Three Essays On Universal Law

In these three essays, "Nature, " "The Utility of Religion, " and "Theism, " published between 1850 and 1870, English social and political philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) gives his most sustained analysis of religious belief. Though not prepared to abandon the idea of an overall design in nature, Mill nonetheless argues that its violence and capriciousness militate against moral ends in nature's workings. Moreover, any designer of such a world as we experience it cannot be all powerful and all good for nature is "too clumsily made and capriciously governed." However, since humankind, by and large, cannot, it seems, be deprived of religion, Mill espouses what he calls a "religion of humanity, " whose concepts of justice, morality, and altruism are based on classical models and on the New Testament Sermon on the Mount rather than on the vindictive God of the Old Testament and the world-hating doctrines of St. Paul.

What accounts for Albrecht Ritschl's profound effect on modern theology? Philip Hefner proposed that he so energetically brought together in his work the elements of his generation, that all theology now stands on his shoulders. Many theologians have attacked Ritschl's ideas, others vigorously defend him, but all must confront him. The essays presented here will enable students and scholars to experience the force of Ritschl's writing for themselves. Ritschl was born in 1822 into the intellectual, social, and ecclesiastical elite of Berlin. After finishing his studies at the University of Tuebingen, he taught at Bonn for eighteen years and at Goettingen for twenty-five. Hefner shows that Ritschl spoke a word to his own age that was so appropriate and so in resonance with his contemporaries in Germany that despite its weaknesses it became the dominant theology of his generation. Ritschl's impact can be traced to three major factors: forceful statement of Christian faith, positive link to tradition, and scientific method. He exhibited a remarkable combination of scholarly integrity and devotion to the Christian life, as seen in his ten-year study of pietism - a movement he opposed. His theology also contributed to much that followed, including historical-critical studies and dialectical theology. These essays offer a balanced sample of Ritschl's thinking. In the Prolegomena to 'The History of Pietism' he establishes his method of studying different confessions on the basis of Christian lifestyle. Theology and Metaphysics offers his celebrated rejection of metaphysics in favor of a christocentric approach. Instruction in the Christian Religion, the writing that won for Ritschl his popularity among students, sets forth his specific doctrinal beliefs. Today's students will discover that Ritschl is both an intriguing historical figure and a thinker worth grappling with. These essays, along with Philip Hefner's extensive introduction, provide needed material for a reevaluation of Ritschl and of nineteenth century theology.

Who are you? When you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive it really is. Are you a physical body? A collection of experiences and memories? A partner to relationships? Each time you consider these aspects of yourself, you realize that there is much more to you than any of these can define. The Untethered Soul, spiritual teacher Michael Singer explores the question of who we are and arrives at the conclusion that our identity is to be found in our consciousness, the fact of our ability to observe ourselves, and the world around us. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization. This book, copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), offers a frank and friendly discussion of consciousness and how we can develop it. In part one, he examines the notion of self and the inner dialogue we all live with. Part two examines the experience of energy as it flows through us and works to show readers how to open their hearts to the energy of experience that permeates their lives. Ways to overcome tendencies to close down to the rest of the world are the subject of part three. Enlightenment, the embrace of universal consciousness, is the subject of part four. And finally, in part five, Singer returns to daily life and the pursuit of unconditional happiness. Throughout, the book maintains a light and engaging tone, free from heavy dogma and prescriptive religious references. The easy exercises that figure in each chapter help readers experience the ideas that Singer presents. Visit www.untetheredsoul.com for more information.

The potentially catastrophic problems we face in the world today are the result of a massive spiritual failure. Too many of us appear to have forgotten the real purpose we were born for in the first place, which at its most basic level is to love and nurture ourselves and the earth. But we’re not really loving and nurturing when we cause the environment to decline and the climate to become inhospitable, when we keep wasting money and resources by amassing petrifying weapons to fight horrific wars, when we fail to take care of the weak, and when we demonize each other with so much vitriol that nothing effective seems to get done. We are out of control as a species. Let There Be Light: Saving Ourselves and Our Planet Through a Global Social Compact proposes that we “tame the savageness of man” by using the internet to adopt a universal Social Compact—a grass-roots spiritual and political movement that would operate as a Light Network to connect like-minded people around the world in an urgent crusade to reverse the course their governments and societies have put them on. Our Social Compact will funnel the core goodness we all have within us into a metaphorical ball of Light that beams out the conscience of mankind. A conscience that says NO MORE to our current failure to get along and cooperate. A conscience that will overwhelm our governments and societies with the message that NOW IS THE TIME for us to truly achieve the universal desire of mankind, which is first of all to survive, and then to come together to love and respect all life on earth. The Light Network website www.lightnetwork.me is now under construction. Although the Light Network will not be a formal legal entity, its work will nonetheless be continuously felt throughout the world. It will be a relentless force that tracks the issues that threaten our world and then shines its spiritual message onto the efforts that will be essential if we are to take back control of our destiny.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Untethered Soul comes the astonishing true-life story about what happens when you just let go. • A thriving spiritual community on over six hundred acres of pristine forest and meadows in Florida • A cutting-edge software package that transformed the medical practice management industry • A billion-dollar public company whose achievements are archived in the Smithsonian Institution • A book that became a New York Times bestseller and an Oprah favorite • A massive raid by the FBI that would lead to unfounded accusations by the U.S. government How could all of this spring from a man who had decided to live alone in the middle of the woods, let go of himself, and embrace a life of solitude? Michael A. Singer, author of The Untethered Soul, tells the extraordinary story of what happened when, after a deep spiritual awakening, he decided to let go of his personal preferences and simply let life call the shots. As Singer takes you on this great experiment and journey into life’s perfection, the events that transpire will both challenge your deepest assumptions about life and inspire you to look at your own life in a radically different way.

