THE TRUTH
Investigation into the
Ultimate Reality
within the various religions.
Mainstream interpretations as they are perceived by the majority of people.
Quotations from generally accepted sources like Wikipedia and others.
To show the limitations e.g. ignorance of common understanding
Finally emphasis on the Original Tradition
It truly is the beginning of a New Era!
JUDAISM
"A being that exists beyond time doesn't come
from anywhere. He has always existed. If something created God, God would have a beginning
and He'd be finite, not infinite. Beyond time means having no beginning and no end.
Eternal. It means there is nothing that exists before God. 'Before' is a time-bound
quality that applies only to finite entities. Therefore God is called "the First
Cause" - the Prime Mover - the dimension that has no other dimension preceding
it".
"Abraham discovers the infinite source of existence, an Eternal Being, unhindered by
time and space. "Every Jew must believe and know that there exists a First Being,
without beginning or end, who brought all things into existence and continues to sustain
them. This Being is God." [Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, in his 18th century work, The
Way of God)"
CHRISTIANITY
"In Christianity, the supreme creator and ruler
of the universe. The Christian religion, like Judaism and Islam, maintains that there is
only one God (monotheism), who is active in and concerned about the world. These religions
are also patriarchal (male-dominated), which has resulted in God being described as
‘He’. Recently, some theologians have argued that this ignores the positive
female characteristics of the Godhead in favour of masculine qualities"
"The true nature of God is beyond human experience and understanding. However,
Christians believe God is infinite (without beginning or end), omnipotent (all-powerful),
omniscient (all-knowing), benevolent (all-loving), eternal, unchanging, holy, perfect, and
personal. The Christian idea of God is shown in the belief of the Trinity. God is One, but
with three aspects: God the Father, the creator, ruler, and sustainer of all life, and
divine judge; God the Son, who is Jesus, God made incarnate and saviour of humanity; and
the Holy Spirit, who is God working in the world".
GNOSIS
"In the Gnostic view, there is a true, ultimate
and transcendent God, who is beyond all created universes and who never created anything
in the sense in which the word “create” is ordinarily understood. While this
True God did not fashion or create anything, He (or, It) “emanated” or brought
forth from within Himself the substance of all there is in all the worlds, visible and
invisible. In a certain sense, it may therefore be true to say that all is God, for all
consists of the substance of God. By the same token, it must also be recognized that many
portions of the original divine essence have been projected so far from their source that
they underwent unwholesome changes in the process. To worship the cosmos, or nature, or
embodied creatures is thus tantamount to worshipping alienated and corrupt portions of the
emanated divine essence".
"The basic Gnostic myth has many variations,
but all of these refer to Aeons, intermediate deific beings who exist between the
ultimate, True God and ourselves. They, together with the True God, comprise the realm of
Fullness (Pleroma) wherein the potency of divinity operates fully. The Fullness stands in
contrast to our existential state, which in comparison may be called emptiness".
"One of the aeonial beings who bears the name
Sophia (“Wisdom”) is of great importance to the Gnostic world view. In the
course of her journeyings, Sophia came to emanate from her own being a flawed
consciousness, a being who became the creator of the material and psychic cosmos, all of
which he created in the image of his own flaw. This being, unaware of his origins,
imagined himself to be the ultimate and absolute God. Since he took the already existing
divine essence and fashioned it into various forms, he is also called the Demiurgos or
“half-maker” There is an authentic half, a true deific component within
creation, but it is not recognized by the half-maker and by his cosmic minions, the
Archons or “rulers”.
ISLAM
"In Islamic theology God (Arabic: Allah) is the
all-powerful, all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam
puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular (tawhid). God
is unique (wahid) and inherently One (ahad), all-merciful and omnipotent.
According to the Islamic teachings, God exists without a place. According to the Qur'an,
"No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. God is above all
comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things" (Qur'an 6:103)".
"According to Islam there are 99 Names of God (al-asma
al-husna lit. meaning: "The best names") each of which evoke a distinct
attribute of God. All these names refer to Allah, the supreme and all-comprehensive divine
name. Among the 99 names of God, the most famous and most frequent of these names are
"the Compassionate" (al-rahman) and "the Merciful" (al-rahim)".
"Creation and ordering of the universe is seen
as an act of prime mercy for which all creatures sing God's glories and bear witness to
God's unity and lordship. God responds to those in need or distress whenever they call.
Above all, God guides humanity to the right way, “the holy ways.”
"Islam teaches that God, as referenced in the
Qur'an, is the only God and the same God worshipped by members of other Abrahamic
religions such as Christianity and Judaism".
EXCURSION: THE DEVIL
"The Devil (Greek: diábolos =
slanderer' or 'accuser' is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful,
supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and
humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly. It ranges from being an effective
opposite force to the creator god at one extreme, where both are locked in an eons long
holy war for human souls on what may seem even terms (to the point of dualism), to being
just a comical figure of fun or even an abstract aspect of the individual human condition
at the other".
"Whilst mainstream Judaism contains no overt
concept of a devil,Christianity and Islam have variously regarded the Devil as a
rebellious fallen angel or demon that tempts humans to sin, if not commit evil deeds
himself. In these religions - particularly during periods of division or external threat -
the Devil has assumed more of a dualistic status commonly associated with heretics,
infidels and other unbelievers. As such, the Devil is seen as an allegory that represents
a crisis of faith, individualism, free will, wisdom and enlightenment".
"In mainstream Christianity, God and the Devil
are usually portrayed as fighting over the souls of humans, with the Devil seeking to lure
people away from God and into Hell. The Devil commands a force of evil spirits, commonly
known as demons. The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) describes the Adversary (Ha- satan)
as an angel who instigates tests upon humankind. Many other religions have a trickster or
tempter figure that is similar to the Devil. Modern conceptions of the Devil include the
concept that it symbolizes humans' own lower nature or sinfulness".
