True Religion

[bardia]

"My religion is not Buddhism;
my religion is loving-kindness."

H.H., the Dalai Lama

As with
'knowing'
and
'understanding,'
religion,
too,
IS
a 'matter'

Not of
'belief'
'faith' or
'ritual,'

"but," rather,
of
experience, of
'practicing'

one's
self-chosen
principled
Path.

if my
'religion'
is
at
all
'exclusive' ...
"out here,"

'in'
the 'world,'

if my
'religion'
'allows'
me to
'treat'
some kindly
some unkindly ...

it
is
a
mockery,

a
dust-covered
mirror,
only ...
in need of
'cleaning.'

'kindness,'
can, of course,
sometimes
be
'tricky' ...

"but,"
not
That
'tricky'!

true
religion
is
(exactly)
like the

SUN,

'shining'

alike
upon
ALL ...
utterly
undiscriminating ...

true
religion
only
gives,
taking
wanting
demanding
expecting

"nothing at all"

"for"

its
'self' ...

true
religion
'needs'
no
'Name,'
no
'sancturaries' or 'temples'

no
'special-sacred-places' ...

at
all.

true
religion
is
All-
"WAYS,"
HERE ...
never
'there,'

is
All-
"WAYS"

US ...
never
'them.'

it
is
All-
"WAYS,"
'I,'
never
'you,'

never
'self' ...

All
"WAYS"
THAT

SELF ...
only,
which is
'named'
"I AM."

thus,
be
thou
not
'deceived' by
its
(apparently 'well-meaning')
'imitations,'
spread,
as they are,
world-wide ...

which
will
not,
All-
"WAYS,"
rule
the
'day.'

(just)
as an 'exercise,'
try
'being'
(not 'acting')
kind ...

to the
very
next
person
you
encounter ...

(just)
'try'
'it' ...
you
(just)
may
'find'
(that)
you
'like'
'it' ...
after
all
(that).

otherwise,
we
will
ever
remain
"ignorant armies,
fighting,
by night,"

mere
"ships ...
passing,
in the
'night'" ...

of
spiritual
ignorance.