What the Heck is a Punctilio?

 

Rules and Principles, or if you prefer Standards and Ethics, are the guides of our actions.  A punctilio is:  A little point of conduct highlighting etiquette, or procedure. We are using this term to illustrate the standards and ethics that have been shared with humanity over the generations.

We have recently learned of the 11:11 laws.  These are 22 spiritual and Universal laws.  As we learned of these laws, it seemed to me that the 11:11 laws have MUCH in common with our developing Punctilios.  In this presentation I combine them into one outline for our consideration. [Brackets and small type] indicate the source of the concept. 

Beliefs are Superior to Natural Law(?)

The quote for discussion is "discover beliefs; beliefs are superior to natural law."

Let's define what we are talking about. Belief is a mental attitude (i.e.,  your average way of thinking) which a person accepts or regards  as true. It involves taking the world to be a certain way, often accompanied by varying degrees of confidence, but not necessarily with full certainty or knowledge. Beliefs guide action, reasoning, and emotion; they can be conscious or unconscious, justified or unjustified, true or false. 

Belief is closely associated with: Knowledge: is justified belief.  (I believe X to be true because...); Faith: involves belief plus trust or commitment, it sometimes involves going beyond, or against available evidence, (I don't know why X is true, but I just feel that it is).  Opinion: A belief held with less firmness or evidential support (I think X may be true, but I don't know.)

It seems to me that a large number of humans operate on opinion.  They hold beliefs without evidence or even faith.  

Reconnecting with Your Soul/Spirit

"You don’t have a Soul.

You are a Soul.

You have a body.”

~ CS Lewis ~

In a recent conversation I was asked this question: 

“What do you mean by Truth of Your Divinity?”  

I responded as follows: “I comprehend Truth (Soul) as something that I know is REAL stemming from personal experience and Divinity represents Higher States of Consciousness (Spirit).”

Through my experiences of Discovering Truth, I recognize Higher States of Consciousness as tingles, goose bumps, and/or a Knowingness.  Curiosity as to my Soul’s purpose continues to guide me into further understanding of myself as Soul and my Divine Spiritual Nature.

The RAINBOW Bridge of Passination

 The RAINBOW Bridge 

of Passination

“The Creating Power of Imagination and Passion”

The world of Toodae was built on the edge of a canyon so deep that the sun never touched its bottom.  For centuries, the people believed the canyon was cursed… an ancient wound in the earth left by the gods to punish arrogance.  

The Wholly Edict, their oldest law, declared that no bridge should ever span it, for to do so would defy the natural order or their realm.

Consider the Rose…

Symbolism of the Rose

Consider the rose as symbolization of a world  "beyond the physical".  The wild rose has five petals, closely joined together. It also has five sepals the green leafy “petals” that protect the developing flower until it blossoms.  As a completed and perfect flower the rose contains both male and female reproductive organs inside the flower alongside its colorful petals.

From the time the human first began to formulate symbols as representations of nobler thoughts and ideals, the rose has captured the imagination. Its beautiful flowers has for generations been an emblem of grace, simplicity, beauty and happiness.  The bold red color of the red rose evokes intense emotions, sensuality, and a strong physical attraction.  The white rose, however, carries a different connotation.

O Sapientia [Oh Wisdom!]

The following is a poem attributed to Malcom Guite.

I cannot think unless I have been thought,

Nor can I speak unless I have been spoken,

I cannot teach except as I am taught,

Or break the bread except as I am broken.

O mind behind the mind through which I seek,

O word beneath the words with which I speak,

O founding, unfound Wisdom, finding Me,

O sounding song whose depth is sounding me,

O memory of time, reminding me,

My ground of being, always grounding me.

My maker’s bounding line, defining me,

Come hidden Wisdom

Come with All you bring,

Come to me now, disguised as everything.

How to Maintain Balance in a Chaotic World

The question considered here is "how to maintain balance in a chaotic world?"  

