Our Current Article
ESCAPING AMERICA'S NEUROSIS: WHY THE WORLD IS FALLING APART
I turned on the morning news before I went to Starbucks to meet with a good friend. All my mind heard was Fight and Flight.
Police chase man fleeing from an accident, man shoots the officer's K9 dog, shoots at police. Jumps back in car flees. Stops again flees into the woods.Sadness. Hopeless. Angry. Neurotic. Gun shootings. Young girl kills fellow students and teacher at her Christian school. News says this must stop. Then jumps into commercials to sell some junk no one needs.Amazon and Starbucks workers on strike. Major wrecks on the freeway drive to work. Trump says this. Biden says that. Rates are down, inflation is up. Ukraine blows up Russian General and his aide on Streets of Russia. Christmas is coming. Buy your gifts.
In today's world, we find ourselves caught in a relentless cycle of fight and flight, driven by our lower emotions rather than our higher minds. The news bombards us with stories of violence, conflict, and despair, leaving many feeling hopeless and disconnected. This constant state of neurosis and reactivity has led to a society that seems to have lost its way, forgetting the fundamental principles of compassion and understanding that bind us together as human beings.
Escaping the Neurosis Trap: 5 Powerful Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita for Modern Life"
A World Lost in daily Fight and Flight
Our modern existence is characterized by a perpetual state of stress and anxiety. We're constantly reacting to external stimuli, jumping from one crisis to another, without taking the time to pause and reflect. This fight-or-flight response, while necessary for survival in truly dangerous situations, has become our default mode of operation. As a result, we've lost touch with our innate capacity for empathy, wisdom, and peaceful coexistence.
Rediscovering Purpose Through Ahimsa
Amidst this chaos, the ancient principle of Ahimsa offers a beacon of hope. Ahimsa, often translated as "non-violence," is a fundamental tenet in Eastern philosophies such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. However, Ahimsa is much more than simply refraining from physical harm. It encompasses a way of life that promotes respect, compassion, and harmony with all living beings.
Key Principles of Ahimsa:
Harmlessness: Actively avoiding injury to any living being, including oneself
Compassion: Cultivating deep empathy and understanding for others
Truthfulness: Aligning honest communication with a nonviolent ethos
Patience: Exercising self-restraint and tolerance, especially in challenging situations.
By embracing these principles, we can begin to shift our focus from reactivity to mindful action, fostering a more peaceful and compassionate world.
"The Ahimsa Revolution: Rediscovering Compassion in a World Gone Mad" Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita
The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita offer profound insights that complement the practice of Ahimsa. This ancient text provides guidance on how to live with purpose, integrity, and inner peace, even in the face of life's challenges.
5 Key Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita:
1. Cultivate a positive mindset, even in adversity
2. Practice forgiveness and let go of grudges
3. Communicate effectively and honestly with others
4. Show respect and kindness to everyone, regardless of status
5. Practice patience and forbearance in difficult situations
By integrating these teachings into our daily lives, we can develop a more balanced and compassionate approach to the world around us.
Reconnecting with Our Higher Selves
The practice of Ahimsa and the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita offer a path to reconnecting with our higher selves and finding purpose in a chaotic world. By shifting our focus from external conflicts to inner growth, we can cultivate a sense of peace that radiates outward, positively impacting those around us.
Practical Steps for Embracing Ahimsa:
1. Practice self-compassion: Begin by treating yourself with kindness and understanding
2. Cultivate awareness: Pay attention to your thoughts and actions, striving to align them with nonviolent principles
3. Speak mindfully: Use words that uplift and encourage rather than harm or spread negativity
4. Act with intention: Ensure that your actions, even small ones, are done with kindness and support
As we embrace these practices, we create a ripple effect of positivity that can transform our communities and, ultimately, the world.
In conclusion, by returning to the timeless wisdom of Ahimsa and the Bhagavad Gita, we can find a way out of the cycle of fight and flight that plagues our modern world. Through compassion, mindfulness, and a commitment to nonviolence, we can rediscover our shared humanity and create a more peaceful, purposeful existence for ourselves and future generations. Let us choose to live from our higher minds, guided by wisdom and compassion, rather than being driven by our lower emotions. In doing so, we can build a world where Ahimsa is not just a concept, but a living reality.
Escaping Americas Neurosis: Why The World Is Falling Apart, by Stephen Monahan, Director Ahimsa Human Society, and AHIMSA LIVING Magazine.
