4 claims about ancient spirituality

[DieFree]

• We should study ancient spirituality because our culture has been too heavily dominated by the Old Testament and the Abrahamic religions it gave birth to. Many people who are traumatized by the idea of religion are more so traumatized by the Abrahamic theologies around it rather than religion as such. The podcast "History and Literature" is a great resource here: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-004-divine-judgment/
• The frontiers of mathematics and in areas of science such as quantum mechanics suggest a spiritual aspect to the universe that's beautiful and simply ignored by mainstream science ("just shut up and compute"). The recent outburst of literature on the topic of "new materialism" and the idea of a participatory universe where human thinking has a strong impact on outcomes in the universe make it an interesting realm of thought to compare ancient thinking to these modern topics (I like the book "The Field" and website aeon.co to get latest thinking in this area)
• Ancient religious literature is pretty cool and poetic (google "Hymm to Aten") or see this:
  • Make your roads glad for me, and make broad for me your paths when I set out from earth for the life in the celestial regions. Send forth your light onto me, O Soul unknown, for I am [one] of those who are about to enter in, and the divine speech is in [my] ears in the. . . (underworld); let me be delivered and let me be safe. . . Let me journey on in peace; let me pass over the sky; let me adore the radiance of the splendor [which is in] my sight; let me soar like a bird to see the companies (?) of the Spirits in the presence of Ra day by day, who vivifies every human being who walks. . .upon the earth. ” (211-12, 214)
  • [If this chapter be known] by a man he will come forth by day, and he will not be repulsed at any gate of the [underworld], either in going in or in coming out. He will perform [all] the transformations which his heart desires, and he will not die; behold, the soul of [this] man will flourish. And moreover, if [he] knows this chapter he will be victorious upon earth and in the underworld, and he will perform every act of a living human being. It is a great protection which [has been given] by the god. . . This chapter must be recited by a man who is ceremonially clean and pure, who has not eaten the flesh of animals or fish, and who has not had intercourse with women. (214)
• I suspect 2025 will be a major year of spiritual renewal and change so its best we have some way to root ourselves and its best to start from the ancients and see the patterns --- what has always been there, what is new....