From a site visitor: “I read yesterday’s entry and it seems you think religion plays no role in life’s spiritual journey to Realization. For me, it has played a huge role.”
F.: So, again, a site where consciousness speaks is contacted by a religious persona that would speak. If you search the archives, you will find that it has been made clear many times on this site that religious or spiritual roles are a necessary step on the “path” to Realization; however, all of the following must be understand in order to reach Full Realization:
1. Religious/spiritual personas are exactly as you stated: they are roles, and roles are played by persons, and neither the roles nor the persons being played are real;
2. The “journey” to Realization is not a “spiritual” journey;
3. It is a “journey” that can be completed only if all that is assumed to be “spiritual” (or “religious”) is transitioned;
4. Neither religion nor spirituality have played a “huge role” for you; instead, it is you (your false self) that has been playing a huge role.
So the pointer is, pray all the prayers that you think you need to pray; knell, bend over, stoop, or lie prostrate as much as you think you need to kneel, bend over, stoop, or lie prostrate; read all the “holy” books that you think you need to read; visit all the “sacred” sites or “sacred” men that you think you need to visit; chant or hum every chant or hum you think you need to chant or hum; ring every bell you think you need to ring; and burn every stick of incense that you think you need to burn.
F.: So, again, a site where consciousness speaks is contacted by a religious persona that would speak. If you search the archives, you will find that it has been made clear many times on this site that religious or spiritual roles are a necessary step on the “path” to Realization; however, all of the following must be understand in order to reach Full Realization:
1. Religious/spiritual personas are exactly as you stated: they are roles, and roles are played by persons, and neither the roles nor the persons being played are real;
2. The “journey” to Realization is not a “spiritual” journey;
3. It is a “journey” that can be completed only if all that is assumed to be “spiritual” (or “religious”) is transitioned;
4. Neither religion nor spirituality have played a “huge role” for you; instead, it is you (your false self) that has been playing a huge role.
So the pointer is, pray all the prayers that you think you need to pray; knell, bend over, stoop, or lie prostrate as much as you think you need to kneel, bend over, stoop, or lie prostrate; read all the “holy” books that you think you need to read; visit all the “sacred” sites or “sacred” men that you think you need to visit; chant or hum every chant or hum you think you need to chant or hum; ring every bell you think you need to ring; and burn every stick of incense that you think you need to burn.
But when you are done with all of that, realize that you--and all persons who are fixated in a stage and are playing their religious or spiritual roles--are mistaking the dawn for the noon. Realize that praying and knelling and bending over and stooping and lying prostrate and reading and visiting and chanting and humming and ringing and burning (and every other external thing you try to use to be more spiritual or to try to demonstrate how spiritual you are) will actually block you from finding the truth which can only be found within after certain pointers are taken into quiet and solitary consideration. Please enter the silence of contemplation.
