Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00235)

Rudy:
>I still remember 20 odd years ago, when I had my christian religious
>beliefs, the way I used to regard those beliefs.  I would justify
>practically anything to make my point and put those beliefs in the highest
>altar and have others look at them the same way. Perhaps I'm exagerating a
>bit, but I'm not that far off. I used to take my beliefs very seriously,
>and really believed that they were as true as anyhing can be.
>
>My point is that we must start to look at Truth differently. After all when
>we call ourselves theosophists, we are really dealing with Truth. We are
>trying to learn to deal with it, not by attaching certain beliefs to Truth,
>but keeping Truth as pure as possible. Free of contamination.
>
>We all have beliefs. The difference is how serious we are about our
>beliefs. Do we equate our beliefs with Truth?
>
>Why do we have religious bigotry, and religious intolerance? Isn't because
>those people are taking their beliefs "too seriously"? Doesn't the same
>thing happen among theosophists?  WHY?

If religious bigotry were only or primarily caused by how seriously or how
attached we are to our beliefs then each and every serious or devout Roman
Catholic (for example) would be a Savonarola.  There would never appear a
St. Francis or Father Damien, who surely did not take their spiritual
views, beliefs or ideas casually.

People can be intolerant over everything and anything toward anybody.

This does not mean ancient spiritual ideas are pristine as such.  Over
the eons many desireous, hateful & stupid elemental forces have been
attached to these root ideas.  They were attached by the selfish desire,
hatred & stupidiy of some of the believers/worshippers.  But it is not
impossible to bypass or break through this living wall of personal forces
that surround many noble ideas.  All one has to do is think and speak and
act from as impersonal & kindly a center as one can.

A very big project indeed, but that is a large part of why we are here.


--
<> Nicholas Weeks <> am455@lafn.org <> Los Angeles
  When hearing, pondering and practicing the Dharma, one's aim should be
  first of all to subdue one's own mind.   Gyelwa Ensapa