A Guide to World Religions

This comes from the perspective that there is an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent being that is good, justice, and mercy.  He communicates with his creations, and inspires scriptures according to a person’s cultural understanding.  Certainly, if God is good, we assume that there is some purpose to revelation. This purpose is progression towards the Platonic Forms. The process of identifying and analyzing a religion is broken down into three main parts:

1. Origin (Beginning story and culture)
2. The scriptures
3. Modern interpretation of scripture

This structure can help determine whether a religion was inspired of God. The overall goal of a religion, its practices and absolute truths, are found in its scriptures. Whether they are interpreted correctly is the cause for concern, so some guidelines are needed. Since religious belief changes with each individual, this guide is an attempt to find consistent truth across religions for an increase of understanding, tolerance, and also bettering one’s spiritual practices.

A religion ought to develop the character and attributes of the individual. The Platonic Forms, which were supported by Plato and Socrates as the only things that we as rational beings can know are unchanging and non-material. These include both mathematical truths and the virtues. Geometry and algebra fit into this category, though they aren’t the base of a religious life. So we look at the established virtues which are more clearly defined in Lectures on Faith1, which uses the bible to ascertain attributes that can trust in, particularly, in deity. These virtues will be used in filtering through religions and their individual practices and scripture:

The virtues defined: “That [God] is merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness, and that he was so from everlasting, and will be to everlasting...that he changes not, neither is there variableness with him; but that he is the same from everlasting to everlasting, being the same yesterday to-day and forever; and that his course is one eternal round, without variation...That he is a God of truth and cannot lie. ...That he is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted of him...That he is love.2

“We have, in the revelations which he has given to the human family, the following account of his attributes... Knowledge... Faith, or power...Justice...Judgment...Mercy...Truth.”3

Whether a practical religion, such as Buddhism, or a religion based on absolute truth, such as Islam, one can determine the validity of said religion based on how one living the practice would develop these virtues. Let it also be noted that here that the above two paragraphs differ in that the first describes the character of God, while the second describes his attributes. By little reflection, one can see that in order to exercise faith in any religion, a free and rational being must see these principles in the path, or he will not exercise belief in it.

I will further explain how each of the stated attributes ought to be developed and why they should be our religious goals. (talk about here how we eventually hope to be unchanging, but adapting. This is a sweet truth that comes from asking the right questions. This is the power of attaining understanding and knowledge that comes from world religions.)

Of course, there are other attributes to mention: patience, temperance, kindness, diligence, virtue itself, and others. These virtues are a part of the previously stated attributes. Patience is slow to anger. Temperance changes not. Diligence is abundant in goodness, and so on.

Sources

1) Joseph Smith, “Lectures on Faith”

2) http://lecturesonfaith.com/3/ , verses 14-18

3) http://lecturesonfaith.com/4/ verses 5-10.

Service in the Moment.

 Service brings about the greatest happiness. Personal growth brings the greatest happiness.  The two are the same, and develop in every conversation and every place we find ourselves. Here’s how it works:  “The more I try, the harder it gets” is a common complaint, because one feels the frustration burn inside. That burning gives place to empathy -- the power to carry a burden with someone. If you can walk through a trial with someone, you have participated in the greatest sort of service. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is, after all, the Lord taking upon himself all our burdens. Our capacity to serve in this way grows as we learn mindfulness, the Tao, and to try.

    Bear with me as I briefly explain Mindfulness and the Tao. Then I will show how they all relate to God’s example of service. All of this is aimed toward personal growth, and how it can be used to serve those around us.

     Firstly, Mindfulness is the essence of Buddha's teaching (3*). Constantly our minds wander to a place other than where we are. There is always something better to do -- Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media are easy ways to forget where we are and to distract ourselves from the important things. Or when on a date, we can find ourselves thinking about work rather than our sweetheart. Master Oogway put it best to a stressed out Panda when he said, “You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Mindfulness looks for the best thing to do in each moment. That skill comes with prayer, meditation, and fasting.
 By studying when we should study, working when we should be working, playing when we should play, and all the while being mindful of people around us, we will begin to squeeze the juice out of every moment. The way we live is a service, because we’ll learn the best way to live and increase our capacity to help others do the same.

