Brief History of Taoism

This morning I was reading the Straits Times and came across the report on the issue of religions in Singapore. It was reported that the number of Singaporeans turning towards Buddhism and Christianity has seen a rise in recent times. What does that mean? First, it mean that more people are turning towards religion which is good because turning your attention towards a faith will lend you the strength during negative periods.

Yet, it is bad news when it also mean that some have abandoned their original faith. It appears that Taoism has been the most affected religion given that many of the younger believers consider the faith as superstitious. The misconception here is that Taoists need to pray to the numerous mythological Gods and adhere to strict rituals and chanting. As someone interested in chinese Metaphyics, arts and culture, I am very affected by this thought and would like to share with you the actual practise of Taoism. ( I am a Catholic if readers may like to know)

The foundation of Taoism is ascribed to two mystics known as Lao Tsu and Chuang Tze (lived during 6th and 4th centuries b.c) Tao de Ching was believed to be written by Lao Tsu and the writings voice a growing concern of worldly values. In the writings, the inherent weakness of human emotion and their human judgement are questioned. In fact, Taoism can be said to be a constrast to the political and social ideas of the authoritarian or Confucian writers of that era. In fact, many confucian scholars have turned to Taoism during the Song dynasty when the country was constantly engaged in wars and politics. Famous poet like Li Bai considered themselves as Taoist and they live a secular life embracing arts and calligraphy.

Taoists constantly observe the nature to seek answers to solve problems inherent in the cosmic order and they often adopt a rational approach to these issues. In fact, the scientific searches of the Taoist naturalists could well have contributed to the study of the problems in physics and chemistry! One school of thoughts introduce by Taoism is the Yin Yang theory which is an attempt to explain the principles of cosmic creation and destruction. It was done so through the cyclic interaction of the five material elements of the material world ( Water, fire,wood,metal and earth) with the natural and complementary forces of Yin and Yang. And the principles of Chinese Metaphysics is based on this simple theory.

But, the yin yang theory had been abused as a political tool and it has departed far from a path that might led to rational and scientific investigation over the course of history.Furthermore, popular leaders were always ready to exploit the superstitious tendencies of the Chinese public by incorporating magical powers as part of the cult of Lao Tzu. This was especially popular with established government usurpers claiming authority or leaders of rebel groups have tried to associate themselves with taoist practises in a way to reach out to the public. Having said that, the established authority of the Chinese empires in the past have always regard Confucianism as the country faith and hence frowned on the cults since their practices were at a sharp contrast to the forms and orders of a disciplined society.

Hence, my conclusion is that we should seek to understand the world and its meaning first before making any choice in life. Sometimes, there is a likely hood of religious groups relying on mass media in a way to gain more followers. Does more followers mean that a particular religion is the better choice? Sometimes, the harder thing in life is to learn how to let go. And for a taoist, this is their way...

The History of Magic and Divination in China

Ancient Chinese peoples were believers in spiritual matters, and psychic powers. Evil spirits fought against protective ones in all facets of these peoples lives. There was no question of whether such notions were reality, in history of magic and divination in China, because people were open to those forces, and could feel them. Divining the proper course to take was a natural way of life, and no one who took success seriously, including mighty emperors, ignored the aid and understanding a reading was able to provide. The planting of crops and the migration of nomads were both equally mystical things for which they sought guidance.

Another item to be considered in the history of magic and divination in China, is the Chinese Zodiac. Calculated differently than the western zodiac, ancient Chinese took great care to study how the stars, planets, and moon affected their lives. Chinese astrologers were men of generally high respect, and were thought to bridge a gap between the people and the gods of the heavens. With a properly detailed astrological chart, and an advisor skilled in the use of I Ching, emperors were better aligned with cosmic forces to confront challenges and adopt new principles in government.

In the history of magic and divination in China, we see all of Chinese history. Indeed the two are so closely entwined that it becomes difficult to relate its political history without relating its adherence to the forces of psychic phenomena. From the Shang Dynasty of 3600 years ago, to the worldwide acceptance and use of the I Ching today, the cultural and mystical history of China forms a single thread of human understanding and acceptance of the universe.

Abundance Is Why I Follow Jesus

This article reflects the second of about half a dozen reasons for my faith and why I choose, on my life journey, to follow Jesus. The reason is that there is a tangible promise of abundance here and now. Jesus seems to have believed that promise and the invitation to follow Jesus involves our believing it, too. The promise of abundance is for our own lives, for our families, for our congregations, our communities, and for the whole world.

The Kingdom of God was sometimes described in the Bible as a spring in the desert or a fountain of abundance. There are deserts all around us: food deserts, educational deserts, security and safety deserts, and spiritual deserts. There are deserts within us where there is almost no moisture and very little growth-dry and desolate places where fertile soil seems to be blowing away.

There are deserts between us--relationships without passion or joy. Bitterness festers and saps energy. Sadness eats up any sense of hope. There are deserts everywhere-but why? Why are they here? More important-what will we do about them?

Many of us go to places of worship seeking answers to these questions. We come perhaps looking to find a spring - an oasis. We come, hoping against hope, to find a fountain of abundance and in our hearts, we cry, "God, what are you going to do about these deserts in our lives?" And in a response that is either deafening in its silence or, behind that silence, a quiet word, "You are not alone. We're in this together." It is not just the "we" who occupy the pews of worship, but also the Spirit of Life who lives in us and in our relationships. The God we seek in worship is already present in us and between us and is asking, "What will you and I do together to make that spring flow in those deserts?" That is the question. And we turn to our faith traditions, seek in our community relationships, and search in the depth of our own souls to find answers that satisfy.

In Charles Dickens' memorable play A Christmas Carol, the principal character Ebenezer Scrooge was a walking and talking desert. He was bitterly unhappy. He was lonely and desperately clinging for a sense of abundance to his money-hording it, taking constant inventory, and begrudging any request for him to share-to give it away. Most of us are familiar with Scrooge's journey, accompanied by three spirits, on an intense journey to a life of abundance, joy, and generosity. The pre-spirit Scrooge once famously said, "Christmas is "'a poor excuse to pick a man's pocket every 25th of December.'

Scrooge clearly learned his attitude from some of the characters the Israelite prophet Amos talked about. Those ancient Scrooges were people whose whole lives revolved around money: getting more, making more, having more. They even resented the Sabbath restrictions on business that did not allow them to be making money on that holy day once a week. You get the feeling they spent entire Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) thinking up new ways to grow their businesses, to make them more profitable, and to optimize their investments.

But what's so bad about that? Actually, they were losing three very valuable possessions in their pursuit of success-three things. They were losing their integrity by being willing to exploit, and even cheat, to increase their profit margin. In other words, they would buy low sell high by manipulating the low and high. They were losing their integrity. They were also losing their humanity by valuing efficiency about relationships. They were treating people as commodities, turning them into numbers, and dropping them when the numbers didn't add up.

Finally, they were losing a sense of priority, of what's most important. Jesus famously said "Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath," but rigid religious rules were not the only way to mistreat value of Sabbath. Shabbat was commanded and observed to remind Israel from where she came-slaves in Egypt. It was set aside as a time to remember that all persons are equality loved and valued by God and called to value others the same way. The value of setting aside a day as holy is to remember that other people are part of us and we of them. They are not commodities to be bought or sold, not customers to be exploited, and not bases for our own power to be manipulated. At least for a 24-hour period, we are reminded how God views humanity. In the Israel of Amos' time, those values had largely been forgotten--much as in our own time, place, and culture.

We have arrived at a cultural crossroads - a fork in the road. Today is a time of choice and decision and the clarity of this moment comes as the result of several factors including: political polarization, economic struggle, social stratification, religious rift, and the pervading question, "In what will we place our trust?"

I have a question for you. When in your life have you felt rich? Maybe you've played the game that you have $1 million. How would you spend it? My experience playing that game is that, before long, the $1 million just doesn't feel like quite enough! You are probably familiar with the many stories about lottery winners who end up having lost everything-destitute. So, I'll repeat the question- when in your life have you felt rich?

Today we face very much the same choice as people did in Jesus' day. Individually, we have a choice about how we'll seek to be rich: how we'll seek security, safety, and happiness. It is a choice about what we'll look for from the money we make. As a nation, we face a choice as to how we'll seek prosperity and security: the Kingdom of Caesar vs. the Kingdom of God. Caesar's kingdom is one of top-down power of the "haves" over the "have-nots." Its trust is in military force to coerce. There is a desire for the kind of peace that involves no conflicts and only business-as-usual.

We can choose the Kingdom of Caesar or the Kingdom of God. God' Kingdom represents communal power with--not over, trust in shared power and access for all. Everyone has a voice. The desire for peace is for shalom (justice, compassion, love). The choice for this kingdom is not made with words or intentions, but with actions. Currently we are choosing the Kingdom of Caesar. Its power is very difficult to resist. It is very seductive and pervasive. The issues behind this choice can seem counter-intuitive. The more we strive to get more, sell more, and make more, the greater our sense of deficit.

