Spirituality In Daily Life

[Donal2018]

I used to practice traditional Japanese Karate and we did a recitation of the Dojo Kun (Training Hall Rules) at the end of every practice session. The Dojo Kun is: Seek perfection of character, Be faithful, Endeavor, Respect others, and Refrain from violent behavior.

The Martial Art also taught self-discipline, respect for self and others, be humble, engage in daily work and effort, and a focus on fundamentals. This guideline to behavior was carried out of the Dojo and into daily life.

I was wondering if there could be any sort of thumbnail guide to daily life and behavior like this in any of the various paganisms? Does your philosophy or religion have anything practical to say about daily living and an ethos of paganism, for lack of a better term?

[Beloved]

I used to practice traditional Japanese Karate and we did a recitation of the Dojo Kun (Training Hall Rules) at the end of every practice session. The Dojo Kun is: Seek perfection of character, Be faithful, Endeavor, Respect others, and Refrain from violent behavior.

The Martial Art also taught self-discipline, respect for self and others, be humble, engage in daily work and effort, and a focus on fundamentals. This guideline to behavior was carried out of the Dojo and into daily life.

I was wondering if there could be any sort of thumbnail guide to daily life and behavior like this in any of the various paganisms? Does your philosophy or religion have anything practical to say about daily living and an ethos of paganism, for lack of a better term?

  Former martial artist here too. I know exactly what you mean about the recitations and how it carried throughout life. My time in martial arts transformed my life and I miss it very much.

Have you looked at the Nine Noble Virtues in Asatru? I don't practice Norse paganism so I know the virtues only as an outsider so to speak, but you might take a look at them if you haven't already.

[Jainarayan]

Does your philosophy or religion have anything practical to say about daily living and an ethos of paganism, for lack of a better term?

In Hinduism we have the Yamas and Niyamas, positive duties or observances. Depending n the source, there are 5 or 10 Niyamas, and other numbers:
1. Śauca (शौच): purity, clearness of mind, speech and body.
2. Santoṣa (सन्तोष): contentment, acceptance of others and of one's circumstances as they are, optimism for self.
3. Tapas (तपस्): austerity, self-discipline, persistent meditation, perseverance.
4. Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय): study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's thoughts, speeches and actions.
5. Dāna (दान): generosity, charity, sharing with others.
6. Īśvara-pūjana (ईश्वरपूजान): worship of God.

[Jainarayan]

In Hinduism we have the Yamas and Niyamas, positive duties or observances. Depending n the source, there are 5 or 10 Niyamas, and other numbers:
1. Śauca (शौच): purity, clearness of mind, speech and body.
2. Santoṣa (सन्तोष): contentment, acceptance of others and of one's circumstances as they are, optimism for self.
3. Tapas (तपस्): austerity, self-discipline, persistent meditation, perseverance.
4. Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय): study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's thoughts, speeches and actions.
5. Dāna (दान): generosity, charity, sharing with others.
6. Īśvara-pūjana (ईश्वरपूजान): worship of God.

I hit Post too quickly on the last one.

Here are the Yamas, the "don'ts". Again, anywhere from 5-10, more or less depending.

1. Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Nonviolence (don't hurt any living being).
2. Satya (सत्य): Truthfulness (don't lie or deceive).
3. Asteya (अस्तेय): Don't steal.
4. Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): Chastity, marital fidelity or sexual restraint (i.e. don't break these).
5. Aparigraha (अपरिग्रहः): Don't be greedy, possessive, jealous.
6. Kṣamā (क्षमा): Forgiveness (don't hold grudges).
7. Dhṛti (धृति): Fortitude (don't be weak or cowardly).
8. Dayā (दया): Compassion (don't be judgmental or indifferent to suffering or pain).
9. Ārjava (आर्जव): Non-hypocrisy, sincerity (don't be a hypocrite or insincere).
10. Mitāhāra (मिताहार): Non-gluttony.

As with the previous list, these are nothing like the Ten Commandments. They're not commandments, but rather, guidelines. There is no punishment except for how they affect karma.

[Donal2018]

Former martial artist here too. I know exactly what you mean about the recitations and how it carried throughout life. My time in martial arts transformed my life and I miss it very much.

Have you looked at the Nine Noble Virtues in Asatru? I don't practice Norse paganism so I know the virtues only as an outsider so to speak, but you might take a look at them if you haven't already.

