Renaissance Now

Embrace Your Power

 

Renaissance Now:

 

The Future Is What We Make Of It

 

 

The past is gone. The future is ours to create. And the present is wide open. Powerlessness and control are both illusions. Embrace your power now.

 

On this day in history, the Berlin Wall fell. That was the beginning of the end for the totalitarian nightmare regime, which was the Soviet Union. We should reflect on that, and realize that change does happen - and periodically, sweeping changes can and do happen, changes that transform lives, and even, transform the world.

 

Change is not only possible - change is inevitable. Life is change. As Heraclitus said, "You can't step in the same river twice." The question is not whether change will happen, but whether we are the conscious co-creators of change; or whether we play the victim, surrender to the illusion of powerlessness, and drift with the tide. If we choose the latter, if we believe in the illusion of powerlessness, then we become the hapless victims of change, rather than the conscious co-creators of change. Choose wisely. Embrace your power. And together, let's build a better world for all.What is our mission, our task, as human beings living in the 21st century? I would say it is nothing less than the healing and liberation of the people and the planet - one person, and one square metre at a time.

 

Do I have a vision for a better world, and better lives for all? Yes, I do, and it is a vision that is founded upon seven core values, which I believe, are the foundation for a better life, better communities, an enlightened society and a new Renaissance, and a better world for all. The core, foundational values for a new Renaissance, both personal, and also global, are freedom, compassion, equality, mutual aid, ecology, peace, and the healing and liberation of the people and the planet.

 

Is this attainable? Is it really possible to create lives, families, communities, nations, and a world, that are rooted in, and embody, these virtuous and noble values, and bring them to fruition and to life? Can we really create radically better lives for ourselves and our families, and a radically better world for all? The answer is, Yes, absolutely. When we harness the natural gifts of our shared human nature, which include empathy, compassion, mutual aid, intelligence, imagination, creativity, resilience and adaptability, we can accomplish anything. Increasing the health, happiness and well-being, along with the peace and joy, empowerment, freedom, and fulfillment of ourselves, our loved ones, our communities and nations, and all human beings, is not a wishful utopian fantasy - it is entirely within our power.

 

"It is within our power to begin the world again."

   - Thomas Paine

 

Start where you are. Do what you can, with what you've got, and build positive momentum, for positive change. Every life, and every moment, matters, and is precious. What are you going to do with this moment, with this day? What are your heart's dreams? Tap into that. That is where your true inspiration will arise. That will see you through. Start today, or carry on, and climb higher, soar higher.

 

Don't just survive - thrive, and truly live. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, and I am fond of quoting it,

 

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

 

Make a start now. Or start anew. Let the new Renaissance, truly begin.

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JTR,

(Todd)

Founder, Holistic Health Coach and Resident Philosopher,

Renaissance Now

November 9, 2025

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The Death Of Materialism

& The Rebirth Of The World

 

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The Newtonian-Cartesian paradigm, or world view, of atomistic, dualistic, mechanistic, materialist reductionism, is a very recent, 400 year old delusion, a recent blink of the eye, and is now crumbling as an ideology, world view or paradigm. It is also by no means “scientific”. The evidence now refutes it. It is detritus, delusion, dogma, now refuted by quantum physics, as well as by systems theory, chaos theory, epigenetics, mind-brain research, and ecology; and therefore, it can only be described, in any truly honest, scientific, intelligent, or meaningfully empirical way, as a thoroughly unscientific, lingering, but slowly dying, quasi-religious pseudo-science, clung to by dogmatic secular fundamentalists. We should stop calling it scientific. It is not. It is a dying ideology, and a dying delusion.

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We could say, of course, that the 400 year old paradigm, or way of viewing the world, which is materialist reductionism, did have some degree of validity and usefulness – and that is true, of course. It divided the world, in our minds, into myriad, ever smaller pieces, giving rise to an explosion of knowledge about the way natural phenomena arise, change, and pass away. But knowledge is not understanding, much less wisdom. And dividing the world in our minds has ultimately proven disastrous – nay, catastrophic – leading us toward the brink of self-annihilation, as well as technocratic “scientific” fascism, while destroying and despoiling life on Earth at ever increasing speeds, and while producing great and increasing conflict, strife, alienation, inner hollowness, a terrible loneliness, sense of meaninglessness, and an insatiable hunger to fill the resulting inner void, leading to endless consumerism, materialism, escapism, addiction, voyeurism, vicarious living, perpetual restlessness, anxiety, depression, mental illness and compulsive entertainment addiction, thereby accelerating the downward spiral, into further alienation, hollowness, and mass insanity. Clearly, this must change.