It is also odd that the less we strive for more-the more we let that go-the greater a sense of abundance we experience. Many voices tell us that this sounds kind of un-American, anti-capitalist, and even un-Christian. That may be part of the problem. How will be measure success and abundance as churches? The most common way is through budgets (dollars), through numbers of people attending, and through the number of baptisms performed.. The assumption is that these gauges track how many are choosing faithful discipleship.

It can be dangerous to view religious faith as a commodity, something to be bought and sold. Such an approach can be problematic, but there is also some benefit in being clear about what people are actually looking for in a church and also what our church actually provides.

People seem to be looking for three things at church, though I imagine many people are seeking these consciously. The first is to be outfitted for life's journey. You may have gone to a sporting goods store to be outfitted for your favorite sport or to an outdoor store to be outfitted for camping or hiking. In a similar way, people come to church to be outfitted for life-to be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and wisdom to walk that path well. And church does that. It helps equip us for that journey with certain skills such as how to think theologically, how to listen in depth, how to share our lives cooperatively, and how to offer and receive forgiveness. Church also offers opportunities to learn skills in doing hands-on ministry with the poor, the very young, and the very old; and with those who are sick, dying, and grieving.

The second thing people are looking for at church is to be part of a community. Communities can be like the family we choose rather than the family into which we're born or adopted. Sometimes people are just looking for a community of like-minded friends. And congregations offer community that can feel like a family or like friendships. They are always a group of people with whom to practice loving and forgiving. And this community will always be available to us-at least in some form-if we want it and if we seek it.

The third thing people are seeking is to experience God, the holy, the numinous-the mysterious and mystical reality of life beyond explanation and understanding. Churches offer experiences of the holy. Sometimes these happen in the process of being outfitted and equipped-of the learning, growing, and doing. Almost always, we experience the holy through deep and intimate human relationships. And sometimes, through the maze of our relationships and experiences, we glimpse the holy itself. And we come to a crucial discovery, that the holy we're seeking out there is really living in here.

Australia's Best

Part of its edge is its exciting culture and tradition. Australia's culture is highly identified with the strong American culture coupled with that of the immigrants' culture. With this, Australia can be considered to be socially blending with its population.

Australia's culture includes various leagues and competitions not to mention the series of championship awards it garnered during the Olympics and other internationally renowned competitions. Young Australians regularly participate with numerous events that the country is known for. These games include A-football league, cricket, rugby league, rugby union, horse racing, and soccer. The widespread impact of the sports in the country is overwhelming making sports as the country's 'national religion'. The young Australians from 15 years onwards are extremely involve with the varied events showing a statics of approximately 24 percent of Australia's young population.

With this, the country is driven to seek funds in organizing the famous events. More so, sports have contributed to the success of media in the country as the viewers enjoy watching the games through the television. In fact, top rated shows in the country are mostly sports-related channels. This simply implies that sport is extremely and undeniably Australia's asset.

Australia's famous A-League never misses to fill its stadiums with vast crowds. A-League is the official professional football league in the country and is now know as Hyundai A-League. Though not as highly popular than that of the FIFA World Cup and basically considered as a minor international football game, A-League still resounds in the hearts of the Australians and is broadcasted over the commonwealth countries such Australia, United States, Canada and other countries.

A-League is still paving its path to becoming a highly noted competition in the country comparable to that of the European's grand football competitions. Knowing the spirit of sportsmanship of the Australian's, this notion is certainly possible.

Ancient Wisdom

In 1916, Claude Hopkins wrote:

"Social morays and fashions are fleeting and salient, ever changing. Human psychology however is not whimsical. The things which motivate us today, are the same things which motivated us 1,000's of years ago. The things which work for us today, are the same things which worked for us throughout all of human history."

Although our clothes and dialects change, our core motivations have changed little over the millennia. Much the same can be said for all the techniques we use to get results in the real world.

While some like to regard the New Thought Movement as esoteric or philosophical, in truth it is nothing more than the collection of ancient wisdom used for getting lasting results in the real world. Nothing fancy, magical or mystical about it.

So why does it always seem some mystical? The answer to that rests in the techniques of the ancient ones themselves. You see, the classical techniques are still, as they ever were, the most effective and efficient ones available today...

But, like all things archaic, there is an air of mysticism around them which both delights and infuriates the modern mind:

1. There is a all pervasive force of benevolence flowing through all things
2. Each human is part and parcel of this force
3. By tuning or tapping into this force any human can accomplish anything

Pretty simple and straightforward right? Let's look at an example to illustrate the idea. The skirt becoming the mini-skirt and then the micro-skirt is a great example of the same phenomenon that is occurring with thought itself.

There is no doubt, that each generation is the 'first to rebel' against its elders. If your generation wore skirts - the one that follows will either make theirs shorter or longer, and call it a "New Fashion" that they created all themselves. When the practical limits are reached (there is a limit to how long or how short a skirt can be), the ebb flows in the opposite direction.

Everything Old Becomes New Again

A subtle irony exists in this waxing and waning,because there are practical limits at both ends, the cycle must pass through the same basic fashions time and time again. In this way, everything old really does become new again, over and over.

Thought itself very closely follows a similar pattern as the skirts, with Conservative at one end of the spectrum and Unconventional or Experimental at the other.

For some it may be a stretch to think of Thought as having Fashions, but even a superficial look at the way you view the world compared to the way your Grandparents or Great Grandparents view the world will illustrate how true this point is.

Our thoughts themselves govern our perceptions, accomplishments, and even our overall joy in life. The New Thought Movement is a return to ancient wisdom and a departure from the modern ways of unchecked self indulgence.

Modern Thought versus Ancient Thought

Modern Thought can be encapsulated in the phrase, 'Me First' and said to be governed by the notions of Adam Smith, who in his 1776 classic, "The Wealth of Nations" popularized the idea that; "Every person acting in their own self interest will result in the best results for society as a whole."

As we seem to have discovered the hard way, when everyone puts their own self interest above the good of the group; pollution, environmental exhaustion, and cultural genocide are the inevitable results. So just like skirts reaching their maximum shortness gradually return to their full length cousins, so too is thought swinging back the other way.

No longer can we afford to think in terms only of our own best interest, instead we now return to the ancient knowledge that, "Creating the most good for the most people possible, results in the most good for the individual."

The New Thought Movement is leading the way into this innovative 'old way' of thinking by popularizing, synthesizing, and adapting these ancient methods and practices for the modern mind. What was old, has truly become new again as leading political, economic, and social scientists now agree, "What is good for the many, is good for the individual."

Miraculous Origin of Her Name

A Miraculous Name

Even the name she was given came directly from Heaven. Originally she was named Isabel after her maternal grandmother. But a miraculous occurrence took place while the child was an infant, before her Baptism. She was in her stroller with the Indian servant Mariana. All of a sudden the maid began to cry out to Rose's mother and the children assembled in the room. She saw the child's face turn into a beautiful rose! The children ran over to the stroller. They saw something different. They cried out that they saw a rose above her head, suspended in mid-air. Her mother, Oliva, took this as a sign from Heaven that the child was to be named Rose. We believe it was a sign from Heaven also, even though it caused a lifetime of bad feelings between Oliva and her mother, Isabel, for reasons which are pretty obvious. This was just the beginning of the mystical experiences attributed to St. Rose of Lima.

When it was time for the Baptism, Rose's grandmother, Isabel was still determined to have the Archbishop, Toribio de Mongrevo, baptize the child with her given name, Isabel. But the Archbishop, who heard about this miracle from his sister, being justifiably fascinated by the possibility that this might truly be a miracle from Heaven, baptized her with the name Rose, ignoring the name Isabel altogether. Whether he did it intentionally, or was inspired by the Holy Spirit, is not certain. Do you think there may have been a little intercession from on high? We do.

We believe that God had a very special plan for this child in the religious development of the people of this New World. If we just look at the parallel world, Europe, in this same time frame, we may be given some indicator as to why God was working so hard to make the Church strong in Peru. The year of Rose's birth was 1586. What was happening in Europe in 1586?

The heresies of Martin Luther had wreaked havoc on the Church of Europe from the beginning of the century. But the movement faltered, even under the rule of Calvin, who was much more violent than Martin Luther. It was in great danger of collapsing, until Henry VIII of England started his own church in an effort to legitimize his lustful and adulterous behavior. He wanted to marry many women and couldn't get the Pope to annul his previous marriages. Henry decided to throw out the Catholic Church and start a new church, with him as the head. This from a man who had been given the title of Defender of the Faith by the Pope for his defense of the Faith against Martin Luther.

Henry VIII's daughters played a game of one upmanship on him, treating those who would not come over to the Church of England worse than Henry did. By 1570, Elizabeth I, his daughter from Ann Boleyn, declared her Act of Supremacy,1 and in 1585, it became illegal to be a priest in England under pain of treason. Priests and religious became non-persons. This was Elizabeth's way of getting back at Pope Pius V, who excommunicated her as a heretic in 1570.

In 1588, a rumor was started that the Pope and the King of Spain were planning an invasion on England and Ireland. All priests who were in captivity or who were able to be rounded up, were taken to Canterbury and executed. Most were hanged, then drawn and quartered.2 They were called the Martyrs of Canterbury.