Good stuff. What style Martial Arts do you do? I started with Tae Kwon Do and then did really good traditional Japanese Karate (Shotokan) during my college years. I now practice Tai Chi.

Thanks for that suggestion about the Nine Noble Virtues in Asatru. I had not heard that, and don't know too much of Norse stuff. I will look into it.

One thing that I am learning is that it is good to compare and contrast other religions and mythologies with my own. So, thanks again for the Asatru suggestion.

[Donal2018]

In Hinduism we have the Yamas and Niyamas, positive duties or observances. Depending n the source, there are 5 or 10 Niyamas, and other numbers:
1. Śauca (शौच): purity, clearness of mind, speech and body.
2. Santoṣa (सन्तोष): contentment, acceptance of others and of one's circumstances as they are, optimism for self.
3. Tapas (तपस्): austerity, self-discipline, persistent meditation, perseverance.
4. Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय): study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's thoughts, speeches and actions.
5. Dāna (दान): generosity, charity, sharing with others.
6. Īśvara-pūjana (ईश्वरपूजान): worship of God.

Oh, really good stuff. Just what I was looking for. Hinduism seems like a fountain of good ideas. Thanks for posting this.

[Donal2018]

I hit Post too quickly on the last one.

Here are the Yamas, the "don'ts". Again, anywhere from 5-10, more or less depending.

1. Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Nonviolence (don't hurt any living being).
2. Satya (सत्य): Truthfulness (don't lie or deceive).
3. Asteya (अस्तेय): Don't steal.
4. Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): Chastity, marital fidelity or sexual restraint (i.e. don't break these).
5. Aparigraha (अपरिग्रहः): Don't be greedy, possessive, jealous.
6. Kṣamā (क्षमा): Forgiveness (don't hold grudges).
7. Dhṛti (धृति): Fortitude (don't be weak or cowardly).
8. Dayā (दया): Compassion (don't be judgmental or indifferent to suffering or pain).
9. Ārjava (आर्जव): Non-hypocrisy, sincerity (don't be a hypocrite or insincere).
10. Mitāhāra (मिताहार): Non-gluttony.

As with the previous list, these are nothing like the Ten Commandments. They're not commandments, but rather, guidelines. There is no punishment except for how they affect karma.

Yes, I had already looked into Ahimsa a bit on my own. This is a great list. I will maybe research more about them, the Yamas and the Niyamas. I appreciate that they are guidelines, not commandments. Hinduism seems like such a great source of wisdom. I have been looking at some books on Hinduism and will be reading a bit about it, I think. Books about Hinduism are on my reading list for the Fall. 

[Jenett]

I was wondering if there could be any sort of thumbnail guide to daily life and behavior like this in any of the various paganisms? Does your philosophy or religion have anything practical to say about daily living and an ethos of paganism, for lack of a better term?

A lot of religious witchcraft traditions are about paying attention to your own relationships with the world around you, and therefore 'this set of things is encouraged for everyone' is not necessarily the right mode. There is no One True Way here.

One person might need to be more assertive in their life. Someone else might need to be less assertive and listen more. Someone might need more indulgence in art and beauty. Someone else might need to get their practical house in order. And not only do these things vary between people, but they vary within the same person at different stages and points in their life.

As a very baseline level of 'what values should I be thinking about', I am fond of the lines from Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess, particularly: "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you." I've found that if those things are balanced in my life and interactions, I'm usually doing pretty well.

[Donal2018]

A lot of religious witchcraft traditions are about paying attention to your own relationships with the world around you, and therefore 'this set of things is encouraged for everyone' is not necessarily the right mode. There is no One True Way here.

One person might need to be more assertive in their life. Someone else might need to be less assertive and listen more. Someone might need more indulgence in art and beauty. Someone else might need to get their practical house in order. And not only do these things vary between people, but they vary within the same person at different stages and points in their life.

As a very baseline level of 'what values should I be thinking about', I am fond of the lines from Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess, particularly: "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you." I've found that if those things are balanced in my life and interactions, I'm usually doing pretty well.

That is fascinating to me, the Charge of the Goddess, because I do not know too much about Witchcraft. Embracing power and beauty sounds good to me. No One True Way is interesting to me as well. It seems to emphasize freedom, which is a great value. One thing that I am learning is that it is good to compare my beliefs and views with those of other religions and practices. So I think that I will also be doing some reading about Witchcraft over time as part of my own personal religious education. It is a project for me, and I think that I will enjoy the journey. Thanks for the post.

