Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D. | The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (original) (raw)
Papers by Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D.
Interesting and Surprising Facts about the Buddha and his Teachings That Are Often Ignored, 2020
The Buddha was the first thinker in known history to teach the doctrine of human equality and soc... more The Buddha was the first thinker in known history to teach the doctrine of human equality and social freedom amongst all humans. Society should be open to all, regardless of caste, color, or class. No caste, class, or race privileges existed among his lay followers or in the Order of the Sangha that he founded. Instead, social classes and castes are nothing but functional divisions of society, man-made, subject to change and resulting from social and historical factors. Any social doctrine based on the alleged superiority of a caste, class, or race, and advocating to keep it dominant using force, will lead to the perpetuation of social tensions and conflict, and never bring about harmony and equality. The Buddha’s doctrine of equality means each person should be treated equally with dignity and given an equal chance to develop their inherent potentials of economic, moral and spiritual progress, and of human perfection. Also, the Buddha was the first who attempted to abolish slavery, which included the traffic in, and the sale of, females for commercial purposes. In fact, this is a prohibited trade for his followers.
THE INTERCONNECTED UNIVERSE, 2024
Both science and spiritual and metaphysical teachings recognize that all things and events are in... more Both science and spiritual and metaphysical teachings recognize that all things and events are interconnected, and part of a greater Whole. Every part of the universe is directly or indirectly related to every other part, and the description of any one part is inseparable from the description of the whole. Sufi teacher Murat Yagan: “Interdependence is a state of mutual support for the greater good of the Whole.” The concept of an interconnected universe appears throughout history, in philosophical and spiritual writings and this paper explores the themes of those writings.
“Non-Duality: What the World Needs Now”, 2024
This paper includes two Accepted Poster Presentations for the International Society for Contempla... more This paper includes two Accepted Poster Presentations for the International Society for Contemplative Research Conference, in June, 2024, Padua, Italy:
Embracing Apophatic Philosophy: A Path Towards Beneficial Personal and Societal Transformation and Embracing Apophatic Philosophy: A Non-Dualist Path Towards Enlightened Personal and Societal Transformation, plus a brief description and review of my latest published book, “Non-Duality: What the World Needs Now”, 2024, by Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D.
What is Important to You? - Personal Reflections, 2021
What things do you think you cannot live without? I was asked to answer this question and in fact... more What things do you think you cannot live without? I was asked to answer this question and in fact, this is an important and complex one. Upon reflection, there are many important conditions that I cannot live without. Much of what I cannot live without are my body's physical necessities for survival, such as oxygen, clean water, nutrients, warmth and coolness, protection from the elements, movement, sleep, etc. Without all these and other, similar factors, my life would be short and miserable. Therefore, I am careful to honor these requirements by being mindful that I include them, in the right quantities and good quality, in my life, thus allowing me to maintain sound physical health.
Thoughts about The Buddha’s Teaching: Seeing Without Illusion - Rodger R Ricketts, 2016
The Buddha placed primary importance on our thinking and volition. In fact, our difficulties aris... more The Buddha placed primary importance on our thinking and volition. In fact, our difficulties arise when our thinking is unwholesome, in the past and in the present. Our citta or heart/mind is our kingdom or our own mentality. It is our private place where the swirl of thoughts continually passes across our mind. Only you can know what truly goes on there. There is both privacy and the possible control to think the thoughts you want. You can choose which thoughts to accept or refuse. Whichever thoughts you allow will shortly be expressed through your volition in the outer environment.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised , 2023
The prevailing economic paradigm misapprehends reality because it is entrenched in an inherently ... more The prevailing economic paradigm misapprehends reality because it is entrenched in an inherently individualistic dualistic worldview, which overlooks the ultimate interdependence of all natural entities (Magnuson 2022, pp.77-80). For instance, the emphasis on material production and consumption as an end in itself, is not sustainable. This materialistic ideology creates not only human suffering, but also an inevitable degradation of Earth’s ecosystems, exemplified by the present ecological crisis. To modify these harmful economic systems, it is necessary to understand that economic reality is not an autonomous sub-system of social action, but a highly interdependent system of value creation. The necessary paradigm shift for our economic models requires a process of restructuring economic institutions and policy frameworks with the adoption of the wisdom that aligns them with sustainable and moderate economic outcomes. Such a synergistic perspective will create a broader economic paradigm that empowers humans to thrive and will allow all life forms to flourish. The paradigm advocated here to allow this is Transcendental/Buddhist economics.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised, 2023
We can now consider the term "biocentrism" or "life-centered understanding of ourselves and natur... more We can now consider the term "biocentrism" or "life-centered understanding of ourselves and nature." Biocentrism encompasses all environmental ethics that "extend the status of moral object from not only human beings but to all living things in nature." Biocentric ethics, like "I-Thou" and dependent origination, calls for a radical readjustment of the relationship between humans, nature, and existence. Through this framework, humans can no longer view themselves with a narrow, self-serving perspective, with a form of speciesism that they warrant.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised , 2023
The Unity of All Often in the past, cataphatic theologies regarded apophatic theology as heretica... more The Unity of All Often in the past, cataphatic theologies regarded apophatic theology as heretical, blasphemy, and unorthodox and often severely punished those who advocated via negativa. Previously, we have seen that awakening or transcending the ignorance of duality is a common experience of the mystic. Next, I will highlight that apophatic teachings and analysis clearly provide a truer alternative to the dominant dualistic cataphatic dogma.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind's Transpersonal Actualization-revised, 2023
Usually, the societal, relationship and environmental consequences of the dualist (rational) vs. ... more Usually, the societal, relationship and environmental consequences of the dualist (rational) vs. the non-dualist (transcendental) perspective are not explored in depth. Therefore, I want to use the excellent and clear analysis by the modern Jewish philosopher and educator Martin Buber and others to show that whichever of the two perspectives (non-dualist/dualist) one predominately adopts, there are significant consequences in all spheres of one’s life. This is a good place to remind the reader that the dualist and non-dualist perspectives are not mutually exclusive.
Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” and “I-It”
“I believe that the key to creating a society that is nourishing, empowering, and healing for everyone lies in how we relate to one another.” - Martin Buber
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised , 2023
All spiritual traditions emphasize that first, the devotee needs to follow a code of uplifting mo... more All spiritual traditions emphasize that first, the devotee needs to follow a code of uplifting moral discipline that is the foundation for the cultivation of wholesome thoughts, words, and actions. Wholesome means generosity, friendship, kindness, and wisdom, which are the main important states that free the mind from the afflictions of selfishness, anger, guilt, and shame, as well as from the unwanted consequences created through unwholesome behaviors.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised, 2023
A definition of transcendence that applies to the awakening or enlightenment experience is the f... more A definition of transcendence that applies to the awakening or
enlightenment experience is the fact of transcending—that means a
state of interpretation which goes beyond typical comprehension or
experience. As we have clearly seen, the Buddha’s transcendence is
the radical comprehension or pure experience of the relativity and
impermanence of our cognitively constructed world and denotes an
accurate expression of the way things are. We now understand that
pure experience illuminates the difference between a normal,
cognitively constructed “reality” and actuality. The removal of the
obscuring cognitive constructions is called “the radical reorientation to
actuality” or transcendence. This truth is the actual beyond the
representation, the antecedent behind the referent.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
We have heard the phrase “I just don’t know how to describe it” when we attempt to put into words... more We have heard the phrase “I just don’t know how to describe it” when we attempt to put into words what we have directly experienced. Apophatic theology wonders about the same thing, but on a different level, of how to speak about the transcendent reality as different from cataphatic theology, which describes “God” or the divine by using affirmations or positive statements. Mystics have often insisted that their experiences of transcendence or divinity are beyond the realm of language and concepts. “God is greater than anything that we can conceive,” as said by Saint Anselm.
Many thinkers throughout history have recognized this impossibility of positively describing the All, commonly called “God,” and instead affirm its ultimate mystery, incomprehensibility, and ineffability. For example, in the magazine Fiddlehead, author Tim Lilburn states, “The deepest truth in all things is numinous or mysterious, these Apophatic masters taught, beyond reason, beyond language.” In The Unknown God: Negative Theology in the Platonic Tradition: Plato to Eriugena (2015), the academic Deirdre Carabine wrote,
The Apophatic or negative way stresses God’s absolute transcendence and unknowability in such a way that we cannot say anything about the Divine essence because God is so totally beyond being. The dual concept of the immanence and transcendence of God can help us to understand the simultaneous truth of both ‘ways’ to God: at the same time, as God is immanent, God is also transcendent. At the same time, as God is knowable, God is also unknowable. God cannot be thought of as one or the other only.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
We have seen that science supports the apophatic assertion that a transcendent reality is beyond ... more We have seen that science supports the apophatic assertion that a transcendent reality is beyond the normal range of human perception and conceptualization. Yet, at the same time, the Transcendent is a reality in the human life process. We have also seen that awakening or transcending the ignorance of duality is a common experience of the mystic. I will now highlight how the theoretical physicist Bernard d’Espagnat argues that we cannot directly know the transcendental reality or mind-independent reality:
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
That which is called the “external” world, as well as the “internal” world (the world we inhabit)... more That which is called the “external” world, as well as the “internal” world (the world we inhabit), is only a representation or interpretation that we create with our cognitive apparatus. It is not the actual reality itself. In summary, our brain models the world for us. Just as a creative artist creates an art form, we create a picture or representation of reality which has only a resemblance to actuality.
