Daniel’s Blog

I found this poem by St John of The Cross. I thought I would share it with you because it is quite a lovely poem about the Trinity (it being the 1st Sunday after Trinity tomorrow). Here it is:Romance on the Gospel text “In principio erat Verbum,” regarding the Blessed Trinity.

In the beginning the Word
was; he lived in God
and possessed in him
his infinite happiness.
That same Word was God,
who is the Beginning;
he was in the beginning
and had no beginning.
He was himself the Beginning
and therefore had no beginning.
The Word is called Son;
he was born of the Beginning
who had always conceived him,
giving of his substance always,
yet always possessing it.
And thus the glory of the Son
was the Father’s glory,
and the Father possessed
all his glory in the Son.
As the lover in the beloved
each lived in the other,
and the Love that unites them
is one with them,
their equal, excellent as
the One and the Other:
Three Persons, and one Beloved
among all three.
One love in them all
makes of them one Lover,
and the Lover is the Beloved
in whom each one lives.
For the being that the three possess
each of them possesses,
and each of them loves
him who bears this being.
Each one is this being,
which alone unites them,
binding them deeply,
one beyond words.
Thus it is a boundless Love that unites them,
for the three have one love
which is their essence;
and the more love is one
the more it is love.

As I said before, it is a Romance Poem by St John of the Cross and can be found on Carmelite.com (amongst other places on the web). St John of the Cross is a Saint that is recognised by most traditional denominations of Christianity (including C Of E and Roman Catholicism), which I find interesting as he was quite a mystic, anyways, his day is 14th December in the Anglican church and his liturgy goes like this:

O God, the judge of all,
who gave your servant John of the Cross
a warmth of nature, a strength of purpose
and a mystical faith
that sustained him even in the darkness:
shed your light on all who love you
and grant them union of body and soul
in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Which can be found in the Book Of Common Worship.

Byes for now,

Daniel

As said in this post, Beki and I are going to be starting Yoga in Oxford.

We have now found a class, it is Ashtanga Yoga and is on Monday evenings. We are really looking forward to it, Beki has got some clothes and we have now both got Yoga mats. So we are all set

For Yoga, I think Beki is wanting it as a form of exercise. And I want that too, but I am also very interested in the more spiritual side of it too… even though Yoga started in the Dharmic religions (majorly Hinduism, minorly Buddhism, I feel that it could be effective for all sorts of other religions…. this is a philosophy that I have (similar to the fact that I feel that Buddhism can be placed over the top of other religions, and would be beneficial) but Beki does seem to deem things ’scary’ when they clash a little with her faith, but I am sure she is just saying that and not meaning it entirely - Faith is a very personal thing, and I respect everyones decision about their faith, and so does Beki.

Technorati Tags: yoga, philosophy, religion, classes

I have been thinking a lot recently about the goodness of modern humanity… and I feel that it is not good enough.

I have just been talking (on msn) with my 11 year old cousin (Matt), and he is a very open individual for a 11 year old boy. We have been discussing about various things from vegetarianism to the chemicals in a McDonalds meal to respect to morality to spirituality and religion. I want to be able to tell the new generations (and the current ones) but there is good in the world and it can be achieved through respect and morality.

Some things that I would change in the world and/or my advice to people/companies/organisations/other:

