Transcendentalists and The Lost Symbol
Transcendentalists and You
One thing transcendentalists have in common is their “classical philosophy that God transcends the manifest world”; that mankind can know God by being in touch with nature and humanity a la Thoreau and Emerson. Religion and its accoutrements have never appealed to me, but if there were one true God, he would probably be pissed off by people trying to fit him into the box of Religion. Furthermore, he would hate it if people abused the words he gave them to follow as many do by interpreting those words to fit what they already believe. Dan Brown has some interesting things to say about religion in his books, especially The Lost Symbol.
I personally choose to ignore all religion, being an Agnostic. I prefer to transcend religion, simply enjoying what I can encounter in my life. If there was a specific deity, I believe he/she/it was a creative genius, just check out the beautiful places on my Pinterest travel board for proof. Instead of remaining engrossed in the perverseness that is the modern world, Transcendentalists wanted to avoid losing their attachment to nature. Dan Brown makes an interesting argument in The Lost Symbol (a quite decent book if you enjoy novels about secret conspiracies). His characters continually turn back to the idea of atonement, which Brown translates for them as “at-one-ment.” This is an interesting concept, one that makes a lot more sense than trying to make reparations with some being that may not exist or at least care. Being at one with yourself is an excellent thing to be. It makes you conscious of your own needs and thereby aware of what others might need from you. The only way to know what you can and cannot change is by knowing yourself very intimately and being aware of what is worth your effort and time.
