Бесплатный фрагмент - The World. Myths of the Divine, Realities, and Awareness

1. The Myth of the Single Path

Your experience

Have you ever been to a forest clearing?

Under water? To the sea? To the ocean?

To dense marshy forests? The ones they call taiga?

To the mountains? Green with woods or white with glaciers?

To a scorching desert with its seas of sand?

Or do you live in a city and have never left it? It doesn’t matter! For you still can see the city, you’ve been to many of its parts.

Just think of the diversity and abundance you’ve seen!

Of colors and shades.

Of flowers, plants, insects, birds, fish, people, buildings, constructions, creations, etc.

How many species. Thousands, millions. The abundance of diversity! The beauty of abundance!

And yet, there is a harmony in it…

And how many sounds? Poems, verses, songs? Discoveries?

The list could go on and on! We are lost in this abundance of diversity

Don’t you think so?

About the myth

A lot of religions, beliefs, and their prophets claim that the world was created by… God, Allah, Krishna, etc… Think of your own examples and study them thoroughly.

This is a task for you.

Yes, a real task. In some schools, Religious Education is a compulsory subject. Perhaps, you attended one of such schools yourself. But usually it is the study of one religion only.

And if it is some kind of a religious school, then, surely, they teach only one religion. That is why I suggest that you get to know all the options or at least most of them, at the very least — just look them through (though I do recommend some more thorough investigation).

It would be great to attend a school where all religions and beliefs are studied in one and the same careful manner. How about that?

But let us get back to the subject of this chapter and its very beginning.

In this case, we are all able to see and enjoy this abundance of diversity. So, upon what ground could some representative of the humanity get it into their head that there is a single path to God? And moreover, managed to knock it into others (with them happily accepting and agreeing to this!)? Only one?! And it is one and only path that is right and righteous! And what about others? For some reason, they are not. But it’s as if a single flower was announced right, while others or some of them were deemed wrong! Nobody in their senses would apply that to flowers, animals, birds, or fish.

Although, wait a minute. Do you remember anything of the kind? About cats? About black cats in particular? About crows? About pigs? About cows? About rats? Someone did apply that to animals after all… Influenced by their faith and prejudices. Or only by faith? Or only by prejudices? Let alone the path to God… I guess there is nothing wrong (another evaluation) in declaring someone or something sacred or right. Take cows, for example, a source of so much useful stuff for a human. So this approach can really be for the good — if it is used for the sake of protection and sheltering. And yet, the way I see it, we shouldn’t declare someone or something wrong, for this is to the detriment of both the declarer and the declared.

You are not interested in the diversity of flora and fauna? Then think of the diversity of nations and peoples, of cultures and human beings. Each of us is unmatched, unique, and special. What a bizarre combination! Some of us are exquisitely surreal, others — so earthly, so familiar, and dear. How can we deem one culture, nation, or people right and other — wrong? Being of sound mind and memory… Seeing one as better and another as worse? For one thing, they are completely different! And then again, whose point of view are we to take? Of those who push through the idea that benefits them in the hope to acquire a special status or possibilities (or rather, an excuse)? Of those who know it better?

It’s a shame few people consider this possibility: Perhaps, the One who created such a riot of species, forms of life, and civilizations actually had the trouble to provide people with plenty of paths and opportunities to come to Him. So that each of us could find our own path, our own way. But in this case, there have to be plenty of ways. An abundance of ways. An abundance of unique ways.

And yet a lot of people deem one path better than another. Perhaps, it’s their arrogance and the desire to belong to the «chosen», to the «right»? (But how can we talk about freedom in this case?) And what about others? Is there something wrong with them? But how can we be so sure that our path is right and all the others — wrong? How can we be so sure that what I’m saying here is right or wrong? If we deem something right and have an explanation or an excuse for that, the same can be done by others… So how can we tell who is right? Maybe the trick is not in finding out who’s right. Maybe we just need to accept that all the paths have one and the same source and lead us to one and the same home, however differently… And as for what path is right or what nation is better, it is not not up to us. It is up to the one who created it all.

Or, in this context, of the plurality of gods in all its forms, from paganism and shamanism to the entire pantheon of single gods. Too extraordinary? But what if we assume that is exactly the way it is? To be able to do that, you won’t need much. Just read on… For this book provides you with diversity and the foundation for peaceful co-existence. For this book is not so much about God as it is about energy. Or is it maybe about something else?

But let us get back to our Myth. How many tragedies! How much pain! How many wars! How much destruction! How many people have been killed? How many living beings extinguished? Talented, capable creatures. Once created by… yes, the old-fashioned… God, Allah, Buddha, Krishna, Zeus, Ra, spirits, the Absolute, the Universe, etc. It all went on for centuries and goes on and on even now. But why? Only because someone declared one path the right and righteous, claiming that all the others are wrong? And it doesn’t even matter whether we talk about religion, politics, nations, races, cultures, or genders!

What is the point of it? Of these categories of «right» and «wrong»?.. What is the point of such dualism? What is the point of this black-and-white dichotomy? Is it wars and extermination of others? Or is it integrity, unity, and cooperation? What is the point of dividing the world into «right» and «wrong», except that the winner gets the opportunity to boss around, to seize and capture, or rather, to plunder and murder with impunity, having an excuse for that! In the hope that no one, not even God, will notice the greatest sin — the murder of a living being in pursuit of one’s personal interests. Due to this odd excuse, our winner reaches absolute power and the warrant for their violence and moral depravity in the bargain! The power over those who share their path and over those who don’t. In a single go! The power over everybody… Those who rejoice at being a part of the «elite» don’t even realize that they are not the exception, that they are being controlled too. They understand it much later than those who aren’t in the «elite». Or maybe the reason for such division is a fractured mind that is unable to rise to the level of integrative perception of reality?

But what if it is not the way it all works? What if there are many paths and each of us can choose the one that suits us best, providing others with a chance to make their own free choice too? How do you like the idea? The idea of a meadow covered with all kinds of flowers where each of us can choose any flower (or even flowers) we want.

Come to think of it, lots and lots of religions and beliefs propagate the idea of a conscious, free, and independent choice… A choice that is not influenced by fear of reprisal or punishment (this kind of choice falls into the psychology of slavery). A choice that is not influenced by the desire to get an award (this is the psychology of mercenaries). But this essential and very unique detail somehow «disappears», «gets lost», and «fades from our memory». Does it happen for a reason or due to our ignorance?

Children and teenagers are not taught the diversity of paths in front of them. They are introduced to only one of them. And this single path is forced upon them, they are brought up within it and see it as the best of the best. Children are not provided with the right of choice and with the chance to learn more about the variety of paths. They are deprived of the possibility to realize their right of choice, the freedom of choice, even though it is deemed so important in many of paths. They are not taught to learn! They are not taught to integrate, unite, and probably even create something new. They are taught to divide, evaluate, and criticize. They are not taught how to be free and make conscious choices! They are hit with labels: This is the only right way. And then one is tempted to suggest that all the other ways are wrong. And thus, you are either right or wrong. You either fit in or you don’t. And you find yourself immersed in certain traditions and rites while all other kinds of traditions are called wrong, not just different. Sometimes defiers can be severely punished. And even executed.

