26 .A
RITUALS*(1) (OF ANY RELIGION) ARE NOT ONLY PURPOSELESS, THEY ARE HARMFUL, IN THAT THEY TEND TO DISTORT RATIONALITY AND REALITY, TO THE EXTEND OF EVEN AFFECTING PRAYER *(2).
** (1) – OF ALL THE RITUALS PREVALENT, PICKING FLOWERS TO BE PLACED AT AN ALTAR IS THE WORST. FOR FLOWERS ARE THE SEX ORGANS OF PLANTS; AND IT IS THOUGH THEM THAT PLANTS (LIKE ANIMALS) DERIVE THEIR GREATEST JOY. OFFERING FALLEN FLOWERS IS HARMLESS.
** (2) – THERE IS A VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SILENT PRAYER AND EXTERNAL, RITUALISTIC OBEISANCE. IN A SILENT SUPPLICATION THERE IS LITTLE ROOM FOR DECEIT; WHEREAS SUCH DEVIATIONS ARE EASILY GLOSSED OVER IN ANY LAVISH DISPLAY OF LOYALTY (RITUAL). THE PRIMARY REQUIREMENT IN THE FULFILMENT OF AN ENTREATY IS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ONE DESERVES WHAT ONE IS REQUESTING FOR – SOMETHING EARNED. THE SAME APPLIES TO THE REQUEST FOR FORGIVENESS: ONE HAS TO REALIZE, REJECT AND RECTIFY THE WRONG. INSTEAD, ADULATION IS OFTEN USED AS A FRONT, FOR BOTH REQUEST.
26. B2
WORSHIP (THE BASIS OF RITUAL) TOO IS WRONG*(1)! BECAUSE, IDOLIZING THE
TEACHER WILL BE AT THE EXPENSE (BLIND ACCEPTANCE) OF THE TEACHING (WICH
IN BUDDHISM IS AN UNREMITTING APPLICATION TO REASON AND REALIZE THE TRUTH OR REALITY).
EVENTUALLY HOWEVER, WORSHIP AND ITS EXTENSIONS (RITUALS) WILL ENGULF
OR REPLACE ANY TEACHING COMPLETELY THE DIFFICULT (UNDERSTANDING)
GIVING WAY TO THE EASY (BELIEF). EVEN SIMPLE RIGHT AND WRONG GET LOST IN
THE BRILLIANCE OF IDOLATRY-THE ULTIMATE GOOD*(2). ONCE FAITH AND BELIEF
GET FIXED, ONE’S ENTIRE CHARACTER GETS IMPLACABLY MOLDED AROUND
THEM. THE FRIGHTENING SEQUENCES THAT CAN FOLLOW ARE FUNDAMENTALISM, FANATICISM AND, EVENTUALLY, TERRORISM. *(3)
** (1) – MANY PERSONS WHO DISREGARD WHAT THEY KNOW WITHIN THEMSELVES TO BE RIGHT, TURN TO RELIGION AND RITUALS FOR SOLACE-THE ULTIMATE GOOD. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO LOOK TO THE HEAVENS AT EVERY TURN OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING; INSTEAD OF DOING A JOB TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, AND NOTHING AT THE END, HOW IT WENT RIGHT OR WHY IT WENT WRONG. AND FINALLY THERE ARE THOSE WHO USE ORGANIZED RELIGION AS ORGANIZED POLITICS-TO LEAD THE ONES WHO ARE CAPABLE ONLY OF FOLLOWING. THESE ALSO CONSTITUTE THE WAYS BY WHICH A HUMAN SACRIFICES ITS ABILITY TO THINK-AND EVOLVE.
** (2) – IT APPEARS THAT QUITE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE A MISCONCEPTION THAT SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS ARE DISTINCT FROM RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS, WITH ONLY MARGINAL OVERLAPPING. ACTUALLY, THEY ARE SAME, WITH ONLY MARGINAL DIFFERENCES.
**(3) – THE HORRIFIC, RITUALISTIC HUMAN-SCRIFICE BY MEDIAEVAL AZTEC INDIANS OF MEXICO; AT A TIME WHEN ALL THE MAJOR RELIGIONS WERE ALREADY ESTABLISHED ID THE REST OF THE WORLD; I AN INDICATION OF WHAT ADVANCED, CULTURED, YET MISGUIDED HUMANS ARE CAPABLE OF DOING! THEN OR NOW, THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRIGHTENING THAN
RELIGIOUS BELIEF. (EVEN THE MIRACLES USED BY JESUS AND MOHAMMED TO AUTHENTICATE THEIR TEACHINGS, DID NOT
REQUIRE BELIEF-ONLY THE ACCEPTANCE OF A SUPERIOR POWER.)
26 .C
WHY DO WORLD’S MOST BRILLIANT BRAINS EMBRACE DIVINITY, WHEN TO ALL BUT SIMPLEST FOLK IT’S IRRATIONALITY? THIS BECAUSE CANNOT PIERCE THE VEIL OF OBSCURITY, TO BLOSSOM FORTH AND ARRIVE AT ALL LIFE’S REALITY. SO INTELLIGENT MEN, IN LIFE’S TRAVAIL, DO PRAY IN HUMILITY, TO ALMIGHTY THEY DARE NOT THINK IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY. BUT HAD THEIR KNOWN A TEACHING TRUE WHICH REVEALS REALITY, THEIR FEARS OBSCURED AND DOUBTS QUITE CLEARED, THEY’D CHALLENGE DIVINITY.
