The Distortion and Incompleteness of Exoteric Religion

What we call and know as religion on a conventional ( outward) exoteric level is vastly distorted, misunderstood, perverted and corrupted…. Mostly, ironically, by the believers themselves.

The direct reason for this are the clerics in exoteric religion who have aggregated to themselves power and authority that they falsely claim is from God.

They create official dogma of their group and brainwash the believers in it and the believers in turn spread the distortions to others so this becomes a self-perpetuating generational series of lies that continue on and on.

Then the clerical institutions gain an economic power hold over the religious institutions thereby having a vested interest in maintaining generational ignorance and distortion.

First of all, ALL the known exoteric religions have only half the story. The esoteric, the inner and real substance of religion, has been eradicated from the doctrine and that only leaves a shell of the genuine metaphysical teachings that the original prophets and teachers left to humanity.

Only some forms of Buddhism seem to have kept the proper balance of the exoteric/esoteric doctrine.

What that leaves us is only a distorted view of the application of religious law that the clerics will, if we let them, try to impose this incomplete religious law on the populace without the esoteric basis of it. They will always claim that God is guiding their wicked hands. And that is a lie.


So the religions have only half the doctrine and even then they apply it dogmatically without insights and inhumanly thereby exposing themselves to being labeled, justifiably, narrow minded literalist and they further expose people to the backward ignorance of religion. This happens because these clerics and adherents to these religions are spreading a false and incomplete message.

They don’t have any real insight into anything but their dense dogma that lacks any esoteric content.

We see the ugliness and depravity of exoteric religion running amuck in this world when certain clerics denounce people for their natural sexual proclivities, or the present fundamentalists in the Mideast who have nothing to offer people but exoteric dogma they want to impose on people. The are lacking,the true spirit of Islamic esoteric guidance through Sufism, since these religious barbarians have oppressed anyone trying to add spirit to Islam, through Sufism.


In the end all these types peddling ignorance and claiming to be of God will fail. For indeed, to practice religion with only the exoteric outward aspect of it through some version of religious law, and shun the esoteric inner meaning of religion is like trying to walk with one leg.

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The esoteric, the inner and real substance of religion, has been eradicated from the doctrine and that only leaves a shell of the genuine metaphysical teachings that the original prophets and teachers left to humanity.
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Right on and spot-on, so is the rest of your posting.

Although I am not sure about the use of the word "esoteric" here, but you're possibly right.

Here is one other essential difference: Real inner belief, spirituality requires the actual and REAL "experiencing of the divine" (aka "god"). In several eastern beliefs but also in spirituality there is meditation, just one example. Shamans and similar "nature religions" also have such means to *experience* the divine. Let me just pick a random example where a youth is sent out into the wilderness where he becomes an adult once he had a spiritual experience/epiphany. Some cultures use specific drugs for that purpose, and so forth.

In OUR Western religion, the real, internal experience of god/the divine has been entirely replaced by third hand teachings instead. The EXPERIENCE is not wanted, it is actually seen as heretic.

WORSE even, practices like meditation, out-of-body experiences, trance etc. are actually seen as "from the devil" by the Church, the church actively OPPOSES the real experiencing of the divine! I ask you to think about what it implies when a "religion" forbids the actual experience of god/the divine...and what the agenda there may be WHY they would forbid this...

You are correct and this is also my firm belief that those institutions today which call themselves churches and use the name of god/jesus/allah etc. are all fraud institutions which cannot be FARTHER from the essence what it is really all about.

To cite my dad: "I don't think I can find god in some cold, dusty church where a priest is repeating the same old verses every sunday with a bunch of seniors listening. If I want to see god, a walk in nature is the much better thing to do".

This also means that studying the bible, attending church, stuff like that IS ENTIRELY IRRELEVANT..better even...it might actually blind you if you think dogmas are more important than the ESSENCE. And this is how I see those very religious people....tied up and busy with dogmas and trivialities and entirely living off/away from *real* spirituality/experiencing god. However, who can blame them...because they are brainwashed to do so for 1000s of years. They think performing rituals or studying the bible reserves them a place in heaven : ) God is likely face-palming over how his/her religions developed to today.

Congratulations. You're b.s. detector gland has awakened.

Western religions have so anthropomorphised God, then dressed him all up in esoterica to add credibility.
The masses can accept and worship a God that they can identify with but have much difficulty with the concept of omnipotence as it's completely out of their realm of understanding.

So Faith....in the Bearded father figure is what works as the marketing strategy for religious leaders.

A fine thread. Some very true words in here.

Yeah, the exoteric layer isnt for everyone, that's for sure. But neither is the esoteric layer. Baby food isn't for adults, and adult food isn't for babies.

Our modern space-age religions, such as the sci-fi / comic book genre has an exoteric layer and an esoteric layer, as dysfunctional as that religion is. To most people, sci-fi and comics are just stories. To others, they provide inspiration for scientific and cultural advances, and provide metaphors to conceptualize paranormal / mystical experiences. We write sci-fi, and sci-fi writes us.

Eventually, the sci-fi / comic book genre as we know it will be unable to perform those functions for culture. Then a new mythology will come along, and the life-cycle of religion will continue.

Welcome To Level 1.

Program now being Reset!

Please Wait!........................................................

Peace

a reply to: BlueMule

There should be a balance of the Esoteric and Exoteric.

Conventional religion ONLY deals with a gross form of the exoteric to the exclusion of spiritual realities that the believers aren’t informed of because clerics are ignorant and programmed to shun the esoteric.

