Beyond Belief: Veganism’s Role in Spiritual Enlightenment

Credit: GrabNord Promoting Compassion Through Vegan Living

Beyond Belief: Veganism’s Role in Spiritual Enlightenment

Introduction

Part A -Veganism, Spirituality and Their Interconnection

i-                    What does veganism mean to me

ii-                   Spirituality and sense of self

Part B- Secular Arguments for the spiritual necessity of veganism-

i-                    You are what you eat...

ii-                   Repugnance and Reflection

Part C- A vice or a harness for spiritual enlightenment and growth- Capitalism, Veganism and Spirituality

i-                    A vice

ii-                   A harness

Part D- Conclusion and Questions

Introduction

This will present various ideas and arguments to assert that veganism improves our spiritual lives.

The premise of the article is that our biology, psychology, psyche, ethics and internal spirit are interconnected. Indeed, this interconnection means that a harmful effect on one can affect the other. I will argue that eating meat harms each aspect which then has a causal impact on the others and indeed ultimately our spirit, soul, mental health and sense of self.

Our conscious and subconscious sense of self is undermined and upset due to the killing, torture and violence associated with consuming animal flesh or milk.  

A precondition that I will be treating as a given, is the existence of a form of soul or spirit (unexplained part within us) ... not from a religious perspective but just an ethereal and unexplained concept which is separate from body and mind let’s call it our inner quieter deeper voice.

I will also be using the words, spirit, soul, mental health and sense of self, interchangeably. They all relate to that inner voice and affect and relate to our internal spiritual side.

Moreover, I will also be using the words vegan and vegetarian interchangeably.

Part A- Veganism, Spirituality and Their Interconnection

i-                    What does Veganism mean to me?

It means being ethical, environmentally sustainable, healthier and spiritually more at peace, happier and fulfilled

I will summarise some of the fundamental ethical arguments to veganism and give my short perspectives.

Animal welfare/rights:

Why would you cause unnecessary harm, evil, suffering? We do not need any animal product for our survival. It is scientifically concrete that we can survive and thrive on plant diets.

The meat, egg, dairy and fish industries all involve grotesque and heinous acts of violence, subordination, domination and exploitation that by definition are unnecessary for our survival.

All we are doing by being vegan is removing ourself from this process through non-action and if enough people did the same, the forces of supply and demand would gradually phase out these horrific industries over time.

Environmental-

It has been shown my numerous studies that vegan/plant-based diets are require less land, emit fewest fossil fuels and have the lowest harm on biodiversity and the ecosystem. One of the largest being an Oxford University Study led by Peter Scarborough concluding that Vegan diets have the lowest environmental impact and that to reduce environmental impacts, reduction in meat consumption is a necessity.

Greenhouse gases are filling the atmosphere which is contributing to global warming. Indeed, gases from animal farming (methane from cow farming) are 5 times more potent in thickening the atmosphere than Carbon from fuels. We are on the verge of environmental calamity and catastrophe. Going vegan is a good start to significantly reducing one’s individual impact on the planet.

My additional perspective on this aspect is that as humans we have a relationship with the earth. All relationships have various dynamics and are different. However, some relationships are good, some are bad. Good relationships involve a balance of give and take from both sides. However, our relationship right now involves too much take.

Just by existing in modern society, we see and feel the exploitative/abusive relationship that we have with the planet. Just contemplating this fact can create a sense of depression, upset, unfulfillment. It’s disempowering, yet we (collectively) are doing the taking. A taker is never truly fulfilled but a giver that always gives and never receives can grow fatigued, tired and unappreciated and weak, at times it can lead to fight back and lashing out. Indeed, the planet (our partner) is communicating this to us and fighting back. Yet we are stuck in our drunk, egotistical, stubborn and selfish ways. We continue and are embedded in our consumptive and exploitative behaviours without giving back.

We need to give back and take less.

Veganism is an easy start towards taking less and if engineered properly can involve giving back too. Of course, giving back and repairing the world and our relationship with it is a complex matter involving environmental projects and strategies, but veganism is a start.

ii-                  Spirituality and Sense of Self

Definition

Spirituality can be defined in many ways and is different for each person (some people are not spiritual at all) but for me in this article I would say that spirituality is connecting to a deeper quieter voice inside of us that takes us to places beyond the purely physical and beyond the immediate perceptions.