- D1
IF THIS LIFE IS THE ONLY REAL ONE, AND IS TO BE FOLLOWER EITHER BY ANNIHILATION OR AN ETERNAL ‘EXISTENCE’, THE PROBLEM OF UNCERTAINTY DOES NOT ARISE *(1); AS (MATERIALISTIC) POLITICS AND (ETERNALISTIC) RELIGION ARE
CAPABLE OF LOOKING AFTER THE PRESENT FIFE SATISFACTORILY. BUT ONE DOES
NOT HAVE TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF INFINITY TO REALIZE THAT A PROCESS OF CONTINUITY IS OBVIOUS*(2). HENCE THE NECESSITY OF DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM OF THIS UNCERTAINTY NOW, WHEN ONE HAS THE CAPABILITY OF DOING SO: NOTHING TO LOOSE AND ALL TO GAIN!*(3)
26. D2
RELIGION IS ESSENTIALLY A CONTENDED WAY OF LIVING HERE FOR ANY LIFE HERE AFTER*(1).CHRISTIANITY PROVIDES A PERFECT MORAL BASIS FOR LIVING HERE*(2)
ISLAM ADVOCATES A SIMILARLY WITHIN ELABORATING ON THE WAY TO UTILIZE ONE’S
SENSES TO THE FULLEST, WITHOUT PERVERSIONS OR ADDICTIONS. HOWEVER, IT IS THE ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE METAPHYSICS TO THESE TEACHINGS WHICH CONVERT THEM TO ‘RELIGION’, AND ABANDONS UNDERSTANDING IN FAVOR OF FAITH AND
BELIEF*(3).
** (1) – A CURSORY CONSIDERATION OF THE HEREAFTER IS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE
IMMENSITY OF TIME. HOWARD HUGHES WAS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE RICHEST MEN IN THE WORLD. HE WAS A BRILLIANT AERONAUTICAL INNOVATOR; YET HE SPENT HIS LAST YEARS IN SECLUSION, OBSESSED WITH GERMS AND FEAR FUL OF DEATH. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT IF HE HAD SOME DEFINITE IDEA OF THE HEREAFTER, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE HAPPY AND USEFUL HUMAN. (WHEN ONE HAS EVERYTHING, IT IS EASY TO KNOW THAT ONE HAS NOTING!)
** (2) – IT WAS ONLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY THAT THERE WAS A RESURGENCE (OR EMERGENCE) OF CHRISTIANITY AS A COMPASSIONATE RELIGION; A PRINCIPLED BRITISH DOMINANCE; AND A CIVILIZED CODE OF CONDUCT OR
BASIC VALUES IN THE WORLD. AND DESPITE TWO WORLD WARS, THIS WAS MAINTAINED CLEARLY TILL ABOUT THE END OF THE
1950S. THEN, THE HIGHER BEINGS MUST HAVE TRULY GOT DISGUSTED! (THE HIGHER BEINGS HAD TO WAIT TILL SECTION OF THE WORLD LEARNT THE FUTILITY OF SACRIFICING HUMANS; BUT EVEN AFTER ESTABLISHING A MEANINGFUL MORALITY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, TO STILL HAVE TO ENDURE EQUALLY BARBARIC TERRORISM AS HOLY WARS, IS CERTAINLY DESPAIRING)
** (3) – ALL ANCIENT CIVILIZATION WERE ASSOCIATED WITH RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, BUT ALL WERE POLYTHEISTIC. EVEN BRAHMINISM, WHICH WAS MONOTHEISTIC, DID NOT ATTRIBUTE CREATOR CAPABILITIES TO BRAHMA (WHO WAS SIMPLY CONSIDERED THE PERFECT BEING AND A UNION WITH WHOM SIGNIFIED THE GOAL). THE IDEA OF AN ALMIGHTY GOD AROSE WITH CHRISTIANITY (AND MIRACLES) AND WAS FUTURE ESTABLISHED WITH ISLAM (WHICH TOO USED MIRACLES TO AUTHENTICATE). THOUGH SUCH ACCEPTANCE SIMPLIFIES METAPHYSICS WITH A FAST CAUSE, WHICH MAY EVEN TAKE CREDIT FOR THE GENE AND EVOLUTION; IT IS IRRATIONAL, AND HAS TO BRING ABOUT BELIEF. TO HAVE POSTULATED AN ETERNAL HEREAFTER, BEMUSED BY THE MIRACLES OF JESUS OR MOHAMMED, WAS EXCUSABLE. BUT TO CONTINUE THAT CONCEPT TO THE TAIL-END OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IS AS WHIMSICAL AS ATTEMPTING TO SUBSTITUTE IT WITH MATERIALISM. DOUBTS MUST BE EXPOSED – TO BE CLEARED! A\SEVERAL TELEVISION PROGRAMMES HAVE ACCEPTED THIS CHALLENGE, IF ONLY TO DEAL WITH ETHICAL PROBLEMS OF TODAY; BUT THE ‘PICKENCES SERIES IS SPECIAL. AND APPEAR TO BE UNCANNILY
PRAGMATICS TRULY THOUGHT PRONG AND, DELIGHTFULLY SENTIMENTAL. AND MOST OF ALL, THEY SHOW THAT IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR PEON A MIXED SOCIETY TO LIVE NORMALLY, CORRECTLY AND HAPPILY! (WHAT ONE LIKES AND DISLIKES
RATIONALLY, CAN CONFORM PERFECTLY TO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG NATURALLY: THE ESSENCE OF ISLAND)