The modern world is full of terribly selfish people. The spirit of global togetherness (extensively promoted in the name of eliminating prejudices and boundaries) cannot conceal this fact. In the prosperous countries of the West, where easily obtainable individual comfort facilitates selfish and decadent lifestyles, it has become the norm not to care about anything past the end of one’s nose. The favourite watchwords of the modern man are: après nous, le déluge (“after us, the flood”) and Man lebt nur einmal (“you only live once”). As long as he has his artificial paradises (gadgets and an Internet connection are now the preferred ways of escaping reality), they are content. They are deeply concerned about the survival of orangutan populations in rainforests (because it’s fashionable to care about animal rights), but at the same they rarely think about their next-door neighbour. Enamoured with personal freedom and fighting for social justice, they remain indifferent to the idea of having children and protecting their own cultural heritage.
Let us break this spell of indifference. Instead of dedicating our time and energy to remote causes, we should rather take a closer look at our immediate surroundings. There is always something to be done and improved in our local community. Although the news are usually full of depressing headlines, we should not ignore them altogether. Millions of people live in a parochial bubble of seemingly blissful ignorance. An attitude of deliberate ignorance can prove dangerous in the long run. On the other hand, those who read the news every day are more likely to be affected by the negativity (primarily the undesirable quality of tamas) that causes depressive and anxious thoughts. Therefore, one should balance pursuing information with periods of abstinence from it. On another note, it is a good idea to catch up with our friends and family members every once in a while, in order to see whether they need our help and guidance. A relationship built on mutual trust and respect makes it easier for either party to open up and speak without the fear of being judged or blamed. When it comes to online interactions, it is important to support like-minded content creators, especially those who vigorously swim against the current of modernity. They need our words of encouragement and praise for their tireless efforts to change the status quo way of thinking. Instead of idly wasting our time on watching entertaining videos of cats and dogs (it is no exaggeration to say that this is what many people do on a daily basis, the same can be said about the obsessive interest in memes), let us actively seek valuable, intellectually stimulating articles, posts, and videos.
Summary
The current age of dissolution does not provide much hope for a radical change in the socio-political structure of modern civilization. We must accept our limitations in this particular matter. Despite these adverse circumstances, attitudes of deep pessimism and quiet resignation have to be avoided, for they lead to even greater mental and spiritual atrophy within us. There is no other sensible choice but to actively resist the ongoing crisis. We have to ground our daily existence in the stability of spiritual tradition, so that our inner constitution remains unchanged even amidst the greatest upheavals. The purpose of my book is to show meaningful ways in which individuals who are inwardly detached from the insanity of modernity can still lead spiritually-saturated lives in radical opposition to the predominant trends and fashions. These practical solutions can be summarized as follows:
- Reduce your exposure to the unnecessary and unwholesome comforts of modern life. Beat addictions. Eat healthy, organic food. Consider taking cold showers.
- Introduce some form of physical exercise into your weekly routine.
- If you are a man, focus on developing a chivalric mindset that combines strength and courage with self-control and calmness.
- If you are a woman, strengthen your feminine attributes. Exhibit softness in your speech. Avoid foul language. Provide care and nurture to your closest ones. Grow long, beautiful hair. Avoid vain exhibitionism.
- Determine your varna using the descriptions provided in the book. Find a vocation compatible with your inner constitution.
- If you are a family-oriented person, prioritize having children and homeschooling them.
- If you are not a family-oriented person, prioritize finding a practical way in which you can contribute to the overall betterment of your folk. Master a traditional craft. Popularize and preserve old traditions. Become a counsellor or a teacher.
- Get rid of material possessions that do not uplift you spiritually or do not serve any practical function in your life.
- Avoid actions that place you in the undesirable modes of rajas and tamas.
- Increase your emotional awareness. Control the way you handle negative emotions.
- Take pride in your ancestral traditions and cultural heritage.
- Practice stargazing.
- Connect with nature through the meaningful activities of hiking and forest walking.
- Balance socializing with like-minded people with invigorating days of solitude and silence.
- Learn the art of deep concentration. Practice daily meditation.
- Exercise the virtue of patience. Control your anger.
- Care about your local community, environment and like-minded friends.
Appendix A – How to Meditate
The simplest ritual of secular meditation can be summarized as follows:
1. Sit in a quiet spot, devoid of sounds and sights that might unnecessarily agitate your mind. It can be either somewhere in your living space or in a serene, natural environment.
2. Close your eyes and make yourself comfortable.
3. Slowly put aside all negative thoughts, ruminations and anxieties. Do not be discouraged if you fail, but gather up enough determination to continue trying nonetheless.
4. Focus on your breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation.
5. Continue for about 10 minutes or longer.
6. After you are finished, don’t immediately open your eyes and rise. Sit still for a moment.
However, in order to fully experience the tremendous benefits of meditation, one has to repeatedly and quietly utter a chosen mantra. Mantras are sacred words (discovered by the ancient seers) which produce vibrations at certain frequencies and ranges. They are not just mere mental focus points, but reflections of the universal energies. The sound vibrations are transmitted throughout the body, bestowing upon us their healing properties. This practice has to be preceded by the above-mentioned breathing and concentration exercise.