For example, when you listen to moving music, watch a movie that connects to you deeply or indeed when one prays or meditates, the focus is removed from the physical and you go to a different place, beyond or outside yourself... whether you call this simple daydreaming or in fact transcending dimensions, it’s irrelevant to me here and is semantic... the idea is that it elevates our focus to something outside ourself towards either moral teachings, deep emotions, deeper understanding and truths.

Spiritual states to me include senses of peacefulness, understanding, knowledge, learning, happiness, tenderness, reflection and vulnerability.

Interconnection- What is our sense of self and the spiritual/moral link to it?

Our sense of self- our self-image and esteem, is linked to how view morally view ourselves because we are moral beings and have at the very least been conditioned by society to be this way- to have moral codes, a conscience, questions, reflections, recriminations and internal struggle for peace and truth.

Indeed, in our alone moments such as going to bed at night, we have quiet and peaceful time to reflect- many things can enter our mind...

What we want? What we’ve done, who we’ve helped, who we’ve hurt, what we are content with? what we are regretful for? Are we good? Are we bad? Are we okay/in the middle?

When we are on the more positive side of the questions we are more at peace and stronger internally.

When we veer away from our morals, inclinations, convictions and principles an internal struggle can ensue and our sense of self is challenged. We struggle to look at ourselves. Recriminations and accusations begin... we are hypocrites, we are dirty, why are we so deserving when we say and believe x but we do Y.

Indeed, our deeper quieter voice (our soul) feels this struggle too and is weighed down by these difficulties.

Throughout this essay I will be to arguing that the harms of eating meat reach us as deeply as affecting our internal spiritual core. I will be using mostly secular and rational arguments to build my case.

B Secular Arguments for the spiritual necessity of veganism

i-                    You are what you eat...

Argument/Premise: Consumption of pain leads to a painful life. The pain of those you consume, will also hurt you in the short, medium and long term. The tortured animal will torture your body and soul.

This is not an advert for soul reading, physical vibrations or any other woo-woo type of charlatanism but please just indulge with my line of thinking here.

Let’s apply a thought experiment-

Imagine you could feel the pain (emotional and physical) of every animal that you have consumed- every chicken breast (Chicken), Beef Burger (Cow), Lamb Chop (Lamb).

Would that make you question your eating choices? Of course, no one wants to feel the pain of actual violence and death inside their body. It would cause physical, emotional and spiritual trauma.

However, embedded within the beef burger is in fact a life of affliction, enslavement, violence, coercion and murder. According to this thought experiment your body is gaining nutrition and satiation from these acts and the death and suffering. 

But this is just a thought experiment, right?... Or is it?...

The average person may object and say, it’s just a steak or chicken breast stop looking into it so deeply and it’s just the natural cycle.

However, there is also biological, physiological and psychological basis in reality for this thought experiment where the pain has a genuine impact on us.

Biology

On a macro level, it is becoming more and more consensus in the Nutritional Community, that many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer are strongly linked to over-consumption of animal products, meat and dairy, in particular red meat. Plant based eating is more and more recommended.

One of many studies:

A BMC 2021 study of 475,000 people concluded that ‘Higher unprocessed red meat, processed meat and poultry meat consumption was associated with higher risks of several common conditions.’ Indeed, the Lead Author Dr Keren Papier from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford said that ‘we have long known that unprocessed red meat and processed meat consumption is likely to be carcinogenic and this research is the first to assess the risk of 25 non-cancerous health conditions in relation to meat intake in one study.’

Deeper insights...

When animals are slaughtered, they produce pain chemicals (pain toxins) in their body which are actually toxic for us. Our bodies have to flush them out which increases the acidity of our blood which is this worse for our health as our blood should naturally be more alkaline.

Moreover, when they live difficult lives, they will produce stress hormones (cortisol), not to mention any diseases and malnutrition they are affiliated by in their factory farmed lives. You are consuming unhealthy, diseased, stressed and emotionally damaged creatures- abuse victims from birth to death.

Eating meat also causes inflammation in our system (especially red meat), this also spikes our cortisol, blood sugar, puts our system through immense oxidative stress and not to mention meat is very hard for our body to digest due to our bodies being naturally herbivorous. This puts our body in a state of stress and reduces the clarity in our system and can even affect our mental clarity.

