Back to Basics

Back to Basics

You have heard this saying before, maybe many times. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we can all get along? If we can all tolerate each other's difference of opinions? We know that this is more than often is not going to happen with the complexity of the world we live in.

In an internationally fast paced society, for many years I have seen many interesting people from different kind of religions like Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, interacting with each other. It is surprising to see how many people do not understand or take little interest in their neighbor and in their world vision. Lack of knowledge is cause for long discussions and fear of your neighbor who has a different kind of religion. What you don’t understand, you will instinctively avoid. With people of different cultures interacting through social media, study, travel, exchange programs and such, sincere mutual interest is needed.

Often people quote some passages about spiritual books or say something while others have barely read the core book of their own religion. “What are the ‘real’ basics, what do the first establishers of any major religion say?” This is the core of my book, the purpose for which I felt to write this book. There are many ‘books about books’ on the market explaining about self-spirituality, giving hints & tips on how to lead your life more positively. In a lot of these books I often missed ‘reference’ texts, about the core of a belief.

More than often the cultural values of someone overshadow the potentially positive contact with people of different religions and are terrible for the good vibe causing awkward situations. This happens so easily and gives one type of religion or spirituality a bad name

Yet this has never been the basic message of true spirituality what prophets like Jesus, Krishna, Buddha etc

The real meaning is that each spiritual text in it's core says: 'love your neighbour as yourself'. It looks so easy, but practially speaking it can be so hard!

Real love does not judge regardless of conviction, gender, race, education etc. Real love does not give you a feeling like you don't belong, like you should be ashamed of what you are doing. It accepts you for who you are. Real love attracts and does not push away, it is confident but humble and does not sound arrogant or aloof. It is not based on fear and also not on a temporary emotional or heavy spiritual experience

Real love is not only about some fixed rules, neither only about practical deeds. It is also not only about pure floaty spirituality that separates us from the normal daily life on earth. It is deeper, a real connection, a relationship that gives a feeling of true freedom and of being loved.

Real love is also not just about positivity, it is also standing up for what is right and speaking up when we have to. If we see a person being mistreated, shouldn't we stand up and at least say something of it? Love would go to rescue someone where a normal person would give up.

But most often, people tend to focus on what is 'being right' rather than love, juding people on clothing, gender, etc. That is not what being right means but is a focus on fear and what people determine as 'sinful behaviour'. Most people claim to live perfectly, and spiritual people too. Manipulating others will usually go 'under the radar'. For example when not attending a church service one week, sometimes people say 'where were you last week?'. A normal question, but often they were not asking it out of sincere interest, but only to check up on why you were not there last week. Thus I can well understand some people's very dislike for organized religion.

Universal Teachings: After researching, learning and experiencing the positive and the negative of the many word religions, I believe Love, the Divine, the Spirit, God, is everywhere and is not bound to one single belief or religion. Rather, there is unity between religions on a deep level. Teachings can be a supplement. This book attempts to take away the prejudices that are between different believes by research & comparison, aiming to give the reader a closer insight into the spiritual in a practical positive way.

;And, spirituality should be light and practical, not always very heavy loaded and serious.

Examples of Spiritual Texts:
Some examples of compared texts are here below. The similarity of these texts are that infinite love is the underlyng force or principle in any world religion. Real love lies to unity and not to being divided over all kinds of things.

And in my book there are many more texts of important different topics that I discovered

Christianity
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)

Buddhism
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. (Buddha, Heart Sutra)

"Let him not deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere. In anger or ill will let him not wish another ill. "Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings. "Let him radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity. "Standing, walking, sitting or reclining, as long as he is awake, let him develop this mindfulness. This, they say, is 'Noble Living' here. (Karaniya Metta Sutta - Sutta Nipata 1.6-9)

Hinduism
Worship me wherever I reside. From all ways to Me, the way of love is the best and happiest. (Srimad bhagavatam, Chapter 6)

But from all things that I would have to sum up, love is truly the highest; love and devotion make that one forgets all other things. It is love that connects the beloved with Me. (Srimad bhagavatam, Chapter 8)

Judaism
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:18)

But you, my Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy; you are very patient and full of faithful love. (Psalms 86:15)

Islam
And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put (love) compassion and mercy between your (hearts)." (Quran 30:21)

Say, [O Muhammad], 'If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.'" (Quran 3:31)

Taoism
When Heaven is to save a person, Heaven will protect him through deep love. (Tao te Ching, Chapter 67)

"I have three treasures, guard and keep them: The first is deep love, The second is frugality, And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world. Because of deep love, one is courageous." (Tao te Ching, Chapter 67)

Confucianism
Fan Ch'ih asked about benevolence. The Master said, "It is to love all men." He asked about knowledge. The Master said, "It is to know all men." (Confucius, The Analects, Chapter 12)

Paganism
Examples of traditional paganism, Native American Spirituality, and 'modern' paganism, Wicca

The time was when our Father, who lives above the clouds, loved our fathers. His face shone upon them, and their skins were white like the white man's. Then they were wise and wrote books, and the Great Father talked good to them; but after a while our people would not hear Him, and they quarreled and stole and fought, until the Great Father got mad, because His children would not hear Him talk. (The Shoshones: Sentinels of the Rockies. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1964)

Listen to the words of the Great Mother,… For My law is love is unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideals; strive ever towards them, let nothing stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Vessel of Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. (Wicca, part taken from the Charge of The Goddess, medieval text)