Lion Defenders of Asia

Lions have a long standing tradition of being protectors in Asia. To embody this, these sentinels are embodied in stone. I shall look at the snow lion of Tibet, the guardian lions of China and the komainu of Japan.

First, the snow lion of Tibet. They are depicted as white, genderless lions with a turquoise mane; however, the milk from the lioness is said to heal the body and to restore harmony. As they are in an eternal state of bliss, the reason why there are eight carved onto the Throne of the Buddha, they are cheerful, fearless, and in a state of natural delight. This theme of fearlessness is also to be found in the sound of the snow lion’s roar, in that it sound-manifest of the qualities of courage truth, and even emptiness. Further, they represent that when mind and body are fused, beauty and dignity is plentiful. These latter qualities seem illogical to hold with a stone carving, though snow lions are thought of as flesh-and-blood beings since before they were carved.

Next, the guardian lion of China. Palaces, temples and tombs are what the sacred places they defend. The temples are obviously sacred, though the palaces and tombs may not be so: the temples were the residences of the emperors, which were believed to have the divine right to rule, and the tombs are where the remains of their ancestors remain, and as Chinese society has deep traditions of ancestor veneration this undoubtedly makes tombs sacred. The male traditionally sits on the left with his right paw on an embroidered ball to signify supremacy, and he is tasked with defending the actual structure. The female traditionally sits on the left whilst she restrains a cub with her left paw; with this clear indication of nurturing, it is unsurprising that this gender is tasked with protecting the structure’s inhabitants.

Before I mention komainu and guardian lions, it is best to mention that there was a period in Japan’s history when they absorbed many cultural elements from China, such as the tea ceremony and perhaps also the lionesque sentinels. Both have pairs that guard the entrance of a sacred place, and both have one member of the pair with their mouth open and one with their mouth closed.

Finally, the komainu of Japan. These are depicted as ‘lion-dogs’, though they can have a horn or take the form of a tiger or a boar. Most often, komainu are to be seen guarding the entrances to shrines and Buddhist temples, they can also be seen in front of noble residences and sometimes guarding the gate of the inner shrine. The komainu of Inari, arguably the most important kami that rules over rice, tea and foxes, will be in the form of a fox. This form signifies messages and magical powers, which is assisted by the sometimes appearance of a key, a jewel or a sutra roll in their mouth.

So, even though the idea of a lion being a guardian first arrived from China, it can be seen by investigating both guardian lions and komainu that these stone sentinels have adopted qualities and inclinations from whatever culture they inhabit. This can be seen with the komainu fitting around Shintoism, though it is clearer still with the snow lion. The carved snow lions didn’t absorb any of the Chinese elements of the guardian lion other than to be a stone protector.

Affective Mood Disorder and Synaesthesia

Today, I’m going to look at two more mental phenomenon that produce a life experience that is, when peeling away all negative connotations, ‘abnormal’. These are Synaesthesia and Affective Mood Disorder.

I will start will start with Affective Mood Disorder. This is an umbrella term to cover many disorders that, quite simply, effect the mood of the individual. This can be mild-severe, though however much it affects an individual, it is disruptive to life. AMD encompasses three main disorders: depression, bipolar, and anxiety disorders.

   Depression is not an unexpected phenomenon in life, though perhaps dysthymia, a milder form of depression, is better for the description of this period in one’s life. Depression is characterised by extreme sadness and hopelessness where there is a lack of energy, interest and concentration. Feelings of guilt and even suicidal thoughts are not uncommon.

   Bipolar is not just the new term for manic depression: it is a condition from which an individual swings from one extreme to another. This is termed as ‘chronic mood swings’. Manic depression is of course the most common with an extremely high majority, so it is easy to understand from where the synonymy developed. Mania is not just when someone is extremely positive and active, as it can make the sufferer impulsive, delusional, irritable and even aggressive.

