Imitation, Submission, and the Spirit of Religious Inquiry

At present, there are about 4,300(*) distinct religions and denominations in the world. If we consider only the two Abrahamic faiths of Christianity and Islam in the Middle East and Buddhism in East Asia, we see that many sects and offshoots have emerged within each one.

All major religions claim a unique organizational structure possessing an intellectual apparatus meant to provide answers for all human affairs; hence, each is situated within a codified system centered on pivotal figures—the prophets and saints of that religion—so that they can be distinguished from one another. In this respect, they can be called organized religions.

What is interesting in all this is the point that, by studying the history of religions and the biographies of the individuals referred to as the founders of these faiths, one can readily perceive that these organized religions are easily distinguishable from one another, yet the founding figures themselves are very much alike.

What makes these individuals similar is a spontaneous, inner quest that, as it happens, often begins in opposition to the very frameworks of these organized religions. For example, one can point to the story of Jesus and the Pharisees and the dispute over working on the Sabbath ¹: in response to the Pharisees' objection (a group of Jews who were very legalistic and possessed a substantial body of jurisprudence) as to why his disciples were engaged in gleaning, Jesus says: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." ²

Buddha ³, Zoroaster, Nanak ⁴, Mahavira ⁵, Jesus and Muhammad each pursued an inner question that arose from within them, and in search of an answer, they embarked on a journey of no return. Instead of accepting the ready-made, conventional, and official molds of society and prepackaged sets of answers, they themselves sought the truth with curiosity, and as a result, they distanced themselves from tradition and at times rebelled against it. And since this is a characteristic of existent individuals, the religious question—which is the search for truth, and whose axis, one might say, is the matter of "what we are here for"—is necessarily an existential question.

Ready-made molds and tradition, however, stand like an iron, colossal tyrant against being Existent. Therefore, these organized religions, or the official reading of religion, are entirely opposed to the religious question, which is the personal, inner search for truth. Another point gleaned from the story of Jesus and the Pharisees is that it is the human being who holds primacy, not the commandments, in the sense that religion is something that serves the individual, and the individual is not meant to serve religion. Whereas in the official reading of religion, religion is a mold that existed before creation, and human beings come to serve it. In this view, humans are perpetually under the shadow of the founding figure, after whom they are placed under the official custodians of religion—its clergy (priest, mobed, etc.)—and must see what these custodians say and decree, merely listening to what the scholars and the wise pronounce. This perspective assumes human beings are passive creatures incapable of reasoning, who must only imitate and submit in devotion; imitation itself, in all its dimensions, is contrary to the spirit of religious inquiry.

From the investigator to the imitator, what a difference there is / For the one is like David, and the other is but an echo

In the official reading, human beings never hold any standing or significance as individuals; it is always the saints of the religion who are of importance. Whereas the religious question is a personal question, and the mission of every individual is to pursue it and not abandon the surge of inner searching to the dominion of the delusions of the official reading. And this is precisely in accordance with what Shams Tabrizi says:

"Muhammad had his own prophetic mission; I must have my own."

The existence of these individuals, however, serves as a kind of testimony for the wayfarers, that in the dark night, with fear of the wave and such a fearsome whirlpool, they bring tidings that if you knock on a door, at last, a head will emerge from that door.

On the other hand, in the official reading of religion, the individual is not free to inquire, because inquiry is the beginning of doubt and philosophical thought, whereas in the official reading you have no right to doubt. If your inquiry does not lead to doubt, you have probably halted the questions at some stage, for there is no boundary to questions, and if for any reason you stop inquiring, you are no longer an existent—that is, you do not exist in the true sense of the word, but rather live like a shadow within the mold of tradition, and this state means you are no longer seeking the truth. Here I am reminded of the words of the French philosopher Descartes: "If you are truly seeking the truth, a time will come when you will doubt everything." It was he who said that nothing can be certain except that I "am," and I know that I am when I doubt, and he uttered that historic statement: "I think, therefore I am."

