Beyond Here Lies Nothin'

So, knowing and unknowing constitute the metabolism of being?

Something like that, but that was yesterday's post. Today we're moving on to the next chapter, Metaphysics and Esoterism. What is the difference between esoterism and plain vanilla theology?

The former is aimed at people who think they're special. Like you.

I don't think it's a matter of specialness, rather, of consistency. Far as I'm concerned, standard issue theology results in inevitable fissures, absurdities, circularities, and contradictions that just bug the Raccoon mind, and are easily exploited by the anti-Raccoon mind. Esoterism, broadly speaking, is a way to address and reconcile these. It's a way to believe in a God that is believable, so to speak. 

So, to reduce God to your own categories and capabilities?

No, more like the opposite: to expand them in order to lift the mind to God. If it's a capability, it's more of a negative one. An example would be Eckhart's orthoparadoxical remark at the end of yesterday's post: God is greater than "God." Or even Thomas, who said that "Whatever is comprehended by finite being is itself finite." 

For Schuon, esoterism allows us to "escape" the limitations referenced above via an "upward path," instead of a downward one into "a worldly and suicidal liberalism." Both secular liberalism and religious literalism are bad options that must be transcended. 

Nor is esoterism a dogma, rather, more of an approach or stance. It is not the denial or negation of exoterism, rather, its complementary partner. In reference to the statement at the top of the post, one might say that exoterism and esoterism constitute our metabolism of God. As Schuon describes it,

The word “esoterism” suggests in the first place an idea of complementarity, of a “half” as it were: esoterism is the complement of exoterism, it is the “spirit” which completes the “letter.”

Or, it is the substantial kernel inside the formal shell. For Bérard, esoteric "means etymologically a movement 'more inward than,' that is to say, a knowledge that deepens more and more." It "prolongs exoterism... by harmoniously plumbing its depth" (Schuon). 

This is because every form -- even a religious form -- constitutes a limit, when God is the Unlimited. Exoterism speaks via forms that in turn must be transcended, which is a perfectly orthodox position. Amiwrong, Gemini, or just an assoul?

The statement you've presented is a profound exploration of the tension between the finite and the infinite, the limited and the unlimited, particularly within the context of religious belief and practice.

Let's break down the key points:

1. Forms as Limits:

   • Religious Forms: Even sacred rituals, doctrines, and scriptures, which are often seen as pathways to the divine, are ultimately human constructs. They are forms, and as such, they are limited.
   • God as the Unlimited: The divine, or God, is often conceived as transcending all limitations. It is the ultimate reality, beyond human comprehension.

2. Exoterism and Transcendence:

   • Exoterism: This refers to the outward, public expressions of religious belief and practice. It involves rituals, ceremonies, and teachings that are accessible to the general public.
   • Transcendence: The statement suggests that exoteric forms, while essential for communal worship and spiritual growth, are not the ultimate goal. They are meant to be transcended, to lead the individual beyond the limitations of the form itself.

This perspective aligns with many mystical traditions, which emphasize the importance of inner spiritual experience over outward religious practices. It highlights the paradox of using limited human language and symbols to point towards the infinite and the divine.

It certainly aligns with Eckhart, who, orthparadoxically, knew nothing about everything, which is preferable to the atheistic nihilist who knows everything about nothing: "The whole universe as compared to God is nothing." But God himself is another kind of nothing:

God is nothing. No thing. God is nothingness; and yet God is something.

I have nothing to add.