During the time Elizabeth and her cronies were enjoying killing their own countrymen, she decided it was time to subject the Irish to her particular type of terror. Thus began the Penal times for the Irish, the age of the persecution. Thousands of Irish people, faithful to the Church, were slaughtered or starved to death in an effort to bring Ireland under English Rule and the Church of England. It never happened. This was followed by Oliver Cromwell, who subjected the Irish to inhuman terror.

In France, the Huguenots3 began Wars of Religion, in which they looted and destroyed churches, kidnapped and murdered priests and nuns, dug up bodies of Saints and profaned them, all to put down Catholicism in France.

So if you wonder why Our Lady came to Guadalupe in 1531, and Our Lord Jesus gave us Martin de Porres, Rose of Lima, and Toribio de Mongrevo in Lima Peru at the end of the Sixteenth century, the answer may be all too clear.

A Rose from Heaven

In the midst of so much political activity in Lima, little Rose was born on April 20, 1586 to Oliva and Gaspar Flores. From the very beginning of her life she exhibited a great deal of mysticism. She was the only child of Gaspar and Oliva's eleven children who did not cause her mother any labor pains. All the children before, and those subsequent to Rose, caused her a great deal of pain in child-bearing. Rose, on the other hand, caused her mother a great deal of pain after she was born.

She was the recipient of God's graces from an early age. Barely able to walk, she would be found lost in contemplation before the big crucifix in her mother's room. At three years old, she endured surgery from an accident without crying at all. A heavy lid from a flour jar fell on her finger, causing a blood clot and great pain. The surgeon had to cut back her fingernail, and apply acid to the finger. All of this was done without anesthetic. The acid had to stay on the finger for several days. When she was complimented on her behavior, Rose commented on how much more Jesus had suffered.

Later, she was stricken with an excruciating earache. When asked if it hurt badly she stated, "Yes, but Our Lord's Crown of Thorns must have hurt much more."

During Rose's recuperation period from the blood clot, her mother tried teaching her how to read, using secular material. It was impossible. The girl could not read anything. Oliva gave up in despair. She threw the book across the room and told little Rose to get out of her sight. Then her grandmother began to teach Rose from her prayer book. Sometime later, little Rose came out of her room with the prayer book, having read several pages from it. When Oliva asked her daughter who taught her to read and write, she replied, "I asked the Baby Jesus to teach me, Mama, to save you the work and He did." Rather than being elated that her daughter could read and write, Oliva punished Rose for what she considered defiance. Rose took her punishment without a word of complaint.

In an effort to establish a truce with her own mother, Oliva allowed Rose's grandmother, Isabel, to bring Rose to confession to whatever church she desired. When Rose became five years old, Isabel brought her to the Jesuit church. Rose immediately asked her new confessor if she could make a vow of Chastity. The priest was somewhat surprised, especially in view of the fact that she was only five years old, but after prayer and counsel with superiors, he allowed her to make the vow. It would be a problem for Rose in later years, when her mother wanted her to marry, but at this time, it seemed harmless to the priest, and to our little Saint, it was an important gift to give Our Lord Jesus.

The Polis

All beginnings are lost in obscurity, including those of a race or people. Still, the social foundations of Greek life, namely, marriage and the family and property rights, appear to have been present already in pre-Hellenic times; they were certainly present among the Hellenes and Greco-Italic people before they differentiated into sub-groups. They must have been shaped by a primal religion which bestowed a central role on the ancestral cult as well as on the hearth. Ancestor worship also imposed monogamy, found in Greece at the very beginning, as evidenced by elaborate marriage rites and the severe punishment adultery entailed. And, likewise, the right to own land was causally related to veneration of the hearth and graves.

According to Diodorus, the hearth taught man the art of building houses. Originally, Greek houses were separated from each other; there were no rows of houses with partition walls between them. The family burial site was located on one's own land; therefore, this property could not be alienated. The duties deriving from ancestor worship also imposed the right of inheritance. The son inherited the land, the daughters being left out. But, to guarantee the continuation of sacrifices to the dead, daughters as inheritors were married to the next of kin, and adoption was permitted. Paternal power must have been very comprehensive.

In historical times the genos, i.e., the racial community in the old sense, was present only as a vestigial remnant, surviving nowhere in its original form. The genos appeared as a recollection, as an awareness of a common ancestry, and in a communal worship of the dead, the grave site being the only property held in common. The relation of the later lines of descent to the ancestral lineage remains in question; the accession of slaves and hired hands also had a complicating effect on the racial groupings. The interrelation of the racial stocks and tribes baffles conception and is purely hypothetical. We simply cannot tell whether families formed phratries, phratries phylae, and phylae tribes, or whether, on the contrary, the tribe was first and it broke up into phylae, phratries, and sub-groups. Whether it was a process of subdivision or of amalgamation cannot be ascertained.

In any event, a remnant of gray antiquity towers like an ancient mountain peak above alluvial plains-the phylae. The marked changes in the social structure and in the usage of words have here, as elsewhere, greatly encumbered our grasp of the original affairs.

The population of the Doric states tended to be composed of three phylae -Pamphylians, Dymaneans, and Hyllosians. Pamphylus and Dyman were sons of King Aegimius and grandsons of Dorus, while Hyllus was the son of Heracles, who once helped Aegimius in combat against the Lapithae. This third branch must somehow have been the favored one, for it provided the leaders, the Heraclidae, under whom the Dorians set out on their renowned migrations and laid the foundation of states.

In Attica, and likely also in other Ionic states, there were four phylae: Geleontes, Argadeis, Aegicoreis, and Hopletes, heroes who were ostensibly the sons of Ion. Antiquity supposed that these names stood for various modes of life-roughly, landowners, tradesmen, shepherds, and a knightly nobility. Not until subsequent historical times did each of the phylae comprise eupatrids and ordinary citizens of every sort. The phylae became elective bodies and, after Solon's constitution, each one contributed one hundred members to the council. It can not be determined whether the phylae in their early stages lived each in a separate place or not. Later, to be sure, they all lived together; it sufficed to know to which phyle one belonged. The names of the Athenians who fell at Marathon were recorded on the gravestones set on the large burial mound, according to phylae and, indeed, according to the new ones with which Cleisthenes replaced the old ones.

Are we to say that originally the Dorians were divided into three phylae and the Ionians into four? Or rather that the Dorians took their rise from the combining of three phylae, the Athenians from the combining of four? A fiery smelting process inconceivable to us gives rise to a race of people, whose individual states quite consistently reflect their common origins.

Originally, phylae were based on descent rather than occupation, as suggested by the examples adduced, for later phylae were artificially created in new settlements. When misfortune befell Cyrene, Demonax was called from Arcadia to restore order; he created three phylae out of the main components of the population: the first of emigrants from Thera and their neighbors, the second of men from the Peloponnese and Crete, and the third of men from the islands.

In its three original tribes Rome perhaps possessed a far older arrangement than it realized, namely, proto-Greeks and Italians living together, as may well be supposed they did in that area. It is commonly agreed that, although tradition makes Ramnes, Tatian, and Luceres centuries [subdivisions of tribes] instituted by Romulus, they were originally names of tribes. In Rome, indeed, there flourished a counter legend, according to which three population groups came together in the city only many years after it had been founded-Latins, Sabines, and some Etruscans. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, born a Greek, was the only one to detect that all three tribes were native there and that those who came later, Sabines and whoever else, were subsequently incorporated among the tribes already existing.

Cleisthenes may have divided the four phylae of Attica into ten in order to equalize matters. The four old phylae which Solon used as a basis may well have become lopsided in power during the agitated century between Solon and Cleisthenes. Such arrangements are veritable Janus heads; one face turned toward ancient processes and foundations from which the whole complex descended, the other turned toward the basis of representative government in states and hence often altered and deliberately reshaped.

Before the Greeks, the Phoenicians had already founded poleis, i.e., city communities, city states, with bodies of laws. The power of the kings was limited by a council whose membership apparently was made up of the chiefs of privileged families. These city states were able to settle colonies that copied the organization of their mother cities. These poleis differed from the ancient royal strongholds of the Orient, which in each nation represented the central point of the whole; they differed from the gigantic army encampment of the Assyrian dynasties on the Tigris, differed from Babylon founded as a common stronghold for property and the gods, differed from the three alternating residences of the Achaemenids, differed from the great mercantile centers associated with oriental trade, and from the temple cities of Egypt: essentially, they were civil strongholds.

From God to Newton and The Reconcilation of Science and Theology

It is common sense that in the so-called “Dark Ages” of the medieval Europe, theology predominated in all the area from theocracy to regalia and became the absolute authority in the spiritual world of European. Science was left no space in the magnificent palace ruled by theology and was seen as heterodoxy. At that time, the conflict in relations between science and theology was serious, or more exactly, the oppression theology put on science was cruel. For instance, Italian philosopher and scientist Bruno because of his insistence on scientific truth was burned at the stake by the Inquisition in Rome in 1600. Great physicist Galileo, for believing in and publicizing Copernicus’ heliocentricism, was put into prison for life.1 Under the great pressure and in the context of Western European fanaticism, there was hardly possibility and space for science to emerge. Up to 17th and 18th centuries, science began to advance rapidly and defeat theology eventually. God became “master not at home” and Newton became “chamberlaine in the world”. Why did it happen in Europe? The key is to find out the origins for the rise of modern science. To see it, we first look into Western traditional weltanschauung.

