Summer Solstice—Strawberry Moon—John Muir—Psalms of the Earth

Posted on June 20, 2016 4 Comments

Although today is the Summer Solstice (the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere) we have already lost 2 minutes of daylight in the morning and in about two weeks the Earth will begin its tilting process that will lead to the autumnal equinox in September.

For 1000s of years, people have used the stars as guides for physical, mental and spiritual direction. In terms of oceanic and land travel, this guidance can be a matter of life and death. Proper attention to seasonal changes could also be a matter of survival. However some observations may be more playful as in the case of tonight’s Strawberry Moon. “Strawberry Moon” is the title some Native Americans have used for the full moon that occurs in June, which marks the beginning of strawberry season.

Although physical survival is of paramount importance, for thousands of years people have been aware of the importance of religious and or spiritual traditions for personal and community survival. Although the terms religion and spirituality may not be interchangeable, I find it intriguing that the origin of the word “religion” is biological. The word derives from the Latin, “re-ligare.” Literally, this means to re-apply ligaments to hold your spiritual life together. There are countless ways of doing this, however naturalists like Muir, Thoreau, Emerson, etal recommended “going for a walk” into Nature for “recreation” or perhaps a “religious,” or “born again” experience.

Although John Muir knew all of the Old Testament (and Psalms by heart) he kept a tattered pocket-version of the New Testament (with the Psalms) with him on all of his adventures.
In “The Wilderness World of John Muir,” Edwin Way Teale wrote:

“Repelled by the harsh fanaticism of his father’s religion, John Muir belonged to no church. He gave freely when solicited by Protestant and Catholic alike. But he affiliated himself with no formal creed. Yet he was intensely religious. The forests and the mountains formed his temple. His approach to all nature was worshipful. He saw everything evolving yet everything the direct handiwork of God. There was a spiritual and religious exaltation in his experiences with nature. And he came down from the mountains like some bearded prophet to preach the beauty and healing he had found in his natural temple where he worshiped. He spoke with the fire of the old Covenanters. This religious fervor and spiritual intensity in Muir’s response to nature contributed much to the power of his pleading for the cause of conservation. He never based his arguments on economic considerations alone. He always appealed to men on a high moral plane. I know of no other writer, with the exception of Henry Thoreau, who had so pure and lofty vision of man’s ultimate relationship to nature.”

The summer solstice just may be a perfect time to pause, look up at the stars (or the Strawberry Moon) and be grateful for our physical, mental and spiritual seasons.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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FROM DIATOMS TO LIVING TEMPLES

Posted on May 23, 2016 4 Comments

Photo credit: kuraev.ru — Photo credit:
kuraev.ru

INTELLIGENT MEN DECIPHERING “INTELLIGENT DESIGNS”:

“For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.” Hebrews,” 3.

“All of Nature is but a metaphor of the human mind.” Emerson

It is illogical to assume that physical, mental and spiritual designs can be more complex than the artist/creator of the designs.

Living Designs

In the early 17th century, natural “philosophers,” using the light microscope, began to see things that could not be seen with the naked eye. Englishman Robert Hooke observed pockets of air within cork, which he called “cells;” Dutch scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek saw “wee cavorting beasties” in samples of pond water. I strongly suspect that he also saw images like this array of desmids and diatoms in a drop of pond water.

The origin of words has always fascinated me. In biology, many of the structures are self-explanatory; that is if you know Latin or Greek. The word “ecology” is a good example. The word is derived from the Greek words “oikos”= house and “logos,”= the study of: ergo ecology is the study of “houses.” Whoever coined the word fully comprehended the fact that every living thing lives in a “house” and the study of the interactions of all living “houses” emerged as ecology. John Muir was an “ecologist” before the term was coined.

Spiritual Designs

With annual sales of over 100 million copies, there are estimates that over 5 billion Bibles have been printed. Regarded by many scholars as the “world’s greatest novelist,” Charles Dickens was often at odds with the “formal church” yet he opined:

“The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.”

I suspect that if John Muir were asked, he would have agreed with Dickens. Muir carried a pocket version of the “New Testament and Psalms” with him nearly everywhere he traveled.

Religious arguments are generally a waste of time, however, there can be some areas of agreement. E.g., St. Paul’s contention that every human being is actually a “temple,” is a concept that is not incompatible with many world religions and many people who may not consider themselves as “religious,” but regard themselves as “spiritual beings.”