But it is possible to follow your own traditions and yet treat others with respect, without labelling them «wrong». It is possible to just tell people more, show, explain, teach, and support. And there are those who do that! But isn’t it too time-consuming? It is indeed time-consuming and complicated, from the point of view of our mortal coil. We always want to achieve a quick result and we don’t care that aggressive methods are deprived of faith and don’t take into consideration the lives of those who were created by… the most divine being or beings. You can always just tell people more, show, explain, teach, and support. It’s not much, as far as our soul is concerned. And this is a much more careful and gentle way.

You should propagate your ideas not through violence. But by way of example. Sincerely! Because it is really good, because you like it. Because you do it out of love — not only towards yourself and your ideas but to those around you!

And yet we tend to stick to this old way that was imposed on us in childhood — so much that even when we grow up and seem to have an opportunity to do research and make a conscious choice, we reject it. Why? Because it is a revolt against the system! Why? Because it is scary. It is awfully scary to go against the system. We are afraid that the system treats us the same way we treat others. We are afraid that it will all come upon us. Why are we afraid? Because deep inside we understand that the system doesn’t care about individuals and their paths. The system needs followers who are ready to fulfill orders. Followers who won’t think much (for studying various paths inspires the ability to think, reason, feel, make conscious choices, and integrate). Followers who will just follow and take orders. Followers who were raised in the system and thus are willing to justify all kinds of its atrocities, even those that obviously contradict the declared ideals and values of the system itself. The system needs followers who are slightly out of their minds — just like those who are in charge of this system. The system doesn’t want reasonable and conscious people. A reasonable human being will ask too many tough questions. Moreover, such a human being is really hard to control and manipulate. You can hardly send him to war, for such a man or woman won’t kill other human beings who have a «wrong» eye color or have different thoughts and beliefs. You would have to talk to such person and negotiate.

Give it some thought.

And also think of how it is manifested in our everyday life. Surely, the scale is a bit different here. Our everyday goals are to make a point, to gain recognition and status in our community (among our family and friends), etc. How about some examples? Parent-child conflict is a conflict of different worldviews, different opinions, and different experiences that were acquired at different times and in different situations. Each of these worldviews has the right to exist… at least for its holder and in recognition of their reality. But parties of the conflict tend to forget about it and try to thrust their own opinion on each other, seeing it as the right and righteous. It can be a conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, father-in-law and son-in-law. Each of these people has their own family history, experience, traditions and yet for some reason tries to force impose them as the right and righteous without pausing to think that this may be just an old habit. That there is not necessarily only one answer. This leads to conflicts, arguments, grudges, etc. What about the famous conflict between «physicists and poets»? It’s pretty much the same. The conflict between educational or upbringing systems, etc. You can make your own list.

There is an abundance of various paths and ways. None of them is perfect for everyone. There is always one that suits someone best. And yet others will find their own, special and unique way. Some paths are better for a certain period of time, for a certain country, or a certain person. Yes, it would be very convenient to have one path for everyone. But who benefits from it? The one who created it or the one who follows it? Surprisingly enough, having one and the same path for everyone is a way to self-annihilation of the system in general. The challenge here is not to lay our meadow down with one variety of flowers, however fabulous and beautiful. The challenge is to see beauty and wisdom in the generous diversity of creations and learn how to make your own choices while respecting the choices of others. The challenge is to learn how to live within this diversity, to create, integrate, unite, and supplement. And it’s not only about faith.

I provided some vivid examples, including historic ones. You can easily find plenty of others not as vivid, even in our modern-day society. Or you can specify these historic examples, adding some details: Year, country, people, religion, culture, political trends, persons, situations.

Put aside the myth of the single path in religion, politics, and the question of nations. Put aside the conflict of duality (either this or that) in all other matters. Then the excuse for wars will just disappear. But there is yet another problem. Those who want to have wars will come up with new myths and new excuses. It will go and on until the masses realize it!

In order to get beyond limitations you should first acknowledge the abundance of diversity and take interest in it…

Tips

Do research on various religions and beliefs (at least 15), learning about:

— their essence, mission, fundamental idea, and intended purpose;

— their rules, commandments, and principles;

— rituals, ceremonies, traditions;

— history of their origin, development, and perhaps ending, as well as their background.

This is a very useful method to broaden your outlook.

Do research of various political systems (at least 10) following the aforementioned algorithm.

Do research of various peoples (at least 20, preferably all from different continents) following the same algorithm.

Do research of family histories of various dynasties — those you know personally or not. At least 20.

Do research of various approaches to management — at least 10.

Do research of various approaches to parenting — at least 15.

Do research of various approaches to family relations — at least 15.

What else are you interested in?

What choice will you now make — in faith and religion, in political movements?

What will you now think of those of a different opinion? Of those who make different choices and act differently?

Key points

It would be great to attend a school where all religions and beliefs are studied in one and the same careful manner.

The One who created such a riot of species, forms of life, and civilizations actually had the trouble to provide people with plenty of paths and opportunities to come to Him.

The trick is not in finding out who’s right. We just need to accept that all the paths have one and the same source and lead us to one and the same home, however differently…

Those who rejoice at being a part of the «elite» don’t even realize that they are not the exception, that they are being controlled too. They understand it much later than those who aren’t in the «elite».

It is indeed time-consuming and complicated, from the point of view of our mortal coil. We always want to achieve a quick result and we don’t care that aggressive methods are deprived of faith and don’t take into consideration the lives of those who were created by… the most divine being or beings. It’s not much, as far as our soul is concerned. But this is a much more careful and gentle way.

You should propagate your ideas not through violence. But by way of example. Sincerely! Because it is really good, because you like it. Because you do it out of love — not only towards yourself and your ideas but to those around you!

The challenge is to see beauty and wisdom in the generous diversity and learn how to make your own choices while respecting the choices of others.

Surprisingly enough, having one and the same path for everyone is a way to self-annihilation of the system in general.

Put aside the myth of the single path in religion, politics, and the question of nations. Put aside the conflict of duality (either this or that) in all other matters. Then the excuse for wars will just disappear. But there is yet another problem. Those who want to have wars will come up with new myths and new excuses. It will go and on until the masses realize it!

In order to get beyond limitations you should first acknowledge the abundance of diversity and take interest in it…

The myth in a nutshell

There are many paths to God. Each person or a group of people has their own path. In different periods of time, there are different paths too. In different periods of time, there come different people who create certain paths.

A Soul Prayer for PEACE

Thou art the one who has many names and forms

To whom many paths lead

The one who lives in everything and yet everything lives inside thee

Who guides and always endows with freedom of choice

Help me understand thy intentions and lessons.

I am the one that remains eternal among the perishable

The one that stays real among illusions

The one that stays unchanged among all the changes

The one that is called to serve thee while being true to oneself.

Help me find peace and awareness.

Thou art the creator and true master of everything, so help me

Serve thee and take care of thy creations

In freedom from fears, passions, attachments, and sins

On the path of knowledge, gaining reason and goodness

In the revelation of love and compassion

In unity therewith, and therefore, with everything thou created.