   Finally are the anxiety disorders. As with anything, there are many different types, though all include anxiety, fear and nervousness. Other symptoms include nausea, rapid heart rate, restlessness, shortness of breath, sweating, and trembling. Some of the more common types are social anxiety, general anxiety, panic disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. When people first hear OCD as a anxiety disorder, they instantly deny it, though there is no doubt in the matter. OCD is when an individual obsessives over something that causes them worry, anxiety etc., and they are compelled to do something to solve/sort out/stop the anxiety. For example, if someone is anxious about dirt, they will obsess over dirt and they would be compelled to clean, as this ends the source of anxiety because the dirt has been cleared so it is gone.

Synaesthesia is when an individual’s senses are mixed, in that one sense will automatically initiates another sense. As the senses can be mixed in many ways, there are consequently several types of synaesthesia.

   The most recognised type is grapheme-colour, in that when people perceive words, letters and numbers, whether by sight or sound, there is a perception of a distinct colour. One of my friends has this: my voice is royal blue with streaks of salmon, and my name written is a mixture of royal blue and grey. When she listens to music, the sounds of the instruments and voices produce a myriad of colours. How the colours are ‘seen’ is varied. Some are projected, with the word/letter/number itself becomes its associated colour, whether others will see the colour purely in their mind’s eye, so they experience both the actual colour and the mind’s eye colour simultaneously. My friend is an example of this. This mind’s eye seeing can be autonomously induced: stare at a single coloured wall (say, pale blue) and imagine any colour (say, bright red); you will be able to perceive both simultaneously.

   Another type is word-taste, or lexical gustatory, which is when a word is perceived, again by either sight or sound, a taste is also experienced. Yet another type is mirror-touch, which is less common and not as well studied as the rest. In this, when the synaesthesiac perceives others being touched, they too sense that tactile experience.

   People with synaesthesia often have brilliant memories. They dual-perceive the world, by having two or more senses activated by the same stimulus simultaneously, so this creates many more connections in the brain than someone without synaesthesia. The more connections the brain has for a specific bit of information, the easier it is to recall that bit of information.

   Another interesting observation is that people on the autistic spectrum are more likely to have synaesthesia than non-autistic people. Now, as people on the autistic spectrum have superb memories, this may make synaesthesia itself as producing a good memory questionable, though perhaps autistic people with synaesthesia have the best memories. That’s a question for researchers.

   Finally, how synaesthesia is scientifically observed brings great joy to people who study phenomena of humanity, so scholars of religion, psychology, sociology and anthropology. As synaesthesia involves the mixing of the senses, it is a highly private and thus subjective experience; because of this, people need to report their experiences. There is no objective way to test or measure synaesthesia, yet scientific study of synaesthesia is accepted. This therefore makes subjective study of people’s personal experiences, whether it be a religious experience or some other internal feeling, more valid and acceptable. Hopefully this will allow natural scientists to not discredit the social sciences, which are vital in helping humanity’s understanding of itself.

Evolutionary Explanation of Religion

Religious Studies has three main methodologies: methodological atheism, methodological theism and methodological agnosticism. Methodological atheism takes the view that religions aren’t the truth, but rather they are a construct of the mind (Psychology), society (Sociology) or the human condition (Anthropology) to fulfil a certain purpose. Methodological theism takes the view that the religion that they study is the truth. Methodological agnosticism doesn’t pass truth-judgement on a religion. Rather, a description of the religion, and how it effects people’s lives in all aspects, whether that be practical, mental or emotional, is sought. The main type of methodological agnosticism is Phenomenology: phenomena, that which appears, and logos, study.

   Although I instantly prescribe to phenomenology, methodological atheist points are interesting. One explanation for religion that combines Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology is the Evolutionary approach. Evolutionary explanations argue that religion is a trait that humans evolved that helped to aid their survival. This can be supported with evidence of spirituality in chimpanzees and Neanderthals, though first I shall explain the theory itself.