For more information about mantras, please refer to the following works by Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya and David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri), two knowledgeable Vedic gurus:
D. P. Acharya – Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way
D. Frawley – The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling
D. Frawley – Vedantic Meditation
Appendix B – Establishing Sacred Space
It is important to arrange a small space somewhere in your house, purposely designed for spiritual practice.
1. Find a quiet spot in your home. It doesn’t have to be an entire room. A small corner of the room is a good idea.
2. Clean and declutter this space.
3. Put a small wooden table or a shelf there.
4. Make the sacred space pleasant to your senses. Put some flowers in a vase. Bring some pine cones from the forest. Light up a candle. Put a rug on the floor.
5. Depending on your personal religious beliefs, try to get some images or figurines of the deities or holy symbols. You could also place some photos of your ancestors there.
6. Regularly purify the air in the sacred space with lavender or cedar smoke. When burned, these herbs can significantly improve your mood and alleviate some discomfort.
7. No arguments, noise or loud music are allowed in the sacred space. Try to avoid negative feelings and resolutions (e.g. anger or thoughts of revenge) while being there.
8. Use the sacred space for meditation, prayer, making offerings to the deities, or any other form of contemplati
ve spiritual practice.
Appendix C – recommended cultural works
Book Recommendations
The following is a list of books I wish to recommend to my readers Please note that the choice is quite personal, and I don't completely agree with the theories presented in some of these books, but they are all thought-provoking and worth reading.
The Celts
L. Alcock – Arthur's Britain
M. Aldhouse-Green – Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend
J. Caesar – The Gallic War
N. Chadwick – The Celtic Realms
B. Cunliffe – The Ancient Celts
B. Cunliffe – Iron Age Communities in Britain
P. Ellis – The Druids
M. Green – Animals in Celtic Life and Myth
I. A. Gregory – Gods and Fighting Men
I. A. Gregory – Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland
P. W. Joyce – A Social History of Ancient Ireland
C. Lowe – Angels, Fools and Tyrants
Mabinogion
A. MacBain – Celtic Mythology and Religion
A. Moffat – Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms
D. O hOgáin – The Celts: A History
T. F. O'Rahilly – Early Irish History and Mythology
S. Piggott – The Druids
C. Tacitus – Agricola
Táin Bó Cúailnge
The Germanic Peoples
M. Aldhouse-Green – Bog Bodies Uncovered
B. Bates – The Real Middle-Earth: Magic and Mystery in the Dark Ages
Beowulf
H. R. Ellis Davidson – Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
H. R. Ellis Davidson – The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe
H. R. Ellis Davidson – The Road to Hell
P. T. Douglas – Ancient Scandinavia: An Archaeological History from the First Humans to the Vikings
G. Dumézil – Gods of the Ancient Northmen
P. Glob – The Bog People: Iron-Age Man Preserved
J. Grimm – Teutonic Mythology
R. North – Heathen Gods in Old English Literature
J. Simpson – Everyday Life in the Viking Age
C. Tacitus – Germania
Greeks and Romans
W. R. Biers – The Archaeology of Greece
R. Buxton – The Complete World of Greek Mythology
T. H. Carpenter – Art and Myth in Ancient Greece
G. Dumézil – Archaic Roman Religion
E. Gibbon – The Decline and Fall of Roman Empire
A. Goldsworthy – The Complete Roman Army
A. Goldsworthy – The Punic Wars
Homer – The Iliad
Homer – The Odyssey
L. Johnsen – Lost Masters: Sages of Ancient Greece
Polybius – Histories
G. Suetonius – On Famous Men
G. Suetonius – The Twelve Caesars
T. Livy – History of Rome
R. W. Winks – The Ancient Mediterranean World
Philosophy/Religion
Aristotle – Nicomachean Ethics
Confucius – Analects
D. P. Acharya – The Dharma Manifesto
D. P. Acharya – Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way
Epictetus – Discourses
M. Eliade – Patterns in Comparative Religion
J. Evola – Doctrine of Awakening
J. Evola – Meditations on the Peaks
J. Evola – The Metaphysics of War
J. Evola – The Mystery of Grail
J. Evola – Revolt Against the Modern World
J. Evola – Ride the Tiger
D. Frawley – The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling
D. Frawley – Ayurveda and the Mind
D. Frawley – Vedantic Meditation
R. Guénon – Crisis of the Modern World
R. Guénon – Introduction to the Study of the Hindu doctrines
R. Guénon – The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times
R. Guénon – Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power
S. Kierkegaard – Either/Or
S. Kierkegaard – Fear and Trembling
S. Kierkegaard – The Sickness Unto Death
Krishna – The Bhagavad Gita
The Laws of Manu
Marcus Aurelius – Meditations
F. Nietzsche – Beyond Good and Evil
F. Nietzsche – The Birth of Tragedy
F. Nietzsche – Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Plato – Apology
Plato – Phaedo
Plato – The Republic
Plato – Symposium
Plato – Timaeus
Plotinus – The Enneads
Seneca – Moral Epistles
Sun Tzu – The Art of War
The Upanishads
Recommended Visual Art
The following is a list of painters, sculptors, illustrators, and photographers, whose highly imaginative works can inspire my readers.
