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New Age/Newthought
Ive read about it and stuff and I dont see how people can take many beliefs and form just this one thing. It all sounds so strange and yet familar because it pulls from eastern mysticism.
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I think that people with Eastern influences in their lives are usually defined as fringe 'New Agers' - though this is truely an absurd assumption.
Of course in this country the roots of New Age are regularly deeper and seem to have connections with the ancient nomadic peoples of Britian. How genuine these claims are I'm not sure - though I'm sure Simon could give you more accurate information.
As BSF says, the rediscovery/reinvention of British Earth Mysteries, in the UK and in the 'Celtic' Nation of Britanny became tied in with the esoteric work. I believe that this happened as a result of the growing understanding of inter-connectedness which lies at the heart of both. At the same time as HPB's strange work (and that of Aleister Crowley), Buddhism was beginning to be studied in the West. The Boxer Rebellion aroused a lot of interest in China and Taoism, ch'i based medicine and similar began to be studied.
From this study-based origin, there grew a plethora of alternative models of the world which have tended to be grouped under the heading of "New Age". The music/fashion-based nonsense of the 'Summer of Love' hippies soon gave way to more ecologically aware groups. This was the result of the falling away of those 'hippies' who were in it for the beads, tie-dye and incense. As with the earlier, Beat generation, what was left was the irreductible core of believers.
Today, 'New Age' tends to be used as a term of dismissal but the underlying principle of movement from an earlier, patriarchal, imperialist age to a new, egalitarian, eco-aware one still has great potency.
If your friend finds that tarot, crystals, et al. empower compassion, there is little to criticise. If, on the other hand, they are simply fashion accessories, as some people wear malas or Om earrings, they are as much use as a chocolate teapot.
I was called in on Sunday, to say prayers and do some readings, and the woman died in the middle of the prayers. The family was much more at peace. I asked what had happened.
It turns out they had consulted an old friend, who was also a psychotherapist. The friend read some cards for the mother, which apparently helped tremendously. I use tarot cards occasionally myself but more to help me find my own mind, rather than to get some divine guidance.
I see them now as vehicles - stepping stones that brought me to a different consciousness.
Some stay where they are, and continue dancing and stepping - and that's fine; if they have a perception of happiness and contentment, who am I after all, to tell them they're "wrong"?
For myself,
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.*"
And that's fine too.
(* 1 Corinthians 13:11 KJV)
Palzang
So?
Palzang
:om:
Palzang
He let me in.
I was going in, in the capacity of a tourist, but I didn't tell him that....
Hmmm!
Would you enter a mosque or a Buddhist temple with your shoes on, Fede?
STILL WAITING for the other shoe (or foot) to fall...
lol thats very odd O_O;
No but I understand that is a pre-requisite of the relevant modes of worship.
As I understand it, there is no such dress code laid out as a specific criteria for worshiping, within a church....
I used to wear a veil as a child (a white lacy one) whilst older women were requested to wear usually black ones. Gentlemen normally removed their hats... both gestures a sign of humility, But when I went into church about ten years ago, wearing a veil, the priest asked me to remove it, because he felt it out-moded and old-fashioned....
Thank you for raising the point, Simon, and apologies for the delay ind dropping the other shoe....
I recall that my mother would never enter a church without some head-covering, even just a handkerchief. Times change! We had to put our (then) 7-year-old son into long trousers to visit the Cave of the Revelation and the Church of Saint John on Patmos. The 'rules' are just so diverse that we risk offending someone whatever we do. Nevertheless, I do find myself getting uncomfortable at the sight of soldiers or police entering mosques with their boots on however sensible it may be when in pursuit of terrorists.
One old anticlerical friend in France when I was a lad would put his hat on when entering a church.
What church was this and where was it? And when did this happen (a lot of churches are more lenient about dress now than they used to be.) There are a lot of Catholics in the area where I live, and I've visited a few Catholic churches, but I've not heard of anyone being denied entry to a church due to their shoulders being bare. Maybe this was a local cultural thing?
It was a tiny, remote parish church, in Italy, built into the ledge of a steep hill, miles from anywhere. In spite of this, it was well attended, more because of its situation and location, rather than for the deep devotion of it's parishioners, though I would not doubt for one moment that those who flocked solely to pray and worship there, were sincere. But it is also a bit of a tourist trap, and there is a sizeable stall on the path to the church that sells every religious, Roman Catholic artefact imagineable. Even statuettes of St Francis of Assisi, (miles away) or bottle/statues of The madonna of the Immaculate Conception of Lourdes (even further - and no doubt filled with the Holy water from that site - maybe...forgive me for the cynicism....) and all, without exception bearing the legend 'Fabbricato nella Republica del Popolo di Cina' - Made in the People's Republic of China.
