Spiritual leaders and spiritual mentors

This year's Lent has passed its half-way stage; in three weeks time it will be Easter. Time then, to return to my lenten ponderings on matters spiritual.

Don't follow leaders; seek the fellow-minded, discuss your spiritual feelings with friends; try out your ideas, fine-tune them. Question everything that anyone tells you about God - including what I'm saying.

Human history is littered with tribes, nations and religions led to their doom by leaders driven by a false ideology.

To quote Brian from Monty Python's Life of Brian, "You don't need to follow me! You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves! You're all individuals! You're all different! You've all got to work it out for yourselves!"

This, is I think the most profound point the film makes. It pokes fun at mankind's innate desire to seek salvation through following leaders, seeking heavenly signs, attributing divine intervention to coincidence*, and over-literal interpretation of The Word. And as well as religions, it mocks political ideologies too.

Instead of following leaders, we should work together towards consensus; picking up good ideas, discarding bad ones. A collegiate style of cooperation; arguing passionately for what we believe in, but being ready to give up cherished nostrums should a better way of seeing things emerge.

Better? How? Something that's truer, an idea that's more robust, less flaky, better able to withstand the rigours of empirical analysis. But at the same time, more human.

Leadership is a big word in business theory. The idea that a manager should do more than tell people what to do, but should inspire, encourage and lead by example. Leadership, therefore, is good; merely being the boss bad. Leadership is about one-to-many.

Mentoring is a big word in business theory. [Despite that, Google has helpfully put a squiggly red line under the word, suggesting instead 'tormenting'.] Mentoring is about one-to-one support of an employee (typically on the fast-track to senior management) by a more-experienced person.

How does this apply to developing spiritual insight?

The notion of 'leader' implies the notion of 'follower'. The notion of 'mentor', however, implies are more equitable relationship. The person being mentored ('mentee' - a clumsy word) is encouraged to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to test hypotheses.

Which brings me on to the question of 'authority'. A leader relies on having the respect of the followers. Authority has to be earned, it is not to be expected as a right. Too many leaders across history have not taken that to heart; the notion of 'divine right' proved to the be the downfall of rulers who led by decree and ignored the plight of their subjects - Charles I, Louis XVI, Nicholas II.

Wise leaders, whose authority is respected, have immense strength and influence. Part of the problem tearing at the heart of Islam is the lack of a single figurehead - such as the Pope - who could act as a moderating, stabilising influence. And indeed, Pope John Paul II exerted an enormous authority on the people of Poland; while he was alive, Poland had at least one unquestionable leader it could look to and unite around.

Leadership can be broadcast, published or delivered to large crowds, but in more intimate surroundings, there is space for dialogue and questions which becomes more the preserve of the mentor than the leader.

But mentorship can only occur when the number of mentors is at least equal to the people who feel the need to be mentored, rather than led. And at difficult times, its easier to let others do the thinking for us, and to be led, rather than to engage into a dialogue that will lead (hopefully) to a synthesis and a new, higher, level of understanding.

Religions tend to work on the basis of one to many. Top down leadership from sources of authority. Rather than mentoring - one to one.

The difference is like that between a Polish university, where a professor lectures a crowded hall, and a seminar in a British university, where three or four students have a long discussion with their professor, who openly encourages them to question his or her assumptions. Hypothesis - thesis - antithesis - synthesis. Not just learning by rote what is being passed down to you, but by examining and discussing.

The quest for higher levels of human consciousness can be sought through spiritual experiences such as gazing in wonderment at the heavens, but this should be leavened with intellectual examination of who we are in our universe, with the aim of improving our understanding of the purpose of life.

Many a tough question will face us along the way; the point is to learn, to advance, to evolve.

* Example: On Friday, Eddie asked me to buy him a train ticket to Łódź for the following morning. I did so, brought it home; when he saw it, he gasped in amazement. "It's for seat 12, carriage 12! The very same seat in the very same carriage I had for my last journey to Łódź - and for the journey before that! Seat 12 carriage 12, three journeys in a row? What could such as sign... mean?" 

OK, let's look at the odds: this particular train, the 06:05 Śnieżka TLK service from W-wa Wschodnia to Łódź Widzew and then down to Szklarska Poręba via Wrocław has six second-class carriages, each of 116 seats, a total of 696 seats in total. The odds of getting that same seat number, three journeys in a row is 696 x 696 x 696 is 337,153,536 to one. 

