All Beliefs Are Destined to Die
Evolutionary decisions on the crossroads of civilization
Self-realization is a wonderful term. It encompasses the whole scale of what it denotes. From realization in the sense of making the knowledge of one’s true self enter the awareness, to realization in the sense of making the knowledge of one’s true self manifest in the world. After all, if you claim to know but are stuck in your old ways, you don’t know. You just think you do.
Of course, even a fundamentalist can claim a change in behavior, “See, I was depressed and didn’t care before. I was just drunk all day long. Now, that I found Jesus, I stopped drinking and understand that we must eradicate all heathens!” Well, it’s not hard to see that, while dropping a pretty destructive habit was certainly a step in the right direction, the overall outcome of the transformation left a lot to be desired.
At least, if we talk about truth and not merely about fighting fire with fire. By their fruits you shall know them as they say. The change in behavior or thinking, even a subtle shift in emotions, certainly reveals what was realized. Sometimes, it’s more than enough if you have a hunch that something simply smells fishy — yes, some people are that good at pretending.
Well, I have two news for you. One is good and one is bad. The good news is that the paths which Shiva, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Lao Tzu, or Jesus outlined are valid and working. The bad news is, then, that chances are pretty high that you walk neither of them. Particularly, if you identify as religious and/or spiritual, and with certainty, if you are a staunch atheist or agnostic.
Sure, the 2.4 billion Christians all around the world will just condescendingly smirk, then either go to the church for their weekly portion of “consecrated” human flesh and blood or just indulge in anything that makes them feel good as long as their pastor or priest approves of it, while they will eagerly await to be miraculously transformed from cannibals, bigots, and hypocrites to decent human beings with a ticket to Heaven.
The same can be said about almost 2 billions of Muslims and around 15 millions of adherents of Judaism. Sans cannibalism, they are in no way different from their Christian cousins. And while Christians have their militants too, only in Muslim and Judaic world (out of the trinity of the Abrahamic tradition) I could still be lawfully sentenced to death as infidel by religious authorities. Ironically, Muslims and Jews, similarly to their Christian counterparts, await Moshiach or Imam Mahdi, one who will transform every “right believer” into a saintly being partaking in the ruling of the world. Well, talk about waiting for Godot.
When it comes to more than 1.5 billion adherents of Hinduism, Jainism or Sikhism, the reaction will be most probably that of tolerance — “Yeah man, whatever. Believe what you want.” After all, you won’t find a place more superstitious than Indian subcontinent. There, anything goes. Literally. From Brahmins, who are merely a Hindu parallel of Abrahamic clergy, through genuine ascetic monks though somehow still not enlightened, all the way to the galore of scam gurus, who are more a market or circus attraction than anything of value. So, an average Hindu will continue to bow to the god of their choosing, perform their preferred puja, all the while hoping for a favorable rebirth, unconcerned.
Unlike their Hinduistic cousins, some of the half billion of Buddhists on Earth will probably argue. After all, they love to. But in general they will just continue in their meditative absorption Olympics while bowing to the golden statues of Buddha, performing worship rituals, “cultivating compassion” (whatever that means), and hoping for a favorable rebirth as is the custom in the “East.” Yet, oblivious to the fact that their dharma is already lost as the patent contradictions between their ways and tenets attest.
Now, I’m no expert in Taoism, but the opening statement of Tao The Ching and a Taoist temple are an evident oxymoron. So, I expect the Taoist to simply repress their emotions, or at least hide them if unable to repress them, and pretend that they didn’t hear anything and nothing happened. After all, to align with Tao you have to have calm mind. So, fake it till you make it. Right?
Well, and I am already talking about approximately 6.4 billion of people. Out of 8 billion. Now, if I add another half billion of believers of other religions, all I’m left with is slightly more than one billion of non-religious folks. But out of that one billion not everyone is open to a possibility of an absolute truth. (According to a different source, in 2012, 59% of world population considered themselves to be religious believers, 13% were convinced atheists, and 23% were non-religious.)
So, roughly 75-85% of world population believes that they are on the right path despite the obvious fact that they are not. Well, if you feel like arguing, look around — the state of our civilization speaks for itself. And yes, that is the combined result of all realized worldviews.
As I said many times, the only leap of faith that is asked of anyone interested in knowing the Absolute is the admission of possibility that such absolute truth, indeed, exists, and that there are practical ways how to verify (or disprove) it for yourself. No one ever, except priests whose livelihood depends on it, asked you to believe in theology and interpretations, let alone worshiping authors of the maps. (Or even the Absolute itself — would you worship yourself?)
All in all, if you are a religious believer, the bad news is that you don’t manifest yourself but the ideology you subscribe to. The good news is then that you can do different. Provided, you realize your self.
And let me add a brief warning or rather observation — I don’t have slightest doubt that this mass of deluded believers, if the trend will continue, will cause a mass demise of human population. I’m also pretty certain that the remaining survivors will reevaluate what they subscribe to quite substantially, and they will eventually settle for self-realization as the only possible way forward. Thus, I’m sure that your beliefs won’t survive no matter how obstinately you cling to them.
How that shedding of idiotic ideas will look like, I leave in your hands. I have already made my choice.
