What texts does your belief system value? In what way? Why?

[SabahTheLoner]

I notice that very often, there seems to be multiple or one central text(s) in a given belief system, but different beliefs value texts in different ways.

So I'm asking this to everyone across all religions with a central text (or multiple, possibly) as a way to gain insight as to why such scriptures are important, setting aside everything I already know about some of these texts.

Do they sum up your values? What lessons do they offer? Are the texts advice or law?

Please also include your religion.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I think we have to be prepared to find inspiration where we find it. Of those religions which have texts, they nevertheless refer readers to the stars, to the wonders of the body and nature, to moral questions, to the nature of thought and of morality. It is arguable that without the world we live in such texts would be unreadable.

I think what really happens is that texts are very useful for writing down information that traditionally has been memorized; and memorization is the first scripture. People used to memorize lots of things. It was (and still is) a kind of super power, seemingly mysterious and baffling to those who cannot memorize. The mind has always been one of the very mysterious aspects of life. People debate the nature of knowledge, what it is; and it is a mysterious topic. Putting putting knowledge onto paper is like a magic trick. At times writing has been reserved for privileged classes, perhaps for that reason.

 

[George-ananda]

I believe in Advaita non-dual (God and creation are not-two) philosophy. The exponents of this philosophy were originally eastern (Indian) but in recent decades their has been quite an explosion of western teachers also. The best classical text for me is the Bhagavad Gita however all the words and writings of respected teachers of this tradition are valuable texts for me.

 

[Kemosloby]

Overall they elude to the "Big Picture", the more you know the bigger your picture is of the "Big Picture".

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm a Hindu. The core texts for all Hindus are the Vedas. Nearly all Hindus believe in the authority of the Vedas. There are many secondary texts that vary by sect.

In Hinduism, less importance is put on 'the book' than in Abrahamic faiths. Most Hindus have never read the Vedas, but still accept them as authoritative. Scripture is generally seen as one component of faith, and not a necessary one at that. Other sources of knowledge are Gurus in oral tradition called sampradaya, inner knowledge from meditation, or turning to God through temple worship.

This lesser importance put on it is important, as many comparative scholars will focus on it, so when the question, 'What book is your religion based on?' it could well be none, and it is for many people.

On a personal note, in my sect and sampradaya, the Tirukkural, the Tirumanthiram, the Saiva Agamas, and the current writings of my sampradaya are all important.

 

[LuisDantas]

I notice that very often, there seems to be multiple or one central text(s) in a given belief system, but different beliefs value texts in different ways.

So I'm asking this to everyone across all religions with a central text (or multiple, possibly) as a way to gain insight as to why such scriptures are important, setting aside everything I already know about some of these texts.

Do they sum up your values? What lessons do they offer? Are the texts advice or law?

Please also include your religion.

As I understand it, Buddhist Dharma does not really support taking any text as law. I guess I take that slightly further than average.

We have the "canonical" suttas and the other two Pitakas. Roughly speaking, the three Pitakas are Vinaya (discipline), Sutta (sermons) and Abhidhamma (psychology and philosophy). Later schools developed quite a variety of their own literature and paid various degrees of dedication towards them. Some of those are quite excellent.

But it seems to me that in all cases it falls to the adherent to validate the text, not the other way around. Dhamma is where we find it, and a very basic religious responsibility is that of exercising discernment over what is taught is and make the teaching ours to explain, apply, and answer for.

The role of texts is actually minor. They are communication tools , best used by skilled teachers to bring reflection and learning. Helpful when personal interaction with a skilled teacher is not readily available, but not really up to the same level as those.

Still, anyone can end up singularly inspired by some text or another.

 

[osgart]

the constitution of the u.s a. , I believe that text literally keeps the peace in America. not necessarily the governors, but the belief in America as a means of freedom, and the law is wary of power and it's corruptibility.

not necessarily a religion, but it's a lot like one.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I notice that very often, there seems to be multiple or one central text(s) in a given belief system, but different beliefs value texts in different ways.

So I'm asking this to everyone across all religions with a central text (or multiple, possibly) as a way to gain insight as to why such scriptures are important, setting aside everything I already know about some of these texts.

Do they sum up your values? What lessons do they offer? Are the texts advice or law?

Please also include your religion.

