Daniel J. Pipes

20 readers online now  |  62 million page views

120,172 comments by 30,669 readers

Go to Mobile Site

missing the point

Reader comment on item: Caught on Tape: The Middle East's Culture of Cruelty
in response to reader comment: Middle east culture if cruelty

Submitted by the Grand Infidel of Kaffiristan (Australia), May 16, 2009 at 01:02

Dev writes:

"The difference amongst humans is that a few feel the pain of victims whether human or animal where as few others have no mercy upon others.This is because of conditioning of mind of the few who feel that they have the right of to be sole inheritors and custodians of every thing in this world including the claim to have only true religion in the world."

Occasionally on this forum remarks such as those of yours just quoted accurately encapsulate the cause of the problem - the conditioned, unconscious mind. It knows no better - and can never know better - until it suspects that there might possibly be another way to view or experience 'reality'. The aim of all true religions is to wake man's mind from unconsciousness to awareness and clarity. To realise that 'God' is not external - but one's deepest self - 'Thou art that' , 'the Kingdom of Heaven is within you', 'Know thyself' and Buddha's advice to purify the defilements of the mind and find one's Buddha nature. etc etc. I've looked hard into the Koran - but Mr. Mohammed completely misses this crucial understanding. If he ever knew (highly doubtful -) then he spent no effort promoting it amongst his followers. Which indicates his lack of authenticity.

This is the crucial thing that Islam misses - and misses in spades. And it seems it never , ever had this as a core teaching. All the other great religions did and do have this central theme - that man is asleep - and that he/she has the potential to awaken to greater awareness (call it 'God', Buddha nature, the True self etc) Contact with that true nature - automatically brings peace, clarity, happiness, understanding, calmness etc etc. It has no need of dogmas and theories. Scriptures speak of it - but can never do the actual experience justice. Words are just words.

Islam has devolved into a bizarre cult, a parody of a real religion. It is such a shame that in adopting all the trappings of its beliefs - that people actually think they have some special insight into 'Allah' and therefore because of that adopt an attitude of superiority!

Muslims around the world are metaphorically (and no doubt sometimes literally) bashing their heads against a wall. This can be done only for so long - the end result is either you change your attitude and therefore behaviour - or you continue with the pain inducing attitudes and beliefs until you can no longer function. Many muslims must see that other people with completely different beliefs are actually having a good time and operating relatively harmoniously in complete contrast to the near the dysfunctional level that muslim culture engenders.


Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Comment on this item

Name
Email Address (optional)
Title of Comments
Comments:

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

See recent outstanding comments.

Join Daniel Pipes on a Fact Finding Expedition to Israel, March 2012
For full details click here

ADVERTISEMENTS

History News Network
eXTReMe Tracker
Shop BestofVegas for your next Vegas Vacation

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials written by Daniel Pipes on this site © 1968-2012 Daniel Pipes. Email: daniel.pipes@gmail.com

You can help support Daniel Pipes' work by making a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum. Daniel J. Pipes