   It is thought that brain growth in the cortex is connected with consciousness, language and emotion. This development can be seen in areas that have direct, archaeological evidence, such as complex tools. The very first creation of a complex tool would have required a mental image of an object that doesn’t exist in reality and also an understanding of the purpose of the tool. Both of these require an understanding of linear causality. This is a demonstration of intelligence.

   Intelligence is undoubtedly important in religion. Symbolic communication, social norms, the concept of a self (whether an autonomous self or a part of a greater whole is not necessarily relevant here) and the concept of continuity are all needed for a religion to work and function correctly.

   There are several supposed reasons for the development of religion. First, it is a way to keep unrelated individuals have a common cause, which would be important when individuals live in social groups. Considering that humans nowadays, and the vast majority of all primates, are social creatures, this instantly seems reasonable. Religion would serve to sustain itself with the use of rituals, beliefs and continual social contact, all of which would give a simple answer to things, such as weather or death, which are otherwise very complicated.

   There is evidence of the expression of religion in early human burials, though whether or not it is religious expression or not is another. For example, pictures of half-human half-animal are thought to demonstrate religion, though perhaps this is just people exercising their imaginations. Also, red ochre has been found on the bones of the deceased, but this could be remembering the death. Non-religious people nowadays will remember the dead without any religious connotations, so why not the ancient humans? This puts the rest of dead-remembrance evidence into question, though it is interesting nonetheless. There are examples of people being buried in cemeteries, with ‘grave markers’ and antlers being left as offerings.

   Now for the spirituality of Neanderthals. It is believed that they buried their dead with rituals, with red ochre on skulls being thought of as highly symbolic. Some scholars even argue that they practised early totemism or animal worship. Stone tools and animal bones were often put with the dead, which could possibly signify a belief in an afterlife. Some even view bones having their flesh removed is evidence of religion, though one must consider that Neanderthals lived in a cold environment, so food would have been difficult to find, so perhaps bones being defleshed is just evidence of cannibalism.

   A more direct example of spirituality in non-Homo sapiens sapiens is with the common chimpanzee. There is evidence that they greave death, which is a by-product of forming affectionate, supportive and enduring bonds, along with romantic love. They show altruism to others, such as feeding turtles, and they may demonstrate animism by cradling and grooming inanimate objects such as sticks and stones. It is also believed that chimpanzees have aesthetic appreciation, as they will notice sunsets, which scientists believe has no pragmatic application to the chimps (though it’s a signal of when to sleep and when to be awake), and they will show curiosity to pythons, which are neither prey nor predator nor competition in anyway.

   Dr. Jane Goodall conducted research on chimps on their approach to a waterfall, though this behaviour has also been observed during rain as well. Heightened arousal is shown with bristling hairs, with rhythmic swaying and rock-throwing being other, typical behaviours. After this ‘dance’, the chimp may sit and watch the waterfall. It is thought that this may be to challenge the elements or a challenge to a perceived ‘alpha male in the sky’. This may be an example of spirituality, or just that these chimps have learnt this behaviour from a chimp who had abnormal reactions to waterfalls and rain. Whatever the case, it is a very interesting example of common chimpanzee behaviour.

 

Even if this doesn’t point towards religion as being evolutionary, it may suggest that religion is a feature of creatures beside modern humans, which could suggest a universality of religion. I refrain from making any definite conclusions, because the theories in themselves are extremely interesting, and also I would be a poor phenomenologist if I did make judgements!

Diamond Rain, Diamond Planet and Asexuality

No, this isn’t going to be a post how diamonds are a girl’s best friend. That’s my position. Anyhoo, diamonds are one of a scientist’s friends, considering that diamond planets and diamond rain is possible. Sounds questionable, I know, though there is sound reasoning for these suggestions.

   First I’ll start with diamond rain. It is thought to rain diamonds on Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus. As I have a limited understanding of meteorology and chemistry, I cannot disrepute this, though it seems rather reasonable. Even if it doesn’t happen, it’s a nice thought! Anyway, the reasoning. Lightning storms are thought to turn methane into soot, which is a form of carbon. As the soot falls, just like when it rains water it is because the clouds are made of water, the pressure increases so the soot hardens into graphite and then diamond. It is then thought that the diamond melts into a liquid at the planet’s core.

