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Religion teaching ( original text) should not be touched.

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
When it comes to religious or spiritual teachings there are just as many opinions and views as there are people.

But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?
I can understand people are in disagreement with religious/spiritual people, because very few people have realized the deep meaning of spiritual teachings. So many variations will arise depending on who you speak with. So it is a mystery to me that what people want is to change the teaching, but not them self.

To many spiritual practitioners the teaching is untouchable, but what you can do is to speak with practitioners from your own path, this can lead to, ou or them will gain new understanding of the teaching and thereby your understanding will change (wisdom arise)

But only one who have deep understanding of the teaching will be able to guide other practitioners who have less understanding of the teaching, from the same religion or spiritual path. ( that is my understanding)
It is also here I my self have failed a lot. I thought I understood teachings from other spiritual teachings, but realized that those teachings are different to my understanding, and my understanding can not be used to guide people from other religions or spiritual paths.(not that I try to guide others anymore)

So maybe a reason why discussions often go south is because we do not see the truth the same way as the people we discuss with. And our arguments fall apart because we can not see our own fault if we meet someone with more understanding of the teachings.
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
When it comes to religious or spiritual teachings there are just as many opinions and views as there are people.

But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?
I can understand people are in disagreement with religious/spiritual people, because very few people have realized the deep meaning of spiritual teachings. So many variations will arise depending on who you speak with. So it is a mystery to me that what people want is to change the teaching, but not them self.

To many spiritual practitioners the teaching is untouchable, but what you can do is to speak with practitioners from your own path, this can lead to, ou or them will gain new understanding of the teaching and thereby your understanding will change (wisdom arise)

But only one who have deep understanding of the teaching will be able to guide other practitioners who have less understanding of the teaching, from the same religion or spiritual path. ( that is my understanding)
It is also here I my self have failed a lot. I thought I understood teachings from other spiritual teachings, but realized that those teachings are different to my understanding, and my understanding can not be used to guide people from other religions or spiritual paths.(not that I try to guide others anymore)

So maybe a reason why discussions often go south is because we do not see the truth the same way as the people we discuss with. And our arguments fall apart because we can not see our own fault if we meet someone with more understanding of the teachings.


different people assimilate food differently. for some it can even be lethal because of food allergies. most great teachers didn't write down their teachings. they didn't have time for one thing. they taught orally and had to work with different disciples to bring them to the same place they were.


so there is no exact way to teach spiritual knowledge other than with patience, perseverance, and above all compassion
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
different people assimilate food differently. for some it can even be lethal because of food allergies. most great teachers didn't write down their teachings. they didn't have time for one thing. they taught orally and had to work with different disciples to bring them to the same place they were.


so there is no exact way to teach spiritual knowledge other than with patience, perseverance, and above all compassion
It is true that the teachings from the past was orally taught but maybe already a few years after some of the original teaching was altered by the followers who may have been on a lower level of understanding, tried to teach it to others? Can it be the reason many people struggle today to understand spiritual teachings?
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
So maybe a reason why discussions often go south is because we do not see the truth the same way as the people we discuss with. And our arguments fall apart because we can not see our own fault if we meet someone with more understanding of the teachings.

Christopher Hitchens often asked "What special teachings are available to the believer that are denied to me?". By this I think he meant that he had no faith that another human could do his interpreting for him. Yet another perspective is, "how do you know that your holy man is holier than you are?".
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
It is true that the teachings from the past was orally taught but maybe already a few years after some of the original teaching was altered by the followers who may have been on a lower level of understanding, tried to teach it to others? Can it be the reason many people struggle today to understand spiritual teachings?
you can plant but only the seed in good ground will flourish. even a careless sower under the right conditions can produce a healthy plant. like jacob did with joseph


this is the seed planted in self at birth. if the seed takes root and then grows, it isn't because of the seed alone and where the father, sower is there self will be too.


give glory to love and let grow.
 

Thief

Rogue Theologian
When it comes to religious or spiritual teachings there are just as many opinions and views as there are people.
I think the scheme of things is suppose to do that

any one item will have different affects on different people

and it's suppose to do that
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Christopher Hitchens often asked "What special teachings are available to the believer that are denied to me?". By this I think he meant that he had no faith that another human could do his interpreting for him. Yet another perspective is, "how do you know that your holy man is holier than you are?".
Well it is the wisdom my teacher holds that make me realize he holds a lot deeper understanding of his teaching then I do :) my understanding is limited.
The teaching holds truth, that I have my self ( personal experiences so yes it can not be proven to those who will have different or no experience from reading the teaching)
 

InvestigateTruth

Well-Known Member
When it comes to religious or spiritual teachings there are just as many opinions and views as there are people.

But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?
I can understand people are in disagreement with religious/spiritual people, because very few people have realized the deep meaning of spiritual teachings. So many variations will arise depending on who you speak with. So it is a mystery to me that what people want is to change the teaching, but not them self.