Western traditional weltanschauung is a kind of dualism. Toward no matter what in nature, morality or religion, Western people often has a dualistic attitude. For example, the classical two-valued logic based on true or false duality founded by Aristotle continued to use today. Moreover, the dualism of mind and body, subject and object, noumenon and phenomenon, ideal and reality, collective and individual and so on, could easily be found here and there in Western history and culture. Especially in religious beliefs and metaphysics, Western people adhered to a dualistic position so obstinately that the transcendent world and the real world were departed completely and heaven and earth were separated absolutely.2 No matter in significance or value, the former is always higher than the latter. Probing into the origins of the dualistic worldview, we could retrospect to ancient Greek philosophy (especially metaphysics) and Christian theology.

Plato’s theory of Forms asserted that the realm of Forms and the realm of things are opposed.3 “The Forms are those changeless, eternal, and nonmaterial essences or patterns of which the actual visible objects we see are only poor copies.”4 Although Aristotle tried to overcome Plato’s system of the dualism of Forms and actual things, he didn’t give up the dualistic idea of reality and phenomenon5, e.g. the distinction between matter and form.

Another element of Western traditional dualistic worldview is Christian theology. It is obvious that the city of God and the city of the world as well as faith and reason are resolvedly distinct in the Bible. Christian theology assured that any values and ideals that could not be fulfilled in the world could be achieved in paradise only if you affirm the existence of God and believe in God piously. If compared to the absolute Christian beliefs, any ethical or moral value or temporal ideal shows immediately insignificance in itself. For instance, Jesus’ response to the questions about paying tax - “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”(Matthew 22: 22) typically represented the dualism of Christian theology.

The Christian theological thought above mixed with Plato’s theory of Forms and Aristotle’s metaphysics latter constructed the voluminous system of scholasticism. In more than a thousand year of the medieval ecclesiastic system, the Christian theology was the dominant ideology of Western European.

In this context, although the scientific researches were never stopping completely, the scientific seeking and the exploring of nature and even all the secular concerns confronted with such a perfect, pure and transcendental realm constructed by Christian theology were suffering despisal, neglect and oppression. Christian theology became the unique absolute standard of Western people and persecuted those disobedient. Despite that theology nearly held all the power over all the secular and holy affairs and science seldom had space to develop, the theological worldview could not be necessarily ever-victorious and ever-valid. Once coming across holistic changes or encountering the assault of heterodox thought, the faiths of Western people would be lax, which would shake and even destroy the whole Christian theological worldview.

Renaissance in the 15th and 16th century first revolted. The sense of self-awakening catalyzed by humanism and the revival of ancient Greek and Roman cultures broke down the unified complexion under the reign of theology. Man as a scientific master instead of God in the theological world became the center of social life and academic researches so that science gained a valuable chance to grow.6 Then Reformation, against the moral corruption of the Catholic Church and the sham of the dualistic opposite of soul and body, advocated “justification by faith” and religious tolerance and rejected the absolute authority of and the spiritual control by the Church.7 Therefore, science got rid of the spiritual restriction of theology. Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th century in Europe further fulfilled the ideological liberation of Western European.8 Reason replaced faith and theology receded into the background. Modern science emerged as the times require.

The intellectual revolutions above are the main causes for the rise of modern science, but in the final analysis, the origins are from the collapse of Christian theological worldview and the rise of the scientific worldview. It is obvious that the collapse of Christian theological worldview was going with a series of the intellectual revolutions-Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment. But generally speaking, it could be explained in terms of the inherent problems of Christian theological worldview within and the assault of “heterodox” thoughts from outside.

First, the system of medieval scholasticism that wholly made a stand for Christian theology, although it tried to shorten the huge gap between reason and faith, yet because of its insistence on “faith superior to reason”, finally could not keep the balance and harmony between faith and reason. On the one hand, J. D. Scotus’ theory of “double truth” accelerated the departure of faith and reason.9 On the other hand, mysticism contended a direct encounter and mystical union with God, such as J. Eckhart said “God and soul were neither unaquainted nor far away, so soul was not only consistent with God, but identical with God.”10 Mysticism distained all secular affairs, consequently, theological dualistic worldview was transformed into a transcendental monistic worldview which refused any intervention of human reason. W. Ockham’s nominalism argued against the doctrines made up by scholasticism and the arguments of God’s existence. His principle of simplicity known as “Ockham’s razor” contended that “what can be explained on fewer principles is explained needlessly by more”11, which became a “prodder putting medieval theological system into disintegration.”12 Consequently, Western European in the late Middle Ages lost their confidence in Christian theological worldview and began to resort to reason.

Tracing the Origins of Ancient Cults and Cabals

We come together for protection against predators, for strength in numbers. Whether you are a Freemason or a Boy Scout, the reason you join forces with others of like-race and like-mind is to gain strength and protection.

In the extensive research for my new book and DVD, Secret Societies: Gardiner's Forbidden Knowledge, Revelations About the Freemasons, Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and the Serpent Cults, I found that, historically, the secret societies of the world are all connected and all derive from a similar if not the same source, and that the threads running through them all have been traced by scholars throughout the ages.

As Le Couteulx de Canteleu said in his Les Sectes et Societes Secretes published in 1863: "All secret societies have almost analogous initiations, from the Egyptian to the Illuminati, and most of them form a chain and give rise to others."

According to an article published in the Patriot 1922 by G.G. or 'Dargon', entitled "The Anatomy of Revolution",

"For centuries there have existed certain schools of mystical philosophy (with) . . . elements of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Egyptian occultism mingled with Grecian mysteries, Jewish Kabalism, and fragments of ancient Syrian cults. Out of the hodge-podge of Oriental philosophy, magic, and mythology arose . . Gnostic sects, and after the rise of Mohammedanism, heretical sects. . . To the same sources may be traced the ideas that inspired such political-religious movements of the Middle Ages as the Illuminati, Albigenses, Cathari, Waldenses, Troubadours, Anabaptists, and Lollards and the rise of early secret societies. The Templars are said to have been initiated by the Assassins into anti-Christian and subversive mysteries, and we find similar traces of an old and occult origin in the Alchemists, the Rosicrucians, and later mystical cults . . "

This "analogous" form running through all secret societies is the underlying belief in and worship of the stars. It is this element which named them the shining ones and it is this element that is still at the root of so much misinterpreted symbolism. Even the Holy Vehm were 'wissends' who had the sun and the stars as symbols of power. This worship of the stars was known as Sabeism and the high Mason, Albert Pike, pointed out: "The seven great primitive nations, from whom all others are descended, the Persians, Chaldeans, Greeks, Egyptians, Turks, Indians, and Chinese, were all originally Sabeists and worshipped the stars."

The very power of understanding the stars was jealously guarded by priesthoods around the world, from Aztec to Egyptian. The role of the priest was to interpret the movements of the stars, sun, and moon, in order to predict the future and for navigation. This jealousy forged ciphers, codes and symbols and forced the hiding and destruction of implements and tools of the trade. Many of the Freemasonic symbols we see today were never meant for building, they were meant for astrology and the logic of the stars.

These secrets of the stars were mystical to the early peoples who could not understand the magic. Secrets were passed from one generation to the next by initiates and adepts and this is how the long thread was woven, by passing on knowledge and keeping it hidden. Eventually, the secret brotherhoods no longer knew why they kept their odd symbols secret and why they said strange invocations. Yet, through tradition and dedication to their brothers, they kept alive a rich tapestry, a tapestry that I and other scholars can break down and interpret.

Hidden History

We must pull hard on the thread to unravel the tapestry, one generation at a time. According to Le Couteulx de Canteleu, the priests or leading men of the organisations followed the Egyptian hierarchy. At the highest level, there was the priest, who alone could do magic and contact the gods. At the second, we find the greater initiates, those chosen from the people and who must maintain secrecy at all costs and protect the priesthood. At the third, the lesser initiates were only told things that were deemed proper.

In this hierarchical trinity, we see the plan of most, if not all, of the world's secret societies. The majority of Freemasons today fall into the category of the lesser initiates; they seek no more because they know of no more. Only at the highest degrees in Freemasonry are the real secrets revealed, and yet there have been some who claim to have been higher-level initiates or indeed 'priests' and who have since 'spilled the beans'. Anyone who has seen these supposed secrets of white powdered gold and even Jewish conspiracy plots will know that this is misinformation at best and money-making at worst.

Lessons for Today

Each generation tends to look forward, forgetting that our past holds intelligent and thought provoking answers to questions that are and will always be relevant. Because we begin each generation afresh, we do not see the thread running through each generation from the one before--the thread of the secret society.

