Religion and Spirituality: a personal observation.

 All humans have different capacities and understandings. Why? Because of work done in previous incarnations. As every sentient being is evolving at their own speed, we cannot judge others, but we can understand where they are ‘coming from’! We also have to understand where we are ‘coming from’!

 The material on this site comes from the highest teachings: there is nothing beyond. Some of these teachings are not easy to understand, unless one practises, has proper instruction and hears commentaries about the teachings. And we sometimes need commentaries on the commentaries…

 As these teachings are very subtle, they need to be expanded upon, with stories, analogies, paintings, images, and symbolic rituals. Maybe for some, it is just enough to go into a building where practice is taking place, in order to get a feeling of the atmosphere.

 One can see how religions are formed around subtle teachings, and the point of these can be lost in these rituals/buildings/images – and dogma is created. But we also have to remember that we all have different capacities! Tolerance, generosity and compassion are needed when dealing with one’s own capacity, and that of others.

 I was once in the company of a elder of a certain church. We were chatting in the kitchen, and an ant walked across the working surface. His fist smashed down on the ant and killed it – I nearly fainted! I was so shocked, but the deed was done. There was no point discussing it with him, as I could see that he would not understand.

 For some, spirituality is going to a building and meeting companions with the same point of view, and hearing stories. There is no criticisms here, as that is where they are at.

 In every spiritual setup there are people with different temperaments and luggage. There are those who are attracted to rituals, those who are attracted to the philosophy, and those who are attracted to the meaning and practice. One is not better than another as they all connect: however, we can get stuck in a certain aspect.

 If one has a good understanding of the teachings, then ritual is a symbolic gesture of that understanding. Ritual can keep one disciplined, and philosophy can help in understanding the nuts and bolts of a teaching. Even in pure practice, we need some foundation work before we can meditate.

Much depends on how WE see things: this will dictate how WE judge them…and that may not be correct, as this will depend on OUR understanding, at that time.

 

For example:

In Tibetan Buddhism there are three main approaches – Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana plus Dzochen/Mahamudra. Now to get complicated…laugh!

The following will depend on one’s attitude – the type of person we are.

 The Hinayana attitude will be to cut the emotions dead…however, they will still arise.

The Mahayana attitude will be to find an antidote for the emotions…however, they will still arise.

The Vajrayana attitude will be to transmute the emotions into wisdoms.

The Dzogchen/Mahamudra attitude will see that the emotions never existed in the first place.

 

We cannot jump levels, as everything depends on our actual relationship with the emotions – especially hope and fear – which is an indication of the strength of the feeling of “I”.

 

A traditional metaphor to illustrate this:

There is a poisonous berry bush (the negative emotions).

A Hinayana practitioner wouldn’t go near it.

A Mahayana student would put a fence around it to protect others.

A Vajrayana student would produce medicine from the berries.

A Dzogchen/Mahamudra student would understand that the berries never had any inherent existence in the first place.

 

It’s all about levels of fear…and here comes the twist.

There are those who consider themselves Vajrayana ‘medicine men’, but who are very rigid in their views, and so are actually Hinayana students.

There are those who consider themselves Hinayana ‘purists’, but who exhibit Vajrayana courage.

 There is no point in blaming the world for being the way it is, because that is the way it is. We have no need to try and fit into the dream worlds of others – and we have no need to demand that they fit into ours. All that is needed is to have a clear view of the world we have created – and are creating.

 When I was young, I wondered, “If I could prove God did not exist, would I?” The answer is it all depends on how God is seen, and at what level. Everything can be refined…until there is absolutely no ‘thing’ left…but pure awareness.

 

 

 

All the best,

Tony