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There is little doubt that America is riding the wave. She is at the peak of her power and at the top of her game. Trying to get her attention would be a lot like trying to stop a train with a handkerchief. Every similarity to previous world powers notwithstanding our collective national behavior is so close to ancient Rome that all that is missing is the togas. The land of the mighty Caesars made a noise heard round the world for a season then died alone in a protracted whimpering that went largely unnoticed as the world entered the modern era. What can we learn from this? Leaving this question unanswered might normally imply that the answer is understood, however, it is apparent that for Americans nothing at all is understood.

The dangers are ignored, the warnings go unheeded, and the party goes on. Contrasts of our lifestyle and that of other nations make us all the more pompous and less willing to question our own indulgence. We have been all to willing to conclude that there must be something wrong with those guys over there. The prophet, bard and poet must now curb their urgency and put out a more entertaining message in keeping with the tone of the party spirit. We are only one step away from jailing, hurting or killing the messengers who provide us with a call to conscience. Or have we already taken our first few baby steps in that direction.

Like a mangy little dog scampering behind us and nipping at our heals comes the ACLU standing up for the rights of Gays and Lesbians while beating down manger scenes at Christmas and Ten Commandment plaques in public buildings. It makes me wonder if even common heroism has fallen victim to perversion. Are these acts heroic, are they really protecting our freedoms?

In Pennsylvania a law was recently rammed through the legislature that makes it illegal for a minister of the gospel to quote passages of the Bible from the pulpit that cite homosexual behavior as a sin. That law has been challenged by people with a bit of common sense still left to them in that state.

In Iraq and Afghanistan we are kept from entering and searching mosques that are known centers for Islamic jihad groups or where weapons are stockpiled and cached. They are considered cultural centers and thus are placed off limits. Contrast this to the latest effort to keep military chaplains from praying in the name of Jesus Christ with those who they are sheparding. Chaplains are guarding the spiritual welfare of our own soldier citizens, is that any less important than the cultural traditions of foreigners?

On a recent ride through a rural district of Arkansas I noticed that there was a church building about every one and a half miles on the road I was on. There were Pentecostal, Full Gospel, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Nazarene, Catholic and some unheard of varieties of churches stretched out in profusion for well over two hundred miles. As I drove I was thinking of an old adage spoken by one of our most well known missionary pioneers who said…”why should anyone hear the gospel twice when there are so many people in the world who have not even heard it once” I wondered if this profusion of churches laid out to us like a grand spiritual buffet is just taken for granted. No, I’m sure that it is.

After retuning home I saw a picture on the internet that I couldn’t help but contrast to the highway of churches I had just encountered. On a news site online was a picture of three Indonesian policemen standing behind three seated women they were guarding. The policemen were in full dress complete with strapped gun holsters, uniforms with arrays of badges and medals and a stern look of duty etched across each sullen face. In front of them were seated three average looking Indonesian women garbed in light blue prison jumpers. Three middle aged elementary school teachers who had just been sentenced to three years each for teaching their young students about Jesus Christ in their predominantly Muslim school sat stunned as sentence was pronounced. Save that Mosque but waste the lives of three harmless but dedicated educators, now that’s good thinking.

So over here it may not seem so bad…yet. Hollywood would have to make stumbling wimpy idiots of most gospel ministers; it goes with the territory and may seem even a bit tolerable after all. If you’re going to pump out a secular world view full of profanity and degenerate living you don’t want gospel preaching ministers to be taken too seriously. It would be too hard to sell a product if the naysayer’s were allowed a soap box from which to stand and proclaim that the product was trash within the very medium the product was sold through.

Should a dedicated Christian happen to slip through the cracks with the gospel on their lips and a life to back it up, they too would be relegated to the class of the disdained. It seems acceptable to make fun of the born againers and bible thumpers in media and in society in general. No one cares if you strip half naked, paint your face and act like a frenzied baboon on a psychedelic drug at a football game…those are fans are they not? But those who get even nominally excited about God are always labeled…fanatics. It is unlikely that Americans notice such double standards, since we are so bent on disregarding any standards at all.