• To Fast food restaurants and ready-meal companies: stop putting a load of chemicals in food and drink. You are not respecting the good natural food, and not respecting the consumers body that you are giving the food too.
• I am not saying to you turn vegetarian, but have respect for the views of vegetarians. I am a vegetarian because I feel that I can very easily live without meat, and therefore (I hope) I am letting an animal or lots live for a bit longer when I don’t need to eat it. Personal choice, and I don’t want to enforce it on anybody.
• Still on the vegetarian topic: Food companies, if you can make it suitable for vegetarians then do! I have seen vegetable somosas in a well known UK supermarket that have chicken stock in them <- I would have got them if they were veggie, and so you would have had another customer! — also Heinz please apologise to the entire Vegetarian population for putting Beef in your meat-free ravioli! (sorry for linking to a tabloid newspaper)
• To everyone: become spiritual. Spirituality promotes morality and respect, and for every individual that becomes spiritual humanity benefits because of overall morality. If you find the right spiritual path for you then you will also encounter peace within yourself and outside yourself too.
• To Religions: stop fighting. Dear me! You are all after the same thing really, which is peace. Fighting is not peace, and its not the way to achieve peace either! — Yes some organisations can seem evil sometimes, e.g. I feel that McDonalds is a little evil because of the chemicals they pump into their food, but I am not going to start a war on the staff that work for them, its pointless… especially as, if you look at this logically, most theistic religions believe that God is a judge, if these people are evil then they will be judged as so <– no need for physical fighting, religious wars, suicide bombing etc etc etc.
• To Non-religious people: religion really isn’t silly, it helps seek out spirituality. I am not saying become religious, but have respect for those that do have religion… and try to understand why there are religions and why people believe <- this won’t convert you to religion, but it will improve your relationships and communication skills. A little knowledge about various religions can go a very long way, and may be able to help you out (even if you don’t believe it).
• Religious people: have a little look into other religions (including ones you may class as heretic), it will probably help you in your own faith.
• To everyone who does graffiti:  just don’t. The best place to do graffiti is on a canvas or a bit of paper, and then you might actually be able to sell it!
• To everyone: look at what is in your food/drink before you eat it, and go for a reasonable walk at least once a day.
• To chavs: grow up… I have not met a mature, responsible and respectable chav…. so all I have to say is just grow up.
• To everyone: always try to better yourself, not as a competition with other people, but for your own benefit. Life should be full of learning, thinking and experiencing, which together can help you become wise.
• Anti-masonic people: The Freemasons are not evil, they do not worship the devil and they are not trying to take over the world… they are not allowed to talk about religion or politics in the lodge, in fact they just want to raise morality and respect in a completely non-denominational way (the only real requirement to freemasonry is that you believe in a supreme being). So anti-masonic people, don’t be so anti-masonic - it might not be for you but its just a social club really. (P.S. I am not a mason, well not yet anyways)
• Younger people: Listen to some classical music, try to understand some classical philosophy and know at least 5 words in latin or greek or hebrew.

Hmm, that is all for now. I do mean every word of it, I try my absolute best to stick to my beliefs and I manage to do it… your beliefs may differ, but that is ok, everyone is entitled to an opinion and thats the point everyone is entitled to their opinion. (so don’t complain… just try to show your point peacefully (by conversation), try to make humanity better peacefully and try to become a better person peacefully)

Does anyone else agree with my beliefs? Have you recently thought differently? Do you have a suggestion? Or anything else, please do feel free to leave a comment.

Thank you,

Daniel

Technorati Tags: morals, ethics, culture, religion, humanity, makeyourselfabetterperson

I have had a really interesting day… and its all because of the desire to become more of a confident person.  Here is how it went:

I decided yesterday that I would have an early morning, I went down to Erith Pier (near where I am originally from). I met a load of friendly Christian people there, who were there for an “Sunrise Celebration” (7am) as part of the “Churches Together in Erith” Easter Celebrations. There was singing and guitar playing, and all with the lovely sun coming up.

They then invited me to the Baptist Church Hall nearby for tea and hot cross buns. So I decided to go, i knew that it would be good for me, for both my confidence and for my spirituality. Talked to quite a few people, including a Rev for a nearby church, and an old lady whom I made smile because of my necklace with a cross pendent on it, apparently it was shining really brightly in the rising sun this morning. I think I made her very happy because of that shining cross pendent! The Rev, and a few other people introduced the fact that I could actually go to their service at 10:30am… so I did, but it was about 8:45am and had to wait a bit.

So between just before 9am, and just gone 10am-ish I went to the park near Barnehurst (think its called Bursted). Saw dogs and their walkers, and the sun was still out, bright and shining… like it was saying “Look you are going to have a wonderful Easter Sunday!”

