--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Yifu yifuxero@... wrote:
from the blog of Rabbi Rami Shapiro:
...
Rabbi Rami's Manifesto
Hey, this is pretty cool stuff, not in the sense of human categories, but in
what this fellow has experienced. I really like the 'Life *is* purpose' quote.
Succinct. Thank you for posting this.
* Everything is a manifestation of the one thing I call God.
* God is not good; good and bad are human categories about which God cares
not one bit.
* Life is not controllable, but you can learn to navigate it, and do some
good in the process.
* Thoughts and feelings are not controllable directly by the will, but you
can do what's right regardless.
* Religion is a human invention designed to give us the illusion of control
from which we can then create a sense of meaning and purpose without
admitting we are creating it. In truth, we have no control, we invent what
meaning there is, and purpose is only a story we tell to hide from the
specter of randomness that haunts us.
* Life has no purpose; life is purpose.
* Sacred texts always reflect the bias of their authors and intended
audience. Don't be surprised that the Torah's Jews are God's Chosen; that the
Gospels make Jesus the Christ; that the Bhagavad Gita sees Krishna as God;
that the Qur'an holds Mohammad as the final Prophet; or that Harry Potter
makes Harry rather than Hermione the hero.
* Priests, rabbis, pastors, imams, swamis, lamas, and gurus sometimes have
your best interest in mind, and always have their best interests at heart.
Learn from them, but never turn your life over to them.
* At its best religion is about personal freedom, social justice, and
compassion for all living things. At its worst it is about power and control.
Religion is rarely at its best.
* Human beings can be taught to see through propaganda�religious,
political, commercial, etc.�overcome its divisiveness, create loving
communities, and glimpse the truth through science, art, music, literature,
and spiritual practice. What we lack are the teachers to do this.
* Spiritual practice cuts through self and selfishness, reduces conflict, and
increases compassion. And that is the best we can do.
Posted by Rabbi Rami at 12:54 PM 5 comments:
