The Third Mandala – Free Excerpt from the Responsive Universe

My new literary effort, The Responsive Universe – Meditations and Daily Life Practices is now available for purchase. Within these pages are nine Mandalas or chapters that illustrate a new and authentic step forward on the path to self-discovery and enlightenment. Over the course of the next week I will be giving an intimate look at each chapter as well as a small excerpt from the new book. We have just reviewed the First and Second Mandala.

We continue with the Third Mandala…

When it comes to adopting a belief system in regard to God and creation the concept of space has never been more important. I have traversed my own path of research and self discovery to establish an unadulterated vision of the world and Universe. When discussing the origins of the Cosmos it is pretty clear that religious history takes a back seat to science. There is so much overwhelming data to suggest an expanding Universe – a Cosmos that has been evolving for billions of years. As for evolution, science again makes a convincing argument. Still, there is room for contemplation, especially when it centers on the origin of God. The Third Mandala is about connecting to the vast and impressive intricacies of the Universe and understand that we are a part of this great system of energy and matter.

Third Mandala Excerpt
How we came to be and where we go when we die are as monumental as topics come when pondering life’s big quandaries. Because religious thinking often gives purpose and meaning to a sometimes cruel and indefinable world, it is hard to dive into religious discussions without insulting someone’s beliefs in some way. People get defensive of their religious beliefs and often cannot take any criticism about them. Some protect their religious beliefs with an intensity that is fanatical and though I would not call it a benchmark; the more fanatical one is with their specific religious philosophy, the more deeply rooted fear they probably harbor. Being ridiculously defensive alludes to a weakness in thinking; whether it’s because of ego, self-esteem, or ignorance, fanaticism points to a flaw in one’s belief system.

As we discussed in the First Mandala, in order for self-discovery to take place, we need to strip down the layers in our thinking, of our childhood beliefs and ideals, to isolate their sources and determine if our thinking is unadulterated and genuine to who we are. Much like parents, mentors, and friends who influence us and contribute to how we think, religion is one of the biggest influences in our lives. Our religious upbringing colors our perspectives as children and adults to form the mindset on which we base our daily actions and decisions. In many cultures, religion is a social law and is embraced without question. Is this bad? Not necessarily. Religion does encourage us to live well and be kind and promote positive energy through prayer. It becomes troublesome, however, when religion manufactures control patterns in our lives and encourages the belief that a singular religious path is the only path of the righteous and worthy. That control pattern breeds only close-minded thinking and facilitates persecution and violence.

As we strip down the layers of our thinking to determine which beliefs are intrinsic to who we are, we find an interesting parallel between our religious thinking and religion itself. We seek to understand who we are as individuals, and all world religions seek to explain how the earth was created and how man came to be. Religion, aside from adding purpose and meaning to our often indefinable world, also gives us a story about creation – creation of the Universe and also our place in it. Ancient religions were indeed born and based on subsistence strategies. As societies evolved, religious thought became more about mental conditioning and living morally, more of a subsistence strategy for society itself and for who was top in the hierarchy of power.

Now in times when technology and scientific theory is able to answer the “how” of how the Universe was formed, we still seek, as beings who need faith and spirituality, the “why” and “what” of why we are here and what it all means. As we move on to discuss the birth of the Universe scientifically, keep in mind that even in depth scientific explanations of creation still leave room for crucial philosophical thought. The Big Bang Theory explains in great detail the beginning of time and the expanding Universe, and it also poses perhaps one of the greatest paradoxes in philosophical thinking. Before the theorized Big Bang that occurred approximately twelve to thirteen billion years ago, there was no space or time, only a mathematical point possibly the size of a microscopic atom that comprised everything in the Cosmos. It is as if nothing existed before time and energy. And from nothing, came everything. You can equate this paradox with others that rule our lives – day and night, love and hate, heaven and hell. Philosophy and even science beg the question, can everything spring from nothing? We can define the “everything,” the Universe as we know it, with beliefs and proven theories, but what is this “nothing” that existed before it?

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com