Understandably, modern scientists, atheists and agnostics are not equipped to deal with a spiritual parallel universe, however, St. Paul’s concept was not only clear to Dickens, it was perfectly clear to John Muir who saw Yosemite Valley as a pure reflection of the temple that he was.

It was fun to see students discover that they were “living, breathing, walking houses;” however, regardless of their religious or nonreligious background, it was thrilling to see some of them begin to regard themselves as “living, breathing, walking temples.”

As a retired, holistic-biology teacher, it is disheartening to see that, in the name of “political correctness,” our public schools and universities are being “spiritually sanitized” and millions of students are tacitly being taught that they are meaningless, soulless, random acts of chance and competition.

I have returned from Yosemite and Grand Canyon with 100s of high school seniors, nearly all of whom saw visions marvels and wonders that they could not describe in words. Regardless of whether they saw themselves as “temples” or not, nearly all of them felt renewed and spiritually invigorated with an enhanced sense of hope, purpose and meaning.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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Alcoholics Anonymous—John Muir—Biodesign

Posted on May 17, 2016 Leave a Comment

“To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” – Henry David Thoreau

In a bizarre synchronicity, after I wrote this blog I went to a local hospital to have some lab work done. A middle-aged couple was sitting next to me. I thought it was odd that the man had a large suitcase with him. After a few moments, he looked at his wife and blurted out, “I want you to promise me that you will shoot me in the head if I ever touch another drop of alcohol. It will save me a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge to end my misery.”

When I got home I Googled the hospital and discovered that they offer a 28-day alcohol/substance abuse recovery program; the cost is $18,000.

John Muir was amazed that people willingly trust their lives to a little glass-covered dial with a simple, wavering magnetic needle and not see that God, Nature and an inner awareness could guide them as well.

For some mysterious reason, early in the evolution of the Biodesign Class, I felt “guided” to attend a local “A-A” meeting. I was probably motivated by the fact that in the mutual process of exploring the deeper levels of our personhood, it was not uncommon for students to share the horrors of living with an alcoholic parent.

It might have been naïve or rude of me, but I did ask a member of the local AA chapter if I could attend. He thought it was a great idea.

It was not without doubt and trepidation that I entered the meeting. The first, and most shocking discovery was the wide range of members in attendance. The year was 1974 and somehow, I had not imagined that medical doctors, lawyers, CPAs, nurses, teachers, school administrators, clergy members, leaders of the community, even a few housewives would be there.

After the meeting began, the intensely high level of honesty and disclosure in their conversations shocked me. After reading about the program later, it became clear that some (if not all) of the members were dealing with a potentially self-destructive disease and allowing vague, deceitful or disingenuous comments could not be tolerated.

I also learned about “Uncle Bill,” who nearly died of alcoholism before he began the self-discovery process that led to the current program known as Alcoholics Anonymous.

I located a copy of the A-A “Big Book” co-authored by Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson. It was immediately clear that the heart of the program involved trying to master the “12-Step-Program.”

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

I an absolutely stunning example of what one person can do for the world, as of 9-1-2013, A.A. has a presence in over 170 countries, with an estimated total of 114,070 groups and more than 2 million members. And perhaps most extraordinary, the entire operation is operated by volunteers. These are people who have experienced the horrors of alcoholism and, more importantly, the joy of on-going recovery. This joy is frequently enhanced as they share with and guide others. This is tremendously important because recovery and rehab programs can be overwhelmingly expensive, often costing thousands of dollars per week.

Understandably, a program doing so much good work cannot do so without conflict. Secular-humanist psychologists go to great lengths to discredit AA. They often rail against the possibility that a mythical god could be involved in a person’s recovery. Some have gone so far as to suggest that the alcoholics can cure themselves and that A-A is “cult-like” organization that is dangerous and counter-productive.

In an interesting twist of fate, “step 12” on the AA list is a perfect corollary to John Muir’s life and work:

“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”

Muir’s daily life typically involved “spiritual awakenings” and he dedicated his life to encouraging others to go to the mountains and be “reborn.”