First to consider is "what is chaos?"  My research indicates that it is the fundamental, irreducible unpredictability, sensitivity, and tendency toward disorder that permeates the universe.  It is not merely randomness or destruction, cosmic chaos is the creative instability, sensitivity and the drive to convert energy into work that makes the universe diversify and generate such complexity such as life.  

I paraphrase  this as chaos is the drive to expend energy "doing something – anything – as long as it is doing."  Yet without a well thought out objective and orderly plan, such action tends towards chaotic results.  

Haven’t Got Time for the Pain

 

Here are excerpts of lyrics from Carly Simon’s Haven’t Got Time for the Pain.  When you discover for yourself the light of love in this world then you too might not have time for the “suffering” that you feel that you need to “feel alive.”  

Seek to discover the joy of living.  

The Mighty and the Motherly

Happy Mother’s Day!

The mother archetype aims to protect and care for the object of their affection, whether that be another person, a group of people, a place, an inanimate object, or an idea. As a mother is, at their most basic, a giver of life. They want to protect that life with unconditional love and to see it grow.

A mother's personality traits play a role in the well-being of the nurtured. A mother is the one providing emotional and physical support so dependents feel secure and loved. Nurturing motherly qualities include offering comfort and soothing when dependents are upset, celebrating their achievements, and being present as an active part of their lives.

Maybe I Missed the Point

 

Maybe I Missed the Point

I know somebody whose life is tough.

I help a little but it isn't enough'

Cause I go spend money on stupid stuff

When I know he's strugglin' to stay above.

And I have so many chances to be

The hero I believe's inside of me,

But I get busy and I get distracted

And I do nothing when I could've acted.

(chorus)

Punctilios of Citizenship

In this article we learned that in order for an organization or a civilization to operate effectively there has to be agreed upon standards.  Without agreed upon standards there is no "expected norm."  This current article introduces the concept of punctilios. 

A punctilio is:  A little point of conduct highlighting etiquette, or procedure.  

Punctilios of citizenship refers to the precise detailed duties, ethical standards, and mind set required of an individual who views themselves as a citizen (a word indicating “inhabitant of a city” – a cite ian. 

There are often a hierarchy of laws within a country.  For example in the USA alone our agreed upon standards include: 

1) the US Constitution, 2) the US statutory laws, 3) US administrative rules, 4) state constitutions, 5) state statutory laws, 6) state administrative rules, 7) local constituting authorities, 8) local law ordinances, 9) local administrative rules, and 10) generic principles of parliamentary procedure.

As you can see, knowing, understanding and adhering to what amounts to tens of thousands of standards at the federal statutory level, hundreds of thousands in federal administrative regulations, millions when adding all fifty states’ statutes and regulations, and an additional hundreds of thousands to millions across the local levels.  The grand total across the entire hierarchy of legal standards could easily run into the millions of individual provisions, restrictions, or obligations.  At each level rules are to be adhered to as written, but surely there must be a better way to effectively adhere to the standards of civilization? 

Here is where Punctilios of Citizenship comes into play.  Rather than millions of standards to be aware of, a small number of principles may be learned that, if adhered to, will ensure adherence to a multitude of standards. This starts with natural law.

Baseball, Anchors, and Standards…

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”  This old popular “proverb” indicates that with a lack of moral or intellectual structure, such as clear standards of rightness, you can become vulnerable to every passing fad, lie, or con artist. It seems like this is becoming an ever increasing number of people these days.  Without such structure you can be easily swayed, i.e. pushed about, compromising your integrity within your community contributing to making poor decisions or get taken advantage of.

Another analogy is that of a boat or ship.  You don’t just “park” a ship on the ocean, the wind and the waves will cause it to drift, and drift it will without an anchor.  The anchor and chain keep the ship in the desired vicinity regardless of all but the most extreme wind or wave action.  

The bottom line is that having principles that you 1) firmly believe, 2) are embraced as a normal part of your life, 3) with which you are united and use to anchor your life, and 4) can consciously choose to adhere to, gives you stability and resistance to manipulation.