We have gone from a state of utter dependence on God as we did during our pioneer days and then on to seeking the presence of God in our formative years as a nation. But now we are entering that place where we don’t even like to retain the knowledge of God at all in our thinking or living. What will be the result of all this and what can we expect next? I will let the Bible answer that.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Romans 1:28

Rev Bresciani is the author of two Christian books and has hundreds of articles published both online and in print. Please visit www.americanprophet.org

Life is a journey we all have to take. We are born with no
knowledge whatsoever other than some minor genetic memories, and
many of us simply follow the patterns that life and our peers
throw at us. We subconsciously assume we must do as our
forefathers; we must follow in their footsteps; we must marry,
have children, get a job, step onto the roller-coaster of
commercialism and the greed oriented rat race we know as
capitalism or even communism. There is seemingly no way out of
this life and anyway, most of us are enthused by the chase.

All of this is perfectly natural. We are, after all, apes with
less hair. We strive to be the alpha male and female; to fit in
with the society or “tribe” that surrounds us. And often that
society is just a larger version of our selves; it is created by
groups of selves.

But, in the times gone by, our ancestors saw through all of this
and recognized that there was another way. They discovered that
in-order for man to elevate himself above the level of the
grind-stone, he needed to alter his internal dialogue. Man
needed to understand himself and the forces that drive him.

This unique understanding - that there could be a higher goal
for mankind, whether collectively or individually - evolved into
what we now know as Gnosticism. Of course this is a massive
oversimplification and we should always take into account the
mystics - those who have experienced what we would call
other-worldly emotions or visions. Also, regardless of popular
perception, the Christian’s were not the only Gnostics and
mystics. Gnostic comes from the Greek word gignoskein meaning
simply to know. It was applied to “one sect of so-called
philosopher’s in the first ages of Christianity.”

However, the term is now being used more loosely and I
personally see the term slightly differently to others and
probably in a controversial light.

To me the Greek term implies all-knowledge. This is a kind of
knowledge gained much like plugging ones mind into the world
wide web and being able to download every single piece of data
in an instant. In the same way, the true Gnostic, much like the
mystic, could understand all things in a unique way. Whether
this is the mind tapping into the collective unconscious, the
Akashic records, or any other name given to the process, does
not matter for the purpose of this article, the fact remains, it
was believed. And because of this belief, physical
manifestations of the internal belief system emerged the world
over. In this way, the temples of man, were exactly that -
Temples of Man.

Gnosis then, means knowledge of the most esoteric kind and this
is the story that has been hidden from our eyes for too long.
This is the truth of the secret societies that we on the outside
are supposedly too worldly to comprehend.

The Temple

So, let us now try our best to comprehend the Temple of Solomon
and in doing so, let us walk upon Holy ground, trodden only by
the initiated.

In the years of my own searching there were times when I would
be found at the feet of the Magi, sitting and listening to the
wise words of the Sufi, joining in the debate at some
Freemasonic Lodge. All the time I was learning and viewing the
process with an open ear and an open eye, and yet also balancing
it all with the knowledge of modern day science and
reductionism. Both worlds, the one of the esoteric and the one
of science are useless apart - both are needed today if we are
to truly understand and believe.

And so down to facts about the Temple of Solomon. Well,
unfortunately we are sadly lacking in any archaeological
evidence, regardless of what you read on some literal
fundamentalist website. What we are told is that in the 10th
century BC, the wise King Solomon erected a great Temple to the
Lord. Unfortunately, if any of this is true, then we actually
find that it was a Temple, which encompassed many pagan
religions.

According to Professor James Pritchard in his book, Solomon and
Sheba (1974, p.35): “.. the so-called cities of Megiddo, Gezer
and Hazor, and Jerusalem itself were in reality more like
villages.. Within were relatively small public buildings and
poorly constructed dwellings with clay floors. The objects
reveal a material culture which, even by the standards of the
ancient Near East, could not be judged sophisticated or
luxurious.. The ‘magnificence’ of the age of Solomon is
parochial and decidedly lackluster, but the first book of Kings
implies exactly the opposite.”

In fact and in the bright light of day, what we actually have,
and what most writers are afraid to say, is no evidence
whatsoever for Solomon’s Temple. In fact, we have no evidence
for Solomon, other than these peculiar Biblical texts. Neither
do we have any evidence for the Queen of Sheba, or any of the
other characters involved. Instead, there is more depth than
could ever be imagined, more meaning than we would dare to
believe.