HINDUISM
"For Hindus God, as is, is beyond any
attributes of form, color, shapes ... That is, God does not have any specific form or
name. In this state God is referred to as nirguNa brahman (attributeless god).
However God takes forms as perceived by humans and this perceived form is called saguNa
brahman (god with (good) attributes). These forms could range from calm to fierce to
yogic (1). Each form has its significance. For example when one is depressed and sees the
form of God Strong and Powerful, the seeker feels the moral boost that God would
definitely be the support for the right thing. Similarly when in an auspicious ceremony
would like the God to be the calm provider of boons. In a spiritually elevated state, the
choice would be the yogic form of God. The forms provide a basis for the Hindu worshipper
to easily pursue the otherwise incomprehensible Supreme. So Hinduism supports both form as
well as formless worship of the God. Whether one worships in saguNa or nirguNa way, it is
ultimately the same God".
"God is one who generates(G), observes(O) and
Destroys(D) , or the one from whom, every thing happens and cause of all change. But if we
go in depth of Hinduism, a new concept occurs. Under Vaishnavism, Sri Vishnu is supreme
and for Shaivism, Shiva is God but the both of two suggests Radha and Shakthi are the
actual powers behind Krishna and Shiva respectively. On the other hand Shaktas think that
Goddess Adi parashakti is only generator, preserver and destroyer and known as dynamic
essence of ultimate reality, OM, then one who is dimensionless, nirguna, who is neither
male nor female, and is totally a static consciousness. But Devi-Bhagvata Purana suggests
that the ultimate reality, OM always appears in front of us in the form of Female or known
as Shakti, the cause of all change and dynamic herself, more over she actually performs
the task of trimurti and trimurti are just referred as machines. So this concept suggests
that GOD as mother is prevalent in Hinduism".
TAOISM
"The core of Daoism is, of course, Dao ( the
Way), which is beyond description. It is said that Dao is the origin of the universe, the
basis of all existing things, the law governing their development and change, and the
ultimate force of Daoism. Taoism (also spelled Daoism) refers to a philosophical or
religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao, which
is the mechanism of everything that exists. The word "Tao" (or "Dao",
depending on the romanization scheme) is usually translated as "way",
"path" or "principle", although the word also means "nature"
as in the nature of all things as well as the natural world. Taoism had not only a
profound influence on the culture of China, but also on neighboring countries. While the
philosophical Taoism is not institutionalized, the religious Taoism is institutionalized
and present in multiple countries. Taoist philosophy is deeply rooted in contemporary
China, and is an unavoidable part of modern Chinese life".
"Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the
Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility, while Taoist thought
generally focuses on nature, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos; health and
longvity; and wu wei (action through inaction). Harmony with the universe, or the source
thereof (Tao), is the intended result of many Taoist rules and practices".
"Reverence for ancestor spirits andimmortals is
common in popular Taoism. Organized Taoism distinguishes its ritual activity from that of
the folk religion, which some professional Taoists view as debased.Chinese alchemy,
atrology, cuisine, several Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui
and many styles of qigong have been intertwined with Taoism throughout history".
SHINTO
"Shinto teaches that everything contains a
kami, "spiritual essence", commonly translated as god or spirit. Shinto's
spirits are collectively called yaoyorozu no kami (?), an expression literally meaning
"eight million kami", but interpreted as meaning "myriad", although it
can be translated as "many Kami". There is a phonetic variation kamu and a
similar word among Ainu: kamui. There is an analog "mi-koto".
"Kami are a difficult concept to translate as
there is no direct similar construct in English. Kami is generally accepted to describe
the innate supernatural force that is above the actions of man, the realm of the sacred,
and is inclusive of gods, spirit figures, and human ancestors. All mythological creatures
of the Japanese cultural tradition, of the Buddhistic tradition, Christian God, Hindu
Gods, Allah, various angels and demons of all faiths among others are considered Kami for
the purpose of Shinto faith".
"The kami reside in all things, but certain
places are designated for the interface of people and kami (the common world and the
sacred): sacred nature, shrines, and kamidana. There are natural places considered to have
an unusually sacred spirit about them, and are objects of worship. They are frequently
mountains, trees, unusual rocks, rivers, waterfalls, and other natural edifices. In most
cases they are on or near a shrine grounds. The shrine is a building built in which to
house the kami, with a separation from the "ordinary" world through sacred space
with defined features based on the age and lineage of the shrine. The kamidana is a home
shrine (placed on a wall in the home) that is a "kami residence" that acts as a
substitute for a large shrine on a daily basis. In each case the object of worship is
considered a sacred space inside which the kami spirit actually dwells, being treated with
the utmost respect and deference".
BUDDHISM
"The non adherence to the notion of a
omnipotent creator deity or a prime mover is seen by many as a key distinction between
Buddhism and other religions. In Buddhism the sole aim of spiritual practice is the
complete alleviation of stress in samsara, called nirvana. The Buddha neither denies nor
accepts a creator, denies endorsing any views on creation and states that questions on the
origin of the world are worthless".
"Some teachers tell students beginning Buddhist
meditation that the notion of divinity is not incompatible with Buddhism, but dogmatic
beliefs in a Supreme God are considered to pose a hindrance to the attainment of nirvana,
the highest goal of Buddhist practice. Despite this apparent non- theism, Buddhists
consider veneration of the Noble ones very important although the two main traditions of
Buddhism differ mildly in their reverential attitudes. While Theravada Buddhism view the
Buddha as a human being who attained nirvana or Buddhahood, through human efforts, some
Mahayana Buddhists consider him an embodiment of the cosmic Dharmakaya, born for the
benefit of others, and not merely a human being. In addition, some Mahayana Buddhists
worship their chief Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara and hope to embody him".
