--- 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: >