   So next is the diamond planet. Sounds delightful. It was found somewhere in the universe. The surface of this planet is said to be graphite, and it is surrounded by a thick layer of diamond, so that the land masses and mountains are diamonds. It is theorised that it has graphite and diamond instead of water and granite. For some unexplained reason, this planet would lack water; if temperatures were high, liquid on the surface would be carbon-rich compounds, such as tar.

Asexuality is a term to describe people who don’t experience sexual attraction. Other kinds of attraction can be felt, such as aesthetic, non-sexual physical and romantic, which is the need to be intimate with someone. So, as other kinds of attraction can be felt, an asexual may identify themselves as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, demisexual (sexual attraction develops when the primary source of attraction, such as aesthetic/romantic, is fulfilled) and anything else, though it isn’t unheard of for an asexual to feel no attraction whatsoever.

   A widely held view that is a mistake is that asexual people are repulsed by sex. Some can be, true, though sexually inclined people can also be repulsed by sex. Asexuality is just that there is no drive for procreation. This is similar to the drive for nourishment and hydration. One analogy is drinking water. Drinking water is pleasant at any time, though if one desires a drink, such as out of dehydration, the levels of satisfaction are greatly increased. In the same way, when sexually inclined people desire sex, the orgasm fulfils the primal urge and thus the levels of satisfaction are very high; an asexual, on the other hand, will orgasm and it will be simply pleasant because it does not fulfil that desire.

   There are many reasons why an asexual would have sex. They may want to have a child, express their love for their partner, and even as a hobby. Sex, as a pleasurable activity, can be considered a hobby, because other hobbies, such as reading, watching films, playing sports and gardening, are pleasurable without fulfilling any urge or primal desire. Perhaps the most important factor in an asexual wanting sex is the want for intimacy. Holding hands, stroking and cuddling are a few of the intimate ways a partner can show their compassion and devotion to their other half, though sex can be much more intimate and an asexual may have sex for this reason.

So that's all for now.

Course Description, First Day and the TomTato

Today has certainly been interesting so far. But, to fully comprehend the first event, one must first understand how my course works.

I'm doing a 'Specialised Award': Religions, Philosophies and Ethics. Study of Religions is one half course that people can do, as in Philosophy and Ethics.
   Each year is made up of 120 credits. Different module are worth different credits. Usually, core modules are 40 and optional modules are 20.
   Usually, if one is studying single/double honours, as long as they do the core subjects of their subjects, they can do other modules from other subjects. However, with a specialised award, the only other optional modules available are ones that are directly relevant to the title.
   This year, I do four modules. One core philosophy (40), one core religion (40), one religion/philosophy that is compulsory for my 'Specialised Award' (20), and then the last (20) is the optional module. I chose to do about the Renaissance. As religion and philosophy was highly important during this period, that is why it is an option for me.

Anyway, I was meant to have my first lecture today. The first was going to be about the Renaissance, from three until five. So, in the morning I check my email account and there is an email from a lecturer at the uni that I've never heard of before. In opening it, it was from the lecturer who does the Renaissance module. No lecture today! I was all geared up yesterday to start learning again and then this happens, though never mind. It means I can have dinner at normal time. It also means my first lecture will be on philosophy. All in all, it's not the end of the world. If nothing else, it gives me a chance to rest some more.


TOMTATO

This article was very fascinating. It's highly deviant from the rest of this, though To say anything about it would completely ruin the read, so I do urge you to read it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24281192

Yes, today certainly was interesting.

Bath Spa Universty

Having achieved three Bs at A-Level, I was eligible to come to university. Well, I've been here for a week and it is all good so far.

Bath Spa University is simply wonderful.

