Death to the World

Summary

The author reflects on the concept of "Death to the World" as a spiritual practice within Eastern Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing the struggle to overcome worldly passions for inner peace and freedom.

Abstract

The article "Death to the World" discusses the spiritual journey of overcoming the transient nature of the world and its passions, as advocated by Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The author, influenced by St. Symeon the New Theologian and Dimitru Staniloae, critiques the modern pursuit of passions as a form of enslavement and argues for a life detached from worldly desires. Through personal anecdotes, the author reveals their own struggle with pride and ego in writing, ultimately finding liberation by relinquishing the need for recognition and monetary gain from their work. The piece draws parallels between the Orthodox Christian view of freedom from passions and the Buddhist concept of Nirvana, suggesting a common quest for spiritual liberation across different belief systems.

Opinions

The author disagrees with the idea that following one's passions leads to fulfillment, instead viewing it as a path to slavery.
There is skepticism about the value of adding to the existing body of literature, questioning the pursuit of writing for personal gain.
The article suggests that the pursuit of spiritual truth is subjective and varies from empirical truth.
A critical view is expressed towards neo-paganism, implying that it may be used to justify hedonistic lifestyles under the guise of spirituality.
The author acknowledges the struggle with passions as an ongoing process, recognizing that while some progress has been made, there is still a journey ahead.
The author equates their previous dedication to writing as a form of passion that they have since liberated themselves from, experiencing a greater sense of peace and enjoyment in life's moments.

Zen Orthodoxy

Author Owned Image from former website

No, I do not wish the world and everyone in it to die. It’s kind of doing that on its own, isn’t it? This is about trying and dying to the world. Trying and dying, hoping and praying, doping and staying… What’s the point, right? Why not just give in and embrace the world? It won’t hug you back, will it? I guess I should explain a little better.

“The World is Death for what does it offer that is not transient?” — St. Symeon, the New Theologian.

Deep, huh? Now I guess maybe it is best to offer some explanation of what “World” I am talking about. The “World” is the passions. What? Don’t we hear all kind of marketing gimmicks and self-help douchebags telling us to follow our passions? Wait, could they be wrong? Who is wrong and who is right is a matter of opinion just like beauty and truth. Not truth that be proven by empirical evidence but what we decide for ourselves is “Spiritual Truth”. Is there any real Spiritual Truth?

“I won’t get to get what I’m after till the day I die.” “The Seeker” by The Who.

If there is a Universal Mind, are we all part of it? It wouldn’t be universal if we weren’t, would it? Is it just One Mind? Sorry, I know I am leaving you neo-pagans and pantheists out of all this. Go light some sage or something, wouldya? This is not for you anyway because I was one of you and it seemed to me that neo-paganism existed so people could merely justify their hedonism as a spiritual act.

Hedonism is my segue into the original theme of Death to the World. The passions are, well, somebody said it better:

“The passions represent the lowest level to which human nature can fall. Both their Greek name, pathi, as well as the Latin, passiones, show that man is brought by them to a state of passivity, of slavery. In fact, they overcome the will, so that the man of the passions is no longer a man of will; we say that he is a man ruled, enslaved, carried along by the passions. “— Dimitru Staniloae

Makes you wonder about following your passions? Me too. That’s why I have been working for years to gain control over them. Exhaustive lists of what they are exist throughout the web so you can Google “list of passions Orthodox Christian” if you want to feel really bad about all the things in life that are considered “passions.” But my purpose is not to make you feel bad because guess what? That would be a passion. You see how difficult this could potentially be?

Writing this, right here, right now, is a passion. Why? I am writing it to be read by the world. Sure, I can convince myself that I am doing for the greater good or something else lofty. But the real reason is pride and ego. This came to me during Great Lent (in the middle of it right now). Somehow, I thought that my “calling” was to write. Nope. Really, I wanted humanity to see how brilliant I thought I might be and then stroke my ego and dump money in my account for being so. Everything that needed to be said may have already been said. Why add to the fodder?

I am in no place to tell you you’re writing holds no value or meaning. Probably, I will write occasionally, mostly poetry. Maybe I will write more and release it when I am on the verge of death, thus not reaping the corporal rewards. Maybe I will change my mind when I am much older and publish when it doesn’t really matter to my bottom line or stroke my passions. We are all fallible, who knows what will happen?

What I can tell you is this, the world will not willfully enslave me. Well, not as long as I have the strength to resist it. Do you want to know a secret? No, not the one that Oprah is selling.

Here is a revelation. Since I gave up on writing my novel and most other writing pursuits, I feel free. Maybe I was a slave, after all. Oh, I am surely still a slave to many passions. But now that I have at least cut another chain, life is richer and my soul is more peaceful. After fifty-six years on this earth, I now enjoy the moments and being active while I still can.

Please, don’t give up your writing because I am mostly giving up mine. Our paths are different, and maybe your writing will lead you to a better place. Please note that this post was written because of my conversion to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The most “Zen” of the Christian denominations. That’s right, I said it. Buddhists know that reaching “Nirvana” is freeing yourself from the world. We all have something in common if we look for it, don’t we?