Revisiting the Past: My Ethics

As I've mentioned in my previous posts on Ethics, Honor, Justice, and Arete, being an ideal human being means that one is:

• Emotionally mature
• Self-aware - living a conscious life, making active choices, taking responsibility for Self
• Well educated - a broad base of knowledge including but not limited to: other cultures and world history, with an emphasis on lifetime learning
• Consistent at putting ethical system in practice
• Possesses a continually evolving system of ethics

My goal is to be an ideal human. Back in my heavy martial arts years, I wanted to be the ideal warrior. This consisted of a range of warrior skills plus a good education in history, strategy, philosophy, art, and music. My focus has changed, but it's not so different. I just train in different disciplines now. No fighting now; instead, I practice Yoga (my own Pagan Yoga system that I'm designing). I hone my teaching skills. Music, always music. Healing work. I think I've posted about it before, how I can't be a physical warrior any longer; instead, you could say I'm a spiritual warrior, working to raise the vibration of the world, one person at a time.

But back to Ethics. As a person who walks the warrior way, even the spiritual version thereof, living an honorable life is central to my identity. It is the light that shows me the way. It is, at times, what shapes my path. I could tell many a story about how my insistence upon the ethical choice has cost me money, relationships or what have you. Other times, it's what has cemented a relationship or gained me a business ally. And I'm totally fine with that.

So in keeping with my philosophy, here begins an examination of my list of values and ethical principles. It's time for a periodic update!

1. Arete - Excellence above all is still the most important thing to me. Keep this one!
2. Courtesy - the first of the virtues from my old tae kwon do dojang. Still important.
3. Integrity - the first of the virtues from my old tae kwon do dojang. Still important.
4. Perseverance - from my old tae kwon do dojang. Still important.
5. Self-Control - from my old tae kwon do dojang. Still important.
6. Indomitable Spirit - from my old tae kwon do dojang. Still important.
7. Honor - unchanged, truly.
8. Lifelong Learning - hasn't always been on the list, but is what I've always done.
9. Creativity - we all have it! Continue to practice and it will strengthen.
10. Play/humor - don't take yourself or this world or anything else too seriously. "It's sacred, not serious" - adorable hippie child 
11. Reverence - for every step, every breath, every living thing, always.
12. Shibumi - the essence of what is, pure simplicity
13. Tolerance - essential to harmonious living with other beings. It means that you acknowledge the plurality of our world.
14. Stewardship of the Earth - new - I suppose this was so intrinsic that I never listed it before. But it must be said - take care of our home.
15. Respect the autonomy of all beings. - new - also intrinsic to my belief system is the acknowledgement that all beings have agency and that must be respected.

As it turns out, not a lot has changed. There's been a bit of evolution and perhaps a bit more clarity in my thinking about my beliefs. I'm happy to say that they have accreted throughout my life, and I value all of these incremental additions. I may not always embody them at every moment. I may fail, like everyone does. Ego, petty annoyances, and other such temporary conditions may supersede my principles. But still, I strive. And to be quite honest, I mostly succeed. I can look myself in the mirror. My relationships are good, and I have a place in the community. These are signs of success, in my book - and an ethical life!

What are Ethics?

The Pagan Experience - This month the focus is on ETHICS… As a member of the human species we are faced with choices everyday. The responses we make are most often guided by our definition of values, standards and what we consider to be just and ethical behavior.

Add the complexity of walking a spiritual path and he topic of Ethics becomes one that reaches deeply into the fabric of who we wish to be and who we believe ourselves to be. So, use this month’s writing to share, listen and explore your ethical landscape…

Ethics is a timely topic in my life. The Universe has its inscrutable sense of humor, as always...and its timing is impeccable. But what are ethics? I've written here about honor, about justice, and about arete, but not specifically about ethics. As a philosophy major and a person committed to living an honorable life, this topic is near and dear to my heart.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, ethics are defined as:

"Moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior."

I have discussed honor, which is essentially a system of personal decision making based on ethics and obligation. I have discussed justice, which is a system of applying ethics to governance. I have discussed excellence (arete), which is a tangentially related concept. Possibly one could argue that the good and true nature of actions containing arete are inherently ethical. But maybe not. Ethics are not only virtuous in and of themselves, but also in how they impact others.

In keeping with my post about justice, I think that ethical principles grow and change as we evolve as human beings. That means that study is important. We must understand ourselves, not only as individuals, but also in relation to our place in the world. We must understand something of world history, of other cultures, of ideas broader than what we may have been taught by our biological families and birth religions.

A broad knowledge base matters if you want to be a well-developed human being. It's easy to simply believe what you were told, and many people do. This unfortunately often leads to provincial, us vs. them systems of thought. Which is a big part of the reason why the US has problems, but that's a separate post. Suffice it to say that considering the highest good of all is a good filter to use when evaluating ethical principles, and knowledge is essential to that process.

So then. Ethics are moral principles, the foundational concepts that guide our behavior. Ethics are the things we consider to be right as opposed to wrong. Ethics are the values that we hold. But what is a value?

Back to the Oxford Dictionary:

"(values) A person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life."

