Forgotten Roots
Page 1
Forgotten
Roots
Karol Kolbusz
Copyright © 2019 Karol Kolbusz
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means (whether electronic or mechanical), including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 9781790805228
Cover art: Two Men Contemplating the Moon by Caspar David Friedrich.
www.forgottenroots.wordpress.com
DEDICATION
The present work is dedicated to those who seek direction, hope, and inspiration in their wanderings throughout the dark labyrinths of modernity. May the light of Tradition guide them.
Table of CONTENTS
Introduction
1
1
On Progress
2
2
On Enthusiasm
9
3
On Comfort
13
4
On Heroism
19
5
On Talents
24
6
On Parenthood
30
7
On Minimalism
32
8
On Sociopathy
37
9
On Off-roading
41
10
On Hiking
43
11
On Forests
46
12
On Uniqueness
50
13
On Brevity
53
14
On Alienation
54
15
On Secrecy
57
16
On Darkness
60
17
On Solitude
64
18
On Silence
67
19
On Daydreaming
72
20
On Concentration
74
21
On Patience
78
22
On Anger
80
23
On Indifference
84
Summary
86
Appendix A – How to Meditate
88
Appendix B – Establishing Sacred Space
89
Appendix C – Recommended Cultural Works
90
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to express his heartfelt gratitude to Ryan Dziadowiec for proofreading the entire text and suggesting additions and modifications.
Introduction
The following work is a compilation of my philosophical essays. The topics discussed in these writings stem chiefly from my reflections upon the spiritual condition of the European peoples in our present century. It is beyond any question that the modern world is a very sad place. Millions of people are suffering from depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and a lack of higher ideals in life. I believe that these problems indicate that we have lost our way on the path of civilizational progress, and that the very foundations upon which modernity is built are weak, rotten, and in urgent need of repair.
The purpose of this work is threefold: to examine these issues, to find possible explanations for the current spiritual crisis, and to put forward both short-term coping strategies and long-term solutions that could resolve it. The modern man has been severed from his own cultural and spiritual roots and I believe that we need to return to the old ways of our ancestors. Although traditional Indo-European philosophy and spirituality are the cornerstones of this book, indicating my desire for preserving the presented points of view, it does not aim to promote any political ideology. Every genuine seeker of knowledge and inspiration, regardless of his or her opinions, is therefore welcome to read my essays.
The poetic threads interwoven with the main body of the work serve the function of introducing my readers to a certain atmosphere and mood. Many of them have been (loosely or directly) inspired by my friends, people that I like and respect. The essays can be read selectively, though full comprehension and appreciation may require reading them all in the originally intended order. At the very end, I have included a list of recommended books, films, music, and visual artists. I hope you will find my recommendations useful in your cultural journeys.
ON PROGRESS
What Westeners call civilization, the others would call barbarity, because it is precisely lacking in the essential, that is to say a principle of a higher order.
– René Guénon[1]
The warm light of the March sun was shining through the gaps in the high, white clouds. An old man was standing in a place where, many years ago, there used to be a beautiful rural park and a playground. He remembered how every afternoon of the pale spring he would see children and teenagers joyously playing together and riding their bikes. As soon as the sun sank down below the horizon, the shadows would creep out and cover the park with a shroud of tranquillity. Now, a huge shopping centre stands there, bustling with activity, yet lifeless. The old grove of magnificent oak trees was cut down and the playground is no more. The youth are nowhere to be seen. Due to universal access to the Internet, their socialization is no longer limited to the playgrounds and parks of real life. Such is the nature of progress – it promises us artificial paradises of convenience, concrete, and plastic, but at the same time it conceals or destroys what is simple, direct, and organic.
