Faith Beyond Religion
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| Illustration by ChatGPT |
Albert Einstein professed that he was a “deeply
religious man” though he didn’t believe in any organised religion. He dismissed
the primitive religions as founded on fear. He wouldn’t accept “moral
religions” such as the Abrahamic ones. He placed his trust by a “cosmic
religious feeling” which has nothing to do with any god who looks like an
elevated human being.
One of the most fascinating ironies
in religion is that the saints and sages were people who went far beyond the
teachings of their religions, even to the extent of breaking certain rubrics.
These holy men and women embarrassed, baffled, or infuriated the guardians of
religious orthodoxy. Christianity tried Meister Eckart for heresy and burnt
Joan of Arc at the stake before declaring her a saint. Orthodox Islam was never
quite chuffed with people like Rumi and other Sufis. Kabir, Hindu saint,
ruthlessly criticised his religion’s orthodoxy and rejected its scriptures,
priests, and the caste system.
Real God-experience goes beyond
words, concepts, prayers and rituals. For most ordinary people, religious
practices are like the Google map: they generally take you to your destination
but without letting you experience the joy of travelling. Doctrines and rituals
are maps; the saints walk the territory. Put in another way, once you’ve seen
the mountain, the map can feel like a cage.
Religious institutions preserve
boundaries; the saints dissolve them in lived experience.
Religious practices are like the
finger pointing at the moon; the saints experience the moon directly.
Rituals and doctrines may serve to
prepare the seeker. But clinging to them as ends in themselves becomes idolatry
of the container rather than the content. A good test of your religion is: does
your practice of it make you a good human?
The divine does not need any of the
noise we make today about it. “Silence is the language of God,” Rumi said, “all
else is poor translation.”
This post is the last
part of Blogchatter
Half Marathon 2.0
Previous parts of this series:
We need to hear more of the Lord
ReplyDeleteOne hears it deep within 🧡
DeleteI liked particularly the last paragraph!
ReplyDeleteGlad you've been with me in this series.
DeleteOnce you have reached the roof-top, kick off the ladder. Yes. Silence is the language of God. " The greatest light, we can have of God is darkness. " Thomas Aquinas
ReplyDeleteLogic crumbles and metaphor takes over...
DeleteReligions probably were born out of a necessity to find answers to various phenomena all around us. They are supposed to broaden our horizons. But sadly they are turning out to be very limiting.
ReplyDeleteThe other day, I was totally put off by someone -- every educated and knowledgeable, working in an IT company -- stereotyping people on the basis of their religion. There are many like him.
I was just left wondering why people have become like this.
About the birth and sustenance as well as necessity of religions, I wrote extensively in the book which I think you started reading: The Simples Guide to Religion.
DeleteStereotypes have become unbearably common and terrifying now. We know why it happened, don't we?
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteApplause! Couldn't agree more... and as we find in Psalm 46: Be still, and know I am God. YAM xx
We can know God only in stillness. The rest is psychological consolation at best.
DeleteReligion is a way of life.If following your religion can't make you a good human being then it is of no use.Religious teachings should uphold the values of love,humanity and kindness otherwise we are better off without religion.Nowadays either people are not following their religion according to its principles or its followers are not interpreting those principles properly.
ReplyDeletePolitics has taken over religion. This has happened umpteen times in history. Whenever it happened disasters happened too. Like holy wars and witch-hunts and heretic-burning... Yes, certain jihads too. Now that history is being repeated in India in the Hindu way.
DeletePeople who get powerful within religions are all about maintaining their power. It stops being about being a good person.
ReplyDeleteVery true. I'm familiar with bishops in Kerala who love the faithful to kneel before them and kiss their rings as if they are kings here. They behave like kings too.
DeleteI consider my self a spiritual person.
ReplyDeleteMost of us are spiritual to some extent. I wish you explain your spirituality a bit.
DeleteRituals guide us, but it’s love and humility that reveal God most clearly.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly.
DeleteThank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment about the squirrel. I consequently came back to visit your blog and I am glad I did. I am really liking what I am reading.and will go back to read the rest of Blogchatter 2.0. I am a person who enjoys religion for the sense of community and enjoy our traditions, customs, and holiday dinners with family. But I like what Albert Einstein and Rumi have to say.about religion. So true.
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled that a brief comment of mine brought you here and also that you liked my series on faith.
DeleteI'm not particularly religious, at least to the extent going through the established rituals. I think of myself as more "spiritual" than "religious." I try to look at things from a logical, common sense (at least to me) standpoint. I firmly believe it's more important to be a good human being than anything else.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this.
DeleteA fitting finale to this series on beliefs. It was interesting to read the many perspectives on organized religion here.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI couldn't agree more to your thoughts, Tomichan. Organized religion with its rules and rituals are a good first step, but spirituality or your connection with God defies all such norms. One of my favourite quotes is by Meister Eckhart: "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." This is all that matters: Does your practice of it make you a good human?
ReplyDeleteThe problem with organised religions is they forget their real objectives and get enmeshed in politics and power struggles.
DeleteWhen I attended religious education classes for adults, we spoke openly with the priest about everything that interested us; it was a bit different from Mass. I do the same thing today when I go to confession—I talk to the priest about everything that is troubling me.
ReplyDelete