Man thinks he lives and he continues to live in the continuity of time. In fact, man exists. And he exists in existence. A man may simply ‘be’, he may simply ‘be’ in the being-ness of his ‘being’. And that is the right way of being. But man thinks he lives so the effort is needed to live. Therefore, he invents a lie to make effort. Because to be you, you simply be. But to live lie is needed. This lie is pedalled as the truth. And on the crutches of that lie a man who continues to live. Man is always anxious to do submission to the lie. That lie becomes a hallucination an illusion. Man is in search of an oasis in a desert that is not there. Life is wasted in search of something that is not there which, in fact, is a deception. Man is in search of a deception.
We have cultivated deceptions in our life. Deception becomes a journey of the man and in the end, he finds that it was mere deception. To live he invents a target and then thinks that the goal of his life is to achieve that target that he imagined. The goal of life is not to run after the quagmire of deceptions.
Man needs a narcotic to live. He needs to forget that which he is-the reality. That intoxicating narcotic is either that is of liquor that makes him forget that what he is, or that is of a lie. Lie also intoxicates you as liquor. A lie always comes as truth to sedate you. That which we call God is also used as a narcotic. That existence of God is an intoxication of people. God is not a lie. But you are a lie. Your deception is a lie. You are built on the edifice of a lie. And God that which you call God is a part of that edifice that is built on your lie, the God that you invented. The God that you raise is the God that you have bred like you have created a statue of God. That which you call God helps you. That which you call God intoxicates you.
Friedrich Nietzsche has said, “Two great European narcotics are alcohol and Christianity.” Narcotics exactly does what the organised religion does. People use religion as a narcotic drug. To get rid of their reality and forget themselves, religion is used as a drug.
People make religion essential crutches for your lie to walk. You say that He is God. Narcotics become the universal truth. God is not your obsession. Once drugged you forget everything for some time. It feels like you are closer to God. That drug was not to be used for forgetting in fact that drug was to be used for remembering who you are.
Karl Marx has said that religion is the opium of the people. Religion is a drug for people. Today, poor opium is out of the race but religion has unfailingly enriched its opium. Karl Marx knew that he was building a state. He knew that a state of commune could only be built by pedalling the state as narcotics. For a state to become narcotics of the people, you have to switch from the drug of religion to the drug of state. He knew that the only way to pedal state as the drug is by switching from Christianity or Judaism to State-ism. When Godless commune the state was built, the state actors became the God. Lenin became God and Stalin became God.
Man uses liquor, weed, cricket, football, revolution, adventure, honour, money, wealth, knowledge, fame, intelligence, cleverness, the seat of power as a drug. Drug distracts you from reality. Today capitalism is the new opium. Mobile phones, Facebook, Instagram followers are modern drugs. Celebrity cult clothing styling are new types of drug and to deflect measure of greatness, power, elitism a dazzle of luxury brands are new drugs. They form poor substitutes to the drug of religion.
We have misused religions and Gods for intoxication. States and religions ban liquor. So-called Godly people are enemies of liquor. Why? Because of liquor and intoxicants same class of intoxicants. Both create the same thing. Forgetfulness. When Buddha was awakened he never followed a religion or did he ever invent a religion. Buddha got awakened and then existed in awakening rest of his life. Buddha told others the way to be awakened. Buddha never knew that whatever that Buddha had said would not be followed as milestones but it would be guzzled as liquor. Religion is normally guzzled as liquor. Religions become liquor.
That which is religion in real is a personal flowering and awakening. Religion can awaken a person. A crowd cannot be awakened by religion. Crowds can be drugged. Crowds can become organised. Crowds can become organisations with a similar goal — to pedal forgetfulness.
The hints that Paigambar Mohammad gave, the hints that Krishna gave, the hints that Buddha left, the hints that Mahavira left, the hints that Jesus gave. Crowds of organised religions prop belligerence. In the name of organised religion and not religion, humanity has bled the globe and fought 5000 wars to claim titles over hints without understanding that hints are maps pointing towards the higher truth where organised religion never reach.
Is there a need for religion? There is a need for awakening and follow hints that lead us to awaken or to become awakened. When one is awakened, religion flowers out of him. That which is awakening cannot be told but hints can be given.
The man continues to live intoxicated and forgetful. There is a way to get out of it. Forgetfulness will go by remembrance. That which is who you are, you should always remember that remembrance. That is the right remembrance to remember who you are. Not that what you remember as part of a mantra. But you have to remember yourself all the time, it is the right remembrances that you continue to remember who you are no matter whatever you do. Your obsessions make you forgetful. You have to be in life you have to have that remembrance that you are, that you exist. Whenever you think, you are praying, you do something you forget that you are. You become not. You have to be in life.
The key is that you be. You remember that you be and be religious as well. You remember that you be, it does not matter if you take liquor. You can have liquor but be in the being. When you go to a temple, go with the full remembrance awake remembering that you are. It is right to leave everything to God. To know That-Which-is has created this creation and That-Which-Is is. We have to see Him that who is That-Which-Is. He is seated inside you. You are that. You have made statues you have made scriptures. But He is seated inside you.
Seated inside That-Which-Is is speaking in you, listening in you, ringing the gongs in temples. Know that the one who is ringing the gong in the temple. Know him that moment. Drown in him that moment. That will be the existence of God. Buddha drowned in that moment, he existed. Then whole life he remembered that remembrance that He is. Nanak said, ‘So Mein Vissarya Na Jaaee’. I should always remember that remembrance that I am that I should not be forgetful of my remembrance.
A remembrance that you are, is the right remembrance, all else is a lie.
The author is a spiritual teacher. He can be contacted at arunavlokitta@gmail.com
