Oddly enough, it is my recent questing into the comprehension of Islam (through the writings of Ibn 'Arabi, Henry Corbin, and William Chittick in particular) that has led me into the re-discovery that I am a Christian. Perhaps not so surprising to a disinterested observer who would merely point out the power of contrast in highlighting the obvious.
Not only is Christianity my birthright and birth rite (being both physically and then spiritually born into its milieu), which I am neither capable nor desirous of trading for a bowl of someone else's porridge, no matter now excellent its ingredients and its taste, it is also the prime illumination of my heart and intellect. This does not mean I belong to a religious sect that has been around for only two thousand years. What I am pointing to begins before the first outbreathing of space and time.
I both comprehend and am comprehended by Jesus the Christ, a powerful embodying of the divine and a radiant expression of the human. I am in love with the fierce and tender-hearted mystic prophet teacher, embodying of the living Source, great warrior and compassionate and humorous friend, Jesus. Don't worry, I won't come knocking on your door with religious tracts. I'm too busy sweeping around my own doorstep, attending to my own ever-ongoing conversion and re-vision.
I sit here laughing happily, the moon peeping in the window as it often does. Contained by no category, simply being and reflecting the Light that Is.
Meanwhile I continue my studies of Islam. We all need to understand each other's path these days, especially these days in which we live so closely together. We need to continue learning to speak each other's language and the spiritual languages are the most powerful of all.
"Nobody has a monopoly on the whole" -- Raimon Panikkar
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So what have you learned about Islam?
ReplyDeleteReligion is not language, George. Religions are delusions and misinterpretations of spiritual Truth for the most part. Religions do contain pearls of spiritual wisdom, but they are buried in layers of stories, lies, half-truths, and other distortions. Krishnamurti calls them propaganda. That is an apt description.
ReplyDeleteThe New Testament is not the unaltered whole of Jesus' teachings. Only small portions of The New Testament contain Jesus' lessons and sermons. The rest is the product of scribes (the copiers of their day), politicians, bishops, wealthy patrons, and others (committees and councils) over 400 years after Jesus died. The same can be said for Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, indeed any religion or philosophy ruled and commented upon by a consensus of scholars and clerics who may not have a drop of spiritual insight amongst themselves because they are lost in argument over what the Holy or Sacred Text or Philosophy means and says. And they'll kill any one who insults their common interpretation because they have the only correct interpretation handed down from God or God's Son. (The Buddhists understand this and other distortions, but they still made Buddha a divinity, did they not?)
So why add more labels and stories to the labels and stories you already have in your head? You already have everything in common with your audience because you are a human being as are they. Start from there and simplify the discussion to the absence of the Me and the observation of disorder in you and outside of you. How is the accumulation of more religious propaganda going to help you in your quest for true or real knowledge and wisdom, or the ability to commune (communicate) with other human beings?
Your writings fill my soul. I feel that you comunicate rigth from the Spirit, no reasons no logic. Let those who have ears, hear. I hear you,than you, thank you, thank you .
ReplyDeleteMucho Amor
Kiki
Anonymous, thank you for the question. I will address that in a coming post.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I understand Krishnamurti well. He rejected being a guru of theosophy and became a guru of "it's all propaganda." Rather amusingly, he became an authority on telling others to not accept authority. He put on his Krishnamurti outfit, kept making speaking appointments, addressing audiences, and writing books -- thus becoming that which he was preaching against.
Everyone has a religion, John -- a creed or worldview they swear to. No one will budge any of us out of our worldview especially not through attack. I find that in every religion / world view, there are some who are exclusive, thinking others are wrong and beyond redemption, consigning them to the nether regions. There are also always some who are inclusive, opening to the symbols of the Divine from all cultures, learning other's spiritual languages. I belong to the latter group. I am finding that the symbols are pointing to one Reality.
Kiki, our hearts merge.
George...I resonate with how you frame this. I teach comparative religions, and I find that everyone has some sort of "focus point" for their spirituality. Jesus is my focus point; not just the Nazarean carpenter but the Logos who fills the cosmos, and the incarnation of God who is love. That doesn't make me judgmental because judgment is not the manner of one who utterly embodies compassion. Knowing I have a center/ focus point, I can go ahead to learn and appreciate all others, wherever their focus may be.
ReplyDelete--Journey Tour Guide
Journey Tour Guide, Yes! That is what I am trying to say! Thank you.
ReplyDelete"Stillness is the language God speaks. All else is a bad translation."
ReplyDeleteGeorge,
I was not attacking per se. You can claim that Krishnamurti became an authority, or perhaps others made him an authority and rather than fight it, he accepted their submission since it gave him an income to support his work or desires. What matters is the message rather than the messenger. You wish to commune with others and share your knowledge and joy. That goal is understandable and commendable. What I was pointing out is that you have everything you need already to move forward with your goal. It is debatable that learning Islam will fulfill your goal at this time since Islam has not undergone a "Reformation". One has to hope that meanings aren't lost in the translation from Arabic to English just as some words in the Gospels didn't translate well from Greek to Latin to English. If you are doing this for fun, then by all means have fun. I am not one to tell another person to not have fun. I suppose my fear is that you will get distracted from the purpose of your journey. Perhaps you are like Tolle, already enlightened, and are already free, and are trying to discover the "how" of your freedom. I don't know. I do know that discovering oneself, while simple, is tricky because of how our tricky minds work and behave. I am likely guilty of having a log in my eye as Jesus would phrase it. I would ask for your understanding since I was concerned that you'd get sidetracked from your goal. We are all trying to get to the same state of wholeness, are we not?
Sincerely,
John
Love to you, John.
ReplyDeleteRaimon Panikkar was asked why he pursued his studies and writings with such commitment. He wrote: "Above all, in order to deepen the faith which has been given me by submitting my intuitions to the critical examination of the intellect and the wisdom of tradition, not for my own interest but in order to flow into that vital current that flows in the deep arteries of the mystical body of reality. The first task of every creature is to complete, to perfect, his icon of reality."
ReplyDeleteAs a white belt in the consciousness realms, I continue work on this first task. I am not satisfied with any consciousness state of exclusion, any consciousness state based on fear and anger.
Back to my studies and my writings . . . .