***
The modern man is enamoured with the notion of indefinite progress. First of all, he is being told that he should take pride in the sophisticated technological advancements of our times. It is beyond any question that they have made our life easier, more convenient, and gave us opportunities unimaginable to the so-called primitive peoples. In my opinion, technological progress is not inherently a curse, as long as it is moderate, just like in the Classical Antiquity. The smart use of fire, wheel, nail, soap, compass, and paper contributed to the betterment of mankind. However, the disadvantages of unlimited progress in this field have outweighed the benefits in the last few centuries with the invention of technologies such as the steam engine, electricity, the telephone, and the internal combustion engine. Decades later, owing to the extensive use of television, mobile phones, and the Internet, we have only become lazier and lazier, more dependent on modern facilities, or in other words – tamed by the very same tools we have created in order to control our natural environment. We have replaced the strength of our muscles with mechanical tools and the brilliant capabilities of our brains with computers. Millions of trees and hectares of ancient groves have been chopped down to clear the way for urbanization and industrial expansion. Never before in the history of the world have we witnessed such enormous environmental destruction of our blue planet.
Interestingly enough, in our current age, the primary motivation behind the endless pursuit of new technological advancements is not curiosity or willingness to improve the material condition of mankind. These are merely justifications given to the public. In reality, the producers of thousands of new gadgets every new year are driven by nothing but sheer greed. They are experts at creating artificial needs and duping consumers into believing that they must satisfy these needs at all costs. The modern man, trapped in the vicious circle of consumerism, has been manipulated to prioritize money-making and compulsive shopping over spending time with family members, celebrating traditions, cultivating health of the body and the soul, and strengthening connection with nature and the soil. There is nothing wrong with accumul
ating wealth, though, provided that it is used for noble purposes and not used as a key to the hellish gate of hedonistic pleasures. Unfortunately, it is the latter case that is prevalent in the modern world. We can conclude that with every technological novelty we are being thrown deeper and deeper into the poisoned wells of comfort and hedonism, at the significant expense of regression in the realm of spirituality. A valid argument against further technological progression is that the time between each new advancement decreases exponentially, thus giving people less and less time to consider the long-term implications of embracing the latest technologies. For example, the Internet has only existed for a few decades, and we still do not thoroughly understand how its daily usage can affect our mental and physical health.
Another blatantly false idea permeating the minds of our contemporaries is that the liberation of mankind from the snares of religious dogmatism and parochial attitudes has unlocked the gates of earthly paradises. It is commonly said that we are an inch away from achieving global happiness and peace. Those who set the modern world in motion are trying to convince us that we need to put aside (an ill-defined) hatred, and spread the gospel of love, peace, equality, democracy, solidarity, and tolerance. Chanted by the adversaries of Tradition, these empty slogans are in fact used as a justification for further enslavement of all peoples on Earth. The evangelists of progress have subtly tricked the modern man into believing that drowning in the pleasures of matter, worshipping gold, and rejecting the oppressive burden of spiritual authority and tradition will eventually eliminate all the pain and misery in this world. However, their optimistic prognoses have proven incorrect, as the desacralization of society has only made people more unhappy, lost, and depressed than ever before. Even today we can still find many individuals who believe that we are living in the age of greatest prosperity yet. In their arrogance, in spite of all the data that proves them wrong, they hold an erroneous view that our digital century is the best era in the history of mankind.
The notion of linear, uninterrupted progress in all aspects of human life is but a modern anomaly, unknown to the ancients. If we closely examine the perception of time and history in many of the Indo-European cultures, we will find a common belief in the cyclical stages of gradual devolution from the primordial, spiritual state of harmony with the divine. In his poem Works and Days, the Greek poet Hesiod wrote about the five successive ages of mankind. Their names corresponded with metals (with the exception of the Heroic Age). The Roman poet Ovid offered a similar account in Metamorphoses. In the Vedic tradition, the four world ages are called yugas. In the following paragraphs we are going to analyse each yuga in detail. But before we do so, we have to define the concept of dharma, which is essential for the full comprehension of the doctrine of downward progression over the ages.