Got to St Pauls Church just after 10am, saw the Rev there and a few others that I met earlier in the day. It was a really good service, very interesting, and quite different to the Anglican/CofE churches that I have been to (basically - they have a mini band instead of a choir, also seemed a little more informal but that may have been because of it being a family service and there were quite a few children). After the service there was tea (and another Hot Cross Bun) in the Church lounge… I got talking to quite a few people, a couple I recognised from around Erith.  Got talking to a nice couple, who then invited me around for a cup of tea later in the day. Got home at about 1pm.

Had a long and deep conversation about various aspects of life, philosophy and psychology with my parentals. Had a meal.

Went to see the couple at 5:30pm. They have children around my age, so it was really good talking to them about University etc…. was nice cup of tea and banana cake (thank you! ) Lots of good conversation.

Good thing is, now I have more contacts here in Erith. So when I come back here to visit my family, I can also visit some friends too (and Hazel, when she isn’t in Norwich).

So yes, today has been both a spiritual and a confidence boost. Which is something that I have really needed for a long time…. something that I couldn’t get a year or two ago because of one situation.

So, Easter Sunday. Its about the resurrection of Jesus, resurrections are synonymous with new beginnings, and, I think I have had one of those today…as the title for this entry says it is actually a “Time for change” for me!

I will keep in touch with the people that I have met today, either in person, or by phone, or by email.

Technorati Tags: easter, christian, changes, confidence

I got caught by the Scientology church on Tottenham Court Road (London) today… free stress test indicated that I wasn’t overly stressed, then they offered a free personality test “The Oxford Personality Test”, so I completed that and then they wanted me to do a “Mental Ability Test” which I ended up walking out of without any of the staff knowing.

So my opinion of Scientology is: don’t bother, unless of course you have LOADS of money and LOADS of time on your hands. All the respect to those who do get a spiritual kick from it, but I personally think those tests were annoying (especially the Mental Ability Test which several of the questions had incorrect choices for answers, and the answer paper went down numbers and not up - which was really odd), and it is a nice idea that we can ‘train’ ourselves up to be better people but I am not sure that its possible, and I don’t think that Scientology can provide that (but hey, I could be wrong).

The reason I said yes to the tests, is because I wanted to know a little bit more about this religion. I didn’t get the chance to ask any questions, shame, but they aren’t going to get any of my money… even though they subliminally play “….Spirituality is the 8th Dynamic…” (or something like that) over and over again during the test.

Technorati Tags: scientology, spirituality

I had no idea that Christian Denominations actually worked together and liked each other:

• Anglican & Methodist: http://www.anglican-methodist.org.uk/
• Anglican, Methodist and United Reformed Church: http://www.urc.org.uk/conversations/

and so they should to! I say well done to them. I know that there has also been work to unite two of the major Buddhist Groups (Theravada and Mahayana), not sure how successful that is though.

Lets just hope that we have some inter-faith stuff go on… I don’t like seeing people not getting on well because of differences in what they have faith in, shouldn’t be such rivalry.

Technorati Tags: christian, denominations, working, together, interfaith

As many know, I am vegetarian and have been one since 2002. I have just found out that St. David is the Patron Saint of Vegetarians ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_David ), and he was also a vegetarian/ascetic.

Talking of religion again - sorry. Many people also believe that Jesus taught people to be vegetarian, but there is no hard evidence of this except for the fact that James the Just (author of Epistle of James).

Anyways… I like being veggie, I don’t think my darling Beki enjoys me being vegetarian but she is coping very well and learning very quickly about it.

Technorati Tags: vegetarianism, christianity, asceticism

I found this in the Gospel of Thomas (considered by quite a lot of people as a Gnostic text, but it is quite a valid text to other Christians to):

Jesus said, “I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained.

Split a piece of wood; I am there.

Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”

I like this quote (G.Of.Thomas 77) quite a lot, I think even non-Christians can fully grasp the above statement. If you think about it everything that is physical in this world is somehow connected to another physical thing in this world - whether it is made from the same material, or energy passes through it into another, or even if we own something now that was previously owned by someone else… one thing does merge into the next (even at the very very tiny (smaller than atom) level nothing has a real sharp border). The above quote is not saying that you will literally find Jesus under a rock or in a plank of wood, he is actually saying that he and everybody and everything on this universe (and beyond?) is actually made from the same basic things (physically/mentally/spiritually/other[ally]).