In the 20th century, psychology and psychoanalysis emerged, and the clever new words that came with them. Yet, why are we arrogant enough to believe that we discovered the root of human psychological problems? This is utter rubbish--Psyche herself was a Greek goddess.

For thousands of years, man has sought answers to the conundrums of his own inner reality--the only radical change is the wording. When we say that a person is psychotic, our ancestors would have said they were touched by the spirits. Are we more advanced than our ancestors?

90% of the world's population still believes in God, yet, we still rage war in the name of religion and we pollute the environment and destroy our own homes. There is anthropological evidence to prove that ancient man was peaceful, living in harmony with his neighbor and respecting the earth and living in balance with it. As populations grew and more people occupied smaller spaces, minor wars erupted and even, violent sacrifices. Small bands of men gathered together to control those who fought, and these small bands emerged as our kings and queens, medicine men and priests, and our secret societies.

There is a lesson here for us all. Just 100 years ago, a billion people lived on the planet. Now, there are six billion and growing. Six billion people can do a lot of harm to themselves and the environment, destroying the whole for everyone. Without balance, without wisdom, without knowledge, where are we heading?

We may believe that some spark in the bio-chemical and electric brain is enlightenment, yet, it is not. Our masters tell us what to be like, what to buy, what to do and say. We no longer need to know ourselves--the TV has all the answers. And yet, what we see on TV is a reflection of greed, money and capitalism and these can be interpreted as the dark forces of human nature. Light and dark are opposite sides of the same coin. Balance is wisdom, like a coin placed upon its edge, and like a coin, it can easily be knocked over.

I desire a good life that does not include a range of cars, a yacht in every port or another million. I am a realist, and the reality is that while one man has, another does not. My evolutionary instinct is to gather goods, property and wealth for the bad times ahead, to see me through the winter or the coming storm. The down side of this is that we grow that divisive side of our nature, greed, and somebody somewhere suffers. We join forces with others and hold our newfound cabal in secrecy, protecting it until time matures the original intention until it becomes unrecognizable--these are the origins of the secret societies of the ancients

Aquarians and the Coming Age of Aquarius

Twelve Nations of the Zodiac Each of us cycles through the Signs of the ancient Zodiac, though the order of this cycle is not known. While here on Earth we meet members of The Twelve, each forming a mystical 'nation' with language and customs all its own.

Even if you are not an Aquarian by Sun Sign, it can be well worth some investigation! You may have someone very important in your life who is an Aquarian and a little extra insight can only help. And, everyone has the Sign of Aquarius governing one of the 12 houses in their birth chart. If this is the 1st house, Aquarius is your Rising Sign or Ascendant and really, is the "other half" of your Self, partnered with your Sun Sign. If you have several planets (or the goddesses or Lilith, Chiron, Saturn, or Uranus, for example) in Aquarius, then you are more of an Aquarian than you know!

If you discover you have Venus in Aquarius - or Mars in Aquarius - this can change your entire self-understanding, for Venus rules not only our partnerships - including marriage - but to a large extent our friendships and the quality and tone of all our relationships. This is true of the material world we attract into our life, including of course our financial resources.

Each of us, at some point in our Earth History, is born into the Aquarian Sign, probably many times in the course of great Cycles of Time here on Earth. As we head into the Age of Aquarius, we are, in a way, all Aquarians now, for we will collectively experience the Aquarian archetype in a way not seen on Earth, for a long, long time...

We are not sure when The Age of Aqarius begins. Some think it began in the Sixties, with the explosion of the Baby Boomers into the world. Some feel it will start when Pluto, the karmic and evolutionary planet par excellence, moves into Aquarius in 2023 and remains there through 2043. The Age itself will last around 2,000 years, and if Uranus and Saturn have anything at all to do with it, we may have to hold onto our hats! Nothing about the Sixties was simple. The transformations begun were deep, mysterious and in some ways, even disturbing...much Uranus earthquake debris has had to be revisited, and sorted through, by Saturn. In any case, here's to the Age of Aquarius - it looks like we'll be finding the Maps as we go along...

Sun Sign as Archetype Each Sun Sign represents a major Archetype or cosmic pattern - a flowing, dynamic field of energy which enfolds, shapes and interacts with a given person, two people, or group of persons - even nations - in a given time. An Archetype is an emanation of God - one of the Energy Patterns/Stories in the Creator's Mind. Hence we refer to the archetypes as gods and goddesses. They are mysteries which we honor, and whose force we acknowledge and respect.

Archetypes encompass Past, Present and Future. They also contain their own opposites, which in a way, helps us to work through their main "lesson" - the moral of the story. Each has a strength, and each its weakness or Achilles heel. Like the great tales from mythology, we connect, as the Hero of the story, with qualities within us - the Dark and the Light - of which we had been completely unaware. As we come to know these mysteries of the Self, our story unfolds outward, to join with, and to become part of, the World we create with others.

The Sun Sign is one of the Hero's many Roads - the one we have chosen for this life...we cannot put it in a bottle or under a microscope - any more than an actor or actress can become too self-conscious when acting their role. We have to throw ourselves into being ourselves - and not look back in over-analysis or too many "if only's..." We are on a journey of exploration and self-expression in the cosmos. We are not entirely in charge of this journey! So ride the wave and don't be too concerned about the negatives of your Sun Sign - because those negatives are actually part of the positives, but this we only understand in the fullness of time.

Aquarius * Bearer of Mysterious Waters The Water Bearer - symbol of Aquarius - hints at a heavenly or esoteric essence, which Aquarius alone brings to humanity. The Waters are associated with life-giving water for the planet Earth - and this may lie in the original "gods" who taught irrigation to early human beings on the planet (see Enki, below). The Waters are also said to be symbolic of the waters of spiritual life - Aquarius symbolized baptism in some faiths, including Christian.

Ancient teachings hint that the "waters" are actually a kind of force field or energy field, better understood through physics than through the earth sciences and the waters of our oceans and the rains. The Waters of Aquarius certainly appear to be connected with Neptune, but this may be less to do with the seas on earth, and more to do with a kind of Cosmic Sea. There are a great many Sumerian tablets whose writings contain a rich mythology, which, as Zecharia Sitchin has suggested, may actually be history, and not legend. Beginning with The Twelfth Planet, Sitchin lays out what the tablets say about the gods/astronauts who came to the Earth hundreds of thousands of years ago. Astrology - in terms of the 12 signs of the Zodiac, and the celestial and earth timing used by the astronauts, played a vital role in the visits of these "gods" and their role in creating humanity along with establishing rich gardens of civilization across the face of the earth.

In a fascinating description of how our solar system was created, the "gods" describe in detail the original act of conception between a solitary pair of planets floating in a rich sea of Waters which became the Petrie dish for the creation, one by one, of each of the major planets in our solar system. As a final touch in the somewhat turbulent emergence and stabilization of the solar system, it was said that it was Neptune's odd, magnetic, hypnotic energy field which ultimately held the other planets in their orbits. Interestingly, Sumerian records show that these early "gods" - and the Sumerian civilization they nurtured - knew about all the planets in our solar system, including Uranus, "discovered" in 1781 which is the outer planet that co-rules Aquarius with Saturn. They also associated Aquarius with perhaps the most remarkable of all the astronauts, a "god" called Enki.

Enki * Ancient Origins of the Aquarius Archetype Enki is very similar to Prometheus, who stole Fire from the Gods to give to Mankind. The theme is oddly the same, for Enki gave to early humanity the practical plans and blueprints for civilization, such as the science of irrigation. Enki is said to have defended Humanity from his brother gods, when they were disappointed with our moral weaknesses (specifically, obsession with sex, it seems), and to have given the plans for the Ark before the Flood to the original Noah, whose story was later, along with others, lifted from Sumerian records to form the early books of the Bible.

Enki was always associated in Sumerian records with Aquarius, but was also in some contexts associated with the sign of Capricorn (planet Saturn) and sign of Pisces (planet Neptune). It appears that this triple designation comes from both the "ages" in which he visited and worked on Earth, and to the kind of work, as a science officer, he performed. If Enki is the ultimate archetype for Aquarius, this may be why Aquarius is more complex - and also more mysterious - than is so often portrayed in Astrology.

What You Don't Know About Malaysia

Hello there. 'Selamat Datang ke Malaysia'. That means, 'Welcome to Malaysia' in our national language Bahasa Malaysia. It would be impossible to tell you everything about Malaysia in such a short period of time, but I will give you a general idea so that you are able to appreciate this beautiful country better.

History

Firstly, let's start with a bit of history. I don't know if you're a history buff, but an understanding of Malaysia is an understanding of its history.

Let's take a step back in time... and I mean back to 35,000 BC.

Starting with ancient Malaysia, we are talking about a time period between 35,000 BC to 100 BC. The oldest known evidence of human habitation is a skull from the Niah Caves in Sarawak or East Malaysia dating from 35,000 BC. On the peninsula itself, Stone Age tools and implements from about 10,000 BC have been found. Some archaeologists suggest that they were left there by the Negrito aborigines - one of the earliest groups to inhabit the peninsula. The tribe still exists in Malaysia today.