2. The Myth of the Need to Forget about Your Body, Emotions, and Mind on Your Way to God

Your experience

How well do you know your body? And how well do doctors know human body?

How well do you know the bodies of other creatures that inhabit our planet? How well do scientists and researchers know them?

How well do you know bodies in general? How well do scientists and physicists know them?

And what does it mean — to know a body? What do you think about bodies? About your own? About the bodies of other people? About the bodies of various species inhabiting this planet?

And what do you feel about your body and the bodies of other creatures?

And what do you know (just like in previous questions) about emotions and mind? About your own feelings and thoughts? Do you recognize them? And what about feelings and thoughts of other people?

What do you know about shapes and forms?

What do you know about essence and content?

About the myth

Let’s discuss it using the example of Christianity (or any other religion). God made man. In flesh and blood. And what was done to man by fellow man in the Middle Ages? What was done to the divine creation — allegedly in the name of faith? What was done to it later — in the age of colonization?

Was it a declaration of the will of God? Or was it just a cover to conceal the pursuit of power, riches, and keeping them no matter the cost?

And suppressing the wonder of fleshliness, the brilliance of emotions. Suppressing the genius of thought, destroying others! By double standards, among other things (when some people are allowed something and others are not).

Why thrust your nose into someone’s bedroom and dictate what they should do, in which position, and how many times? Why have such limitations and control?

Why pry into someone’s private life? Why forbid feeling something and allow only a tiny part of the wide range of feelings?

Why force something so violently and aggressively, telling what one can think and what one cannot?

There are powerful historic examples behind all these questions. Powerful and yet tragic! For not only books were burnt but people too. Talented. Beautiful.

Who gave them that talent? Who bestowed upon them sensuality? And intuition? And mind’s eye? Who bestowed upon them intelligence in all its forms? And beauty? Oh, right. There is the Devil. And yet we were made and endowed with gifts by God. In any case, this is a divine creation, we don’t have any right to control it. However, some people conceited themselves to be near as great as God and began to pride themselves. Others understood the simple truth and yet were not able to abandon power and its gifts. Suppression, control, jealousy, neglect (devaluing), and destruction won’t bring you to God… Neither will pridefulness and pursuit of power. Ignorance and clinging to one’s passions. In this regard, maybe we should study the works of various spiritual teachers and Eastern masters of various religions to get a deeper understanding and analysis?

Perhaps, instead of making fires for the wrong books and people, we should have taken a different path. The one that is fast in terms of our soul but long and tiresome for those who are attached to worldly passion. The path of decent examples, discussions, learning, stories, reflection, mentorship, etc.? Meaning the path of the freedom of agreement, acceptance, and choice. The path of the creation of beauty and comfort (that’s it!), creativity and art instead of violence and fear, destruction and hate, instead of strangling the potential of the Great Creation… We should have taken the path of freedom (freedom from our own ignorance, our fears, power, riches, pridefulness, arrogance, vanity, etc.).

Oh, how much the church opposed progress (not all the clergy really serve the Almighty, since some people choose to serve their own or someone else’s interests by way of religion). How much it opposed paganism that provided, perhaps, even more opportunities for harmony — with ourselves and the world around us — or probably just interfered with the goals of certain people. Those in power don’t like to share and they will never support those who can potentially overthrow them or provide a competition. But Christianity is not the only example. How about killing of infidel even though they were made by Allah? Otherwise, where did they come from? Were they made by someone else? And does it mean that Allah is not alone? That is somehow contradictory, wouldn’t you agree? Alright, we won’t kill them. But we also won’t let our children be happy, we won’t let them and their loved ones be together. Well, that’s an option. How much there was told, written, and sung about this! How many dramas and broken human lives. Why not cancel God at all (you never know, right?) and make a political and economic system our top priority, acquiring the right to do whatever we want?

But let us get back to body and faith. Maybe the secret is simple. Maybe those who launched and maintained all those movements didn’t aim at helping people find God (anything else). Surely, some of them were genuinely mistaken and are still under a delusion. But there are also those who acutely understand: People should be lured away from God, Allah, Krishna, Buddha, or any kind of enlightenment (no matter what name it bears). It doesn’t matter what deities different people (Asian and American Indians, Egyptians, and Aryans) believed in. The crucial thing here is to lure people away from them. How can that be done?

That’s pretty simple! Equivocation and prevarication! Instead of protecting our bodies, taking care of this greatest gift, this tool of manifesting our consciousness into the world, instead of paying heed to our emotions, being in tune with our feelings and understanding what is happening to us, learning how to express our feelings properly and appropriately, instead of treating intelligence as the greatest treasure bestowed upon us by God Almighty (choose whatever name you like) … we are doing exactly the opposite! Instead of improving it all, we declared our bodies to be vessels of sin! Touching your own or someone else’s body is a sin! Sex is a sin! You shouldn’t even wash your body (read some historic works). And should a person die because of that, we consider it great, for they are going to meet God! It’s so convenient. You can ignore the development of medicine and science or deny everybody or someone (women or slaves, for example) medical treatment. That is the will of X (substitute X for any name you like). We can always shift the responsibility for our own actions to a deity. The worldly life is nothing. Naught. We have forgotten who created it and why.

But if the worldly life is naught, then why put so much effort into its creation? And why make it so complex and diverse as well? The worldly life is a way to our soul, to God. We forgot about it… and began to pride ourselves again. Let’s take our mind and feelings under control. And blame all our misfortunes on them… But how? Well, we can always announce that one shall not feel anger, one must exercise patience… One shall not rejoice at one’s success, one must be modest. One shall not hold grudges, one must be obedient!

One must be a stupid, filthy, patient, and obedient slave, sickly of body and mind. So that no lucid idea could be conceived. Our mind is so lively, nimble, inquisitive, enquiring… Oh no, no. Those truly enlightened don’t think… But then how did great ecclesiastical works appear? Thanks to what? Obviously not due to the fact that their authors rejected their own intelligence — an essential step towards enlightenment. That’s for sure. Equivocation and prevarication again. We do need reason, we do need mind. But in order to calm your mind, you have to learn how to be patient. We do need our emotions and bodies too. But balance is important here. Our body, emotions, and mind are a good help. When we tip the balance, they become our masters. In order not to tip the balance, we need reason.

But body is also about life. If you want to depreciate a human life, depreciate their body first, as well as their bodily needs — of water, home, warmth, comfort, touching, and caressing. Or influence their freedom of expressing themselves since one was born. Babies used to be swaddled up tightly, and there was a pretty odd excuse for that: It was supposed to help them stop being afraid of themselves. Communism used the same approach, by the way! And not only Communism. Just look at what is going on in the Western world in respect of children. Though they are supposed to have democracy there. Again healthy expression of love is prohibited under a pretext of genuine care.