We can never truly know reality because we are limited by (and cannot go beyond), the input of our sense perceptions, and, as well, our cognitive process has evolved to accommodate and service that input egocentrically. The brain brings to bear its prior expectations about what is out there in order to interpret this massive, noisy, and ambiguous sensory information that it continually encounters. In confining analysis to Earth and its immediate surroundings, some estimate the limitation is about 25% of the total, and if one includes the vastness of the universe beyond the “visible universe” the numbers would be much smaller. So, it is reasonable to say that we only perceive a small fraction of the totality of physical reality.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
We have already discussed that the apophatic tradition is associated with the perspective that hu... more We have already discussed that the apophatic tradition is associated with the perspective that humans cannot logically and analytically comprehend “divine” reality, or actuality. The negative way emphasizes the descriptive unknowability of “God” in such a way that nothing can be said about actuality because (X) is beyond the human capacity to rationally know and describe.
The typical cataphatic anthropomorphism (describing God by physical and/or emotional human characteristics), as well as egocentrism (proposing that humans are the center of God’s attention and favor, including separate from the rest of nature), are simply cognitive manifestations of fantasy and mythology. The development of anthropocentric fantasy began as primitive mythology envisioned gods and demons in human and animal shapes. These gods went about, as humans would, constructing a world in a piecemeal fashion. As time went on, these stories gained in scope and importance. Human language and thought, with a subject predicate, became formulated with a “positive” plus character that adds components to what was before.
Also, as we have examined in previous chapters, there is the intrinsic impossibility of comprehending “actuality” through our sensory abilities and cognitive apparatus. As highlighted before, actuality is the transcendent immanence and physical source of being, and it is the ground on which we ultimately base our subjective and conjectural interpretation of reality, which is the fruit of a conceptualization process.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
I will now explore this important and fascinating topic of how modern linguistic study and schola... more I will now explore this important and fascinating topic of how modern linguistic study and scholarship supports the apophatic insights regarding the abstraction process of language. Words, and all concepts, are like the cognitive constructions of the external environment. They are abstractions, not the objective reality they try to capture. Indeed, our “shared virtual world,” which arises in correlation with the common cognitive structures and linguistic categories, is so deeply ingrained and so utterly habituated that it occurs almost automatically and nearly unconsciously in every moment.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
The apophatic tradition emphasizes that realizing the transcendental reality is beyond the realm ... more The apophatic tradition emphasizes that realizing the transcendental reality is beyond the realm of rational analytic and dualistic thinking. The negative way or via negativa gives priority to the ultimate unknowability of (X), or God, in such a way that nothing can positively or with certainty be said about the transcendent essence. (X) is beyond the human capacity to fully know, comprehend, and describe. Instead, knowledge of (X), as it is possible, is pre-theoretical, immediate, and intuitive, never abstract or conceptual in nature. (X) exists but cannot be described. Therefore, ordinary language and categorization of the characteristics and qualities of the Transcendent are inherently flawed.
The Buddha described awakening or transcending the ignorance of duality as Liberation, emptiness, or sunyata. From awakening to the truth of non-dualism, the Buddha clearly understood that human perception categorizes the world into discrete objects and concepts and a basic division is the duality between subject and object. Between observer and what is to be observed—I and It. Upon further examination, cultural conventions play an important role in constructing and reinforcing these concepts.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised, 2023
The apophatic tradition emphasizes the unity, wholeness, interdependence, and interconnectedness... more The apophatic tradition emphasizes the unity, wholeness,
interdependence, and interconnectedness of all things. In distinction
from the dualism of the answerable questions, there are intuitions and
experiences about realities that transcend the cognitive systems of
categories expressed in our human thought and language. They are
matters which, in St Paul’s words, “no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man conceived” (I Corinthians 2:9). Instead,
apophatic theology refers to the subject matter of these unanswerable
questions as mysteries, as real matters that are beyond human
comprehension and expression. Also, they recognize that the endless
pursuit of logical and rational thinking about these mysteries is
useless, creates suffering and makes it impossible to attain sublime
awakening.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
Using a primarily Buddhist and modern linguistic perspective, I will highlight traditional apopha... more Using a primarily Buddhist and modern linguistic perspective, I will highlight traditional apophatic considerations about language in this chapter. Apophatic theology teaches that the transcendental is ineffable or ultimately beyond description. Negative theology states that since the human mind cannot grasp the infinity of existence, then all words and concepts will fail to adequately describe it. Therefore, human languages provide, at best, a hint of a description of transcendence. Negative theology espouses the avoidance of making affirmations about “God” so as to prevent placing “God” in a “cage of concepts,” which not only limits humanity’s vision of the transcendental but easily becomes an abstracted, dualism-based ignorance of believing in permanence and separateness.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
In this chapter, I will highlight what more I learned about apophatic theology or apophaticism. T... more In this chapter, I will highlight what more I learned about apophatic theology or apophaticism. Those new readings introduced me to Western and other apophatic writers, resulting in my defining the Buddha’s teachings as an example of an apophatic perspective. There are clear similarities between the Buddha’s writing and those of Angelus Silesius and other apophatic theologists. While there is already some scholarship about this similarity, it is, unfortunately, rarely discussed in mainstream Buddhist or theistic literature. This lack of discussion prompted me to integrate relevant aspects of my previous writings on the Buddha’s teachings with fascinating apophatic perspectives and to highlight what I believe are important parallels.
