Another good piece from the Theosophists, addressing the current
crisis of dogmas-in-collision.
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FUNDAMENTALISM: WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
By Andrew Rooke
One of the greatest challenges to world peace and progress today
is the rise of religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is the
declaration that one's own point of view in religious matters is
supreme, and those of others are not of much value compared to
the revelation, including the sacred books, of the spiritual
teacher one follows. It is essentially a uni-dimensional view in
an increasingly multidimensional world. The term first arose to
describe the American Protestant churches in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries when many such churches in the US violently
reacted to the impact of modernism on their worldview.
Particularly, such churches were aggrieved by the Darwinian
theory of evolution, and new discoveries about the history of the
Bible which lead to doubts about its status as purely divine
revelation.
This led these churches to cling to literalism in the Bible and
see modernism as a threat to the religious way of life. Such a
point of view became widely known as what we now call
Fundamentalism.
Modernism, with its emphasis in the supremacy of science, logic,
and materialism, has been perceived also as a threat to a
religious way of life by many societies in the developing world.
Initially, modernism was quietly accepted by many traditional
societies which were either overwhelmed by the apparent success
of Western culture in comparison with their own, or they thought
that somehow the modernized world would 'go away' after political
independence was achieved. However, gradually Western culture
began to be seen in some quarters in these countries, as directly
opposed to their religious life and a tremendous threat to the
future of traditional ways.
After the Iranian revolution in 1979, the backlash against rapid
social and economic changes introduced by Western society took
the form of an aggressive fundamentalism in Islam that now
threatens world peace.
Certainly, looking back at history all over the globe, we see
endless damaging conflicts in the name of religion. From our
theosophical perspective of reincarnation, we accept that we have
all been on this earth many times before. We have walked in many
lands and worshipped many different gods before incarnating in
the here and now. How much sense does it make then to criticize
others, as religious fundamentalists do, when we may have shared
their beliefs in another life, or, indeed, may grow towards their
viewpoint in a future one? Theosophy teaches that all great
religions throughout history emanate from one source of being
where truth is one.
There, various perspectives on reality coexist happily as facets
of the single diamond of truth. Through the ages, great
spiritual teachers have brought facets of this gem to various
cultures, and people have clasped tightly to their little facet
of the truth diamond and said, "See, here I have the whole
diamond of Truth!" If truth shines like the sun from a single
source, how much sense does it make in condemning other brothers
and sisters on the Path?
The images of the destruction of the twin-towers in New York, and
the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are burned into our
consciousness.
Theosophists, by the very nature of our endeavor, stand for
universal brotherhood, a non-dogmatic approach to religious
truth, and a respect for the many Paths to the One. In short,
Theosophy has a multidimensional but holistic approach to life,
whereas fundamentalism is uni-dimensional and separatist. So
what can Theosophists actually do about fundamentalism and its
disastrous consequences?
We can try to exemplify the spirit of universal brotherhood in
what we do in daily life and communicate as and when we can, the
great laws of life which we all share in common. In practice
this means having tolerance and understanding in a multi-cultural
environment, and attempt to increase the level of understanding
between various communities and religious traditions.
In all of our communities, there are a multitude of opportunities
to express such inner attitudes from formal volunteering in
community organizations promoting multi-cultural understanding,
to simply bringing peace and harmony within our families so our
children can develop with more enlightened attitudes to others.
At a national level, Western countries could offer increased
opportunities to study other religions at school and university
and cultural exchanges for young people to better get to know
conditions in troubled parts of the world and vice versa. From a
greater level of empathy and understanding between religions and
an understanding of the cornerstones of the Ancient Wisdom --
universal brotherhood, karma and reincarnation -- perhaps a
better world based on multidimensional understanding will grow
for our kids.
When asked what is our work as theosophists now and in the
future, theosophical co-founder, William Quan Judge, said: "It is
to start up a new force, a new current in the world," so that
wise ones from long ago will "incarnate among men here and there,
and thus bring back the true life and the true practices.." "We
have each one of us, to make ourselves a centre of light; a
picture gallery from which shall be projected on the astral light
such scenes, such influences, such thoughts, as may influence
many for good, shall thus arouse a new current, and then finally
result in drawing back the great and good from the other spheres
beyond earth." Letters that have helped me II, 8,9.
Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, speaks on fundamentalism:
Great suffering is caused by attachment to views of dogmatism and
fundamentalism. And that is why, among the 14 mindfulness
trainings of the Order of Interbeing, the training on freedom
from views is in the first position. We have to free ourselves
from these views -- even the views of non-self, the view of
impermanence, of inter-being -- we have to let go of all of
these. These are instruments to work with, but they are not to
be venerated in themselves. It is like using a raft to cross the
river. After you cross the river, you abandon the raft. You
don't carry the raft on your head and walk around like that.
That is very popular, carrying a raft around on your head.
People are doing that all the time.
-- Parabola Magazine, Winter 2005, page 21
--
We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is
he in heaven? - Is he in hell? That damned, elusive Pimpernel?
I. Thou shalt worship only reason
II. Thou shalt abstain from invoking deities in the affairs of man
III. Thou shalt disdain all ritual
IV. Thou shalt abhor priestliness
V. Thou shalt loathe superstition
VI. Thou shalt reject all forms of spiritualism and supernaturalism
VI. Thou shalt regard skepticism as a virtue
VIII. Thou shalt reject racism
IX. Thou shalt reject all claims to a moral authority greater than
man
X. Thou shalt, in word and action, strive to improve the human
condition
Alistair Sim
I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many
strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who have
stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they
dare not speak."
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