[Jainarayan]

Oh, really good stuff. Just what I was looking for. Hinduism seems like a fountain of good ideas. Thanks for posting this.

You're welcome. But keep in mind that "fountain" can become a raging torrent... there's over 5,000 years worth of literature, ideas and philosophy. lolololol

[Donal2018]

Good stuff. What style Martial Arts do you do? I started with Tae Kwon Do and then did really good traditional Japanese Karate (Shotokan) during my college years. I now practice Tai Chi.

Thanks for that suggestion about the Nine Noble Virtues in Asatru. I had not heard that, and don't know too much of Norse stuff. I will look into it.

One thing that I am learning is that it is good to compare and contrast other religions and mythologies with my own. So, thanks again for the Asatru suggestion.

I meant to say- "What kind of Martial Art DID you do?". I used to do Tae Kwon Do and Shotokan Karate. I no longer do them because I am not fit enough. Instead, I practice Tai Chi, which is a good practice for people who are not very fit.

Tai Chi is also good for the elderly and disabled, as it is gentle (but powerful) and can be done seated, ie modified for those who have to sit. Tai Chi is sort of like some versions of Yoga, but with Tai Chi you do not have to get on the ground to do various postures. So, I would recommend Tai Chi to a lot of different types of folks, with different fitness levels.

[Donal2018]

A lot of religious witchcraft traditions are about paying attention to your own relationships with the world around you, and therefore 'this set of things is encouraged for everyone' is not necessarily the right mode. There is no One True Way here.

One person might need to be more assertive in their life. Someone else might need to be less assertive and listen more. Someone might need more indulgence in art and beauty. Someone else might need to get their practical house in order. And not only do these things vary between people, but they vary within the same person at different stages and points in their life.

As a very baseline level of 'what values should I be thinking about', I am fond of the lines from Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess, particularly: "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you." I've found that if those things are balanced in my life and interactions, I'm usually doing pretty well.

This also reminds me of part of what originally drew me towards various paganisms. I am a big believer in secular democracy, freedom, and associated values. I am Anglo-American by culture, by which I mean English speaking and raised in American culture (mostly Irish-American by blood). I studied political science at University (amongst many other subjects- former professional student). I am very big on what I consider American values, especially Democracy, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and associated Freedoms (Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion).

Part of my spiritual search was for belief systems and religions that reflect these sort of values and the rights of the individual to choose their own beliefs, practices, and paths. Part of what repelled me from Christianity is the aspects of it that seem anti-democratic to me. This is certainly not true of all Christian denominations and practices, but a lot of Christians push a kind of God that is authoritarian in nature. This kind of religion bothers me and violates my sense of democracy and individual freedom.

I have looked into less dogmatic branches of Christianity and have embraced a type of view of Christ as a sort of Constitutional Monarch. So, Christ is kingly in this view, but does not come off as a kind of Dictator, which is how some Christians portray him, or Yahweh. I do admire the freedom that many pagans seem to express, and have tried to combine an idea of Christ into a more pagan context because of this. So, a type of Christian Pagan that also acts as a focus for me of a kind of Nature Religion.

So, I have been drawn to some paganisms because their seems to be a more common idea of the right of the individual to choose their own path. I can imagine that there might be some pagan people who practice traditions that are a bit more closed. Still, it seems to me that most pagan views that I have heard and read about are at least implicitly about freedom.

Reading what Jenett wrote about Witchcraft seems to reinforce this a bit for me. This kind of Witchcraft seems to have a democratic sensibility. Personal freedom, individualism, and self development seem to be the emphasis, so I am all for that. What Jenett has said seems to emphasize that spiritual practice is really and individual matter, and is focused on the particular needs and requirements of the individual, and this can change over time. So, a real focus on personal needs and personal development. It sounds good to me. Anyway, I am still developing my personal views, but they will inevitably have many of these types of values. So, all of that is a part of my spirituality.

[Sefiru]

I used to practice traditional Japanese Karate and we did a recitation of the Dojo Kun (Training Hall Rules) at the end of every practice session. The Dojo Kun is: Seek perfection of character, Be faithful, Endeavor, Respect others, and Refrain from violent behavior.