I visited it with my aunt, around six years ago. She wanted me to see it because she had been baptised there, at a time when in that little place, Religion and Tourism had not yet sat together as uncomfrotable bed-fellows.
I think they call it 'progress'...
I visited Assisi some time ago, and shuddered to see the sheer mind-boggling quantity of souvenir shops and stalls polluting this once hallowed, spiritual and highly religious place of pilgrimage.
Nick and I wandered around the main Cathedral, under which St Francis had first been buried, and the quiet, almost comforting murmur of the people, circulating to witness and behold the marvellous paintings depicting the Saint's life, was occasionally shattered by a loud booming voice over loudspeakers, bellowing "Silenzio!" - "Silence!"
Slight overkill, and ironic really...
Contrast that with the splendid, empirical theatrical cathedral, in the middle of Florence - reminiscent of a great white and black icing wedding cake, with it's ornate statuary, its majestic interior and it's vaulted splendour - looking down on tourists of every kind, and from every walk of life, sitting around on the floor eating their McDonalds.....
:banghead::rant:
I do not for one moment insinuate or presume that this kind of thing is typical or indicative purely of the Roman Catholic Church, or that it only happens in Italy. But this kind of thing just makes me sad, and reminds me that Jesus himself got quite irritated at all the racketeers outside the synagogues. Unless I'm very much mistaken. So you can't blame me for feeling a bit pissy.....
My Catholic parents never even brought me to St. Joseph's Basilica, a holy place to which believers flocked, right in the heart of Montreal where I was born and raised. I don't think I've ever been in Notre Dame Cathedral, either. My parents brought us to St. Patrick's Cathedral when I was little and I loved it there. It was so big, dark wood everywhere, incense, a beautiful, terrible pieta in front of which I used to stand and stare and stare in wonder and horror and pity and wonder again. Mass in Latin. All deep, low voiced and mysterious. It was lovely.
I don't remember too much fuss about what we wore except at Christmas and Easter, of course. And during the summer months we still wore long sleeves and trousers or a skirt because no matter how hot it got outside, inside the church it was always very cool. But my parent's attitude was that it didn't matter so much what you wore as long as you went. Must have been because of Communion. And I doubt the priests would have turned anyone away during those times because attendance was dropping so rapidly in the 70s. lol! (Me a little cynical too...!)
Palzang
I walk past a New Age book, crystal & tarot shop all the time. What confuses me about it, is that their display window holds more Buddha statues than you could shake a stick at (though I'm not sure what shaking a stick at the Buddha would accomplish anyway). I don't really know much at all about New Age (read: checked out the Wikipedia article), I thought it was about channelling, and aliens building the great pyramids, and Yanni. Not so much the Buddha. So what's up with that? Is it a new thing?
They tend to use vocabulary like "oh yah, absoluuuutely" .....
New Age is a kind of "none of the above" category for people who like shiny things. Some of us, mention no names, have been through a few phases in our spiritual lives and hang onto some of the "outward and visible signs" because they have sentimental value.
So is this all to do with that Ekhert Tulle guy, or what?
i think (I hope!) you mean Eckhart Tolle....? :wow:
'Akcherly', I have a lot of time for the guy....
There are many who are either promoting him as some kind of New Age Guru, expounding a quick-fix method of achieving Illumination by massing together the doctrines of Christianity, Philosophy and Buddhism....
Or there are those who already see him that way with no outside help or visible means of support.
having listened to him in interviews, he makes every effort to distance himself rom this role, and merely 'pass the message on'....
For my part, he happened along at a time when it was important to me. I was fortunate though, to have the clarity of mind to see him as a stepping stone, rather than the be-all-and-end-all of things.
I knew enough to gaze at the moon, rather than watching the finger pointing.
Providing he is taken in context, he's got a lot going for him. he talks a lot of sense.
As you may have guessed from my creative spelling, I've not read anything to do with him. Not planning to do so any time soon. I'm still slogging my way through the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Linji Lu and Opening the Hand of Thought. Which will keep me occupied for quite a while more. :banghead:
Edited to add: I walked past the New Age shop again today. This time, my mom was with me. She took a long, hard look at the window display: box of Celtic runes, Buddha statue, Native American medicine bundles & sweetgrass, DVD of "The Secret," book of "Women's magic (?)." She turned to me and said, "I think these people are a bit confused!"
I'm not lost! I'm just a bit geographically embarrassed.
Yes, OK dear.
Definitely a quotable one to remember - !!