It is here termed ‘God’ because the contemplation of our natures, as enjoying real feelings derived from the timeless source of all order, acquires that ‘subjective form’ of refreshment and companionship at which religions aim. – Alfred N. Whitehead
This rather dense quote, from Whitehead’s Process and Reality, expresses much of how I experience naturalistic spirituality. A key word in the quote is “contemplation.”
Aristotle considered intellectual contemplation to be the highest human happiness. While Whitehead clearly has in mind here a form of intellectual contemplation, I find that contemplation in general – whether the object is ideas, art, a powerful symbol, a flower or other object – is a source of “refreshment.” I am 72 years old and my body seems to generate new aches and pains daily. Yet when I contemplate I feel as fresh and young as Spring; my body’s aches and pains drop away or seem meaningless.
Whitehead refers to a contemplation of “the timeless source of all order.” For many religions, this would be synonymous with their concept of God. Whitehead is also using the word “God” here, the whole sentence is about why he introduces the word “God” into Process and Reality. I have never been able to figure out just what Whitehead means by God, but it certainly isn’t the anthropomorphic God of popular religion. I don’t think he would disagree with the following quote:
We gaze with perplexity at the highest part of the spiral of force that governs the Universe. And we call it God. We could give it any other name: Abyss, Mystery, Absolute Darkness, Total Light, Matter, Spirit, Supreme Hope, Supreme Despair, Silence.
That quote is from Saviors of God, by Nikos Kazantzakis.
Whitehead had nothing like the deep space photos provided by the Hubble and James Webb telescopes. Try contemplating those images and the notion of “the timeless source of all order” together. Mystery, Abyss, Darkness, Silence are words that come to mind. Our minds just don’t seem big enough for such contemplation.
And yet, as the following quote suggests, our minds, NASA’s images and “the timeless source of all order” are of a piece:
The miracle is that the universe created a part of itself to study the rest of it, and that this part in studying itself finds the rest of the universe in its own natural inner realities.
This is from John C. Lilly, best known for his work with dolphins, but whose wide ranging mind provided insights on many topics.
Whether the Universe created this “part of itself” purely by accident or there was some kind of “intention” is beyond our knowing. But in fact, as I write this article, I am acting as a little spark of the Universe intent upon contemplating the Its nature and meaning, and in doing so I am also exploring the way that “my” inner reality, my subjectivity, is also part It. Whitehead’s “timeless source of all order,” is the grand creational process that has brought my little mind, and every other mind into existence. And, as Whitehead suggests, to experience a connection with this “timeless source of all order” is the aim of much, if not all, spirituality.
I believe that the Buddhist are right about the illusory nature of our egos and the rather greedy realm they seeks to rule. When we clear away the ego and its desires, what is left is that simple, yet grand, “subjective form” to use Whitehead’s phrase from above. Buddhists might call what we then experience, Nirvana. I like to call that experience “The Kingdom of Heaven within you.” That term is from the Bible, yet it contradicts the more orthodox idea that heaven is external to us and can only be obtained after death. That we can find that kingdom here and now was accepted by the Gnostics, but was heresy to the so-called church fathers.
Before ending, I’ll add one more quote, this from an anonymous ancient Greek, which I here slightly modify:
The Universe is an intelligible sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.
To know one’s self as pure subjective form is to be a center of the Universe. But then, according to this saying, we are all such a center whether we are aware of it or not.
Having now spewed out this rather desultory article, I’ll get back to my contemplation.
The Spiritual Naturalist Society works to spread awareness of spiritual naturalism as a way of life, develop its thought and practice, and help bring together like-minded practitioners in fellowship.
SNS strives to include diverse voices within the spectrum of naturalistic spirituality. Authors will vary in their opinions, terms, and outlook. The views of no single author therefore necessarily reflect those of all Spiritual Naturalists or of SNS. __________
Image generated by Richard Schenk
Beautiful! Thanks, Thomas.