Category Archives: Events

Seeds of Interfaith Harmony

Events, Traditions, ,

This week we celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week. This interfaith celebration was first proposed in 2010 by King Abdullah II and Prince Ghazi of Jordan during a plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly and is now a recurring event.

The promotion of interfaith harmony is also a key objective of the Gamma Tao. It is actually one of the main reasons why this website exists. If the Gamma Tao was only my personal way of life there would be no compelling reason to share it.

Even though my focus is on internal personal wisdom, I believe that the Gamma Tao offers an unique way of bringing religions and philosophies of life closer together.

The Gamma Tao is a only a modest lower path offering a common ground on which all the higher paths can shine. The Gamma Tao does not reduce, replace or incorporate these wisdom traditions in any way. According to the Gamma Tao all religions and philosophies offer valuable and unique insights that can increase our wisdom and humanity and lead to various forms of realisation, salvation and enlightenment.

I really hope that the World Interfaith Harmony Week will flourish more and more and become a meaningful tradition that will be celebrated in many religious communities around the world.

In his speech at the UN General Assembly, Prince Ghazi of Jordan projected that:

if preachers and teachers commit themselves on the record once a year to peace and harmony, this means that when the next interreligious crisis or provocation occurs, they cannot then relapse into parochial fear and mistrust, and will be more likely to resist the winds of popular demagoguery.

The celebrations are supported by important interfaith institutions as the Parliament of the World’s Religions and URI. The theme for the observance of the Interfaith Harmony Week for 2019 is “Sustainable Development through Interfaith Harmony.”.

The Gamma Tao can offer sunflower seeds. Wouldn’t it be a nice and meaningful practice if different religious communities would visit each other on World Interfaith Harmony Week to exchange sunflower seeds?

If we plant these seeds and take good care of them interfaith harmony will grow high into the sky and really start flourishing!

Silent γ at the PoWR

Events, Interfaith,

The γ of the Gamma Tao is a silent consonant. The γ does not need to be pronounced, just like the silent H (or H muet). Its basic values gratitude, compassion and just proportion are not unique and can be found in most wisdom traditions. In this spirit I represented the Gamma Tao last week at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Only on a few occasions I gave my “non business card” to others. These were in fact the same old cards I had made especially for the Parliament of 2015. I did not personally attend the Parliament in Salt Lake City, but as a small sponsor unexpectedly I was offered some promotional opportunities there.

At that time I felt strongly about a mission to heal religions so that religions may help to heal the world. Nowadays I am much more humble and focus on my personal path.

When someone at the Parliament asked me about my affiliation, I replied that I represented a personal religion, but more than that I felt affiliated to all wisdom traditions that were present in Toronto. The Parliament itself feels very much like my spiritual home.

So many things came together in Toronto. I am very glad that this time I had the opportunity to join. I was touched by many speakers at the Parliament, regardless of their affiliation. It was great to hear some of my favourites again, like Karen Armstrong, Vandana Shiva and Tu Weiming.

I was deeply impressed by the wisdom of the indigenous traditions that were represented at the Parliament. Other speakers that made an impact on me were among others Arun Gandhi, Chidanand Saraswati, James Lawson Jr., Ebook Patel, Ingrid Mattson, David Rosen and last but not least Larry Greenfield, the executive director of the Parliament.

Several speakers were even more impressive in their deeds than in their words.

In between the speeches and especially during the Sacred Music Concert there were great music and dance performances. I am particularly glad that I learned about the “Prayer of the Mothers, sung by Yael Deckelbaum, which became an anthem for the March of Hope, lead by “Women Wage Peace”.

In preparation of Golden Rule Day 2019 there was a very cheerful session that made everyone sing and dance. The presentation of the Commitment to a Culture of Sustainability and Care for the Earth that has been added to the Global Ethic of the Parliament was an important official moment. This declaration can be signed by everyone here.

In a time that religions – often for good reasons – get a lot of bad press, the Parliament brings out the best from all these wisdom traditions. One of the speakers even called the Parliament of the World’s Religions the Parliament of the World’s Wisdom.

I could not agree more. There was no need for an aspirated γ. The spirit of the Gamma Tao seemed to be manifest in the Parliament itself.