It is situated in Newton St. Loe, which is, to be cliché, 'in the middle of nowhere'. Livestock, cows and sheep, live in the surrounding fields that stretch from the entrance, all along the driveway, past the accommodation and all the way past the academic buildings. This great scenery is far superior to any to be found in city-centre universities; it provides wonderful inspiration for all those studying at this creative place.

My kitchen-mates are all lovely individuals and very clean. I've been so lucky to end up with these seven! Who I was going to live with was my biggest worry before moving in, so it has been successfully put to rest.

We've met with our subject leaders several times during Freshers' Week. All are very engaging and I can tell that it shall be a pleasure to work with them over the next three years.

This was one choice that I won't ever regret. Still, I'm just waiting for the learning to start! I only have to wait for 15pm on Monday, so luckily that isn't too long.

Until next time.

Yazidi Pilgrimage

Lalish Temple is the destination for the Yazidi pilgrimage. It takes place over a span of six days and each Yazidi is expecting to make this sacred Summer journey at least once in their life. Before nearing the Temple, however, Yazidis must first purify themselves with ritual washing in the nearby river; icons of Malak Taus are simultaneously bathed. Then, the celebrations can begin.

A black-robed figure walks out of the temple, surrounded by people in white-robes. They pass through the crowd so that they can walk around the sacred fire. People kiss their hands and then put their lipped-fingers to their foreheads whenever the black-robed person passes by. Meanwhile, praises for Malak Taus are sung.

By the entrance of Lalish Temple is a black snake. This is usually considered to be the true archangel form of Sheikh Mend, an incarnation of the Snake Angel, who solidified to always protect the Temple. Conversely, it can be considered a giant snake that was petrified by Sheikh Adi for attacking the Temple.

Inside, the first room has pillars caressed by knots of many different colours; the knots are tied whilst prayers are mouthed. Also in this room is the Lake of Azrael, a black pool that, like the black snake, has dual meaning. Either the angel washes his sword in it after taking a life, or Azrael brings spirits to be judged by Adi. Unlike the black snake, though, these two views can co-exist without contradiction.

This first room leads off to three others. Perhaps the most important room is the one containing Sheikh Adi’s tomb. Yazidis circle the tomb ten times whilst praying intensely. Another of the three rooms has seven sides, and around the walls are the tombs of the other six archangel’s incarnations. The last room contains Sheikh Ibu’s Wishing Rock. It is said that Ibu made the rock levitate, and from that moment on he said that if a person lands a knot around one of the candles that mounts the Wishing Rock, the wish of the knot-thrower will come true. Indeed, people try this still.

There is one last feature that is most interesting: the Kaniya Sipi, the white spring. During the Great Flood, this pool of water alone remained clean and clear. More importantly, the Kaniya Sipi rose as a tower towards Heaven during this time. Due to this obvious significance, the water of the Kaniya Sipi is used to purify new-borns.

Unfortunately, there is much I don’t know about Yazidism. However, all Yazdanism branches share little if any of their knowledge, so I would not pressure that. Of course, I could speculate, though these speculations may turn out to be offensive, so again I must refrain. Thus concludes my sharing knowledge of Yazdanism.

Yazidi Beliefs

The beliefs of Yazidism are most interesting. I have split it into 'Cosmology', 'Misclassification' and 'Malak Taus'. 

 

Cosmology

*They believe that Earth is the ‘Pearl of the Universe’ or the ‘Universal Pearl’: both account for the same thing, in that Earth, of all things in the universe, is the best. Earth is guarded by seven archangels, the shell to the pearl, as it were. For a while, though, the Earth was rent with disasters so that it was barren.

*Superior Archangel, Peacock Angel and Regent of Earth Malak Taus descended upon Lalish, the place of pilgrimage, and spread his train feathers to stop the earthquakes, volcanoes and barrenness of Earth. This allowed Earth to exist and this permitted the creation of Adam from the dust.

*Yazidis believe themselves to be descended from Adam, only. This would mean that Eve isn’t their ancestor which further means that Yazidis are free from original sin.