I believe that Christians who are against (or just don’t believe in) Gnosticism would even agree with the quote, its not overly Gnostic (but I could be wrong). For those who are non-Gnostic Christians you may prefer to consider Galatians 3:28 (NCV) today:

 In Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Greek, slave and free person, male and female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.

Methinks I’d like to really get into religion and philosophy.

My Amazon Wishlist has now grown into a library.. I have so many books in 5 Wishlists (Religious, Knowledge Engineering/Based-Systems, Books based on reading lists from Bristol Uni, Useful Career (inc Graduate Placement), and a Random Other List).

Click here to go to my wishlist, feel free to buy some for me

I have also decided that I want one of these: Click here

and anyone can get me an Apple iPhone for me , and a car (with lessons), and a house, and a kitten, and a really nice kitchen.

Bah! But really I am not materialistic, I am happy with having my family and my girlfriend close, and talking with friends. In fact, the the most important things to me right now are building a spiritual bond with my girlfriend, and, getting a good education / building a base for a career that I am going to enjoy and will be rewarding (not necessarily financially rewarding, but that would be nice too). <– Beware! Very confused (and maybe slightly scary/scared-sounding) 21 year old! (babblings of a madman at almost 2am)

Technorati Tags: personal, amazon, wishlist, books, library, materialistic, nonmaterialistic, desire, hmmm, tags, tags, tags

When I finished my GCSEs, I looked at the A Levels that my school was offering. They did not offer ‘Computing’ A Level at the time, they did offer ‘IT’ but I was sure that I wanted to do things to do with proper Computer Science, some proper software development. So I went to my local college and did some Diplomas and Certificates in Computing and Software Development.

When I started these courses at college, I thought “which A Levels would I have chosen”, and back then I thought I would have done: Maths, Physics, IT and Spanish.

Now after all of the college, and nearly finished at Uni, what would I do if I decided to do A Levels after Uni? (and not if I went back in time, I actually mean what would I want to do now)

If I had the full choice of A Levels and had to choose 4, I would probably do the following:

• Mathematics (Probability would be one of my major interests in this)
• Psychology (Particularly anything to do with Mysteries of the Brain)
• Philosophy (Particularly Logic)
• Religious Studies

I would obviously not choose Computing now, as it would just be too simple and not worth it.

The interesting one here is Religious Studies, back when I was choosing my GCSEs, I had no interest in Religion, so I didn’t choose it for GCSE - but thinking back at it now, I was actually reasonably good at it… and I am very interested in Religion now. Maybe I should have chosen it over History, probably would have got a better grade for it.

You may notice that the above subjects are actually quite interlinked: Philosophy is linked with Maths by logic, the brain uses logic so psychology is linked in there. Philosophy and Religion are quite obviously linked, Religion and Belief are Psychological things in a way…. all linked, all nice.  But also Computing is also linked with all of them too, it is obviously mathematical, it also deals with logic. Artificial Intelligence has philosophical issues. Artificial Intelligence is also to do with Psychology. I also believe that Computing has links to Religion, for a start Computing can help religious debates, Computing can also help decode some very complex philosophical statements in religious texts. But also many people in Computing are religious (two of my lecturers spring into mind, one is a Christian reverend and another is an open Celtic Christian) (and also my girlfriend is a strong Anglican Christian, and she is a Computing Student) - there just must be a link really.
I am thinking about this because I might actually do an A Level or two, and maybe evening classes in something. Thats only if I don’t manage to get to do a masters in the next academic year, then I will probably reapply to do a masters.

So, I am asking you this. If you could do A Levels now what would you do? and are they different to what you did choose (if you did A Levels) or would have chosen (if you did not do A Levels and did something else)? (Please comment, I am genuinely interested in your thoughts)
Daniel