Irish Philosophy And Spirituality (Fealsúnacht Agus Creideamh Éireannach)

Volumes have been written on Irish Philosophy and Spirituality but in my experience little guidance has been given to people outside of Irish culture about how this applies to Irish warrior tradition. For someone starting out in Irish martial arts or perhaps looking for meaning in their lives through the practise of them, all I as a writer can do is tell you a bit about my own spiritual journey and the sources I turn to on it. This is really all I know and can "endorse" from experience, and the exclusion here of other Irish spiritual traditions is not meant to offend.

My own philosophy/spirituality has its origins in my Roman Catholic faith the "Faith Of Our Fathers" which, for Irish people incorporates both orthodox Catholic doctrine and a wide range of traditional practises and beliefs which have their origins in Irish culture (and hence are actually pre-Christian in nature). My Catholic education has also lead me to explore the traditions and philosophies of other peoples and cultures and embrace whatever in these which is true and holy as Catholics are taught to do in the Vatican's Declaration on Non-Christian Religions. This experience has exposed me to numerous Asian and Greek philosophies in addition to what I feel are the traditionally Irish beliefs with which I was raised. So for anyone on an Irish martial arts path, there are a number of easily accessible writings which I feel you will find useful in understanding the Irish warrior mind set:

Greek Philosophy (Fealsúnacht Ghréagach)

The writings of Greek philosophers (once widely read in Ireland), such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates and most importantly, the writers of the Stoic school. Of these the most useful are the Enchiridion or the Manual For Living by Epictetus, and the Meditations of (the Roman Emperor) Marcus Aurelius, (played by Richard Harris in the film "Gladiator"). The Stoic school inparticular has played a crucial part in shaping the Irish warrior mindset. The Manual For Living was often read before battle and carried into battle by the medieval warriors of Europe.

The Christian Mystics (Na Mistigh Críostaí)

The writings of the classic Christian mystics such as John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola, Brother Lawrence and modern writers such as Thomas Merton and William A. Barry. The medieval Christian mystics, especially the soldier Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuit Order) have also profoundly influenced the lives and spiritualities of millions of Irish men and women, especially The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Leonard Doohan's The Contemporary Challenge Of John Of The Cross is a great introduction to John of the Cross, a famous Doctor of the Church (author of the classics The Dark Night Of The Soul and The Ascent Of Mt. Carmel). In the series The Classics Of Western Spirituality, by Paulist Press, are published the definitive writings of both Ignatius and John of the Cross as well as other medieval mystics. In Praise of the New Knighthood (or Liber ad milites Templi: De laude novae militae), by (the Norman) St. Bernard of Clairvaux has been translated by Conrad Greenia, and also shines light on the ideals of the Catholic knight in medieval times, as it was meant for the Crusading Order the Knights Templar. St. Bernard was also a close friend of the Irish St. Malachy, who re-organized (some say reformed) the Irish Church in the middle ages. Malachy's beliefs were virtually identical to Bernard's. Information on Thomas Merton abounds on and off the Internet, and the works of William A. Barry such as God's Passionate Desire and Our Response, can be viewed on such sites as Amazon.com. The main teachings of the Christian mystics (both past and present), are concerned with contemplation and meditation. The Other Side Of Silence by the Episcopalian priest Morton Kelsey, is an extremely useful guide for modern Christian meditation endorsed by William A. Barry, S.J..

Zen Buddhism (Zen Búdachas)

I have found the writings of the Zen Buddhist school to be remarkably similar both to the Christian mystics and the Greek Stoic school. In addition, Zen is a philosophy (not a religion) which incorporates the more scientific beliefs of Taoism which, as a nature-oriented belief system, may be been quite similar to the Irish pre-Christian belief system. For Irish martial artists, two of the most useful books on Zen are Zen Catholicism, by Dom Aelred Graham, and Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit by Robert E. Kennedy, S.J. The works of the modern Buddhist nun Pema Chodron (who is based in Nova Scotia) are also useful, as is Zen And The Birds of Appetite by Thomas Merton. Christ The Eternal Tao, by Hieromonk Damascene is another very interesting work. It is a treatise on how the writings of Lao Tzu anticipated Christian teaching, and in this it reflects the ancient Irish tradition of viewing Christ as the fulfillment of the teachings of the pre-Christian sages.

Irish Celtic Christianity (Creideamh Éireannach)

Irish Celtic Christianity was originally heavily influenced by both native Irish traditions and the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John emphasizes the seeking of God from within ourselves and within nature and this, combined with native Irish mysticism, can at times make the Irish sound like pantheists. Irish Christianity tended (at times) to be more mystical than the Roman Church which was more influenced by the attitudes of St. Peter. In his book Lost Christianity, author Jacob Needleman describes the philosophy of Ireland's greatest medieval philosopher John Scotus Eriugena, as "contemplative metaphysics a form of inner empiricism in which ideas about the inner universe are studied and experienced in one's own inner world". The greatest of the Irish/Celtic mystics are Pelagius, Eriugena, St. Brendan, St. Colmcille and St. Patrick, whose writings - whether apocryphal or genuine - are available in numerous books. Pelagius was the first Celtic philosopher to be accused by the Church of heresy and ever since, Celts who espouse his (misunderstood) philosophy have been accused of being "Pelagians". Eriugena (who was eventually condemned as a Pelagian) in particular is recognized today as one of the greatest philosohpers of the middle ages and the greatest philosopher of his own lifetime. While many of the works of Pelagius have yet to be translated from Latin, two of the most important works of Eriugena - Periphyseon (On The Division Of Nature), and The Voice Of The Eagle - are easily available. Today, the Church recognizes the validity of the teachings of Eriugena and a "Pelagian" spirit permeates the works of modern mystical philosophers such as Meister Ekhart and John O'Donohue a Gaeilgeoir (native Irish speaker) and a Roman Catholic priest. (Some more books of interest are Saltair, by Padraig Ó Fiannachta, a collection of traditional prayers in Irish and English; Listening For The Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality, by J. Philip Newell, an introduction to Celtic Spirituality; Irish Jesus, Roman Jesus: The Formation Of Early Irish Christianity, by Gradydon F. Snyder, a wonderful history of the evolution of Christianity in Ireland; A Catholic Perspective: Physical Exercise and Sports, by Robert Feeney, which describes how the Church teaches that Catholics have a moral responsibility to take care of their health through exercise and fitness).

The main belief espoused in Irish Christianity is that because God is good, his creation - the universe - is essentially good, and that evil is a misalignment with this good. It is a non-dualistic philosophy which says that life is good and that we can find happiness in it only when we align ourselves (through the Grace of God via the sacraments of the Church) with God's Will (as revealed through scriptures and doctrine of the Church). For generations, this basic philosophy has enabled the Irish warrior to live free from fear in battle and confident in his or her convictions about their actions when dealing with adversaries.

© 2003 John W. Hurley