You should be humble, obedient, and patient. Once confronted with a choice — faith or someone you love — you should be very careful. Which means you should choose faith. And not love… Once confronted with a question of expressing your talents, you should be modest. Once confronted with the need to protect yourself and your loved ones, you should be humble and turn the other cheek. But don’t constant silence and failure to take action create even more evil? Is humbleness really about that? And what does it mean to remain silent in this case? Does it bring even more evil? All right, so you have to be a martyr, a victim. By no means should you be a master of your own life. Your life doesn’t belong to you. It doesn’t even belong to God Almighty (call him whatever you like) because your life belongs to those who really control it. To your master. Humble, obedient, patient people deprived of intelligence and contact with their own bodies, emotions, and thoughts. People who are willing to countenance. Who are they? Slaves. Slaves by nature. By their psychology! Even though they are not clapped in irons. Why put them in irons if you can always use other kind of chains? Why put them in irons when you can always shackle an enquiring mind, feelings that function as inner eyes and ears, as shining beacons? When you can always trivialize and distort them? All you need to do is set up attention focuses and determine the right and wrong ways of thinking! And, as a lesson to everyone else, to prevent them from taking interest in wrong things, we can impose censorship, disregard, reprobation, and punishments — even to the point of a death sentence to you or your loved ones! To the third or even seventh generation! This kind of scourge exists not only in religion. It exists in politics too. It became so ingrained in our everyday life that we apply the same principle to all unusual children or adult people, trying to force them into the frame of common and familiar things. We try to cure them instead of curing ourselves. We call our path right and their path wrong, though their only fault is that they are different. And they may even have a much stronger connection with their bodies, emotions, and minds.

What does it have to do with faith? With gods? Nothing! It is a matter of power and finding excuses for those in power! It is a matter of foolishness, lack of education, and general ignorance. It is a matter of aggression that puts even faith into the position of its servant.

Think about it and start loving your body and taking care of it as much as possible. Start enjoying it! To continue your way of spiritual development, you need to have a healthy body. To make the best out of your life, you need to take care of your body.

Allow yourself to experience and enjoy the full spectrum of your feelings, discovering talents you’ve never even thought of!

Think, analyze, ask questions. Have your ears and eyes open, study the world.

Question everything! Even my words, by all means! Especially my words!!

Train your brain by studying and analyzing various paths, decisions, and views! Take nothing for granted! Question everything! Ask tough and disadvantageous questions! In this case, you won’t place blind faith in anything. You will know!

Tips

— How would you treat your body, feelings, and mind (reason) if you knew that they have the untold potential for your development, improving the quality of your life, and manuring your soul and spirit? If you knew that they are an essential and valuable tool of spiritual development? That they are the creation and energy of the very God?

— Start treating them like this here and now. Notice what changes there will be in your life.

— How do you think, are mind and reason pretty much the same thing?

Or are they two different concepts?

What are their differences and similarities?

— If we could apply the aforementioned things to our reason, what kind of ideas and conclusions will you have? Apply them and take a look: What kind of ideas and conclusions do you have now?

Key points

Our body is, in any case, a divine creation, and we don’t have any right to control it.

Perhaps, instead of making fires for the wrong books and people, we should have taken a different path. The one that is fast in terms of our soul but long and tiresome for those who are attached to worldly passion. The path of decent examples, discussions, learning, stories, reflection, mentorship, etc.? Meaning the path of the freedom of agreement, acceptance, and choice. The path of the creation of beauty and comfort (that’s it!), creativity and art instead of violence and fear, destruction and hate, instead of strangling the potential of the Great Creation…

And if the worldly life is naught, then why put so much effort into its creation? And why make it so complex and diverse as well?

Why put them in irons when you can always shackle an enquiring mind, feelings that function as inner eyes and ears, as shining beacons?

To continue your way of spiritual development, you need to have a healthy body. To make the best out of your life, you need to take care of your body.

Think about it and start loving your body and taking care of it as much as possible. Start enjoying it! To continue your way of spiritual development, you need to have a healthy body. To make the best out of your life, you need to take care of your body.

We apply the same principle to all unusual children or adult people, trying to force them into the frame of common and familiar things. We try to cure them instead of curing ourselves. We call our path right and their path wrong, though their only fault is that they are different. And they may even have a much stronger connection with their bodies, emotions, and minds.

The myth in a nutshell

Our body, emotions, and mind are a good help. When we tip the balance, they become our masters. In order not to tip the balance, we need reason.

By taking care of our bodies, we can live longer and get even closer to God while doing it during our material life.

By experiencing emotions, we can learn how to notice and develop essential qualities and states in order to serve God and find our own path to the enlightenment.

By respecting our mind and reason, we can overcome our ignorance and acquire knowledge that will help us get to the enlightenment.

3. The myth of a bad religion or idea

Your experience

Have you ever heard that:

— You did something wrong?

— Your idea is no good at all?

— Your thoughts and desires are worth nothing?

— No one wants you?

In family, at school, at university, at work?

From your colleagues, partners, friends, relatives?

We all enjoy making evaluations and labeling things and people «good» and «bad». As if there were two colors only: black and white. As if there were only extremities, a dichotomy or a duality, and we had to choose only one thing.

If not, you may consider yourself lucky. Though there is a great chance that you simply forgot it, like we tend to forget any other unpleasant experience. It happens like this. Sometimes we can forget having been treated ill because we don’t want to do anything about it. Sometimes we can forget having treated other people ill because we don’t want to accept our nature.

About the myth

While reading this book, some people may say that it should be banned since it is insulting to the feelings of religious believers. But it is not. It is insulting only to the feelings of those who exploit faith for their own benefit. But in this case, such people should consider whether they have anything that can be insulted. Or, perhaps, they have something that is insulting?

Faith and religious ideas (just like some political trends) are strikingly beautiful by nature. They are about something important, something valuable. They are about love and hope. About peace throughout the world. I’m not being sarcastic. They were meant to unite and consolidate different people. To lay the creative foundation for developing societies and even states if there is any point in them as we see them now. They were meant to teach people to resolve their differences peacefully, in accordance and acceptance of each other, with respect, dignity, and loftiness. They were meant to teach people to see value in their lives and treat them with due care. To help them understand their passions and attachments and not become their obedient servant. To help them see their ignorance and replace it with enlightenment. Almost all religions were meant to create something that could keep humanity from relentless intraspecific and all other kinds of aggression. Something that could provide a basis for rectitude, moral pillars. Unfortunately, instead of providing a path, religions often turned into servants (or even obedient slaves) of human passions and the very same ignorance.

Just think of how many people have died in wars — big and small — and what for? If only we could steer their creative potential on a peaceful track instead of destruction, what would our world look like?! Humans have spent so many millennia fighting for all kinds of resources (gold, oil, land, money, power, etc.) in one guise or another, doing it under the shadow of faith or political ideas… They missed the most important thing! The very things (or rather, the very creatures) they sacrificed are indeed the most valuable resource and the most essential idea. Human beings! The power of their souls and thoughts! Their creative and artistic potential! That is the resource of the greatest worth! We still don’t understand the true value of it!! It’s no accident that in some religions, the pinnacle of divine creation is man. Nothing was created after man.

But let us get back to the topic. An idea and a way of its implementation are two quite different things. You may have a beautiful idea but it will be implemented poorly. And vice versa, you may have a poor idea but some people can turn it into a wonder! Of course, the best scenario is when we have both a wonderful idea and a decent way of its implementation. The worst-case scenario means that both an idea and a way of its implementation are horrible. I am not urging you to go and destroy religions and systems, let alone their historic and cultural heritage. By no means. It would contradict what I am trying to communicate. I encourage you to reflect while you follow a religious or ideological path on whether your way of implementing an idea is a relevant one.

