ASIAN RENAISSANCE: ANTIDOTE TO NEW DARK AGE

Erle Frayne Argonza

Maganding umaga! Good morning!

A gladdening news for me is the fact that many people in the West (or North) highly appreciate Asian growth and its role as today’s life-breather of the global economy. Without Asia, given the recurrent recession of Western/Northern economies, the global economy would be in a collapsed state today.

The added news that certainly warms the heart is that many Northerners/Westerners look up highly to Asia as the hope of the world, that hope coming precisely from the Asian Renaissance. We seem to be in a rehash of that situation of the medieval age, when the ‘world system’ collapsed due to incessant wars organized and financed by the Venetian mercantile oligarchs, leading eventually to a Dark Age. The (Western) Renaissance became the light of the Dark Age and teleported mankind out of that catastrophe.

In the current circumstance, a Dark Age looms as the Anglo-Dutch oligarchs organize and finance conflicts of every kind across the globe, which will expectedly lead to a larger conflagration that will be sparked off by the Sunni-Shi’ite conflict and then move on to ignite other conflicts in all regions and continents. The conflagration will be a near repeat of the Peloponnesian Wars (Athenian oligarchs’ wars), the Crusades (Venetian oligarchs’ and Norman warriors’), and 30 Years’ War (Church wars, Dutch-Teutonic oligarchs).  After each conflagration, mankind fell into a Dark Age.

Only a Renaissance, led by Asians, will be the hope for the coming decades or couple of centuries. When the North-South dialogue will collapse and give way to the next Dark Age, induced by the incessant wars of the Anglo-Dutch-Teutonic-Zaibatsu oligarchy (to identify a longer list) up North, then peoples will by instinct look to the south for the sparks of hope, of dialogue and civility. Then the planet shall be jettisoned out of the holocaust, back to the ‘Light Age’ (light is opposite of dark).

Incidentally, many peoples across the globe have already immersed themselves in Asiatic thought streams and their practical applications, such as yoga meditation. So, the Asian Renaissance will not just be a monopoly of people of Asian genetic origin, but will be multi-player from the very inception. Many Asian spiritual masters, gurus and intellectuals transplanted themselves in the West during the past decades, so this explains the permeation in Western cultures of Asiatic thought streams. On the other hand, many peoples of the West/North took up studies in the Eastern institutions and ashrams (retreat centers of spiritual masters and gurus), thus ensuring a more expanded diffusion of Asiatic thought streams in the process. So, as one can see, it has been a two-way process of diffusion and enculturation to Asiatic thought streams.

Any Renaissance takes a long time to percolate, brew and galvanize, so it will not be prudent to demonstrate the exact contours of a gigantic movement—with so diverse players—that is continuously evolving. It affects all human endeavors: philosophy, arts, sciences, technology (biotech, physical tech, social tech). I would confess my own limitation and be honestly humble when asked about the exact contours of this movement. I make no pretensions for being God Almighty who knows best about the matter in its expansiveness and universality.

The following short list of items are what I can share about the matter:

·         Oneness & Becoming: Asiatic thought and practices are products of this single most important cosmic Law of One. Western modality is dualistic and/or binary, resulting to polarity principles and practices that have eroded the very condition of humanity and endangers the species itself. The added premise concerns the process of ‘becoming’ contrasted to Western stress on ‘being’.

 

·         Pure Thought – without prejudgemental Qualities, premises, biases: Sri Krishna taught us well about the matter. Go back to Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, in the sermon of Govinda to the warrior-saint Arjuna. The essence of Asiatic metaphysics, epistemology, ethics. Jesus and many masters followed through on the ‘pure thought’ modality, on what benefits can be derived from them, what truths derived too. See the New Testament, Dhammapada, Mahabharata, and onwards to the teachings of Baha’ullah, Vivekananda, PR Sarkar (neo-humanism, tantra), Sri Aurubindo, Mahatma Gandhi (Ahimsa).

 

·         Dialogue & Consensus: In this domain, Asians regard that theory is fact, such as in Western physics where “a theory is also a fact.” Nobody even thinks anymore why dialogue should be ensued as a matter of exercising consensus. It is theory, it is fact, period. But do go back to Lao Tsu, Confucius, Mencius, Buddha. Unfortunately, the Western powers destroyed the teachings of Malayan gurus upon occupying the Southeast, while Khmer and ancient Javanese teachings of the same were simply lost in time as the same civilizations eroded and died. Incidentally, Filipino indigenous teachings, derived from folk lore (of which there are now encyclopedic volumes of scholarly translations) are available, which I myself will have to review (budget constraints delimiting buys).

 

·         Physics and Multi-Dimensions: The true elements of matter, the different ontological dimensions, and the properties of matter congruent with each dimension. Steven Hawkin’s ‘hyperspace’, ‘lower space’, and ‘higher space’ concepts are nearer the truth than ever. The Book of Dzan, theosophical writings (e.g. Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine), and synthetic writings such as Fritjof Capra’s Tao of Physics would be good reads. Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi also contains details of masters’ teachings about the same subjects. On the practical side, how to conduct dematerialization and bilocation are explained and demonstrated by the masters. Didn’t mahayogi Jesus Christ (master Issa in India) demonstrate how to walk above the water and materialize fish for a huge crowd of devotees?

 

·         Yoga and Meditation: Yoga is the science, meditation the practice. Too many traditions to choose from, study and investigate, and practice. Choose that which is in accord with your psyche. In my case, I chose Agni yoga, which synthesizes rajah yoga (focus on crown chakra, will-development), Kriya or Christ yoga (pineal/higher faculties), karma yoga (service/solar plexus chakra), and bhakti (opening up heart chakra). If you wish to use yoga to reinforce healing, Kundalini yoga would be perfect. Bhakti and practices that develop the solar plexus chakra would be excellent for peace keepers and conciliators. Zen would be perfect for highly contemplative, introspective types. Sure, you can combine them, such as what I do.

 

·         Natural Healing Paradigms & Therapies: Too many to behold, and too popular nowadays. In Manila, with the signing of the ‘traditional and alternative law’ in the late 90s and the creation of a state institution for this, natural healing has become an institution in itself. In my case, I was trained in Pranic healing, and I practice it (pro bono) for psychosocial counseling. Deepak Chopra’s ‘mind-body-soul’ writings (e.g. The Way of the Wizard) would be a good entry point.  

 Well, Partners, Fellows on Earth, those items would suffice. Before I be accused of causing you indigestion, I would stop right there. There are more, so please go ahead and draw the compass of your journey into the ‘Eastern way’. But just to remind you, the great statesman Mao Tsetung once cautioned us: “no investigaton, no right to speak” (see: Selected Readings from the Works of Mao Tsetung, 5 volumes). Nobody should pretend to know Asiatic thought streams without first fully immersing in them, for at least two (2) decades.  

Let me now end by encouraging everyone to learn the ‘Asiatic way’, integrate these into their largely Western psyche, and help in any way to bring us to the ‘dawning of a new age of Light’.

[Writ 26 June 2008, Quezon City, MetroManila]

BLACKS HOPELESSLY LESS SMARTER? TRY YOGA TO INCREASE INTELLIGENCE

Erle Frayne Argonza

The recent news about Watson, the American Nobel prize biologist, claiming that Blacks are less smarter than Whites due to genetic factors, comes as a real shock to me. I can’t believe that a 20^th century post-war scientist would declare such highly destructive, bigoted contention.  

Not only that, Watson even pushed his racist theory beyond the limits by claiming that Blacks are hopeless, as genetics have doomed them to be mentally inferior to Whites. This accordingly explains why Blacks always end up with poorer aptitude and/or IQ points compared to Whites. Shocking! Really shocking!

Had Watson just dared to traverse outside of his own discipline (biology) and reviewed the latest studies in psychology and ‘new science’, he could have become better informed about the subject. And, hopefully, could have articulated his views with greater circumspection.

Among the studies done by psychologists in the past decades was the possibility of increasing intelligence through a variety of interventions. Some psychologists such as Jung and Maslow ventured into Eastern psychology, studied yoga and esoteric philosophy along the way. And many of their students, who are tops in both pure and applied psychology, have carried on the R&D in the field.

As a yogi myself, I was so surprised when, as a 20-year old boy at the University of the Philippines c. 1979, my first yoga lesson was to be taught right inside our classroom by a pioneer psychologist, Dr. Alfred Lagmay, rather than a long-haired Indian guru (I used to be long haired). Invited by his anthropologist wife, Dr. Leticia Lagmay, to her class, which was my formal class then, Dr. Alfredo agreed with gusto and taught us the basics of yoga breathing during one class session.

Dr. Lagmay originally had little fondness for Eastern psychology. Being among those trained by his American professors (first mentors and builders of the University of the Philippines) in the Philippines as well as in the USA (where he took his masters degree and doctorate), his exposure was in behaviorism,  experimental psychology, or in scientistic psychology. He then stumbled upon yoga in his studies, and then pursued it relentlessly. It was among his last passions as an actively engaged scientist.

Yoga, as far as the spiritual masters are concerned, is the chief science for increasing intelligence. And by intelligence I don’t mean ‘mental intelligence’ alone, but that of ‘multiple intelligences’. Being a yogi and mystic of long standing now, and already a spiritual guru in level of awareness, I can verily say, based on many accounts by practitioners, of the following intelligences improved by yoga meditation:

·         Emotional Intelligence: One becomes more emotionally stable, increases attitude for learning. Cures neurosis or affective disorder, including obsessive-compulsive disorder.

