On the Nature of Religion

Different but similar, in distinct scenes

Interpretations of that which is “eternal”

Some of the bounded in settings infernal,

Variations seen 

 

 

In the beginning, man created ideas

Mana, magick; predecessors to fear

In Africa, they bring wealth, but leer

There’s the “real” appeal 

 

 

To the East there was need of structure

The Indus River Valley Civilisation —

Establish those henotheistic religions

More than air to capture 

 

 

The Vedas—a guide; taught to be caste-aware

You live and keep living in Samsara, after all — 

To impose who to be; human courage withdraws

Is such tradition fair?

 

 

Pick and choose, a path or school, it’s up to you

Bhakti, Karma, Jnana (Path of Knowledge) — 

Of good and evil, east of there, a new heritage

from Buddha ensues

 

 

Break from the system, proud novel approach

Focus on nature— your deities are no longer

Find balance, but forget not, to live is to suffer;

Mentally encroached 

 

 

Not subjected to the gods above, rather

Your duty to attain what can’t be reached

Not a stain, to arrive in Nirvana, they teach

Breach of human nature

 

 

First Commonwealth, start a standard of living

Moses on Sinai, receive morals— the most holy

Follow the Torah, Tanakh, Talmud, very strictly

For life; constricting 

 

 

It has withstood too much to be broken — 

Overtaken by Babylonians,  to Greek occupation

Unscathed—besides Rashi and other reformations

Voices unspoken

 

 

Something off? Sacred tradition took another path 

Christianity emerges, to change the Jewish rules

Apostles spread belief, gospel in hand, the holy tool

Saved from horrid death

 

 

Leaders: use fear to keep congregation in line

The written miracles, recorded  in scripture

Tell the story of a life, paint a proper picture

Of followers devout

 

 

Saints live holy; canonise merits intentional 

Change the continents, refreshed way to live

But now, not word for word. Change how it is

Keep it conventional

 

 

To new phophets and what they believe

The word is now the message of a sect

Original visions interpreted and upset

No more worth to breves

 

 

So the question “what is the role of religion”

Provokes naturally “what is a single thought, 

To a single human being?” Is what I’m taught 

Just a derivation?

 

 

One thought trails to more, butterfly effect

Infectious in essence, transfer to one another

Something in common, hope for a brother

Still in dolor abject

 

 

Oh man, the innumerable amount of times

That an idea claimed a portion of geography 

Are daily lives tainted by philosophy —

Water turned to “brine”?

 

 

When one has beliefs, that’s all that exists

They are not to consider the basic nature of it

That leads to discovery, of strange implicits 

In whatever texts

 

 

All should receive respect—not one critic

Some are tainted by myths, unknowingly

Teacher expand on it your way, a travesty

Terribly realistic

 

 

This poem is about: 
Our world
Poetry Terms Demonstrated: 

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