Dharma can be understood as a cosmic law, with neither beginning nor end (thus it is eternal), which permeates and applies to all animate beings and inanimate objects in the universe. It is a supra-individual, metaphysical order that sets the physical world in a state of balance and harmony, protecting it from forces of chaos and dissolution. The concept of dharma stands in direct opposition to the current materialistic paradigm in science, according to which the universe is a mechanism devoid of any inherent meaning and purpose. The consequence of the latter worldview is ethical relativism and rejection of the notion that metaphysical principles and laws form the basis of reality. From such a limited point of view, we are born as mere pieces of flesh and bones that are left clueless and helpless in the face of the vast universe. Dharma, on the other hand, is a holistic natural law based on the premise that the universe is an extremely intelligent design rooted in transcendence. Many of the ancient civilizations, and particularly those of Indo-European origin, were dharmic in nature – meaning that all aspects of social life (religion, politics, science, law, literature, war, agriculture etc.) within them were constructed in consonance with dharma. Due to obvious racial, cultural, and linguistic differences, this universal law manifested itself in a slightly divergent way in each civilization. There was a time on Earth, however, when people across Europe and Asia were ruled by virtuous kings whose reign was strengthened by this primordial, sacred law. Before the advent of Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), one could hardly find a single war that was declared because of religious differences between the two conflicting parties. Such was the omnipresence of dharma. In the old Irish book of Leinster, we can read the following instructions left for the High King of Ireland:
Let him magnify the truth, it will magnify him.
Let him strengthen truth, it will strengthen him.
Let him guard truth, it will guard him.
Let him exalt truth, it will exalt him.
For so long as he guards truth, good shall not fail him and his rule
shall not perish.
For it is through the ruler’s truth mighty armies of invaders are drawn
back into enemy territory.
Through the ruler’s truth every law is glorious and every vessel full
in his lands.[2]
In this context truth is synonymous with dharma. As long as the king fulfils his duties in accordance with the natural law, his kingdom will flourish, both materially and spiritually. The purpose of ancestral traditions, transmitted either orally or through scriptures, was to remind people how to live a virtuous life in harmony with these universal principles.
According to the doctrine of the four cyclic ages, in each successive yuga one can observe a gradual decline of dharma, manifested by a decrease in knowledge, virtue, and health. In the Vedic tradition, dharma is figuratively depicted as a four-legged bull. The four legs symbolize virtues of austerity, cleanliness, compassion, and truthfulness. With every successive age, the bull loses one of its legs. In the Golden Age of humanity, also known as Satya Yuga (“Age of Truth”), there was no disease and the average life span was very high. People during that era, profoundly and effortlessly connected with the divine, led virtuous, peaceful, and happy lives. The first decline came with the advent of the Silver Age, known in Sanskrit as Treta Yuga (“Threefold Age”). The positive qualities characteristic to the previous era were diminished. Arguments and conflicts arose, people grew more materialistic and less concerned about religion. The art of agriculture was invented; men began to exploit the soil and nature in general. In the Bronze Age, parallel to the Vedic Dvapara Yuga (“Twofold Age”), there was an even greater decline in the moral and physical condition of humanity. People during this epoch were very warlike, competitive, deceitful, and attached to the pleasures of matter. Out of the four pillars of dharma, only two remained: compassion and truthfulness. The age in which we are currently living is known as Kali Yuga (“Age of Kali”, Kali being the name of a demon), comparable with the Iron Age in the Graeco-Roman tradition.
Let us examine what are some of the most visible symptoms of Kali Yuga. In today’s world, using vulgar, insulting, and sexualized language is a common social norm, not just a rare exception. A minor disagreement can incite people to jump to each other’s throats, as well as to cancel solemn promises and friendships. Sociopathy, wickedness, and nihilism are spreading like a plague. It is so hard to find authentically religious individuals. The majority either does not believe in anything (with the sole exception of frenetic money-making and idolatric consumerism) or is falsely pious, indulging in degeneracy behind the façade of externally-projected religiosity. Marketing experts, cult leaders, New Age frauds, and hollow celebrities prey on people’s misery and gullibility, duping them into buying products they don’t need. Cultural heritage is no longer a refreshing well of wisdom and timeless inspiration, but something that can be commercialized and turned into a profitable fashion. An example of such trend is the growing interest in the Norse mythology and the Vikings, which is being exploited by those who want to make money from it. National leaders are not concerned about protecting their fellow compatriots, but rather plunder them through excessive taxati
on and undesirable laws. Modern art is tasteless and devoid of any transcendental meaning. It reflects the climate of spiritual degeneration in society. Last but not least, there are currently no social and political institutions grounded in a higher, spiritual tradition that could legitimate their power. In conclusion, what we witness today is the reversal of dharma in every single aspect of human life.