Has anyone considered why
it is that fringe or other religions survive, thrive and in fact appeal to the
local people? It is a normal process, where the simple weight of the
established religion (inertia) gets people thinking about the wrongs rather than the
rights, giving the purveyors of other religions a perfect opportunity to
convince the doubters that another belief may make more sense.
In the end those who
change their beliefs are those least in command of themselves, but find enormous comfort in their adopted religion and become proponents of that religion as its new believers believing in it for the right reasons!
Ignorant are the
most prone to indoctrination. The Catholics used this successfully in changing
the beliefs of the Inca communities in South America, to such a degree that it
is now largest Catholic continent in the world, resulting in a Pope from there.
One just has to look up
Christianity in the UK. It is in wholesale decline with more than half the
churches sold off, many converted into homes. That is why I found it amusing
when a rabble of Buddhists in Sri Lanka, were complaining that a place of
worship had been turned into a Christian site! It is just the normal sequence. If they are to prevent it they must work at a revival not preventing others from taking advantage of taking over distressed properties!
People ignorant of
history, learn nothing from History. It is history that defines the present and
future. If we knew sufficient history we will learn and understand why people
behave the way they do. Much of the ignorance of the BBS in SL today, is due to
their complete ignorance of history.
A leadership knowledgeable
in history will take steps to prevent history repeating itself! Others like BBS
are falling head on into a trap created by them, which in the end is going to
endanger Buddhism more than what the established order has done to date.
Perverting a religion to one’s own personal agenda is bound to ricochet!
I appeal to the majority
who have any sense left in them to take stock of their beliefs to strengthen
the religion not and not permit it to be prostituted. It is the large apathetic
majority of believers who give fodder to these groups, by their apathy and
intransigence. You NEVER strengthen your religion by attacking others, you do
it by making yours stronger, not by force, but by education, and faith. So let
us get back to meditation, consciousness, and effort at being more giving and
not grabbing.
If your core belief is
strong it is easy to attract others to your belief as they will look at you as
an example of the religion you profess. If there is no basis for belief no one
is going to convert, and many will leave it. So do not think people get sucked into
other beliefs just for money, as some do, it is due to the fault of their own religion
NOT catering to the spiritual needs of the supposedly lost soul.
One only has to look at those purists of Buddhism, the true Arahats, who have given up everything to meditate in a kutiya. They are the single most abused people by the established hierarchy of the Sangha who fear their example will turn people away from assisting in empire building and instead go back to basics of pure Buddhism.
I have written on belief at
length lately, and I am tending to become a non believer! Why I cannot find any true believers in any religion. Just the tell and show types with nothing inside their own souls, empty and bankrupt. If there are no true believers, how can religion survive the modern age? Through FEAR thats all.
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