Comments on: Tunnelling for thermal comfort

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:53:12 +0000

Some suggest that spirituality should have a very broad meaning akin to “a unique, personally meaningful experience (Shafranske & Gorsuch, 1984)” which as a definition gives a very broad church indeed. There is no idea in this definition of a spiritual experience being in anyway connected to spirit of any sort, the experience merely needs to be meaningful.

Under this definition a wombat undoubtably has spiritual experiences ie. the birth of young.

But I don’t think this definition is helpful when considering the sort of spiritual experience which is associated with religion in its various forms and hence temples and monasteries.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:27:45 +0000

‘Spiritual’ is an interesting word, particularly when ued apart from religion. The Wiki entry notes that ‘Traditionally, religions have regarded spirituality as an integral aspect of religious experience and have long claimed that secular (non-religious) people cannot experience “true” spirituality. Many do still equate spirituality with religion, but declining membership of organised religions and the growth of secularism in the western world has given rise to a broader view of spirituality.’
As a generalization, one could say that temple gardens dominate the garden history of East Eurasia and palaces dominte in West Eursia. But I would also say that a ‘spiritual’ (ie non-material) motive has been of great significance in the west. And I would also say that a good many churches lack spirituality – thinking particularly of commercial pentecostal churches. This takes us to an important question: can wombats have a spiritual experience?

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:59:00 +0000

This Serbian Church located in the opal mining area of Coober Pedy demonstrates something of the aesthetic potential of a spartian approach to underground dwelling inspired by a religious aesthetic. [ http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/flare/austrlia_2007/1189342020/img_0862.jpg/tpod.html ]

Although in this outback region of Australia…vegetated roofs are not really a possibility!

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:51:43 +0000

‘Aaaagh’ was the sound I made on glimpsing the photograph and ‘cute’ is a great adjective for them. Its worth remembering that some of the first dwellings, in China and also in the Levantine Corridor (not to mention Alice Springs) were semi-subterranean. As you say and the wombats know, there are great advantages in living this way. ‘From dust we came, and unto dust we must return.’ There must be a great future for earth sheltered dwellings (eg under vegetated roofs). And ‘may we all be recompensed at the resurrection of the just’.