Vulcan Mysticism

Since i'm here i talked a lot about the Star Trek Vulcan mysticism but without having the opportunity to explain it properly. Probably this forum would be better if it been in the "faiths" section, or maybe in the "buddhism"'s one. But here, among general furums, if comments turn into a Star Trek joke, it'll be less dishonnorable to be in this section than to be aside of "main" beliefs.

Intro
Peoples are use to think of ST Vulcans as emotionless creatures, led by a total logic... but it's wrong... In fact, Vulcans established a mysticism centered on the self control (Shaula), many soul works, though meditations (Kohl-tor, Tu-lan & Loshirak) and by doing emotions/passions channeling (Kolinahr & T'san s'at). Vulcans do have emotions, they are'nt lead/blind by them.

"Nam-tor kusut vel t'kashek. Kup-putash-tor kashek.
Pthak svi'zherka -- dan-karik heh dan-khrashik"
Pain is a thing of the mind. The mind can be controlled.
Fear amongst emotions: most strong and most violent.

In the fiction
In ST lore (i know it's real sci-fi stuff, but still interesting to do parallels betwin them and our human conditions)in the past, Vulcans was a specie of hyper emotionnal and passionnate beings, doing wars because they was blinded by their inner pulsions. When they faced the extinction, they realized that their ways was destructive and dangerous. Then, they decided to embrace logic, to save themself physicaly as spiritualy. They left their old gods (War, Death, Peace "Sochya" and The Creator "Oekon") to embrace the "Ozhika" path (the Romulans left Vulcan at that time, they wanted to keep their old ways and emotions).

"Dakh orfikkel aushfamaluhr shaukaush fi'aifa mazhiv"
Our ancestors cast out their animal passions here on these sands

Logic "Ozhika"
The Vulcan logic is obtain with a perfect control of our emotions, the supression of the negative emotions (fear, "love", greed, ego etc.) as with the control our deep desires. A Vulcan will put aside (through meditations and rituals) his/her emotions/pulsions/desires to explore things by considering all persperctives, with a clear mind/spirit ("Tvi-sochya" inner peace). They learn how to master their desires and negative emotions/passions, to not be the enslave by them. "Infinite diversity in infinite combinations" to explore and understand, to open our mind and our consciousness, to do for the best of all and to get wise and unique (as complete in the diversity). The logic, as Vulcan see it, is a state of mind, a spiritual path and a "universal positive karmic way of doing things"... The vulcan logic is'nt anchored on a steril mind but on our true inner self, without the illusions gave by dark emotions/desires and selfishness. The "vulcan logic" is valid as any other spiritual paths to gain wisdom. For Vulcans, one's Logic (as the SW Force) is a part of a larger understanding; all individual logic'ness are like blocks of a true logical universal understanding (on how illiogical something done would seems logical for the one who's perception is altered by the emotions, as lill parts of the big schema). Only through logical understandings, real harmony/peace can happen betwin two persons, and emotions as fear/distrust/greed/hatred(etc.) prevent peace. Vulcans cultivate some emotions as they avoid others. "Logic" is the ST word for the SW Force in a way...

"Ozhika palik t'kau ri shaht"
Logic is the beginning of wisdom not the end

Links with human religions
The Vulcan mysticism can be easily compare to asian mysticisms. In fact, Vulcan mysticism is realy similar to the theravâda buddhism for its control over the desires and emotions as to the mahāyāna buddhism for the works on the awakening of our deep consciousness. Similar to the Lotus way, with control of the energy flow in the body as to a great control of vibrations due to emotions. Meditations are largely use to achieve control over the emotions and the suppression of desires, something who's also common in many types of buddhism. In Vulcan mysticism, there's no much rules, because as any spiritual journey, it can be different for each of us (we all have different inner "demons" to fight), the rules tend to come by themself as a self-imposed by auto-disciplin.