Well actually, it's far less - the number of the first ticket is irrelevant unless you're into the number 12 (see below), the second one is merely a one-in-696 probability of having the same number as the first, the third would then be a one-in-484,416 probability of having the same number as the second. And besides, the ticket numbers are probably batched so that a given pool of tickets is available at certain stations along the line, and there are over 30 between W-wa Wschodnia and Szklarska Poręba. Even so, the coincidence is striking. But what does it mean? Look at the numerology! Look at the number 12 - the sum of one and two is three - and Eddie is born on the 3rd day of the 12th month! What does it mean...? Not much. It does means, Eddie - watch out, don't be complacent, be more aware."

Previous post in this series: Spiritual evolution

This time last year:

Architectural contrasts around Wilanowska

This time two years ago:

In memory of me

This time three years ago:

Cleaning sensors on my Nikons

This time four years ago:
Changing seasons and one's samopoczucie

This time five years ago:
Stunning late-winter beauty
[these are among my most gorgeous winter photos ever]

This time six years ago:
Lenten fare - Jeziorki gumbo

This time seven years ago:
Digging up Dawidowska

My apologies - a correction. Line M1 and M2 are directly connected

Two commentators have rightly pointed out that my last post contained a factual error (now corrected) - there is an underground passage between Lines M1 and M2 of the Warsaw Metro, which allows passengers to change trains without having to go up to near surface level, leave the system, check back in and descend to the other line.

The passage linking the two lines is at the southern end of the Line M1 platform (ie. back of northbound trains for Młociny, front of southbound trains for Kabaty). It's not particularly well signed, so if you are at the front of a northbound train or the back of a southbound train, you will pass two sets of escalators taking you up from the platform to level -1.

Below: if you get off a northbound Line M1 train, the passage to Line M2 is not immediately visible (it's behind the pillar to the right)

Below: still at Line M1 platform level - the top of the escalators leading down to Line M2. Note two 'up' escalators and one 'down' escalator.

Below: heading down the escalators. There is a lift option for wheelchair users, and raised floor markers for the visually challenged.

Below: at the bottom of this set of escalators, a short passage, then a staircase. View looking the other way towards the escalators to Line M1. Looks like the budget ran out for a second set of escalators. At busy times, it feels dangerously crowded, when four sets of trains arrive within minutes of each other, each disgorging passengers who wish to change lines here.

Below: finally down on the platform for Line M2. The passage linking the two lines is at the western end of the platform (so back of the eastbound trains headed for Dworzec Wileński, front of the westbound trains for Rondo Daszyńskiego).

It's not yet as obvious as in London, but Line M1 is colour-coded blue, and Line M2 red. Like the Piccadilly and Central lines respectively.

Thanks to readers An Lukasz and Marcin for pointing out my error, which prompted today's revisit and photos. Duly corrected on previous post.

Update 12 March: Take a look at this story on TVN Warszawa, pointing out just how bad signage is for the direct interchange between the two lines. [Thanks Marcin K]

This time three years ago:
Nikkor 45mm f2.8 pancake lens tested

This time four years ago:
Old Town, another prospect

This time five years ago:
W-wa Śródmieście - commuters' staging post

This time six years ago:
Filthy ul. Poloneza
[Three years on, nothing's changed...]

This time seven years ago:
A sight that heralds the coming of spring

It's been 19 years,11 months and one day

The wait, that is, between the opening of the first line of Warsaw's Metro and the opening of the second line. Anyway, Line M2 is here and functioning, as of yesterday at 09:40, so this morning before work I checked it out for myself.

The line is short, just seven stations; from west to east: Rondo Daszyńskiego, Rondo ONZ, Świętokrzyska, Nowy Świat - Uniwersytet, Centrum Nauki Kopernika, (then under the Vistula), Stadion Narodowy and Dworzec Wileński.

So then. Starting from the west end of the line, Rondo Daszyńskiego (below). Note the red station entrance, shaped like a large, post-modern letter 'M' sloping towards the ground. Not too far away, Warsaw Spire rises above the neighbourhood, which will soon fill up with new skyscrapers as the city's central business district expands westwards.

Below: the new stations have sliding glass doors, head-height, impossible to jump over, unlike the gates on the first Metro line. Fare dodging has become harder.

It's eight in the morning, so rush hour... where are the crowds? The new public transport solution has not yet made its impact on commuters; no doubt in weeks to come, more and more people will start to use the new line.

Next stop, Rondo ONZ (below). The murals on the station walls were designed by famous Polish artist, Wojciech Fangor (92). Typographically unique and characteristically Polish, imparting a sense of urgency and style.

