Cultivation of the Soul is hinted at in ancient doctrines and religions, if not directly attested, but not using these terms. The Ancient cultures had something that our modern culture has seemingly lost today: an integrated holistic model of the Human Being. Although there have always been differences of opinion with regards to the exact constitution of this model, there is nonetheless a discernible model.
Based on my understanding, there is a quadripartite model of being, that can in fact be reduced to a tripartite model:
These 4 pillars, can in fact be reduced to 3 by the exclusion of Soul, as Soul is the entire framework upon which the entire scaffolding rests, and it is the one we cannot related with directly. We need intermediaries, in fact, and these ‘bodies’ that constitute Being, are the interface through which the Soul operates in this reality that we live our lives in, either real or illusory, simulated or natural.
Thus, for the purpose of the Cultivation of the Soul, the model of being that we will be working with is reduced to the 3 above, with the exception of Soul, which is the underlying substance of our very being.
I understand these are grand statements, but I hope to articulate the supporting points of this model in the following chapters. Bear with me, while we make a slow start in this journey.
This course will have 3 main sections, and 1 concluding chapter, but before we get into the thick of it, let me start by addressing a different point, which is motivation: Why am I doing this?
I have thought long and hard about these concepts for the better part of my adult life, while observing the world around me, the chaos and general anxiety with regards to the future of humanity, culminating in the recent rise of AI, and with AGI around the bend. Now that I have children of my own, I am struck with a sense of responsibility, towards my own children, but also towards all the other children in this world.
I am not an old man, by any means, but I am old enough to see and hear. I think there is need for guidance which is why I set out on a path to answer some deeply burning questions:
There are no simple answers to any of these questions, but at some point you need to make a choice, and choose the answers that will lead you to the world that you want to see.
There were three men that came to Buddha once to ask him each a question. The Atheist asks about God and Buddha says God exists; a Theist asks and Buddha says God does not exist; a third man says he does not know, and Buddha answers with silence.
This Soul Cultivation model that I am about to propose is nothing new, really, but it rests on a number of core premises that I will lay out at the beginning, that you need to think about on your own and either accept, discard or repurpose/reframe however you want.
However, if you believe in your core that you are a soul-less physical machine and that everything is meaningless, this path is not for you, at least not yet.