John Michell in The Temple at Jerusalem: A Revelation, (Gothic
Image) gives us an insight to the real meaning.:

“Legends of the Temple describe it as the instrument of a
mystical, priestly science, a form of alchemy by which
oppositely charged elements in the earth and atmosphere were
brought together and ritually married. The product of their
union was a spirit that blessed and sanctified the people of
Israel.”

How right Michell is. The Temple is an instrument of mystical
and priestly science or even magic. The secret unravels before
our eyes the more we learn. You see the true Gnostic, the true
disciple or perfect one, must be a man or woman of balance. He
or she must unite the two sides of the mind, the male and female
principles as they are called. We are all both male and female
and the alchemists used this concept of balance and revealed it
in their images of the Hermaphrodite, half man and half woman.

Solomon, was no real man, and Sheba was no real woman. Instead
they were symbols of this internal and often external process.
The whole story of Solomon, Sheba and the Temple, which is the
perfectly formed body, both physical and spiritual, is the story
of our own psyche. It is an esoteric truth, misunderstood in its
exoteric form.

Hiram

Hiram was the son of a Jewish mother and a Phoenician father and
is credited with the decoration of the Temple of Solomon. He was
said to have been the “son of a widow of the tribe of
Naphtali… He cast two bronze pillars” 1 Kings 7:13-15.

We must also note something of interest mentioned in 1 Kings 16:

“Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on top of the
pillars. The height of one capital was 5 cubits; and the height
of the other capital was five cubits. He made a lattice network,
with wreaths of chainwork, for the capitals which were on top of
the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the
other capital.”

These pillars became known as Jachin, meaning “he establishes”
and Boaz, which means “in him is strength” and these are now
familiar to most modern Freemasons as central to their own Lodge
or Temple. Copies of these can be clearly seen at the infamous
Rosslyn Chapel as we shall discover.

But, what is interesting here is the original text about these
pillars. Firstly bronze is used for the capitals, just as bronze
is used for the “Brazen Serpent” of Moses and is indicative of
the fiery aspect of the serpent as one of the channels in the
Kundalini process. Their “heights” were 5 cubits, matching the
five hooded cobras seen across India and atop many pillars,
although the Bible calls them Lilies, which are symbols of
balance anyway.

Leading up to these capitals then were “wreaths” of “chainwork”,
seven on each pillar. Strangely these chains were “for the
capitals,” and so we conclude that these seven levelled chains
(coils) were pointing towards the head (capital) just as the
serpents of the Kundalini do.

There are more real links between Hiram and the serpent. For
instance, we noted above that he was of the Tribe of Naphtali.
The standard of the Tribe of Naphtali, according to Jewish
tradition, is a serpent or basilisk and this could have come
from Egyptian origins, as Jewish tradition states that Naphtali
was the brother of Joseph, chosen to represent the family to
Pharaoh.

“And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding,
Huram [Hiram] my master [father] craftsman, (the son of a woman
of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre),
skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and
wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any
engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him,
with your skilful men and with the skilful men of my lord David
your father.” 2 Chronicles 2:13-14.

Here, Hiram is said to be a son of the Tribe of Dan and even the
tribe of Dan had an emblem, which was amazingly also the
serpent, this time with a horse.

Incredibly there is also a hidden truth and repetitive pattern
in this little statement about the real skills of this literary
character. Follow this pattern:

Hiram is skilled in:-

1 gold and silver, 2 bronze and iron, 3 stone and wood, 4 purple
and blue, 5 fine linen and crimson, 6 and to make any engraving
7 and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him.

Note that there are seven ‘balanced’ elements to the skill of
the man who will build the Temple! This is a real clue to the
Temple’s secret indeed.

According to this book of Chronicles Hiram was a cunning man (a
word used for the serpent) endued with understanding, skilful as
we can see in the work of gold, silver, brass, stone and timber.
But he was also credited with certain tools, which could pierce
stone. Stone, as I show in Gnosis is symbolic of wisdom and
foundation. Hiram’s tool therefore pierced the veil or even the
very root of wisdom.

