My last blog post, entitled “The Force”, became a treatise on Universal Love: the force that binds all things together, and frees them at once. This post continues on in the same vein but this time I am going to focus on organized religion, and spiritual traditions, their purpose and why we are seeing the breakdown of these systems.

Religion can be, and often is, a portal into Universal Love and Compassion. Each religion usually comes with a system of things which are included and excluded be they dietary, social, or behavioral; things which are seen as either contrary to the pursuit of Universal Love, or ordained by God as simply being “good” or “bad.” Following these things can take enormous discipline and do wonders for the pursuit of personal integrity.

The thing is that, while these systems often work on their own merit, they can often be simply ways to exclude each other, find fault, and ultimately limit ourselves. At their worst, they can cause war and genocide.

Now, the big thing is, these systems, while they often work well, are not the end-all-be-all in and of themselves. One way to look at your own tradition, whatever it may be, is to think of it as a vehicle, a temporary transport to a place that is transcendent of its own boundaries. Just as Jesus was not a Christian, you are not meant to stay always within the behavioral confines of your tradition.

I know, this sounds heretical. But if you are already finding yourself bursting at the seams of a religious or spiritual tradition, you are already beginning to transcend it. Transcendence is different from abnegation, but it can sometimes look the same on the outside.

Traditional methods can be very handy ways to focus the self, to gain discipline and practice for the great work of living life. But they were always rivers which were meant to flow into the Ocean of God. Just as all rivers flow into the sea, or into some larger body of water, all religious traditions are meant to bring humanity closer to each other, and to its source which, I’ll say, is free of religion, creed, or ritual.

All of life becomes the ritual. And that is where I stand. Traditions are incredibly useful and have kept alive some incredibly important things, but as with all things, take the good, leave the rest. If it is useful, take it. If it is not, discard it. You don’t need it.

While it may be very useful to emulate a great figure, it is not a substitute for having your own personal connection to God/Source/Divine Truth. You may not start a major world religion, that may not be your job, but your authentic expression will always far exceed that of anyone who is merely emulating someone they read about in a book.

And, the personal benefit is huge. You get to be yourself. You get to love yourself.