One shouldn’t have the esoteric only of course, but certainly one shouldn’t have, as in conventional religion, only the exoteric.

a reply to: Willtell

Naw, both esoteric and exoteric are in an ever-shifting flux. Just like yin and yang. No stagnation.

a reply to: BlueMule

Who said it should be stagnated. Of course it’s should be in a state of flux.

But they are different layers of truth

I said you need them both in a state of balance until the truth is reached

a reply to: Willtell

Reached by who? Everyone?

Not everyone is ready for the truth. There will always be someone who isn't ready. There will always be a newborn baby who needs the baby food of exoterica.

Or to put it another way, there will always be an archetype of the trickster. The trickster makes this world. He will always lie to some people, through the truth. And he will always tell the truth to others through lies.

a reply to: BlueMule

Or, maybe everyone's "truth" is different.

originally posted by: HarbingerOfShadows
a reply to: BlueMule

Or, maybe everyone's "truth" is different.

DIfferent people think inside different boxes. The boxes are made of concepts, patterns of thought, symbols.

People live and die in boxes. No matter how sophisticated a particular box is, it is still made of concepts. But no concept can encompass the truth. So, to get to the truth, one must leave concepts behind and enter into Presence; into the Cloud of Unknowing. That is initiation, and it blows people's minds.

There are many people whose mind would be broken by that. They need many, many more incarnations before they are ready. In the meantime, they dwell in the exoteric layer of their local religion. Gradually they inch toward the esoteric and initiation.

a reply to: BlueMule

You know.
That's what gets to me about some "spiritualists" *generally "New Age" types*.
The egotistical ones generally wrap a sermon about how they are right.
Everyone else's view is folly.
With a lot of claims they cannot defend.

I agree completely. Why else is Jesus commonly depicted as a tall Aryan white male who looks like he could be mistaken for a hippie despite having been born in the middle east?

a reply to: BlueMule

I like the Box Idea, It is almost Truth!

So much stuff is stored there, runs on Auto and actually most of it was never Questioned. Then something happens to come along and Opens up the mind. Most go into shock, mind shuts down and panic brings on the flight. Not knowing what to do. We get How Did This Happen or WTF?

Any Info taken without the time to question it gets stored in that Box. I call it the minds Fail Safe program. Most of the stuff stored inside is either outdated, avoided, or named Fact without any consideration if it was. Once someone happens to actually take notice and not run, things start moving again.

Moving is allowing what happens Today, without having the mind replaying something from the past to relate to Today. If one keeps having the same old problems, even after changing this or that. It is time to Question Your Box!

By the way, It's taking longer then I thought! Seems some crap stored from long ago has Roots! It also grabs deep down within one Being, so sometimes I have to pull slowly! Found out the hard way, Yanking! Opp's! Takes time cleaning up the Box!

Peace

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Kind of to be expected.
We do tend towards glorifying ourselves.
God/perfection/whathaveyou looks amazingly like whoever is looking for god(s)/perfection/whathaveyou.
Imagine that!?!?
It creeps over in secular thought as well imho.
It just does not quite as much free reign because it's harder to justify.

Doesn't make it any less annoying however.

a reply to: Willtell

S + F. Took the words right out of my mouth.

a reply to: Willtell

I agree with you that there needs to be balance between both... but I disagree that all you see in the exoteric has been perverted...

There is a hadith which says; "There is enough light to see"

The heart of the true seeker can always see with that light the path to truth - and it is seen first in the exoteric.

originally posted by: Willtell
What we call and know as religion on a conventional ( outward) exoteric level is vastly distorted, misunderstood, perverted and corrupted…. Mostly, ironically, by the believers themselves.

The direct reason for this are the clerics in exoteric religion who have aggregated to themselves power and authority that they falsely claim is from God.

They create official dogma of their group and brainwash the believers in it and the believers in turn spread the distortions to others so this becomes a self-perpetuating generational series of lies that continue on and on.

Then the clerical institutions gain an economic power hold over the religious institutions thereby having a vested interest in maintaining generational ignorance and distortion.

First of all, ALL the known exoteric religions have only half the story. The esoteric, the inner and real substance of religion, has been eradicated from the doctrine and that only leaves a shell of the genuine metaphysical teachings that the original prophets and teachers left to humanity.

Only some forms of Buddhism seem to have kept the proper balance of the exoteric/esoteric doctrine.

What that leaves us is only a distorted view of the application of religious law that the clerics will, if we let them, try to impose this incomplete religious law on the populace without the esoteric basis of it. They will always claim that God is guiding their wicked hands. And that is a lie.


So the religions have only half the doctrine and even then they apply it dogmatically without insights and inhumanly thereby exposing themselves to being labeled, justifiably, narrow minded literalist and they further expose people to the backward ignorance of religion. This happens because these clerics and adherents to these religions are spreading a false and incomplete message.

They don’t have any real insight into anything but their dense dogma that lacks any esoteric content.

We see the ugliness and depravity of exoteric religion running amuck in this world when certain clerics denounce people for their natural sexual proclivities, or the present fundamentalists in the Mideast who have nothing to offer people but exoteric dogma they want to impose on people. The are lacking,the true spirit of Islamic esoteric guidance through Sufism, since these religious barbarians have oppressed anyone trying to add spirit to Islam, through Sufism.


In the end all these types peddling ignorance and claiming to be of God will fail. For indeed, to practice religion with only the exoteric outward aspect of it through some version of religious law, and shun the esoteric inner meaning of religion is like trying to walk with one leg.

The problem was never the ones who corrupted the teachings, the problem comes from the individual who seeks internal answers externally. Truly I tell you the answer to life and all it's mysteries lies within your own mind. Search your heart, meditate on your own perceptions and you will inevitably find your Self, God.