William,
Of course, they both operate. Gradualism is slower. But catastrophes are just
major changes thrown into the conditions that Gradualism works within.
But for either, Selection is at play. And so remains the speed-limit.
Maybe the speed of light will be exceeded at some time by some means. And
maybe it's possible in the working of catastrophism to incur a mutation or
niche by wiping out a whole region or class of people, or a species. We might
as well admit the future possibility of it. I'm an Asteroid-Scientist, and can
point to instances of major sudden change that affected the entire biosphere.
Between incidents of dramatic catastrophe, Gradualism continues to do all the
work. Does it not?
A change in thought or feeling occasioned by Auschwitz is not evolution of the
kind we are talking about. It's not even "spiritual" evolution, in the very
vaguest sense. If it has caused evolution, we certainly don't see it working,
even in Israel or Palestine. Anyway, I don't think so, there. It should never
have been expected.
Selection is very slow. Not because that's better. But because that's how
Selection works.
And it's not happening with consciousness, therefore, at a speed such that we
will ever live to see any changes.
But, ...that we can uncover our true inherent Human inheritance is still the
greatest single miracle and discovery of the past 2500 years, to my mind. The
uncovering of it happens suddenly; not gradually. ;-) Although a good basis of
methodical and regular practice always precedes and supports the awakening.
The results of all the evolution by selection are in the safe-deposit box; the
key to open it is merely to slough-off the metal hide. And this we can do.
There is no future time better than now in which to do this.
--Joe
> William Rintala <brintala@...> wrote:
>
> Joe:
>
> There are 2 schools of thought regarding Evolution the Gradualists, which you
> espouse, and the Catastrophists, who believe that evolution is precipitated
> by
> catastrophic change, e.g. the extinction of the dinosaurs. Could a similar
> catatrophic change occur in our spiritual evolution. Auschwitz, Buchenwald,
> Hiroshima, Nagasaki on a Global scale?
>
> Auschwitz
------------------------------------
Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are
reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