We all have a Philosophy of life and ourselves, if you say you do not, you have a bad Philosophy
In each stage of our lives our perspectives grow, and if we are aware our conscious vision expands to the depths of the oceans and the heavens above. Each day I stare into the dark soul of incurable cancer and the impact of three strokes that I survived while producing my TEDx Atlanta Dupree Park Event.
During the period of strokes I was in and out of my body. At times I was outside as the Observer watching myself. Strange to say the least. It is not a trite saying, it is truth, What does not kill you will alter you reality and view of life and Truth forever.
I faced my Memento Mori moments, and accept and deal with it daily, living each day in serenity, and with an even stronger passion and purpose to live. To show others how to embrace each day, not with fear but with Stoic courage, living each moment, each bright day, each dark night, each month, and each year with Joy and Wonder and Grace and Gratitude for this amazing gift of life.
We cannot change what life brings, but we can respond with all our power, intelligence, tenacity, fortitude, and strength of our internal Power of Will to rise above it.
I do not teach, I do not tell, I simply share the eternal truths and wisdom I have gained through bright times and dark times. I do not try to change people or change the world. Each person is responsible for their own life, When everyone takes responsibility for their life on earth, only then will we live in a world of responsible people. Governments are not the answer. We are the answer. We are One and we are many. From all the worlds we come.
I am as some say an old soul. Since a child I have been driven forward, never being stopped by the indiscriminate, as said, temporary slings and arrows of Life. With Sophia wisdom I absorb life’s precious and finite time with two eyes that see, two ears that listen, two minds that are open, and a heart of peace, and love of eternal life.
QUANTAISM - PHILOSOPHY OF ONE
Greetings,
In the serene glow of a Sunday morning in 2020, while orchestrating our inaugural TEDx Talks event, I found myself engrossed in the selection of potential speakers, a cup of Starbucks in hand. It was then that I experienced a profound left-brain stroke. Words eluded me, and though pain was absent, a peculiar sensation overtook my face, accompanied by confusion. Attempting to communicate the anomaly to my wife, Lynne, words initially failed me. Yet, with calm and determination, I conveyed the urgency of hospitalization.
This abrupt transition from a world defined by logic and boundaries to one of boundless creativity and bliss marked the beginning of my exploration into neuroscience and quantum physics. No longer merely a corporate executive, I had become a voyager in a new realm of consciousness.
Now as a voyager I found myself in the place many find themselves after an abrupt break from the world we inhabitated for decades in a new world, a new consciousness. I had crossed a bridge from west to east across an intriguing bridge to Eastern philosophies. And with a shift from my new foubnd right brain consciousness back and forth to my prior left brain consciousness of linear logical thinking and western religious traditions, and modern scientific understanding.
It has taken me three years to grasp two worlds in one body, but here is s an articulation of this belief system that combines these elements: Synthesis of Eastern Wisdom, Western Faith, religion and eastern philosophy. I see them not as two, but one Quantum Reality. I named it for what it is a synthesis religion, science and quantum physics ... Quantism.
Quantaism proposes that the fundamental nature of reality, as described by quantum physics, aligns with the spiritual insights of Eastern philosophies and the core teachings of western Christianity. This worldview sees the universe as an interconnected whole, where consciousness and energy are intrinsically linked.
The Seven Key Principles of Quantaism:
1. Fundamental Interconnectedness: Just as quantum entanglement demonstrates the interconnectedness of particles across space and time, Buddhism teaches the concept of dependent origination, and Christianity speaks of the unity of all creation in God.
2. Observer Effect: The quantum principle that observation affects reality parallels the Buddhist idea that mind shapes experience and the Christian notion of faith influencing outcomes.
3. Potentiality and Actualization: Quantum superposition, where particles exist in multiple states until observed, echoes the Daoist concept of Wu Wei (non-action) and the Christian idea of God's potential manifesting in creation.
4. Non-Locality and Omnipresence: Quantum non-locality aligns with the Buddhist notion of non-self and the Christian concept of God's omnipresence.
5. Energy as Fundamental: Einstein's E=mc² and quantum field theory resonate with the Eastern concept of universal life force (qi/prana) and the Christian understanding of God as the source of all existence.
6. Complementarity: Niels Bohr's principle of complementarity in quantum mechanics reflects the Daoist yin-yang philosophy and the Christian paradox of divine and human natures.
7. Consciousness and Reality: Quantaism posits that consciousness plays a fundamental role in shaping reality, aligning with Buddhist mindfulness practices, Daoist cultivation of awareness, and Christian contemplative traditions.