      Secondly, the Tao is a way of saying "how things work", or the natural order of things. Going against it is like swimming upstream and is very tiring and unproductive. Philosophical Taoism strives for Wu Wei--how one lives with the Tao. Roger R. Keller, a graduate from Yale in World Religions and retired professor of BYU wrote in is his book Light and Truth: A Latter Day Saint Guide to World Religions “Wu Wei is to follow the spirit.” It teaches when to try hard or when to let things take their natural course. Let's say you want to become a better basketball player. When you are with your coach and team, you practice hard; when you are with your friends its okay to relax and enjoy a game of pick-up. If you're intense all the time, you'll probably scare your friends off. If you relax at practice, you get a ticked off coach, annoyed friends, and your skills probably won’t improve. Things need to be done at the right time.  That is Wu-Wei.  (2*)

    Mindfulness teaches us how to be present. Wu Wei teaches us when to do what. By asking the question, “What is the best thing for me to be doing right now?” Brings the realization that among all of today's errands, the priority is the person I can influence. After all, the base of God’s happiness is first His capacity to bless us; then it’s glorified as we choose to follow him.  (1*) We pattern this by building our own character, so that we too can positively influence others.    

    Thirdly, to serve others at all times, we simply try. Here’s a personal example:church can be boring. Some speakers are monotone, many say routine jokes; it is flipping hard to listen sometimes! This is when ADD starts to kick in. Even so, I try to pay attention. By trying to consistently listen I begin to see the person saying the words, and I relate to them. This practice over a long period of time has been frustrating and rewarding. I’ve become more disciplined, a better listener, and I actually enjoy sacrament meeting. Now when people struggle with things they don’t like to do, and talk to me, they see that I understand. I can bear that feeling with them.

    Inasmuch as I constantly try to do the right thing, I realize how weak I am. Sometimes I accidentally insult someone; sometimes I find myself not using a moment to connect with someone when perhaps I could have inspired them in some way. Sometimes I find that all day I've been doing "important things", and missed an opportunity to wash the dishes with my mom; and connect with her and share her load. Seeing others struggle and wanting to help them forces me to see where I can help, and how I can improve; Surely I am moving forward.
    The first step to change is recognizing things to improve on. (For Christians the first step of repentance is recognition. Then we open ourselves up to the ennobling grace of God.) Progression in the power to serve, or Happiness, is built upon the smallest instances of everyday life. We can win every situation if we try to follow the Tao by being mindful.

    

    Heaven is Eternal, earth everlasting.

    They endure this way because they

         do not live for themselves.

    In the same way, the wise person

         puts himself last,

         and thereby finds himself first;

         Holds himself outside,

         and thereby remains at the center;

         Abandons himself,

         and is thereby fulfilled.

- The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu, #7

*Sources

1. Moses 1:39, the Pearl of Great Price
2. #8 and #10 of The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu, Translated by Brian Browne Walker

3. Chapter 11: Right Mindfulness.  The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh

Yin and Yang

     Taoism is a logical way for approaching God's will. Once my seminary teacher said, "though we may have the faith to move a mountain, I'm pretty sure God likes his mountains where they are." So how do we know the time for a miracle? When should our prayers not be to move a mountain, but rather to accept nature's course? That is where Yin and Yang comes in.

    "Like the Force in Star Wars, the Tao has two sides. Unlike other religions where the higher power is all good and perhaps has an all-evil rival, Taoism teaches that we need to learn from both yin and yang. And unlike religions with Gods that are personal, the higher power in Taoism is not. Taoists believe that being in Harmony with the way, the person will not have to fight against the universe's natural flow." (*1)

     The Tao is the natural order of things. Its like the energy that runs the universe. Living against it is like swimming upstream: frustrating, and moving backwards. In the mission I observed families struggling to have a picture perfect Mormon family. The pressure from the parents could often eat away at relationships. Instead of forcing upon ourselves an ideal, rather we learn to be "longsuffering" (*2) as the "ideal" naturally comes by righteous living. The Tao teaches that tugging on a plant does not cause it to grow faster.

     "The highest good is like water.
          which benefits all things
          and contends with none.

     "This is the way of heaven,
          do your work, then quietly step back."

-The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu #'s 8 and 9.

    Consider the way God works in your life, and if he wants that mountain to move. Your family or life may not be an ideal. Yet as we do our part, surely, "all things work together for good to them that love God." Romans 8: 28. Romans chapter 8 applies this principle of suffering long while seeking the will of God.

End note:
     By better understanding the devil, recognize how to react. 2 Nephi 28: 21-22 workings of the devil and 1 Nephi 11: 2 is a great way of understanding how to live by the spirit.



*Sources:

1.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezmR9Attpyc
2.      Charity is longsuffering... the first attribute of Christ's love. Moroni 7: 45 of the Book of Mormon.