I would suggest examining the Bhagavad-Gita and Vedanta generally. I think you will find that Vedanta offers a far more complete picture of what religious and spiritual life is. It allows for a wide range of different relationships to the Divine. For that reason it can be extremely tolerant of each religious path since, in its view, the end of all religious process is the same.Janoah wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 12:15 amI was born into a non-religious family, and the Bible was not in my family, because in the USSR where I lived, in principle there were no religious books for sale. Marxism was taught in educational institutions, and I liked it, I believed in socialism. But at some stage I had a question: is there something the main in life, and if so, what? And the answer came to me that the main is - not to lie to yourself, and the rest is consequences. I was interested to know if there are worldview systems that have such an answer. At this time, I received a Bible from a Christian friend.The Christian Bible, as usual, contained the “Old Testament” and the Gospels together. I started reading the Gospels, maybe my answer is there.
Note that what I have just said -- the end of all religious process is the same -- is an utterly intolerable idea in both Judaism and Christianity. Judaism especially defines itself through absolute separation from *the others* (the Nations) and the terrifying god-concept known as HaShem says that if you deviate away from the path established, he will cut you down in the most terrifying ways.
It is rather hard to *love* such a figure and, I would go further, it is a sign of sickness to achieve a 'love' of such a figure. It reminds me a bit of how 1984 ends.
There most certainly are. But we'd have to examine what is meant, and what you mean, by answer.I was interested to know if there are worldview systems that have such an answer.
To become a practicing devoted Muslim provides *an answer* since everything is offered through it. Community, ethical program, a life-plan including dedicated marriage, family life, and a larger service to the community. If you are inclined to large, defining existential battles it can off a frame for that.
Judaism is also a totalizing system and it *answers all questions*.
Catholicism and Christianity offer the same.
Answers abound. But each system is rather possessive. It provides an answer, certainly, but it also demands shutting yourself off from other answering-systems.
What interests me is that you seem to hold this as valuable: "And the answer came to me that the main is - not to lie to yourself, and the rest is consequences".
It can be said, with some truth I think, that all of our Stories are in a way lies that refer to *truths*.
The real area of lying, according to my own views, occurs at the most profound inner level. In post-religious Modernity, and we are in post-religious Modernity, it might be truer overall that the inner world is psychological. That is, dealing with the very inner structure of what we are. If *god* or *divinity* is to be found it is inside of us, or a part of our natural processes. The route of turning inward thus sort of dovetails with meditation practices, or the inner work of one's internal psychic world (dreams, etc.)
