1. What can be called a temptation of mankind? How can mankind „desire but not yet commit” a wrong act? (If you want to know the answer to these questions, please read the post here.)
2. The seven deadly temptations of mankind: 1. overconsumption; 2. inequality; 3. expansion of physical and 4. virtual environment; 5. expansion of cognitive capacities; 6. expansion of biological capacities and 7. discovery of new energy sources. What phenomena could be behind these temptations? Three examples: Identification of our wellbeing with the fulfillment of our needs; the monkey-troop effect and simplistic interpretation of probabilities. (If you want to know more about these, read the post here.)
3. How can we avoid the self-destroying traps preying upon us? The joy of inner growth.Mankind’s deadly temptations cannot be avoided by expanding the ego’s possibilities but only by expanding the ego itself by the experience of our inner Totality. This can be helped by the formation of a "global mind". The question is whether (without the active help of Providence) we may realize the urgency of change enough... (If you want to know the answer to these questions, read the post here. I am inviting the Reader to post disagreements with and extensions of my thoughts. You may also send your thoughts to csermelyblog@gmail.com.)
Openness to right is a much stronger power than the avoidance of wrong
1. Purity as the inverse of getting impure. Today’s consumer associates purity mostly with washing powder advertisements. Purity has become a generally available category that can be gained back quickly and cheaply in case we have lost it. However, we deal with remorse and self-cleaning a lot, even if we ignore doing so. (If you want to know more about this, please read the post here.)But sin-centric life is a dead end. Openness to right is a much stronger power than the avoidance of wrong.
2. Purity as cleanness leading to Totality. Sin cannot get close to the totality and purity of God’s Silence, since it perishes there. Thus purity is not the inverse of getting impure but the measure of the closeness to God. (If you want to know more about this, please read the post here.)
3. Purity as a source of love. Purity is the second stage after humility when the most intensive love of Totality start to shine in our souls and washes off everything that has accumulated there as the impurity of human life. Purity not only avoids sin but provides openness and radiates unrestricted love. Purity does not build walls but makes a community of us all – with the power of love. (If you want to know more about this, please read the post here.)
How can we discover the wisdom and creativity of patience?
1. Waiting and persistence are virtues here and now. Behavior of „let’s get and enjoy today’s pleasures fast” is such a form of „runaway selection” that destroys the chance of sustainable development with increased consumption of goods. "In those who are really able to wait, a profound patience is born that is not at all less regarding its beauty and meaning than all what they are awaiting for.” (János Pilinszky) Our desires which are not fulfilled for a long time may improve us much more than those which become accomplished quickly.
2. The liberating and creative strength of patience. Virtues of waiting and persistence liberate us. If we do not obey our first reflexes but we think our situation over thoroughly, more creative and optimal solutions may emerge in our minds. (If you wish to know how, please read the post.)
3. Why patience has become one of the key elements of wisdom specifically today? The wise avoids the extremes. But the wise does more than that. If circumstances drive towards one of the extremes the wise moves just to the other. That is why we should deliberately slow down when life accelerates around us. (If you wish to know how patience becomes a way to save the harmony of the world, please read the post.)
1. Life devoid of quality-time and miracles. The sea of information surrounding us does not only open possibilities but also imprisons us, especially when we become its servants instead of its masters. Consequently, we lose quality-time and the capability of sensing miracles. I give three examples to illustrate how our possessions and social bonds grow over us becoming oppressive and unmanageable. This is the time when we start to crave for a miracle. From this ’self-made trap’ we can get free only with cutting the Gordian knot tied by ourselves. How?
2. The miracle of our own lives. The miracle we crave for is hidden in the depth of our own spirits. Let us discover it! (If you are interested in how you may do this, please read the post.)
3. Entering quality-time: when we become a miracle in others’ lives. As we discover the strength of our inner spirit, more and more of fleeting moments are becoming quality-time, Kairos. Entering quality-time we start to discover those around us who also live in quality-time. (If you are interested about the identification of people sensing Kairos, please read the post.) With them we may form a self-amplifying cycle. Thus we become a peace-source, which radiates caressing, loving silence all around. On the Path to this I wish all my Readers a lot of joyful experiences!
