A long time follower of my Blog said, “You are getting too dogmatic. It is either your way or it is wrong. There are many paths to the same goal, whether that is MER or any other objective in life.”
It was not the first time the follower had expressed disquiet about my witness to the absence of religion in any of my experiences of Ultimate Reality.
But experience of that absence seems an important prompting for the spiritually engaged – it seems worth sharing that religions are not the way, and certainly not the goal of existence, human or otherwise.
But I agree. I had mentioned my concern to others that my posts were getting didactic.
I’m afraid there’s no remedy that immediately suggests itself to my dogmatism because I determined right from the start of sharing my experiences I would not allow non-MER influences to veil, obscure, or impose on what I am given. It is not in my gift. I describe what I can then it’s up readers to make up their own minds about their destiny if they can.
Some readers will find my experiences and those of other mystics meet their spiritual condition of awareness and seeking. Others will not, especially if they’re not ready.
When I say people who are not ready, I mean they will be like those who when Dr Stephen Hawking likens the mind to being the programmer of the brain, then the “not readies” will be as humans running just on one outdated app. They will be mired in others’ old, secondhand, religious truths about human destiny, unmoved by their own unique promptings.
It should be remembered that though a religion sprung up after the biblical Jesus’s death, this Jesus did not leave any spiritual teachings. Even what the bible purports to reveal of his mystical experiences of Reality are hidden, veiled from everyone except those who have had those experiences too.
I have experienced religions in their various forms. The only kind way I can describe them positively is to suggest they are sincerely wrong and very often the words sincere, truth and integrity collide violently in them all.
Tao and Buddhism are not religions but are increasingly impurified by aspects of that enemy of Ultimate Reality, the human mind.
On the other hand I have experienced MER, which I found to be pure, incomparable, incompatible with religions. It gives on all levels of existence, even human existence – never takes. As the Bible says:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth”. 1 Corinthians 13 1
Paul was describing aspects of the mystical experience of Reality not human mind stuff like religions.
Experience is truly the beginning of wisdom and truth. MER is “The Greatest Achievement in Life” as Ron Krumpos has titled his widely read book on mysticism. I agree. I cannot betray my MERs, however dogmatic I might seem.
However, the blog Follower does have a point. I agree I’ve probably written enough on MER’s promptings on religions versus spirituality.
Anyway, as MER seems to be the primal factor in the evolution of all existence, religions on the other hand seem to be a dwindling consideration in pondering the human condition. Is this a sign of humanity growing up?
As for mystics and their different paths, I agree again. “No two mystics are alike,” says the Follower. “That is also true of any two physicians, financial advisors, physicists, or any other function.”
Seen through a human lens that makes sense. But mystics are a different lens. Actually, they don’t even need a lens to experience a conception of Ultimate Reality that is beyond current human comprehension. Their paths are significantly beyond ordinary human reach and their paths are not religious.
Ultimate Reality’s ways are not human ways, and human ways are not Ultimate Reality’s.
All Is Well.
Mystical Experiences of Reality 
MER is a gift, not an achievement. Millions of people have had mystical experiences of Reality, albeit not as often as you have. The “greatest achievement in life” is when those experiences transform your sense of being into a transpersonal outlook on life.
Five quotations from my ebook on comparative mysticism:
“The greatest achievement in life is living in the infinite and eternal within us. Seeking the absolute and ultimate—the mystical quest—is a part of everyone’s life, still we seldom consciously and actively participate in it.”
“The sense of ego self and separate individuality are forgotten to rest in that peace of the eternal and infinite One. Our apparent beginning and becoming then cease in the Reality of being. This is the greatest achievement in life.”
“What is already is. You must “realize” it: make it real in the present, embrace this One vital essence, always aware of the essence inherent in All, actively conscious that All are One in transcendent and immanent unity. That is the greatest achievement in this life.”
“Whenever there is no observing “self” then, in transpersonal actuality, there is no “other.” In self-less living, all is experienced as unity in essence. The greatest achievement in life is maintaining that realization.”
“Mystical absorptions, as steps toward enlightenment, are usually momentary or, only rarely, for hours. The greatest achievement in life is when those experiences transform your being.”
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Hmmm I feel very much the same was as you do about religions, all of them. My take on christianity is that the carpenter from Nazareth had some good things to say about how we should behave towards each other and these recommendations were identical to those of Eastern thought. While I have no thread of belief I nonetheless find religious ritual can act as the famous “finger”.
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I reposted your “finger pointing” reference from your web site onto this Blog . Here is its url address with the introduction I gave it:
A Finger Pointing to the Moon – Weltanschauung
https://zenothestoic.com/2018/11/20/a-finger-pointing-to-the-moon/
I almost recommend this beautifully crafted essay by a Follower of this Blog wholeheartedly, because it seems to me he is on the very edge of Realisation, and indeed, very often experiences Its fringes without recognising It. He cannot let go the Siren call of the richness of his gifted human life. Or so it seems to me. You may receive his insights and intuitions differently. I can’t accept the essay wholeheartedly because of his apparently despairing flounderings into the dead end of psilocybins.
Keith.
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