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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“DESIGN SCIENCE REVOLUTION” Buckminster Fuller

Posted on May 9, 2016 Leave a Comment

https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/07/12/buckminster-fuller-ever-rethinking-the-lords-prayer/

Buckminster Fuller is described in Wikipedia as a: “designer, inventor, engineer, mathematician, architect, cartographer, philosopher, poet, cosmogonist and visionary.” He wrote over 30 books and qualifies as a true renaissance thinker. Among his many inventions is the “geodesic dome,” which inspired scientists who discovered “Carbon 60” (hollow carbon molecules) to name them “Buckminsterfullerenes,” or “buckyballs,” for short.

Two titles that could be added to Fuller are prophet and theologian. Fuller died 33 years ago, but his concept of “Design Science Revolution” has proven to be a prophetic foreshadowing of the “Intelligent Design” movement which is currently gaining acceptance in wider and wider circles.

As for theologian:

When I first heard about Fuller, I assumed that he was most likely another post-renaissance (“New Age”) practitioner of scientism who threw God out along with the pre-renaissance baptismal water. However, after reading his quote, “I seem to be a verb,” I became more curious and wanted to know more about him.

What I found was that Fuller retained the open-minded spirit of the true renaissance thinkers (Galileo-Kepler et al)) who attempted to integrate the physical, mental and spiritual essences of humanity. As a “free-thinker,” Fuller was not concerned with whether his fellow scientists (or anyone) agreed or disagreed with his views. This could not have been more evident than by his view on religion. He was clear to point out that, although his religion was vitally important, it was an extremely personal issue and not something that people should be “wearing on their shirtsleeves.”

Fuller must have appreciated the mystery of synchronicities and therefore would not have been surprised that by such an event, someone on Facebook shared this extraordinary link to “brainpickings” website and the shocking proclamation from Fuller:

“The synergetic integral of the totality of all principles is God, whose sum-total behavior in pure principle is beyond our comprehension and is utterly mysterious to us, because as humans — in pure principle — we do not and never will know all the principles.” Buckminster Fuller

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

Astronomy—Theology—Evolution

Posted on April 25, 2016 Leave a Comment

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain

This is a wonderfully interconnected triad that gifted naturalist Annie Dillard would regard as a “bright snarl.” Without a Creator there would be no “astronomy” or evolution. Without evolution the universe would be oxymoronically stuck in the first nanosecond, before time began, with no cosmos. And with no cosmos, humans would not have evolved with the ability to contemplate the works of the Creator.

Two gifted writers have properly suggested that “Mystery” reigns supreme and only egoism and arrogance motivate scientists and theologians to assume that they have all relevant answers. Robert Jastro, former director of the National Aeronautics And Space Administration (“Until The Sun Dies,” and “God and the Astronomers”) acknowledged the limitations of “The Big Bang Theory:”

“At this moment it seems as though science will never be able to raise the curtain on the mystery of creation. For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

Jastro was a self-described agnostic, yet he used candor and levity to describe the inadequacy of his own thought process.

In an equally terse self-analysis, Fr. Robert Capon, “Hunting The Divine Fox stated:”

“Theology therefore is fun. The inveterate temptation to make something earnest out of it must be steadfastly resisted. We were told quite plainly that unless we became as little children, we could not enter the kingdom of heaven, and nowhere more than in theology do we need to take this message to heart.”

The “Big Bang,” the origin of life and the eventual evolution of human beings remain three of the great, unsolved mysteries of planet Earth. Anthropologist Loren Eiseley concluded his work, The Immense Journey with:

“Rather, I would say that if “dead” matter has reared up this curious landscape of fiddling crickets, song sparrows and wondering men, it must be plain even to the most devoted materialist that the matter of which he speaks contains amazing, if not dreadful powers, and may not impossibly be, as Hardy has suggested, ‘but one mask of many worn by the Great Face behind.’”

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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Christmas—Celts—Jesus Christ The Apple Tree

Posted on December 20, 2015 Leave a Comment

Although there is some doubt as to the author of the lyrics for “Jesus Christ The Apple Tree,” many musicologists have suggested that they were inspired by the Biblical book; “Song of Solomon,” 2:3:

“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,
so is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

Although the authorship of the lyrics may be in doubt, Elizabeth Posten is credited with the most popular melody version. However, the beauty, mystery and wonder of the hymn may be highly influenced by the arrangement (instrumentation) and where and how it is performed.

