Personal Religion

March 12, 2013 — religion, Thomas Moore

My favorite author, teacher, and living spiritual expert is Thomas Moore. He is finishing a new book called A Religion of One’s Own.  His concept is not to do away with religion, but to inspire and revive it.  The Dalai Lama has recently spoken about a similar concept.  Institutional religion is having momentum problems in the developed world.  Yoga, in all the many forms, is still enjoying a growth in popularity in America.  Although yoga was brought to the world by Hindus, yoga is not a religion in itself.  It is a philosophy.

The casual way he talks about warming up for the book by translating the Gospels from ancient Greek lets you know what kind of scholar he is. He has taught in full on Latin, composed music, and become a well respected therapist.  His own fluid path was probably never suspected by anyone, least of all him, when he became a monk.  When is a monk more than a monk?  I think we have two excellent living examples today.  Both Thomas Moore and the Dali Lama of Tibet teach kindness, meditation, and natural magic.  As experts in religion, as scholars, and as holders of the traditions, these men are shining stars.  We are lucky that they have both chosen to write books for us, teach us, and even, bless their hearts, tweet us. They are both telling us we need to connect to spirit and each other for quality of life.

I think that worldwide the ways of communication have changed and the drift toward a meaningless existence has increased.  Churches and temples reflect this in both a positive and negative way.  If people look at their own religion as a sham, but still pay dues in order to just be a member of something, the future of those institutions is bleak. Keeping up the facade has become an expensive, and sometimes self destructive activity in some religious organizations.  Personal practice that is designed to cultivate compassion and mindfulness can nourish the soul of the world.  We are in need of this kind of responsibility taken and embraced by individuals and communities.  We had religious reform, some have had revival.  Let us have personal religious renaissance.  The book will not be out for a while, but I am already in favor of the whole idea.