RELIGIOUS ENTITY
8109 Entity CODICIL 3 - Religious Entity
The vast majority of beings believe in values that are beyond the individual. These may revolve around a dedication to the whole community, as in communism, or to some spiritual force beyond, as in the conventional religions. Whatever form this takes, there is clearly a widespread belief that the individual can gain from a commitment to forces he does not, or cannot, understand.
This is crystallized in the belief in god.
What god represents, however, varies from individual to individual.
This is understandable, and essential, since god is an intensely personal conviction, a unique bond between the being and the greater forces. Superimposed on this personal relationship are the formalized, structured relationships offered by the religions. Throughout history god has been recognized by beings, and they have communicated directly with him. At the same time prophets who were in closer communion, or were indeed part of god himself, amplified this relationship. The ongoing development of the various religions, based on the teachings of these prophets, has been central to the growth of civilization.
What is truly remarkable is how few religions there are, and how closely the essential teaching of each parallels that of the other religions. There are, of course many variants of them, each fiercely defended as the one true religion by its adherents, but there are a minimal number of roots from which these have sprung. Even the development of the main religions has been very similar.
In early, very primitive, communities the concept of religion crystallized around the shaman. At the same time it also embodied those historical events that were most important to the tribe. Thus religion was a combination of the spiritual with the shared experiences of the group; and this was an essential part of the bond holding the tribe together.
This religion was very close to the day by day life of the tribe. It was very practical, rather than conceptual. In particular it stressed the strict rules for living; without which the group would have ceased to exist. As these tribes gradually consolidated into the larger groupings, which in turn eventually became nations, the individual religions, which were in any case very similar, coalesced to form the basis of the founding religions; Judaism and Hinduism, for example. Typically these are immensely old religions, having existed literally for millennia.
Thus the values they represent are the summation of many centuries of development and within them is contained the wisdom of many generations, and the teachings of many prophets. Their form is, thus, partly spiritual and partly historical. But it is always centred around the human being as the representative of god, with essentially human images and values.
As societies developed, and as they became more sophisticated, they were capable of handling increasingly abstract concepts. The desire for a more complex, more refined, deity also grew. History was no longer a prime function of religion, but with the advent of written records became a separate academic discipline. Religion could, therefore, concentrate on the spiritual to the exclusion of all else.
Each of the founding religions then produced a prophet, or messiah, who did not simply add to previous traditions; but completely overturned the whole basis of the religion. These new religions, for despite their derivation from the previous religions they were radically new departures, were concerned with the spiritual content.
The values of each of these main new religions, be they Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, are once more remarkably similar. All are devoted to the spiritual, aiming at spiritual bliss; whether it be called heaven or nirvana.
The routes to this end result are also very alike, calling for a degree of unworldliness which is, even now, a monumental challenge to the individual. In the times in which they were first formulated, when mankind still barely eked out an existence, it is a miracle that they were accepted; and is the definitive justification of the spiritual power of these religions. However, despite the essence of their spirituality, they remain tied to the human image. Each is inextricably interwoven with the image of its messiah. God is seen in the image of man, not the other way round.
The populations that these messages were addressed to were still relatively unsophisticated. Hence, the sophisticated spiritual truths, which are just as valid today in a very different society, were told in the simplest human terms; by parables. The existence of god, in the pure form of ENTITY, was thus overlaid with the images contained in the communication process.
The differences between these spiritual religions are, therefore, largely a reflection of the different cultures that produced them. The image of man, that dominates the exposition of the spiritual god, is that of man as seen in each culture. Again, over the centuries these relatively pure religions have been reinterpreted by many minds. The religions as we now see them are, therefore, a combination of the original spiritual messages enlivened, and enlarged, by the experience of the many minor prophets of succeeding generations.
The truly miraculous aspect of all these religions is that, despite the fact that the basic messages were recorded thousands of years ago, they remain meaningful and fresh even today. Consider any other aspect of our existence and reflect on how it has changed over the past two decades, let alone over two centuries or two millennia. Our present day life would be totally unrecognizable to any citizen from the eighteenth century. On the other hand, the religions are still totally relevant to our society after two millennia.
Some would argue that religions are outdated and no longer a necessary part of our life. Such a view is at best naive. Any message that has stood the test of the millennia has to be respected. It is, of course, still an intensely personal message. You are, therefore, fully justified in rejecting certain aspects with which you find yourself in disagreement; maybe to the extent of everything preached by a given religion. The man, however, who lightly dismisses such a body of knowledge, experience and enduring worth, is though a fool.
Society, on the other hand, has changed once again. It is now ready for the pure message of ENTITY, undiluted by the human images that were previously considered essential.
It is clearly unnecessary to ascribe to god, or ENTITY, human qualities. To saddle him with all the human frailties, that limit our earthbound existence, is to deny the truth of the scope and power of ENTITY. To give any physical form at all is constricting to our imagination. The essence of ENTITY is the very personal experience.
