characters in a dream. Unlike characters in our dreams, living things both are and have consciousness. We are objects of consciousness as well as subjects in the finite world.
That means that we have two different basic drives, one led by love, because we are infinite and love is the unifying force and the other led by fear, since we are finite. We have a beginning and end. We will suffer from many forms of entropy. We are separate and must survive.
We are driven by love, fostering intrinsic motivation - loving what we are doing. We do something for its own sake.
Since we are finite, we do things because that we feel we have to in order to survive. We work to earn money to pay our bills. We eat food to nourish the body.
The goal then could be to do everything as a means to an end - ( a need), and an end in itself - (a want.) If we love to eat and do it whether we are hungry or not, we will get fat. If we don't enjoy eating the food that is available but must in order to survive, we eat less and have no pleasure in it. If we eat because and when we have to and love the food we eat, we will be more able to maintain a healthy diet.
When we pray to the Creator, we are praying to infinite consciousness of which we are a part. The
G-d in us hears our prayers.
How does this metaphysical theory answer the question "Is there free will?" Physicists generally do not believe there is free will, that everything is a piece in the cosmic puzzle. Hindus and Buddhists believe that we are predetermined by karma from past lives. Jewish mystics believe that everything is a product of G-d's consciousness. He said "let there be light." He wasn't talking to anyone because there was no one to listen. Our only free will is our belief in G-d. Jesus believed that this belief is only by the grace of G-d.
Yet all religions exist on the thesis that there is free will. It's what makes us human. Since we are infinite, part of universal order, we have no free will. Since were are finite beings, we seem to make independent choices - we can be right or wrong. I chose to write this and you chose to read it.
But if we are infinite as well as finite, what happens when we die?
We lose our finite body and maintain our infinite soul. That soul reincarnates to be part of another finite reality. The soul brings its attributes to the new form. Edgar Casey, a mystic who explained the process, suggested that we usually incarnate in alternate genders. If in the past we instead came back as male in several consecutive incarnations and are then born female, the soul will still identify itself with the former gender and feels a strong male influence. This explains transgenders. They are born as one gender but identify with the other. Those with fewer consecutive incarnations in one gender could become homosexual. They still identify with the past gender and want to act as though they still were.
Reincarnation also explains child prodigies. Why does a three-year-old play the piano so well? Why does a five-year-old know advanced math or science? Because their souls carry those talents into their new incarnation and carries other attributes like curiosity and compassion but also accounts for our deepest fears and our worst behavior.
Why is there evil and destruction in our finite world?
Entropy. It is the disorganization of a specific finite consciousness - physical or mental. Without entropy, nothing would ever end. We would have no motivation to work or protect our selves because no matter what, everything that is would always be. We would know no fear. We would not need to have armies because diplomacy would keep this world relationship organized. We would need no police, lawyers, judges, hospitals, doctors, psychologists, social workers or firefighters because there would be no crime, illness to cure or fires to extinguish.
Heaven has no entropy because there is no time or space there. Everything in heaven in eternal, eternally now.
This then is a third millenium attempt to update of three past millennia of metaphysical theory and mythology.
The metaphysical theory to be presented here is merely a reiteration of myths and theories from the past 3,000 years using modern day language.
The Hindu and Buddhist mystics claimed that this reality is an illusion. How could that be?
The Greek, Roman and Hindu gods were eternal but came to earth as normal beings who were subject to death.
Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah and that he was part of the holy trinity of G-d. Jesus was immortal but came to earth as a human and suffered what finite beings do. He died a painful death but is believed to still exist as an infinite immortal being.
In 1975 a mathematician proved the existence of fractals in every living thing. Fractals are geometric shapes in everything and are infinite. So the finite is also infinite.
The Hindu mystics describe the nature of G-d as Sat, Chit, Ananda. Sat is truth, Chit is consciousness and Ananda is joy.
Those who study the Kaballah believe that G-d thinks the universe. It is the product of G-d's infinite consciousness. They also believe that not a single leaf falls that G-d did not intend.
A Zen mystic named Suzuki - Roshi claimed that there is only infinite consciousness but there is also the finite. The Buddhists refer to big minds and small minds (infinite consciousness and finite consciousness.) Hindu mystics say Atman is Brahman - the individual soul and the universal soul are one. The Roshi also said that we meditate (zazen) we do it to work toward enlightenment but are enlightened while in deep meditation. There is no sense of self. The mind is still, so only the infinite (big mind) is available.