We also know that about 2,500 BC, another group migrated to the peninsula all the way from China. They are called the Proto-Malays and they were seafarers and farmers. Their eventual advancement into the peninsula forced the Negritos into the hills and jungles. With waves of migration, another group was soon created, the Deutero-Malays. This group was a combination of many peoples- Indians, Chinese, Siamese, Arabs, and Proto-Malays. They mastered the use of iron. In combination with the peoples of Indonesia, the Deutero-Malays formed the racial basis for the group many today call, the Malay.

Early writings from India describe a place called Suvarnabhumi, otherwise known as the Land of Gold. This far away, unknown land was described as a mystical, wealthy, opulent kingdom. This mysterious land was what drew the first Indians to the Peninsula. Coming from the Bay of Bengal with the reliable winds of the southwest monsoon, they landed in Kedah up north sometime around 100 BC. If it was indeed the mystical land they sought, no one will ever know, but whatever they found in Malaysia at the time certainly guaranteed a steady stream of Indian traders arriving in search of gold, aromatic wood, spices and much more.

History soon tells of the Hindu Kingdoms that lasted from 100 BC to 1400 AD. Besides trading goods, the Indians also brought a pervasive and strong culture with them. Ancient religions like Hinduism and Buddhism swept through the land. Local kings who sent emissaries to the subcontinent became impressed by the efficiency of the Hindu courts and began to refer to themselves as "rajahs." It became the integration of the best Indian ruling traditions, which historians refer to as "Indianised kingdoms." There is still remaining evidence in Lembah Bujang up north, where you can find Malaysia's most extensive archeological site- the sprawling ruins of an ancient Hindu kingdom dating back to 300 AD. Over 50 tomb temples dot the site, and hundreds of relics are on display in the nearby Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum. Much of Malay, and local culture retain aspects of Indian culture, and this can be seen in the use of Sanskrit in the national language, through similar wedding ceremonies, the use of henna, dances, performances and much more.

In the 7th century, came an important kingdom- the Srivijaya Empire, which was lauded with the title of having the best trading port in the region. We know this through the records of Chinese, Indian, and Arab traders. Other ports were quick to emulate it, hoping to achieve the same success. During the 13th century, as other ports emerged, Srivijaya's influence declined. The lack of a strong central power, coupled with the nuisance of pirates, increased the need for a secure, well-equipped port in the region. Fate would take care of this. This port would soon be none other than Malacca.

The Malay Annals say, that a fleeing Palembang prince named Parameswara founded Malacca, down south, in 1400. Palembang is in the south of the Indonesian province of Sumatra, just across the straits. One day, while the prince was scouting for a new area to build his new kingdom, he saw a tiny mouse deer wrestling with a big dog while he was resting under the Melaka tree. Guess what? The tiny mouse deer won. Taking this as a good omen, he decided to establish a kingdom called Malacca, named after the tree that he was resting on. He built and improved facilities for trade, and within 50 years; it became the most influential port in all of Southeast Asia. At any given time, ships from dozens of kingdoms great and small could be seen anchored at the harbor. Imagine, hundreds of traders all trading and seeking their fortune in this new world with their spices, jewels, silks and much more.

Along with these traders came the religion of Islam, and Malacca's rulers now referred to themselves as "Sultans." The sultans were the heads of a highly organized municipal government. A multilingual harbor captain met each incoming ship, and his staff would see to all the vessel's needs. Besides that, there were also guarded storehouses where goods could be stored until traders arrived, or for safekeeping until they left. Most importantly, Malacca was attractive to traders because it was able to control what had been the bane of trade in the Straits - the pirates. And how did they do this? Well, by building alliances with outlying tribes and ports. They managed to establish a regional "navy" that policed local waters and escorted friendly vessels.

With the success and power it enjoyed, Malacca came to control the entire west coast of the Malay Peninsula including the kingdom of Pahang, and much of Sumatra. At the height of its power or as most Malaysians would say - Zaman Kegemilangan Melaka, the Glorious Age of Malacca- it became one of the most prosperous areas in South East Asia.

But its popularity lured the Portuguese; keen on replenishing their stocks of spices and other wares. The Portuguese would soon become the first of many to colonize this once independent and blossoming kingdom. The Portuguese would also begin a colonial legacy that would stretch well into the 20th century.

It was in 1511, when a Portuguese fleet led by Alfonso de Albuquerque sailed into Malacca's harbor, opened fire with cannon, and captured the entire city. Malacca's golden age came to an end.

Without further ado, the Portuguese constructed a massive fort in Malacca, which you can still visit, called A Famosa. The Dutch eventually captured the fort in 1641. This gave the Dutch an exclusive lock on the spice trade, until 1785, when the last but longest of colonizers- the British, convinced the Sultan of Kedah to allow them to build a fort on the island of Penang up north. The British were interested in having a safe port for their ships on the way to China. Instead of handing Malacca over to the French, the Dutch government in exile at the time agreed to let England temporarily oversee the port. The British returned the city to them in 1808, but the Dutch handed Malacca back to the British again as a trade off for Bencoleen in Sumatra. The Dutch continued to control the region until 1819 when Britain sent Sir William Raffles to establish a trading port in Singapore. This would eventually see the three British colonies - Penang, Malacca, and Singapore - be known as the Straits Settlement. This effectively sealed the British as the new superpower of the Straits.

In the late 1860s, fights for the control of the throne of Perak led to a war, causing the British to intervene. That eventually led to the signing of a peace treaty known as the Pangkor Agreement in 1874. The treaty gave Britain an even greater role in the region and helped maintain its monopoly on tin mining.

Together with the White Rajas or the Brookes in Borneo, Britain ruled over Malaya. Until the Japanese invaded and ousted them in 1942. During this time, many Chinese fled to the jungle and established an armed resistance that, after the end of the war, became the basis for a communist insurgency. In 1945, when World War II ended, Britain resumed control of Malaya again. But this time, the locals were ready to ask for independence. They eventually organized themselves in an alliance under Tunku Abdul Rahman. When the Union Jack was finally lowered in Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square in 1957, Tunku became the first prime minister of Malaya.

After the independence, a series of difficulties laid ahead for Malaya. The biggest question was, which territories would be included in the new state? So, in 1963 Malaya became "Malaysia" after Tunku convinced Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak to join Malaya in a federal union. Singapore was later kicked out from Malaysia in 1965, after it challenged the supremacy of the Malays.

What a long journey it has been. But that's not the end.

There was also the problem of determining national identity. Malaysia was, and still is, a mix of people from many races and cultures, and uniting them under a common flag was problematic. The Malays represent the majority. Thus the constitution gives them certain privileges; it also made Islam the official religion, and made Malay the national language. However, it was the Chinese who were firmly dominating business and trade, and most Malays were going through economic hardships. On May 13th 1969, after the opposition party won a significant number of seats, riots swept through Kuala Lumpur and the country was placed in a state of emergency. The government, controlled by the United Malay National Organization, passed the New Economic Policy or the NEP. The NEP attempted to increase economic opportunities for the Malays by establishing various quotas in their favor. This continues to be a hotly debated issue in Malaysia until today. The emergency has not been lifted since, and continues to be a painful moment that most Malaysians talk about with much dread.

Of course, in the last few decades since, Malaysia has undergone growth and prosperity, and has made significant progress in race relations. Issues continue be discussed and a newly elected government after the 2008 elections saw a stronger Opposition presence. Currently, Najib Tun Razak serves as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Well, that's the end of our short history of Malaysia. I know I took quite long but hey, this is a history spanning 37,000 B.C.

Political System

Now, what is the political system in Malaysia like? Well, the political system uses the framework of 'federal constitutional elective monarchy'. The federal head of state in Malaysia is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or the King of Malaysia. Yang di-Pertuan Agong means "He who is made Lord". His title, including the honorific is pretty long- here it goes: Ke Bawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which means, "The Dust Under The Feet Of His Royal Highness, Conqueror Majesty The Supreme Lord of the Federation". The current King is the Sultan of Terengganu, from the east coast and his name including his title and honorific goes like this- take a deep breath: Duli Yang Maha Mulia Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah. Would you like to repeat that?

The King is elected to a five-year term among the nine hereditary Sultans of the Malay states, a practice that is continued from way back in the Malay sultanate. The other four states, which have Governors, do not participate in the selection for the King. The Malaysian system of government is closely modeled after the Westminster parliamentary system. This is undoubtedly a legacy of British colonial rule. Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has been governed by a coalition known as the Barisan Nasional.

On to legislative power. The Legislative branch is divided between federal and state legislatures. The Parliament consists of two houses. The first is the lower house, which is the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat, which means Chamber of the People. The second is the upper house, the Senate or Dewan Negara, which means Chamber of the Nation. There are 222 members in the lower house and they are elected for a maximum term of five years. As for the members of the upper house, all 70 Senators sit for three-year terms.

Besides the Parliament at the federal level, each state has a state legislative chamber whose members are elected from single-member constituencies.

Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years, with the last general election being in March 2008. The prime minister must be a member of the lower house of parliament who, in the opinion of the King, commands a majority in parliament. The cabinet is chosen from among members of both houses of the Parliament.

On to foreign relations. Malaysia is one of the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN and participates in the United Nations. Also, as a former British colony, it is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and a member of the Developing 8 Countries. Malaysia manages good diplomatic relations with many countries, with the exception of the State of Israel, which it does not recognize. Those bearing Malaysian passports will have a stamp that does not allow for visits to Israel, although travel to Jerusalem is sometimes permitted for religious reasons.

Geography

Alright. Let me give you an idea about the geography of Malaysia. It is the 66th largest country in the world, with a land area of over 320,000 km2. That's not very big actually, roughly the size of Norway and Vietnam and the US state of New Mexico. Population: 43rd most populated country in the world, similar to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

There are two distinct parts of Malaysia as you already know, separated from each other by the South China Sea. They are the Peninsula Malaysia, where you most probably are right now, and East Malaysia in Borneo Island in the east. Mount Kinabalu is over there at East Malaysia in the state of Sabah and it stands at 4,095 metres. Mount Kinabalu is also the tallest peak in Southeast Asia. The local climate is equatorial, which simply means hot and sweaty all year round.

The Straits of Malacca is still considered the most important shipping lane in the world, much as it was in the time of the Malaccan sultanate.

Malaysia has 13 states and 3 federal territories. Let's see how many you can remember. The states- they are: from north, Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang or Penang if you like, and Perak. In the central region we have Selangor, where Kuala Lumpur is, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka. On the east, and by east I mean the east of the peninsula, we have Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. Down south, we have Johor. On the east side of Malaysia or Borneo if you like, we have two states over there, Sabah and Sarawak. As for the 3 federal territories, they are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city in Malaysia. Putrajaya is the federal administrative capital. Many executive and judicial branches of the federal government moved to Putrajaya because the long-suffering inhabitants of Kuala Lumpur have been complaining of traffic congestion. Kuala Lumpur is still recognised as the legislative capital of Malaysia as it houses the seat of the Malaysian Parliament. Kuala Lumpur is also the main commercial and financial centre of the country. Some other major cities in Malaysia include, let's see how many you know: George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Alor Star, Malacca Town, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Kuantan and Petaling Jaya. You will encounter some of them in other audio guides, so watch out for them!

Part of the reason Malaysia or Malaya was of such interest to the British was due to its rich natural resources. Malaysia is one of the top exporters of natural rubber and palm oil, together with sawn logs and sawn timber, cocoa, pepper, pineapple and tobacco. Palm oil has also become a major generator of foreign exchange.

Logging in Malaysia only began to make a substantial contribution to the economy during the 19th century. Today, an estimated 59% of Malaysia remains forested, though logging has brought about a serious erosion problem in the country's forest resources.

Malaysia was once the world's largest producer of tin until the collapse of the tin market in the early 1980s. Petroleum and natural gas took over from tin as the main mineral. Petroleum and natural gas discoveries in oil fields off Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu have contributed much to the Malaysian economy. Other minerals include copper, bauxite, iron-ore and coal as well as clay, kaolin, silica, limestone, barite, phosphates and stones such as granite. Also, small quantities of gold are produced.

Permanent Human Values

At the start of the US involvement in WWII Joseph Campbell was put in the position of having to defend culture and truth rather than go along with the crazed nationalism and outright invasion of so many public institutions through all manner of propaganda. He ended up being accused of being a Nazi by many who should have known better. The Bollingen Foundation was backed by Mellon family money and it sought to establish an integrative disciplinary approach including the mystical precepts of Mircae Eliade and Carl Jung. It was a truly good effort that still brings culture and Brotherhood values through the many books they published. Their efforts at Eranos deserve close attention for any scholar seeking to understand the positive side of the old-money families or elites. I wonder if the Elite sometimes do demonstrate a beneficent paternalism when I see these good efforts. The speech that follows stands as true or truer today, than when he gave it to the ladies at Sarah Lawrence College, where he was a professor.

"Permanent Human Values

I have been asked to tell you what seem to me to be some of the important things--permanently human--which men are likely to forget during hours of a severe political crisis.

Permanent things, of course, do not have to be fought for--they are permanent. We are not their creators and defenders. Rather--it is our privilege (our privilege as individuals: our privilege as nations) to experience them. And it is our private loss if we neglect them. We may fight for our right to experience these values. But the fight must not be conducted on a public battlefield. This fight must be conducted in the individual mind. Public conquerors are frequently the losers in this secret struggle.

Permanent things, furthermore, are not possessed exclusively by the democracies; not exclusively even by the Western world.

My theme, therefore, forbids me to be partial to the war-cries of the day. I respect my theme, and I shall try to do it justice. I am not competent to speak of every permanent human value. I shall confine myself, therefore, to those which have been my special disciplinarians: those associated with the Way of Knowledge.

Which of these are likely to be forgotten during the hours of a severe political crisis? All of them, I should say. I think that everything which does not serve the most immediate economic and political ends is likely to be forgotten.

I think, in the first place, that the critical objectivity of the student of society is likely to be forgotten--either forgotten or suppressed. For example: The president of Columbia University has declared that the present conflict is a war 'between beasts and human beings, between brutal force and kindly helpfulness,' Yet Columbia professors laboriously taught, during the twenties and thirties something about the duties of objective intelligence in the face of sensational propaganda: and no educated gentleman can possibly believe that the British Empire or the French Empire or the American Empire was unselfishly founded in 'kindly helpfulness.' without gunpowder or without perfectly obscene brutality.

It is not surprising, of course, that there should be a strain of opportunism in those public gentlemen who are in a position to tell the multitude what to think; but that our universities--those institutions which have plumed themselves in their dignified objectivity--should begin now to fling about the gutter-slogans of our newspaper cartoons, seems to be a calamity of the first order.

Perhaps our students must prepare themselves to remember (without any support for our institutions of higher learning) that there are two sides to every argument, that every government since governments began, has claimed to represent the special blessings of the heavenly realm, that every man (even an enemy) is human, and that no empire (not even a merchant empire) is founded on 'kindly helpfulness.'

When there was no crisis on the horizon, we were told that objectivity was a good. Now that something seems to threaten our markets--or to threaten perhaps even more than that--we are warned (and this by still another of our university presidents) that the real fifth-columnist in this country is the critical intellectual. What kind of leaders are these men, anyhow?--snorting through one nostril about the book-burnings in Germany, wheezing through the other at critical intelligences in our own Republic?

In the second place we are in danger of neglecting the apparently useless work of the disinterested scientist and historian. Yet if there is one jewel in the crown of Western Civilization which deserves to take a place beside the finest jewels of Asia, it is the jewel cut by these extraordinary men. Their images of the cosmos and of the course of earthly history are as majestic as the Oriental theories of involution and evolution. But these images are by no means the exclusive creation, or even property, of democracies. Many of the indispensable works which you must read, if you are to participate in the study of these images, have not even been translated into democratic tongues. Let me say, therefore, that any serious student of history or science who permits the passions of this hour to turn her away from German is a fool.

Whatever may be the language for hemisphere defense, German, French and English are the languages of scholarship and science. (Biblio: At Sarah Lawrence, as at many schools and universities, German and Italian were being eliminated from the curriculum, as if somehow the boycott of the language would enforce some kind of sanction on the country or its political leaders. It was probably this practice Campbell was decrying.) German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Scandinavian, English, Irish, Polish, Russian, Swiss, Christian, Pagan, Atheist, and Jewish have been the workers in these spheres. Chauvinism has no place here. The work is international and human. Consequently, whenever there is a resurgence of the nationalisms and animalisms of war, scientist and scholar have to cork themselves tightly in. They are not anti-social parasites and slackers when they do this. It is with them that Western Culture, as opposed to Western Empire, will survive.

In the third place, the work of the literary man and the artist is in danger. We need not worry about the popular entertainer: he will be more in demand than ever. But we may worry about the artists of social satire: theirs will be a plight very like the plight of the objective social scientist. And we may worry about the creative writers, painters, sculptors, and musicians devoted to the disciplines of pure art. The philistine (that is to say the man without hunger for poetry and art) will never understand the importance of these enthusiasts. But those of you whose way of personal discipline and discovery is the way of the arts will understand that if you are to keep in touch with your own centers of energy, you must not allow yourself to be tricked into believing that social criticism is proper art, or that sensational entertainment is proper art, or that journalistic realism is proper art. You must not give up your self-exploration in your own terms. The politicians are such a blatant crew and their causes are so obvious that it is exceedingly difficult to remember, when they surround you, anything but the surfaces of life....

The artist--in so far as he is an artist--looks at the world dispassionately: without thought of defending his ego or his friends; without thought of undoing any enemy; troubled neither with desire or loathing. He is as dispassionate as the scientist, but he is looking not for the causes of effects, he is simply looking--sinking his eye into the object. To his eye this object permanently reveals the fascination of a hidden name or essential form...

