🤿 The Absolute: Beyond All Human Conceptions

I grew up Catholic, picturing God as a cosmic supervisor. A man in the sky watching my every move, capable of both boundless love and strict punishment depending on how well I followed his rules. This human version of divinity worked until it didn't. Until I started reasoning. Questioning.

Like many modern seekers, I discovered that traditional religious views felt too small. And pure materialism felt too empty.

The Yogis believe that God transcends such primitive feelings, representations, and characteristics popularized by the churches of the world. They don't believe in putting limits on what the divine can be. They don’t exclude anyone from it. They think that the divine is everywhere and in everything.

They don’t engage in arguments with people who believe differently. They don’t try to find flaws in other belief systems. They see humankind for what it is. A universal brotherhood with all thinkers and religious practitioners, acknowledging the diversity of opinions and interpretations. Respecting everyone.

Why do we sometimes feel threatened by beliefs different from our own? Why do we often fall into the trap of thinking our way is the only way, forgetting that truth can manifest through many paths?

Truth can be found in all different kinds of beliefs, religions or philosophy. But each belief only shows a piece, a fragment of the whole truth.

🔍 Esoteric vs. Exoteric Knowledge

One crucial distinction in all spiritual traditions separates surface teachings from deeper wisdom: esoteric and exoteric knowledge. The things everyone knows about and the deeper, more spiritual knowledge.

Exoteric teachings focus on outward rituals and doctrines accessible to the masses.

Esoteric truths delve deeper into the spiritual essence behind these practices.

The Yogis, and this deep dive, focus primarily on these esoteric aspects. The deeper spiritual principles that underlie surface-level religious practices. The universal truths that transcend the outward forms of any particular tradition.

Sadly, the majority of religions focus on the exoteric knowledge - the ceremonies and rituals. The unimportant things. Over time, deeper truths got buried as people transmitted rituals and rules through successive generations of followers. Truth became distorted, filtered through layers of interpretation and dogma.

Like Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." Perhaps the most profound distillation of Christian ethics. On the surface level, churches have created rituals around its teachings. Ceremonial readings, responsive prayers, and liturgical recitations of the Beatitudes.

But beneath these outward expressions lie revolutionary spiritual principles that transcend any single tradition. The Beatitudes speak to universal virtues. Humility ("blessed are the poor in spirit"), compassion ("blessed are the merciful"), integrity ("blessed are the pure in heart"), and courage in the face of persecution.

When Jesus teaches about anger, he's establishing rules about behavior, and pointing to the transformative power of inner peace and reconciliation. His teachings about non-retaliation ("turn the other cheek") and loving one's enemies represent radical principles of non-violence and universal love that would later inspire figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

Principles that resonate across spiritual traditions because they touch fundamental truths about human nature and spiritual growth. Ceremonial aspects can sometimes serve their purpose in religious practice, but the esoteric teachings offer insights that can transform consciousness itself.

🤝 Universal Brotherhood

But this raises an important question: How can these deeper spiritual principles be accessible to everyone, regardless of their beliefs or level of spiritual experience?

The teachings of Gnani Yoga offer a compelling answer. You can embrace these teachings without abandoning your own religion. They illuminate the spiritual truths hidden within your existing beliefs. Even skeptics and non-spiritual individuals find value here, as Gnani Yoga bridges spiritual and natural phenomena, revealing the interconnectedness of all existence.

The Yogi's view emphasizes inclusivity and harmony between diverse spiritual beliefs. If you're Buddhist, don't condemn atheists. If you're Christian, don't condemn Muslims. If you're atheist, don't condemn spiritual individuals. This path reveals connections rather than creating divisions.

❓ Beyond Simple Answers

When exploring life's deepest questions, we must dig beneath surface-level explanations. Many fall back on the simple answer: "God is behind everything, and we can’t understand God." This contains a kernel of truth, but it stops short of real understanding. It's like having a map but refusing to read it.

The challenge is that everyone approaches these questions with their own preconceptions about God (or absence thereof). Some envision a personal deity, others a cosmic force, still others reject the concept entirely. The average person considers the answer: “God did it” as a satisfying explanation for everything.

But Yogi Ramacharaka insists, "unless we understand something about the nature of God, we cannot understand anything about the nature of the Universe or of Life."

Understanding reality requires expanding beyond our current frameworks. Without some grasp of ultimate principles, how can we hope to understand our place within them?

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