My old dojo had these too, though unfortunately that particular place didn't give them much more than lip service. (it was slowly devolving into Toxic Jock Syndrome.) I do still find some value in the Niju Kun (20 principles of Karate); particularly memorable to me is "Do not think of winning; rather, think of not losing."

In general, though, I think the world is too complex and varied to be reduced to a small set of guidelines. As far as I know, traditions that have such sets of guidelines also have large bodies of discussion and commentary on how to apply them to all of the world's vagaries; they end up being more like chapter headings than self-contained directions.

[Jenett]

Reading what Jenett wrote about Witchcraft seems to reinforce this a bit for me. This kind of Witchcraft seems to have a democratic sensibility. Personal freedom, individualism, and self development seem to be the emphasis, so I am all for that. What Jenett has said seems to emphasize that spiritual practice is really and individual matter, and is focused on the particular needs and requirements of the individual, and this can change over time. So, a real focus on personal needs and personal development. It sounds good to me. Anyway, I am still developing my personal views, but they will inevitably have many of these types of values. So, all of that is a part of my spirituality.

So, here's the thing. Religious witchcraft (and specifically the parts that involve initiatory practice) are complicated. You seem to be determined to oversimplify them in ways that often cause problems - potentially for you and for others - down the road.

As I have said multiple times, religious witchcraft is often joined by shared practices. Within a tradition - a community of shared practice - there are things the tradition as a whole agrees on. While there is a lot of flexibility in personal practice, there are restraints on choice in group practice. (I often describe this as similar to a theatrical or musical group: you need to have agreement about what you're doing and how you're doing it together or you get an unholy mess.)

One restraint is that most religious witchcraft traditions are not democracies. Some function on a consensus basis (Reclaiming is probably the best known of these).

But the majority (and quite likely a significant majority) have some method of final decision making when necessary, and in many religious witchcraft traditions, that rests in the senior high priestess responsible (for the coven, or for the tradition, depending on what's being talked about.) Sometimes it's in the senior high priestess and high priest.

In my tradition, my oaths as a 3rd degree priestess mean I have taken on responsibilities to the tradition in specific ways, both to the tradition itself, and to the people I take on as potential new members. (It is, in this sense, vastly more 'representative republic' than 'democratic'. Often even more feudal, if in a somewhat idealised form.)

These decisions can seem arbitrary from the outside. But on a fundamental level, there are decisions being made by covens and traditions about who we trust, about who we allow into our physical homes, about who we allow into our magical and/or astral homes, and who we share our most vulnerable religious and spiritual moments with.

That's not something that can be solved by democratic voting. Because that way leads, almost as an axiom, to a violation of consent.

Another restraint is that many traditions - specifically initiatory traditions, but also a number that don't require participation in specific initiatory rituals for membership - have specific practices that must be met for someone to be considered a part of the tradition.

I did an initiation Saturday night. That ritual is the same (with modifications only for the fact I was doing it on my own, rather than with several initiates present, which requires some adjustments to the stage directions) as the one that was used for my initiation, and my initiator's initiation, and every other initiate within the tradition. It has several parts that are designed to be extremely challenging to the initiate, things that hit many people's triggers, fears, concerns, etc. Some of those things also affect deity connections, and other kinds of connections with various ancestors, powers, etc. etc. etc.

(And because our initiations are oathbound - i.e. not shared outside people who have taken the same oaths and had the same experiences - we cannot get truly informed consent in advance. What we do is a "Here's stuff that often shows up in initiation rituals, tell us if any of these things are a dealbreaker you can't cope with, or if there are specific accommodations you would need to manage them" and then see what they tell us, and either go ahead or not, depending on the answers.)

There are plenty of people for which the things in our initiation (or a number of our other practices) are not an option. And if that's the case, then we are not the tradition for them. We may like them a lot, we may do other witchy things with them, we may share ideas, but they are not tradmates, they are not part of our specific branch of the family, they are not tied into us by a specific set of oaths and mutual commitments.

(There are also people who might be a fit for our tradition, but not for a coven I am leading. I've had more than one person go "Yay, Brigid! Can we do things with Brigid?" Which for personal reasons I've discussed on the forum before, is not a thing I am ever going to do in rituals I am responsible for. We don't have all the choices in the world: many choices and options limit our subsequent options.)

Now, individuals can develop their own practices (a bunch of the material on my Seeking site is designed, in fact, to help people get started with that.) But it is very difficult to create a practice entirely from scratch yourself, and it presents a number of challenges (such as what to do, for example, if you need a bit of external support - learning something, or at a time in your life where you want assistance, like a chaplain might provide in hospital, or for a funeral or memorial service.)

A lot of people who design their own practices also tend - and this is somewhat natural - to focus on what they like and find easy, rather than what they find difficult. I've often said that the people who are most likely to be successful in the strands of religious witchcraft around the one where I make my home are the people whose response to "That feels weird/off/odd" is to poke at it and try and figure out why. Comfort doesn't help us grow: discomfort does.

There is, finally, a question about what the focus of a tradition is. In some religious witchcraft traditions, the great central mystery is fertility, in its many forms. In my tradition, it is transformation (which can often be challenging or even alarming...). In other traditions, there are other things. We can, as individuals, reach for mysteries (in the religious mystery sense) ourselves - but most of the most potent mysteries do much better with the interaction (and friction) of talking to and working closely with others. It's hard for a purely personal practice to do the same things.

So, yes, religious witchcraft presents a different range of choices from other religions. But it is not a limitless set of choices, and there are constraints and implications I encourage you (and anyone else considering it) to think about and learn about at length before making any kind of commitment.

[Donal2018]

So, here's the thing. Religious witchcraft (and specifically the parts that involve initiatory practice) are complicated. You seem to be determined to oversimplify them in ways that often cause problems - potentially for you and for others - down the road.

As I have said multiple times, religious witchcraft is often joined by shared practices. Within a tradition - a community of shared practice - there are things the tradition as a whole agrees on. While there is a lot of flexibility in personal practice, there are restraints on choice in group practice. (I often describe this as similar to a theatrical or musical group: you need to have agreement about what you're doing and how you're doing it together or you get an unholy mess.)

One restraint is that most religious witchcraft traditions are not democracies. Some function on a consensus basis (Reclaiming is probably the best known of these)….

Now, individuals can develop their own practices (a bunch of the material on my Seeking site is designed, in fact, to help people get started with that.) But it is very difficult to create a practice entirely from scratch yourself, and it presents a number of challenges (such as what to do, for example, if you need a bit of external support - learning something, or at a time in your life where you want assistance, like a chaplain might provide in hospital, or for a funeral or memorial service.)

A lot of people who design their own practices also tend - and this is somewhat natural - to focus on what they like and find easy, rather than what they find difficult. I've often said that the people who are most likely to be successful in the strands of religious witchcraft around the one where I make my home are the people whose response to "That feels weird/off/odd" is to poke at it and try and figure out why. Comfort doesn't help us grow: discomfort does...

So, yes, religious witchcraft presents a different range of choices from other religions. But it is not a limitless set of choices, and there are constraints and implications I encourage you (and anyone else considering it) to think about and learn about at length before making any kind of commitment.

Yes, I appreciate this post. I am sorry if it seems that I am simplifying. I usually start posts with deliberately simple premises for the sake of starting a more complicated argument or perspective. It does not mean that I subscribe to a simple point of view, or that I do not recognize that reality usually is complex and nuanced. I do subscribe to Occam's Razor, though, where the simplest explanation is usually the truest explanation. So, my practice of putting things in more basic terms is a rhetorical device, not an attempt to reduce complex phenomena to a simple level.

I would say that consensus behavior is a part of democratic behavior. I see now that your tradition has its own structure that is probably not best described as "democratic". I did not mean to mischaracterize your religion, and I am sorry if I did. Democracy itself is not simple. Democracy prizes the rights of the individual over most other principles. What you wrote about in your prior comment seemed to imply to me some things. That some of the focus in your daily practice seemed to be values that focus on the individual. I may have gone too far and applied the term 'democracy' a bit too early. Clearly your tradition operates in a particular way that I might have misunderstood, for lack of better information on my part. So, I will try to correct myself. I am learning, and may make mistakes along the way.

So, again, I appreciate your post and that I now know a bit more about your views and your practices. Thanks for correcting my misunderstandings. I do not have any personal intention to be directly involved in religious or initiatory witchcraft. I was just wondering about it for the sake of my own awareness. Also as a way of working on my own religious views by comparing and contrasting to what is already out there. I agree with you that growth often comes from uncomfortable experiences. I am trying to break out of my own solitary frame of mind and be exposed to the views of others. I meant no disrespect or disregard for any other person or their religions. I am just asking questions and trying to learn.