Chapter 13- Religious Studies

Chapter 13

Religious Studies

Dietary Exercise Suggested:

Eating alone … and with the contemplation of the invisible Host.

Commentary:

Although the exercise for this subject could well have been consistent with the theme of communal dining, and the sharing of the one foodstuff etc. we have chosen an aspect which hopes to embrace the invisible community, Religiosity Major, and the inspirational company therein as it becomes qualified in us.

What is perhaps not so easily reckoned with within the tangible world, is that there are many spiritual beings and departed individuals who glean experience from that of our own.

The experience itself does not (could not and should not) translate into a direct perception – i.e. seeing through our eyes, hearing through our ears, sensing as we sense – but it does commute via the impressionings gleaned in our summation of them.

What ‘speaks’ of us, and follows on to the invisible worlds is not that of what we ordinarily experience; partly because there are no means there for them to interpret physical sensations anyway. What speaks to them is that which is born of us through a secondary consideration – usually one of inspiration, curiosity or just plain out and out wonder!

There is a budhi aspect which Humanity is awakened to through its religiosity. With the animal this aspect presents itself within the relationship of parent to young, and then further on with pride or herd. A like sympathy will develop to the point that the animals do feel and intuit on behalf of one another. Not only can they physically sense each other’s emotional life – feeling their fear, exploring their aggression, romping into playfulness, or driving into fiercely determined peregrinations – the animals know the collective mood, and are affected by it greatly.

With men and women there is also the family as well, quite naturally, but adherent to this comes the greater family of the world to be known and understood. For in terms of our own spiritual natures, our state of religion can be verily measured by the sense of our own humanity. And interestingly enough this requires a talent and a tolerance which takes us out of our secular groupings and provings into a lifelong compassion which pledges for the human spirit itself – in all of its nakedness and innocence.

You see, we identify and choose many associates from differing quarters. With most of these folk we will be obliged to be respectful to who they are and what they defend. Yet, these choosings will always be defined by us – meeting the individuals or the groups in relation, and with status which is of the world.

In other words, I can know a fellow stamp-lover through our shared and acquired knowledge for philately, and our communicative understandings will be on a certain level respective to each other’s understandings.

Now, distinct to that form of fellowship is quite another. There is a fellowship we may come to Humanity by, and concurrently to our brothers and sisters also individually, through our relationship which is not by them or with them directly or respectively, but rather through our relationship with Father God. This is the difference between groupism, sameism, narcissism and Religion.

Religion takes us to the perception of Father God, that we may love, know and trust through His Eyes, as He does, with the Humanity around us. Our interpretive vistas are no longer restricted to that only of our own experience. Conversely also, the invisible community around us which supports His Kingdom’s Being is likewise affected by our gleanings as well.

During our exercise of eating alone we can further this thought with the ponderings of lofty and inspired contemplations, whilst nourishing ourselves. A favourite book or meditation – something which does not require great intellectual scrutiny (mind over stomach); but rather some literature or contemplation which is harmonising and relaxing to our beings.

The benefits from this practice should be considerable in themselves. This is not an attempt to realize or compare in abstract terms what we are doing, but a time we can take in simplicity for ourselves – soothing and feeding ourselves, with an inspiration along the way, making holy the nourishment which becomes new life within us.