Bibles do not equal wisdom. In other words, all forms of spiritual text no matter how eloquently stated, cannot actually grant wisdom to the reader, merely through the act of reading. Words are only the representations of things, but not the things themselves. All of the most widely followed religious texts from the Vedas, the Koran, the Bible, the sayings of Buddha and the practices of Lao Tse, are but written attempts to convey various authors’ conceptions. Each attempts to convey the same essence, speaking of the underlying Truth through differing means. Each is a path, and all paths lead ultimately to God/Truth. Yet regardless of how well each system or person may or may not describe Truth, their essential value to the reader is only as great as ones’ personal investment in Spiritual Fact. It is our personal experience, application and intention toward greater wisdom, that allows us to progress, regardless of what we have read. Therefore it is not the reading about God nor even the most advanced theological studies, which provide insight into the Divine.

As history demonstrates, religion and scriptural study are more often used as places of refuge from responsibility, than the actual embodiment of spiritual wisdom. Dogmas and the artificial divisions they contain, are the very source of wars, ethnic conflicts, misery and destruction throughout history. The blind insistence upon religious intolerance, has resulted in most of the horrors of human civilization, [such as the warfare in the Middle East, the Dark Ages, and the “conversion”, (destruction) of the Native peoples of the world throughout history]. Religious orthodoxy continues to be, as it is said, “the opiate of the masses” as a convenient distraction from the Truth. Such distraction is convenient because it always places the ultimate responsibility for ones’ actions outside of the self. Such doctrines are the very center for darkness and dis-empowerment in our world, and they have no place for an enlightened humanity.

It is commonly assumed that regular church participation means that one is a good person, when in fact all this implies is that we can keep a schedule. It is thought that the performing of certain rituals carries the implication that one is a spiritual person, yet the realist must conclude that this is not so. Many imagine that those who can quote scripture must surely be devote and holy servants of God, but this is by no means necessarily so. God is not found in books, church dogmas, nor even in Bibles. Nor is God found exclusively within stained glass walls, around altars or within the stitching of the vestments of priests or elders. God is not contained in rituals or well-crafted sermons. The true benefit of humanity is not found in inflicting “authority” and ideological control over others, in the name of the spiritual Masters, Church organizations or of God. To do so is to disgrace the Intent behind what Christ, Buddha and others, sought to accomplish in the world. God is found in all things, not the least of which is the human being, (consciousness) at all places and times. We need not seek God out in any supposedly Holy land or paper sheets. God can be reached in innumerable ways, because God is found in all philosophies and religions.  Those who claim God can only be found through their particular prophet, messiah or set of practices, are suffering from a form of spiritual egotism which does not befit the true benefit of humanity.  We need only turn within, and realize that the Divine is already present there. 

That which is called God is not only in touch with us at all times, It is a part of us and we are a part of It. We are as cells in the body of God.  How then can we not, in all honesty know God, just as we may know ourselves? Must each person have a priest, Saint or intermediary of some kind, to find the God within?  No, this cannot be so for God is in all places, including our own selves.

Love, the universal organizer of greater things, is not gained through the quoting of scriptural phrases with the Intention of berating or intimidating others. It is not the glad result of 8 years in college, nor 80 years of church attendance. Love is a felt experience. It is a state of being and presence, which automatically promotes wisdom on a cumulative basis. Love is a cosmic essence that is not only universally felt, but which is one of the few things which is worthy of religious focus and devotion. But rarely do we hear of love in the words of the dogmatists or the fundamentalists. Rarely do we hear of the uniting of the peoples of the world in good will and mutual enlightenment, by those who promote their special interests alone. What we most often hear is that anyone who does not practice or believe in a certain way is a sinner, and unworthy of an equal measure of the graces of God. This is so because of the egotistically rigid doctrines held by spiritual theorists and manipulators, and not for the true spiritual gain of all persons as the Children of the Divine.

As we spiritually mature, we realize that it is not the unthinking adherence to special key phrases or figureheads which makes us Holy.  True spirituality is the flexible, universal embrace, (and practice) of Truth.  Truth is common to all people, in all places and times. Clarity, or the clear perception of Truth, cannot rise up in a person through the following of rules or blind faith. Clarity is primarily had through self awareness and experiential knowledge.