If there is an invitation to love thy neighbor, perhaps, we shouldn’t in blind hate destroy everything that moves and all dissenters?

If there is the commandment «thou shalt not steal», perhaps, we should obey it regardless of our own and other people’s religious and political beliefs, national and cultural identity?

If there is a call to convert others to your own faith, perhaps, it pays to do it by way of a decent example, rather than by the sword and violence? Perhaps, it pays to accept refusals or different choices, expressing respect and understanding and keeping in mind the diversity of paths and the greatness of the one who created them all?

If there is a call for spirituality, perhaps, you shouldn’t commit soulless acts? Can we call the lack of care towards your relatives, parents, children, and loved ones spiritual? Can we call poverty and hunger when there is always an opportunity to work for your own good and for the good of your family spiritual? Can a man who deprived his wife and children of his care and support and feeds on them or his parents be notable for his spirituality? Can a woman who hates her children or relatives and treats other people ill be notable of her spirituality? Can the lack of action supporting words of friendship be spiritual?

If there is a call for peace, should there be a war, even a proxy one?

If there is a call for a constructive dialogue, should there be a manipulation?

Put to a test everyone who urges you to do something in the name of faith or ideas. Is the means of implementation relevant? Or «the end justifies the means»? If the former is true, debate the matter in your mind once again. If the latter is true, run, run for your life! When the cream of a nation is sent to its doom, run away! When books are burnt (and not only due to some dissenting views), run away! When violence towards those who somehow differ is justified, run away! When dissenters, their friends and relatives are declared public enemies, run away! Crawl away! For any idea and any faith is not worth the life of even one human being, let alone hundreds, thousands, or millions of them! Why? Read the myths further to find out!

Though it is true not only on the scale of nations, countries, monarchs, and rulers. The same can be applied to any ordinary person. Do the idea and the means of its implementation concur or run contrary to each other? If they don’t concur, does the one who conceived and/or articulated the idea realize that their means of implementation is entirely about something else?

Tips

— Ponder over everything that has been created by human beings over the course of the last five thousand years. And everything that has been created over the last one hundred years. How many creations in various fields! How many discoveries, achievements, accomplishments that changed our life. Can oil, land, gold, and other resources match them? Can these resources match the creative potential of man? Of course, they are important. Sometimes they act as components. But still!! What are these resources without the power of human thought? Just think of it and comprehend the true power of human potential! Could oil and gas pull themselves and produce useful goods on their own basis without human thought? Could gold become wonderful jewelry or a convenient means of payment without human mastery? Is the land worth something at all without the human skill of farming?

— Think of who created powerful and legendary companies and states? Is it oil, land, or gold? Nope. It’s people. Some certain, living people. If we are capable of such enormous transformations, will we be able to deal with the challenges of modern times? Oh yeah! So what is the main resource? What and who should we invest in? What resource should we protect and treasure? At least in the form of a resource… At least we can see human beings and their potentials like this. If they are not of value…

— What potential do you personally have? How and in what forms is it manifested? How and in what forms can you manifest it?

— What potential do your friends, relatives, colleagues, employees, bosses, and acquaintances have? How and in what forms is it manifested? How and in what forms can they manifest it? Unlock it and use it?

— Test whether the idea and the means of its implementation concur before blindly following it.

Key points

While reading this book, some people may say that it should be banned since it is insulting to the feelings of religious believers. It is not. It is insulting only to the feelings of those who exploit faith for their own benefit.

Almost all religions were meant to create something that could keep humanity from relentless intraspecific and all other kinds of aggression.

Unfortunately, instead of providing a path, religions often turned into servants (or even obedient slaves) of human passions.

It’s no accident that in some religions, the pinnacle of divine creation is man. Nothing was created after man.

You may have a beautiful idea but it will be implemented poorly.

I encourage you to reflect while you follow a religious or ideological path on whether your way of implementing an idea is a relevant one.

An idea and a way of its implementation are two quite different things. You may have a beautiful idea but it will be implemented poorly. And vice versa, you may have a poor idea but some people can turn it into a wonder! Of course, the best scenario is when we have both a wonderful idea and a decent way of its implementation.

For any idea and any faith is not worth the life of even one human being, let alone hundreds, thousands, or millions of them!

The myth in a nutshell

A lot of religions and ideas are good. But it is also important to check whether the means of their implementation is good too.

4. Myth of Our Heavenly Future and Sinful Past

Your experience

— How often do you reminisce of the past? And what about other people? And what about the common past that we share with someone?

— What is your past like? And what about other people? And what about the shared past? How do you see it? How do other people see it?

— How do you see your future? How do other people see their future? What is the difference between your vision and theirs with regard to your shared future?

— What and who are you in your present? What and who are other people in their present?

— What do you think about the phrase «Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift»?

About the myth

Different religions have different descriptions of the past. Some see it in glowing colors, others have a less radiant picture, and yet others are in two minds about that. The description of the past is exciting. It is our origin. And, on the other hand, it is all the values that were originally established or a sort of their historic or modern interpretation.

Interpretation is a pretty curious affair. It reflects our ability to look at one and the same thing, event, or phenomenon from different points of view. And there may be endless number of points of view and versions! Therefore, the dichotomy of black and white options makes no sense here. The color of the event is in the eye of the beholder. Given that our past is history, no one can be sure what it was really like. What it was like for our ancestors, for those who used to live in a given period of time. Or does someone or something know everything? The Almighty? Our soul? Our spirit?

The past can influence the present and future but it also can just remain history. In any case, we cannot turn back time, change or repeat our past. However, some cultists tend to forget about it. They remind modern people of things pertaining to the ages long gone by. Blame them.

For instance, some people genuinely believe that for the sin Eve committed by sharing her apple with Adam (who took a bite out of it of his own free will, and very willingly by the way), people shall pay even now. And others believe that women are the only ones to blame. As if Adam was forced to do it (according to the written sources, it wasn’t the case). Eve, a weak woman, forcing Adam, a strong man to do something… There is something wrong in this story at that point already. It’s the same with prostitutes. They are just the supply. The demand is provided by men. And yet, according to the followers of some religious or political institutes, it is prostitutes who are to blame. There have been centuries, millennia, and maybe even dozens of them… But the habit to blame is still here. Very convenient, isn’t it? A lot of people know that those who feel guilt will either forget about it or try to atone for it! In this latter case, they will do whatever it takes in the hope of getting at least a tiny chance of forgiveness. This violent and rigid manipulation enslaved humanity for years to come. Both women and men, though the heaviest load was born by supposedly fragile women’s shoulders. And I doubt that God needed such manipulation. For otherwise God becomes way too human and appears not to be able to forgive though this is exactly what God demands of us! To love, unconditionally. To search for awareness and see the essence of things.

