Author’s Journal from J.X. Mason
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Always Capitalize “Earth” and “Nature”
Always Capitalize “Earth” and “Nature” The words “Earth” and “Nature” should always be capitalized… because they deserve to be! Germans capitalize the word “Germany.” Since all humans live on the Earth, we should capitalize the word “Earth.” It requires the entire Earth (lands, seas, atmosphere, ecosystem) to sustain each human on Earth (including all Germans).…
My Cup Runneth Over
Below is My Favorite Love Song. I discuss it in my online Essay, “Love’s Role in Our Lives & Practice.” My Cup Runneth Over “Sometimes in the mornin’ when shadows are deep I lie here beside you just watching you sleep And sometimes I whisper what I’m thinking of My cup runneth over with…
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Engineering: From Pyramids to Artificial Intelligence! Engineering is our Oldest Forerunner: From 3000 BCE to 2025 CE Science can create new knowledge, but Applied Science & Engineering are required to convert new knowledge into new pharmaceuticals, new rockets, new bridges, ships, solar panels, fabrics, websites like the one you are now reading, and everything else we humans use whenever we…
Stoicism, ~171 C.E. to Today
Stoicism, ~171 C.E. to Today In March 2024, The Washington Post reported that Stoicism had become one of the most popular, if not the most popular, non-religious, secular-spiritual, and ethical paths in the United States. (The Washington Post, Book Reviews, “Stoicism is More Popular than Ever,” March 29, 2024.) The philosophy of Stoicism dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who lived in…
The Many Conceptions of “God”
Quotes from the Wikipedia Article, “God (word)” “The English word god comes from the Old English god, which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic *ǥuđán. Its cognates in other Germanic languages include guþ, gudis (both Gothic), guð (Old Norse), god (Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch), and got (Old High German)… “The Proto-Germanic meaning of *ǥuđán [is] thought [to] derive from the root ǵʰeu̯- “to pour”… “Godan was shortened to God over time and was adopted/retained by the Germanic peoples of the…
Quotes About Death!
Quotes about Death! “Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more.” — Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5. “Nobody gets out alive.” — Sydney J. Harris, Author & Columnist Question: “What will it be like…
Hindu Morality – Pro and Con
It is a vital Strength that Hinduism teaches a realistic morality that is situational, as it is in life. Judeo-Christians often believe that God imparted morals and ethics to Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments. However, every stable human society has a set of morals and ethics, and nearly every major society that…
Seven Questions for Every Religion and Philosophy
When we look at any religion, spiritual path, or philosophy, we should ask these seven questions: What does it say is the “Source” and “Sustenance” of the universe? Various appellations for “Source” include Ultimate Cause, Fundamental Force, Primal Power, God, Great Spirit, Higher Power, Ultimate Consciousness, and the Whole of All Wholes. Where is this Source/Sustenance?…
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Nature’s Spiritual Gatherings
Nature’s Spiritual Gatherings “The only good mass gatherings or groups that I know of are for the generally inclusive celebration of life; such as music, dance, the arts, weddings, funerals, etc.” – Jacqueline Payne We can and should assemble outdoors. Nature walking, Group meditations, hiking, swimming, gardening, bird watching, and just being outdoors with other people.…
Cargo Cults of the South Pacific
The “Cargo Cults” of the South Pacific (1942 to now) During WW2, both the Japanese and the Americans air-dropped and air-delivered vast amounts of military equipment and supplies to islands in the South Pacific. Manufactured clothing, medicine, canned food, tents, weapons, and other goods arrived in vast quantities for the soldiers, who often shared some of it with…
Steady Energy Flows Can Create Patterns
Steady Energy Flows Can Create Patterns Meaningful Information consists of items arranged in Patterns. The arranged items can be anything — atoms, molecules, digits, letters, acorns, checkers, species of plants, books of law, or pencil dots. Nature’s Continuing Creation, which I sometimes call “The Growing, Organizing, Direction of the Cosmos,” tends to create Patterns of…
Patterns Evolve When Energy Steadily Flows
Meaningful Information consists of items arranged in Patterns. The arranged items can be anything — atoms, molecules, digits, letters, acorns, checkers, species of plants, books of law, or pencil dots. Nature’s Continuing Creation, which I sometimes call “The Growing, Organizing, Direction of the Cosmos,” tends to create Patterns of increasing complexity, organization, and even beauty over time. Patterns…