Having faith in clarity, (or the clear perception of God) is absurd, because belief, (like scriptural study) does not imply spiritual perception. Perception into God and Truth are a result of our state of consciousness. Having clarity about faith on the other hand, is a revealing process. It causes one to reject ritual, religion and destructive belief systems, in favor of direct experience. Direct experience provides direct perception.  No one need tell us the value of direct experience. We are told by the Bible and many Christian sects, (as with many other religions) that we must have faith in God. For what purpose must we have faith in That which is obvious? This would be like saying we must have faith in gravity, and yet gravity is an unmistakable, moment to moment reality. Having faith in gravity is not necessary. We need only observe the fact of it at any moment. Such observation is, (ideally) part of the objectivity which we must all apply, to become wise beings. Objectivity, observation and experimentation are those attributes of the active mind, which bring about experiential knowledge. Herein lies the essence of wisdom, and therefore, genuine spiritual practice.   Such knowledge does not require belief. This is what is known as having clarity, (about a subject, and as a quality of mind). Thus when we have clarity, the need for, (or desirability of) faith is made obsolete.

The same may be said of the direct perception of God and Love. No one need tell the man or woman who is in Love, that love is good or empowering. No one need tell the man or woman in God, that God/consciousness exists. No one need insist upon the following of the same tired fundamentalist rhetoric of control and domination, (which haunts scriptural study halls) when Divine Presence has already been made obvious within. Connection with God and Love is a direct and tangible FACT. It exists inside or outside of a church, and inside or outside the context of any Bible. This FACT makes the concept of faith in rule-following dogma, (and any organization or written document which advocates it) unworthy of humanity’s genuine spiritual focus. 

It may also be concluded that as individuals we possess the inherent capacity to experience God, to feel love and to have clarity.  We need not concern ourselves with the trivial details of scriptural history or doctrine. At best, doctrine and history are only reference points, for more enlightened action in the present. They are not substitutes for direct experience. They are therefore not a suitable subject matter for in-depth study.  What is more important than past events or dogmatic rules, are the events of the present moment. What we now create is what determines the fate of ourselves and our species. We need not concern ourselves with all the trivial particulars of who beget whom, and what nation slaughtered other nations, because they were not “Gods’ chosen people”. All beings are in and of God, and the Divine is not an ethnically exclusive Patron of wars and other social mischief. The only thing we need learn from such scriptural references, is what NOT TO DO, now, in this present day. What is important is that we deepen our connection with That which is called God, Consciousness and Truth, each and every day. What is relevant are the decisions we now make, the lifestyle we choose, and the manner in which we now apply Universal Truth. It is important that we cultivate love and clarity within, so that we may manifest these qualities amongst each other, and the world in general. This is why a very large portion of the Bible, which is dedicated to blind doctrines and bloody historical references, is not particularly important to the truly spiritual person. Such material has no direct bearing on God, Love or Clarity, nor their direct experience. All of these aspects must be lived not because someone says so, (or said so thousands of years ago) and not because we would be “sinners’ to do otherwise.

We must live Love and Truth, because they are real qualities of existence. They have genuine value regardless of the insistence upon rule-following by organized religions. The mindless and heartless following of rules, is not a means to gain Enlightenment or Holiness, since enlightenment is a verb, not a noun. Instead of wasting time in redundant scriptural quotation year after year, our energy would be better spent in a focus upon becoming as a Christ and/or as a Buddha. Each and every one of us would do well to consider much more than the study of religious tenets, but the embodiment of Holiness beyond all dependency upon blind adherence. We need no in-depth theoretical discussion of “good and evil”, “right and wrong”, “God and Satan” as these concepts are dualistic, overly simplistic and of little wisdom.  We need no trite ritual or spoken phrase as though this might grant absolution for our artificial imbalances, in a materialistic culture. Humanity must embody more than this. The spiritual practitioner must live out in daily life the nature of Truth and God.  The intelligent do not let out-of-context scriptural references or religions, limit this most important process of human evolution. 