Misclassification

*Now, the universe and the archangels were made from ordinary matter. Malak Taus, however, was created from God’s illumination. For this reason, Malak Taus didn’t bow to Adam when commanded by God, because that would have signified that dust was superior to God’s illumination. For this reason, Yazidis are described as ‘Satan Worshippers’.

*This isn’t the only misclassification given to Yazidism, however. They have five daily prayers, much like Islam, so some scholars classify Yazidism as a branch of Islam. Though, as Yazidis are ethnically Kurdish and Yazidism holds too many similarities with Yazdanism, I do think that all evidence points to Yazidism being a branch of Yazdanism. After all, there are only a few similarities with Islam.

Malak Taus

*Hereditary Emirs are in charge of the Yazidis. They are descended from Sheik Adi, the 12^th century founder of Yazidism and also Malak Taus incarnate.

*Most interestingly is the belief that Yazidis worship Malak Taus. This is because they believe the Superior Archangel was given free will, so the Regent of Earth faces the same challenges as the people of Earth. Also, the Yazidis believe that God cannot be understood, so they worship the closest thing to God; this is Malak Taus, not only because the archangel was the only thing made from God’s illumination but also because the archangel looks after the Universal Pearl.

 

Next time, Yazidi Pilgrimage.

T-rex Teeth

Another activity I enjoy is reading the news, particularly, of the rest of the world, science and religion.This day, one science article, written by Simon Redfern, was about dinosaur teeth:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23343615

   This talks about the teeth unto themselves and how they developed during a dinosaur's life time to determine what they eat, rather than looking at the entire skeleton. Then, if both processes conclude similarly, there is a valid assumption of what the dinosaur ate.
   At any rate, the author of this articles mentions the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, of which this T-rex tooth study, led by Dr David Burnham, was first mentioned. One of their conclusions seems rather questionable biased. Of course, I have no idea what else the authors said, though as an independent intellectual I enjoy the challenge of making hypotheses and conclusions both as reliable and valid as they can be.
   The T-rex has been though to be a scavenger for quite some time, but this study found a hadrosaur backbone that had healed despite the stuck T-rex tooth. this indicates that the hadrosaur escaped. This is all fine. However, the authors thinks this supports the argument that T-rex is a predator.
   I'm not denying that this is the truth. Rather, it seems biased as if the authors wanted the T-rex to be a predator. These are professional scientists, so I'm not accusing them of this un-scientific behaviour, though I would like to consider other possibilities. Mainly, perhaps the T-rex was a scavenger, though it hunted the hadrosaur, and as that T-rex had little practice of hunting, it was easier for the hadrosaur to get away. In other words, as this T-rex was ill-practiced at hunting, it failed at hunting. Think about it: the more practice one has of an activity, the less likely they are to fail.
   As people cannot witness dinosaurs as they were when they were alive, all we have is intellectual debate and scientific evidence. Thus anything we discuss could be wrong. A such, the T-rex could have been either predator or scavenger, but Dr Paul Barrett's sensible contribution at the end of article, modern animals today may be mainly one but they don't point their nose up at the other if it is more energy-efficient.

Yarsanism

Yarsanism. The followers can be known as Alh-i Haqq, ‘the People of Truth’, but it is thought that this is just a mistake from the name Ahl-i Haq, meaning ‘the People of the Spirit’. This branch of Yazdanism was founded by Sultan Sahak.

Without a holy scripture as such, Yarsans have Kalam, sayings, and Deftur, traditions, to aid them in their faith. The most important Kalam is Saranjam, meaning ‘Conclusions’. In Saranjam are the sayings of Yarsan saints, other important figures and of their founder Sultan Sahak.

   Taking a brief deviation, the Angels are believed to incarnate, and these individuals are known as mazhariyyat. Sultan Sahak’s mother was believed to be a mazhariyyat. She is also thought of as the incarnation of the leader, and the only female, Angel.

There are four qualities that a Yarsan will strive for, and these are purity, abnegation, rectitude and effacement. With these qualities, they believe that they will achieve salvation, which is completely in the control of the individual.