Contemporary Artists
Chris Achilleos
Alessia Brusco
Daria Endresen
Rob Gonsalves
John Howe
Ronja Irving
Vsevolod Ivanov
Alan Lee
Jennifer Hrabota Lesser
Laura Makabresku
Eleni Maragaki
Sergei Marshennikov
Ted Nasmith
Historical Artists
Ivan Aivazovsky
Sophie Gengembre Anderson
Albrecht Altdorfer
Peter Nicolai Arbo
James Archer
John Bauer
Albert Bierstadt
Ivan Bilibin
Nils Blommér
Arnold Böcklin
Sandro Botticelli
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Frank Bramley
Arno Breker
Hans Andersen Brendekilde
John Brett
Edward Burne-Jones
Gaston Bussière
Julia Margaret Cameron
Carl Gustav Carus
Józef Chełmoński
Galileo Chini
John Collier
Léon Comerre
Walter Crane
Johan Christian Dahl
Evelyn De Morgan
Ludwig Dettmann
Frank Dicksee
Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach
Emil Doepler
Gustav Doré
Dankvart Dreyer
John Duncan
Albrecht Dürer
Erich Erler
Ludwig Fahrenkrog
Stanhope Alexander Forbes
Caspar David Friedrich
Victor Gabriel Gilbert
Heinrich Gogarten
John Atkinson Grimshaw
Hans Gude
Arthur Hacker
Anton Hansch
Hermann Hendrich
Arthur Hughes
Edward Robert Hughes
Talbot Hughes
William Holman Hunt
Johann Jungblut
Dragoš Kalajić
Theodor Kittelsen
Gustav Klimt
Otto Albert Koch
Reinhold Kukla
Carl Larsson
Ferdinand Leeke
Edmund Blair Leighton
Bruno Liljefors
Évariste Vital Luminais
Johan Thomas Lundbye
Rene Magritte
Horatio McCulloch
John Everett Millais
Walter Moras
Gustave Moreau
Hanna Pauli
Phidias
Maximilian Pirner
Ilya Repin
Nicholas Roerich
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Ferdynand Ruszczyc
Jakub Schikaneder
Carlos Schwabe
Ivan Shishkin
Alfons Siber
Sidney Sime
Otto Sinding
Carl
Spitzweg
Adolf Stademann
John Stanhope
Pelle Swedlund
Adolph Tidemand
Johannes Vermeer
Heinrich Vogeler
Julius von Klever
Franz von Stuck
John William Waterhouse
Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch
Dagfin Werenskiold
Gustav Wertheimer
Thomas Worthington Whittredge
Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski
Mårten Eskil Winge
Leon Wyczółkowski
Recommended Music
The following is my personal list of music albums well worth listening to. The intention of this selection is to familiarize my readers with a wide array of various compositions and songs that evoke feelings of nostalgia for the past and put one in a more meditative and relaxed mood. The emphasis is placed upon folk and medieval music from different parts of Europe.
Alan Stivell – Celtic Symphony [Celtic Folk Rock]
Alan Stivell – Chemins de terre [Celtic Folk]
Alan Stivell – E Langonedd [Celtic Folk]
Alan Stivell – Legend [Celtic Folk]
Alan Stivell – Renaissance of the Celtic Harp [Celtic Folk]
Alan Stivell – The Mist of Avalon [Celtic Folk Rock]
Backworld – Anthems From the Pleasure Park [Neofolk]
Biosphere – Substrata [Ambient]
Blood Axis – The Gospel of Inhumanity [Neofolk]
Brendan Perry – Ark [Ethereal]
Brian Eno – Ambient 1: Music for Airports [Ambient]
Brian Eno – Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror [Ambient]
Brian Eno – Apollo [Ambient]
Brian Eno – Discreet Music [Ambient]
Camerata Mediolanense – Campo di Marte [Neoclassical/Martial Industrial]
Camerata Mediolanense – Madrigali [Neoclassical/Martial Industrial]
Camerata Mediolanense – Musica Reservata [Neoclassical/Martial Industrial]
Camerata Mediolanense – Vertute, Honor, Bellezza [Neoclassical/Martial Industrial]
Capercaillie – Delirium [Celtic Folk Rock]
Current 93 – All the Pretty Little Horses [Neofolk]
Current 93 – Soft Black Stars [Neofolk]
Current 93 – Thunder Perfect Mind [Neofolk]