Your comment seems to be coming somewhat from that general direction, using "monastic", giving up desires, etc
Well simply and naturally seen and put , we all just do most of our best work alone .
Some of the most true "religious" work might also be seen being done by many other paths of adventure
life's road takes one down. Not all religion must where vestures and robes or be celebate .
As for women and marriage , keeping a household, family life and being part of a community is seen in Hinduism as
sacred a duty as being alone on the mountaintop . Very old stuff this idea of the fulfillment "Dharma " thru gracefully living thru the natural stages of life . A very naturalistic philosophy which is "goodness centered" because
goodness usuall just works best . Doing unto others what you would have done to you seems to be a very ancient piece of wisdom and if given by God , that God is far older than Jehova I am positive of .
Life is seen coming in stages , just as you see with an acorn into an oak ...infancy , forming
child/youth , young student, learning stage , marrying/uniting becoming a householder and active community member ...then perhaps elderstatesman and eventually the natural simplifying and possible renuciation stage that may tend come for some later . All the stages are part of a continuum which is part of your Dharma .
The fulness of the experience is there and always teaching
us something . I can remember many experiences that were tremendously full in my life , and was aware of the stages.
Experience also transpires on many levels in each of us as we go thru the stages , there is always a need for meditation and reflection , and often mantras are used to keep mind centered and refocussed , and the East uses many murtis and representing many aspects of what is divine and of wonder and awe about the experience of being alive beyond the pure mechanistic repetitive in life .(The industrial revolution was such a liberating experience for so many wasn't it ? <G>)
Christians use the Murti of Jesus sacrifice, the crucifix , the Bible ...the Mohamedans use the Koran and other decor etc
Essentially all similar tools to evoke and focus the energies at play within the unfolding Dharma of all our lives . It is the play of the energies with the organs and systems of our own beings at play in the field of time , that comprises a projected complexity that some choose to call "God ". God is that projection and depiction of the own universe of energy and interplay with us . Life is simply a very impressive and completely vast stage for you to find yourself on. And it is pretty vast , but can become very confining too . No religion is even remotely capable of describing all that life is .
I can tell you one thing , that God is an amazin dancer , and if you have no passion in life , if but even to be tranquil , then something's missing . Life is the greatest experience there is , and worthy of some "awe". We all have it as children , the trick is to grow without losing it
(no original sin , stupid dogmatic nonsense is that, BTW
Jesus was wise in some ways , very superstitious in others
some of his later followers were absolutely completely inhibited and unimaginative really)
If there is a God though , he/she is a very good dancer !
;-) |