·         Social Intelligence: Improves ones capacity to harmonize with diverse peoples in diverse environments, stabilizes sociopathic (or psychopathic) tendencies and eradicates suicidal tendencies, and improves one’s chances for high leadership posts.

·         Mental Intelligence: Improves one’s IQ, capacity for analytical thought processes, linguistic ability, and makes one a better planner, tactician, and strategist. Stabilizes and cures manic-depressive disorder.

·         Intuitive Intelligence: Greatly improves ones creativity, thus transforming one from copycat artisan to original, high-creative artist. Also increase one’s extra-sensory powers.

·         Spiritual Intelligence: Greatly improves one’s wisdom, by improving one’s capacity to digest and absorb deeply esoteric and mystical lessons, and articulating the same before an enthused audience.

To claim that Black’s mental intelligence can never be altered is simply outrageous and fallacious. The contention reveals that Watson is now an old-fogey man, a ‘has been’ in the sciences given the new frontiers of research. He should better shut up a bit, as his words will be taken by White fascists who are up to clobber or kill every Black or Colored Man with whom they can effect a transference of their own sociopathic tendencies.

[Writ 03 June 2008, Quezon City, MetroManila]

FIND LIGHT & PEACE IN BRO. ERLE ARGONZA’S BLOGS

FIND LIGHT & PEACE IN BRO. ERLE ARGONZA’S BLOGS

Gracious Day to all friends, partners in development, fellows in the Path!

 

You’re all invited to relish moments of Light-seeking reflections, call to relevant actions and self-development thoughts with me, through my blogs:

 

Development, Economics, Better World: https://unladtau.wordpress.com

 

Seekers’ Lessons, Freethought, Yoga, Self-Development:

 http://erleargonza.blogspot.com, http://raefdargon.mysticblogs.com

 

Poetry for Inspirational Living: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com

 

Happy Reading!

 

Bro. Erle Frayne Argonza / Guru Ra Efdargon

VALUE-BASED FRAMEWORKS FOR DEVELOPMENT

 

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

 

[Writ 22 March 2008, Quezon City, MetroManila]

 

In the same article on New Nationalism, I advanced the thesis for value-based integrated frameworks.

 

The classical frameworks of development were largely rationalistic models, or Western-oriented. I don’t have a problem with accepting Western development frameworks. However, I found out in my own long practice of social development that they don’t completely work in the field.

 

The ‘value-neutral’ premise of rationalism is particularly suspect and dangerous, in that it can lead to the treatment of clientele as hard objects. Those frameworks coming from the East that are strongly value-based rather than value-neutral do serve the greater purpose of recognizing the powers of people to transform their own lives.

 

Being a yogi and mystic, I am particularly cognizant of the teachings of spiritual masters from the East. Just a cursory review of the teachings of Gandhi, Sarkar (Ananda Marga founder), Buddha, and Jesus (gospel teachings) can already provide the development worker with the frames of reference for a value-based integrated framework.

 

That’s why I go strongly for this sublime integration rather than the old-fogey binary frame of pitting East versus West. It should be a both/and thinking that we better adopt here. In the Philippines, we are a people who are both East and West in our culture and psyche, so we have come to gradually synthesize the disparate models of development for both. It may take some more time though before we can perfect the synthesis and experience development and peace in the islands.

 

India and China are the exemplars of development paths that took into consideration the potency of both Eastern and Western frames of development. Look at where these two countries are today: at the threshold of world economic power status. Had their development planners, managers and implementers decided to junk the Eastern jewels in their paradigm frames, they couldn’t have reached their status today as global players.

 

The excerpts from the article are entirely quoted below.

 

Make room for value-based & integrated frameworks.

 

Not only should we look up to the West for paradigms with which to construct frameworks and models of growth & development. We should also welcome the initiatives of our emerging thinkers and practitioner-gurus to integrate the Eastern paradigms in their conceptualizations, system designs and related matters. These efforts will fortify our understanding of economics, Philippine-style, in as much as we are a people forged in the cultural smelters of both Eastern and Western civilizations. 

 

Among civil society groups, the modeling of entrepreneurship and social enterprises based on integrated East-West paradigms have been demonstrated with success and clarity. We should welcome such perspectives, and do our share of the task to transport such frameworks from the margins to the mainstream of national consciousness. The resultant frameworks are often value-based in form, though they do not necessarily shun scientistic/empiricist treatment of economic problems. The common theme among such frameworks is synergy: an interconnection among various ‘social enterprises’ and NGOs reaching a far broader scale, resulting to a broad   movement. This I am well aware of, having immersed myself in civil society for a long time in the past.