Now this perfectly well-known crisis, which transports a beholder beyond desire and loathing, is the first step not only to art, but to humanity. And it is the artist who is its hero. It cannot be said, therefore, that the artist is finally anti-social, even though from an economic point of view his work may be superfluous; even though he may seem to be sitting pretty much alone.

Moving Towards a Higher State

The accepted 'generic' meaning of the word 'progress' is contained in dictionaries and is denoted, 'to move toward a higher STAGE'. While this meaning is understood, this is not strictly true calling for a possible amendment to our dictionaries or additional qualification. When we delve into progress from the perspective of physics and the second law of thermodynamics then 'progress' on the physical plane is canceled out by the duality of positive and negative factors. This happens on all levels. The old axiom, 'there is no such thing as a free lunch,' applies.

Development on the mental plane also has a negative condition that cancels out the claim of 'progress.' The accumulation of knowledge by individuals is also thought of progress, that is however, eroded by our short lifespans and the limits of our relative knowledge.

In this conjecture we are referring to 'advancement' or movement from 'A' to 'B'.

So what you might say!

While humans enjoy creating fantasies and illusions that helps us escape the hum-drum of daily existence it matters a great deal how we use certain symbols of language. The notion of progress has an important bearing on economics and what is happening to our planet. Currently, use of words such a 'progress' is a mixed metaphor that re-enforces a closed perception of our world and impacts on the way we view other cultures.

Political systems are fashioned after teachings that see progress in material terms while not taking into account the costs to the environment and social aspects such as psychic health. This is becoming apparent due to 'carbon taxes' being issued to counter global warming that appears to be running at a much faster pace than climate change caused by evolution barring an extreme clash such as a large asteroid or pole shift that has occurred several times in the past.

Longer term consequences are emerging such as ozone depletion due to industrial processes. Somewhere in our economic equations that make profit as the only goal, indirect costs are frequently left out and is often sidelined into the lap of society to deal with at a later juncture. The power of technology such as the media only serves to bolster those with power and control when changes are required to ensure the greater good and survival.

Meanwhile, nature seeks balance one way or another that should give us a clue in our collective wisdom about applying some principles in economic development with an all-round approach. As much as we like to educate our children for a better life and future, it seems that human endeavor remains firmly in the grip of exploitation and the grip of unnecessary wars.

In Australia various indigenous clans lived near the coastal regions. By and large their lifestyles were idyllic. They had abundant fishing and rich cultural ceremonies with meaning of purpose. They believed that life was a transformation through cycles and a spiritual journey that closely parallels the teachings of Tantric practices in India that 'seek union' with God. They understood that a human life span was short and told stories of the 'spirit' or 'soul' as depicted by today's religions.

Indigenous cultures did not have to pay taxes, follow a nine to five drudgery and earn money so that they could afford a car to get to work so as to earn money. They wore basic clothing but then again did not have to farm sheep and apply chemicals to the land that ended up in waterways as pollution. Our industrial processes require large amounts of energy that has a cost to the environment. We have gone from the horse to automobiles for transportation. In a societies of millions of people the impact on resource use, energy requirements, pollution and accidents has been considerable. When all costs and factors are taken into consideration the gains are canceled out by the negative aspects.

We are infatuated with mobile phones while a sleeper issue about microwave pollution and effects on the brains of users are about to emerge but not by the commercial owners who suppress the negative aspects. Many things we do out of convenience or because it is directly cost effective but completely ignore other costs that is cloaked by commercial social engineering in the name of progress.

Milk cartons are a case in point. Milk bottles were reused many times before being recycled for meltdown and only involved several basic chemicals. Whereas milk cartons use many chemicals in their manufacture and plastic linings cause molecular infusion into liquids or food. There is a case that the cost in bottles was actually cheaper than milk cartons that provide more profit to the developers. Carton use also removed local jobs. Around the Great Lakes of the USA plastic chemical molecules are causing birth defects in humans and animals.

A vast array of plastic products is causing a vortex accumulation of junk in our oceans. Carbon dioxide pollution in our air is causing the seas to acidify as the parts per million go from around 275ppm several decades ago to around 375ppm today. This has been established by the CSIRO in Australia.

Modern societies have complex systems of pipe work and cabling that require maintenance and upgrade. If money is diverted away from public works to save banks or businesses that caused financial losses in the first place (USA), then breakdown occurs with serious repercussions for society as a whole.

Many people do not want to pay carbon taxes because they know that countries like China use coal exported from their country. They do not want to subsidize coal industries while countries like China remain unaccountable. Ironically, the measures required to counter pollution can be neutralized by a public impasse under democratic systems. The impasse is brought about by social classes who do not want change that seeks a balance or minimizes the negative costs.

Above Earth are thousands of satellites that are essential in communication and commerce. If this network is assailed by meteors or magnetic storms, perhaps an industrial enemy, the super technology network would be rendered useless. We have however, not planned for such a scenario because current economic systems are unable to abide by rational choices seeking dynamic equilibrium in the interests of all.

Our immense vulnerability may become apparent if a giant earthquake or another polar shift severs the Internet cables under the ocean. It's not that there is no wisdom about this factor it is really about the social control and those with power but no vision.

Giant car companies are massaging the public psyche about electric cars that use fuel cells or cadmium batteries based on fairly rare and expensive metals. The French have developed air cars that are cheap to run and don't require exotic metals for power systems. Although, when compressed air gets cold it loses it efficiency. There are better choices that can be made but they are not being made. The current ethos puts profit before collective welfare and works against the progressive utilization of appropriate technology. Even then, the French know that public transportation and bicycle ways would be a far better use of resources as a priority.

In hindsight the demands on resources such as oil, copper and platinum is a type of technological imperialism that requires hard-nosed governments to implement policies to exploit other countries and communities without fair compensation.

This leads to conflict and war and has been going on for a long time. Increasingly the distribution of wealth gets worse despite powerful productions systems only working at 60% of their capacity. Real wealth cannot be based upon ever increasing credit (debt). Clearly something is very wrong despite the images of abundance being promulgated in advanced societies.

As technology advances with automation it increasingly favors elite sections of an economy while working against overall social well-being of the majority. The social disparity results in more people resorting to anti-social and criminal behavior such as through drug running. The anti-social side of economic systems results in vast resources being used to combat drug networks and is becoming more futile as criminal networks take advantage of social disparity or the 'Dream.' Wealthy people have to create enclaves to protect themselves and their families. While material possessions may adorn ones lives we observe an increasing unease or disturbance in emotional and mental life in western culture.

The more people use their minds for mental work the greater the impact on nervous systems and physiology. Many people stare at computer terminals all day long and live more sedentary lifestyles as a result. Health problems of eyes and good vision are emerging. To address the lack of physical exertion a workout at the gym is required.

Progress on the physical and mental planes is correctly speaking about advancement and movement from A to B. The next state is about spiritual development and its relationship to progress. While many religious denominations would see spirituality as adhering to a belief system based on religious outlook, spiritual progress is defined in mysticism as spanning the gap between the finite and infinite.

The notion of God as being an omniscient entity capable of hearing prayers sits at odds with religious doctrines that by doctrine oppose the quest for mystical expansion or 'expansion of the soul.' Although religious traditions includes a religious order such as the Jesuits with mystical leanings, the common place practice of most Christian religions is praying to God and adhering to moral tenets. Catholic religious practice involves a devotional outlook that is in accordance with mystical practices but parts ways when seeking union with God (Yoga)not only relating to God.

The artificial distinction drawn by various religious orders between their outlook and the mystical path is predominantly about religious authority maintaining doctrine over their followers and derived from history by the intellectual value class that is usually expressed in religion. However, the spiritual practices of Christianity and that of Eastern tradition have an essential departure point.

One seeks union with God such as the 'drop merging with the ocean' analogy and the other seeks to know God primarily through worship and moral adherence. That is not to say that the mystical tradition of achieving oneness with God (liberation and perfection) did not follow moral precepts as well.

In fact there are ten practices of Eastern Yoga particularly the Tantra path that have a strong parallel to the Ten Commandments of Christianity. The vehement opposition of various religions to the mystical quest of merging with the 'Infinite' is most likely based upon the differences in spiritual goals and attainment not only the sway of the religious, intellectual class.

Since the inherent state of physics involves duality and the negative and positive factors result in cancellation in terms of progress then what does constitute progress? As already hinted it is spiritual development that is the realm of progress and is an aspect of evolution in its own rights. This has been presented in the article, 'The Evolution of Mind (G.O.D.) on EzineArticles.com. Various intellectuals would argue this is nothing more than a theoretical notion without foundation especially when it comes to belief in God.

Prominent intellectuals and outspoken atheists of today regard spirituality as nothing more than an emotional state intrinsic to ourselves. There is paradox in this. That paradox includes the atheists who 'thank God' for being an atheist and is a part of the grand nature of diversity and a requirement of our existence. From their perspective belief in God is the ultimate dogma directly associated with the persistent dogmas of religion promulgated over the centuries. That anti-dogma outlook that is a social service in its own rights and leads to a rationalists only world view that takes sides with the corollary scientific materialism that also has its limitations or boundary.