"Buddhists accept the existence of beings in
higher realms, known as devas, but they, like humans, are said to be suffering in samsara,
and are not necessarily wiser than us. In fact the Buddha is often portrayed as a teacher
of the gods, and superior to them. Despite this there are believed to be enlightened Devas
on the path of Buddhahood".
MANICHEISM
"Manichaeism was one of the major Iranian
Gnostic Religions, originating in Sassanid Persia. Although most of the original writings
of the founding prophet Mani (in Latin: Manichaeus or Manes) (c. 216–276 AD) have
been lost, numerous translations and fragmentary texts have survived. Manichaeism taught
an elaborate cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light,
and an evil, material world of darkness. Through an ongoing process which takes place in
human history, light is gradually removed from the world of matter and returned to the
world of light from which it came. Its beliefs, based on local Mesopotamian gnostic and
religious movements, contained elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and
Buddhism".
EXCURSION: HELL OR
UNDERWORLD
"Hell or Underworld is an allegory for
the very real Cosmic Destructive Force. In mythology MotherGoddess Inanna descended into
"Hell" in order to save Her beloved Dumuzi. Persepone did the same for Her
Daughter Kore. Here Hell symbolizes the winter season in which everything
"dies". This natural/spiritual phenomenon can be experienced, like in my case*.
However, in condemning the Old Mother Religion, where this was a fully accepted
experience, patriarchal religions used it as a terror weapon for deterrence and
intimidation up to this very day! It is a means to keep people meak. And this not only can
be applied to Christianity. Also Buddhist monks (e.g. in rural areas in Asia) threaten
people with Hell. A very common practice. The first concern thus is to expose the
manipulation of this Natural Phenomenon. In ordere to illustrate how "Hell" wasa
treated by religions I'll give you a short overview."
"In ancient Egypt at death a
person faced judgement. If found guilty he or she was thrown to a "devourer",
first subjected to terrifying punishment and then annihilated. These depicttions of
punishment may have influenced medieval percepttions of inferno in hell via early
Christian and Coptic texts. In Greece the Hades was a deep, gloomy place, a pit or abyss
unsed as a dungeon of torment and suffering. Judaism does not have a specific doctrine
about afterlife in general and hell in particular. Yahweh used to punish people while
being on earth. In this regard he was merciless, merciless destroying people who did
"not obey him". The suspician is that he wanted to compete with the Destructive
Aspect of the Original Great Mother. However "Destruction" as part of Natural
Law is something totally different from revenge in the hands of a wrathful
"God".
"Who would think that
"Hell" doesn't play a role in Christianity anymore, here a quotation from an
actual Roman.Catholic website "Our creed says that there is indeed a permanent
state of God's punishment of angels and humans, called Hell. This type of punishment is
eternal. The chosen ones go with Christ to Eternal Glory, while the damned go with the
Devil into eternal damnation. Hasn't Christ himself said: "Downfall, eternal torture,
to be thrown into Darkness (...), with uninterrupted exposure to flames and horror?"
Exclaiming "Stop committing sin, because Hell is irreversible, repent so that you may
be saved" No comments! Islam also give lively accounts of fiery Hell in which sinners
are condemned, as contrasted to the garden-like Paradise enjoyed by righteous believers.
The Baha'i faith describe closeness to God to be heaven, and conversely, remoteness from
God is hell, which makes sense. Buddha teaches about hell in vivid detail. These hells or
Naraka are places of "endless suffering". However, like all realms of rebirth
(....), rebirth in the Hell realms is not permanent, through suffering can persist for
eons before being reborn again."
"Hinduism originally didn't
have a concept of Hell. However, later it was (is) believed that people who commit sins go
to Hell and have to go through punishments like dipping in boiling oil, burning in fire,
torture through various weapons etc. This is the moment to ask yourself if the Cosmic
Mother, when She would still be "in command" would have had similar plans with
(wo)mankind. There is only one conclusion: all these horrors come from sick patriarchal
minds who are obsessed by power over people. To make it complete Jainism does accept
Naraka (Hell) as a realm of existence having great suffering. The categories of people
destined to go there are those who have killed with great passion, with excessive
attachment to things, and those who have led a vowless and unrestrained life. Last but not
least: ancient Taoism had NO concept of Hell. Only after adopting ideas from e.g. Buddhism
popular beliefs endows a Taoist Hell where sin is punished in a variety of horrible
ways."
* See "Threefold Realization"
ZOROASTRIANISM
"Zoroastrianism or Mazdaism is a religion
and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra) and
was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before
the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran".
"In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is
all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have
distinct sources, with evil (druj) trying to destroy the creation of Mazda, and
good trying to sustain it. Mazda is not immanent in the world, and His creation is
represented by the Amesha Spentas (arch-angels) and the host of other Yazatas (angels),
through whom the works of God are evident to humanity, and through whom worship of Mazda
is ultimately directed. The most important texts of the religion are those of the Avesta,
of which a significant portion has been lost, and mostly only the liturgies of which have
survived. The lost portions are known of only through references and brief quotations in
the later works, primarily from the 9th to 11th centuries".
JAINISM
"Jainism rejects the idea of any creator,
mentor or destroyer God. If godliness is defined as the state of having freed one's soul
from karmas and the attainment of enlightenment and a God as one who exists in such a
state, then those who have achieved such a state can be termed gods. Thus, Mahavira was
God but he was not the only God, there were many other Gods too. However, the quality of
godliness is one and the same in all of them. Thus, Jainism can be defined as polytheist,
monotheist, nontheist and atheist varyingly, depending on one's definition of God".
"Godliness can be defined as the inherent
quality of any soul characterizing infinite bliss, infinite power, infinite knowledge and
infinite peace. However, these qualities of a soul are subdued due to Karmas of the soul.