In the past, I read some works of Christian mystics like Meister Eckhart and the book The Cloud of Unknowing, but I was never specifically introduced to the apophatic tradition. This past year, as I read the apophatic works of Angelus Silesius and Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, I realized that the Buddha’s teachings could be correctly considered apophatic. This realization opened a new dimension of comprehension and relevance for me about what I had written in my previous books and essays on the Buddha’s teachings. First, let us understand the differences between cataphatic and apophatic theology or via positiva and via negativa.
Interesting and Surprising Facts about the Buddha and his Teachings That Are Often Ignored, 2020
The Buddha was the first thinker in known history to teach the doctrine of human equality and soc... more The Buddha was the first thinker in known history to teach the doctrine of human equality and social freedom amongst all humans. Society should be open to all, regardless of caste, color, or class. No caste, class, or race privileges existed among his lay followers or in the Order of the Sangha that he founded. Instead, social classes and castes are nothing but functional divisions of society, man-made, subject to change and resulting from social and historical factors. Any social doctrine based on the alleged superiority of a caste, class, or race, and advocating to keep it dominant using force, will lead to the perpetuation of social tensions and conflict, and never bring about harmony and equality. The Buddha’s doctrine of equality means each person should be treated equally with dignity and given an equal chance to develop their inherent potentials of economic, moral and spiritual progress, and of human perfection. Also, the Buddha was the first who attempted to abolish slavery, which included the traffic in, and the sale of, females for commercial purposes. In fact, this is a prohibited trade for his followers.
THE INTERCONNECTED UNIVERSE, 2024
Both science and spiritual and metaphysical teachings recognize that all things and events are in... more Both science and spiritual and metaphysical teachings recognize that all things and events are interconnected, and part of a greater Whole. Every part of the universe is directly or indirectly related to every other part, and the description of any one part is inseparable from the description of the whole. Sufi teacher Murat Yagan: “Interdependence is a state of mutual support for the greater good of the Whole.” The concept of an interconnected universe appears throughout history, in philosophical and spiritual writings and this paper explores the themes of those writings.
“Non-Duality: What the World Needs Now”, 2024
This paper includes two Accepted Poster Presentations for the International Society for Contempla... more This paper includes two Accepted Poster Presentations for the International Society for Contemplative Research Conference, in June, 2024, Padua, Italy:
Embracing Apophatic Philosophy: A Path Towards Beneficial Personal and Societal Transformation and Embracing Apophatic Philosophy: A Non-Dualist Path Towards Enlightened Personal and Societal Transformation, plus a brief description and review of my latest published book, “Non-Duality: What the World Needs Now”, 2024, by Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D.
What is Important to You? - Personal Reflections, 2021
What things do you think you cannot live without? I was asked to answer this question and in fact... more What things do you think you cannot live without? I was asked to answer this question and in fact, this is an important and complex one. Upon reflection, there are many important conditions that I cannot live without. Much of what I cannot live without are my body's physical necessities for survival, such as oxygen, clean water, nutrients, warmth and coolness, protection from the elements, movement, sleep, etc. Without all these and other, similar factors, my life would be short and miserable. Therefore, I am careful to honor these requirements by being mindful that I include them, in the right quantities and good quality, in my life, thus allowing me to maintain sound physical health.
