True Religion Doesn't Have Labels or Sides

 

“The question has often been asked; Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy? It does not matter what you call it. Buddhism remains what it is whatever label you may put on it. The label is immaterial. Even the label 'Buddhism' which we give to the teachings of the Buddha is of little importance. The name one gives is inessential.... In the same way Truth needs no label: it is neither Buddhist, Christian, Hindu nor Moslem. It is not the monopoly of anybody. Sectarian labels are a hindrance to the independent understanding of Truth, and they produce harmful prejudices in men's minds.” – Walpola Rahula

The parable of The Good Samaritan exemplifies true religion. A person is injured very badly having been beaten and is left half-dead on the road. Another person bearing a label which thought has manufactured arrives sees the injured person and then walks on leaving the injured to their fate. Another person arrives. Another person with a label, a concept manufactured by humans, arrives. They see the other person beaten near to death and then go on their way. A third person arrives bearing yet another label. This persons' label, the side he has been falsely placed within, makes him a bitter enemy of the others with their labels. Their groups which are an invention. This third-person sees no labels. Does not recognise a fellow human as belonging to anything apart from humanity. This third person is a religious person for he accepts all humans are of one species, one race. This third-person helps the one left to die.

All labels are unnecessary. All labels are human-made. Labels create division. That division has people taking sides. There are no sides. There is only the truth. There is only one true religion.

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.” – Marcus Aurelius

Whit Sunday

Rather than dismiss all and every day certain faiths celebrate, I would rather join in that celebration even if my path hasn't taken me down that particular route. The whole point of celebrating anything is for everybody, no matter their way, to join in with respect and love for our fellows.  If you encounter a celebration you find doesn't follow the Golden Rule then simply don't celebrate it.

Whit Sunday is a Christian day of celebrating when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus' disciples. For me, that means becoming aware. For the brothers and sisters who are Christian, the meaning is different. My mum always called today Whitsun. A sort of shortened version of Whit Sunday which is fact the Pentecost. Pagan's celebrated Beltane. Which bears similarities even though that day is on the first of May. Therefore I shall celebrate Whit Sunday as I missed the first of May.

Happy Pentecost.

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God Bless

Today is another Sunday, a day when Christians gather in worship of the Sabbath. It is a fine day to worship even if the day itself, the naming of it, has nothing to do with God but everything to do with man. All the same, it is a fine day to gather and praise the God of their faith. 

Jews worship the Shabbat. From Friday evening to Saturday evening. For Jews, it is time without television or telephones, without work or stress. Of calm in observance of God.

Muslims prefer Friday as their day of worship, of praise to Allah. Three different days of the week. Three days by which to pay respect to the God of love. Of peace and of compassion. Three days out of seven all of which deserve praise to God, to Allah unless you live in Gaza.

God doesn't fire missiles. God doesn't bomb. God doesn't fire bullets. God doesn't kill his people. God doesn't divide his people into nation-states. Jews don't 'mow the lawn.' Communities don't desire wars or conflicts. Nation-states, their administration's do though. Administrations, and opposition parties

The bombs are falling on Gaza. Innocent people are dying. Men, women and children are dying. This is not the way of Judaism. This is not the way of Islam. It isn't the way of  Christianity. This is the way of governments and of militancy. It certainly isn't the way of God.

If Sunday is a day of reverence then so is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday too. After all, "God has no religion." - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Living in the Present Moment

 

Dealing with the facts and not the fictions, ask only these questions. 

Question one.

Am I going to die? The answer is not a possibility not even probability but a resounding yes, we all are going to die at some point in our lives.

Question two.

If we were to converse is either one of us dead? The speaker or the listener? If no then you are very much alive as is the speaker. Alive in the only moment that exists, now.

Following recent events, I am very much alive. I am alive now. Therefore I love now. See now. Hear now. Laugh now. Whatever may occur hasn't happened. If and when it does it will be in the present not the past nor the future. Whatever may happen, happens only in the present and at present I am alive. There is only ever the present moment.