To many spiritual practitioners the teaching is untouchable, but what you can do is to speak with practitioners from your own path, this can lead to, ou or them will gain new understanding of the teaching and thereby your understanding will change (wisdom arise)

But only one who have deep understanding of the teaching will be able to guide other practitioners who have less understanding of the teaching, from the same religion or spiritual path. ( that is my understanding)
It is also here I my self have failed a lot. I thought I understood teachings from other spiritual teachings, but realized that those teachings are different to my understanding, and my understanding can not be used to guide people from other religions or spiritual paths.(not that I try to guide others anymore)

So maybe a reason why discussions often go south is because we do not see the truth the same way as the people we discuss with. And our arguments fall apart because we can not see our own fault if we meet someone with more understanding of the teachings.
Ideally if the Founders of religion explain and interprete their own teachings in writing which is preserved, then it can provide unity in understanding by practitioners.
 

QuestioningMind

Well-Known Member
When it comes to religious or spiritual teachings there are just as many opinions and views as there are people.

But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?
I can understand people are in disagreement with religious/spiritual people, because very few people have realized the deep meaning of spiritual teachings. So many variations will arise depending on who you speak with. So it is a mystery to me that what people want is to change the teaching, but not them self.

To many spiritual practitioners the teaching is untouchable, but what you can do is to speak with practitioners from your own path, this can lead to, ou or them will gain new understanding of the teaching and thereby your understanding will change (wisdom arise)

But only one who have deep understanding of the teaching will be able to guide other practitioners who have less understanding of the teaching, from the same religion or spiritual path. ( that is my understanding)
It is also here I my self have failed a lot. I thought I understood teachings from other spiritual teachings, but realized that those teachings are different to my understanding, and my understanding can not be used to guide people from other religions or spiritual paths.(not that I try to guide others anymore)

So maybe a reason why discussions often go south is because we do not see the truth the same way as the people we discuss with. And our arguments fall apart because we can not see our own fault if we meet someone with more understanding of the teachings.

Personally I see this as a perfect example of why using the words of 'divine messengers' written down years ago as a means of imparting an important message to the people of the world is such a poor method to employ. It practically guarantees that the message will be garbled and misconstrued, if not blatantly misrepresented by those seeking an advantage. You'd think that a powerful creator being would know as much and come up with a more effective delivery system. It almost makes it seem like the entire thing is something that fallible human beings came up with, not some superior god being.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?
For me most important is to learn lessons, so that I grow. Teachings have different levels of understanding also, hence there is not 1 way to see them.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?

I don't agree with the premise. Forcing things not to change leads to rigidity and fanaticism in my experience.

The fundamental principles can be maintained but how they manifest can and should change with as the people, place and time change.

"how do you know that your holy man is holier than you are?".

How do you know that your collect professor knows more than you do? How do you know your doctor, lawyer or plumber knows more than you do? Because in some cases, that's actually not the case. Degrees or position don't prove that knowledge. It's the same problem but in a different field.

In the end there has to be some evidence, internal and external, that the teacher, doctor etc does indeed know more. For doctors it's relatively easy to determine that.

For spiritual and religious figures, the problem is harder. One indication to me is that they walk the talk in a way I can't.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Pagan religions don't really have founders, so in many respects asking the question at all is foreign to me. Additionally, Pagan religions, particularly contemporary ones, are non-dogmatic (if not anti-dogmatic). The very notion of following the teachings of some founder is just kind of bizarre to me on the face of it. One's religion is one's own way of life, not someone else's way of life. It hardly comes as any surprise to me that others fail to follow someone else's way of life. Square peg, round hole.
 

King Phenomenon

Well-Known Member
When it comes to religious or spiritual teachings there are just as many opinions and views as there are people.

But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?
I can understand people are in disagreement with religious/spiritual people, because very few people have realized the deep meaning of spiritual teachings. So many variations will arise depending on who you speak with. So it is a mystery to me that what people want is to change the teaching, but not them self.

To many spiritual practitioners the teaching is untouchable, but what you can do is to speak with practitioners from your own path, this can lead to, ou or them will gain new understanding of the teaching and thereby your understanding will change (wisdom arise)

But only one who have deep understanding of the teaching will be able to guide other practitioners who have less understanding of the teaching, from the same religion or spiritual path. ( that is my understanding)
It is also here I my self have failed a lot. I thought I understood teachings from other spiritual teachings, but realized that those teachings are different to my understanding, and my understanding can not be used to guide people from other religions or spiritual paths.(not that I try to guide others anymore)

So maybe a reason why discussions often go south is because we do not see the truth the same way as the people we discuss with. And our arguments fall apart because we can not see our own fault if we meet someone with more understanding of the teachings.
Times change
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Times change
Time change yes, but not the way human beings can gain access to heaven :) only the once who practice according to the teaching will enter the paradise the chosen teaching leads to.