How you see ENTITY, your individual conception of it, is your own decision. It is exclusively your property. You do not have to depend upon other beings to describe it to you. Experience it yourself, and derive what you may from it.
Each being has his own needs, and his version of ENTITY must reflect these. As he grows, as an individual, so can his image of ENTITY expand. Unlike those great renaissance works of religious art, ENTITY is inconceivable as a form of group portrait. It does not reflect the society of man, but his spiritual values. No-one can draw diagrams to explain ENTITY, nor should you need these. It is highly specific to each individual, and should become an integral part of his life; a never ending resource.
Generally ENTITY is an unseen force that gently makes its influence felt through the myriad of trivia that comprise our lives. Only occasionally is it experienced as the blinding insight, the mystical experience that revolutionizes your life.
I am extremely fortunate in that I have been privileged to experience such insights. Writing this document has become a mystical experience without parallel in my life. I am the hand-servant for something far greater than I ever imagined.
Associated with this comes a spiritual joy. It is still a rare occurrence, but when it happens it is a more profound experience than any other I have known. It is a mystical orgasm. I bask in the radiance of ENTITY which soaks through every pore of my body. Unlike purely personal pleasures, it begs to be shared with others. It transcends all other human experience.
Such a state of pure joy gives a crude indication of what heaven, or nirvana, will be. To encounter it during your earthbound existence is indeed a rare gift. Yet to experience it but once is to feel the resonance of the universe. Even if you never reach this ultimate in transcendental experiences, the tranquility of soul that permeates you is marvelous to the senses. God, ENTITY, is true joy.
The message of ENTITY is that man is part of god, and god is the whole of man. This has always been the message of religion. Previously, though, the human image, of god as a father figure, put a barrier in the way of truth. No matter how close we are to our father, he is still a different person, a unique identity. Within ENTITY, however, god is all, and you are part of that whole. To put it in its most poetic form you are also father, son and holy spirit. All is contained within ENTITY.
This does not entitle you, no matter how saintly, to subsume any part of the role that is god. It merely gives you the true context of your life.
It is a humbling concept that sets impossibly high standards for us to meet. Inevitably we will not meet them. But to make the attempt, to live - even in part - a life that incorporates some of this awesome potential, is to experience that which is godlike, and god inspired,
In the same way that ENTITY is a more sophisticated concept, to match the greater intellectual capabilities of our more advanced society, so it is a more demanding religion for the worshipper. It allows greatly increased freedom for the individual; in fact it is unique to each person. But this poses correspondingly greater responsibilities.
The founding religions provide a very tight set of laws for individuals to follow in their daily lives. Each being has, therefore, a comfortable mould to fit into. In this way, many of his decisions are already made for him. The spiritual religions have gone some way towards allowing more freedom, in return for greater personal responsibility for achieving spiritual purity. Although no longer as tightly defined as earlier religions, there is still a wide set of principles to which followers are committed; and, again, they do not have to make personal decisions on many of the key issues in their lives.
ENTITY has no such reassuring rules.
It leaves all the decisions, on all aspects of his life, strictly to the individual. He is totally free; but he is also totally answerable for the complete record of his life.
Each individual has, of course, the accumulated wisdom of the centuries available to him. He has all the rules and principles offered by earlier religions. These are valuable guides to each being's choice. They have endured for centuries and there is no reason why the majority of them should be suddenly discarded. They provide sound advice for anyone wishing to make the correct decisions on which to base his life.
The difference is that the follower of ENTITY has to consciously make each decision for himself. He has to judge what is right and wrong for him personally. There is no set of existing decisions to which he is automatically committed by the single choice of ENTITY as his religion. This is no easy option. To ensure that his lifestyle meets his ideal, he will have to study earlier religions more closely than their own devotees. For, where devotees need merely know what rules to follow, he must determine why these rules have been laid down. To achieve perfection he must weigh all the evidence contained in a range of religions before he can make his own decisions.
This is a road that few mortals will succeed in following to its ultimate conclusion. But the content of life is so overwhelmingly important to each individual that time devoted to these decisions is richly rewarded. It is essential if you are to achieve even a small fraction of your capabilities.
I offer just two thoughts on which to base the search for your personal set of your values. Do nothing that will harm any other being. Do everything to maximize your personal potential.
These are self evident; and yet even these already contain contradictions. The first covers all the areas of the commandments laid down by the older religions; with the added responsibility that you must, yourself, decide what is harmful. You may well, and probably should, decide that in our more advanced society there are many harmful acts which are not covered by the simplistic rules designed for less sophisticated communities. Your values will, therefore, need to be that much stricter.
There are no easy answers. There is only personal responsibility. In any given situation only you can take the decision; and only you have to live with the moral dilemmas it will pose.