Westwards to Świętokrzyska, the interchange station with Line M1. Passengers wanting to change lines can either go up to level -1, go through the gates, enter the gates to the other line, and descend once more to platform level, or use the connecting passage (see next post). Warning: if you have a single-use ticket, do not go up to change lines, use the connecting passage.

The next stop is Nowy Świat - Uniwersytet, located at the junction of Nowy Świat and the east end of ul. Świętokrzyska.

Then to Centrum Nauki Kopernika (which was originally to be called Powiśle), and under the river, stopping at Stadion Narodowy, the train finally terminates at Dworzec Wileński, interchange for the station from which mainline trains would once depart for Wilno/Vilnius (but sadly today Polish trains no longer go there). Mr Fangor's graphics seen to good effect here. The journey from Rondo Daszyńskiego to Dworzec Wileński took just ten minutes, including five station stops along the way.

Below: entrance to the Metro at Dworzec Wileński, this time in blue. This is an important interchange from trams, suburban trains and buses. Time to head back to the city centre. Remember, this is rush hour...

Back at Świętokrzyska. Day two of operations, and two of the escalators are already broken. The up escalators (the single down escalator is working OK). The middle one is being fixed, so it's closed off, passenger troop up the stationary one on the right.

Meanwhile back to Line M1 for a train to Centrum and to work. It arrives. It is so packed I cannot squeeze on board, and have to wait for the next one, only slightly less crowded.

It's been a long wait; I wonder how long before Line M2 is completed (Line M1 took over 13 years to get from Kabaty to Młociny). Finally, the length of time between the opening of the first and second metro lines around the world:

• Paris - first and second line both opened in same year(1900)
• Hamburg - one year (first line: 1912, second line: 1913)
• Stockholm - one year (first line: 1950, second line: 1951)
• Mexico City - one year (first line: 1969, second line: 1970)
• Moscow - three years (first line: 1935, second line: 1938)
• New York - four years (first line: 1904, second line: 1908)
• Prague - four years (first line: 1974, second line: 1978)
• London - five years (first line: 1863, second line: 1868)
• Madrid - five years (first line: 1919, second line: 1924)
• Minsk - six years (first line: 1984, second line: 1990)
• Berlin - eight years (first line: 1902, second line: 1910)
• Beijing - 15 years (first line: 1969, second line: 1984)
• Buenos Aires - 17 years (first line: 1913, second line: 1930)
• Warsaw - 20 years (first line: 1995, second line: 2015)
• Rome - 25 years (first line: 1955, second line: 1980)
• Tokyo - 27 years (first line: 1927, second line: 1954)
• Budapest - 74 years (first line: 1896, second line: 1970)
• Athens - 131 years (first line: 1869, second line: 2000)

Below: a photo I took 19 years, 10 months and 30 days ago, on 10 April 1995, two days after the first line of the Metro was opened. This is Kabaty station, the southern terminus. Today, this is a built-up area all the way to the forest in the distance. 



This time two years ago:
A selfless faith

This time three years ago:
Ul. Profesorska after the remont

This time four years ago:
Lent kicks off again, for the 20th year in a row for me

This time five years ago:
Half way through Lent

This time seven years ago:
Spring much closer

Polish road deaths fall again; still way too high

The number of human lives lost on Poland's roads last year fell once again, to a headline figure of 3,202*, down by 4.6% from 2013's toll of 3,357. My prediction last year that over three thousand people, alive when I wrote those words, would be killed on the roads during the course of 2014 proved sadly, though predictably correct.

Although the annual tendency for the number of fatal accidents on Poland's roads continues to move in the right direction, the pace of improvement is flagging. The 2013 figure represented a 7.8% fall on 2012. Compared to 2004 (5,712 dead), last year's toll represents a drop of 44%. And this as the number of vehicles registered in Poland continues to climb (a 67% increase over the past ten years).

So things are getting better, but are still way behind the UK. The 2014 data is still unpublished, but looking at 2013, the number of people killed on UK roads was 1,713, the lowest since records began back in the 1920s.

Speed remains the number one killer on Poland's roads. For 855 of those 3,202 victims, the principle cause of their fatal accident was excessive speed (27%). This is down from 29% in 2013, but still compares negatively to the UK, where excessive speed was the primary cause of 20% road deaths in 2013.

Drunk drivers were responsible for the deaths of 363 people in Poland last year. Of those fatal accidents caused by drunks, 175 deaths were the result of excessive speed.

