Open Source; Definition: “In production and development, open source is a philosophy or pragmatic methodology that promotes free redistribution and access to an end products design and implementation details.

Before the phrase open source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to describe the concept; open source gained hold with the rise of the Internet, and the attendant need for massive retooling of the computing source code. Opening the source code enabled a self-enhancing diversity of production models, communication paths, and interactive communities. The open source software movement was born to describe the environment that the new copyright, licensing, domain, and consumer issues created.
The open-source model includes the concept of concurrent yet different agendas and differing approaches in production, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as those typically used in commercial software companies. A main principle and practice of open source software development is peer production by bartering and collaboration, with the end-product, source-material, “blueprints”, and documentation available at no cost to the public. This is increasingly being applied in other fields of endeavor, such as biotechnology.”

When Open Source was still a new thing, I applied it, as I am wont to do, to spirituality. It’s a lifestyle, not just a hobby. I took the definition piece by piece and came up with this:

“This is increasingly being applied in other fields of endeavor, such as biotechnology” Here it is as it can be applied to another field of endeavor, Mysticism.

Mysticism is, after all as the definition states: “…a philosophy or pragmatic methodology that promotes free redistribution and access to an end products design and implementation details.”

The “end product” is ones world view, taking into account individual needs and manifested uses of “Mysticism.”
Have a look at the following statements:

“Opening the source code enabled a self-enhancing diversity of production models, communication paths, and interactive communities. The open source software movement was born to describe the environment that the new copyright, licensing, domain, and consumer issues created.”

To re-phrase…In Mysticism, there is a self-enhancing diversity of applied theologies, communication paths and interactive communities. Mysticism as Open Source creates a more unified environment that more traditional methods of religious practice have not embraced.

“The open-source model includes the concept of concurrent yet different agendas and differing approaches in production, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as those typically used in commercial software companies.”

The open source model as applied to Mysticism includes the concept of concurrent yet differing theologies and philosophies as well as encouraging different approaches in the application of the final product. This idea is in contrast to older methods that were more dogmatic and monotheistic.

“A main principle and practice of open source software development is peer production by bartering and collaboration, with the end-product, source-material, “blueprints”, and documentation available at no cost to the public. This is increasingly being applied in other fields of endeavor, such as biotechnology.”

A main principle and practice of Mysticism is being able to work with people of like minds yet have your own sense of identity in how you manifest and implement what you learn. You develop your style of Mysticism on your own and with peers in collaboration with the source material and blueprints of other theologies using your own experience as a foundation or cornerstone to build on.

In current culture I see people considered guru’s or experts making millions off of the desire people have to be more spiritually awakened. They take the same inspirational quotes that have been around for thousands of years, change a word or two and call it their own.

I understand why there’s a market for them, people want to do better. These alleged gurus know that, they also know it’s a personal journey and under the guise of guiding you there, they line their pockets.

Our culture outsources everything to the “experts” never considering that we, in many ways, are the experts in our own lives. There’s a tendency to think in extreme terms where people either want to stubbornly insist their way is the only way or they just want to be told what to do and how to think.

Meanwhile the grey area is what covers the most space in this scenario. In the grey area there is balance, yet one person’s solution isn’t anothers. What creates strength for one won’t for another. There is no path to spiritual awareness that is crowded with people all waiting to go in the same direction unless they’re in line for the Kool-Aid or the ATM. The waiting rooms might be overcrowded, but the path itself is always traveled alone.

We’ve all read the quotes, we’ve all seen the inspirational memes that get us through moments when we need to be strong. I think it’s time we normalize being strong and finding our own path free of frauds and unneeded medications in favor of finding balance between strength from within and strength from without.

The fact is, spiritual awareness cannot be instagrammed or found in a tiktok. Facebook frauds will not help you take a closer walk with your own personal Jesus. People want to appear spiritually enlightened and it’s very easy to give that appearance, but living it, every day, in every moment, not just on Sunday or at the weekend retreat at the Ashram, is the real challenge.

It’s when no one is looking or snapping a photo. It isn’t about getting followers or wearing all the right shiny bobbles. It isn’t about what ancient quotes plagiarized by today’s would-be gurus you know. It isn’t about knowing, it’s about doing, and then doing better with each moment.

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