There are concepts in Oriental religions that talk about mental clarity with food. In particular in Hinduist teachings. In Hinduism there is a distinction between higher and lower foods- Godly and Ungodly. Vegetables are considered Higher, life and energy giving foods; whilst meat is considered to be lower, stagnant and death giving food. To me this makes logical and intuitive sense, one is a killed and dead form/source which decays in our bodies, another is an easily digestible and often re-producible (seeds) vitamin rich form. Indeed, it is said that our bodies become physically and spiritually energised to a higher place by vegetable sources but become lowered physically and spiritually by lower sources such as meat.

Moreover, this ancient modern and ancient wisdom makes complete biological and Physiological sense. Human beings by design are naturally herbivorous. We have long intestines, we produce starch and carbohydrate digestive enzymes, have blunt grinding teeth. We also develop atherosclerotic fat when consuming animal flesh or product, this does not occur in Carnivorous or Omnivorous creatures. The list does continue...

Health organisations such as the WHO even classify certain meats as type 1 carcinogens due to their intensive impact on the body.

Here you can see not just philosophically but actually biological we are consuming pain and stress which in turn causes our body pain and stress in turn.

Psychology

Whilst this is a secular article. It is my personal opinion that all religions have wisdom that we can draw upon anthropologically, philosophically, economic, morally and so on. Indeed, almost every major modern religion has rules upon food consumption- Judaism-Kashrut, Islam-Halal, Christianity-Fast days. However, importantly Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism have firm vegetarian prescriptions. Is it purely coincidental that the leading religions of inner peace, wisdom, health and spiritual enlightenment advocate for heavily vegetarian lifestyles? What wisdom or knowledge did (and still do) they have that allowed them to reach these conclusions, what are they getting at?

Embedded within the majority of these teachings is the idea of restraint; resisting impulse, temptation and restraining ones natural, primal, (often) impure urges. Creating resistance and restraints between the impulse and a person’s actual action puts a person on a path of increased, discipline awareness and makes them cautious of pure hedonism. Secular and religious morality would agree that this makes a better and stronger willed person- someone who is reliable, thoughtful and considerate of other needs beyond themselves.

A human that is purely hedonistic is a selfish, unproductive member of society and often addicted to their own pleasure, vice or drug.

From personal experience and I’m sure I can speak for many vegans and meat eaters alike, when one develops a taste for meat it is very difficult to shake it off. Cravings emerge. Some people even vegetarians claim a sense of longing or even blood lust for meat when they withdraw from it temporarily- sounds almost vampiric. It also sounds like a form of unhealthy addiction- (an addiction to -something harmful to you, other beings and the planet). An affliction to all involved.

Who’s heard this before?:

‘’I feel terrible and I know it’s wrong but insert- Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Cheese- tastes so good, too good...I can’t let it go and I could never be Vegan/Vegetarian’’

Yet vegetarian philosophy is a rejection of this and a firm rejection and resistance to this violent (direct or indirect) craving for flesh and blood and animal fat.

This first step and benefit to us is an act of service to our inner psychologies and psychological strength. I can withdraw, resist and be strong for the sake of myself and/or others. This leads to calmer state of being as a person is learning to master their impulses. The next step is that it improves our inner physiology which has an outer impact on our psychology.

It has already been mentioned about how vegetarianism is healthier for our bodies. Indeed, it naturally follows that a healthier body leads to a healthier mind. A healthier mind means healthier thoughts, healthier thoughts lead to greater happiness and fulfilment.

Vegetarian diets have also recorded by enumerable studies and anecdotes to enhance aspects of physical health and wellbeing. This includes aesthetics many of which will provide psychological benefits. Improved libido, weight loss, skin, hair, blood flow- men have been reported to have increased strength of erection (Come on guys! This is great motivation to go vegan!).

Summary of Part B

Coming back to initial thought experiment within this section, imagine feeling the pain and fear of the animals you consume... well in actuality we do. Whilst it is an abstract a construction, it actually manifests in several ways in reality. We do suffer a form of discomfort and unease from what we consume. We literally do consume pain (pain toxins) and the stress of the animal also erupts stress (cortisol) and difficulty in our own body.

Therefore, the foods that we consume have an impact and on biology and psychology which then impacts our feelings, sense of self and psyche both consciously and subconsciously.

Overall, here from a biological, physiological and psychological perspective by taking less and controlling our impulses we are actually giving ourselves more and giving more to others (animals and the planet) this conscious and subconscious knowledge puts us on a healthier and more peaceful plane psychologically. Our inner dialogues, moralities and reflections will be explored more in the next chapter but what is going on here on a health level is quite profound.

