Spiritual Forum

...meaning God or Nature is an expression coming from Baruch Spinoza, a dutch philosopher from 17th century.

The guy takes it like this:

“By substance I understand what is in itself and is conceived through itself”; “By attribute I understand what the intellect perceives of a substance, as constituting its essence”; “By God I understand a being absolutely infinite, i.e., a substance consisting of an infinity of attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence.” (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza/).

I will not go deeper into ontological consideration, you may perform your own research if you want. Basics is Spinoza`s work Ethics. Again a short view:

Proposition 1: A substance is prior in nature to its affections.

Proposition 2: Two substances having different attributes have nothing in common with one another. (In other words, if two substances differ in nature, then they have nothing in common).

Proposition 3: If things have nothing in common with one another, one of them cannot be the cause of the other.

Proposition 4: Two or more distinct things are distinguished from one another, either by a difference in the attributes [i.e., the natures or essences] of the substances or by a difference in their affections [i.e., their accidental properties].

Proposition 5: In nature, there cannot be two or more substances of the same nature or attribute.

Proposition 6: One substance cannot be produced by another substance.

Proposition 7: It pertains to the nature of a substance to exist.

Proposition 8: Every substance is necessarily infinite.

Proposition 9: The more reality or being each thing has, the more attributes belong to it.

Proposition 10: Each attribute of a substance must be conceived through itself.

Proposition 11: God, or a substance consisting of infinite attributes, each of which expresses eternal and infinite essence, necessarily exists. (The proof of this proposition consists simply in the classic “ontological proof for God's existence”. Spinoza writes that “if you deny this, conceive, if you can, that God does not exist. Therefore, by axiom 7 [‘If a thing can be conceived as not existing, its essence does not involve existence’], his essence does not involve existence. But this, by proposition 7, is absurd. Therefore, God necessarily exists, q.e.d.”)

Proposition 12: No attribute of a substance can be truly conceived from which it follows that the substance can be divided.

Proposition 13: A substance which is absolutely infinite is indivisible.

Proposition 14: Except God, no substance can be or be conceived.

(ibid)

I`ll post this in order to look not upon ontological guesses, but to look upon something very relaxing and comforting deus sive natura is revealing. This merely pantheistic concept is challenging us to let go of any separative thoughts on God and Nature - they are in fact much closer than we ever can think of. Spinoza tells us, they are one. From this perspective following nature is a real service. It is that which we are supposed to do from God. Having this in mind, we are not supposed to suppress our natural unfoldings like many do out of religious or whatever reasons.

Thus natural unfolding is always divine unfolding. And since divine unfolding is life unfolding, nothing is natural which is simply destructing in it`s essence.

Child molesting thus is unnatural, and also stealing, betrayal and any human oppression and slavery, for this is not any natural unfolding, but destruction.

Letting unfold natural expressions is always revealing games between life and death, between ascension and fall, between coming and going, between time and beyond. Thus it is a divine game going on.

Deus sive natura tells us to stay cool and relaxed. Even somebody is telling us of 4th of August being public disclosure of our cosmic families, we better follow our natural thrift:

You care for your kids and family. For your animals. You clean your house. You do your work. You keep caring for sick ones. You accompany dying ones. You take naps if needed. You cook meals. You have sex. You play football. You have hobbies. You love often being alone. You go fishing or to a concert or theater or a pub. You deal with difficulties. You unfold according your nature. You are a human being - limited and fragile and wonderful.

We will speak again on August 5th. I`m curious what you will say then. Actually nothing will change - deus sive natura is still valid and a good challenge.

Greetings from Germany!