Sigmond Freud said, “The more the fruits of knowledge become accessible to men, the more widespread is the decline of religious belief.”
Adi Shankara called the spiritual path the path of discernment. As one discerns, ones understanding evolves. To evolve means to change. If one clings to old understandings, discernment ceases and evolution is obstructed. Dogma then prevails. If that is done, religion stagnates and is then rejected by those who discern.
Use knowledge to evolve your spiritual understanding. When done with wisdom, humility, and grace this process does not mark the decline of religion but the blossoming of it.
To discard the old all together is to throw out the baby with the bathwater, but to use knowledge to evolve ones understanding is to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Thank you for this affirmation of how religion blossoms from wisdom, humility and grace. Enjoying your ‘blog.
Hi Maharshi I read the following quote and it made me think of you and how you live your life. It isn’t necessarily in context with this blog, but I wanted to share. Jai Guru Dev
The master of the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.
James Michener
When I read this this morning I was so excited because I knew I could use the knowledge for a great referencing tool to support conversations with my clients.I printed it..took it down stairs..started my client..asked her how things were going and she proceeded to tell me about her son whom had joined a cult based on a verse from the bible.I did not say anything..I just handed her the blog.I saw slight emotion and then she seemed to relax.
Mahashi,your timing has been uncanny starting from my first class.It has only intensified.
Amazing…Thank you