Three light years

Events, ,

Three years ago, on the day of Summer Solstice, I started this website. It may not be perfect and it does not attract many visitors, but for me at least it is one of the most promising wisdom projects available. I often wish I could spend more time on it.

The Gamma Tao has become my playground. I feel that it gives me some “right to play”. More than ever I am actively looking for wisdom and inspiration. I want to learn from the great minds of our age, read their books, listen to their talks, whatever their backgrounds may be.

As a Gamma guy, I do not belong to a particular camp. Some people would frown if they knew all the speakers I have listened to in the past three years. These speakers themselves would probably also be “bien étonnés de se trouver ensemble”.

I like to hear many different perspectives and do not mind whether new insights come from scientists, philosophers or spiritual teachers.

One of the highlights of my wisdom journey so far was the HowTheLightGetsIn Festival in Hay-on-Wye that I attended only a few weeks ago. It advertises itself as the world’s biggest festival of philosophy and music.

I felt at home immediately. While queuing for the first event, I already spotted Antonia Macaro. Since I wrote a blogpost on her book More than happiness, I took the chance to say hello. I was also pleasantly surprised that all speakers received a sunflower.

Maybe the most inspiring thought came from the name of the festival itself. It comes from a line in the Leonard Cohen song Anthem:

“Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything…that’s how the light gets in”.

You can listen to this song here.

This phrase teaches you to have an open mind. Nothing is perfect.

It really reflected the atmosphere of the debates at the festival. Often debaters do not really listen to what others have to say. They are only waiting to find something they can disagree on to make their own points. The debates at the festival were not at all like that. They were mostly interesting exchanges of ideas.

Also the Gamma Tao is no perfect offering. During the past three years it has been continuously evolving, like a beta-version.

Three years ago, the gamma way started with a basic theoretical symbol. The Gamma Tao now also has an active form. Wisdom consists of reflection and action. Vita contemplativa has been complemented with vita activa.

Compared to the great traditions, the Gamma Tao remains a lower, initial path. Not a path that on its own leads to perfect wisdom, if that is even possible. The circle (or ensō) of the Gamma itself has a crack.

Spiritual enlightenment or salvation belong to the higher paths.

On the way back from the festival, I took the chance to visit Stonehenge. Each year thousands of people gather at Stonehenge to celebrate Summer Solstice at sunrise.

Archeologists suggest that in prehistoric times Stonehenge has been a place of celebration and worship at the time of Winter and Summer Solstice for thousands of years. This is based on the way the light gets into the monument on these days.

During my trip I paid the hosting costs for this website. The Gamma Tao will remain live online for at least another three years.

May the light of wisdom get in. In you, in me and the whole of humanity.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Happy γEaster!

Events, Rituals

Today it is five years ago that the gamma symbol was completed and became a guiding compass in my life. For the rest of my life I will probably celebrate the first day of April as Gamma Day.

After five years this celebration has already become a fixed ritual of my personal religion. The word religion means different things to different people and I know that this can create a lot of misunderstanding. Here religion stands for the way we reconnect (Lat.: religare) in our minds to our universal origin. The Gamma Tao is also a personal philosophy. The main objective of this philosophy (philo- “loving” + sophia “wisdom”) is to create a wisdom mindset.

For me religion and philosophy have become two sides of the same coin.

On this day I always try to visit a special place. Two years ago I was in Delphi and last year I visited the Pantheon in Rome. This year I went to the Spinoza museum in Rijnsburg. The famous Dutch philosopher Spinoza had interesting ideas about how we are all connected to the substance of the universe and the way emotions, reason and intuition shape our perception of life. He had also much to say about freedom of speech.

It is of course also Easter today.

Actually, 5 years ago, when the gamma symbol took its final form, it was Easter as well. Since then there has been a special connection in my mind between Gamma Day and Easter. In fact, the Gamma helped me to obtain a deeper understanding of the spiritual meaning of Easter and to see Christianity in a new light.

Wisdom has many sources. The Gamma Tao is a key to all wisdom traditions.

Happy γEaster!

Sunflower Seed Day

Events, Rituals

Exactly five years ago I woke up in the early morning with the urge to write a book on religion and philosophy. I did not write a book, but this “awakening” was the seed for this website and the Gamma Tao.

That is why December 27th has become a special day for me.

It is “Sunflower Seed Day“.