You might perhaps argue that we are seeking the truth and we ask it of someone whom we "know has attained the truth." This response has two flaws: first, you, who have not yourself attained the truth (assuming that a truth exists), how do you understand who has attained it? This itself creates a closed circle.

Second, religious questioning and the search for truth is not a question oriented toward an answer, but a question oriented toward a process. Religious questioning is like the act of alchemy, in which the alchemist (who, interestingly, is called a "philosopher" in alchemical texts) seeks the philosopher's stone; it is he himself who is transformed into the philosopher's stone. To break out of this despondency and stasis, Kant's saying is far more akin to the spirit of religious inquiry: "Think for yourself." Now that our discussion has brought us to Kant, I will here cite his words on enlightenment (which might be better translated as "attaining clarity," very similar to the word Bodhi⁶ or Buddhahood):

"That so great a part of humankind, though nature has long since brought them to natural maturity, yet willingly remain children until death, and others so easily set themselves up as their guardians, has no cause other than laziness and cowardice. Truly, how easy it is to be a child! If I have a book that takes the place of my understanding, and a guide who does the work of my conscience, and so on... I need not trouble myself. As long as I can pay money, I have no need to think; there are others who will undertake this wearisome task for me. Those who take upon themselves the guardianship of others' understanding ensure that the majority of humankind find the walk toward maturity, which is in itself hard, also dangerous. These guardians first render their flock empty-headed and rest assured that these harmless creatures will not dare to take a single step beyond the pasture in which they are imprisoned; then they warn them of the dangers of going alone! These dangers are not really so great, for after a few falls, the novice eventually learns to walk, but the prospect of such an incident (the expectation of falling) frightens a person and perhaps repels the thought of any new attempt. Hence, for many people it is difficult to emerge alone from this state of childhood, which has become almost natural to them. They have even grown fond of it and are truly incapable of using their own understanding, for they have never been given the opportunity to do so. Rules, formulas, these tools for the use—or rather, misuse—of natural talents, are the chains that make childhood perpetual, and even one who frees himself from these chains cannot leap over the smallest ditch except with trembling legs, for he is unaccustomed to such freedom of movement. Thus it is that only a tiny number have managed, through great effort, to free their spirit (mind)⁷ from the bonds of childhood and stride forward with steady steps."⁸

Man's migration from this spiritual infancy to maturity begins with standing on his own two feet. The masses, however, absolve themselves of responsibility and in every age find an authority to lean on, an authority that "decides" for their thoughts and all their existential and inner issues and issues decrees, because decision-making requires responsibility, and the masses detest accepting responsibility for their own lives and find a sense of security and peace by nestling in the embrace of an authority, just as they had security and peace in the mother's womb. But at what price is this sense of security and peace, which is nothing more than a lie, obtained? At the price of submitting one's neck to the yoke of such authorities and spending the precious gem of "freedom" for just a few more moments of sleep; it is here that the culture of "submission" and "imitation" is fully formed and founded, and the authority, having depicted an embrace, swallows man like a monster. This mystery is manifested in myths and symbolic allegories such as the sea monster that the hero must overcome on the night journey, and the allegory of Jonah in the belly of the giant fish can also be seen as a symbol of this truth that "the truth itself is the critique of our own state."

In Jungian psychology⁹, this concept is discussed under the term mother complex: the mother complex signifies the desire to return to childhood, to be cared for, and to evade the responsibilities one faces. It is as if the person, out of fear of confronting life's dangers, takes refuge in the mother's womb, because in the mother's womb, the fetus has no responsibility, and the responsibility for facing the dangers of the outside world lies with the "mother."¹⁰ At the beginning of my speech, I said that organized religions form around the personality of these truth-seeking individuals and, over time, each becomes an institution. It is as if these institutions are the result of what might better be called the "womb complex"; we want these institutions to envelop us like a womb. Therefore, we want them to have a ready-made answer for all our questions, from the most trivial matters to our existential issues.

