Oddbean

These empires were cultural and technological powerhouses, rivaling or surpassing Rome. The Egyptian New Kingdom built colossal monuments like the Valley of the Kings, expanded to its greatest territorial extent, and developed a rich mythology including the famous Book of the Dead. The Mauryan Empire, under Ashoka, spread Buddhism across Asia and erected monumental pillars with ethical edicts. The Gupta period saw the creation of the Kama Sutra, the concept of zero, and the calculation of pi to several decimal places. Their epic mythology, including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, continues to influence spirituality and culture today. The Qin unified China and built the Great Wall, while the Han expanded the Silk Road, revolutionizing global trade and cultural exchange. They also advanced paper-making techniques, pioneered seismology, and developed steel production. The Han period also saw the rise of Taoism, a philosophy and spiritual tradition that, like the Indian epics, continues to influence spirituality and culture globally today. These civilizations are less discussed in Western education but were equally, if not more, impactful in shaping our world.

All great points!👌😎 I would say equally influential in a very compartmentalized fashion. With the Roman aqueduct system, the creation of road networks, the Colosseum, the Justinian code, the Julian Calendar, sewer systems, and excellent military organization all having a massive influence in western cultures.

From my Carlos Castaneda compilation, Don Juan speaking: @saylor @JeffBooth @LynAlden @JackMallers "Your concentration has to be total. To understand is of crucial importance. The new seers placed the highest value on deep, unemotional realizations. For instance, the other day, when you understood about your self-importance, you didn't understand anything really. You had an emotional outburst, that was all. I say this because the next day you were back on your high horse of self-importance as if you never had realized anything. The same thing happened to the old seers. They were given to emotional reactions. But when the time came for them to understand what they had seen, they couldn't do it. To understand one needs sobriety, not emotionality. Beware of those who weep with realization, for they have realized nothing." #Castaneda #DonJuan #Shamanism #Consciousness #Mysticism #Mindfulness #Philosophy #bitcoin #zap My compilation: prismagems.com/castaneda

What do you like about it? There is a youtube channel that looks into old egypt in a way of identifying what doesn't fit in with the established dynastic Egyptian narrative. They also take a scientific approach even going so far as to precisely measure old vases to determine the level of precision and to compare it against what can be expected of people at the time. You might find it interesting.

This is an incredible piece. There is a paywall, but I’ll copy and paste if you want. His analysis of our psychology related to the Roman Empire is amazing. The Christian perspective is just part the interpretation. https://substack.com/@paulkingsnorth/p-141489258

I think about Rome's collapse a lot, the economics of it, the spirituality of it, and the tragedy of the eastern Orthodox church usurping the church and their twisting God's love into a cover for them to murder anything deemed heretical. As for Daoism, I've been there, been in their temples in China, and read the Dao de Ching several times. If you want an incredibly sublime spiritual experience, read that and the Gospel of John at the same time.

I hardly think about the Roman Empire. I'm more of an Atlantic Hyperborean ⚡️ nostr:nevent1qqs270lhll6erwjw847sej84ar9mk5spgze69lf5k8ulqje0ncacfhqpr9mhxue69uhkyu3wwp6hyurvv4ex2mrp0yhxxmmd9upzqdr9r2fe956tl8gxfcul8sgtamm5kh3guugvqueyx9akslz2h4lgqvzqqqqqqym2qukq