II Repugnance and Reflection

In 1998 American Physician Leon Kass wrote an essay titled the Wisdom of Repugnance. It was an appeal to ban scientific research and advancements into human cloning. He argued that regardless of rationalised moral reasonings we also have intuitive moral impulses and gut reactions to scenarios. Indeed, we possess an intuitive moral disgust mechanism, when we find something repugnant, we go ‘ick’ or ‘yuck’. For example, with sexual crimes like paedophilia there is an impulsive disgust that is triggered within us.

I would argue and it is my opinion that deep down people most people are intuitively disgusted by meat eating (more precisely the act of killing animals) and feel a sense of deep internal unease about it but have been conditioned by society and our habits to ignore this ‘gut reaction’.

Famous vegan activist Gary Yorufsky proposes a thought experiment in a 2010 speech in which he bets his whole house on a certain outcome.

-If an infant were to be in a cradle with a bunny rabbit and an apple...

-The infant would play with the bunny and eat the apple rather than the other way around.

Yorufsky argues that our natural infant impulses are to show care, kindness and compassion to animals and not to attack them or to hunt them.

When we see animals be slaughtered, we all feel that reactive sting or yuck inside, no one likes to see (needless) cruelty and it does not need to be explained or rationalised... it is intuitive and a natural reaction- empathy!

In the Western world, if a dog is in pain or being attacked, naturally, we feel angered, reactive and instinctively triggered to act to save the beautiful creature. ‘Dogs are a man’s best friend’, well actually, we share this empathy for all animals deep down.

For me when it comes to veganism, I know that I can look myself in the mirror knowing that I know that I do not partake in funding, ingesting, enjoying, and recreating the death, violence, suffering, torture and domination of innocent creatures that share this earth among us. Honestly, I’m not even an animal person, I just know that it is the just, decent and right thing to do.

However, we often do not see the animal being killed, we just see the hamburger due to being removed and disconnected from our food in the production process which has been a trend of modern capitalist society which has involved the acceleration of production, specialisation of labour, industrialisation and various other economic phenomena which has given us the luxuries of the day but also gives us the lack of necessity for meat eating due to surplus food, grains and choices.

Part C- A vice or a harness for spiritual enlightenment and growth- Capitalism, Veganism and Spirituality

Perhaps even more controversial, contentious and emotive than the animal industry- Capitalism...

I don’t believe I can discuss the topic of veganism and secular spirituality without addressing the aspects (benefits and ills) of capitalism...

Our current economic, social and cultural system. The prevailing status quo, norms and some would argue it is the epistemic peak of our understanding on how to run and organise a large and interconnected world. Others would argue that it is a prevailing social malaise and oppressive force inhibiting and restricting flourishing and freedom and eudaemonia . While others argue it is just a part of the historical process and eventually, we will evolve, outgrow and replace it with another system, whilst others are pragmatic, comprising and accept it for what it is and argue that we should mould is and adapt it within its framework. But it is responsible for heated debated and emotion due to the presence class systems, power and pressure groups and a struggle for resources and influence.

What I think is important which I will aim to impress upon the next chapter is a nuanced exploration of differing ways of viewing this system. Each of which have validity in their individual ways. To gain spiritual, emotional and epistemic truth one must absorb, understand, explain and analyse varied perspectives to reach a point of knowledge where one can have a strong picture to perceive and judge.

This something that I believe people are lacking and then impute praise or critique without a satisfactory understanding.

A vice

Whilst I do not identify as a Marxist, I do think Marxist thought and analysis can be helpful for enlightening certain ills and evils of society. This can enhance our spiritual and epistemological understandings.

Capitalist systems of production and consumption have been embedded into every fabric of life for a few centuries now and is the modus operandi. Many of the norms and intellectual assumptions are unquestioned and considered as preordained truth. Some academics might characterise this to be a society that is epistemologically arrogant. Solutions are considered within the box or boundary of acceptability within capitalism, not necessarily outside or beyond the box.

Notwithstanding everything said so far regarding animals; I think it is fair to say that our current modern society is also a broken, beaten down one, with people who are spiritually and emotionally dull and broken who have surrendered to and accepted the status quo.

Indeed, when many think about any of the world’s problems war, famine, genocide etc they just can’t.