   It is further believed that an individual has five thousand years and one thousand and one reincarnations to reach salvation. If they are so bad that they become an animal, or if they die before they reach forty days old, then that reincarnation wouldn’t count.

   As each death is a step to salvation, Yarsans hardly mourn the dead. Also, humans are only aware of the external world during life, but during death they are aware of the internal. The internal world is inhabited by the Angels and Haq, so this too stops the mourning of death because death brings contact with the divine.

Next time will come Yazidism, where my journey started, and after that the pilgrimage of the Yazidis.

Infinity

Although this is removed from the Yazdanism theme, it has occurred to me that, along with free will, infinity is a misunderstood concept, though thankfully not to such a degree as free will. I will return to Yazdanism with Yarsanism, and then with Yazidism, and finally with Yazidi Pilgrimage, which is much too large a topic to be covered with the rest of Yazidism, at later dates.

  

Infinity.

   It goes on forever, with no end and no beginning. There are still measureable distances inside of it, however. If I were to go into a room five metres long, I could measure a metre. If I went into a room that is infinite, I could still measure the metre. In fact, I could measure many metres, and I could measure them infinitely, because the room is infinite. The only difference between the rooms is that one has a beginning and end whereas the other does not.

   Admittedly, this does seem self-evident. So why mention it? A way to illustrate infinity is by imagining an infinite library, and to find a book in row five and a book in row three hundred. Which book will you reach first? The answer to this is ‘neither, because they are both in infinity’.

   A load of nonsense, really.

   The only thing that couldn’t be reached would be the beginning and end, or the sides, or the ceiling, or the floor... Infinity cannot be contained, so the ‘containments’ can’t be reached. That doesn’t limit the different parts of the inside being reached, or affect the laws of physics. If something is further away than something else, it will take longer to reach!

   Infinity may go on for ever, but individual or connected things inside it do not.

Yazdanism

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been finding out about Yazdanism, a religion of the Kurdish peoples, and it contains two main branches: Yazidism and Yarsanism. I found out about Yazidism first. After that came Yarsanism, with the followers known as Ahl-I Haq, the People of the Spirit, or Ahl-i Haqq, the People of Truth. I shall write about these on separate occasions, so now I shall just talk about the overview of Yazdanism: the Cult of Angels.
   The first thing one finds out is that Haq, the Universal Spirit, created the world with seven good angels and seven evil ones. Both good and evil, it is believed, are necessary for the world to exist. In particular, the qualities of knowledge and awareness depend on this syzygy.
   It is also believed that Haq is largely detached from the material world, though the founders of all the religions show Haq’s continual involvement. For Yazdanis, there is no issue with other religions, or even that they don’t do things ‘correctly’. It is viewed that all religions are made up of the same elements, though religions arrange these elements differently, and religions will stress certain elements more than others.
   In reference to life after death, they believe in reincarnation. Then, at Perdivar, the Final Judgement, the righteous, i.e. those that are good, will join Haq. Those that are unrighteous are destroyed with the rest of the material world. The Yarsanis have more to say on this topic.
   Another theme is of Khadir, a being that lives in ponds and grants people wishes, who drank from the Fountain of Life. Shrines with ponds are dedicated to Khadir, and the ponds have turtles that symbolise Khadir’s long life. Khadir also has a festival in spring, although eh exact date differs according to the community, because nature is renewed.
   As these beliefs are usually quite secretive, it isn’t entirely possible to give a complete picture of this wondrous religion. Thus, there is only one more piece of information that I can share. Yazdanism has influenced, and has been influenced by, many religions, including Christianity, Gnosticism, Judaism, Islam and Zoroastrianism.

Soon to come are Yazidism and Yarsanism.

Free Will and Determinism

Free will is having the will, the option, to do something. In no way does this imply that we are free of consequences. Many falsely view that being free of consequences is intrinsically linked with free will, as 'If I had free will, I could kill and get away with it' is often cited in classroom discussions. This is vital to understand before embarking on the journey of free will and determinism, because otherwise the misconception leads people astray.

