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We can imagine how
different religious traditions developed across the globe. During the
more recent centuries of humankind’s history, individuals within tribes
began to have mystical experiences with the unknown, and greater world
views were born as a result of this development in consciousness.
Individuals were able to bring back these experiences to the tribe, and
they became our Shamans or Mystics. They then taught others how to have
these powerful inner mystical experiences.
Our modern day religious
teachings occurred over a very short span of humankind's history.
Hinduism is one of the oldest major religions of the world, and its
roots extend back to around 1000 BC (diehardindian, 2000). As great
cultures began to flourish in other parts of the world, mystics arose,
and such notables as the Chinese Lao Tzu of Taoism, the Hindu Buddha,
the Jewish teachers Abraham and Moses, the Christian teacher Jesus, and
the Islamic leader Mohammed achieved powerful revelatory heights.
Followers then created entire religious theologies around their
teachings. The teachers and the followers who codified the teachings
were inspired by passion and spiritual insight. Today it is not even
clear whether religious leaders such as Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Christ were
historical figures or whether they are archetypal expressions of a
spiritual personage or group of people who bring new insight into the
world.
The different religious
teachings of today exist because of the different cultures and
traditions that birthed them. Each religion was born out of different
cultural traditions, and many religions were reactions to other
traditions of the time. Buddhism, for example, was a reaction to the
elaborate system of Hinduism. Christianity was a reaction to the Jewish
tradition. The Jewish belief in one God was a reaction to the pantheism
of the Romans. Taoism was a reaction to the tribal leaders of China
(Smith, 1991). These reactions occurred much like Lutheranism which
arose as a reaction to Catholicism. The spiritual teachers who
formulated the teachings revealed a way of believing and existing that
was different from the culture of the time. It either represented an
evolution in consciousness, or it represented a rebirth of the
esoteric. The new teaching opened the followers to an emotional or
inspired experience.
New religions and
religious teachers arise in times when the current teaching stagnates
and the old paradigms no longer fit the times. Beliefs and traditions
become outmoded and are no longer responsive to the society. A new
belief arises that is sufficiently different and responsive, and the new
belief becomes a new religious teaching. Generally it represents a
rebirth or reformation of an ancient idea, clothed in new form. Indeed,
“the history of civilization is the story of the beliefs originated or
adopted by influential individuals. Every political movement, every
religion, every philosophy has its beginning in the confident expression
of a single belief” (Palmer, 1994, p. 69), and that belief, of course,
is a human belief. Beliefs are successful and are adopted when they
help us handle life more effectively.
Does this imply that
religion is the result of an overactive imagination? Not by any means.
What it does explain is the way religions originate, why there is
diversity, and how the inner and outer teachings can be so divergent.
It tells us is that religion develops as man’s consciousness develops.
It also explains why the mystical experience is similar across all
religious traditions. The Mystics who seek the esoteric experience of
the numinous are the spiritual leaders of the new traditions. The
Priests or exoteric leaders then lay down the traditions that sustain
the religion. The formation of religion does not negate the hand of
God. Rather it says that humankind first needs to develop in
consciousness and understanding in order to perceive the hand of
God.
All religions and all
spiritual paths add to the diversity and multiculturality of our world.
The difficulty arises when people use religion as a force to judge or
evaluate others and their beliefs. Who can know with certainty that any
one path is the right path and all who disagree are wrong? Divisiveness
creates war, struggle, power, and authority, and is not conducive to
peace, growth, or transformation – the heart of spirituality.
Transformation of consciousness demands appreciation of uniqueness, an
attitude of non-judgmentalness, and empathy or vulnerability to self and
others. Without acknowledging who we are, we cannot begin to imagine
who we can become.
It is important that we
recognize how religions are formed, why they exist, what they give to
people, and their place in human history. It is important to examine
what they share, and how they are different. By gaining an appreciation
of the history and diversity of religion, we can open our hearts and
minds to others and more fully embrace our differences rather than use
them as reasons to divide us.
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