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The world view of materialist reductionism could also be described as a mental map, which all theories, dogmas, doctrines, paradigms, philosophies and ideologies are. Some are more useful or more destructive than others. Nazi ideology was incredibly destructive. Materialist reductionism, which is foolishly still referred to as “science”, is only slightly less destructive – and perhaps even more destructive.

 

Regardless of how useful or how destructive our mental maps may be, the map is not the terrain. And when our map is woefully inaccurate, then we will inevitably fall into a ditch, for we are the blind being led by the blind. It is true that, “The truth shall set you free”, as Jesus said. But honesty and humility, as well as any genuine scholarship, intellectual rigor, or science, require us to admit that our mental maps are always imperfect – and indeed, at this time in our history, it has become clear that our primary mental map, which is mechanistic materialism, is so profoundly inaccurate, that it can only be described as a shared delusion, and one which must now be abandoned.

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Aside from usefulness versus destructiveness, a mental map, philosophy, paradigm or world view can be assessed based upon its degree of relative accuracy, in its ability to accurately describe the nature of reality. By that measure, as well as being incredibly powerful, in ways that have in some senses been useful and beneficial, and simultaneously, in other ways, being incredibly destructive, the materialist-reductionist paradigm has, of course, some degree of accuracy or validity. We know what molecules and atoms are, how metallurgy works, etc. But its accuracy is severely limited, as a mental construct, lens, map, or way of viewing the world. What we can call this Newtonian-Cartesian paradigm, which is atomistic, mechanistic, dualistic, and materialist-reductionist, is in some measure accurate, useful, and valid. But it also grossly distorts our perception of reality, life, the cosmos, and the nature of being and reality.

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Imagine if you wanted to travel the world, and you had to choose between a map made in ancient Greece in 500 BC, and a map made in the 21st century using satellite imagery. Which one would be more accurate and more useful? Clearly the 2,500 year old map had some accuracy, validity and usefulness, but it was extremely limited, with enormous blind spots, and enormous distortions of the real world. Well, the leading edge of science has now shown beyond any question that our maps are outdated, once again. And the mental map which is the Newtonian-Cartesian, mechanistic, materialist paradigm or world view, is now worse than outdated and obsolete: it must be abandoned, in light of the now mountainous and undeniable evidence – and it must be abandoned now, before our extremely distorted view of the world, first enslaves, then destroys us all. Fortunately, this is exactly what is in the process of happening, as we speak. A global awakening is unfolding now.

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A paradigm shift is underway, as a new scientific revolution emerges, as the old paradigm or world view slowly dies, and a new renaissance is born. It is not only a revolution in science, but also, a revolution of the mind. The awakening has begun. Now, perhaps, we can begin to combine knowledge and technological skill, with wisdom, thereby saving ourselves from a self-made hell on Earth, and a self-generated final oblivion.

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What the leading edges of science are showing us, from quantum physics, to systems theory, chaos theory, epigenetics, mind-brain research, and ecology, is that, as Einstein said, "The perception of a separation between subject and object is a kind of optical delusion." That is to say, all things are interconnected, interdependent, and in reality, non-local, non-dual, and one. As William Blake said, "If the doors of perception were cleansed, things would appear as they truly are - infinite." And the doors of perception are being cleansed now. 

 

As John Muir put it, "If I try to pick out one thing in nature, I find that everything in the cosmos is connected to it." This is the perennial wisdom, which is now being rediscovered by the slow man in the race, which is modern science. Reality is non-dual. Being is One. And thou art that. The ground of being is singular.

 

As Spinoza said, "There is only one substance in the universe. You can call it God, or you can call it nature." Or as the archetypal Western mystic, Meister Eckhart put it, "There is nothing that I can point to that is not God. God is within me, and God is all around me." Because all things are interconnected by nature, therefore, love of one's neighbour, including all creatures and all living beings, is not only virtuous, noble and kind, but it is also a matter of enlightened self-interest. An injury to one, truly is, an injury to all. I am my brother's keeper, for we are both bound up in the same, singular web of life.

 

To put it in Christian terms, as Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is within you.” And in the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus makes it even more clear: "Lift a rock, and I will be there; split a piece of wood, and I will be there." "The kingdom of heaven is spread out upon the Earth, and men see it not." "I took my stand in the midst of humanity, and I wept for them, for they came into the world blind, and they seek to leave the world blind." "When the two are made one, then you shall see."

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As the ancient Greeks said, “Know thyself.” We are made in the image of God. The ego is not God – the ego is an illusion, a mental construct, a false imputation, a mental fabrication, a fictional notion of an imaginary separate self, a prison to be shattered, a concept as devoid of any real or valid basis in reality, as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. But the non-dual ocean of Being, and the inseparable web of life, which is is very much real, and is our true nature.

