Karen Armstrong - the practice of religion
An fascinating quote from Karen Armstrong's The Spiral Staircase:-"He had told me that in most traditions, faith was not about belief but about practice. Religion is not about accepting twenty impossible propositions before breakfast, but about doing things that change you. It is a moral aesthetic, an ethical alchemy. If you behave in a certain way, you will be transformed. The myths and laws of religion are not true because they confirm to some metaphysical, scientific or historical reality but because they are life-enhancing. They tell you how human nature functions, but you will not discover their truth unless you apply these myths and doctrines to your own life and put them into practice. The myths of the hero, for example, are not meant to give us historical information about Prometheus or Achilles- or for that matter about Jesus or the Buddha. Their purpose is to compel us to act in such a way that we reveal our own heroic potential.
In the course of my studies, I have discovered that the religious quest is not about discovering 'the truth' or 'the meaning of life', but about living as intensely as possible in the here and now. The idea is not to lath on to some superhuman personality or to get to heaven, but to discover how to be fully human - hence the images of the perfect or enlightened man, or the deified human being. Archetypal figures such as Muhammad, the Buddha and Jesus become icons of fulfilled humanity. God or Nirvana is not an optional extra tacked on to our human nature. Men and women have the potential for the divine, and are not complete unless they realise it within themselves... In the past, my own practice of religion had diminished me, whereas true faith, I now believe, should make you more human than before."
posted by Cee at
9:19 AM
4 comment(s):
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BB
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Satyia, at
2:02 AM
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B, at
1:33 PM
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By
Betty, at
3:22 PM
Good article. So true about faith and practice. Kudo's to you, my friend.
By
Iritar, at
8:23 AM
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