Interaction Assignment Lesson 1 WK2 Responding to post #6211 by Damaz Alexis
1) How would you describe your knowledge of religion and philosophy
I found interesting what Alexis had to say about his evolution into the Neterian religion, moving from a space where he had embraced traditional religions that emphasized the components of beliefs and rituals with little emphasis on the mystical dimensions. He described his journey as they he was drawn to the Neterian tradition by cosmic forces and arriving at a point where he has now fully embraced Neterian philosophy and practices hoping eventually to become a teacher of it.
While my journey was a bit different I too have arrived at a point where I have come to value and appreciate in a very real way what the Neterian tradition has to offer in facilitating one’s spiritual journey. As an “intellectual” (one who values ideas that is geared towards knowledge of self) and a student and teacher of psychology, my life has been enriched by having embraced the Neterian philosophy and practices. Coming to know the divine I have come to realize is very much a psychological inquiry being based on proven methods thus making it more of a scientific inquiry rather than one based on faith. My exposure to the Neterian tradition has moreover, made my spiritual path and practices more concrete and purposeful in the by the emphasis it places on applying methods designed to connect to, know and experience the divine which I now am able to see in a more encompassing less restricted manner. Through Neterianism I have come to appreciate more than I had previously the multiple ways in which the divine manifest itself and how the cosmic principles that representing the divine are to be ultimately found within the self and each other. Neterianism I have found makes us more aware and appreciative of the sacredness of all things including in particular, the physical environment, the feminine dimension of who we are as well as each other. It makes us realize in a more sustained way that the divine resides in all of existence.
I share with Alexis the desire to one day be able to share this philosophy with others through my teaching. In addition to taking the Kemet 101 class I am also doing a Yoga certification and so I am hoping that I will have the opportunity to teach develop and teach a class in the near future hoping that I will have acquired sufficient knowledge by which to do so.
I would also like to comment on Sebai Maa’s response which addressed the way in which Western philosophy such as represented by Socrates engage in intellectual inquiries grounded on abstractions without having a foundation or purpose resulting in a perennial intellectual dance leading to nowhere. One of my colleagues was a teacher of philosophy and religion who spent much of his time pursuing advanced degrees in philosophy. This professor was known for failing most of his students because of their perceived ability to meet his standards which was apparently higher than his ego which was itself extremely high. Anyway, I am appreciative of how the Neterian philosophy grounds us within ourselves and is purposeful in terms of it’s ultimate aim and reason for existing being that of having us come to know and connect with the divine.