 

Egoless confidence and dignity, with love, kindness and compassion for all beings, as our neighbours, sisters, brothers and kin, is the way of wisdom, and of true liberation, empowerment, freedom and peace. When we realize our true kinship with all peoples, and all beings, then, wisdom, empowerment, freedom, well-being and peace naturally arise, and can become our new norm. And we should remember, as the great social psychologist Erich Fromm said, "Normal only exists in relation to a profoundly abnormal norm." Our current "normal" is toxic, unhealthy, maladaptive, delusional, self-destructive, and mutually destructive and degrading, and pathological. It is time for the healing and liberation of the people and the world. So long as the illusions of "self vs other", “us vs them”, and separateness and division, remain fixed in our minds, then no true freedom or peace are possible.

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The nature of being and phenomena is one of profound interdependence. Therefore, we are, in truth, our brother’s keeper, for reasons of enlightened self-interest, and mutual benefit, as well as kindness, compassion, virtue and love. No man is an island, as Martin Luther King Jr. said. As we begin to realize that truth, or to remember it, then the new Renaissance will flourish, freedom and peace will become realities, and the liberation and healing of the people and the planet will naturally arise as a result.

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But don’t take anyone’s word on things. Examine things for yourself. See for yourself.

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Question everything. This is the path to enlightenment – and to a new renaissance, and a rebirth of our world.

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JTR,

February 3, 2024,

Villa Samadhi,

Uruguay

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Further Reading:

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See also:

Thomas Kuhn, The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions; Joseph Campbell, The Hero With A Thousand Faces; Marvin Meyers, The Gospel Of Thomas; Karen Armstrong, A History Of God; Mathew Fox, Original Blessing; Lex Hixon, The Mother Of The Buddhas; Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe, and, Mysticism & The New Physics; Aldous Huxley, The Perennial Philosophy; Alan Watts, The Book; Joanna Macy, World As Lover, World As Self; and Allan Wallace, Choosing Reality.

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Taking Charge of Your Own Health,

Happiness & Well-Being

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It is difficult to be peaceful or happy when you are not well. Health is important. We need to take responsibility for our own health and well-being, not live as self-destructive adult children, then expect the gods in white coats to fix us when we inevitably become sick, due to our own self-neglect.

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The future of medicine is integrative medicine. Here is a synopsis from the leading edge of health science.

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Watch the short video below, by one of the leading figures in holistic, functional and integrative medicine: Sayer Ji, founder of GreenMedInfo – one of the only four reliable sources on health information that I know of, along with Chakib Hammoud, Andrew Weil and Gary Null.

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Take charge of your health. Eat wisely, live well. As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine.” Food is the best and most primary medicine. The rest is supplemental, complimentary or adjunctive, in most circumstances. Pharmaceutical drugs, radiation, chemotherapy and surgery should be a last resort, not a first response. That is what the scientific evidence now confirms. This means that you are in the driver’s seat. Be empowered. You do have the power to change your life. Don’t be fatalistic. Embrace your power!

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JTR,

July 16, 2021

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​The Future Of Functional In Five: Sayer Ji

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https://youtu.be/YShSa5MZqgs 

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And here is the preeminent pioneer of integrative medicine, Dr. Andrew Weil:

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What Is Integrative Medicine?

Andrew Weil, MD

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https://youtu.be/4pXsm3qaFIk 

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Dr. Andrew Weil's Vision for the Future of Integrative Medicine

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https://youtu.be/FDQmgpBVOMY 

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Enlightenment Now

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St. Thomas Aquinas, after dictating his magnum opus, the Summa Theologica, put his head in his hands and wept, saying, “All that I have written is chaff compared to what I have seen.” And that, almost shocking statement, itself echoes the words of Augustine, who said, “The final obstacle to God, is our ideas about God.” Dogma and doctrine, concepts and mere belief, are the final obstacle to what we could call enlightenment, or full spiritual awakening. God is infinite, beyond all images, words, concepts and ideas. God is not something that you can put in a shoebox and neatly tuck under your bed. Set the dogma aside, and look within, to the heart of being itself. The doorway lies within. It is in your heart, not in your head.

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Einstein said, “The perception of a division between self and other is a kind of optical delusion.” Spinoza earlier proclaimed the same great truth: There is one substance in existence – you can call it God, or you can call it nature.

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Separation and division are the delusions of duality that keep us, “rounded by a little sleep”, as Shakespeare put it. And as Shakespeare also wrote, “There is more to heaven and earth than is contained in your philosophy.”

