Religious Text and Experience

What is more important a religious text or experience? We can argue that most religious text can be interpreted in many ways. Some can argue the bible has over 100 thousand versions and translations. This can be said of many holy books. The book itself should not be worshiped for though holy books contain divine wisdom they are text.

Often say my favorite book is you. Christians often refer to the bible, Jews to the Torah and the Muslim to the Qur'an. I have myself referenced books if we really investigate the origin of books we will find they are inspired. It is not as important what book you read as to what life you live. You are the important book.

When on a deserted island I was in constant reflection and cried out to the Lord. My experience was the Lords prayer, or sometimes called our Father came to me. The simple prayer is accepted by all major religions the main precedent of the Our Father is that the creator sees us all as children. We are not servants or beggars , we are brothers and sisters all. 

We have these books as reference also we have teachers. We have our own spirit that bears witness which many may ignore. Our spirit bears a witness , we have inner peace when we are doing the right

actions. We are to take each day as it comes - give us this day our daily bread. Daily bread some will say is scripture , some will say this is more than food for the body. Jesus speaking said , he was the bread of life. Daily bread is divine not just food , though food is important we can go for a day without it. I believe it is the bread of life or food for thought.

We sometimes say my gut feeling was this or that. If we study anthropology the gut was formed before the eyes or ears. We still hold this sense as even the ancient Chinese speak of Chi as originating in the gut area. We see verses where God is nauseous and spews out those neither hot nor cold. We also read in Greek mythology where Cronus the titan who represented time used to swallow his children so they would not become more powerful. One day Zeus gave his father Cronus a stone to swallow and he became nauseous and spewed up Zeus's brothers and sisters. Who helped him to overcome Cronus who represented time.

Throughout mythology and religion the stomach makes judgement in divine matters. Our nervous system surround the digestive area. A person can get sick to their stomach from an experience not just food. Especially those who are sensitive to the spiritual. There was one such apostle Timothy who would get a sickness in his stomach.

We are told not to rely on our own understanding this may seem a little odd. We may be taught something in our youth which our own experience contradicts. Experience goes hand and hand with common sense. If someone tells you to drink the kool aid and your common sense and gut feeling says otherwise , then don't drink the kool aid. Lessons learned by experience are less likely to be forgotten than those from books.

I like to hear others experience or testimony to quote again - My favorite book is you.

We find that Jesus wrote nothing, Buddha himself wrote nothing, Socrates the great philosopher wrote nothing. Everything written came from the students and inspiration.

Peace,

Earl.