So, when it comes to the animal industry, one can understand why they struggle to stomach it (apologies for the dreadful pun- humour in darkness I guess) but instead people often just accept it as part of ‘how things are’, ‘one of the world’s many problems’ there’s loads of farms and billions of animals, surely this is how society runs and should run, it’s bad but what choice do we have, we have the world to feed.

Indeed, the farming system is so embedded and has been since long before the industrial revolution (indeed industrialisation accelerated and farming also became industrialised and expanded).

The old adage ensues; ‘’What change does my choice make... I am only one person?’’

Indeed, this internal struggle exists in other lines of consumerism and I would like to argue that this has a conscious and subconscious spiritual effect on us. It weakens our internal spirit and strength.

An example of this is when we shop for fast fashion, Primark is being an example. Cheap, good quick clothing at low prices. This is on the backs off of third world labour, exploited workers and even modern slavery.

‘’Who and where am I exploiting to get this cheap product/good.... No don’t think about it...it’s not your fault....you work hard...you deserve a break...I’m allowed a life’’ etc

All understandable, not necessarily valid though...!

When people just accept the status quo, ‘the capitalist machine’ in this case... it leads to small death inside. They are defeated by the monster, ‘the man’, the system and accept their futility and their lack of impact. Forced into their mini-station in the collectivist system of wheels and cogs to service the machine.

I argue that this feeling of futility manifests in the vegan issue too...

‘’Do you know how that burger got onto your plate?’’Yes?! Cocoa the Cow was...No! Nope! Don’t think about it. I’ll torture myself if I constantly think about these things. Some things are just the way they are, we can’t stop everything and it’s not my fault...it’s the circle of life, although I love animals...no! Just stop! I’m not a bad person, everyone does this!’’

DEFEAT! SURRENDER! ACCEPTANCE!  These things defeat our spirit and our inner child.

As Gary Yorufsky said in his most famous speech as children, we loved animals but as adults we grew up in a twisted world that taught us to accept and engage in their subjugation.

An objection to this would be not everyone knows about or is connected vegan ideas, philosophy or believes it is the right thing. Average consumers and people do not consider the weight of these things and do not think so deeply about it.

3 retorts to this

·       The McEnroe retort (lol!): Come on! You can’t be serious!Everyone knows animals die for this. (the extent of their suffering, yes! People could be more educated on) But it’s basic common sense.

·       People often express a sense of guilt or lack of for what they consume. I’ve lost count of the amount of people who tell me they wished they could (have the strength to be) be vegan. But for certain aspects getting in their way.

·       People often find excuses or a way to excuse their behaviour- too hard, unhealthy, culture, religion etc... Morality is not meant to be easy. It’s demanding! But, when do excuses change the fact that harm is being done.

A Harness

Capitalism as a liberating and enlightening tool...

Whilst the tools and systems of Capitalism has its drawbacks and is heavily criticised throughout history and today, it is imperative to have perspective, balance and understanding of its importance in actually liberating the human spirit, rather than dampening it. To quote Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) from Peep Show.

‘’It’s only the miracle of consumer capitalism that means you’re not lying in your own shit, dying at 43 with rotten teeth...... Now come on fuck off’’

In other words, Capitalism and Global Trade is responsible for increased living standards, economic growth, modern luxuries, medicine, transport, modern communications and enumerable other inventions. More relevant to the substance of the essay being ‘spirituality’ it played a huge role in the dissemination of ideas such liberalising ideas like democracy, freedoms (expression, political rights) which also gave space to allow a fusion and sharing of ideas such as eastern values and ideas being transported to the west. Indeed, the modern Vegan movement is heavily influenced and almost owes everything to Hindu, Buddhist and other Oriental Traditions.

Moving on in time... to our current cosmopolitan society, particularly in major cities. They are a space for a diversity of ideas, tastes, cultures and philosophies in which one can navigate multiple channels of spiritual expression, discovery, experience and understanding. There are countless cuisines, temples, relationships and university studies which can develop one’s intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth.

As the saying goes (slightly debatable but I think it’s true) it’s never been easier to be who you want to be and do what you want. It’s definitely true that it’s never been easier to be vegan.

Society definitely has the economic but also intellectual, cultural and social bandwidth to create spaces for these discourses and lifestyles to exist. However, are things changing at the root for a vegan utopia and vegan society... that’s deeper and more fundamental question!