What If explores and attempts to answer many of the questions each of us have thought of throughout our lives but may have been afraid to ask. Why am I here? Where did I come from? What created the universe? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Through many years of analysis and reflection, the author attempts the most logical conclusion of who we are, where we came from, our purpose for being, and more importantly, our relationship with our Creator. What If explores how our ego is primarily responsible for much of the negative dramas that play out in our lives; how the moment our egos began labeling things, we got into trouble; and how labeling turned into judgments and opinions. What If points to the fact that our purpose here on Earth is actually to enjoy the journey our life takes us on, and suggests ways to avoid the struggles and unhappiness that can easily interrupt us. What If explores our world of form through our physical existence, and it helps us understand our more important beginnings in a place we might call heaven, in a nonphysical plane of existence. So get ready for a journey of discussions about subject matter that may be a little complex to entertain in our minds. What If helps smooth out kinks in those questions and hopes to give valid arguments for other more logical explanations. “We are not meant to suffer, ever! We are meant to find joy in everything we experience. We were created from love and are meant to experience only love until we get back home!” The author. With peace and love!

I will share the inspirations that shape this story as a cosmology into a deeper reflection of what it is to choose our way, and evolve continuously, in nature, nurture and nourishment, moving from immense suffering, through tremendous love and beyond with persistent presence. These stories are in part a personal-memoir, a collection of incredible authors who came before me, and a compassionate expedition exploring the past, present and perennial. All of which follow a soulful quest into self-awareness and our potential for a fulfilled consciousness in becoming more aware, awake, alert and alive in the distinct, dark and divine worlds we exist and play in. I have come to better appreciate the natural world as the process of evolving and creating itself. When I seek questions, answers or wisdom ultimately, I look for natural metaphors and signals in our common elements of nature; space, water, fire, air and earth. The first source of wisdom is nature itself, and that wisdom is perennial as it keeps evolving. We will delve into the sacred space between all things as one of the common elements and is known in Japan as Ma and Sanskrit as Akash. I am no saint, as I have experimented with the three worlds in the divine, dark and distinct. I have strived to make the most balanced choices, and I sometimes choose excess over temperance, egoism over humility, and agitation over patience. When I am persistently present, I can make more balanced choices, and I do make them and then I do not, suspire, perspire and transpire. The manuscript expands on the evolution of a vision I experienced while returning from my hermitage on the Pacific northwest coast. A vision can be like the universe, in that it is evolving through alchemical reactions of self-creating atoms, molecules, and cells. Words evolve in similar ways, from letters, sounds, sentences and phrases into great stories and deeper, more complex meanings and cosmologies. Aldous Huxley said, “Experience is not what happens to a person; it is what a person does with what happens to them.” He paved the way for inclusion and transcendence amongst all cultures and generations and it is because of his sharing stories that we can carry on the development and participation of perennial wisdom, tradition, philosophy and science. Our appetites change over time, tastes evolve, and we hopefully come to better appreciate the company around our banquet table in the garden and beyond. Engaging with others becomes more important than getting a full belly as we find simpler ways to experience nature, nurture, and nourishment. I welcome all who are willing to share in hospitality and possibly even a good squabble. We are never truly alone, there are always realms of energy available to us for relationships in our communities. There are unseen energies that help manifest our dreams, call them conscious agents, conscience, angels or rascals the great news is that we get to choose which energy we participate with in a deliberate determined detailed destiny. I am learning to choose chances for change, participating and expanding in collective consciousness, while seeking the meandering mystic.

Presents advice on ways to free oneself from habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit one's consciousness.

Based on the #1 New York Times bestseller The Untethered Soul, this guided journal offers powerful new practices for inspiration, freedom, and joy. In this beautiful guided journal, you’ll find brand-new exercises and prompts paired with original passages from The Untethered Soul. These prompts encourage you to fully relate Michael A. Singer’s teachings to your personal experiences, allowing you to dive into the teachings and make them a part of your daily life. You’ll also discover practices to help you gain distance from your noisy mind, tap into the deeper awareness that is your true essence, and work through the negative emotions that limit your potential. Grounded in traditions of meditation and mindfulness, the new exercises in this transformational journal will show you how to live more fully in the present moment, and achieve lasting joy and self-realization. If you’re ready to open the door to limitless possibilities, The Untethered Soul Guided Journal will lead you to a richer understanding of your relationship to your mind, emotions, and inner energies. And by letting go of difficult past experiences you’ve held within yourself, you’ll learn to access the profound happiness of your true, innermost Self.

Spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer explores the question of human identity and shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and achieve happiness and self-realization.

Who are you? In this remarkable book, author and spiritual guide Michael Singer explores this fundamental question, seeking the very root of consciousness in order to help readers learn how to dwell in the present moment. Written in an engaging and uncomplicated voice, this book will open readers up to the radical and powerful experience of simply being themselves.