Thoughts about The Buddha’s Teaching: Seeing Without Illusion - Rodger R Ricketts, 2016
The Buddha placed primary importance on our thinking and volition. In fact, our difficulties aris... more The Buddha placed primary importance on our thinking and volition. In fact, our difficulties arise when our thinking is unwholesome, in the past and in the present. Our citta or heart/mind is our kingdom or our own mentality. It is our private place where the swirl of thoughts continually passes across our mind. Only you can know what truly goes on there. There is both privacy and the possible control to think the thoughts you want. You can choose which thoughts to accept or refuse. Whichever thoughts you allow will shortly be expressed through your volition in the outer environment.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised , 2023
The prevailing economic paradigm misapprehends reality because it is entrenched in an inherently ... more The prevailing economic paradigm misapprehends reality because it is entrenched in an inherently individualistic dualistic worldview, which overlooks the ultimate interdependence of all natural entities (Magnuson 2022, pp.77-80). For instance, the emphasis on material production and consumption as an end in itself, is not sustainable. This materialistic ideology creates not only human suffering, but also an inevitable degradation of Earth’s ecosystems, exemplified by the present ecological crisis. To modify these harmful economic systems, it is necessary to understand that economic reality is not an autonomous sub-system of social action, but a highly interdependent system of value creation. The necessary paradigm shift for our economic models requires a process of restructuring economic institutions and policy frameworks with the adoption of the wisdom that aligns them with sustainable and moderate economic outcomes. Such a synergistic perspective will create a broader economic paradigm that empowers humans to thrive and will allow all life forms to flourish. The paradigm advocated here to allow this is Transcendental/Buddhist economics.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised, 2023
We can now consider the term "biocentrism" or "life-centered understanding of ourselves and natur... more We can now consider the term "biocentrism" or "life-centered understanding of ourselves and nature." Biocentrism encompasses all environmental ethics that "extend the status of moral object from not only human beings but to all living things in nature." Biocentric ethics, like "I-Thou" and dependent origination, calls for a radical readjustment of the relationship between humans, nature, and existence. Through this framework, humans can no longer view themselves with a narrow, self-serving perspective, with a form of speciesism that they warrant.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised , 2023
The Unity of All Often in the past, cataphatic theologies regarded apophatic theology as heretica... more The Unity of All Often in the past, cataphatic theologies regarded apophatic theology as heretical, blasphemy, and unorthodox and often severely punished those who advocated via negativa. Previously, we have seen that awakening or transcending the ignorance of duality is a common experience of the mystic. Next, I will highlight that apophatic teachings and analysis clearly provide a truer alternative to the dominant dualistic cataphatic dogma.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind's Transpersonal Actualization-revised, 2023
Usually, the societal, relationship and environmental consequences of the dualist (rational) vs. ... more Usually, the societal, relationship and environmental consequences of the dualist (rational) vs. the non-dualist (transcendental) perspective are not explored in depth. Therefore, I want to use the excellent and clear analysis by the modern Jewish philosopher and educator Martin Buber and others to show that whichever of the two perspectives (non-dualist/dualist) one predominately adopts, there are significant consequences in all spheres of one’s life. This is a good place to remind the reader that the dualist and non-dualist perspectives are not mutually exclusive.
Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” and “I-It”
“I believe that the key to creating a society that is nourishing, empowering, and healing for everyone lies in how we relate to one another.” - Martin Buber
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised , 2023
All spiritual traditions emphasize that first, the devotee needs to follow a code of uplifting mo... more All spiritual traditions emphasize that first, the devotee needs to follow a code of uplifting moral discipline that is the foundation for the cultivation of wholesome thoughts, words, and actions. Wholesome means generosity, friendship, kindness, and wisdom, which are the main important states that free the mind from the afflictions of selfishness, anger, guilt, and shame, as well as from the unwanted consequences created through unwholesome behaviors.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised, 2023
A definition of transcendence that applies to the awakening or enlightenment experience is the f... more A definition of transcendence that applies to the awakening or
enlightenment experience is the fact of transcending—that means a
state of interpretation which goes beyond typical comprehension or
experience. As we have clearly seen, the Buddha’s transcendence is
the radical comprehension or pure experience of the relativity and
impermanence of our cognitively constructed world and denotes an
accurate expression of the way things are. We now understand that
pure experience illuminates the difference between a normal,
cognitively constructed “reality” and actuality. The removal of the
obscuring cognitive constructions is called “the radical reorientation to
actuality” or transcendence. This truth is the actual beyond the
representation, the antecedent behind the referent.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
We have heard the phrase “I just don’t know how to describe it” when we attempt to put into words... more We have heard the phrase “I just don’t know how to describe it” when we attempt to put into words what we have directly experienced. Apophatic theology wonders about the same thing, but on a different level, of how to speak about the transcendent reality as different from cataphatic theology, which describes “God” or the divine by using affirmations or positive statements. Mystics have often insisted that their experiences of transcendence or divinity are beyond the realm of language and concepts. “God is greater than anything that we can conceive,” as said by Saint Anselm.