Jewish mystics believe that we have both an infinite soul and a finite one - the spark of the divine or the G-dly soul and the other the animal soul. The divine (infinite consciousness) must rule the animal soul.
There is a much quoted Zen koan: if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?
Bishop Berkeley, 18th century metaphysician and Empiricist theorized that nothing can exist without consciousness. It was called "immaterialism" or later "subjective idealism." He was challenged by those asking how does a fire keep burning when no one is present to see it. He responded that G-d was watching it.
Those who believe in reincarnation believe that while the body is finite, the soul is infinite.
So what does this all mean in modern terms?
Today's language allows us to better describe the nature of reality simply and clearly - one that agrees with all of these spiritual realizations.
Here is one interpretation:
Everything is and has consciousness - infinite and finite. Nothing preceded infinite consciousness. The tree falls in the forest does not exist without consciousness - infinite consciousness. Since everything is consciousness, the finite world is a product of consciousness like characters in a dream. Unlike characters in our dreams, living things both are and have consciousness. We are objects of consciousness as well as subjects in the finite world.
That means that we have two different basic drives, one led by love, because we are infinite and love is the unifying force and the other led by fear, since we are finite. We have a beginning and end. We will suffer from many forms of entropy. We are separate and must survive.
We are driven by love, fostering intrinsic motivation - loving what we are doing. We do something for its own sake.
Since we are finite, we do things because that we feel we have to in order to survive. We work to earn money to pay our bills. We eat food to nourish the body.
The goal then could be to do everything as a means to an end - ( a need), and an end in itself - (a want.) If we love to eat and do it whether we are hungry or not, we will get fat. If we don't enjoy eating the food that is available but must in order to survive, we eat less and have no pleasure in it. If we eat because and when we have to and love the food we eat, we will be more able to maintain a healthy diet.
When we pray to the Creator, we are praying to infinite consciousness of which we are a part. The
G-d in us hears our prayers.
How does this metaphysical theory answer the question "Is there free will?" Physicists generally do not believe there is free will, that everything is a piece in the cosmic puzzle. Hindus and Buddhists believe that we are predetermined by karma from past lives. Jewish mystics believe that everything is a product of G-d's consciousness. He said "let there be light." He wasn't talking to anyone because there was no one to listen. Our only free will is our belief in G-d. Jesus believed that this belief is only by the grace of G-d.
Yet all religions exist on the thesis that there is free will. It's what makes us human. Since we are infinite, part of universal order, we have no free will. Since were are finite beings, we seem to make independent choices - we can be right or wrong. I chose to write this and you chose to read it.
But if we are infinite as well as finite, what happens when we die?
We lose our finite body and maintain our infinite soul. That soul reincarnates to be part of another finite reality. The soul brings its attributes to the new form. Edgar Casey, a mystic who explained the process, suggested that we usually incarnate in alternate genders. If in the past we instead came back as male in several consecutive incarnations and are then born female, the soul will still identify itself with the former gender and feels a strong male influence. This explains transgenders. They are born as one gender but identify with the other. Those with fewer consecutive incarnations in one gender could become homosexual. They still identify with the past gender and want to act as though they still were.
Reincarnation also explains child prodigies. Why does a three-year-old play the piano so well? Why does a five-year-old know advanced math or science? Because their souls carry those talents into their new incarnation and carries other attributes like curiosity and compassion but also accounts for our deepest fears and our worst behavior.
Why is there evil and destruction in our finite world?
Entropy. It is the disorganization of a specific finite consciousness - physical or mental. Without entropy, nothing would ever end. We would have no motivation to work or protect our selves because no matter what, everything that is would always be. We would know no fear. We would not need to have armies because diplomacy would keep this world relationship organized. We would need no police, lawyers, judges, hospitals, doctors, psychologists, social workers or firefighters because there would be no crime, illness to cure or fires to extinguish.
Heaven has no entropy because there is no time or space there. Everything in heaven in eternal, eternally now.
This then is a third millenium attempt to update of three past millennia of metaphysical theory and mythology.
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