There is a principle of the mind which states; That which is focused upon is that which is done. When we focus upon the religious concepts of sin, (of the supposedly flawed nature of humanity, which is in itself a flawed doctrine) without consideration of practical remedy, then the results we obtain will simply be, THE PROMOTION OF MORE SIN. That which is called sin propagates itself, simply through the sheer intensity of focus we pour upon assumed flaw, if nothing else. This is similar to a ‘former” alcoholic counting the hours or days since his last drink. So long as the drunk counts the days since their last mistake, they are constantly reaffirming the fact that another mistake is just around the corner. Such an attitude does not reflect learning behavior.  It mirrors only the endlessly repeating cycle of guilt, perverse fascination with wrong action, and then more guilt. On and on this cycle goes until we break the chains of faulty belief, and an equally faulty lack of personal responsibility for it. The doctrine of sin renders real damage to those who believe in it. Fundamentalism stands in the way of human progress, by promoting the idea that no matter what we do we are sinners, wrong-doers, weak and fallible beings, who have no chance whatsoever to take responsibility for ourselves and our state of being.  It may then be said that the greatest sin of all is the fundamentalist concept of sin and satan themselves. 

If human beings spent even half the energy and focus upon embodying love and clarity, as they do promoting special interest doctrines, (such as religious fallacies) our lives would be transformed forever. Were we to focus instead upon what it actually means to live in accord with Universal and Divine Laws, then the knowledge and ability to do so would be ours. Each individual in this way, has the potential to become their own priest, healer, teacher, councilor and savior. Each individual may empower themselves to find their own absolution and salvation, through TRUTH and a life well lived. This is in fact what the individual MUST do to be genuinely spiritual. Even the Apostles of Christ could not successfully absorb his direct teachings while he was still alive, without learning their own lessons based upon their own experiences. This is the unavoidable nature of the spiritual path. Wisdom, like respect, is not merely granted. Both of these must be earned. This means we have no choice but to take responsibility for ourselves in personal self-realization, before God-realization can be maintained. We cannot become wise so long as we are bound by the limitations of belief systems, or dogmatic practices. 

To become truly enlightened beings, and to convert a confused humanity to a more noble focus, a transformation of consciousness must take place. This must happen beyond the confines of human history, culture, nationality, and the religions it has built. As we meditate upon and cultivate love, it rises up in us in body, mind and soul, just as a flower naturally grows in fertile soil. As we meditate upon and cultivate clarity, the light of direct perception is shed upon all subjects, including the purpose of life, the soul of self, and the Intent of God. In this way the vast expanses of Truth become ours to explore at will. Our spiritual will is only as limited as the age of human history with which we identify.

Experience and self responsibility are primary paths to wisdom. Such qualities are central to actually BECOMING a Christ or a Buddha. It is not enough to merely follow printed words, through memorized procedures. The words of morality are not the reality of living, just as rules are not the essence of motivation and wisdom. It is not enough to simply accept the ideas of a belief system, as an unquestioned guideline for daily living. In other words, it is not enough to simply “have faith”. Through simple acceptance we learn nothing, because we have developed nothing, worked for nothing, and truly experienced nothing. We must discard such obstacles to true progress, which are encountered in all of the worlds’ religions and philosophies.

Humanity still lives in a very primitive age, where dogma and political power rule the land, in the name of spirituality. The doctrines of domination, damnation and suppression, must be transcended. We must go beyond the concepts of original sin, Divine favoritism, blind faith, and God as a human-like person with human-like, petty emotions. We must go beyond Satan, (and crafty evil awaiting its chance to cause mayhem) and all other forms of personified, human confusion and fear, to find that which is common to all belief systems, philosophies, governments and cultures. This is a process of consciousness expansion, and self realization. Those who truly seek the depths of REALITY have need of CONSTANTLY returning themselves to Truth without bias. They cannot rely upon others to provide Realization, when in fact others cannot supply illumination. It is our responsibility to transcend all systems, religions, Bibles, exclusive ethnicity and culture, to find the universal in all people, in all places, and at all times.

In reality, God and Nature become our own lived experience. Only then can we know the real value of the word “spirituality”.

Matthew Webb visionquest@eoni.com

The World Mind Society http://www.eoni.com/~visionquest