Sunflower Seed Day is a day to plant new ideas and initiatives in your head. The timing is perfect for New Year’s resolutions.

This year Sunflower Seed Day is even more special, because I just finished a complete revision of the basic texts on this website.

I hope this seed will continue to grow!

Apology Week

Events, Rituals

Today is the first day of Apology Week 2017.

It is the third time I am observing this young gamma tradition. It is a week of abstention and meditation.

This week I will try to abstain as much as possible from certain sweet things in life. So no (added) sugars and light entertainment for me. I will also try to eat as vegan as possible. I may still add a few other things to stay away from. This tradition is still new.

No chocolate for a whole week already feels like a big sacrifice for me. More important is that I will meditate in the morning and evening about the collective guilt that I share as a human being.

I believe that I do have a share in the misery my species has caused in this world. Even though my personal conscience is relatively clear, there are innumerable ways in which I have taken some advantage or privilege, directly or indirectly, from acts of injustice committed by the likes of me, whether as a species as a whole or as part of a tribe.

Every day of Apology Week is dedicated to a specific theme.

  • Day 1: Apologies to the earth
  • Day 2: Apologies to animals
  • Day 3: Apologies to (underprivileged) social groups
  • Day 4: Apologies to (other) genders
  • Day 5: Apologies to (other) cultural traditions
  • Day 6: Apologies to (ethnic) minorities
  • Day 7: Apologies to individuals (and all the rest)

By the end of the week, on the day of Winter Solstice, there can be no absolution.

Hopefully some good resolutions will have come into my mind, so I can make some difference in the new year. It does not have to be something big.

I should not become overwhelmed by collective guilt during Apology Week. Nobody can take the enormous weight of human collective guilt upon his or her shoulders. Collective guilt should always be handled in a just collective proportion.

There is also no chance that I will become a misanthrope during Apology Week. On the contrary, I firmly believe that all human beings always have the potential to do something good.

Apology Week is above all a week of reflection.

Feel free to join and create your own version!

On December 21st, just after sunset, Apology Week will end with a piece of pure, bittersweet chocolate.

Happy Gamma Day!

Events, ,

Today is a special day. It is the first Gamma Day after the launch of this website.

Therefore I am at a special place now, the centre of the world according to the ancient Greeks. It was here in Delphi that Zeus looked for the centre of his “Grandmother Earth” (Ge, Gaea, or Gaia). Delphi was the place where the two eagles met that he had sent out flying from the eastern and western extremities.

This website is inspired by wisdom traditions of the East and West, so it is good to be here at such a central place. The temple of Apollo (in the background of the photo) was also the place where the famous Delphic maxims γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Know Thyself) and μηδέν άγαν (Nothing in excess) were carved in marble. These maxims were attributed to Apollo and to the Seven Sages of Greece.

These maxims have a prominent place on this website. I believe that in order to become wise you need to observe and know all that there is to know about the nature of your own mind. At the same time I am convinced that in everything we do we always have to find the just proportion, the Golden Mean or Golden Ratio. In these times of polarisation and extremism the wisdom of μηδέν άγαν is more important than ever.

It was on 1 April 2013 that the Gamma symbol got its final shape. After many years of searching for a life philosophy or religion that I could follow wholeheartedly, this symbol has brought a basic clarity in my mind. It combines several basic principles that will continue to guide me in my personal quest for wisdom.

The symbol does not represent the final truth. It is both philosophy and religion for beginners. The gamma way is only about the basics and does not replace any philosophy or religion. On the contrary, the gamma symbol has really opened up my mind for all wisdom traditions in the world. There is something to learn from everyone and everything.

This gamma holiday also does not replace existing rituals and traditions. In fact, in my mind the gamma way has only reinforced the meaning and value of rituals from other traditions. 1 April 2013 was also Eastern Monday. Since that time this Christian holiday has also has acquired more significance to me.

I hope that it is clear that on this website I am not looking for followers (I am not new kind of guru or priest). On the other hand, I do hope that the gamma symbol will be helpful for others too and that it can bring them the same kind of clarity of mind and direction that I have found because of it.

Even though I do not want to attract followers, I am always happy to meet like-minded fellow travelers and other wisdom seekers, because we can all learn from each other.

To all of you, I wish you Happy Gamma Day!