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World Religions by Unknown
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher states: "If you search 'world religions,' you'll find 'Buddhism' on every list. Does that make Buddhism a religion? Does it mean that because I'm a Buddhist, I'm 'religious'? I can argue that Buddhism is a science of mind -- a way of exploring how we think, feel and act that leads us to profound truths about who we are. I can also say that Buddhism is a philosophy of life -- a way to live that maximizes our chances for happiness."
Likewise, I can argue that Christianity, in the mind of Jesus of Nazareth, was not a religion. It was an evolution of Judaism that integrated it with Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism (the religion of the Magi), Taoism, and other known spiritual teachings, and it was a way to maximize our chances for happiness.
Unfortunately, it became an imperialistic, exclusive, superior religion founded by "God Himself" when certain misguided zealots who called themselves Christians decided to make it so. And whether that happened three decades after Jesus died, or three centuries later, it happened. And, in fact, Jesus knew it would happen, which is why he said he ushered in an age of conflict and division, and he knew that at the end of the age, because of Man's vain folly, we would be suffering horribly from wars, rumors of war, plagues, tribulation and terrible things.
Now, at the end of that age, we need to realize that what the world needs is not religion as institutionalized by Man. What the world needs is religion in the true sense of the word, which is about reestablishing the union of the legions of Man. And that's all about relationship, and the brotherhood of Man.
If you wish, you can read and hear all about it, at The Try Try Again Project.