Many thinkers throughout history have recognized this impossibility of positively describing the All, commonly called “God,” and instead affirm its ultimate mystery, incomprehensibility, and ineffability. For example, in the magazine Fiddlehead, author Tim Lilburn states, “The deepest truth in all things is numinous or mysterious, these Apophatic masters taught, beyond reason, beyond language.” In The Unknown God: Negative Theology in the Platonic Tradition: Plato to Eriugena (2015), the academic Deirdre Carabine wrote,
The Apophatic or negative way stresses God’s absolute transcendence and unknowability in such a way that we cannot say anything about the Divine essence because God is so totally beyond being. The dual concept of the immanence and transcendence of God can help us to understand the simultaneous truth of both ‘ways’ to God: at the same time, as God is immanent, God is also transcendent. At the same time, as God is knowable, God is also unknowable. God cannot be thought of as one or the other only.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
We have seen that science supports the apophatic assertion that a transcendent reality is beyond ... more We have seen that science supports the apophatic assertion that a transcendent reality is beyond the normal range of human perception and conceptualization. Yet, at the same time, the Transcendent is a reality in the human life process. We have also seen that awakening or transcending the ignorance of duality is a common experience of the mystic. I will now highlight how the theoretical physicist Bernard d’Espagnat argues that we cannot directly know the transcendental reality or mind-independent reality:
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
That which is called the “external” world, as well as the “internal” world (the world we inhabit)... more That which is called the “external” world, as well as the “internal” world (the world we inhabit), is only a representation or interpretation that we create with our cognitive apparatus. It is not the actual reality itself. In summary, our brain models the world for us. Just as a creative artist creates an art form, we create a picture or representation of reality which has only a resemblance to actuality.
We can never truly know reality because we are limited by (and cannot go beyond), the input of our sense perceptions, and, as well, our cognitive process has evolved to accommodate and service that input egocentrically. The brain brings to bear its prior expectations about what is out there in order to interpret this massive, noisy, and ambiguous sensory information that it continually encounters. In confining analysis to Earth and its immediate surroundings, some estimate the limitation is about 25% of the total, and if one includes the vastness of the universe beyond the “visible universe” the numbers would be much smaller. So, it is reasonable to say that we only perceive a small fraction of the totality of physical reality.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization Revised, 2023
We have already discussed that the apophatic tradition is associated with the perspective that hu... more We have already discussed that the apophatic tradition is associated with the perspective that humans cannot logically and analytically comprehend “divine” reality, or actuality. The negative way emphasizes the descriptive unknowability of “God” in such a way that nothing can be said about actuality because (X) is beyond the human capacity to rationally know and describe.
The typical cataphatic anthropomorphism (describing God by physical and/or emotional human characteristics), as well as egocentrism (proposing that humans are the center of God’s attention and favor, including separate from the rest of nature), are simply cognitive manifestations of fantasy and mythology. The development of anthropocentric fantasy began as primitive mythology envisioned gods and demons in human and animal shapes. These gods went about, as humans would, constructing a world in a piecemeal fashion. As time went on, these stories gained in scope and importance. Human language and thought, with a subject predicate, became formulated with a “positive” plus character that adds components to what was before.
Also, as we have examined in previous chapters, there is the intrinsic impossibility of comprehending “actuality” through our sensory abilities and cognitive apparatus. As highlighted before, actuality is the transcendent immanence and physical source of being, and it is the ground on which we ultimately base our subjective and conjectural interpretation of reality, which is the fruit of a conceptualization process.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
I will now explore this important and fascinating topic of how modern linguistic study and schola... more I will now explore this important and fascinating topic of how modern linguistic study and scholarship supports the apophatic insights regarding the abstraction process of language. Words, and all concepts, are like the cognitive constructions of the external environment. They are abstractions, not the objective reality they try to capture. Indeed, our “shared virtual world,” which arises in correlation with the common cognitive structures and linguistic categories, is so deeply ingrained and so utterly habituated that it occurs almost automatically and nearly unconsciously in every moment.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
The apophatic tradition emphasizes that realizing the transcendental reality is beyond the realm ... more The apophatic tradition emphasizes that realizing the transcendental reality is beyond the realm of rational analytic and dualistic thinking. The negative way or via negativa gives priority to the ultimate unknowability of (X), or God, in such a way that nothing can positively or with certainty be said about the transcendent essence. (X) is beyond the human capacity to fully know, comprehend, and describe. Instead, knowledge of (X), as it is possible, is pre-theoretical, immediate, and intuitive, never abstract or conceptual in nature. (X) exists but cannot be described. Therefore, ordinary language and categorization of the characteristics and qualities of the Transcendent are inherently flawed.
The Buddha described awakening or transcending the ignorance of duality as Liberation, emptiness, or sunyata. From awakening to the truth of non-dualism, the Buddha clearly understood that human perception categorizes the world into discrete objects and concepts and a basic division is the duality between subject and object. Between observer and what is to be observed—I and It. Upon further examination, cultural conventions play an important role in constructing and reinforcing these concepts.
The God is No-Thing An Apophatic Assertion: An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization– revised, 2023
The apophatic tradition emphasizes the unity, wholeness, interdependence, and interconnectedness... more The apophatic tradition emphasizes the unity, wholeness,
interdependence, and interconnectedness of all things. In distinction
from the dualism of the answerable questions, there are intuitions and
experiences about realities that transcend the cognitive systems of
categories expressed in our human thought and language. They are
matters which, in St Paul’s words, “no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man conceived” (I Corinthians 2:9). Instead,
apophatic theology refers to the subject matter of these unanswerable
questions as mysteries, as real matters that are beyond human
comprehension and expression. Also, they recognize that the endless
pursuit of logical and rational thinking about these mysteries is
useless, creates suffering and makes it impossible to attain sublime
awakening.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
Using a primarily Buddhist and modern linguistic perspective, I will highlight traditional apopha... more Using a primarily Buddhist and modern linguistic perspective, I will highlight traditional apophatic considerations about language in this chapter. Apophatic theology teaches that the transcendental is ineffable or ultimately beyond description. Negative theology states that since the human mind cannot grasp the infinity of existence, then all words and concepts will fail to adequately describe it. Therefore, human languages provide, at best, a hint of a description of transcendence. Negative theology espouses the avoidance of making affirmations about “God” so as to prevent placing “God” in a “cage of concepts,” which not only limits humanity’s vision of the transcendental but easily becomes an abstracted, dualism-based ignorance of believing in permanence and separateness.
God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion An Introduction for Humankind’s Transpersonal Actualization, 2023
In this chapter, I will highlight what more I learned about apophatic theology or apophaticism. T... more In this chapter, I will highlight what more I learned about apophatic theology or apophaticism. Those new readings introduced me to Western and other apophatic writers, resulting in my defining the Buddha’s teachings as an example of an apophatic perspective. There are clear similarities between the Buddha’s writing and those of Angelus Silesius and other apophatic theologists. While there is already some scholarship about this similarity, it is, unfortunately, rarely discussed in mainstream Buddhist or theistic literature. This lack of discussion prompted me to integrate relevant aspects of my previous writings on the Buddha’s teachings with fascinating apophatic perspectives and to highlight what I believe are important parallels.
In the past, I read some works of Christian mystics like Meister Eckhart and the book The Cloud of Unknowing, but I was never specifically introduced to the apophatic tradition. This past year, as I read the apophatic works of Angelus Silesius and Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, I realized that the Buddha’s teachings could be correctly considered apophatic. This realization opened a new dimension of comprehension and relevance for me about what I had written in my previous books and essays on the Buddha’s teachings. First, let us understand the differences between cataphatic and apophatic theology or via positiva and via negativa.
The Buddha's teachings are, at heart, a way of life based on a revolutionary psychology which emp... more The Buddha's teachings are, at heart, a way of life based on a revolutionary psychology which emphasizes the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. Through an exploration of significant, recent findings and thought including in Cognitive psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, neuroscience, biology, physics, linguistics, ecology and culture, this book shows how the Buddha's teachings are at the cutting edge of the new direction that psychology must take to reflect and apply the latest trends in science.
God is No-thing; An Apophatic Assertion The Salvation for Humankind Revised, 2022
Apophatic and Cataphatic Meditations Apophatic meditation is considered a more tranquil form of m... more Apophatic and Cataphatic Meditations Apophatic meditation is considered a more tranquil form of meditation in contrast to Cataphatic or positive meditation. Cataphatic forms of prayer are the most common in the world's religious theology. They are active prayers to a definitive and personal God that uses an intentional and sustained focus. The object of the prayer has content; it uses words, images, symbols, ideas, and visualization or is sung. The context is to ask for things from the creator. There is a clear dualistic subject/object definition in this 'relationship.' For example, in Christian theology, there is the Praising Prayer of one's transformation into a greater likeness of God, as well as a deeper loving relationship with him. Also, there is the Asking Prayer, where the devotee is taught that God wants to be asked for things. It is assumed that the son of God, Jesus, will always answer a request with a 'yes.' Of course, this assumption includes that God's help can be asked, he is interested in the details of a person's lives, one's desires and that one's needs are important enough for him to affirmatively answer one's prayers. Apophatic Meditation Instead, in the spiritual Path of Transcendence of Apophatic meditation, the devotees empty their minds of words and cravings and attempt to remain in pure silence. Apophatic meditation quiets the mind of disarray, preoccupation, and distraction. It purifies the mind and brings serenity and tranquility. The internal chatter of the mind is calmed, it brings serenity into one's life as well as giving time for inward reflection. Importantly, the necessary preparation for contemplative meditation, and perseverance in the consistent living with virtue and grace, is supported by a growing non-attachment of craving to sense-based objects. To show the universality of the application of the apophatic creed, this chapter will explore characteristics, and examples of different religions' approaches to Apophatic meditation. Two main forms of Apophatic meditation There are two main forms of Apophatic meditation: both forms are considered foundational and calming, helping the participant to 'lose themself.' 1. Concentrative-it is an approach intended to cultivate deeper, clearer, purer, more expansive states of awareness. The practitioner learns to make a distinction between the contents of consciousness (thoughts, feelings, images, etc.