When discussing free will and determinism, people no longer discuss which one is correct, but rather whether they are compatible or incompatible. To begin, definitions are needed.
   Free will is having the will, or the option, to do otherwise. In other words, whether another course of action is possible. For example, if I were crossing the road, it is possible for me to walk out in front of the car, and it is equally possible that I would wait for the car to pass before crossing. The possibility for each action is present. Some may argue that if I were in a stable mind set, I would never walk out in front of the car, but it doesn't make the act any less possible. Less actual, yes, but not less possible.
   Determinism, on the other hand, is where genetic, environmental, physical, sexual, biological e.c.t factors mean that only one course of action is possible, meaning that there could only ever be one actual outcome. So if I walked out in front of the car, it was because I had been brought up not to bother with what goes on around me. A simplistic example, I know, but it demonstrates the concept adequately.
   Linguistically, then, free will and determinism are incompatible. It would paradoxical to say that multiple possible outcomes and one possible outcome could coexist.
   However, many view that each view provides something to the debate, so perhaps new definitions are needed. All the factors that deterministic talk about, the genetic, environmental et al., they do influence a person's actions, but many believe that there is still a degree of free will, in that we are constrained by these factors but not truly limited. So, these factors all make some possibilities more possible than others. This is called Soft Determinism. Though, maybe just because I like the idea of being morally responsible for my actions, I would like to call this 'Soft Free Will'.
   So are free will and determinism compatible? Linguistically not so, though the process behind the outcomes, that is why there is only one/many possibilities, are compatible, in that we can be constrained to a degree and yet we can still choose. Environmental factors may mean that I am more likely to not pay attention to the road, though I could still decide that it is a good idea.

Poetry*Purpose

Is there a purpose to poetry? With this comes the question of whether there is a purpose to any single thing. From this, then, what is a purpose? To this, many scholars and philosophers have spent time over, though as this isn't about them, I shall supply my opinion.
   A purpose is the reason for something, and for me, something can only have a purpose if it is given a purpose. For example, I could make a cup of tea so that it could relieve my thirst, so this has a clear purpose. If a couple plan to adopt a child, and so the purpose of that child, in an obligatory sense, is to be adopted by a couple.
   But these two are planned happenings. How about accidental happenings: can something accidental have a purpose? Arguably, nothing is truly 'accidental', but it is a concept that makes sense so I shall stick with it. Something completely accidental such as an unplanned child has no purpose. What is this child fulfilling? Maybe a mother's need to love, but this child wasn't made to fulfil this purpose. I just happens to do so, meaning that a purpose can be given to accidental things, but they don't contain their purpose 'innately', such as the cup of tea.
   So, poetry. It's purpose? Well, if things have to be given a purpose, then purposes are subjective, so perhaps in line with the very nature of poetry, a poem's purpose is subjective. I see poetry as an expression of a particular feelings or sequence of events, perhaps even a standstill in time. As stated on my Poetry Page, haikus are my favourite, though I tend not to write them. They are something to read and take pleasure in the reading. Poetry, then, has two purposes for me, both the expression of internal feelings and the external poem creating, storing, internal feelings.
   In other words, internal feeding the external and external feeding the internal.

Pretty Snow

Sitting inside, warm with a cosy jumper and a steaming cup of tea, the snow is falling. Snow! Rarely do we get this cold wonder. As ever, it is pretty.

Though pretty never does something justice, does it? In primary school, people are told not to use pretty because it's 'too common'. This means it is hardly ever used, but even when it is used, people reject it. Such a shame. But language does change, after all, and the 'death' of a word inadvertently helps this process. Some may reject this change, but without change, all the languages of the world wouldn't be as different as they are from each other. This would mean people couldn't be proud of their language, or even have a language to unite their country. Changing language, thus, is essential for human pride, which is linked with humanity itself. So, in short, language change is part of humanity