The World. Myths of the Divine, Realities, and Awareness. Freedom. Love. Life - Tatyana Arzhaeva

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for those who are attached to worldly passion. The path of decent examples, discussions, learning, stories, reflection, mentorship, etc.? Meaning the path of the freedom of agreement, acceptance, and choice. The path of the creation of beauty and comfort (that’s it!), creativity and art instead of violence and fear, destruction and hate, instead of strangling the potential of the Great Creation…

      And if the worldly life is naught, then why put so much effort into its creation? And why make it so complex and diverse as well?

      Why put them in irons when you can always shackle an enquiring mind, feelings that function as inner eyes and ears, as shining beacons?

      To continue your way of spiritual development, you need to have a healthy body. To make the best out of your life, you need to take care of your body.

      Think about it and start loving your body and taking care of it as much as possible. Start enjoying it! To continue your way of spiritual development, you need to have a healthy body. To make the best out of your life, you need to take care of your body.

      We apply the same principle to all unusual children or adult people, trying to force them into the frame of common and familiar things. We try to cure them instead of curing ourselves. We call our path right and their path wrong, though their only fault is that they are different. And they may even have a much stronger connection with their bodies, emotions, and minds.

      The myth in a nutshell

      Our body, emotions, and mind are a good help. When we tip the balance, they become our masters. In order not to tip the balance, we need reason.

      By taking care of our bodies, we can live longer and get even closer to God while doing it during our material life.

      By experiencing emotions, we can learn how to notice and develop essential qualities and states in order to serve God and find our own path to the enlightenment.

      By respecting our mind and reason, we can overcome our ignorance and acquire knowledge that will help us get to the enlightenment.

      3. The myth of a bad religion or idea

      Your experience

      Have you ever heard that:

      – You did something wrong?

      – Your idea is no good at all?

      – Your thoughts and desires are worth nothing?

      – No one wants you?

      In family, at school, at university, at work?

      From your colleagues, partners, friends, relatives?

      We all enjoy making evaluations and labeling things and people «good» and «bad». As if there were two colors only: black and white. As if there were only extremities, a dichotomy or a duality, and we had to choose only one thing.

      If not, you may consider yourself lucky. Though there is a great chance that you simply forgot it, like we tend to forget any other unpleasant experience. It happens like this. Sometimes we can forget having been treated ill because we don’t want to do anything about it. Sometimes we can forget having treated other people ill because we don’t want to accept our nature.

      About the myth

      While reading this book, some people may say that it should be banned since it is insulting to the feelings of religious believers. But it is not. It is insulting only to the feelings of those who exploit faith for their own benefit. But in this case, such people should consider whether they have anything that can be insulted. Or, perhaps, they have something that is insulting?

      Faith and religious ideas (just like some political trends) are strikingly beautiful by nature. They are about something important, something valuable. They are about love and hope. About peace throughout the world. I’m not being sarcastic. They were meant to unite and consolidate different people. To lay the creative foundation for developing societies and even states if there is any point in them as we see them now. They were meant to teach people to resolve their differences peacefully, in accordance and acceptance of each other, with respect, dignity, and loftiness. They were meant to teach people to see value in their lives and treat them with due care. To help them understand their passions and attachments and not become their obedient servant. To help them see their ignorance and replace it with enlightenment. Almost all religions were meant to create something that could keep humanity from relentless intraspecific and all other kinds of aggression. Something that could provide a basis for rectitude, moral pillars. Unfortunately, instead of providing a path, religions often turned into servants (or even obedient slaves) of human passions and the very same ignorance.

      Just think of how many people have died in wars – big and small – and what for? If only we could steer their creative potential on a peaceful track instead of destruction, what would our world look like?! Humans have spent so many millennia fighting for all kinds of resources (gold, oil, land, money, power, etc.) in one guise or another, doing it under the shadow of faith or political ideas… They missed the most important thing! The very things (or rather, the very creatures) they sacrificed are indeed the most valuable resource and the most essential idea. Human beings! The power of their souls and thoughts! Their creative and artistic potential! That is the resource of the greatest worth! We still don’t understand the true value of it!! It’s no accident that in some religions, the pinnacle of divine creation is man. Nothing was created after man.

      But let us get back to the topic. An idea and a way of its implementation are two quite different things. You may have a beautiful idea but it will be implemented poorly. And vice versa, you may have a poor idea but some people can turn it into a wonder! Of course, the best scenario is when we have both a wonderful idea and a decent way of its implementation. The worst-case scenario means that both an idea and a way of its implementation are horrible. I am not urging you to go and destroy religions and systems, let alone their historic and cultural heritage. By no means. It would contradict what I am trying to communicate. I encourage you to reflect while you follow a religious or ideological path on whether your way of implementing an idea is a relevant one.

      If there is an invitation to love thy neighbor, perhaps, we shouldn’t in blind hate destroy everything that moves and all dissenters?

      If there is the commandment «thou shalt not steal», perhaps, we should obey it regardless of our own and other people’s religious and political beliefs, national and cultural identity?

      If there is a call to convert others to your own faith, perhaps, it pays to do it by way of a decent example, rather than by the sword and violence? Perhaps, it pays to accept refusals or different choices, expressing respect and understanding and keeping in mind the diversity of paths and the greatness of the one who created them all?

      If there is a call for spirituality, perhaps, you shouldn’t commit soulless acts? Can we call the lack of care towards your relatives, parents, children, and loved ones spiritual? Can we call poverty and hunger when there is always an opportunity to work for your own good and for the good of your family spiritual? Can a man who deprived his wife and children of his care and support and feeds on them or his parents be notable for his spirituality? Can a woman who hates her children or relatives and treats other people ill be notable of her spirituality? Can the lack of action supporting words of friendship be spiritual?

      If there is a call for peace, should there be a war, even a proxy one?

      If there is a call for a constructive dialogue, should there be a manipulation?

      Put to a test everyone who urges you to do something in the name of faith or ideas. Is the means of implementation relevant? Or «the end justifies the means»? If the former is true, debate the matter in your mind once again. If the latter is

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