According to the book of Kings the Temple was built of stone (or
wisdom) before it was brought to the site. Something like a
prefabricated building. It was said by tradition that neither
hammer nor axe, nor any tool of iron was used in the building.
So how was it built? This in itself is a paradox, which can only
be answered by the true secret of the Temple being revealed.

According to Rabbinical teaching the prefabrication of the
Temple was performed by the Shamir, a giant worm or serpent that
could cut stones (incidentally worm means serpent). Not
dissimilar to Norse and Celtic beliefs where Valhalla and
Camelot were built with the fire of the dragon and in China
where building is aided by the serpent energy.

This is a universal concept as can be seen in India, where it
was the serpentine linked Naga’s of fable who escaped their
country and took the architectural wisdom abroad. The architect
gods, such as Thoth of Egypt, are linked strongly with the
serpent wisdom because they are linked with the building of
“Temples of Wisdom” inside our SELVES.

The Shamir, according to one legend had even been placed in the
hands of the Prince of the Sea (Shamir by Wilhelm Bacher &
Ludwig Blau), which of course is symbolic of the Prince of
Wisdom.

In essence what we really have here is the Temple of Wisdom
being built by the serpent and that serpent is none other than
that of, or similar to, the internal Kundalini, later to be
developed into the Kabbalah. This is a psychological training
manual; a method of self-improvement; a way for society to
become One; a multi-layered method of getting closer to the
deity which resides in each and everyone of us; a deity, that
the ancients saw as being the same in each of us.

The whole process repeats again and again throughout the Bible.
The Temple is reduced (like the alchemical method) and is
remade. Then again and again, until finally the Christ is the
Temple which is reduced (killed) and then rises again for the
last time. And now, according to the texts, we can all meet with
this Christ and we can all have the knowledge. We just need to
understand that the true Christ is all and in all.

But this wasn’t the end of the story ………

Terry Dashner (www.ffcba.com)

Roughly 300 years before Christ was born, Rome and Cartage were
at war with each other for control of the Mediterranean Sea.
Between 264 and 146 B.C., they fought three wars. The first
Punic War (264-241 B.C.), called Punic Wars because Punici was
the Roman word for Phoenicians, was fought over control of the
island of Sicily. The Romans feared a strong presence of
Phoenicians on the island would disrupt the balance of trade in
the Mediterranean Sea. The only way Rome could stop Carthage was
to break her naval supremacy.

Using the design of a captured Carthaginian warship, Rome began
to build a navy of her own. Although Rome soon possessed the
same ships, Roman sailors could not match the experience and
skill of the Carthaginians. So Rome substituted soldiers for
experienced sailors. When an enemy ship came near, a plank was
dropped (like a drawbridge) so that its spiked tip fastened to
the deck of the enemy’s ship. Armed Roman soldiers then crossed
over and captured the ship. By this method Rome crippled the
navy of Carthage.

What if Rome had continued–although being subdued at every
turn–trying to fight the Carthaginian navy without using their
wits and capitalizing on their army’s strength? The Roman
Republic would have certainly died out, and North Africa would
have become a world empire. This begs the question. What is
insanity? It is doing the same thing over and over again but
each time expecting different results. Can you identify with
this definition?

If you find yourself defeated in life, while attempting to
address the defeat and depression by the same actions
day-in-and-day-out, maybe it’s time to muster up the courage and
try something different. I know trying something different may
disrupt your comfort zone and stretch you beyond yourself, but
isn’t it worth a try? To win the Mediterranean Sea, the Romans
were willing to try something different in their approach to
naval warfare. Because they thought “outside the box” and
applied their greatest asset to the situation, Rome went on to
become a world empire.

Have you done an assessment of your greatest strengths lately?
Why not? You need to know your strengths in order to address the
enemies of life. The Bible says that God has given us all
spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus His only begotten Son. If
you want to walk blessed, you must turn to Christ because in Him
alone is everything you need. He is our greatest strength. Again
the Bible says that all the promises of God are in Christ, yes
and Amen! That means that Jesus is the mediator between God and
man. If you want what God has for you, you must go to the Son.
The Bible says that we can do all things through Christ who is
our strength. Are you getting the picture?