Understandably, there are many inspiring versions that have been sung in churches and cathedrals, however, my very favorite was produced by Thomas Moore in a CD titled: “The Soul of Christmas: a Celtic Music Celebration with Thomas Moore.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pKdbstX9PE

Organ music has its place, however, the combination of Celtic instruments and the beautiful voices of Susan McKeown and Nikki Matheson produce a deep sense of rural spirituality that conjures up visions of the Irish, Scottish and English countryside. Additionally, the mystery, wonder and poignancy are intensified when we appreciate the darkness out of which the song emerged.

The Celts were people in Iron Age and Medieval Europe who spoke Celtic languages and had cultural similarities.

In the 5th century BC Herodotus referred to Keltoi living around the head of the Danube and also in the far west of Europe. In the first century BC Julius Caesar reported that the people known to the Romans as Gauls (Galli) called themselves Celts, which suggests that even if the name Keltoi was bestowed by the Greeks, it had been adopted to some extent as a collective name by the tribes of Gaul. The Celtic ethos included severing the heads of enemies, a practice that Roman soldiers regarded as barbaric. [Some info adapted from Wikipedia]

Understandably, without the guarantee of food that modern agriculture has accorded billions of people, the Celts lived close to the earth and relied on the capricious whim of 100s of deities. They also believed in animism, which suggested that all forms of life possess a soul. The Druids were the educated sect of Celts and were responsible for religious ceremonies. This included the practice of human sacrifice which the Greeks and Romans also described as barbaric.

Modern Christmas celebrations in the US are often a mélange of customs and beliefs that range from frivolous to deeply sacred. However few people know that the practice of couples kissing under the mistletoe was derived from the Druid practice of all the men kissing the most beautiful female virgin of a village, under an oak tree with mistletoe, before she was burned as a sacrifice to the “god of the harvest.” Little wonder that practices like these are now considered pagan.

The birth of Christ radically changed various religious and ethnic beliefs and practices. This spiritual awakening, and subsequent evolution, may not have been more dramatic than within the Celtic society. As more and more Celts embraced Christ’s message of “peace on Earth, good will toward men,” the Celts became far less barbaric and far more compassionate. However, they did not give up their deep love of nature or connection to the earth.

Perhaps, one of the most beautiful examples of them blending their past with their new knowledge is the Celtic version of, Jesus Christ The Apple Tree.

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree

His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
I missed of all but now I see
‘Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I’m weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
I’m weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
Under the shadow I will be
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For over 2,000 years, Christ’s life, light and legacy have been rejected, ridiculed, scorned and scoffed at, however, the nearly 3 billion, self-confessed sinners, still try to follow His example and for them, Christmas Day is the most wondrous and sacred birthday celebration of the year.

Merry Christmas.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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Mary: The Most Powerful Woman in he World

Posted on December 14, 2015 Leave a Comment

[Feature article in National Geographic Magazine: Dec. 2015]

Excerpt: Biodesign Out For A Walk, chap. 2, Looking For A Map.

“The Smithsonian Institute and National Geographic Society were selected as curriculum models of study because of their goals of integrating the activities of plants, animals, and humans. Thus, plants, animals, and man became the first of many triads that would be considered.”

The reason that National Geographic and Smithsonian Magazines were so appropriate to the emerging Biodesign Class was because they were not subject to the Constitutional laws of separating Church and State in public education. They were also not blinded by the “politically correct,” humanistic bias of ignoring all examples of mystery, wonder and spirituality that cannot be explained by science.

Modern biology (bio=life, logos=study) is a vast area with many subdivisions. All were open to our studies, including physical and cultural anthropology. Physical anthropology primarily focuses on the origin and evolution of mankind, while cultural anthropology probes tribal socio-cultural, ethnic, spirituality and survival skills. These topics can all be discussed in a public high school without teaching about any specific religious beliefs.

The Geographic article on Mary is a perfect example. The editors presented Mary as a spiritual guide for billions of Christians (and also some non-Christians). Intriguingly, she is mentioned 34 times in the Islamic Holy Book, the Quran, which is more than she is mentioned in the Holy Bible. In addition to her Biblical connection with Jesus, the Quran supports the traditional historical contention that she was his mother and therefore considered one of the most righteous women in Islam.