While incidents of egregious driving are fewer than they were when I arrived in Poland and the mayhem and carnage on the roads was of a different order of magnitude than today, I still witness cases that beggar belief. Just look at this driver (below). There is a 60 kph speed limit on ul. Karczunkowska and yet driver of the silver Citroen has sailed past a string of traffic at around 90+, ignoring the pedestrian crossing (which my children used for many years on their way to school).

This kind of recklessness behind the wheel deserves punishment such as being deprived of access to a car for one year. The irony is that had I not pixelated out his number plate, I'd have been the one facing legal difficulties, not the driver whom I'd caught in the act earlier this week.

The Polish government has not engaged in the kinds of public awareness campaigns seen over the decades in the UK. Rather it gets worked up in moral panics in the mass media like the one last January when an over-the-limit driver killed six pedestrians prompting a silly argument about alco-locks built into cars.

In the UK, public information campaigns such as Kill Your Speed, Not A Child or Twenty's Plenty, alongside heavy use of speed cameras, has had the effect of significantly reducing fatal accidents to a level which is among the lowest in the world. Road safety has nothing to do with the number of vehicles on the road. It is all about civilisation. Which is in turn about mutual respect for other road users, in particular more vulnerable ones.

Here in Poland, it is the private sector and voluntary organisations that lead the campaigning for safer roads (see this campaign from last year, run by an insurance company's charitable foundation) . Shame on you in government for not taking the lead!

As last year, I end with these official recommendations from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for British citizens travelling to Poland:

In 2013 there were 3,357 road deaths in Poland. This equates to 8.7 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 2.7 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2013. 

Driving on Polish roads can be hazardous. There are few dual carriageways and even main roads between major towns and cities can be narrow and poorly surfaced. Streetlights, even in major cities, are weak.  

Local driving standards are poor: speed limits, traffic lights and road signs are often ignored and drivers rarely indicate before manoeuvring.

* Full Polish accident stats for 2014 here.

This time last year:
Putin: tactical genius, strategic failure

This time three years ago:
My photos turned into beautiful watercolours

This time four years ago:
Silver birches and blue skies

This time six years ago:
Jeziorki's wetlands in late winter (2009)

This time seven years ago:
Jeziorki's wetlands in late winter (2008)

Spiritual evolution: are we in a New Age?

Human progress is evident all around, but are we progressing spiritually? As a species, are we growing in consciousness as well as in intellect? Is there more to civilisation than politeness and tolerance? As mankind pushes back the boundaries of science, are we nearer a universal awareness?

I often look at our cats and wonder what they make of humans, Openers of the Cat Food Tin, Masters of Darkness and Light, who bring sunshine to a room by touching a white square on the wall, who can move rapidly in little rolling houses. Are we gods to them? Or just another intriguing part of their life, of which they are vaguely aware, but intellectually incapable of making sense of it all?

We are uncovering more and more about the Universe, but there are still huge areas about which we know little. Dark matter and the seat of human consciousness, to name two. A definitive account of where the Universe came from and what its ultimate fate will be. And indeed how many Universes there are, and how many dimensions there are. That's just the stuff we know we don't know.

I mentioned the other day the astrological concept of the Age of Aquarius. Yes, it sounds like twaddle (you divide the heavens into 12 arbitrary groups of stars that when viewed from Earth look like fish, archers, lions, crabs etc, then work out when the vernal equinox from one constellation to another). And anyway, the so-called 'dawning of the Age of Aquarius' could begin any time between the 15th Century and the 27th Century. But this line of thought, the idea that Mankind is currently entering a New Age, is of interest. Clearly, the old religions are failing to keep up with the spiritual aspirations of today's civilisation, a civilisation with a far better understanding of the physical Universe than ever before.

The notion of New Age spirituality - blending bits and pieces of existing faiths, bringing in mysticism from the East, such as Zen, coupled with modern science (see Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics, for example) - is a holistic striving for monism, ending the separation between the physical world and that of the soul. The battle between science, which eschews wishingful thinking in favour of rigorous experiment and empirical proof, and spiritual movements which are prone to fantasise and dream up baloney to hawk for profit is ongoing. Yet, to quote Capra, "science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science, but man needs both."

Californians wearing Native American dream-catcher headdress and swinging healing crystals while chanting Buddhist mantras are, I feel, way off the mark, selling a dream rather than really seeking higher levels of understanding and awareness.

