Toward Spiritual Sovereignty
A Secular Bible
by
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“The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.” – Arthur C. Clarke. “Make your own bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.” – American Essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Building on thoughts and philosophies from more than 60 masters such as these the author constructs a new vision of mankind, Homo Divinitas (man of Divine nature). First concept: Original Sin is myth; there is no stain of sin. Actions and words can be constructive or destructive, nurturing or hurtful, well intentioned or flawed, however the concept of sin is but an illusion, cyber-evil as it were. The consequences of the Garden of Eden, an event real or imaginary, are not ours to bear. To quote the nineteenth century British philosopher John Stuart Mill, “Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.” The illusion of sin has been propagated and made real by religions in order to usurp that sovereignty; to gain wealth, influence and power by offering salvation from the illusion they perpetuate. “The Christian resolution to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad.” – Friedrich Nietzsche. Second concept: Each human being is a creator. Human beings are capable of creating positive forces that promote wellness and happiness, and negative forces that manifest fear and harm. We cultivate the ramifications of who we are by how we conduct ourselves in the universe. If we unduly hurt or do harm to others, to the extent of that harm, we must accept the consequences of the negative karma we create. Karma: every action generates a force that returns to us that which we create. In other words, we reap what we sow. Conversely, to the extent we offer to ourselves and to others, kindness, understanding and forgiveness, so will the universe endow our actions with fulfillment and grace; if not in this life, then in the next. Third concept: In the ecological quilt of all living things on this planet, all life is sacrosanct. Killing is meant for food sustenance only. In Buddhism, ahimsa is “putting away the killing of living things”. Violence, whether physical or emotional, real or vicarious, demeans our divinity. Lethal violence against life is the ultimate spiritual blasphemy. Reasons deemed to be practical always can be found to justify killing. When considering actions within the arena of human events, these justifications may include self-defense, euthanasia, infanticide (killing of the unborn), capitol punishment, and murder under political immunity - war. Justifications for killing animals within nature’s realm include killing animals for sport or trophy and instituting “kills” to balance an ecosystem we have caused to go out of balance. Indiscriminate harvesting of fish from the planet’s oceans is naturally immoral. Practical justifications can be found for each of these cases nevertheless we must acknowledge from a moral perspective, that killing is the ultimate destructive act. Absolute sanctity of life is the paradigm that must be acknowledged and emulated. Fourth concept: Prayers are best communicated through action. Hurt caused to others must be resolved by deeds not just words. Saying ten “Hail Mary’s” is merely an emotional placebo. Prayer has its place however there are more appropriate prayers than selfish entreaties that begin with, “I want…” those are best directed to Santa. The truest prayer consists of two and only two words, “Thank you”. “I have had prayers answered - most strangely so sometimes - but I think our heavenly Father's loving-kindness has been even more evident in what He has refused me.” – Lewis Carroll.a “Pointing to another world will never stop vice among us; shedding light over this world can alone help us.” – Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892). Prayer is more effective when it becomes manifest in how we help our fellow man; spiritually it is just as important to be the answer to someone else’s prayer, for they then may become the answer to our own. It could be said that our lives are a testament to the prayer we embody. Our lives are prayers in action. Every day can be a personal thank-you card written with the pen of reality on the parchment of life. Every day can be a renaissance of self-worth and appreciation for the abundance and richness of a self-ordained life of integrity and ethical veracity striving for behavioral maximums not plumbing societal minimums. Fifth concept: The soul is eternal. Our genus regarding our present incarnation of spirit in human form is best referred to, not as Homo sapiens (person of wisdom), but rather as Homo Divinitas (man of Divinity, or, man of Divine creation); divinity expressed in human being. Flora and fauna, as we currently experience them, do not dwell in the domain of ethics and morality at least to the extent we define them. Fauna kill however they do not create weaponry, they do not murder; nor do they war. Fauna have tenderness for their young however one seldom sees an animal stop in its tracks to behold a beautiful sunset. More than flora and fauna, Homo Divinitas inhabits a world of sophisticated choice not mere instinct. More than flora and fauna, Homo Divinitas is uniquely capable of hope. Hope is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “desire accompanied by expectation of fulfillment.” Dictionary definitions are appropriately objective and factual and thus do not contain any element of poetry. The Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) provided a more comprehensive definition of hope when he said, “Man is, properly speaking, based upon hope, he has no other possession but hope; this world of his is emphatically the place of hope.” Homo Divinitas is driven by the inertia of hope toward spiritual fulfillment.
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About the Book
Toward Spiritual Sovereignty diagnoses societal samodaya (Buddhist terminology for emotional craving). The author uses extensive knowledge and wisdom from masters of ages past and present to refocus the spirit of man (spiritus mundi) on a wholesome re-creation of the world community. Every soul has the divine right to determine his or her sacred path to their unique destiny upon the horizons of learned choice. Political aggression, (governmental power), religious aggression (proselytizing), and financial aggression (voracious capitalism) provide conflict and work against the realization of happiness and wellbeing. These works are an attempt to advocate for the abolition of hindrance toward those ends, to advocate, without fetter, for spiritual sovereignty of every soul.Each person, Homo Divinitas (man of Divinity) should be able to experience life without threat. Threat can manifest in the form of hunger, poverty, illiteracy, illness, or physical/emotional/spiritual aggression. The 21st century provides an atmosphere of escalating violence, and terror, amidst the Middle East in particular, and the world in general. Such as the Roman Forum prior to the turn of the first millennia after Christ, mankind seems unable or unwilling to cease participation in the spiritual morphine of violence whether real, virtual, or vicarious. Mr. Casperson's authorship proposes effective measures for self-enlightenment and effective ways to cope with violence and political and religious terrorism. Comments and e-dialog are encouraged at the johncasperson.com website blog/site.
About the Author
John Casperson is a Viet Nam era veteran who lives in Southern California and enjoys a wonderful marriage with his wife Carol. Over a 35-year span he has traveled over 2 million miles to 44 countries familiarizing himself with many divergent lifestyles and cultures from Russia to Egypt, from Europe to India, from South Africa to Tibet. His experiences have led to a conviction, that regardless of culture, we are sovereign beings who share the same basic needs and desires. He has also reached a conviction that powerbrokers of religion and government do all in their power to usurp individual sovereignty and manipulate dependence instead of fostering independence. Toward Spiritual Sovereignty: A Secular Bible is the last book in a trilogy of work that attempts to define a path toward full and unfettered freedom of body and soul. Vantage Press, New York, published Mr. Casperson’s previous works, A New Reformation: Spirituality and the Politics of Organized Religion and Rosebud, a treatise on the elimination of financial value. Toward Spiritual Sovereignty is the capstone of Mr. Casperson’s trilogy that advocates for full and unfettered freedom of body and soul. Quoting from the work, “Flags are political banners that reinforce imaginary lines drawn on dirt. Flags create animosity between nations thus creating a need for political solutions for politically created problems! Augustine’s doctrine of “original sin” institutionalized a need for salvation, hence the power of the church! Politicians exacerbate and exploit differences to justify their presence rather than focusing on similarities which could lead to brotherhood of the human family. Homo Divinitas (man of Divine spirit) has the inalienable right to physical sovereignty just as he has a divine entitlement to spiritual sovereignty. Now is the time to proceed to and fully participate in the freedoms of full physical and spiritual emancipation.”