Foundations: Session Six B
The Transcendentalist or "Hippies, Hindus and Transcendentalists"Session Summary
Paul opened the session on Transcendentalism with a memory of hearing the teaching of Bob Larson way back in the 70's. Although we may never have heard this Bob Larson speak, the name is familiar to most of us. Yet what is more familiar, and we've all heard inklings of such thought, is the ranting against any culture that is unlike the Evangelical (Christian) one, especially those cultures of the pagan kind. Ultimately in the eyes of Bob and others, the cultures that lean toward paganism or transcendentalism are directly related to demonic forces.Paul drew us into the thought that spirituality is found in these very countercultures that feel so threatening to some. Like the modern day seeker, Emerson found himself in a very similar position. He too felt compelled to express his radical world view much like the 20th Century seeker in the midst of a more conservative puritan religious milieu. His view is not unlike any other countercultural movement except perhaps that it is through his eyes that we begin to see a deeper approach. If we identify with these movements we would do well to look back to Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Transcendentalism, a once small but vibrant historical movement, is no longer around in the formal sense but Emerson's thought and those of like mind live on under different names.
Emerson always seemed to integrate the different philosophies he encountered into his own understanding, whether it was bringing the two directions together (East meets West) or the ancient tradition of Gnosticism. Whatever he chose to steep himself in he always made sure to bring his own individuality ( i.e., Platonic thought would surely be flavoured by 19th Century American thought). When he looked to the East he found that he was already spiritually familiar; he read into Eastern thought his own individual leanings towards self-reliance.
Integration is key
One is not greater than the other; ideally the internal and external are meant to work in tandem.
Paul recalled a past encounter: "What is your Invisible Spiritual Means of support?" was asked of him. While the question came from a rigid standpoint, there is truth beneath the words. Despite our materialism, Emerson points us to a Reality undetected by the senses; we are held together by what is invisible.
It is the Eastern thought that critiques our materialism. According to this thought, the material is here only to develop our soul. The West embraces empirical science - the real is what you sense, while the East speaks of Maya (nothing is real - all is illusion). It was commented that it is only now that there is a movement in the scientific world that acknowledges the spiritual.
In summary, several points of what a Transcendentalist is/was were discussed:
- To lean towards the transcendent one refuses to be tyrannized by the "facts."
- Nature and body are seen as integral to the soul.
- The physical containers we find ourselves in are ultimately a reflection of God or Oversoul.
- Hope and wisdom is not to be found in the "stuffy academia" but rather in the "pond and through the woods." (However if they weren't walking down some path, they were surely to be found engrossed in some book somewhere!)
More questions, more comments
"What does it mean to live in a given reality - if we hear what Emerson is saying?" Perhaps what Emerson is pointing us to is that when we work together with that which is invisible we begin to choose a very Godlike reality for ourselves. Unity with the Oversoul brings us near God.
Emerson goes on to say that all the universe is set up on the principle of beauty - that which has the strength to shimmer, through cadavers and corpses. Chaos can even be poetry, as Janice says. Poetry, never based merely on the "sure-fire structure of the senses" but on a mind seeking out the "blue above the clouds," a principle beyond the material world.
Reality can be brick-like or like an onion skin. The transcendentalist opts for the revealing truth of the onion, discovering layer upon layer forever. How they come together, the brick and the onion, is the key. Life is never as fixed as the brick, no matter how hard we try or desire it to be. (Example: Science is moving from theories of order to theories of chaos.)
To explore this line of thinking/spirituality is to enter the realm of wonder and of questions. It is here we enter a new world of consciousness - a beginning. It was mentioned that wonder and consciousness is rooted in the passion for meaning and perhaps the passion for unity with the transcendent.
Paul was clear in reminding us that if we fill the inner emptiness with tangibles, that place within will ultimately crack and disintegrate. It is then we go to the Oversoul/transcendent for solace. The surface, like a mirage, disappears and we see the principles that lay beneath all that we can see and feel and hear and taste. We begin to see there is an underlying structure that incarnates all reality.
Martin L. (that's not Luther) pointed out the lack of tension between the material and spiritual he found in the essay. This is perhaps an oversight of Emerson's philosophy but, as Paul mentioned, given his life experiences it makes sense. This may be Emerson's flaw - the other end of Dionysianism.
On a more personal level, we all struggle with these two pulls within us -"instinct vs. reason/consciousness". There is an immense amount of struggle throughout his writing and we identify greatly with this.
Once again, it was pointed out that Emerson's idea of Oversoul is perhaps the key to this struggle. It can be seen as a governing/guiding energy that works to bring body and spirit together in a way that reflects the cosmic order.
"When we give our authority to that which is greater, true inner "sync happens." When our minds cooperate with the transcendent or with what ever it chooses, our reality metamorphizes to reflect our inner perception. As much as this is hope for our souls, it is also a warning to choose wisely what we pour our mind into.
The mold reveals the Oversoul behind all reality - the visible speaks of the invisible. When traveling this way, philosophically, it is important to remember "This is thou, this is not thou."
Who Are We Really?
On one level we are merely physical entities yet we are more; we are "holograms of God. As Paul says, we are each a photographic plate of God.
Towards the end of the session, we explored some of the personality characteristics of transcendentalism. Some of them were the fact that these followers were solitary, societally hard to please and not good citizens (not social creatures involved in cultural issues). There was a enjoyment and an intense revelry in the joy of beauty. Naturalistic beauty was seen as a channel for meaningfulness.
Much like the most recent revolutionary movement of the 60's, the transcendentalists were seen as rebels against culture. It is important to note, however, that these same social critics were also quite dependent on culture. Their motto or ideal was: "Do not accept anything in life unless you can live it authentically."
In light of the theme of authenticity, it could be said that they were quick to critique society because they themselves were extreme. In his essay, Emerson is honest enough to see both sides of himself: comfort vs. enlightenment. The transcendentalists talked of this tension as the difference between living in constant daylight vs. the flash of lightning. Those devoted to the ideal would always pick the moment of lightning. In the discussion that followed, it was stated that there is no one who has lived in this place of constant enlightenment and grace.
It is important to remember that ultimately, the movement of the rebel, whether it is questioning an unjust war in Vietnam or a seeker looking beyond the context of puritanism, is a movement of the heart. The rebel persona is cracked by the underlying need for love and a strong heart sentiment.
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