Those who quote scriptures

[Guest guest]

I have never heard or read of an authentic Guru quoting scripture.

They do not quote scripture because they do not need to quote it.

As Self-realized beings, they have learned the lessons of the

scriptures and gone beyond the scriptures to Brahman. They

speak to aspirants from their own direct experience, from the

vantage point of cosmic consciousness.

 

Authentic gurus do recommend scriptures to aspirants because

those aspirants can have something in their hands to study and

learn from. Scriptures are records from those who have been

where the aspirants wish to travel. Gurus because of their

cosmic consciousness are able to guide the aspirants not only

through life but through the scriptures with all their seeming

contradictions and startling metaphoric descriptions and

prescriptions.

 

My experience with those who like to quote scripture is that they

have little in the way of cosmic consciousness, do not actually

fully understand the scriptures they quote, misuse scriptures to

prop up their egos, make themselves appear more

knowledgeable than they are, and attempt to appropriate the

authority of the scriptures to themselves. All these reasons will

accrue karmic consequences for the quoter.

 

Those who quote scriptures do so selectively. Because of the

often contradictory appearance of scriptures it is easy to pick a

quote that will appear back up one's viewpoint. And then

someone else finds a contrasting quote and soon there is an

argument occuring based on a misuse and misunderstanding

of scripture. Scripture is not intended for argument or even

debate. What both of these types of people fail to understand is

that their motives, their intentions in using scripture for personal

advantage carry onerous karmic consequences.

 

Those who quote scripture in a challenging manner have a

fundamentalist, literal attitude. But scripture is not literal. It is

metaphorical. It is to be read and understood on several levels.

Fundamentalists, on the other hand, are incapable of operating

on different levels. They only know the graphic and the obvious.

Any subtlety is beyond them. Consequently, the scriptures

themselves are beyond the grasp of those who quote them at

the current time. In future, these people may progress but not if

they insist of misusing and misinterpreting scripture.

 

 

Omprem

[Guest guest]

`"Do not believe anything simply because you have heard it.

Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down

for many generations.

Do not believe in anything because it is spoken

and rumored by many.

do not believe in anything simply because it is

found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the

authority of your teachers and elders.

But after observation and analysis, when you find

that anything agrees with reason, and is

condusive to the good and benefit of one

and all, then accept it and live up to it"

~THE BUDDHA

 

Peace,

Lotus_Flowers