Think about it. Imagine your little child peeking into your chest filled with secret letters (which the child is too young, in your opinion, to read) and reading them. How much time will it take the child to make amends with you? A day? A year? A decade? Or the entire life? Or will you hold even grandchildren and great-grandchildren responsible? From one generation to another? Isn’t it absurd? And if we consider that the further in the past the event is, the more indistinct interpretations it gets… Then the situation looks sad. No one will ever get to the bottom of it but guilt and expiation will thrive. It won’t be clear who is to blame, why, and what for. Do you really think God wants it? God, who made his sons and daughters? Who loves them? Doesn’t God have anything else to do? He has his hands full. Do you love your children? Your treasured baby could get naughty. You would just chide them gently, ask them to draw a lesson, forgive, and forget! Rinse and repeat. Why? Because you love your child. Only those who don’t love their children or enjoy power (revenge), will cherish the guilt their kid feels, maintain it, and nourish. Because it is not the question of love, it is the question of power and manipulation. It is their goal! Is there anything divine in it? It would be a different matter, if it were only about guilt. Alas. That is just the beginning. And so many victims! Since it became an excuse for massacre and absolute injustice in the form of depriving people of their rights and freedoms! You can be too smart, too funny, too ginger, too close to God, too fertile. It doesn’t matter. For now one can just kill and enjoy an absolute power! For instance, the Islamic religion used to be less violent in terms of some things. For example, Muslim women had more rights regarding inheritance than women in Europe. Do you believe it to be a problem of religion only? Think of Communism, when children were punished for the sins committed by their fathers (public enemies). Or the practice of the Communist Party of Korea. The same was true about many other countries. The entire family could be extirpated for the actions of one person, regardless of age and generation! It didn’t matter what sex you were, what dynasty, tribe, or nation you belonged to, or what political and economic ideas you followed.

Right, our past sins turned into a manipulatory tool. But the future is still ahead of us. There is Heaven you can get to upon the condition of your obedience. Isn’t it great? And what do you need to get to Heaven? I might add that it doesn’t necessarily exist… You should abide by something… By certain rules. But who came up with these rules? That is the question. Was it really God? You are supposed to do what you are told to do even if there is a more reasonable option. But who is telling you this? God or a man preaching God’s word? How can we distinguish between these two? How can we distinguish between the Almighty’s rules and those made by people?

And what’s the result? We shall behave in a certain way in the hope of pretty ephemeral welfare in the future, after our death… Communists also promised a sort of Heaven. Glorious future. Fortunately, on the face of the Earth, though in some distant future. For one thing, every Soviet family would have lived in a separate apartment by 2000. But Communism fell earlier. Actually, Communism did bring us plenty of good things that changed the lives of working people throughout the world for good! It is of great worth. I’m pinpointing such things here so that you recalled what I said earlier. There are no bad ideas. Sometimes it is the means of implementation that is far from good. And here is another important thing. Any movement, including any religious one, has something that was implemented quite poorly, something that was implemented pretty well, or on the average level, etc. Capitalism, just like many other political movements, is no exception. There are so many promises… It’s actually a common story: We need to be patient for a while but then we’ll begin a brand new life! That’s the whole point!

Our past doesn’t let us live in the present and neither do prospects of heavenly future. Neither our past nor our future let us be clear-eyed about the present reality and find effective solutions here and now. We are always lost in our thoughts about either past or future. Or both. As a result, there is no life in the present! But there is a see-saw of time. And we are always stuck. It sounds horrible! Today you are supposed to pay for the sins of your ancestors who probably never even existed. And if you succeed, you get a chance for happiness after death! So what is life in this case? Pure suffering, a trial of patience, an attempt to atone for someone else’s guilt. Humans are massively denied the right to joy and happiness. Including their descendants. This is one of the most violent myths! And if you start asking awkward questions, you will be accused of heresy with all that entails. You will be completely browbeaten, I’ll say this much. Although, upon reflection… Is God really behind all of this? The Almighty who is our past, present, and future… God, one of whose names is Eternity, Time, and Space… An eternal moment and an eternal journey through time. A point and infinity.

But it is not enough to be present in the moment, here and now. It is really important to be aware of this moment.

But let us get back to the topic of our discussion. Why is this myth so violent? Because it denies us our present life, deprives it of happiness and the ability to enjoy life. It holds us in shame and guilt for our past, in awe of our future. Shame, guilt, and awe are perfect tools of not only control but also of manipulation. They can easily transform a free and thinking person into a stupid and subordinate puppet. But it wasn’t why God made man and gave us the opportunity to think…

Tips

— Do you want some advice? Stop living in the past! Stop living in guilt that was forced upon you! Stop living in some bright and glorious future that was also forced upon you! Start living here and now. Start off with getting in contact with reality and becoming aware of it! People around you don’t necessarily need to know anything about it.

— If you feel guilty, find a way to apologize and also do something within the framework of this apology that would be on par with the action you apologize for. That is to say, if you stole a hundred dollars, you should give a hundred dollars back. If you offended someone, don’t do it again and say a few kind words. That’s pretty simple, huh? Yes. If it was a minor misdeed. But what should you do when it comes to something much more serious? That is how karma works if we are talking about that. Understanding that you need to do something of equal importance in the course of or after apologizing will stop you from wrongdoings. And yet there are plenty of people who view it differently. But karma never makes other people or the descendants responsible for someone’s offenses or good actions. And again, a lot of people never think about it this way. Think about it, try to analyze different points of views.

— So what do you think now about the phrase «Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift»?

— What, in your opinion, does it mean to be present in the moment, in the here and now? How can you practice being present? Do you have any ideas?

Key points

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift.

And there may be endless number of points of view and versions!

You should abide by something… By certain rules. But who came up with these rules? That is the question. Was it really God? You are supposed to do what you are told to do even if there is a more reasonable option. But who is telling you this? God or a man preaching God’s word? How can we distinguish between these two?

Our past doesn’t let us live in the present and neither do prospects of heavenly future. Neither our past nor our future let us be clear-eyed about the present reality and find effective solutions here and now.

The Almighty who is our past, present, and future… God, one of whose names is Eternity, Time, and Space… An eternal moment and an eternal journey through time. A point and infinity.

But it is not enough to be present in the moment, here and now. It is really important to be aware of this moment.

Shame, guilt, and awe are perfect tools of not only control but also of manipulation. They can easily transform a free and thinking person into a stupid and subordinate puppet. But it wasn’t why God made man and gave us the opportunity to think…

The myth in a nutshell

There is always a cause and effect of your own choice. Each person creates their own Hell and Heaven, first of all inside themselves and then in the surrounding world. You should probably also remember that the point is not to ensure your future in Heaven but to create your Heaven here and now.

5. The Myth of the Good and the Evil

Your experience

— Have you ever experienced an event that you saw as a good one while other people considered it bad? Or vice versa?

— So how would you describe this event? Is it good or bad?

— Have you ever experienced an event that you saw differently at the time and later? Perhaps, you even totally changed your mind about it?

— So how would you describe this event? Is it good or bad?

— Is snake venom good or bad? What or who makes it good or bad? What about an axe, a knife, a bow with arrows, porridge, or milk? Are these things good or bad? What or who makes them good or bad? Perhaps, the one who controls them? What will it be? Destruction or creation? Can a knife decide that? Can porridge determine that? Or is it done by the one who holds the knife or cooks the porridge?