The spread of civilisation and learning, the increase in leisure time, access to unprecedented amounts of knowledge via the internet, are helping those who genuinely seek answers to ultimate questions to advance. At the same time, IQ levels are rising (see Flynn effect), the product of better nutrition, smaller families, better education. But greater intelligence does not in itself result in higher levels of consciousness and understanding, though without it, there cannot be spiritual evolution.

I believe that over the centuries and millennia, Mankind will move nearer to God, reach ever-higher levels of consciousness and evolve spiritually. This is the long path from zero to one, not always a straight line, rather, a rising tide, with each wave tending slightly higher up the beach.

Previous essay in this series: A spiritual frame of mind

This time three years ago:
S2 - a year from completion?

This time four years ago:
In praise of blue skies

This time five years ago:
A piano, tuned

This time seven years ago:
Four weeks into Lent

A spiritual frame of mind

Many years ago, when Eddie was still small, the prospect of being taken to church of a Sunday morning brought about tantrums. He did not want to go. Yet when on holiday in Przemyśl, friends of ours suggested we all go to a Greek-Catholic Ukrainian mass, Eddie came too, and at the end of the mass he wanted to stay for the next one, so entranced was he by the whole show.

In particular the music. When I first watched Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter in the late 1970s, one scene struck me as being entirely unconvincing. The portrayal of the Ukrainian-American community certainly squared with my British-Polish upbringing, but... this church? This singing? All too Hollywoodsy - the choir must have been professional singers. And yet when I visited Ukrainian churches in Poland, the first thing that struck me was the wondrousness of the music; polyphonic, otherworldly, intensely mystical. A different world to that which one hears sung in Polish Catholic churches. Then there's the decor, the feeling that one is sharing in a profound mystery behind the gilded iconostasis - something incredibly uplifting.

Certainly having the Catholic mass in the vernacular (post Second Vatican Council) takes away from the majesty and communion with the eternal. (And the change from the King James Version to the New English Bible has had a similar effect, replacing majestic, well-loved wording, so deeply embedded in the English language, with something that reads like government health and safety guidelines.)

Before moving to Poland in the late 1990s, I'd take Moni to Ealing Abbey, a Benedictine church, where one mass each Sunday was said in Latin, and the singing by a choir of monks was quite different in quality to the tones heard at the Polish church down the road.

And while children's masses are family-friendly, when hordes of screaming four year-olds are tearing around the aisles squirting Ribena at one another, it is difficult to get into a spiritual frame of mind.

And it is this that's needed for one's consciousness to reach out to God. The right atmosphere, one conducive to prayer, leaving a space for dialogue, being open to that elusive back-channel.

For me, a 13th Century cathedral, be it Anglican or Catholic, in France or England or Poland (with a decent choir) does the trick. Modern churches, shorn of the decorated stonework, without the stained glass, with oaken pews replaced by bean-bags, and filled with angular, gimmicky modern art fail me in this extent.

Frankly, I find it far easier to communicate with the Infinite in the countryside or outdoors on a starry night.

Ritual without the right spiritual attitude, to me at least, has no intrinsic quality. Doing for the sake of doing, rather than genuinely seeking communion with one's Maker. A genuine search for spiritual meaning requires concentration, and an mind uncluttered by external distractions.

This does make me ask whether it is possible to seek God in the presence of many people, or whether it is a solitary quest.

Thus endeth the second week of Lent.

Link to previous post in this series: Speaking to God, listening to God

This time last year:
Sunday in the City

This time two years ago:
God's teachings

This time six years ago:
A week into Lent

Speaking to God, listening to God

In The Doors' song, The Soft Parade, Jim Morrison states categorically that YOU CANNOT PETITION THE LORD WITH PRAYER. Well, apart from me having an issue with the concept of 'Lord' (so feudal - why not 'Chief Executive Officer of the Universe?' - equally laughable), I disagree with the late Jim. Indeed, God is not a cosmic wishing-well to pour in our wants. Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof asked God whether it would spoil some vast eternal plan if he were a wealthy man. Evidently it would have, as his plea was not fulfilled by the end of the musical.

But petitioning God for higher levels of awareness and understanding is right and proper. And basic human needs - health, work, companionship. Nationhood? "If you will it, it is no dream," said Theodor Herzl of the State of Israel. "Ojczyznę wolną/Rać nam wrócić Panie", the last line of the hymn sung at Mass during Poland's partitions and communist occupation. Does God listen to patriots, or is strong will in itself enough to alter history?  If we pray for peace, will our prayers be answered? Why Auschwitz...? Is prayer an individual matter or a collective one?