One who achieves this state of soul through right belief, right knowledge and right
conduct can be termed as God. This perfection of soul is called Kaivalya or Bodhi. A God
thus becomes a liberated soul- liberated of miseries, cycles of rebirth, world, Karmas and
finally liberated of body as well. This is called Nirvana or Moksha".
"Gods can be thus categorized into embodied
gods also known as Tirthankaras and Arihantas or ordinary Kevalin, and non-embodied
formless gods who are called Siddhas. Jainism considers the Devis and Devas to be
demi-goddesses and demi-gods who dwell in heavens owing to meritorious deeds in their past
lives. These souls are in heavens for a fixed lifespan and even they have to undergo
reincarnation as humans to achieve liberation".
BAHA'I
"The Bahá'í belief in one God means that the
universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural
Being. This Being, Whom we call God, has absolute control over His creation (omnipotence)
as well as perfect and complete knowledge of it (omniscience). Although we may have
different concepts of God's nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and
call Him by different names-Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma-nevertheless, we are speaking
about the same unique Being".
THEOSOPHY
"When we lay down the existence of God as the
first and greatest of our principles, it becomes necessary for us to define the sense in
which we employ that much-abused, yet mighty word. We try to redeem it from the narrow
limits imposed on it by the ignorance of undeveloped men, and to restore to it the
splendid conception—splendid, though infinitely below the reality—given to it by
the founders of religions. And we distinguish between God as the Infinite Existence, and
the manifestation of this Supreme Existence as a revealed God, evolving and guiding a
universe. Only to this limited manifestation should the term “a personal God” be
applied. God in Himself is beyond the bounds of personality, is “in all and through
all”; and indeed is all; and of the Infinite, the Absolute, the All, we can
only say “He is”.
"For all practical purposes we need not go
further than that marvellous and glorious manifestation of Him (a little less entirely
beyond our comprehension) the great Guiding Force or Deity of our own solar system, whom
philosophers have called the Logos. Of him is true all that we have ever heard predicated
of God—all that is good, that is—not the blasphemous conceptions sometimes put
forward, ascribing to Him human vices. But all that has ever been said of the love, the
wisdom, the power, the patience and compassion, the omniscience, the omnipresence, the
omnipotence—all of this, and much more, is true of the Logos of our system. Verily
“in Him we live and move and have our being”, not as a poetical expression, but
(strange as it may seem) as a definite scientific fact; and so when we speak of the Deity
our first thought is naturally of the Logos".
ANTHROPOSOPHY
"Steiner describes Christ's being and mission
on earth as having a central place in human evolution: To comprehend the central role of
the Christ in Steiner's spiritual philosophy it is necessary to understand the esotheric
cosmology that he espoused. In Steiner's theory of cosmic evolution, the incremental
spiritual development of the human form is interwoven and inseparable from the
cosmological development of the universe. This evolution and gradual descent into matter
occurs over vast cosmic periods, or yugas. The Christ being brings the impulse which
enables humanity's conscious ascent back into the spiritual worlds".
"The being of Christ is central to all
religions, though called by different names by each. Every religion is valid and true for
the time and cultural context in which it was born. Historical forms of Christianity need
to be transformed considerably in our times in order to meet the on-going evolution of
humanity".
"It is "the being" that unifies all
religions — and not a particular religious faith — that Steiner saw as the
central force in human evolution. He understood Christ's incarnation as a historical
reality, and a pivotal point in human history, however. The "Christ Being" is
for Steiner not only the Redeemer of the Fall from Paradise, but also the unique pivot and
meaning of earth's "evolutionary" processes and of all human history. The
essence of being "Christian"" is, for Steiner, a search for balance between
polarizing extremes but above all the ability to manifest love in freedom".
COMMENTS
Judaism worships Jahweh as the Only
God. Moreover, God "has created the world out of nothingness". Jewish belief is
therefore strictly monotheistic and patriarchal. In fact it was the (political!) necessity
for Josua (7th BCE) to create "One God, One People and One King". It has led to
exclusivity and intolerance. In Gnostic treatises this exclusivity to be the "only
God" is already doubted upon. There Jahweh boasts that there is "no other than
him", whereupon the "Mother!" exclaims "that's a lie, Jahweh".
Additionally, it is increasingly recognized that Jahweh in the early days of his career
had a consort: Asherah. Still Jeremiah (44) reports of the women of Jersusalem, who
refused to accept the "words of the Lord". Instead they insist offering to the
"Queen of Heaven". In the Kaballah God is considered "Nothingness",
while the Feminine Side of God is also emphasized. So, eventually, Judaism may well tend
to accept our deepest insight: "God didn't create the world out of nothingness, but
Nothingness (the Cosmic Womb...) is giving birth to both God and the universe, the latter
continuously returning to their Origin"
Christianity is among the world
religions that most manipulated its God-concept and subsequent teachings. The reason was
(is) political. It served the ambition of a Church that aimed/aims at world dominance. Its
God-concept was stolen from Judaism, its Mother of God idea was imitated from the ancient
MotherGoddess Religion, including that of Her "dying and resurrecting" Son.
There is very little originality in Christianity. It was due to its alliance with the
ruling elite, that it could maintain its power position for so long. Without the former it
would have collapsed already many centuries ago. "Ruling through the Sword and the
Word", together with incessant indoctrination through sin, fear and guilt, these are
the foundations of Christianity. Logically, nowadays, in order to survive
"secularism" the Church shows a "tolerant" face. It is part of its
strategy, though. With regard to its key dogma - the Trinity - the unity of "Father,
Son and Holy Ghost" - the true Trinity is that of "Cosmic Mother, with God as
Her first emanation (Her Lightbody), and the universe as Her Material Body (second
emanation).
Although Gnosis emphasizes
experience rather than dogma's, eventually its insights didn't go deep enough. It
postulated Sophia as "consort of God", very similar to Shakti in Hinduism (from
which it probably copied the concept). The Reality, however, is that Sphia didn't
"emanate" from God, but the other way round: God emanated from Sophia. Until
this very day this isn't understood even by feminist writers. It was a man H.Eberz who got
it right. He wrote a book "Sophia and Her Logos". Beautiful, isn't it? It is one
of the rare exapmples of Truth. When reading it joy comes up, truly a sign of recognition!
By the way, the Gnostic concept of the world "emanating" from the Godhead comes
very close to the Reality of the Mother, giving birth to both God and the universe.
Few people will know, that the religion considered to be most
patriarchal - Islam - actually has a very deep rooted feminine core. It
is one of the best hidden secrets. The reasons are manifold. Obviously, ruling clerics
have no interest to undermine their position by revealing the feminine character of their
religion. Nevertheless some brave hearts are trying to do just that*. It all starts with
the description of the Essence of Allah. As you know the core Name of Allah is al-Rahman,
al-Rahim. It is the most important Name among the other 99 Names attributed to Allah. The
common translation is "Allah the Merciful e.g. the Mercy-Giver". Literally,
however, "rahman" means "womb". This puts everything in the right
perspective. Allah proves to be both the Source of Mercy as well as Mercy itself. The
former is equal to the unmanifest formless Essence, while the latter symbolizes His (Her!)
Being, His active, outgoing, creative outpouring. It is easily to understand, that the
Essence corresponds with the Eternal Feminine Aspect of Allah, while His (Her!) creative
"part" can be called Masculine. It is emphasized by the word for Divine Essence:
al-Dhat, which is also feminine. The similarity with our own position is striking. The
Essence as the Womb from which the Divine is evolving.
For more, see "Mother
and Sons"
To Hinduism the Trimurti - Brahma
("Creation"), Vishnu ("Preservation") and Shiva
("Destruction") - is the Ultimate. In Reality, however, these Gods are
symbolizing the Three Cosmic Forces of the Original Mother. In Her "creation,
preservation and rebirth" were part of One Unidivided Power. Patriarchal reversal
made Her a consort of the Gods ("Shakti") while in Reality the Gods are Her
Sons. This pattern can be observed with all patriarchal religions. Two "popular"
stategies can be distinguished. One is demonizing the Mother. Often She has to play the
role of Guardian to the Gods and their temples. In India this has led to the image of the
Kirtimukha, on Java it Kala who decorates many candi's. In Tibetan Buddhism the Mahakala's
are very likely to be reversions of the Destructive Aspect of the Cosmic Mother. The other
strategy is to make them attractive to common people, like Kuan Yin in Buddhism and the
Virgin Mary in Catholicism. Their duty is to function as a sop, deprived of their Original
Power e.g. Ultimate Reality. It is striking how e.g. in the lives of Sri Ramakrishna and
Bede Griffith (Christian/Hindu monk), both ardent devotees of the Mother, this aspect is
time and again suppressed. However, the diversity of Hinduism allows local
variations.There are sects/individuals (Sri Ramakrishna!) which worship(ed) Kali as the
Universal Great Mother. While Kali is "officially" called the "consort of
Shiva", the Reality is exactly opposite: Shiva is the Son/Lover of Kali.
See also: "Viva Java!", "Mahakala" and others
It is widely assumed that Taoism (like the Bön of Tibet) has its roots
in prehistory. It makes its link to the ancient Great Mother likely. It seems thus more
than logic that it "adopted" Xiwangmu as the primal Deity in its pantheon. The
latter's connection to the Great Mothers of the Near East has a great chance to become
widely recognized. Further study of similarities would be a good idea. Gates to common
practices could be e.g. the occurence of many Goddesses, the use of similar instruments,
like drums, cymbals, flutes and the phenomenon of eunuchs. The latter played an important
role at the Chinese imperial court just like their "predecessors" in Anatolia
(Kybele) and Mesopotamia (Ishtar)
Everybody accepts Lao Tzu as the founder of
philosophical Taoism. Few realize that he was a representative of the old Mother Religion.
His "Tao Te Ching" is a yearning for the "old times" in which
everything was "still in harmony". Time and again the Tao is compared with the
Emptiness of the Womb. It isn't sure what Lao Tze exactly meant by the
"Tao" as Ultimate Reality. He certainly was devoted to Xiwangmu as
MotherGoddess. Either the Tao is equal to the Cosmic Womb or the former is born out of the
latter. Creation and Destruction may correspond to Yin and Yang.
See:
"Mother China 4"
In Buddhism Enlightenment
(Buddhahood) is the highest achievement. It is comparable to the "Divine" of
mystical traditions in other religions. However, there is confusion about its own
underlying principles. E.g. nowhere I have come across the insight that Enlightenment
(Emptiness) is born out of Nirvana (Emptiness beyond Emptiness). So when it comes to the
core of things even Buddhism is missing the point. To a religion that is based entirely on
the Light as THE exclusive aim, it is crucial to have clarity about the Ultimate Reality.
More so, because in Buddhism all religious and spiritual authority is based on it. The
Buddha as the "Fully Enlightened One" has always the last word. Despite the
fact, that Buddhism already very early has split in countless schools and sects, no-one is
doubting the supremacy of Enlightenment e.g. Buddhahood, though. Even "Womb" or
"Garbha" (Prajnaparamita Sutra) means just "Enlightenment". The gate
toward a feminine interpretation of the Cosmos is thus hermetically locked. The veneration
for Tara hardly changes this. The positive aspect is that she is equal to the
Buddha's which compared to the patriarchal background is considerable progress, indeed.
However, She is a Goddess, and like so many other Goddesses she has been deprived of Her
Original All-Embracing Primordial Womb Power. The consequence has been - although
Goddesses being "very helpful" to (male!) Enlightenment - that the Feminine in
(official) Buddhism is still very much suppressed. Only non-orthodox scriptures
("Pao-Chüan") have preserved the Eternal Truth. Here Maitreya Buddha is sent to
earth by the Eternal Mother ("Wushenglaomu") in order to bring Her children back
Home. One thing is certain: the next Buddha will be (is) a Servant to the Mother. It is
the only hope for Buddhism to regenerate!
See: "Great
Mother Buddhism". Read "The Women of Tibet" by Tsültrim
Allione, Snow Lion Publications
Mani (Manicheism) was a religious
genius. He "discovered" the two Cosmic Forces of Light and Darkness. His
experience/observations come close to the Truth. Because, the main Cosmic Forces are
indeed "Creation" and "Destruction". However, instead of seeing them
as complementary opposites, together maintaining Cosmic Balance, he postulated a
"perpetual battle" between the two. This disastrous dualism was picked up by
Christianity portraying existence as the battle between "good" and
"evil", "God" and the "world", "man" and
"woman". What was missing in his concept was the Origin of "Creation"
and "Destruction",. In Reality, they both originate from One Undivided Source:
the Cosmic Womb. In fact you may call the existence being based on non-dualistic dualism.
It is in this sense that I feel connected to Mani. He almost "got it". Despite
its negative consequences, Mani to me is dear. His religion streched from Nothern Africa
to China. After his death in prison! his religion died out with him. That was tragic too.
THE ORIGINAL
TRADITION
of the
UNIVERSAL COSMIC MOTHER
The reason for decay of the existing "great"
religions is first of all an incomplete understanding of the Ultimate Reality. It is the
reason why their teachings don't satisfy anymore. Since we are all children of the Cosmos
we all have a "Cosmic Memory" deep in ourselves. Deep down we know what is true
and what not. E.g. the Son or the Daughter is born out of the Mother and not the other way
round. Silly? Most religions are based on this and similar deniels. To transport basic
human insights - so self-evident in daily life - into the spiritual realm proves to be
difficult indeed. They seem "too deep" for us to get hold on. They are thus
unreachable for most of us. Even after decades of "spiritual growth" many key
issues are still puzzling e.g. raising confusion. My advice: go back to your original
intuitions. It is these who are telling you the Truth.
I don't possess the Truth;
the Truth is possessing me
E.g. why we all have to die, regardless our merits or the absence of
it? Hinduism and Manicheism are closest to the answers. Because "God" - the
Eternal Light, the Divine, Buddhahood - isn't the only Reality in the Cosmos. There exists
a "Force" that is opposite, yet complementary to "God". It is
corresponding with "Creation and Destruction" or "Light and Darkness"
as two polarities. Now, many of you will be electrified: "isn't this the old
dualistic concept that ravaged our souls. The universe as a constant battle between
"good" and "evil?" Especially in our days fundamentalists threaten
people with the idea of the apokalypse. Is this similar? Well, I am very happy to be able
to reassure you. Because my insights have nothing to do with "cosmic battles" at
all. The fundamentalists only prove that partial truth driven by (a lot of) fear distorts
Cosmic Reality. Creation and Destruction are not forces in the hands of a revengeful
"God", but simply two major aspects of Natural Law to which we are all
subjected. We may not like this, but that is another matter.
In order to keeping my promise I now have to tell you the complete
story. It happened in 1977.* The outcome of these most unique Realization is the Cosmic
Womb ("Mother") as the Ultimate Reality of both God (The Light, the Divine) and
the universe. God isn't the "Father" but the "Son". Goddesses are Her
Daughters. Enlightenment is NOT the Ultimate Reality, but is born out of the
Bottomlessness of the Womb. In science the Womb is called the Cosmic Vacuum. The latter
"giving birth" to the invisible Light ("Higgs Field"), the
electro-magnetic waves, protons and the visible world as we know it. The Womb as
birthgiver of both "God" and the universe runs perfectly parallel to this. For
the first time in history science is confirming religion and vice-versa. It has brought
everything back to Primordial Simplicity. Why? Because it is the TRUTH! Subsequently, in
Her Bottomlessness the Mother is giving birth through no-effort (wu-wei) to the Eternal
Light. This Light is the "carrier" of Creation. To use an image: Creation goes
from the Center to the periphery. It is generating the life-force on which we all depend.
It is causing the universe to expand.
* See "Threefold Realization"
Until the distance between Center and periphery becomes so wide,
that creation cannot be maintained anymore. Matter is losing its energy. It is the
turning-point where Creation turns into Destruction. Entropic matter coming under the
spell of Gravity, as ths Destruction Force is usually called. It is the "way
back" to the Depth of the Womb. It is the Womb ("Emptiness beyond
Emptiness") which is the cause of Gravity. Now the direction is from the periphery
toward the Center. Everything without exception is submitted to these Two Forces. Halfway
our lives we start the way home. "Destruction" and "Creation" appear
to be the necessary pre-condition for life as we know it, including every level. nature
and vital forces, our psychology (happiness and depression), and the realm of
spirituality, as well. By tuning in to Mother's Destructive Force all old, sick, evil,
ugly and accumulated ego-"achievements" are sucked in. It is the underlying
cause of current "decay". If you resist - by clinging to the ego - you will
suffer, while cooperating - by "giving back your ego - you will be renewed. Because
in Her Depth your True Self - the Divine Spark in you - is born. The Mother being THE
regenerating Cause of the entire universe. Not surprisingly, that She has been venerated
in all cultures as the "Cauldron of Abundance". During my travels I have seen
Her Vessel symbol in all cultures, from Europe to Asia, from Meso to North America. The
legendary Grail legend is based on it. All in all, it may dawn to you that for the first
time in 2500 years the Original Truth has been revealed...... by the Cosmic Mother. She
and only She brings Unity in Diversity, the pre-condition for liberation, inclusivity,
peace, justice, community and sustainability. Patriarchal religions (all of them!) have
been just an attempt, a build-up toward the Ultimate Truth. It is high time that this
becomes acknowledged.
See also: "Nine
Dimensions of Cosmic Realization"
It has its consequences for a possible future
organization. First of all one should realize that in pre-patriarchal times there didn't
exist "religions". Religions came into being through "founders", male
persons who got a certain spiritual insight. This insight was translated into a creed.
This creed became the foundation of an exclusive club of (male) persons. Exclusivity was
claimed. It meant that a particular group claimed to be "in the possession of the
truth". A pattern that has lasted for many millennia until this very day. Our
initiative does NOT fit into that model. Yes, it also started with spiritual insight, yes,
it is based on Divine Revelation. However, this Realization has not been
"translated" into a certain creed. We do NOT identify with a set of rules we
have to follow. We do NOT claim exclusivity at the expense of others. On the contrary,
surrendering to the Cosmic Mother is the most natural state possible. It is based on the
universal experience of being born out of a mother. Everybody is born from a mother! To
claim exclusivity is therefore absurd. All religions originated from the Cosmic Mother,
spiritually, historically, mythologically, scientifically.... Thus, no special
"creed" is needed. The Mother is all-embracing, including all beliefs. Like an
earthly mother loving her children equally. Therefore, we don't call our initiative a
"religion" as it is commonly understood. The latter is typically a patriarchal
phenomenon. The Original Tradition, on the other hand, is pre- and post-patriarchal. It is
simply going back to the Origin - the Cosmic Mother - beyond all creeds, beliefs, dogma's
- in order to become renewed, regenerated and healed.
The Core Mantra of the Original
Tradition
"The Mother Heals"
The Womb is the Mystery. It ("She") is the
embodiment of ever-lasting renewal. It is the Ultimate Reality in which the old is
transformed into the new. Our Cosmic Mother Mandala is very close to the Truth, since it
depicts the Ultimate Reality as Womb (black), giving birth to the Divine (white/yellow)
and the universe (green). (see sideline). "Darkness precedes the Light" is
written on the altar of the Salerno cathedral (when I was there they didn't want to show
it to me...)."Holy Night" is what Christians sing at Christmas.
"Their" "Mother of God" is clearly the most popular one, much more
popular than Her Son. Her places of devotion - churches, chapels, monasteries - devoted to
"Our Lady" ("Notre Dame") are everywhere. It is proof of the fact that
the Mother is still the main Deity. In pre-Christian times She was called the
"Cauldron of Abundance". The Grail legend is nothing but the quest for the
Cosmic Womb, making everything green, while healing the wasteland. God (the Light,
Buddhahood) is Her First Emanation. Absolute Emptiness and Fullness (Relative Emptiness)
are thus two sides of the same coin. That's why mystics like John of the Cross could
exclaim: "I see Light through Darkness". The latter is the Birthgiver of the
former, though. The recognition of this fact puts everything back into the original order.
Even to the mind this makes sense. Therefore, this insight is irreversible. It is so
natural, simple and true, that once understood there isn't a way back anymore. Once it
touches your innermost core, the longing for going back Home in order to become renewed,
will not leave you. Her Bottomlessness (Nothingness) becomes your closest ally, for only
THAT can destroy your ego. Joy, gratitude!
Those who long for the Origin
are called
"Originals"
Nowadays the world is ruled by the
one-dimensionality of the ego. Having has replaced Being. Everybody wants "to make a
difference". Spirituality isn't a exception. On the contrary, spiritual Realization
has become a commodity. Enlightenment as the "ultimate goal" only stirs
ego-ambition. Even after the former is "attained", the underlying ego-tendency
hasn't really disappeared. Sooner or later it returns. The danger is that it starts
abusing Realization for its own purposes. Nowadays the traditional (Asian) approaches have
no answer to this. In former days social/cultural conventions were curbing ego-excesses.
In the West these mechanisms don't exist. Hence spirituality as a whole is decaying. It is
therefore irresponsible to promote Enlightenment without FIRST taking care of breaking
down the ego. First ego "death" and only then "rebirth", in this
sequence. Who can deliver such an approach? Only Absolute Nothingness can. That what from
earliest times has been called the "Cosmic Womb". Science calls it the Vacuum.
Everything without exception is destroyed by "Her" while simultaneously being
reborn. Hence, She is the only One Who can save the world. For "either the ego dies
or the earth will die". That's why the Revelation e.g. Divine Intervention of the
Cosmic Mother (1977) comes just in time*. Through giving our ego's back to Her
Bottomlessness our True Self is born. Subsequently we become part of the Whole -
"Heaven, earth and the (new) community" - once again. As a Servant to the Mother
I will personally take the lead in this. My greatest longing is to connect myself to a
worldwide Community of Originals.
* See: "Threefold
Realization"
In practice The Original Tradition is built on three
pillars. First you realize the dead end you are in. You have painfully experienced that
your ego cannot liberate itself. Every effort to "letting go" only strengthens
it. So you start longing for the Mother. This turning within is the spiritual/religious
dimension (1). Once healed, once your True Self is born, you may become part of the
Whole, once again. This starts with extending your compassion to your immediate
surroundings e.g. your community. This part is the healing part (2). After a
certain time of being involved in healing of yourself and others, the leap toward
commitment to "Healing the Planet" can be made. Healing includes ecological
awareness and action (3). The Original Tradition is thus a spiritual, healing and
ecological initiative. It will immediately become clear to you that this is an absolute
unique approach. By being connected to the Origin, the latter is constantly pouring Her
Insights, Love and Power out to all Her devotees. You will become irresistable. Isn't that
the quality we all long for? Furthermore, we achieve our goal through education. You may
also call us an educational initiative. Our curriculum consists of Spiritual Service,
Health Service, Community Service and Earth Service with the aim of guiding people on
their Way toward Wholeness.