This is of course my understanding of how to get back to heaven, so others may disagree.
 

King Phenomenon

Well-Known Member
Time change yes, but not the way human beings can gain access to heaven :) only the once who practice according to the teaching will enter the paradise the chosen teaching leads to.

This is of course my understanding of how to get back to heaven, so others may disagree.
some things in ancient texts obviously need to be ignored so you're bound to have change In practice.
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
When it comes to religious or spiritual teachings there are just as many opinions and views as there are people.

But the teaching was meant to be taught the way it was presented by the founder. So how come people later wanna change those teachings?
I can understand people are in disagreement with religious/spiritual people, because very few people have realized the deep meaning of spiritual teachings. So many variations will arise depending on who you speak with. So it is a mystery to me that what people want is to change the teaching, but not them self.

To many spiritual practitioners the teaching is untouchable, but what you can do is to speak with practitioners from your own path, this can lead to, ou or them will gain new understanding of the teaching and thereby your understanding will change (wisdom arise)

But only one who have deep understanding of the teaching will be able to guide other practitioners who have less understanding of the teaching, from the same religion or spiritual path. ( that is my understanding)
It is also here I my self have failed a lot. I thought I understood teachings from other spiritual teachings, but realized that those teachings are different to my understanding, and my understanding can not be used to guide people from other religions or spiritual paths.(not that I try to guide others anymore)

So maybe a reason why discussions often go south is because we do not see the truth the same way as the people we discuss with. And our arguments fall apart because we can not see our own fault if we meet someone with more understanding of the teachings.
And who put together/gathered the teachings that you want to leave "untouched?" Who did that? Was it not some other set of fallible human beings who very likely disagreed with other teachings being offered by those around them?

Why did anyone think to come up with a "set of teachings?" Would it not have been exactly because what they saw in those around them were actions/attributes/behaviors/principles they did not agree with?

In my opinion you do not think deeply enough about these things, @Amanaki. And by that I don't mean you are missing some profound understanding or some "spiritual" awakening. Far from it. I mean that you haven't taken each point you come to down to its more base level - back and back and back until you reach questions that are so fundamental that there are no answers to be had. When you have reached that level in things, you very often realize that those professing to know so much can't really possess the knowledge they are claiming to have. Especially if they cannot describe to you precisely how they have broken through the veil of what you see as the most fundamental level and come to some "greater understanding."
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
some things in ancient texts obviously need to be ignored so you're bound to have change In practice.
Not agree when it comes to spiritual teaching :)
In my understanding those teachings are made one way and are only meant to be taught and practiced one way. So when people of today change them, because it does not fit their view or it is against the norm of today. Then it is actually destroying the true teaching.

So this is why it become chaotic in mostly every spiritual practice today.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
And who put together/gathered the teachings that you want to leave "untouched?" Who did that? Was it not some other set of fallible human beings who very likely disagreed with other teachings being offered by those around them?

Why did anyone think to come up with a "set of teachings?" Would it not have been exactly because what they saw in those around them were actions/attributes/behaviors/principles they did not agree with?

In my opinion you do not think deeply enough about these things, @Amanaki. And by that I don't mean you are missing some profound understanding or some "spiritual" awakening. Far from it. I mean that you haven't taken each point you come to down to its more base level - back and back and back until you reach questions that are so fundamental that there are no answers to be had. When you have reached that level in things, you very often realize that those professing to know so much can't really possess the knowledge they are claiming to have. Especially if they cannot describe to you precisely how they have broken through the veil of what you see as the most fundamental level and come to some "greater understanding."
Those who taught those teachings was enlightend masters who them self had cultivated a spiritual teaching. Then when they did decide to teach, it would be from their own enlightened mind to their level of wisdom.
When people of today try to change those teachings to fit todays people, they can not see the full truth of the teaching, since they them self has not realized enlightenment yet.

Again this is my understanding, so I know many will disagree with what I say.
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
Those who taught those teachings was enlightend masters who them self had cultivated a spiritual teaching. Then when they did decide to teach, it would be from their own enlightened mind to their level of wisdom.
You cannot know this to be true. What does it even mean to be "enlightened?" If someone is an electrician, you can test them easily by asking them to do something, in reality, that very easily proves their proficiency - like wiring up a junction box. What sort of test is there that can just as easily weed out the charlatans from the "enlightened masters", or detect those with a personal agenda? I know of no such test.

When people of today try to change those teachings to fit todays people, they can not see the full truth of the teaching, since they them self has not realized enlightenment yet.

Again this is my understanding, so I know many will disagree with what I say.
Yes, they will. As for me... I wholeheartedly agree with your statement that "religious teachings should not be touched." Very good advice. Do not pick up that Bible. Do not lay a finger on that Quran. Do not thumb through scripture of any kind. Treat it much like a plague.
 
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