Many times we find ourselves in situations over our heads. We
keep trying to press against them in our own strength and
creativity. After a while we become exhausted because we are no
match for the opposition. To continue striking the situation in
human strength alone is insanity because each time we are doing
the same actions but expecting different results. Why not try
something ingenious? Why not cast the situation on God, and let
Him help? God is for us and wants us to win. But He can’t help
us if we don’t ask for His help. I believe that God has a way
for you. I believe that He wants to break you out of your defeat
and depression. I believe that if you call on Him, He will hear
you and help you win.

God might have a special word of instruction for you that will
help you overcome your enemy by an ingenious plan that
capitalizes on your strengths and exploits the power of your
enemy. Can you believe this? If so, go for it. Rome did.

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is alive and coming again.

Pastor T.

Rudyard Kipling on Masonry: “the closest thing to a religion that I shall ever know”.

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: a human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him, a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating.”- Pearl Buck

“I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.” - Harry S. Truman

“… the archetypal Roman shouldered the White Man’s Burden, the arduous but fabulously profitable task of governing those whom, despite all evidence to the contrary, the Romans judged incapable of governing themselves.” (Lucy Hughes-Hallett from ‘Cleopatra’)

“[I often get] the feeling that the very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world… I am willing to believe that history is for the most part inaccurate and biased, but what is peculiar to our age is the abandonment of the idea that history could be truthfully written. In the past people deliberately lied, or they unconsciously coloured what they wrote, or they struggled after the truth, well knowing that they must make many mistakes; but in each case they believed that ‘the facts’ existed and were more or less discoverable.” – George Orwell from Looking Back on the Spanish War

“… our mode of teaching the principles of our profession [Masonry] is derived from the Druids … and our chief emblems originally came from Egypt …” [William Hutchinson, Mason, The Spirit of Masonry, revised by George Oliver, New York, Bell Publishing, originally published in 1775, p. 195]

“Art is a dialogue we have always carried out with the unknown. We have come to distinguish the contours of the unknown through the unconscious, through religion and magic and we may soon begin to understand such totally modern emotions as the feeling that we belong to the future, that our civilization is the sum of others.” – Andre Malraux who was Minister of Propaganda for the Merovingian puppet Charles de Gaulle.

“The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves…these clergy, in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ.” – Thomas Jefferson

“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country.
As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” - President Abraham Lincoln, 1865

“It was not my intention to doubt that, the Doctrines of the Illuminati, and principles of Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary, no one is more truly satisfied of this fact than I am… The idea that I meant to convey, was, that I did not believe that the Lodges of Free Masons in this Country had, as Societies, endeavoured to propagate the diabolical tenets of the first, or pernicious principles of the latter (if they are susceptible of seperation). That Individuals of them may have done it, or that the founder, or instrument employed to found, the Democratic Societies in the United States, may have had these objects; and actually had a seperation of the People from their Government in view, is too evident to be questioned.” The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. John C. Fitzpatrick, Editor. Mount Vernon, October 24, 1798.

INTRODUCTION:

How does one find out what a religion or national identity is about? You can ask the people who live or believe and follow the system if they will inform you. That is important to do. But if you rely on that alone you will invariably get a lot of hype and unexamined beliefs. We all know the various Abrahamic religions have sects that hate and wage war upon each other but it is not so different in other areas of belief which people like to think is wisdom or knowledge. Those who desire an apocalypse should be raptured to one geographical area along with other sociopaths where they can strive against each other to their hearts content while the rest of the species looks forward to exploring the cosmos and tidying the place up in case any neighbors come calling. We can be so much more – if we would DO as Jesus and other desposyni did. There are despots in these groups of the Merovingian or family of Jesus however.

The same thing is true with history. I can attest to the fact that the Flat Earth and Bible Narrative fictions have an enduring impact on what people think about history. People actually believe there was a time when mariners thought the earth was flat – I kid you not. They think they know these things because they read them in accredited books from professors who hold forth on the subjects they study which are narrow in focus. Seldom do these teachers keep up to date with other fields of endeavour.