Whether Mary is “the most powerful woman in the world” may be debatable, however, what is not debatable is that she is the most important female in the Christmas Story and thus the most noteworthy woman to have lived on Earth. There are 1000s of shrines or sacred places created in her honor. Over 2,000 people claim to have seen apparitions of her and numerous people claim to have had conversations with her. She has been honored by billions (?) of statues, statuettes, icons, paintings, mosaics and stained glass images. Each year, 1 million people, from diverse faiths, ethnicities and nationalities visit the statue of Mary at Medjugorje, Bosnia/ Herzegovina.

Many years ago, I learned that there are countless Christian shrines erected on the vast trail network of the European Alps. Shortly after that discovery, I received a postcard from an ex-student featuring one of these shrines. The message was poignant, terse and soulful.

“Hi, Mr. Young: I was hiking high up in the French Alps when I came to this shrine. There was a bench, stone marker and rustic cross. As I was resting, the beauty of the alpine scenery suddenly overwhelmed me. And then, I was shocked by a mysterious epiphany; the whole year of Biodesign made sense! Hugs, “K.”

I have no explanation for what happened to “K,” but I think that most people would describe it as a miracle.

This harkens back to Loren Eiseley, one of the preeminent anthropologists of the 20^th century. In his splendid book, The Immense Journey, he wrote:

“The reader who would pursue such a journey with me is warned that the essays in this book have not been brought together as a guide, but are offered rather as a somewhat unconventional record of the prowlings of one mind which has sought to explore, to understand, and enjoy the miracles of this world, both in and out of science.”

As a highly learned anthropologist, Eiseley was well aware of countless “miracles” like the one that “K” experienced. Furthermore, when he described himself as, “pressing his hands against the confining walls of the scientific method,” he conceded that many of these mysteries are beyond the grasp of scientists.

As evidence of this, he wrote elsewhere:

“…whether we speak of a God come down to earth or a man inspired toward God and betrayed upon a cross, the dream was great, and shook the world like a storm. I believe in Christ in every man who dies to contribute to a life beyond his life. I believe in Christ in all who defend the individual from the iron boot of the extending collective state…”

Although I understand the Geographic editor’s noble intentions of their feature article on Mary, I doubt that if she were living she would consider herself as the “Most Powerful Woman in the World.” Still, she seemed to be well aware of the fact that she had been singled out as utterly unique to human history.

Luke 1:46

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.”

Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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Touching the Face of God—Reflexive Spirituality

Posted on October 27, 2015 Leave a Comment

Screen shot 2015-10-26 at 6.55.14 PM — Photo: Fotolia/Dudarev Mikhail

“Up, up, the long delirious burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept height with easy grace wherenever lark or even eagle flew. And while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod the high, untrespassed sanctity of space … put out my hand and touched the face of God.” – Jon Gillispie Magee Jr.

[Royal Canadian Air Force pilot who died in a mid-air collision over Lincolnshire, England in 1941.]

“The greatest sense in our body is our sense of touch. It is probably the chief sense in the process of sleeping and waking; it gives us our knowledge of depth or thickness and form; we feel, we love and hate, are touchy and are touched, through the touch corpuscles of our skin. J. Lionel Taylor, The Stages of Human Life.

http://www.utne.com/mind-and-body/reflexive-spirituality-in-modern-society-ze0z1404zcov.aspx

Paraphrasing John Muir, there is enough beauty, wonder and mystery (reflexive spirituality) in this photo to fill cartloads of books. These lovers are facing east to greet the rising sun. The subtle touch of his hand on her arm just might represent the profound triumph over the gap that Michelangelo painted between the fingertips of Adam and God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The mystery of the gift of “touch” may indeed symbolize God’s contact with humanity. This concept is beautifully outlined in Brother Lawrence’s classic book, The Practice of the Presence of God.

Students of reflexive spirituality attempt to integrate knowledge and wisdom from scientists, theologians, naturalists, poets, prophets and sages. I recently discovered the attached web-link and shared the concept with Christie on our morning walk. Her interpretation was instant and to the point. “You mean like “no atheists in fox holes?” We both laughed.

“Well not exactly,” I said. “It’s more like trying to capture lightning in a bottle or defining the indefinable.” RS appears to be a creative option for seekers who have grown weary of material worship or who have not experienced a near-death epiphany.

