The Sunday Mail
Shingai Rukwata Ndoro
As shown in the last two installments, we do not have the original Judaic and Christian scriptural texts and therefore the numerously translated writings brought to us are in a familiar language.
The said translation was a human effort. The earliest religious texts were a product of human scribes and compilers, and came into existence as a result of the recording of oral knowledge that contained lived human experiences.
Religious scribes and compilers wanted to preserve and communicate eternal truths and perennial wisdom in a cryptic and eventful way related to human nature and our own individuality.
The seemingly literal and historical narratives were deliberately formulated to say something about us symbolically.
Using an advanced theological approach, religious texts are interpreted methodically using four levels of interpretation – shell (literalist and historical), allegorical, moral and innermost.
For example, the Pardes method recognises that people are of different intellectual capacity, comprehension ability and stage of development.
The religious scribes presented the most complex details poetically, dramatically, allegorically and symbolically. The religious texts also have archetypes that point to deeper meaning and purpose about life.
Using the Pardes method allows one to pierce the veil and discover a “key” to realise the spirit of the letter or the ultimate perennial truths hidden underneath the texts regarding about the Divine, human life and nature.
The events described in religious texts are definitely taking place in the “here and now” moment.
They are not geographical but located in the inner life of the individual.
By taking the higher meaning of the religious texts, an event is an experience that exists as a possibility of life and in the journey of self-realisation.
All the different personalities in the texts represent aspects of individual characteristics.
Therefore progression should be sought upwardly and forwardly.
The validity of the upper levels is viciously attacked by the institutional religions of a literalist perspective.
They were even brutally killed and harassed by those of such an orthodox persuasion.
In seeking a human understanding of the texts, names of people and places, the numbers and measurements, and the narratives of events and relationships are interpreted as allegorical and metaphysical representation of humankind’s individual and collective evolutionary journey towards sublime awakening or degeneration.
These are landmarks through the entire process of the life cycles of birth, growth, maturity and death.
We also need to go back to the source language.
Religious texts are respectfully and solemnly complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries reflecting the deep understanding and inspiration of humanity at the time they were written.
There is a lot of allegory and symbolism underneath the rubbles that we need to examine and dig deeper to integrate religion, science and philosophy.
Religion is largely about searching for the meaning within oneself and how to use such a power positively.
The impersonal and sexless cosmic force or energy is revealed not only in the majesty, beauty and orderliness of nature, but also in the vision and aspirational striving of the human spirit.
We should gracefully and humbly affirm the validity and relevance of all organised religions and any religious text on the basis of “prisca theologia” (ancient theology), “religio perennis,” (perennial religion) or “sophia perennis” (perennial wisdom).
The shared commonality of all religions is revealed and demonstrated through three stages – openly and literally by way of historicalised persons and events narration to those “in a hurry”, slightly hidden to those who are intellectually eager but who “ask, seek and knock” and deeply for those prove to be worthy of a characterand adequately prepared to discoverthe essence (the innermost quality).
This leads to a gradual recognition or awareness, enlightenment (liberation) and actualisation.
Religion is not obsolete requiring destruction.
The religious texts preserve and are a repository of the historical precedents, sanctions and truths about human life. Being products of historical processes, certain aspects of their laws may have lost their binding force with the passing of the conditions that created them.
The religious texts were not divinely authored, but rather they are a reflection and record of a human encounter with the Divine, the impersonal and sexless cosmic force or energy, in each succeeding generation.