Answer for veganism, No. But I have hope, so not yet!

Not to mention, inherent within the human spirit, is the capacity for innovation, invention, creation and adaption to find discovery, truth and excitement all with improving our lives in mind.

Capitalist mechanisms have facilitated more numerous and vastly accelerated rates of invention and innovation than in any other economic and social system in history.

This has been a dream for the vegan project.

Innovations of recent, a substitute (replica) for almost every animal product; accommodating a vast array of consumer choice and preferences. There are a huge variety of cuisines in shops and restaurants (through globalisation and immigration) which accommodate varied diets and tastes, indeed many of which have vegan parts. Cellular (lab-grown) meat is currently being researched and will likely reach consumers within the coming years; it’s already being circulated out in pet food.

Demonstrably, capitalism whilst embedding systems that become entrenched and unquestioned  can fatigue the human spirit for curiosity and change, it equally in the same vein facilitates the opportunities and circumstances for change, growth, diversity and spiritual growth through facilitating the mechanisms for cultural exchange, innovation and also moral reflections. The workings of the price mechanism and consumer choices are heavily influenced by culture and attitudes of the time.

Indeed, if in the future, lab grown meat becomes more cost effective it may destroy the animal agriculture and farming industry as a whole. Indeed, this would be an example of capitalism at work, ‘creative destruction’, a phenomenon all too familiar within the story of capitalism. The society and price mechanisms innovate, change and lead to the creation of new systems, industries and products, as a result this destroys the old, slow, regressive, inefficient and sometimes immoral modes of operation. Examples- horse and carts to cars, high street shopping to online shops, the collapse of the slave trade (pure destruction through moral changes in society), newspapers to online news sources.

Summary of Part C

On a deeper philosophical level, relating to human spirit, choices and conditions; capitalism is just a system and tool, there aren’t necessarily inherent or essentialised traits within it but instead and it just reflects the individuals and groups as they are.

In other words, the specific system is less important, sleepers will always sleep, liberators will always liberate, innovators will always innovate and so on. Although, like in the majority of history, most people are sleepers and stay in their comfort boxes relying on their systems and comforts to protect them.

Part D- Conclusion and Questions

To conclude first I would like summarise and conclude the three sections, there were three main secular arguments made for why eating meat hinders us spiritually.

Firstly, we have screaming rotting flesh inside us which This affects our bodies and minds and in turn our spirit- consciously and subconsciously through biological, physiological and psychological impacts on us in the short, medium and long term.

Secondly, we have an intuitive repulsion and aversion to killing and eating animal flesh but this has been hidden from us due to our removal from the production process of our food.

However, often when we become aware, our inner conscious goes into turmoil and we try not to think about it.

We accept the systems and status quo which further separates us from our inner child, our compassion, our mercy and our kindness. This kills our spirit through, defeat, acceptance and surrender to the oppressive, violent and consumerist status quo of the animal agriculture industry.

On the other hand, whilst we must work outside of the box and system to grow spirituality it is also imperative work within the system and box and use it to our advantage to further our causes. Recognise how the system helps us and has helped us and harness to build causes- consumer choices and variety of plant based options on the market which consumers love, lab grown meats etc.

Therefore, according to the arguments laid above veganism can improve our spiritual lives and provide us with greater peace, truth, understanding and love. Capitalism is a difficulty but not an excuse and, in many ways, enhances and enhanced the spirt and strength of the vegan cause.

This has been a very broad and encompassing article with various themes and aspects. This is more of a treatise and mediation rather than pure vigourous and vicious argumentation. I’m pulling from various knowledge sources to forward something that I believe to be a novel type of argument for veganism. However, I know there are various gaps or questions that I have not addressed or points I have assumed so here’s a few...

So let’s continue discussing. I look forward to hearing from you all...

Additional Questions food for thoughts....

Concluding considerations/questions---

1.       Humans deep down have a desire to do good and be good. A western viewpoint of consideration of harm and individual agency. This is not shared in many parts of the world, Russia, China, North Korea, (other places...)

2.       The essay has not discussed hunter gatherer aspects of humanity and the part within us that does hunt, that is aggressive... who’s to say that this is not our true nature...More fundamentally, this is partly related to the duality of man. Being capabale of so much good and yet also so much bad.

3.       What actually is spirituality, what is secular spirituality? What form does it take? What does it look like?

I look forward to exploring in future essays...