Now we're getting to the root of things. Morality is a discussion that involves both ethics and values. The things that we think are right as well as the things that we think are important. Both of these things, ethics and values, guide our behavior in life. Both are relational - they are important in evaluating actions that relate to others. I propose that values also include concepts that are not relational. There are qualities that help us to be good human beings that are also just for us, or that support us in ways that then allow us to have good relationships. But that too is a separate post.

You could say that ethics and values added together are what make an ideal human. Oh, but what, what is ideal?

Back to the Oxford Dictionary:

"A standard of perfection; a principle to be aimed at."

So you could say that ethics are principles that guide us in our goal of becoming ideal human beings.

That's a useful definition, but it's important here to note that human beings are already perfect. We are learning creatures. We are experiments, if you will, experiencers of this cosmic dance we call life. Some say our purpose here is to learn. Perhaps that's true, but it's learning with no test at the end. There is no goal, not really. We are perfectly imperfect. No matter what we do, we are performing our purpose, which I propose is simply to exist and experience. The ideal human being is one that grows and changes throughout its life.

Me being me, I also think that we ought to be good to each other along the way. But on a universal level, we need all kinds of experiences to grow, even the painful ones. Even the awful ones. That means somebody has to volunteer to be the villain, at least some of the time. If we were all perfect paragons of love and light, what would ever happen? Change, growth, and evolution are impossible in a state of perfect bliss. Chaos, negativity, disruption, destruction, and randomness are essential to a growing and evolving Universe. But I digress.

What does all this mean to us as Pagans? Obviously, I don't speak for everyone, but I post this here as a sort of impetus to deeper thought. What law do you live by? Are there built-in rules of ethical behavior in your belief system? Do you follow them as is, or do you add in values of your own? What are they based on? Have they changed over time? Do they still fit you now, at this time in your journey?

If you follow the Wiccan Rede, there is an awful lot of room for interpretation. What and who does "do no harm" apply to? How far do you take it? Does it apply to every situation? What do you do in situations where harm is not at issue? What qualities are important to you? I propose that a set of ethical principles and values is helpful in addition to the Rede. In my next post, I'll discuss my own ethical system.

Excellence Above All

The Pagan Experience: Wk 4- Mar. 23- Any writing for the letters E or F.

Over the years, I have blogged many times about my values. While not an overtly Pagan topic, my values as a human being certainly shape my spiritual path. As a human being who is interested in continual growth and evolution, it's a good idea to revisit values periodically. They do change over time, and I would venture to say, with gains in maturity.

Chief among my values is arete. Arete is a Greek word that roughly translates to excellence, but it also encompasses more complexity as well. Arete is associated with morality - one must embody the cardinal virtues to be truly excellent. Arete is also associated with purpose - the idea that a thing is excellent if it is fulfilling its potential and purpose.

Arete is also a feeling. Artists and athletes know this feeling, though they may not have a word for it. When I pull back my bow and release the arrow, I know when the shot is perfect. When I write a haiku and re-read it, a tiny arrow of arete pierces my heart. I know it's good, better than good, right. I can feel that same excellence, that simple, pure and right feeling in a properly executed Yoga asana, in a song, in ritual or in love.

I go one step further and associate the concept of arete with the Japanese concept of shibumi. Shibumi is roughly translated as simplicity, but it too is much more than that. Shibumi is essence. Shibumi is what is left when one carves away all that is not essential. And of course, what IS left when you get to the core of a person or an action? Excellence. Arete. That which IS essential. That which is real, and pure, and true.

Excellene and arete are also associated with the concept of quality. Quality is defined as "the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something." Quality is almost a synonym for arete, but it also contains implications about objects and processes that are slightly different.

Let me tell you a quick story: one year, I attended the Eno River Festival. While wandering through the vendors, I happened upon a jewelry designer's booth. I scanned through their lovely wares, and a ring with a black stone caught my eye. Of everything they had, this was the piece I would buy if I could. Good choice, the artist said. That's a $9000 black diamond ring, my most expensive piece. At the time, I didn't know that black diamonds existed. I just recognized the quality of the piece. This has happened over and over in my life. It's a superpower, if you will. It's not about price, but about the intrinsic quality. I can spot it easily and unerringly. I couldn't, however, also tell you why.

Just like arete, which I associate most with actions, the quality or excellence of objects is something that can be recognized and felt, though it may not be so easy to define or quantify. We know when it's there, and we also know when it is not. The things we do can be full of quality and excellence naturally, when we are in a good place in our being. Ever try to make dinner when you're angry? Did you accidentally cut yourself or burn the food? Ever try to play a sport when you're upset? That's when I miss the mark in archery. So you could say that arete, excellence and quality are not things you do, or things you create, but instead is what you are. The way that you exist.