The truly amazing thing to me is the extent to which people defend the myths and fictions of history. Even when presented with facts and artifacts people still want to believe in some alien influence rather than human ingenuity. And the really funny thing is they call someone who presents the facts and evidences of that advanced human culture by terms like Conspiracy Theorist. I wonder how we will ever get past these myths if people are not willing to learn the facts. There are all manner of people saying they are Druids, Wiccans and other sorts of people who claim their view of history is true – it is not just the major religions. The facts should do the talking rather than wishful thinking cults or imaginary aliens. That is not to suggest there are not aliens and they might well visit our planet. Let’s just forget all the dragon people and Chanes myths or know humans claimed to be Elohim or aliens to make themselves more powerful in the eyes of those they kept in ignorance through fear. Let’s drop those Bible Narratives with Nephilim or whatever and start looking at reality for a change.

It was long before the recent X and Y genetic research came to my attention when I had already written many books using other disciplines that showed the secret trading Empires that empowered the Divine Kings and other debauched and immoral organizations. Corporatism as defined by Chomsky is not new by any stretch of the imagination. His work is a necessary read for anyone wanting to know the structural deficiencies of our oligarchies.

About the Author

Author of Diverse Druids

Columnist for The ES Press Magazine

Guest ‘expert’ at World-Mysteries.com

Buddhism is a teaching which has spread worldwide absorbing the culture of each country it arrived in, which has resulted in many expressions of Buddhism. Each strand, no matter how varied in nature and practice, holds a common emphasis on the impermanence of human life. The worldwide spread of Buddhism means that it is now practiced by over three hundred million people worldwide, and thus, is generally considered to be a world religion. However, its authenticity as a religion has often come under scrutiny by intellectuals in the Western world. To explore whether Buddhism can in fact be counted as a religion we must acknowledge that the main problems arise when looking for a definition of what a religion is. Either, definitions have proved too narrow excluding many belief systems which people believe are religious, or they become too broad which means that any structure can be counted. When applying varying definitions of religion to Buddhism we come up with some very contradictory answers; some which say that Buddhism is simply a philosophy or teaching, whilst others will prove that it is in fact, a religion in practice.

To determine whether Buddhism is a religion or not, we must also note that we, as Westerners will have different views and concepts of religion to those practicing in the East. We must ask the question, is it even possible for Westerners to understand the religious life of Asia? What we view as Asian religion and religious activity is for most of the people practicing it a natural part of daily life; our ideas and concepts vary so greatly that perhaps someone observing Buddhism from a Western perspective may never truly grasp the religiosity of the group.

For one attempting to provide a definition of religion these practices would need to be described in a manner which did not exclude one religion from the definition. There needs to be one thing that is attributed to all religions, a common factor. For many, the common factor is God. However, if we conclude that God is the focus of all religion then much of the material found in Asia must be excluded because there is no God here, and occasionally not even Gods. From the perspective that religion entails belief in a God, Buddhism is excluded from having the title of religion. Many outsiders to the Buddhist tradition may claim that the Buddha held some divinity and is elevated to a Godly position, but the Buddha himself refused to be regarded as divine. For the Buddha, humanity is here to improve ourselves and achieve liberation rather than worrying about ultimate questions. Buddhists would argue that knowledge of a God or the afterlife does not matter as neither help in the quest for nirvana.
If Buddhism is not counted as a religion then what is it? Buddhism can be thought of as a way of life, a philosophy, a psychology, a way of thinking through which we can take responsibility for our present life and lives.

Like all major religions Buddhism contains a morality, rituals and behaviours, certain ethical values and an origin of existence, yet because Buddhists do not believe in an all knowing creator God some claim that Buddhism fails to be a religion. The large variety of definitions of religion shows that we can never give a solid, one answer description of what it is that religion is and does.

We must remember that previously Buddhism has many names such as the Buddha’s teaching or message, or the Buddha’s way or the path of attainment. Although the religious status of Buddhism has come under constant attack, we could argue that the questioning is in fact, not necessary. If we were able to ask the Buddha if Buddhism was in fact a religion or not he would probably answer with the response that it does not matter. To the Buddhist, their beliefs are essentially a philosophy by which individuals can attain release from the world of karma and rebirth. Knowing whether or not Buddhism is a religion or not cannot lead to salvation, only through practice and understanding can one be led to a happiness which is not transient.

Copyright © 2005,buddhismnews.com. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Helen Wyre an expert in Buddhist studies writes regularly for the daily updated Buddhism News website. For more information, news and articles on Buddhism, visit Buddhism News at
http://www.buddhismnews.com

Is it not true that only after gaining Enlightenment
(Self-Realization) that one can reach the stage of Moksha
(Salvation).