About the myth

What is good and what is evil? We have some very specific tenets. This is right and that is wrong. From whose perspective? To whom? In what context?

What is good and what is evil from the point of view of time? From the point of view of the past, present, and future?

What is good and what is evil from the point of view of emptiness of things themselves, phenomena, or events?

What is good and what is bad? Is it our judgment? Are they the same as good and evil? Or are they independent concepts? Or are they all interrelated?

What is the difference between good and evil? Between good and bad? Is there any difference at all?

In this context, the Buddhist idea of emptiness is pretty much interesting and seems more reasonable (or maybe not?). But let’s discuss something else. Why do the talks of good and evil, of good and bad sidetrack us? What do they prevent us from seeing? What are we missing as a result? What if the good and the evil are just a blindfold? What does it prevent you from seeing?

That there are no such things as the good and the evil? That something that is good for one person can be evil for another? That these concepts rather add to confusion instead of explaining things? And if we add the concept of time here, the notion gets even more complicated. How can we get to the bottom of things? What can help us do it?

But let’s now talk about the most important thing. About life! It is the greatest gift! Was it the mercy of God, Allah, nature, the Universe, or some spirits? It doesn’t matter… What matters is that life exists on our planet! Perhaps it exists somewhere else. But we don’t know for sure. At least it seems we don’t have neighbors. Or is it that we choose to believe so? Perhaps we are also wrong about nature, perhaps we are prejudiced against all forms of life. We are just looking for something similar to us, aren’t we? But life is life, it can be so different… It can have so many forms. But then, what is life?

Alright, we are surrounded by outer space. We have to take into consideration so many factors — space-like in their scale! And yet we live. If we assume that Earth is the only planet in the Universe where life exists… Aren’t we fooling it away? Killing each other for a reason or with no reason at all? Due to some farfetched myths? Even if life does exist somewhere else, it isn’t the same, it is unique! And again I’d like to ask you the question: Aren’t we fooling life away, killing each other over trifles? Life! In so many forms! That is what’s most important! That is what we need to protect! That is what we need to cherish! What we need to take care of! And what we need to respect! And if someone is willing to destroy life for the sake of some rules (life that was created by entirely someone else) … They shouldn’t do it. Our life is of the greatest value. And this is a way to put your gurus to test! If they choose religion, if they choose rules, or if they choose the good, and then go and destroy life (meaning other people and living beings), all their pleas are worth nothing! Because they failed to see the main thing! Our life is what counts most! If we choose to believe the stories of God/Allah or other deities/spirits, then we should accept that they created not just a planet. They created Life in all the diversity of its forms! What an incredible and wonderful phenomenon! It is a sin, an evil to destroy life! And it is easily done. But it is good to create, to produce life. And this is a much more difficult task. It takes efforts!

But so many other things take our efforts too. Our entire life is about making efforts. The entire path of our soul is about making efforts. In order to go up, you should make efforts. To go down, you should make efforts too though it is much easier. It takes more efforts to rise. It takes efforts to stay human. It takes enormous efforts to deal with fears, attachments, and sins. It takes efforts to develop spiritual qualities and values. It takes efforts to cultivate awareness and love. Sometimes it takes efforts to make an effort.

But no one tells you about it. Because in this case, you won’t kill. Because in this case, you won’t plunder. Because in this case, you won’t rape. Because in this case, you won’t find excuses for doing it! Because in this case, you won’t be manipulated! Because in this case, you will see what is valuable and start making efforts in that direction.

Start noticing life! Start noticing how it flows, rolls, and streams. Realize that you are alive! The energy of life is constantly flowing through you! Realize that there are millions, billions of living creatures around you — in all kinds and forms! You don’t even see most of them. You don’t know most of them and will never learn about them! Even the Universe is alive, planets are alive. It’s just that their lives are different. The scale is completely different! Just like when we talk about germs and bacteria living in the human body. For them, even a human body is a whole different scale. Try to comprehend how many factors had to coincide to give birth to Life. The Life that we have. We, among other people and living beings, were born. And all of them want one and the same thing. To live!

Cherish life! Your life and the lives of others! Turn it into Heaven here and now. For the sake of yourself and lots of other people (and, perhaps, other species), not for the sake of a tiny group!

But how can we do that? What do we need for that? What can help us do it?

Love and compassion. To yourself and to your surroundings. What is love? What is compassion? These questions are so simple and yet so complicated. It is not enough to say that you love and show compassion. These are the states that give birth to an action or actions. These are the states that provide us with power and inspiration. With determination and clarity. But what else do we need them for? They are the basis of harmony between individualities and diversity of forms. They are the key. To have unity among all individualities and diversity of forms, we need harmony between ourselves and the life around us. And for that, we need love and compassion. For ourselves and all other forms of life. For life itself.

In this context, we should pose the following question: How much love does our God have? And what about Allah? The Almighty? Krishna? Buddha? Zarathustra? How much love do deities or spirits have? How much love do they have for this world? How much love and compassion do they have while seeing everything that is going on here? Try to comprehend the volume of their love and compassion. Can you imagine it? Can you guess it? How much love and compassion one would need to provide us with the right of choice, with a free will while seeing everything that is going on in this world? I’m going to say a horrible thing. Evil, pain, and suffering are mostly created by us, people… by our choice, by our refusal to make yet another effort, by our desire to choose a simpler way even if it leads us down.

Let us peek into the dark side of the force. Does it need a soul? No, it doesn’t. A soul is always free. But there is always energy, there are always choices that can be directed to the side of evil and destruction. We will get back to it later. And right now… We should admit that in most cases, everything that exists in our life and in our world is the consequence of our choices and minimal efforts, just as it is the consequence of the choices and minimal efforts of other people. The Universe or God Almighty (or whatever we name him) has a lot of love and compassion.

And love and compassion for ourselves and for other beings are those things that help us find a balance between ourselves and those who surround us. A balance, equilibrium, conformity, cooperation! In other words, find harmony. An amazing phenomenon.

So let us find a metaphor for our planet, for our world.

What if it’s just a lifelong school? Where we all are lifelong learners? In this case, how should we treat it? Being diligent students? How should we treat our teachers and other students? How should we treat other school workers?

What will happen to the school if students don’t respect each other, their teachers, and other people? What will happen if students constantly destroy the building itself and pick up fights? Each time finding new excuses?

And what will happen to the school if students do respect each other, their teachers, and other people? What if they take care of the school building and each other? Each time doing it out of love and compassion? What will happen to the school and its students if they choose harmony and understand their role in serving life?

Choose any type of conflict and then refer to the picture in the section: «The myth in a nutshell». Try to analyze which of the elements slackened or was missed to a greater or lesser degree. In order to prevent conflicts, you should balance all the elements. This is the balance, the harmony. It is no coincidence that it is located right in front of the unity. The positioning of the elements is not coincidental.

Tips

— Think of the value of life, of how many individualities and various forms it embraces.

— How do you understand the good and the evil?

— How do you understand what is good and what is bad?

— How can you extend care and caution to your life? To the lives of your friends and relatives? To the lives of other people and beings? To life in general?

