Did you know that shamans of North America and Tibetan Buddhist monks practice some rituals that are very similar? Did you know that the Mayan Wheel of Time has much in common with the Kalachakra Wheel of Time? or that the Virgin Birth is a myth shared by spiritual teachings in addition to Christianity? Religion is only one expression of spiritual inquiry, devotion, faith, and vision. The world spiritual traditions span every continent and time in human history.
Here is the syllabus for the first module of my new online series of courses focused on the Path of Humanity. The first set of sessions explores Transcendence and Immanence through our long history (theology) and contemporarily (the application of one’s beliefs). I hope you’ll join me. Click here to register.
This is a six-week/six-session online course.
Session 1: All rivers meet the sea.
The first session
- explores the idea of a spiritual path and if it is distinct or different from the path of life;
- explains terms used in the context of the spiritual view of human evolution, such as initiation, realization, discipleship, aspiration, identification;
- defines the term theology and describe its contents;
- engages the idea of Mother Earth and her place within cosmos as the focus the first spiritual tradition. We will also look for its expression in the current world.
asks, what are common themes or teachings to look for within the world’s religions and spiritual traditions?
Session 2: All water is wet.
- The second session examines several themes held in common within the Ancient Egyptian, Buddhist, Mithraic, Christian, and Aboriginal faiths and traditions.
- The inclusion of the Ancient Egyptian exposes the thought of Great Ages. How long has humanity been around and on a Path?
Session 3: The Three Abrahamic-Faiths
- According to the Bible and the Koran, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam come from the same root teacher: Abraham. If understood as an allegory, what does this legend tell us about humanity, faith, and the teachings in common within these three faiths?
- We will ponder and discuss the possibilities of why, under the auspices of each of these three religions, wars have been waged, atrocities perpetrated, and why this foment continues today.
- We will examine the ethics of compassion in action as taught in each of the Abrahamic religions and their effect in world jurisprudence and law.
Session 4: Spiritual traditions have deep roots. The metaphysical faiths are rooted in them.
- Atlantis and Lemuria are previous incarnations of human civilizations. They are Root Races to the current long cycle of evolution that we are passing through. The evolutionary purposes and life styles of the Atlantean and Lemurian Root Races were alternative to ours but are foundational to our current cycle of evolution.
- What was normal to them for 100’s of thousands, possibly millions of years ago?
- What evidence have they left? We will scan the world for evidence of these previous Root Races through artifacts, megalithic structures, and legend that are worldwide.
- What traces of our previous layers of evolution are ripe within us to this day?
- I contend that the Upani and Vedic Indian traditions, the Chaldean and Egyptian traditions, the Taoist, and the Tantric Buddhist all retained and brought forward the lineages of the Atlantean and some from the Lemurian root races. We’ll examine this briefly.
Session 5: Myths, the Psyche, Archetypes, and the evolution of belief
- Session 5 will adventure into the human psyche and the subtle nature of our character development and consciousness through the Archetypes as expressed in Myths and imagery of the world.
Session 6: The Application of Faith and Living one’s Beliefs
Faith has been applied through:
- cycles and forms of torture on the non-believers or to enforce belief
- the creation of wars, the conquest of lands and wealth, and the subjugation or genocide of populations
- mystical rapture, prophetic visionary leadership, poetry articulating the profound, and realizations
- political systems and political agendas.
- In other words, faith is not separate from a secular life. In fact, it often is the driving force behind the secular-appearing world.
- We will investigate some facts regarding faith, beliefs, and their driving force of evolution through human history.
- We will complete this module with heart-felt clarity and aspiration about our particular applications of faith and the joy possible through living one’s beliefs.
The Spiritual Path: Theology (Transcendence and Immanence) begins Tuesday, January 26 at 8 pm ET. A private Facebook group serves our conversations, questions, and location for course materials. Be part of this out-of-the-box look at humanity through its livingness of theology and faith.
Register. All Spirit Fire online courses are archived and available at your convenience should you not be able to attend at 8 pm ET on Tuesdays.