Baasha
Golden Member
- Jan 4, 2010
- 1,989
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Your questions and assertions are by no means "easy" to answer. Yet, I will try to describe the way I understand these conundrums.
First and foremost, religion has different aspects to it; there is the dogmatic aspect and the cultural aspect. The dogmatic aspects, emphasized in the desert religions of the Abrahamics (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), form the core. The cultural aspect is purely ancillary in nature. Thus, you can see this dogmatism especially in Islam where no matter who you are or where you are, you have to pray in Arabic, face Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and read the Qu'ran in Arabic. There is no alternative. It doesn't matter whether you are culturally Chinese, Sudanese, or American. The other two Abrahamic religions also emphasize dogma quite heavily.
The other religions, called the "Dharmic" religions, mostly from India (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc.), are more about culture than dogma. This is especially true of Hinduism where you have sects that are antipodes of each other; atheism (yes, there are atheistic sects within Hinduism) and dogmatic dualistic philosophy (Dvaita or "dualism").
Having said that, most people in the world follow traditions and philosophies of their environment. This is fact. This in fact extends beyond the religious sphere as you can tell with food, clothing, behavior etc.
With regard to the religions, it is hard to explain without stepping on some toes but I shall try to be as diplomatic as possible.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Abrahamic religions are more about faith than experience. The Dharmic religions, Hinduism & Buddhism in particular, emphasize experience of the "divine" (or whatever you want to call it) rather than 'belief' and/or faith. There are sects in both those religions that recognize the existence of other beings ("higher" and "lower" -- in terms of level of consciousness) but ultimately, those religions, in their respective scriptures, are merely guides for the "SEEKER OF TRUTH" or Sadhaka. Thus, the goal of the two main Dharmic religions are to act as lamps along a dark/unknown path for those who are seeking to find out the truth; aka the nature of reality. That is why they stress practice (yoga/meditation/pilgrimage etc.) over mere dogmatic "belief" or affirmation of the Supreme.
One way to look at it is Hinduism/Buddhism are introspective paths to find out the nature of reality. That is why "Buddha" means "awakened one" or moksha is enlightenment as one is awakened to the TRUTH; one has transcended the phenomenal world into experiencing the divine.
The Abrahamic faiths are always at loggerheads with science because ultimately, they separate the "creator" and the "creation" and identify them as distinct. This "illusion", called MAYA in Hinduism, is the cause of all suffering. How do we know whether we are distinct or not? Well, that is for us to find out and experience. That is what the fully enlightened sages/seers of India have said thousands of years ago. The scriptures (Vedas and Buddhist scriptures) are merely guides to help us get there.
It is quite interesting that Advaita (non-dualism) in Hinduism and Buddhism, with its non-theistic philosophy of impermanence, are widely appreciated by the foremost scientists around the world. Instead of worrying about who is right and who is doing it "wrong", one should concentrate on one's own quest to find the TRUTH. That is the purpose of life; according to the Eastern religions.
With regard to your specific question about people choosing religions, it is largely based on the region they are born in. Very few people study other religions/paths and find out for themselves as the main reason is inertia and laziness of the mind/body. Those who do seek for themselves have to cross several cultural hurdles (clashing with familial traditions for example) along with other obstacles. There are few who do dare to venture outward and some find solace in other religions while others in non-theistic philosophy.
My opinion on it is that any philosophy/religion that says, "Our way is the ONLY way or RIGHT/CORRECT way and all others are FALSE/WRONG and thus doomed" are doing an enormous disservice to humanity and causing immense harm to societies around the world.
It is strange to note that the verse many associate with Jesus (John 14:6), "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" is extremely similar to the same thing Krishna said to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the Bhagavad Gita (Ch. 18 v.66) (~3139 BCE), "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me."
Yet, you don't see Hindus going around trying to convert people of other faiths. Why? It is because any message is only as good as the vessel that receives it.
A good analogy is music. If you took Tupac's music to some enclave in Connecticut and blasted it really loudly, cops will be on you quicker than you can say, "Ambitionz as a Ridah!" If you took Bach and blasted it in Compton loudly, people will look at you like, "Man, that some gay shit right there!" However, can you deny that the feeling one gets by listening to music (whatever form) is different? The subjective reality of happiness is a tell-tale sign that no one-size fits all method will work. Unfortunately, the Abrahamic religions are always about taking one path and shoving it down the throat of others regardless of their cultural, religious, ethnic, and socio-economic background. That is why there are religious conflicts all the time.
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