It is not a new concept, nor one without potential peril.

700 years ago, Meister Eckhart, arguably the greatest Christian mystic/philosopher/theologian suggested:

This “God in creatures” is not pantheism, but is an expression of what in human terms is active contemplation, or the realization of the divine in all things as an “extension” of deep contemplation. Although Eckhart’s teachings are currently widely respected, the Catholic Church condemned him as a heretic. In a double irony, he allowed for scientific discoveries, but predicted that man’s “big questions” will not be answered by science.

Loren Eiseley clearly lived the Reflexive Spirituality life-style before the term was coined. He received the prestigious Pierre Lecomte du Noüy award, which is given to writers who describe the unifying themes of science and religion. However, he was rejected by many scientists for being “too religious” and by religious people for being too scientific.

Alfred Lord Wallace understood the concept when he argued that the evolution of humans could not be explained without a spiritual component. However, he was rejected as a spiritual kook, by Thomas Huxley (Darwin’s Bulldog) who used Darwin’s Theory to justify his “agnosticism” and suggest that WASPs were the most highly evolved race of humans.

However, his eminence, Charles Darwin, suggested that none of his discoveries necessarily contradicted the beliefs of a suitably enlightened religion.

In the 1970’s, Richard Bach wrote a delightful allegory involving reflexive spirituality. Instead of learning how to love more perfectly, Jonathan Livingston attempted to do what no seagull had ever done, perfect flying.

“Your whole body, from wingtip to wingtip,” Jonathan would say, other times, "is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you can see. Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body, too.”

Jonathan Livingston Seagull was a wildly popular book that was both a spiritual primer and elixir for a society with a waning hunger for spiritual awareness. That decline has been accelerated with the increase of electronic devices.

While people generally agree that spiritual curiosity and awareness are vitally important to human health and wellbeing, it is more than likely that US students will attend Kindergarten through Grad-school without being introduced to the concept. Reflexive spirituality does not require believing in a Supreme Being and according to Abraham Maslow, classes or lessons in public schools need not violate the constitutional laws separating Church and State. The goals are universal and encourage people to celebrate the mystery, wonder and miracles of Mother Nature. With average weekly church attendance in the US declining to about 20%, reflexive spirituality may offer seekers a modern alternative pathway of discovering physical, mental and spiritual harmony.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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Simon and Garfunkel—Robin Williams Contribute to Biodesign

Posted on August 12, 2015 Leave a Comment

“You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in the universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.” – Robin Williams

When our local PBS station announced it was planning a “pledge night” featuring the1981 New York Central Park concert by Simon and Garfunkel, I dismissed it as “been there done that.” In fact, we watched the concert many years ago, made a pledge and received a “videocassette” ;o) of the concert. However, I accidentally surfed by the channel on pledge night and something very strange and wonderful happened. Christie and I were immediately transfixed. Perhaps it was because of our age, but the melodies and lyrics seemed as fresh and poignant as they did 50 years ago. We were in college, in love and their songs and perfect harmony were transcending. This was long before I became aware that music is a spiritual gift, but now I have no doubt that Paul and Art were reconnecting 500,000 fans with their spiritual roots. The results were truly extraordinary. We sat mesmerized as waves of nostalgia washed over us as we soaked up the wisdom, passion and poetry of the brilliantly gifted pair.

They conjured up the great evolutionary debate between Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. Because there is no known genetic cause, Darwin had no clue as to why or how music evolved in humans. Wallace concluded that musical talent, mathematic and artistic genius were spiritual gifts from God. Paul Simon would agree.

Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson

After that thought passed, a magical synchronicity occurred. They launched into a sprightly rendition of “Mrs. Robinson!” Immediately, I was struck by wonder, irony and humor. Here were two Jewish young men, singing a ballad about a 45-ish-year-old, sexually liberal woman having an adulterous affair with a young man less than half her age. The musical intensity rose as they joyfully leaped into the chorus:

And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know wo wo wo
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey

If the movie “The Graduate,” (1967) represented behavior that many regarded as provocative, Simon’s lyrics invoking Jesus’ love and the importance of praying were conversely shocking.

