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Allah and a lot of freedom. I like that.
I think you've already noted somewhere on this forum that life involves balance. The biggy-sized balance is that between balance and imbalance...
Like the three gunas: ragas, tamas, and sattva... The way some people think of it is this:
you see ragas in the arising.. like the spring, the morning, youth
you see tamas in descension.. like the autumn, the evening, old-age
Sattva has to do with that invisible point where one turns into the other... the point of zero slope... perfect balance.. when the rushing forth and the coming back are effortlessly joined... like the movements of a dancer, you can't see sattva, you can only know it's there from the change from out.. to in.. from there... to here. But the three gunas are ever present, shaping everything.
Some say happiness is knowing who you are... surrendering to the forces that are creating you moment by moment... In this way, loving yourself is loving the divine.
My position is that we may read something but shouldn't credit it that much importance remembering that we are holding in our hands not the "divine revelation". Reality itself is the best teacher.
Allah and a lot of freedom. I like that.
I think you've already noted somewhere on this forum that life involves balance. The biggy-sized balance is that between balance and imbalance...
Like the three gunas: ragas, tamas, and sattva... The way some people think of it is this:
you see ragas in the arising.. like the spring, the morning, youth
you see tamas in descension.. like the autumn, the evening, old-age
Sattva has to do with that invisible point where one turns into the other... the point of zero slope... perfect balance.. when the rushing forth and the coming back are effortlessly joined... like the movements of a dancer, you can't see sattva, you can only know it's there from the change from out.. to in.. from there... to here. But the three gunas are ever present, shaping everything.
Some say happiness is knowing who you are... surrendering to the forces that are creating you moment by moment... In this way, loving yourself is loving the divine.
But Allah does not give a lot of freedom, you have to go to your prayer mat five times a day and pray towards Mecca, fast for a lunar month once a year, learn the Quaran by heart, subjugate woman, wear special clothing, not pray with people of other religions and so on and so on, even die for him in a Jihad is that freedom I think not?
I don't like religion , but this does not prevent my approaching and believing in god in my own unique and separate way. Surely there are many paths to God and no final word and no final prophet
But Allah does not give a lot of freedom, you have to go to your prayer mat five times a day and pray towards Mecca, fast for a lunar month once a year, learn the Quaran by heart, subjugate woman, wear special clothing, not pray with people of other religions and so on and so on, even die for him in a Jihad is that freedom I think not?
I don't like religion , but this does not prevent my approaching and believing in god in my own unique and separate way. Surely there are many paths to God and no final word and no final prophet
There were many religions that existed prior to Islam; Judaism and Christianity the two most obvious examples. As we know, Mohammed stole ruthlessly from both those earlier faiths. That's evident in his formulation of Islam. We also have the Greek or Roman pantheons as examples of religions that existed prior to Islam. We see in those entities the morphing of characteristics. Zeus was descended from earlier ancient entities, the Titans. Zeus was the son of Kronos and Rhea. Kronos was himself the child of Ouranos and Gaia.
This is not at all uncommon with religions. There actually are recognizable patterns where various religions tend to define their gods as simply grander and more powerful versions of their own political or social constructs. Zeus was little more than just another Greek tyrant. Allah is little more than the divine projection of a 7th century Arab warlord with whom we are familiar; Mohammad.
Religions come and go. There is no reason to believe that Mohammed was the last "prophet". Afterall, we have only his say-so for that.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not steal from any religion. Similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism are expected considering all three religions came from the same God. Nor was he simply a warlord, he was a statesman, a religious and spiritual leader, a husband and a father.
I live through cycles, though. I may look around and find that I've become the student again. Other times I'm the natural fool.
I believe that wisdom doesn't necessarily accumulate, but may come and go.
This is not at all uncommon with religions. There actually are recognizable patterns where various religions tend to define their gods as simply grander and more powerful versions of their own political or social constructs. Zeus was little more than just another Greek tyrant. Allah is little more than the divine projection of a 7th century Arab warlord with whom we are familiar; Mohammad.