Religion: Foundation for Spiritual Learning

      

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Dr. Stewart Bitkoff Q:   What purpose does organized religion as we know it serve?   A:   Religion is a structure through which spiritual learning can begin.  As the traveler advances, spiritual learning may take place outside of a religious context. Spiritual experience is the natural extension of religious inquiry; the great religions were created to be vehicles, for people to start learning about themselves and their relationship with Truth.   The followers of a great teacher or Prophet, in order to help spread the teaching, created a system to do this.  Often the Prophet did not create many of the elements that combined to form a religion; the Prophet presented the current method to perceive and align with Truth.   One of the tendencies of the earth phase is repetition; repetition is a helpful tool in most forms of learning.  Generally, religious teaching makes good use of this; however, repetition has a tendency to lead toward hardening. This hardening or fossilization, slowly, replaces the living or vibrant element.  In recent years, this lack of vibrancy has caused some to turn away from religion and seek spiritual experience elsewhere.    It is important for everyone to have a basic spiritual grounding and in our culture this happens in religious training and worship.  This is a starting place and because this learning is intended to be enriched and built upon, often it is basic and designed to reach large numbers of people. As the child matures from this foundation, other forms of spiritual experience become possible.   While it is possible to have advanced spiritual learning and experience within the context of organized religion, this form of learning is not emphasized and generally not acknowledged to be available.  Due to this lack of emphasis, people seek this experience elsewhere.   To make this clearer, let us take the example of carpentry.  When the apprentice carpenter is first learning his/her trade, they are given the most basic of tasks, often these are repetitious, but gradually the apprentice learns about wood, and its many uses.  After a period of training, working on a number of projects, and interacting with other trades, the apprentice graduates into becoming a carpenter.    As the years pass, and the carpenter seeks to increase learning, he studies how trees grow and effects environmental conditions have upon grade, its elasticity and longevity.  In time, he may become adept at knowing how the wood will weather, and if it will last, simply by its smell and feel.   As he reaches middle years, the carpenter continues learning and works on projects in the city and country.  Over the years, he has worked with wood, in his region, in every conceivable fashion.  Compared to the basic, repetitious education of the young apprentice, our mature carpenter in this way became a master. -SB