Simon wrote nearly all of the songs the duo sang and all of these thoughts prompted me to refer to Wikipedia to gain a better understanding of his talents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Simon

In an in-depth interview reprinted in American Songwriter, Simon discusses the craft of songwriting with music journalist Tom Moon. In the interview, Simon explains the basic themes in his songwriting: love, family, social commentary, etc., as well as the overarching messages of religion, spirituality, and God in his lyrics. Simon goes on in the interview to explain the process of how he goes about writing songs, “The music always precedes the words. The words often come from the sound of the music and eventually evolve into coherent thoughts. Or incoherent thoughts. Rhythm plays a crucial part in the lyric-making as well. It’s like a puzzle to find the right words to express what the music is saying.”

His description was a perfect metaphor for the Biodesign Class. It was truly a puzzle and for 24 years, we tried to find the right words to express what Nature was saying.

I have been a fan of Simon and Garfunkel for over 50 years. Biodesigners used several of their songs in the beautiful slide-shows they created. These include: Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Sound Of Silence, 59th Bridge Song and El Condor Pasa. We did not use Mrs. Robinson. LOL

It seems clear to me that Paul Simon is a musical genius. He also encourages me to celebrate the obvious, that some musicians are able to create bridges, stairways, pathways, ladders, channels and mandorlas that connect heaven and Earth. Some of their songs have lasted over 50 years and there is no reason to believe that they will ever be forgotten.

Note:
It was fun to discover that Paul Simon was born one day before me in 1941.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

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Keeping The Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Alive

Posted on January 19, 2015 Leave a Comment

Excerpt: Biodesign Out For A Walk, chap. 21, “The Land of Pygmies and Giants.”

“As a biology teacher, I welcomed the chance to acknowledge Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the courage, wisdom, and color that he added to our society. The word “color” was used purposefully in a biological, literal, figurative and respectful context. Is it not our highest calling to go beyond Dr. King’s, “I Have a Dream,” speech, and see children and adults, walking hand-in-hand, not color blind, but rejoicing in their race, color, creed, ethnic and religious diversity? It would be biologically, if not, politically correct. When I shared this with students, they agreed.”

“In creation there is not only a Yes but a No; not only height but also an abyss; not only clarity but also obscurity; not only progress and continuation but impediment and limitation…not only value but worthlessness…It is true that individual creatures and men experience these things in most unequal measure, their lots being assigned by a justice which is curious or very much concealed. Yet it is irrefutable that creation and creature are good even in the fact that all that is exists in this contrast and antithesis.” – Karl Barth

I know of no human who understood (or lived) this statement more profoundly than Dr. King. He could have retreated to the relative comfort of being a Baptist Minister in a middle-class neighborhood without confronting the potential evils of tribalism and racism. He understood that both black and white people were capable of racism,hatred and killing each other based on the color of their skin. He experienced first hand the poverty and deprivation of an unjust society that penalized children because of their skin color. He knew all of that and yet chose to follow the model of Jesus Christ by uniting not dividing, returning good for evil, tolerance for hatred, and providing comfort and solace for the sick, downtrodden and poor.

One of the results of declining spiritual awareness, individually or collectively, is the failure to identify evil. C.S. Lewis wrote about this and Plato suggested that evil exists in antithesis to goodness: “If you doubt the existence of evil, try to do something good and see what happens.”

On nearly every Biodesign trip, I was confronted with bouts with evil that were sometimes nearly overwhelming. The general feeling was intense anxiety and foreboding that what I was doing was wrong and we should go home immediately. I had no peer or precedent support, other than John Muir, but he never led 30 high school students into the wilderness. Fortunately, they usually lasted only a few minutes and then they passed.

Although the events were scary, they were trivial compared to what Dr. King must have experienced. I cannot fathom the courage it took for him to appear in public, or lead a peaceful march, knowing that his head might be in the crosshairs of some sniper’s riflescope.

During the overwhelming pressures that would have caused lesser men to buckle, retreat or retaliate, he proclaimed, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” He chose the hard road of unconditional love and forgiveness. In doing so, he joined Abraham Lincoln, John and Robert Kennedy and all the saints and sinners who were willing to “march into Hell for a heavenly cause.” Dr. King’s life and work were the result of his deeply rooted Christian faith, which was challenged, ridiculed and besmirched.George Bernard Shaw supposedly quipped: “Christianity might be a good idea if anyone ever tried it.” George Bernard Shaw did not know Dr. Martin Luther King.

Lowell H. Young, Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk