Single Idea 8149

[catalogued under 29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / a. Religious Belief]

Full Idea

Considering religion to be observance of rituals and performance of acts of charity, the deluded remain ignorant of the highest good.

Gist of Idea

Charity and ritual observance distract from the highest good of religion

Source

Anon (Upan) (The Upanishads [c.950 BCE], 'Mundaka')

Book Reference

'The Upanishads', ed/tr. Prabhavananda /Manchester [Mentor 1957], p.44


A Reaction

An important reminder. In all the great religious texts the exhortation to love and charity is a minor aspect. The point is to live on a spiritual plain, attempting to relate the world of God/the gods. Daily life is either secondary or irrelevant.