— What do love and compassion mean to you? In what actions can they be manifested, in your opinion?

— If our world is just a lifelong school, what should you do about it?

— What is harmony to you? How and in what actions can you manifest it?

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Key points

Why do the talks of good and evil, of good and bad sidetrack us? What do they prevent us from seeing? What are we missing as a result? What if the good and the evil are just a blindfold? What does it prevent you from seeing?

Alright, we are surrounded by outer space. We have to take into consideration so many factors — space-like in their scale! And yet we live!

It is a sin, an evil to destroy life! And it is easily done. But it is good to create, to produce life. And this is a much more difficult task. It takes efforts!

Start noticing life! Start noticing how it flows, rolls, and streams. Realize that you are alive! The energy of life is constantly flowing through you! Realize that there are millions, billions of living creatures around you — in all kinds and forms!

To have unity among all individualities and diversity of forms, we need harmony between ourselves and the life around us. And for that, we need love and compassion. For ourselves and all other forms of life. For life itself. Love and compassion help us find a balance between ourselves and those who surround us. A balance, equilibrium, conformity, cooperation! In other words, find harmony.

And what will happen to the school (our planet, our world) if students do respect each other, their teachers, and other people? What if they take care of the school building and each other? Each time doing it out of love and compassion?

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The myth in a nutshell

The good is life. It is the preservation and development of your own life and of the lives of others in their unity and diversity of forms and individualities that is based on harmony, love, and compassion for yourself and for others.

A Master Who Reflects

The beauty of a spirit in a painting

The greatness of talent in a song

The grandeur of thought in a building

The wisdom of power in a path

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The harmony of relations in dance

The dawn of knowledge in a discovery

The humble kindness in a temple

The diversity of life in a creation

The communion with the world in the transparency of self

The balance of movement and silence in energy

The wheel of time in a space point

The ending in the eternity of life.

The Song of Life

Gentle, blessed by the Universe

So sweet and abundant and nice

The Master’s music flows

In an Elysian song to a new Paradise.

Sadness and pain, love are for the hearty

A moment of joy, a moment of time

A glance and conscience for the mighty

A point in space where your thoughts gently chime.

Life as a gift from the depths of the sky

Its way lies in the shade of wise views

And saving the innocent with thy

Master of new and glorious news.

6. The Myth of God/Allah/
the Almighty Punishing
Unbelievers/ the Infidel

Your experience

Have you ever:

— heard of punishment for weak, insufficient faith?

— met successful and yet atheistic people?

— met successful and yet religious people?

— met people of faith who indulge themselves in committing sins?

Have you ever been punished for your dissenting views? When your opinion differed from that of a parent, teacher, professor, employer? Have you ever punished someone for their dissenting views?

Why is it important to you to have people agree with your opinion? Who should agree with you?

About the myth

Life is so valuable that no one would ask for it. Do plants believe in God/Allah/the Almighty? No, they don’t. Do beasts? Birds? Fish? They don’t! Can we know that for sure? And yet they are supposed to have been created by God too. But God/Allah/spirits/other doesn’t tell us to kill them due to their lack of faith. But they have souls too. And they can feel! They can feel pain, love, joy! Even stones can feel. Even soil. They don’t have the same feelings as we do. They have a different way of feeling. But they are not unfeeling. Of course, we can always assume that this demand is placed only on humans. But why single us out all of a sudden? What if this is a myth? What if this demand was made up by humans themselves and doesn’t have anything to do with superior forces? Does the wind believe in God? And waves? Do they? They sparkle with energy and life! No, they don’t. Or we may be just unaware of that. Do they need faith? No, they don’t. Or we may be just unaware of that. But they exist in any case!

Why would God/Allah need to punish someone? We say God and assume that He is beyond human passions but then we invest him with human behavior and motives… Why would God punish his latest and most valuable creation? If humans are so exceptional, perhaps, there is no need to destroy them? Would anyone full of love and compassion do something like that? Demand something like that?

How quaint! Think about it. Any system in pursuit of power or in an attempt to hold on to it punishes dissenters. Punishes them severely. And their descendants too. Their relatives. Their friends. Just because they disagree. Just because they see another way. And don’t accept the way of the system. Think of the history! You can find evidence in any age, even in modern times. None of the chasteners has ever thought of trying another way. Even if you exterminate all the dissenters, there is no guarantee that new ones won’t emerge later. The world is wired in such a way that they are sure to emerge. You only need to understand the world and lives arrangement. Just a bit. Perhaps, one should attract followers with a carrot instead of a stick? Perhaps, one should attract followers with good deeds instead of terrors? Perhaps, one should attract followers with love and inspiration instead of fear? Perhaps, one should attract them with an example instead of threats. An example everyone genuinely wants to follow. An example everyone admires and wants to model after. Openly, honestly, without any double standards or double-speak! A slave is one who acts out of fear of punishment. A mercenary is one who acts in the hope of a reward. A thinking person is one who acts at the bidding of the heart. What followers do we want? Do we want slaves, mercenaries, or human beings?

A loving god doesn’t need punishments. Punishments are for those who wants to reach power quickly, easily, and at any cost. God/Allah/the Almighty/spirits simply do not need it. They already have everything! And the scale of this «everything» is just incredible!! He (or they) who can make the abundance of life! He (or they) who can create at least one planet! Why would he punish anyone? He is so much more than that!!! Moreover, his wisdom is boundless if he created it all. It means that he exists beyond time and space. It means that if he needs someone, these people will come to him themselves. Sooner or later. Of their own accord. True faith is voluntary. Faith under pressure will always be ephemeral and unstable. The divine always provides the freedom of choice.

The myth that we need to kill those who are different or of dissenting views, to enslave them, to turn them into second-class beings… This myth exists not only with regard to God and religion. It exists everywhere. In politics, in economics, in our traditions. It exists in the very essence of humans. Because a lot of people believe that foreign or different means dissenting. Foreign or different means following a different path, a different road. What if it’s dangerous to me? It is in details. When mother-in-law nags at her daughter-in-law because she made soup in a different manner. When father-in-law nags at his son-in-law because he twisted in a screw instead of striking a nail. When one person tries to prove another wrong just because he came up with a different solution. A government official arguing with a businessman? An employer and an employee, each looking at the world from their own perspective? When one nation declares another second- or even third-class while announcing itself a proud civilization…

But what if the beauty of the world is in the diversity? Then there is no reason to get rid of it. There is no reason to make wars, to burn dissidents.

It is terrifying when people go and kill those who are different. Using their difference as an excuse. It is terrifying when people turn those who are different into their slaves, into second-class beings, when they deprive them of their rights. We could talk here about black people, Jews, American and Asian Indians, Russians, the poor, or women. It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that they are different. And their difference becomes an excuse, a justification for evil, violence, and wars.

Think of history: It has always been done by men of faith and in the name of faith. Native Americans were slaughtered in the name of so called faith. Or take the history of Old Believer. Or… How many historic examples are there in different countries? Who demanded all those massacres? Was it God/Allah/the Almighty/spirits who created life and its diversity? Or maybe people in power who tried to achieve their own goals? But what is even more important, who still supports it?! Who follows this line without thinking? Without a shade of a doubt?