By fleeing into the embrace of these custodians and authorities, man submits to "authority" and bows his neck to the dominion of the "Leviathan."¹¹ It is for this reason that a "tyrant" rules over immature peoples, and their form of political governance becomes tyranny and despotism. On this, Erich Fromm writes: "Man fears absolute freedom; because if man has absolute freedom, he feels responsible for every action and holds himself accountable for it. But if he considers himself subject to the command of an individual, group, or set of religious and ritual instructions, he shifts the responsibilities onto the commander and prohibitor, freeing himself from responsibilities and accountabilities for various issues. Man flees from freedom because he does not want to fall into the trap of responsibility, which is a requisite of freedom. Since man always seeks a center of devotion and belonging, the market for the dictatorship of rulers is very prosperous."¹²

One can neither provide a formal definition for religion nor confine it within a framework. Religion is an inner yearning. In the words of Rumi: "There is in man a love, a pain, an itch, and a demand such that if he were to possess a hundred thousand worlds, he would not rest or find peace. These people, in detail, engage in every profession, craft, position, and the study of astronomy, medicine, and the like, and find no peace, because that which is intended has not been attained."¹³ This inner boiling is the religious question itself, and perhaps this question is the primary existential issue of man, and since it pertains to each of us, we are personally responsible for answering it, and each person finds their own answer. There is no common answer. Whoever sets out on the journey, takes the risk, and shatters the giant Leviathan of imitation and submission finds their own treasure, the treasure of truth. In the words of Osho¹⁴: "Truth is not something ready-made and at hand. Truth cannot be found in customs, traditions, and books. Truth must be sought, and everyone must do this themselves. Perhaps I have found the truth, but I cannot place it at your disposal. Not that I do not want to place it at your disposal, but truth is not transferable. Truth cannot be given to anyone; there is no way to give truth to others. If you place truth at someone's disposal, it turns into a lie."

For this inner journey, one must be free. The first stage is freedom, and the journey begins with asking "Why?" One must ask why, that is, possess critical thinking; this journey is impossible with the assertion of "This is it and there is nothing else" and "The truth is what we say, and we have attained it; do nothing but submit." One must first cast off the chains of dogmatism. This task is more difficult under the ominous shadow of totalitarian governments, for the totalitarian state dictates even how individuals should think and sets boundaries and limits for it. Independent thinking is the greatest enemy of the totalitarian state. The totalitarian state says: "This is what we say, and there is nothing else," and defines everything from environmental issues to human life based on its ideology. Hence, people living under the shadow of totalitarianism must doubt everything; if the totalitarian state says it is daytime, stick your head out the window to be sure!¹⁵ Kant continues: "For this enlightenment, however, nothing is required but freedom, and indeed the most harmless of all freedoms, namely, the freedom to make public use of one's reason in all matters. But I hear from all sides the cry: 'Do not reason!' ¹⁶

In any case, neither religious questioning nor its obstacles are specific to any particular era or society. This is indeed the story of humanity that Plato presented in the allegory of the cave.¹⁷ As long as one is bound by traditions and one's knowledge is transmitted, these transmissions drag one wherever the transmitters find it beneficial; thus, the journey begins with doubt. Doubt in everything one hears. Every utterance is merely an opinion that must be critiqued, and for critique, one must first hear all utterances. The official reading of religion says: read this book and do not read that one. Lend your ear to the words of so-and-so, but turn away from the deviant words of that other one. Thus, it blocks the way of speech for others, but "Give good tidings to My servants who listen to speech and follow the best of it... It is they who are the possessors of understanding." ¹⁸

In this context, perhaps one can distinguish the individual in search of truth from the person trapped in the prison of fear, seeking childish security, by whether they pursue questions or pseudo-questions. The importance of fundamental, existential questions lies in the fact that they cannot be 'eliminated' at all. We do not pose those questions; rather, we find them (a priori) 'present and ready' in the ground of our Dasein. ¹⁹ The religious question is not about where our hands should be during prayer; the religious question is the inner journey of a person in search of their wholeness; the religious question is indeed the pain of human longing.