SUMMARY
Quantaism seeks to demonstrate that the deepest truths of existence are reflected in both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science. It suggests that the apparent conflict between religion and science is illusory, and that a holistic understanding of reality requires integrating spiritual insights with scientific discoveries.
This framework encourages a worldview that is both deeply spiritual and scientifically informed, promoting harmony between different cultural and intellectual traditions. It invites us to see the universe as a vast, interconnected quantum field of potentiality, where consciousness and energy interplay to create the reality, we experience.
By bringing together Buddha's insights, Einstein's revelations, and the timeless wisdom of various ancient and modern traditions, Quantaism offers a "back to the future" approach—unifying ancient understanding with modern discoveries and rediscoveries to provide a comprehensive philosophy of life, existence and ever evolving and expanding consciousness.
This syncretic approach aims to create a more comprehensive worldview that honors both the rigorous methodology of science and the profound insights of spiritual traditions. It recognizes that while science and spirituality have often been seen as separate or even conflicting domains, there may be value in exploring their potential complementarity and integration.
Quantism seeks to demonstrate that the deepest truths of existence are reflected in both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science. It suggests that the apparent conflict between religion and science is illusory, and that a holistic understanding of reality requires integrating spiritual insights with scientific discoveries.
This framework encourages a worldview that is both deeply spiritual and scientifically informed, promoting harmony between different cultural and intellectual traditions. It invites us to see the universe as a vast, interconnected quantum field of potentiality, where consciousness and energy interplay to create the reality we experience.
By bringing together Buddha's insights, Einstein's revelations, and the timeless wisdom of various traditions, Quantism offers a "back to the future" approach—unifying ancient understanding with modern discoveries to provide a comprehensive philosophy of life and existence. Stephen Monahan
_____________________________________________________
Here is a brief outline of our upcoming book and teachings course.
OVERVIEW CHAPTER ONE
The Interconnectedness of all life
In the exploration of human consciousness and the universe, a fascinating dialogue has emerged between the ancient wisdoms of Eastern philosophies, like those of Lao Tzu and Buddha, then the awakening of the Christ Logos, and now thecollaborating discoveries of quantum theory, the exploration continues into a new journey of wisdom and truth, where the future of discovery seems to be leading us back to the profound insights of the past.
Both quantum theory and the teachings of Lao Tzu (Taoism) and Buddha (Buddhism), and the Logos emphasize the interconnectedness of all things. Quantum entanglement, a phenomenon where particles become interconnected in such a way that the state of one (no matter the distance) can instantaneously affect the state of another, mirrors the Eastern concept of interdependence and the non-dual nature of reality.
“This suggests a universe where separateness is an illusion, and everything is part of a unified whole.
The Role of the Observer: The observer effect in quantum mechanics, which posits that the act of observation affects the observed system, resonates with the Eastern view that reality is not independent of the observer. Both perspectives challenge the classical notion of an objective reality, suggesting instead that consciousness plays a fundamental role in the manifestation of the physical world.
The Illusion of Separateness: Quantum theory challenges the notion of separateness through the principle of superposition, where particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously until observed. Similarly, Eastern philosophies teach that distinctions between objects are a matter of conventional truth, and at a deeper level, there is no inherent separation between self and other.
Influence on Scientists: Notable physicists, including Niels Bohr and Erwin Schrödinger, have acknowledged the parallels between quantum physics and Eastern philosophies. Bohr was inspired by the Taoist concept of complementarity to explain the wave-particle duality in quantum physics. This suggests a profound interplay between scientific discovery and spiritual wisdom.
The Nature of Consciousness: Both quantum theory and Eastern philosophies explore the relationship between consciousness and reality. Theories in quantum physics that suggest the observer plays a key role in determining the state of a quantum system echo the Eastern idea that consciousness is not merely passive.
Summary: The journey from ancient wisdom to modern scientific discoveries and back again highlights a cyclical path of understanding the philosophy and nature oflife as consciousness.
The key similarities between the beliefs of Lao Tzu, Einstein, Buddha, and quantum theory—interconnectedness, the role of the observer, the challenge to the notion of inherent separateness, and the exploration of consciousness—suggest that the future of scientific exploration may indeed be a rediscovery of ancient truths. This cyclical journey of wisdom and truth underscores the timeless relevance of understanding our interconnected nature and the profound impact of our consciousness on the universe.
OVERVIEW CHAPTER TWO
How the concept of interconnectedness can be applied to personal growth and development
The Interconnected Path: Personal Growth and the Wisdom of the Ages
The concept of interconnectedness, a core tenet of Eastern philosophies and spiritual practices, has profound implications for personal growth and development. This principle, echoed in the teachings of Lao Tzu and Buddha, aligns with the holistic view that personal transformation is not an isolated endeavor but one that is deeply linked to our relationships with others and the world at large.
