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Originally Posted by Angela  Oh, I see. That sounds a lot like religion! Various levels, you have to do certain things before you can be enlightened, misconceptions about 'truth' (which implies a personal knowledge of an objective and inarguable 'truth'), etc. 
The Ten Bulls, a Buddhist concept, has it that you progress along a progression to enlightenment, at the end of which you achieve a "perfection of wisdom."
My philosophy is: Why wait?  |
In some way I agree: You are already enlightened. So why wait?
But what is referred to as enlightenment in mystic traditions and religions is something at the end of a process - a kind of remembering that you are and always were in fact enlightened and one. I don't say you can't experience this oneness without religion, but religion - at least their mystic traditions - seem to be a good map for your path. Yes, think of
mystic originated religion as a map on which you can see one of the many paths which some men and women walked. Their goal was all the same, at least that's what many of them say and said. When they came back they drew this map for others to follow.
Of course there are other ways,
of course you can walk your own. But many followers experienced the same things. This qualifies mystic traditions - and therefore religions as they were meant - as a reliable technique to have this experience. It's a technique! You can scrap it after you became aware of your oneness! Or find your own path, that's ok too, but it may be a tough challenge.
What's wrong with organized religion is that it took those maps and confused them with reality (creationism; the belief that the bible has to be proved for the religion to be "true"). That's what this whole debate is all about, I think. People condemn religion, but in fact they condemn the interpretation of religion they were suggested. Which I think is perfectly fine as long as it is not extreme or daunting and as long as they are aware of what they are in fact condemning.
Buddha said: “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
That's far from organized religion and it's far from lip services.