Prayer is a dialogue; I do believe there is a back-channel, but you must be prepared and open to listen to it. Ask the right question, in the right, spiritual, frame of mind, reflect upon it in silence, and listen to the wisdom embedded in all those atoms of which you are made. The moment you realise that you are listening to God is the moment that an unbidden thought - one that you have not cogitated upon - enters your consciousness. It may not be what you have been seeking. It may only be a partial answer, or a clue to consider another way. You may find the answer disappointing, confusing, exhilarating. But you must know that it is the answer. You must be sure of its authenticity; that it is not wishful thinking nor self-justification. It may take weeks, it may even take years to hear that real voice.

In answer to my questions as to the nature of the afterlife, many years ago I heard the answer: "We are part of a continual whole." Unbidden. Just like that. Those words.

But such occurrences are rare; you have to be in the right state of consciousness, ready to receive.

And - recorded on this blog (here), another unbidden explanation, coming to me on a day of numinous wonder: "There is a seamless continuum which our souls observe through myriad eyes". Marvellous; the close presence of the Divinity.

I wrote about disasters happening when least expected. Prayer should also be about being on your guard; about considering the possibility of personal disasters, in order to avert them. Or just postpone the inevitable, postpone to a time when you are more ready to deal with them.

Next: getting into a spiritual, or transcendent, state of consciousness.

Previous post in this series: How does God speak to us?

This time two years ago:
D3200 shoots X100
[One of my most popular blog posts!]

This time three years ago:
Weekend with the Fuji X100

This time six years ago:
Sublime sunset, Jeziorki

This time seven years ago:
Dramatic sunset, Jeziorki

How does God speak to us? Signs, tokens - coincidence?

This is such an important question. Does God show us signs, tokens? If so, how should we interpret them?

There are people who believe in all kinds of signs - does the mysterious disappearance of the Southern Equatorial Band on Jupiter four years ago really mean the Age of Aquarius is almost upon us? Attributing significance to things we see or experience is a common human behaviour.

Cause - and effect.

Today, I saw a flock of five magpies - traditional birds of omen - fly overhead. "One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver..." Does this mean I'm about to come into wealth? And even if I do - would there be any connection with seeing five magpies today?

A Serious Man - the Coen Brothers' best, most meaningful, film - examines the this question in detail. Larry Gopnik, a Minnesota Jew, finds his comfortable life unravelling about him, and seeks answers from three rabbis. The first offers nothing but banality "It's about perspective." The third refuses to see him. But the second rabbi, the Rabbi Nachtner, offers tall tale to illustrate how God speaks to us. Best we see this - one of my favourite scenes from any film I've ever seen.



We are biologically conditioned to seek patterns in the world around us, to seek meaning in coincidence. But is there meaning in coincidence? Is this how God speaks to us?

Mankind has a tendency towards superstition. Black cats crossing our path, avoidance of the number 13, breaking mirrors etc. A superstitious mind sees an object of ill omen; should something bad then actually happen, the relationship between the two unrelated events becomes causal.

Good luck is also believed to be brought on by unrelated factors - placing a lottery ticket under a 'lucky object' is not going to shorten the odds on winning. Wearing an item of red underwear while sitting the matura (final school exam) will not improve the scholar's results.

Causal links between actions and events that aren't justified by reason and observation boil down to wishful thinking or superstition.

And yet, and yet. I have often felt that the Universe is held together by a web of coincidence; that there is meaning to be found in the relationship between events. Is it? Should we seek it?

On the basis of my experience, I see it this way: if you see a rare occurrence, it lodges in your consciousness. See it again, and it should be a call to thought, thought that can prevent disaster (dis-aster - from the Latin word for star and the prefix for 'to split' or 'to reverse'. Disasters are unforeseen; causing "loss, upset or unpleasantness."

Seeing meaning in coincidence should not be taken as an omen that something bad will happen - it should be seen as a wake-up call to shake us out of complacency, to consider that the ways things are right now will pass; to a better state or worse state. Coincidences may be read as flashing beacons that warn. (Read the post Balancing on the Edge of Chaos.)

Previous post in the series: dealing with good and evil

Next: speaking to God, listening to God.

This time last year:
Spring makes itself felt in Ealing

This time two years ago:
Waiting for the warmth to return to Warsaw

This time three years ago:
Remembering Poland's 'Accursed Soldiers'

This time four years ago:
Getting the balance right between work and play

This time six years ago:
Sublime Jeziorki sunset

This time seven years ago:
Sunrise getting earlier