“You’ve got to live right, too. It’s the way you live that predisposes you to avoid the traps and see the right facts. You want to know how to paint a perfect painting? It’s easy. Make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally. That’s the way all the experts do it. The making of a painting or the fixing of a motorcycle isn’t separate from the rest of your existence. If you’re a sloppy thinker the six days of the week you aren’t working on your machine, what trap avoidance, what gimmicks, can make you all of a sudden sharp on the seventh? It all goes together ... The real cycle you're working in is a cycle called yourself. The machine that appears to be "out there" and the person that appears to be "in here" are not two separate things. They grow toward Qaulity or fall away from Quality together.” 
― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Excellence is what I care about most.  I know when I'm existing in alignment with my purpose. I know when I am fulfilling my potential. I know when I am living in harmony with the Divine and with Nature. That feeling of arete, of shibumi, of excellence and quality…it makes my whole being sing. I know I'm on the right path when I feel it.

To me, this is everything.

Justice: A Pagan Perspective

What is justice in a faith with no central authority? We have no one Book to live by. We have no Pope, no hierarchy of clergy. If justice comes from divine command, how do we Pagans hear that command? How do we decide as a group what is just? DO we decide as a group?

Earlier, I wrote about honor. Part of honor is considering what is just in a particular situation. Before we can act honorably, we have to first understand the concept of justice, then learn how to apply it in our lives.

The problem with justice is that historically, conceptions of justice have differed widely through time and by culture. So even as a so-called cardinal virtue, it is hard to pin down. At various times, conceptions of justice have been based upon divine command, natural law, brute force, desirable consequences, and occasionally, by consensus.

The dictionary doesn't have much to say about justice, defining it as "the quality of being just, impartial, or fair". Thanks, Websters! Several more sources talk about a court system. The majority of definitions are recursive; they have the word "just" or "justice" in them.

The synonyms are more illuminating: fairness, justness, fair play, fair-mindedness, equity, evenhandedness, impartiality, objectivity, neutrality, disinterestedness, honesty, righteousness, morals, morality (source: Google).

There are a couple of common themes among all this diversity: consideration of the needs of the group and basic morals.

Here's where I think Contemporary Paganism* can shine: we are encouraged to look within and know ourselves. When we do this, and truly confront our issues, examine our biases and learn about other people, other cultures, and gain a reasonable perspective of the world's history and humanity's place in it...justice is something you feel.

Forming a personal sense of justice can thus be said to consist of:

• Self-study
• Sorting out personal baggage
• Broad knowledge of peoples and culture
• Understanding of history & the role of humanity in it

What I'm proposing, essentially, is that any mature, reasonably self-aware person with a basic education ought to be able to feel what is right and what is wrong.

Contemporary Paganism also facilitates direct experience. In my humble opinion, it's hard to harbor too many crazy beliefs, or to stomach injustice, when one has directly communed with or experienced the Divine.

I'm not a big fan of divine command as a system of morality, because that implies specific information that has been written down, interpreted, re-interpreted ad infinitum and crystallized into dogma. And let's be real: when we talk about divine command as a system of thought, we are generally referring to some form of Judeo-Christianity**.

No offense meant, truly: but some of those ideas are real stinkers. There is no way I will ever agree with a system that devalues half of the population due to gender, another chunk for their sexual orientation, followers of every other religion, and possibly others due to ethnic background.

Having said that, most religions do have in common a loving, creative deity and/or divine force. Certainly, my experience supports this viewpoint. And being in tune with that force is to value things like harmony, equality, fairness...wait a minute. We're back to synonyms for justice again.

Lastly, Contemporary Paganism is in itself a model for justice as a means to serve the needs of a group. Our population is incredibly diverse. Most of us are minorities in some way, whether it be our lifestyle, sexual orientation, gender identity or just by virtue of being followers of a non-mainstream religious path. We believe in magic. We live in harmony with the Earth. We tend to be, well, a bit colorful. As a result, our community is extremely tolerant. No matter how fringe-y, no matter how strange, we’re all part of the circle in the Pagan community.

Self-study, self-awareness, a healthy perspective on the world and other cultures, tolerance, direct experience - these are things that Contemporary Paganism can add to the conversation about justice.

But what is our common ground of morality? The Rede is common – “so long as it harms none, do as you will”. The Threefold Law or Universal Law of Attraction is another widespread idea – that which you put out returns to you, often magnified. The Asatru path puts a lot of value on honor, keeping one’s oaths and family. Druids get philosophical about morality, questioning and considering what amounts to a way of balance, much like the Middle Way of Buddhism.

Think about it. What do you consider just? What is right? What is wrong? Do you think it’s all relative? How should we go about deciding what justice means as the Pagan community?

I propose that we come together. At conferences, at workshops, at rituals, at Pagan Pride Days, on your blogs and in forums. Let’s talk about it. Over coffee, tea or green smoothies, let’s hash it out.

Recently, I read a moving book by Starhawk – The Fifth Sacred Thing. She’s created a society that is so very beautiful a vision. It's a dream of what could be...a society in which the needs of the Earth, including the land and waters, animals and plants, is taken into account along with the needs of human beings. A society in which all races, cultures and religions are honored. Just go read it.

Check in with your heart. Go to the quiet, still place within and listen. In there, we know what is right and what is wrong. Feel it.





*Buddhism, gnosticism, hermeticism and other such paths as well
**And we in this context would be philosophical academics, most likely.