Once the Mother descends into your innermost core it
becomes clear that She is the All-Inclusive One. Her "motherly Love" connects
all and everyone. The existing patriarchal religions are like Her sons. Sons who once
rejected the Mother in order to claim authority for themselves. However, in modern times
there is a return to the Divine Feminie making male claims doubtful, to say the least.
Many people have started to discover traces of the Mother in their own traditions. It
explains the renewed popularity of the Black Madonna's (Christianity), Tara (Buddhism),
Amman (Tamil Hindu's), Xiwangmu (Taoism) and others. These Goddesses are all descendents
of One Original Cosmic Mother. By making these connections more conscious a new foundation
for interreligious tolerance, understanding and peace is being created. Through the Mother
these goals have a chance to become realized. Because Motherly Love is unconditional, not
hindered by differences, dogma's, scriptures, fanaticism etc. of male dominated beliefs.
It is a great opening to a New World of Unity in Diversity. Therefore, the Original
Tradition considers it as its responsibility to taking the lead. It does so through
founding interreligious Cosmic Mother Healing Shrines and the Universal Mother Council.
All beliefs and denominations are welcome. Their own (Mother)Goddesses will be very much
respected e.g. celebrated in an atmosphere of sister and brotherhood. We are all Mother's
children!
See: "Cosmic
Mother Healing Shrines" and "Universal
Mother Council"
SUMMARY
What is striking is that most of the current main
religions are founded on the concept of "God" as Ultimate Reality (Judaism,
Christianity, Islam). The way they define "God" originates from mystics of all
times and is authentic. God is indeed limitless, undefinable, all-knowing etc. It is equal
to modern awareness of the Great Consciousness or Cosmic Intelligence. The key concept of
Buddhism, Jainism and Taoism comes very close to it, for e.g. Buddhahood has the same
transcendental qualities. Although "theoretically" assuming "Emptiness
beyond Emptiness" (Nirvana) as Ultimate Reality, in practice this has only caused
confusion. Most texts just mix up Enlightenment with Nirvana and vice versa. All religions
mentioned above claim exclusivity for (their) God and God in general. Apart from God there
is nothing (they say). However, God (Buddhahood) is NOT the Ultimate. On the contrary
"he" (It) is part of a polarity. Both "Creation" and
"Destruction" originate from One Bottomless Source: the Cosmic Womb or Vacuum.
It changes our common God-concept, our religions and world-view with profound consequences
for all levels of existence...
Hinduism assumes that there are three main Gods (and
ten thousands of other forms of the Gods). Manicheism goes a step "further" by
stating that there are two equal but opposing Cosmic Forces: that of Light and Darkness.
This is called dualism. Gnosis is most daring by saying that the Creator God is not the
Real God. Some texts even speak about a "Mother" who has given birth to Her
Son/God. The speculative part of its statements is quite considerable. Just like some
Hindu's assumes a Mother as birthgiver of the Trimurti (the three Gods). The Tao of Taoism
originally had a strong tradition which paid reverence to the Great Mother (Xiwangmu).
Nowadays some authors assume the Tao of Lao Tze to be the Cosmic Womb. They may very well
be right. Later Taoism became very patriarchal, hardly to avoid with Confucianism and
Buddhism as the two main religious forces in China. The conclusion of this all: in 2500
years of male-dominated religion no-one was able to present a true, authentic and full
picture of the Ultimate Reality. At best partial truths were put forward each claiming to
represent the total Truth. It is one of the explanations for their downfall, for nowadays
people have access to a multitude of sources through which the exclusivity of one
particular tradition cannot maintained anymore.
The longing of mankind is towards the Truth. It is
NOT so that we are weary of spirituality and religion. Everyday practice shows a different
picture. People are searching, but cannot find the "Real Thing".
"Something" that gives convincing answers to their questions. They are searching
for God as a Living Reality that corresponds with the wisdom every human has in his or her
deepest core. It starts with realizing that every concept, image or idea is not IT. Many
people have had experiences in which "suddenly" everything dropped off. What was
left is something beyond words and definitions. At the same time you know from within that
this is Real. The more undefinable.... the more it corresponds with deep knowing. The
definition of "God" as given by major religions is usually a different one. It
doesn't give answer to very urgent questions. But one very important question remains: if
this (very joyful) experience is Divine - e.g. corresponding with the God of Love of
Christianity - where do suffering, illness, misfortune and death come from?
Most religions then talk about ego, sin and karma. And there is a
great truth in it. By identifying (unconsciously) with your self-image, making yourself
the "center of the universe" suffering will be your "fate". But as
everybody knows, there are lots of people who suffer who have not accumulated karma a lot.
Many faithful God-believers are struck by misfortune. Yes, entire communities and peoples
increasingly experience disaster. And what about nature? A tree has no ego, but like other
creatures he gets sick and dies one day. Also a matter of consequence of his own (sinful)
deeds? Of course not. No, the reality tells us that sickness, decay and death are simply
the ingredients of life. We are all subjected to an invisible Law that rules "life,
death and rebirth". Those who believe in a exclusively "benevolent" God,
especially if this God is also a "personal" one, then you are in trouble. The
common God concept doesn't help people to understand the key issues of life! It is even
worse. Most religions (even Buddhism) are threatening with heavenly punishments for those
who do not live according to God's commands. These commands, of course, as interpreted by
priests, popes, rabbi's, ministers, monks, lama's and mullah's....
JAI MATA DI!
(May the Mother prevail)
Han Marie Stiekema
Universal Teacher thanks to the Great Mother, Who granted him All Eight/Nine Dimensions of
Cosmic Realization |
