Are religions necessary? I was thinking about it earlier, and a lot of questions associated with it also came to my mind. Finally I felt my truth is that they are necessary. I believe that during the initial stages of one’s spiritual journey one needs an introduction into spirituality, and religions plays that part well. But as time goes on, if he closes himself up so that there is no space for any growth, then he becomes a religious lunatic, confined in the box of religion, who has no love or respect for a person from a different religion.
I feel it should be like a child being taken care of and taught things. When the child is small the parents have to be harsh sometimes with them, and sometimes punish so as to teach the child to learn things and later be a better person in life. The box of rules that is created around the child grows bigger as he grows up until the day come when the box is taken away, and the child (who is no longer a child) is ready to face the world on his own. The box was what paved the basis of the formation of character in the child.
The religions pave the basis for a person’s spirituality, but one should not let the religion be the end of the growth. If you notice that those with good religious growth reads and respects and believes that basically all religions teaches about virtues, and guides one to be a better person. Where does the confusion arise? Let’s consider the case of a parable shared in some scripture of a religion. One can take the story as it is and think what he want to think or, one can think about it and understand the deeper meaning in the parables. It does not matter if one is more educated than other to understand better. (It has been proved a 1000 times that education and intelligence is not always directly proportional). All one needs is an openness to accept something that we did not think was true earlier.
There is this Zen story about 2 monks and a woman. An old monk and a young monk were traveling together to a monastery far away. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her. The young monk carried this woman on his shoulder, forded the river and let her down on the other bank. The old monk was very upset, but said nothing. They both continued walking and when they were about to reach the monastery the old monk stopped the young one and told him, “As monks, we are not permitted to touch a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?” The young monk replied, “I left the woman a long time ago at the bank, however, you seem to be carrying her still.”
This is what happens a lot of times in our life. We take things as we hear it, and do not think of the inner meaning. We burden ourselves by things we have no control over; and we judge others for their differences in beliefs. All the religions talks about good, being good, doing good; so where does the conflict arise? In the rituals?? Doesn’t in some part of the world people greet each other by hand shakes, while in another part they bow to each other with arms straight on the side; and yet in another part people put the palms together in from of the chest; and yet another part a hug is how people greet each other? Isn’t it all to greet each other? (Hope you got the point). All religions teach one to do well, and that should be a person’s basement of belief.
If we really take some time to sit down in calmness, and without preconception look at the world, we can see that a lot of problems in the present world are because we are not able to accept another of a different belief, or different color, or race. One has to rise above religions to bring this peace. The religions should not be the end of our growth. It should not be something that makes us hate another (and yes even if you say you don’t hate another, yet show anger and not being able to accept and respect a different person.. that is a form of hate). The religions are here, they are the truth, but that truth should not limit us to a point and then not let us love outside the circle it creates. We just need to understand the true meaning of what religions speak of.
Love and peace be with you all.
Namaste.
I feel it should be like a child being taken care of and taught things. When the child is small the parents have to be harsh sometimes with them, and sometimes punish so as to teach the child to learn things and later be a better person in life. The box of rules that is created around the child grows bigger as he grows up until the day come when the box is taken away, and the child (who is no longer a child) is ready to face the world on his own. The box was what paved the basis of the formation of character in the child.
The religions pave the basis for a person’s spirituality, but one should not let the religion be the end of the growth. If you notice that those with good religious growth reads and respects and believes that basically all religions teaches about virtues, and guides one to be a better person. Where does the confusion arise? Let’s consider the case of a parable shared in some scripture of a religion. One can take the story as it is and think what he want to think or, one can think about it and understand the deeper meaning in the parables. It does not matter if one is more educated than other to understand better. (It has been proved a 1000 times that education and intelligence is not always directly proportional). All one needs is an openness to accept something that we did not think was true earlier.
There is this Zen story about 2 monks and a woman. An old monk and a young monk were traveling together to a monastery far away. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her. The young monk carried this woman on his shoulder, forded the river and let her down on the other bank. The old monk was very upset, but said nothing. They both continued walking and when they were about to reach the monastery the old monk stopped the young one and told him, “As monks, we are not permitted to touch a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?” The young monk replied, “I left the woman a long time ago at the bank, however, you seem to be carrying her still.”
This is what happens a lot of times in our life. We take things as we hear it, and do not think of the inner meaning. We burden ourselves by things we have no control over; and we judge others for their differences in beliefs. All the religions talks about good, being good, doing good; so where does the conflict arise? In the rituals?? Doesn’t in some part of the world people greet each other by hand shakes, while in another part they bow to each other with arms straight on the side; and yet in another part people put the palms together in from of the chest; and yet another part a hug is how people greet each other? Isn’t it all to greet each other? (Hope you got the point). All religions teach one to do well, and that should be a person’s basement of belief.
If we really take some time to sit down in calmness, and without preconception look at the world, we can see that a lot of problems in the present world are because we are not able to accept another of a different belief, or different color, or race. One has to rise above religions to bring this peace. The religions should not be the end of our growth. It should not be something that makes us hate another (and yes even if you say you don’t hate another, yet show anger and not being able to accept and respect a different person.. that is a form of hate). The religions are here, they are the truth, but that truth should not limit us to a point and then not let us love outside the circle it creates. We just need to understand the true meaning of what religions speak of.
Love and peace be with you all.
Namaste.
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