The Principle of Interconnectedness. Interconnectedness suggests that all aspects of life are interrelated. In personal growth, this means that our individual development is influenced by, and in turn affects, the people and environment around us. Recognizing this interconnected nature can lead to a more compassionate and empathetic approach to life, where personal achievements are not seen in isolation but as part of a larger, collective journey.
Applying Interconnectedness to Personal Development:
Self-Awareness and Mindfulness: Practices like mindfulness and meditation, often associated with Buddhism, can enhance self-awareness and presence, allowing individuals to recognize their thoughts and actions' impact on themselves and others.
Building Relationships: By valuing interconnectedness, one can foster deeper and more meaningful relationships. This can lead to a support network that not only aids personal growth but also contributes to the well-being of others.
Holistic Health: A holistic approach to personal growth includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these aspects can lead to more balanced and sustainable self-improvement strategies.
Learning from Nature: The interconnectedness of all life forms, as highlighted in Eastern philosophies, can teach the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainable living, which in turn enriches personal growth.
Community Engagement: Engaging with and contributing to one's community can be a powerful avenue for personal growth, as it aligns individual purpose with the collective good.
The Wisdom of the Ages in Modern Times: The ancient wisdom of interconnectedness is not only relevant but perhaps more crucial in today's world. As we face global challenges, the understanding that our actions have far-reaching consequences can inspire a more compassionate, cooperative, and sustainable approach to life. Personal growth, therefore, becomes a shared journey, where individual progress contributes to the collective evolution of humanity.
The future of personal growth will be a rediscovery of ancient truths, where the wisdom of interconnectedness guides us to realize as Lao Tzu then Buddha ages ago that we are not lost individuals is a world of no meaning, but integral parts of a greater whole.
Not just here and then gone, but beings of the absolute highest powers omnipresent, and eternal. This conscious perspective brings answers to who are we and why are we here, enrichs our lives with deeper meaning and a clear purpose as we become the best versions of beings,who shape numerous Universes expanding consciousness.
Stephen Monahan
Seven Lives of Woman
Our Upcoming Book
As I gaze down from my celestial perch, I can't help but smile at the mosaic of lives I've lived. Each one, a vibrant thread in the grand design of my existence. Oh, what a journey it has been! Let me share with you, dear sisters, the wisdom gleaned from my seven enchanted lives.
In my first life, I was the Curious Child. Wide-eyed and full of wonder, I explored every nook and cranny of my world. I learned that questions are the seeds of wisdom, and that every day holds a new discovery if you're open to it.
My second life saw me as the Passionate Student. I devoured knowledge like a feast, finding joy in learning and growing. It was then I realized that education is not just about books, but about embracing life's lessons with an open heart and mind.
In my third phase of woman incarnate, I became the Fearless Lover. I loved deeply and without reservation, learning that vulnerability is not weakness, but the truest form of strength. My heart broke and mended, each time growing more resilient and compassionate.
The fourth life transformed me into the Ambitious Professional. I shattered glass ceilings and paved the way for others. I discovered that success is sweetest when shared, and that lifting others as we climb is the noblest pursuit.
My fifth life was as the Nurturing Matriarch. I created and fostered a family, not just of blood, but of choice. I learned that love multiplies when divided, and that the bonds we forge are our true legacy.
In my sixth life, I emerged as the Wise Mentor. I shared my experiences, guiding others through their own journeys. I found that wisdom is not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions and listening with an open heart.
My final earthly incarnation was as the Reflective Sage. I looked back on my life with gratitude and forward with hope. I understood that every moment, every choice, every relationship had shaped me into who I had become.
Now, as I reflect on these seven lives, I see that each was a gift, a chance to learn, to love, and to grow. And to you, my dear sisters still writing your own stories, I say this:
Embrace each phase of your life with joy and curiosity. Don't rush through the chapters – savor them. Your journey is unique and precious.
Remember, you are not just living one life, but many lives within this one beautiful existence. Each day is a chance to reinvent yourself, to learn something new, to love more deeply, and to leave the world a little better than you found it.
You are the author of your story, the star of your own play. Make it magnificent. Make it uniquely yours. And above all, make it a story of love – love for yourself, for others, and for this extraordinary adventure we call life.
So go forth, my dears. Live your seven lives – and more! The world is your stage, and the curtain is always rising on your next great act.
Sophia