Pluto
Meowing to go out
- Dec 27, 2020
- 4,111
Part I
Perhaps ironically, it is the religion of Taoism that says it best. According to legendary Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu in around the 4th century BCE:
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
That's it. The whole story. However, if a further explanation is wanted, we need to start from the beginning.
Why was Religion Invented?
Firstly, religions have existed for as long as people were present with the cognitive capacity to create them. The Dreamtime of Aboriginal Australia dates back as far as 65,000 years according to one source. It included the classic religious elements such as creation myths, rituals, moral frameworks, marriages, death ceremonies and teachings about the afterlife.
Perhaps we can unpack the existence of religion by looking at the problems that it intended to solve. These may include 1) a lack of explanation for existence, 2) a desire for a bigger-picture purpose for human life, 3) a need for a structure of rules to live by and 4) the craving for assurances regarding the afterlife. In turn, each of these addresses a discomfort in the human mind. Respectively, we have 1) Confusion over existing at all, 2) pain over suffering, 3) uncertainty about how to live and 4) fear of death.
Switching back to Eastern philosophy, this confusion/pain/uncertainty/fear can be unified, as all are forms of duḥkha, a Sanskrit word that can be translated as 'suffering', 'unease', 'pain', 'sorrow', 'restlessness' or 'unsatisfactoriness'. According to Buddhism, this is fundamental to the human condition. All attempts at alleviating suffering in the material world (for example relationships or wealth) are from this perspective merely a temporary evasion.
The Sorrow Solution
Thus, religion serves as a means of solving the most fundamental human problem of suffering. This is clearer if we do not get lost in superficial differences in terminology or narrative. For example, Christian words like 'sin' and 'heaven' correspond respectively to 'ignorance' and 'enlightenment' in Buddhist nomenclature.
In each case, venerated historical figures claimed by followers to have visionary perspectives gave rise to these various religions. But not only have religions failed to bring about any grand-scale upliftment of the species, but religion has actually been a central component of many of our barbaric acts of violence.
So now for the big question: why has religion failed? I am going to argue that we can still be open to the real possibility that suffering can be ended in this lifetime, but there are countless traps which can massively delay the process.
The Many Traps
1) Doubt: assuming we all agree with the notion that 'life is suffering' based on our own living experience, the question arises of whether there really is a way out. This Buddhist claim could be a giant con to enslave the masses with false hopes of a better tomorrow. Alas, I'm not giving a direct answer here. If the answer is yes, for as long as we are suffering, this will at best be a mere intellectual belief. If the answer is no, that's another belief. But being open to the possibility is a prerequisite for taking any further steps.
2) Tribalism: just like dolphin schools and bird flocks, humans have tribes. It is a primordial impulse that evolved because surviving alone is impossible, especially if the goal includes procreation, defense and so on. Even in modern times, we see the devastating psychological impact of social isolation on individuals. We desperately need to belong. Unfortunately, this leaves us with all the ingredients of religious tribalism. "Only my God is the true God." And yet, it cannot be said that, for example, the Israelites and Palestinians have successfully eradicated suffering. Not by any stretch.
3) False leadership: just as wolf packs are lead by 'alphas', another primitive human trait is submitting to dominance hierarchies. In extreme examples, the narcissist-enabler dynamics result in Jonestown-style disasters. Most cases are milder, yet the same issue of unqualified leadership and ignorant compliance by the social group remains. There's a further grey area when the religious leader may possess useful knowledge or even some genuine spiritual insight, yet is still being driven by egocentric motivations (adulation, power, wealth). Bad things can happen behind closed doors.
4) Laziness: we want others to think for us. This relates somewhat to the previous point. In a way, being a signed-up member of any firm belief system (religious or irreligious) and then repeating its usual groupthink talking points ad nauseam is a slothful shortcut to avoid engaging with the challenges of this topic.
5) False awakening: being satisfied with a special belief system, an idea about the divine or some purportedly lofty perspectives about society means being 'awake' to some people, but this is still just a different set of ideas in the mind. Nothing has been truly transcended and nobody should settle for this. Religions also offer congregations, friendships and other goodies, but rarely will they encourage followers to strive for true liberation.