Kling akhlami buhfik
"Kup-fai-tor ri ruhm Vuhlkansular Ri-Fainu"
Not one among us is perfect
Not even Vulcans can know The Unknown

To look foward and trying to reach the Unknown, while working on our imperfections...to bring peace. I hope you'll understand a bit better what i believe in. And maybe you'll understand why Sithism is'nt for me...

Live long and prosper!
May the Force be with you!


p.s. In ST, every seven years Vulcans are use to experiment the "Pon Farr" (blood fever) where they can't control their emotions and have a violent urge to reproduce themself. Some peoples thinking that's a kick back from their emotions (due to their extrem control over them), while in fact it's just due to their peculiar anatomy and their reproducing hormones/cycle.

I know little about Vulcan's and it was interesting to read about their view of Logic.

Sithism is not for me either!

Live long and prosper!

MTFBWY

the Vulcan symbol and code:





IDIC: "Infinite diversity in infinite combinations"
The logo is made of a pyramid, a circle and a brilliant gem... the meaning of the logo is: "if 2 very different things "colide" together, it can make something beautifull"

The IDIC preach that, as unique persons, we must be one within the infinite combinations forming an harmonic unified whole (as the white as color is made of millions of different colors). As it also mean that from our diversities and by the combinations of our uniqueness, beautifull things can be make.

Other peoples see the triangle as the mount Seleya(the most sacred place on Vulcan), and the circle as the Vulcan's sun... But honestly i prefer the first version, it have more sense with the code/logo name.

Although Vulcan Mysticism isn't something I understand enough, and therefore can't exactly find myself following (in it's complete sense of all its elements), it is good to hear about this for the sake of knowing how it works. I'm always looking for outer knowledge of different spiritual cultures as a way to better understand myself and my current path and this one has a lot of parallels with Jediism. I also notice that it has at least a couple clashing ideals from what I have learned and taken up for myself within my path as a Jedi, one of which is the idea of "suppressing" emotions.

I would not be one to agree to suppressing anything since that is resistance and forcing something that is natural to my being. With emotions, instead of going against its influence, I instead, like to apply the ideals of, for example, Aikedo, which states that one may move along the path of something incoming, whether its destructive or productive, as a way of gaining control over it and doing with it what you wish. If I feel anger, fear, or sorrow, I allow it to come to me and accept it. Through this, I may use its momentum to redirect it into a direction that lets it simply burn out, without knocking into anything else or anybody else. In this way, I become who I fully am by accepting both polar ends of my reality and maintaining the "whole" in which includes both ends. I also will do this with logic just the same. This resembles the model of gravity in which all things incoming "circle" around a center and equal energy is gained from both ends of incoming matter.

Emotions are interdependent to logic and logic, emotions. I cannot reject one in order to get the most out of the other. I need both in order to identify myself and in order to identify each. Both aspects equally grant me wonderful things just the same, but only when they are not resisted. Logic is beget from passion. Passion is beget from logic. The more one clings to one, the more the other will burn and grow within, no matter how suppressed, and one day, may become too large or strong to control.

This is my own personal view however. Regardless, there is always much to learn from other ways such as Vulcan Mysticism and certain sects of Buddhism, partly because it helps me refine my own feelings and views of whatever path I am on. Vulcan Mysticism, I believe has a lot of knowledge to offer me as to wise use of logic and for that I am open to learning to understand and best use this polar end of the spectrum of who I am (however, without suppressing or rejecting the other end which is passion.) The knowledge one may gain from something like Vulcan Mysticism about logic can really contribute to helping one understand the essence and mechanics of their passions as a way of getting the most benefit out of them just the same.

Learn much, grow vast, and may the force be with you.

@ Proteus:

Even if we are'nt following the same path, we both working with our emotions/passions... but not the same way. The nice thing with this Order, is that we can share our own peculiar technics, as to learn new ones and to adapt them to our path, to be more efficient. It opening our views. I indirectly work with emotions too (by eliminating somes and enhencing others), and it's the reason why i understand your path real well (while not allowing myself in it). Our both ways seems different, but they are real similar in fact... Infinite diversity in infinite combinations!



LLAP
MTFBWY