An authentically religious man
Jeroen
Luminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlands Veteran
It seems to me that authentically religious men are rare to find. Most religious people just parrot scripture, they are not real seekers after the experience of godliness and truth. Priests certainly seem to be more an interface between social control and the people, a subspecies of politician more than anything. I find most organised religions to be a negative influence.
People here seem to be programmed into organised religion. The Netherlands still has a ‘bible belt’ which stretches diagonally across the country, lots of religious towns and villages where life revolves around the church. But even they cope with greying congregations, and young people who are more concerned with jobs, mortgages and going out than religious seeking.
Even in Buddhism a lot of monks just follow the programming, they spend their time in a monastery with the words of the Buddha, following the ancient path, coming to a point where they have the perfect quote to hand for any debate. But is that authentic? Is it real? It is purer than the life of the politician-priests, but it does not approach the flowering of the individual.
I might have liked to meet an authentic man of Zen, a hermit-poet like Ryokan who lived his days making calligraphy and haiku. That is pretty close to an authentically religious man, a person who was trained as a monk, attained, and spent the rest of his days on his art.
Comments
I would suggest that as long as your search for a truly authentically religious person is subject to your own conditioned ideals and is limited to something outside of yourself, you are unlikely to meet what you claim to be searching for.
So did I see you say that authentically religious men ( or close to it) are the ones who spend time on their art? Interesting way to word it. Art. That could go in a lot of different directions… 🤓🤔
Not necessarily, it’s just what some of them do after they have attained. Don’t forget the Zen monk spent years achieving satori before going to his hermitage. The “art” is just a way of expressing the inner beauty of the person.
Don’t forget? Um, ok. I wasn’t negating the order of said art/craft/achievement. Only thing I would add to that is everything is change…including what you knew. Please refer to the “Dont know” mind. If you like it better….refer to killing the Buddha when u see him on the side of the road, 💀
Art = ‘ just a way of expressing the inner beauty of the person’.
I think you just made my point. 😁
Only thing I would add to that ‘expression’ , as it pertains to the art language is…art can not only be an expression of beauty, but could also express the anguish, attachment, and mind struggles within that same form/body.
Tee Hee!
Fortunately, us truly non-religious heretics and such are, 'not-seeking'. We can truly leave that to the self diagnosed.
The truly religious person may or may not participate in organized religion.
Such a person will find sacred places in a beach, upon a hill, midst a forest, in a medow, a desert scene, a starry night, a foggy morning, a mother and child, grazing deer or prowling wolves, a dog's companionship, a cat's trust - in life and in living.
Such a person values life in all it's emanations, takes suffering and joy as equally appreciated, grow and learns from all. Such a person has an expansive and inclusive love of self and others.
Such a one is an ordinary person. Such a one is a remarkable person. Such a person does not feign holiness.
peace to all
Well said. Good post. In the Zen ox-herding, this is entering the marketplace.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Bulls