The Buddha's Teaching: Seeing Without Illusion, 2nd ed.., 2013
Buddha taught, like modern psychology and a relapse prevention model, a doctrine that recognizes ... more Buddha taught, like modern psychology and a relapse prevention model, a doctrine that recognizes the possibility of the wellbeing of all sentient beings. Often, at the beginning of a Buddhist meditation session, one hears the phrase recited, ‘May all beings be well and happy’, with the supreme contentment being the awakening of the original mind. To assist in that goal, the Buddha recommended a wide range of interventions, which are like established techniques of modern cognitive behavioral therapy. The specific desired behavior change determines the use of a specific technique(s). The suttas often mention the use of specific interventions to prevent or correct a lapse or relapse of unwholesome and unskillful behavior. Details of those techniques from original texts are explained in numerous publications including [47, 48] (De Silva, 1984; Mikulas, 1981). Therefore, while a full discussion of those techniques is unnecessary here, it is instructive to show some examples of behavioral interventions used in the Path.
Non-Duality: What The World Needs Today God is No-Thing, 2023
A new book by Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D. published on Amazon Worldwide. Through the Buddha’s teach... more A new book by Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D. published on Amazon Worldwide. Through the Buddha’s teachings, transformation leading to transcendental enlightenment is an intentional psychological attainment. Enlightenment or awakening is created through the process of planned psychological/emotional change, consistently practiced by motivated learners, moving on from an uninformed way of living (acting, thinking, feeling) to one according to universal principles. This book highlights those insights and the beneficial results.
In the following chapters, the reader will notice that I have emphasized not only the Buddha’s teachings but a wide range of cross-cultural non-dualistic descriptions. I have found that these universal, ancient, as well as modern teachings provide an in-depth analysis of transpersonal training and perspective. While not encyclopedic, the chapters about the non-dualistic writings are not only for intellectual curiosity. They are also a living testament of truths with vital positive consequences for the wellness and well-being of the individual, for society, and for the whole Gaia. When understood and incorporated into one’s life, this is transforming in a transpersonal way. One frequent consideration necessary when writing this book was what noun should be used when referring to the transcendent and immanent quality that is often referred to as God, Deity, the Divine, Being, etc. In the end, I used the word Transcendent as often as possible as the most neutral yet appropriate noun for this topic.
To conclude, my intent in this book is the analysis and integration of numerous non-dualistic teachings such as the Buddha’s teaching and modern scientific insights. I will explore these perspectives about the mysterious nature of the Transcendent or No-Thing and its relationship with our existence through ancient schools of thought. Also included in this book are varied meditation/prayer practices or structured activities that can lead to personal experiences that provide humanity with what is necessary for living embodied, integrated, and spiritual lives. Even in this age of dualistic and hyper-rational science and technology, non-dualism, which has stood the test of time, is an illuminating explanation of the totality of human experience.
Non-Duality: What the World Needs Now God Is No-Thing, 2023
New book by author Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D. published September 3 2023 on Amazon Worldwide.Throu... more New book by author Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D. published September 3 2023 on Amazon Worldwide.Through the Buddha’s teachings, transformation leading to transcendental enlightenment is an intentional psychological attainment. Enlightenment or awakening is created through the process of planned psychological/emotional change, consistently practiced by motivated learners, moving on from an uninformed way of living (acting, thinking, feeling) to one according to universal principles. This book highlights those insights and the beneficial results.
In the following chapters, the reader will notice that I have emphasized not only the Buddha’s teachings but a wide range of cross-cultural non-dualistic descriptions. I have found that these universal, ancient, as well as modern teachings provide an in-depth analysis of transpersonal training and perspective. While not encyclopedic, the chapters about the non-dualistic writings are not only for intellectual curiosity. They are also a living testament of truths with vital positive consequences for the wellness and well-being of the individual, for society, and for the whole Gaia. When understood and incorporated into one’s life, this is transforming in a transpersonal way. One frequent consideration necessary when writing this book was what noun should be used when referring to the transcendent and immanent quality that is often referred to as God, Deity, the Divine, Being, etc. In the end, I used the word Transcendent as often as possible as the most neutral yet appropriate noun for this topic.
To conclude, my intent in this book is the analysis and integration of numerous non-dualistic teachings such as the Buddha’s teaching and modern scientific insights. I will explore these perspectives about the mysterious nature of the Transcendent or No-Thing and its relationship with our existence through ancient schools of thought. Also included in this book are varied meditation/prayer practices or structured activities that can lead to personal experiences that provide humanity with what is necessary for living embodied, integrated, and spiritual lives. Even in this age of dualistic and hyper-rational science and technology, non-dualism, which has stood the test of time, is an illuminating explanation of the totality of human experience.