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III- The Balance of Forces: Ethical Principles of Mythorealism |
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1- Just as there are two realities (the waking world and the mythic realm) so there are two complementary principles, which can be described as the human law and the sacred law. The human law is the social contract, the general agreement between human beings as to righteous behavior. The sacred law is a spontaneous response, a sense of awe and reverence before the numinous power, which carries an implication of divine command. |
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2- Ethical principles appear to vary greatly between cultures, but this is less true than it appears to be. Local variations are caused by specific circumstances and should be respected as such, but once these are accounted for a pattern emerges: the rights of those who are considered fully human are remarkably consistent. What is essential to recognize is that all are fully human. |
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3- The essential right of a human being is to always be treated as an end and never as a means. This has implications in both realms. Recognizing anyone we deal with as a human being, we must treat them ethically. Recognizing the divine in them, we must treat them reverently. |
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4- Ethics, therefore, has two levels- the social and the mystical. It is necessary to follow a set of rules within the social sphere, but these rules are only made meaningful by the sacred reverence that underlies them, the honoring of the divine in all. Without the magic, they are empty. |
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5- The ethical ideal is thus a balance of forces, a rigorously honorable surface and a mystical interior; stoicism on the outside and mysticism on the inside. This can, under the right circumstances, become reversed. |
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6- The ethical balance of forces can take on a number of shapes, manifesting a variety of understandings. Shifting fluidly between points of view is called ringing the changes, allowing the seeker to obtain the benefits of all philosophies and all spiritualities. The ideal is to steal the light, regardless of where it might be found. |
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7- Honorable behavior is a difficult burden, and the sacred law is a mystery. To achieve one and understand the other, self-cultivation is a necessity. |
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8- The process of self-cultivation is a forging of the spirit, an intense confrontation with the deepest mysteries. This also manifests a balance of forces, which has been expressed historically in a number of forms. |
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9- The resolution of a mythic problem can produce a transcendent insight, transforming the seeker utterly and preparing the way for still greater journeys. |
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10- When the relative self falls away from us, we incarnate the source. When acting from within this divine reality, no rules are needed. |
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