6) Confusion: passing all the aforementioned hurdles means we are now functioning independently on a truly authentic search for the holy grail: a radical revelation of a timeless truth. But now what? Hundreds of purportedly enlightened voices are speaking, offering conflicting advice and making unverifiable claims. This leads us back to our old friend, the Tao ("the way").
...To be continued due to post already way too long.
Perhaps ironically, it is the religion of Taoism that says it best. According to legendary Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu in around the 4th century BCE:
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
That's it. The whole story. However, if a further explanation is wanted, we need to start from the beginning.
Why was Religion Invented?
Firstly, religions have existed for as long as people were present with the cognitive capacity to create them. The Dreamtime of Aboriginal Australia dates back as far as 65,000 years according to one source. It included the classic religious elements such as creation myths, rituals, moral frameworks, marriages, death ceremonies and teachings about the afterlife.
Perhaps we can unpack the existence of religion by looking at the problems that it intended to solve. These may include 1) a lack of explanation for existence, 2) a desire for a bigger-picture purpose for human life, 3) a need for a structure of rules to live by and 4) the craving for assurances regarding the afterlife. In turn, each of these addresses a discomfort in the human mind. Respectively, we have 1) Confusion over existing at all, 2) pain over suffering, 3) uncertainty about how to live and 4) fear of death.
Switching back to Eastern philosophy, this confusion/pain/uncertainty/fear can be unified, as all are forms of duḥkha, a Sanskrit word that can be translated as 'suffering', 'unease', 'pain', 'sorrow', 'restlessness' or 'unsatisfactoriness'. According to Buddhism, this is fundamental to the human condition. All attempts at alleviating suffering in the material world (for example relationships or wealth) are from this perspective merely a temporary evasion.
The Sorrow Solution
Thus, religion serves as a means of solving the most fundamental human problem of suffering. This is clearer if we do not get lost in superficial differences in terminology or narrative. For example, Christian words like 'sin' and 'heaven' correspond respectively to 'ignorance' and 'enlightenment' in Buddhist nomenclature.
In each case, venerated historical figures claimed by followers to have visionary perspectives gave rise to these various religions. But not only have religions failed to bring about any grand-scale upliftment of the species, but religion has actually been a central component of many of our barbaric acts of violence.
So now for the big question: why has religion failed? I am going to argue that we can still be open to the real possibility that suffering can be ended in this lifetime, but there are countless traps which can massively delay the process.
The Many Traps
1) Doubt: assuming we all agree with the notion that 'life is suffering' based on our own living experience, the question arises of whether there really is a way out. This Buddhist claim could be a giant con to enslave the masses with false hopes of a better tomorrow. Alas, I'm not giving a direct answer here. If the answer is yes, for as long as we are suffering, this will at best be a mere intellectual belief. If the answer is no, that's another belief. But being open to the possibility is a prerequisite for taking any further steps.
2) Tribalism: just like dolphin schools and bird flocks, humans have tribes. It is a primordial impulse that evolved because surviving alone is impossible, especially if the goal includes procreation, defense and so on. Even in modern times, we see the devastating psychological impact of social isolation on individuals. We desperately need to belong. Unfortunately, this leaves us with all the ingredients of religious tribalism. "Only my God is the true God." And yet, it cannot be said that, for example, the Israelites and Palestinians have successfully eradicated suffering. Not by any stretch.
4) Laziness: we want others to think for us. This relates somewhat to the previous point. In a way, being a signed-up member of any firm belief system (religious or irreligious) and then repeating its usual groupthink talking points ad nauseam is a slothful shortcut to avoid engaging with the challenges of this topic.
5) False awakening: being satisfied with a special belief system, an idea about the divine or some purportedly lofty perspectives about society means being 'awake' to some people, but this is still just a different set of ideas in the mind. Nothing has been truly transcended and nobody should settle for this. Religions also offer congregations, friendships and other goodies, but rarely will they encourage followers to strive for true liberation.
6) Confusion: passing all the aforementioned hurdles means we are now functioning independently on a truly authentic search for the holy grail: a radical revelation of a timeless truth. But now what? Hundreds of purportedly enlightened voices are speaking, offering conflicting advice and making unverifiable claims. This leads us back to our old friend, the Tao ("the way").
...To be continued due to post already way too long.