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Amen to that, brother. A little less hubris and false pride would be in order now. A little more humility would be a helpful thing. “Knock, and the door shall be opened.” But you first have to empty your cup, before your cup can be filled. What preconceptions and baggage hold us back from beatitude, or even being fully and truly awake! Shed them, like a butterfly leaves its cocoon.

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As Meister Eckhart, the archetypal Western mystic put it: “There is nothing I can point to that is not God. God is within me, and God is all around me.” And he added, “And God is nothing.” Which is to say, God is not a thing among things. God is, as Eckhart put it, the very ground of being itself.

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“Alan Watts – Trust the Universe”, on YouTube: there is a brilliant talk. A bit one-sided, perhaps, but nevertheless, the point is clear, and lucidly and eloquently put. Thou art that! Realize your true nature, as it already is! But, paradoxically, that does take effort. Then, one day, non-dual awareness dawns in the mind – and becomes, not just a glimpse, a taste, but continuous. Then only, are you fully enlightened. Until then, even in the most direct path, effort is required. Otherwise, you’re just drifting through life, like a cow or a sheep, or running in circles, no matter how frantically you strive or rush about, with no enlightenment, still asleep, realizing nothing, and awakening not at all – like a dog chasing his tail, or laying mindlessly on a hillside. There is a reason for the Zen stick. It takes effort in order to awaken to the peace which surpasseth all, which lies within.

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The paradox is, it takes effort to realize your true nature, even though in the end, you realize you are waking up to what you’ve always been – a radiant spark of the divine, a spiritual being in a material form, empty, inseparably interconnected and interdependent with all beings, and in fact, infinite, as England’s great mystic poet, William Blake also said: commensurate with the cosmos itself: ever changing form, but never changing essence.

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It is true that the only Zen you find on the mountain top is the Zen you bring within you. But our environment can make it easier or harder to become still enough to find the treasure that is within. Choosing or creating a supportive environment is important. And it is also true that without effort, the peace that lies within, remains a hidden mystery to us.

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The Upanishads say that you should seek the truth like a man whose hair is on fire jumps into a lake. The ancient Greeks urged us to, “Know thyself.” And as Jesus said, making the point abundantly clear to all: “The kingdom of heaven is within you.” Discover that. That is enlightenment, and that is the path to enlightenment. Seek without seeking. Make the effort. Return to your original nature. And know thyself.

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JTR,
June 17, 2024

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See also:

World As Lover, World As Self, by Joanna Macy

Choosing Reality, By Allan Wallace

The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas Kuhn

The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, by Alan Watts

Psychotherapy East & West, by Alan Watts

The Way of Zen, by Alan Watts

Tao: The Watercourse Way, by Alan Watts

A Flash Of Lightning In The Dark Of Night: A Guide To The Bodhisattva’s Way Of Life,

by the Dalai Lama

The Perennial Philosophy, by Aldous Huxley

Original Blessing, by Mathew Fox

A History Of God, by Karen Armstrong

The Hero With A Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell

Shambhala: The Sacred Path Of The Warrior, by Chogyam Trungpa

Wherever You Go, There You Are, By Jon Kabat-Zinn

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And here, one of my many teachers, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of my four main Buddhist teachers, explains in the briefest way possible, the very root of the problem – and the path to awakening and enlightenment: How to cut through illusion at its root, by realizing directly that, yes, we exist, of course, but there is no self that is separate from the rest of the cosmos:

Lama Zopa clarified the true nature of being and reality, which we can investigate and see for ourselves, and clarified the heart of enlightenment. Here, in the video below, Jon Kabat-Zinn show us the door, or rather, one door of many, to the kingdom of heaven within, and how to begin, or begin anew. Remember, all scriptures, and all teachers and teachings, are like a finger pointing to the moon. If you obsess over the finger, then you will never see what it is pointing to!

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Lama Zopa Rinpoche, On Emptiness & Non-Duality

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https://youtu.be/YHS8mMu7x24 

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Lama Zopa clarified the true nature of being and reality, which we can investigate and see for ourselves, and clarified the heart of enlightenment. Here, in the video below, Jon Kabat-Zinn show us the door, or rather, one door of many, to the kingdom of heaven within, and how to begin, or begin anew. Remember, all scriptures, and all teachers and teachings, are like a finger pointing to the moon. If you obsess over the finger, then you will never see what it is pointing to!

 

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This short talk is excellent, too:

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A Master Class On Starting, Re-Starting, Or Upgrading Your Meditation Practice - Jon Kabbat-Zinn

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https://youtu.be/xpbdVSiqq1E 

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And here is a talk from another experienced and highly qualified teacher:

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How To Meditate - FPMT

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https://youtu.be/dVF6IZ0M_hU 

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