Through this longing, the servant reached Your alley Mary's pain drew her to the palm tree

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Notes

* Quoted from the website adherent.com

(1) The Hebrew equivalent of the word Saturday in the Hebrew language is the word Shabbat (שַבָּת). Observing the sanctity of the Sabbath day and refraining from worldly affairs was among the commandments strongly emphasized in the Old Testament. According to the Torah, God commanded that this law be an eternal statute and remain in effect forever.

(2) "And it came to pass, that he was going on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And he (Jesus) said unto them, Did ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, he, and they that were with him? How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him? And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath." - Mark 2: 23 – 28. Matthew notes that Jesus criticized the Pharisees for taking the best seats in the synagogues, wearing expensive clothes, and having people call them 'Rabbi.' Jesus' criticisms relate to the difference between inner and outer faith. Jesus says that the Pharisees only want to appear pious and righteous but do not attend to their inner selves.

(3) A prince originally named Siddhartha Gautama from ancient India who left behind life in the palace and all his possessions to answer his inner questions...

(4) The founder of Jainism

(5) The founder of Sikhism who was born into every religion and was always searching; in truth, he was not the founder of any religion, and Sikhism bears little relation to the life and thought of Nanak.

6- "Bodhi" means enlightenment. In Buddhism, anyone who has attained enlightenment or awakening is given the title "Buddha." Buddha means the awakened one, or the one who has attained enlightenment. Hence, Siddhartha Gautama himself came to be titled the Buddha. In Buddhism, each person must attain Buddhahood for themselves.

7- Translation of the German word Geist, meaning spirit, soul, or mind

8- The essay "What is Enlightenment?" by Immanuel Kant

9- Jung, the Swiss psychologist, founder of analytical psychology

10- Robert Johnson, The Mother Complex and Relations Between Men and Women, The Archetypal Psychology of Modern Man

11- Leviathan in the Old Testament is a sea monster that overcomes all creatures; also the title of a book by Thomas Hobbes in which he envisions the state for people in the state of nature as a Leviathan...

12- Erich Fromm, the book "Escape from Freedom"

13- Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, Fihi Ma Fihi

14- Osho, the Indian mystic

15- For a better understanding of the concept of totalitarianism, refer to the book "Totalitarianism" by Hannah Arendt and also "Escape from Freedom" by Fromm. One of the prominent examples of such a state in the present era is North Korea.

16- Kant, ibid.

17- Plato asks us to imagine an underground cave that has an opening towards the light. In this cave live people who, from childhood, have had their legs and necks chained so that they face the back wall of the cave with their backs to the opening and have never seen the sunlight. Behind them, that is, between the prisoners and the cave's opening, on a raised ground, there is a fire, and between them and the fire, there is a raised path and a low wall like a screen. Along this raised path, people carrying statues and figures of animals and other things pass by, so that what they carry appears above that low wall. The prisoners, whose faces are turned towards the inner wall of the cave, cannot see one another or the things behind them, but they see their own shadows and the shadows of these objects cast upon the wall; they see only the shadows. These prisoners represent the majority of humankind, that is, the mass of people who spend their lives in a state of imagination and conjecture (eikones) and see only shadows of reality and hear only echoes of the true voice. Their view of the world is very incomplete and "has been distorted and perverted by their own passions and prejudices and those of others, transmitted to them through language and rhetoric," and although their condition is no better than that of children, they are firmly attached to their distorted notions and do not wish to be freed from the prison – A History of Western Philosophy, Copleston, Volume I

18- Quran, Az-Zumar/18

19- Adapted from A Prophetic Reading of the World, Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari

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Imitation, Submission, and the Spirit of Religious Inquiry

Author: Siavash Parsa

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