Moksha is that ephemeral truth of life without which human
beings cannot sustain themselves. The cause of the human body…
the process of evolution… all leads to our Soul (Atman)
gaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death (Moksha)
forever.

Moksha being the ultimate truth of life… none can just do
without! In the present life we may or may not pursue Moksha as
the ultimate goal of all life… inherently and spiritually our
Soul (Atman) is bound to pursue this one and only goal in the
life of every Soul (Atman) in the Cosmos.

If gaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death (i.e.
achieving the stage of Moksha) is the only goal of every Soul
(our Atman within)… and knowing the fact that our body is but
clothing for our Soul (Atman)… our Soul (Atman)… plays the
governing role! Whatever be our present goal in life… the
ultimate goal of our cosmic life remains the same, gaining
Moksha! (Salvation).

Attaining the state of Moksha (Salvation) is reaching the Mount
Everest of physical manifested life. There is nothing beyond
Moksha that is required to be achieved in this life. Moksha is
that stage in the life of a human being when one cuts across all
the shackles of the senses and the mind. Unless we gain absolute
control over the five senses and the mind… we cannot achieve
Moksha in this life.

Gaining absolute control over the senses and the mind is a
complex process. One has to diligently take control of all the
senses one by one and the moment we are able to establish
absolute control over all the five senses… controlling mind is
easy to achieve! Our five senses help us live the physical
manifested form of us. They have got nothing to do with our true
inner self… our Soul (atman within us)

What is the correct process that we can gain absolute control
over the five senses and ultimately the mind for us to achieve
the stage of Moksha? For cutting across the various barriers of
senses… we need to maintain more and more purity in our
day-to-day dealings. The more pure our thought process… the
sooner shall we be able to gain control over the senses.

As practiced in Jainism… it is the concept of Bhava Karma
which plays the governing role. Before committing any physical
action… we must have thought over it. If we are awarded -10
points for committing a grave sin like murder then we also get
negative marking for negative thoughts incurred by us before
committing the murder. Does this mean that committing a sin only
in thoughts attracts negative marking… yes! Even by thinking
wrong of others… we are incurring a sin and this result in our
getting established on a lower pedestal on the spiritual plane.

For attaining Moksha… if we need to establish control over the
five senses then it becomes mandatory for us to follow the
concept of Bhava Karma and desist from even thinking wrong of
others. This is the only process for maintaining absolute purity
of thought. The concept of Bhava Karma in Jainism has no
parallel in the History of Mankind. It is only traveling on the
path of Bhava Karma that Saints and Sages were able to control
anger and purify their thinking patterns.

As we gain more and more purity of thoughts on the path of
attaining the stage of Moksha… we shall find that gaining
absolute control over mind is within our reach. Gaining control
over the five senses is the most difficult part in the life of a
human being on the path to attaining Moksha. But it is a goal
not unachievable! Patience and persistence both play a vital
role in establishing firm control over the five senses. We have
to practice Patience and Persistence at each and every stage
lest we may not be able to gain Moksha in this life.

Establishing control over anger is only possible after we have
developed a habit of forgiving one and all… whatever be the
cause or the reasoning! Forgiving one is a one-sided affair.
Compassion is required to be practiced at every stage of the
physical manifested life. Without Compassion and the Power of
Forgiveness… none can reach any worthwhile stage on the path
of Spirituality. Every true Saint or a Sage has developed the
power of Forgiveness to its extreme for it is only after
controlling anger that one can reach the stage of Moksha in this
life.

Broadly speaking… to attain the stage of Moksha… we need to
gain Kaivalya Jnana (Omniscience) and this is possible only
after establishing absolute control over the Senses and the
Mind. The moment one gains control over the Senses and the
Mind… one reaches the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi… the stage
when one can indulge in one-to-one dialogue with God the
Almighty.

Maintaining absolute purity of thought by practicing the path of
Bhava Karma… practicing Compassion (by which one develops
control over anger) Patience and Persistence … we are able to
reach nearer our cosmic goal of life… attaining Moksha! There
is nothing nobler in life than reaching the stage of Moksha in
the present life.