My main problem is that I don't quite understand what illumination is all about, except that it accepts a balance between chaos and order. This balance can be understood in a pretty straightforward way, so I don't see why the mysticism of illumination is neccessary. What else does illumination teach you? Why is it such a sanity-wrenching event? Couldn't a practical army commander (for example) very sanely decide that accepting chaos is useful tactically, without blowing his mind on riddles first?
Jim Chapin says:
>given that illumination is supposed to be reached by NOT
>trying for it (sort of a Calvinist "election" model?)
It's interesting that you'd compare it to calvinism, which is the ultimate in ordering. Calvinism includes predestination, right? If so, do you think that illumination, a chaotic concept, is predestined? This seems to be paradoxical, but perhaps this paradox is in itself part of illumination. In some sects, at least - in Carmania, perhaps?
Dave dunham says:
> I'm not familiar with anything that says members of the Lunar
> bureaucracy need to be Illuminates
But is there a certain status associated with being illuminated? Not every physicist has to go to harvard, but it sure looks good.
Peter Metcalf has a great discussion of various schisms:
> The Street Preachers, Freethinkers and Rebel Philosophers have their
> own standard questions which vary from school to school.
Does anyone have any examples of good riddles/questions, esp. for the different schisms? I love this idea.
Some shameless reprobate (sp?) says:
> that "withering away of the Empire" which is a known aim of the
> Lunar Way (and already discussed here):
Said discussion already missed by me, and I can't find it in Loren's archives. Anyone want to send me some excerpts from copies they may have laying around?
In any case, I apologize in advance for any repitition here; I'm a definite newbie as far as the concept of illumination goes, so I'm sure I'm repeating previous discussions.
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