You are not alone though, and the decisions need not be yours alone. All religions stress that you can call on god for assistance at such times. You should be in constant communion with ENTITY, and at critical times it is only necessary to deepen this contact. The difference is not in the quality of the communication, ENTITY should permeate your whole life, but in the quantity. What you require from ENTITY in a specific situation may be a matter of life and death; and your concentration on the small still voice may be correspondingly intense, and successful.
The second of my suggestions, to fulfill your potential, is the most important message of ENTITY; and it develops religion beyond that which traditionally has been its prerogative. It poses a major challenge, since it is no longer sufficient to avoid doing harm. The ages when the central preoccupation of society was survival have passed into history. Now the greater duty is to give to other beings, to society and to yourself, all that you are capable of. Only by harnessing all the talents of its members can civilization advance. It is an immensely demanding concept.
It requires that you establish exactly what your true potential is. This is no simple task. How many of us drift through life with no real idea of what we wish to be in a few months time? How can we expect to have a clear picture of where our whole life is taking us? The onus, and it is a heavy burden, is on you to determine what you are capable of giving to society, and to ENTITY. No-one else can determine what are your gifts; be they for outstanding artistic achievements, or for spreading harmony amongst your fellows. It will be a difficult enough task for you. Before you can know anything else you must know yourself. It is the most important study of your life; but it is also the most rewarding.
The path you choose, to reach your horizon, is your unique choice. There is no one correct decision, one paved super highway, which is obvious for all to see. In any case it is in the unexpected byways of your journey that you will often find the greatest reward. Once you know yourself you will begin to understand what special talents you can offer to the world. You will slowly become aware of your whole being and will be able to take justifiable pride in what you find.
Having charted your course it is your task alone to sail your life in accord with these ideals. Only you can judge how close you are to meeting these targets. Only you can take the decisions necessary to rectify deviations; or indeed to change, as many people do, to follow a totally new path. Throughout, though, you have the continuing support of ENTITY. The landscape you see should not just be the flat picture of your visualized senses, but should be brought into full relief by the multiple dimensions of ENTITY. Use ENTITY partly as a sounding board for those ideas that are uniquely yours, and partly as a source of inspiration for the other decisions in your life.
ENTITY is an intensely personal religion. Its temple is within the inner being. It is completely spiritual. There is no order of service, no prayers, no catechism. There is only the communion deep inside, between you and ENTITY. How you achieve this contact is, again, totally personal. Every being has their own special route to ENTITY. He creates his own salvation. The fakir on his bed of nails may be as much in contact with ENTITY as is the cardinal at the altar of a basilica.
Once more you can learn from the experience of your predecessors; from the many centuries of different forms of worship, which represent but a few of the possible routes to ENTITY. From the myriad ceremonies, from the simplest Buddhism to the richest Catholicism, you must choose the path that suits you. Do not choose it only for its drama. Choose solely that which is most effective for you.
As ENTITY is such a personal phenomenon, and should be a constant accompaniment throughout a being's life, the main form of worship will inevitably be private. The experience may be intensified, magnified, by the concentration of many minds. The ritual, the architecture of a beautiful church, may also serve to focus the worshipper's attention on the pure essence of ENTITY. Unfortunately it may just as easily obscure the messages, substituting empty gestures for real worship.
It is important to draw a clear distinction between the pure religion and that as actually practiced. Every corporate organization has to be administered. Management is needed by religious orders just as much as by profit making businesses. In the case of a religion, however, such administrators and managers are, no matter how necessary, an inevitable dilution of its true mission. They may contribute to the smooth running, but they cannot add a jot to its religious resource. They can only increase the barriers to communication. In this way, for instance, it is arguable that the Christian religions, rather than the Christian faith, were the invention of that arch-bureaucrat; Saint Paul. It was, to be fair, the infra-structure which he built which was responsible for the ultimate victory of his religion. On the other hand, one has to ask at what cost to the purity of the faith of Jesus himself.
The greatest distortions of faith, however, emerged when religion became a tool of the state. Thus, Christianity made its great breakthrough when Emperor Constantine found that it would help him control his far-flung empire. The legacy of such rule by religion can still be seen in most religions. Clearly, this has nothing to do with the original faith.
Over a period of time, maybe many generations but possibly only a few years, such administrative and governmental structures can destroy the true foundations of a religion. Despite this, the panoply that they provide may continue to dazzle for centuries. True religion is not, however, the ceremonies. It is not even the numbers of worshippers. It only exists within the individual. If the inner self loses contact with ENTITY, no pomp, no earthly power, can compensate for this ultimate loss.
The true ENTITY is beyond such trivia. Its power is infinitely greater than that generated in the collision between two galaxies, and its theme of universal love more binding than the cosmic ecstasy of such a meeting. The spark that it generates spans the universe.
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