I relate to any writing that has high focus on ancestral veneration, spiritual involvement through deeds, and heavy emphasis on prayer and devotion. I notice African faiths have this but what I say is too general to say for sure. There is a spiritualist guidebook that goes through healing techniques done by mediums as well as history. So far I know, it is all in practice and connecting with energy/spirit and healing spirits of those who have transitioned and those living today.

Nichiren Buddhism in the gosho, Nichirens letters to his disciples, has a chapter on honoring the ancestors and healing hungry spirits through Diamoku. Shoshu has specific prayers to the departed.

Scripture would probably be scrapbooks art, written prayers, and this and thats I collect and create. I dont understand holding a book as sacred. When I was a Catholic we Lived the bible not read it. So, I have nothing formal.

Id love to hear how books can be considered sacred in and of itself. I know the bible NT has red wordings for jesus, but red color doesnt connect with how its sacred unless one practices it and experiences are shared that way. Experience is more sacred than text.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Heathenry values the Eddas (both Poetic and Prose), as well as the Sagas. These encompass the culture and history of the Norse peoples, tell stories about the nature of the Gods, inform about the magic and meaning of the runes, and include the Hávamál, which is regarded as the Wisdoms of Odin.

These texts are by no means considered infallible, and in some manner altering them (as in re-telling the myths with changes and adaptations) is not seen as blasphemy. The Hávamál has even been translated into "Southern American" in what is known as the "Bubba-mál".

 

[Twilight Hue]

There are no texts or writings in bompu Zen as it's commonly regarded as a holistic form of zen. Aside from introductory and instructional material, the use of text is largely at the discretion of the practitioner. For myself. My practices primarily revolve around the heart sutra and the writings of Dogen although certainly not limited to those texts exclusively.

 

[Tumah]

Well...

There's the Tanach. We value that as not just the word of G-d, but the source of creation and all knowledge.

There's the Mishnah/Talmud. We value that for its G-d given commentary on the Torah and for extrapolating how to be a Jew - and think like one - from the Torah.

There's the various Midrashic texts. We value them for their background information on Tanach and assorted theological teachings.

There's the Halachic Midrash texts. Those are valuable for their extrapolations on Jewish Law.

There's the assorted Halachic texts. Those are valuable for teaching us Jewish Law.

There's the multitudinous Kabbalistic texts. Those are valuable for teaching us how to better love and fear G-d and how to become spiritually close to Him.

There's the sundry philosophy, Mussar and Hassidic texts. Those are valuable for teaching us how to relate to the world and elevate ourselves.

There's the many Responsa texts. Those are valuable for teaching us Jewish Law in less obvious cases, more difficult cases and extreme historical occurrences

Lastly, there's the liturgical texts which teach us what to pray over the course of the day, week and year.

And there's the commentaries and commentaries on the commentaries and the commentaries on the commentaries' commentaries that bring it all down to us.

 

[arthra]

I notice that very often, there seems to be multiple or one central text(s) in a given belief system, but different beliefs value texts in different ways. So I'm asking this to everyone across all religions with a central text (or multiple, possibly) as a way to gain insight as to why such scriptures are important, setting aside everything I already know about some of these texts. Do they sum up your values? What lessons do they offer? Are the texts advice or law? Please also include your religion.

Baha'i here... The Baha'i Writings constitute the main authority for Baha'is.. in terms of spiritual and social teachings... legal concepts in the Faith and commentaries on previously revealed texts such as the Qur'an, the Gospel, Torah. Baha'i Writings are recognized by us as revealed by Baha'u'llah, the Bab and Abdul-Baha. The Writings were revealed at various times and under sometimes extreme conditions... Their authority is without question.. They are not based on hear-say or reports passed down but actual documents. You can see the Writings translated into English and in their original Arabic and Farsi here:

Baha'i Reference Library

The Baha'i World Center also has custody of Writings that have yet to be translated..

The writings, or tablets, of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi are stored at various places at the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa, Israel. Soon they will be moved to a building named "The Center for the Study of the Sacred Texts," which is under construction as of this writing. Microfiche copies of the tablets are also preserved for safekeeping at a variety of places around the world. Many texts were lost, stolen, or destroyed, and many others are still held in private hands. The estimated figures for the total number of individual tablets are as follows: Bahá'u'lláh, 7,160 tablets archived, 15,000 total estimated to have been written; 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 15,549 tablets archived, 30,800 total estimated to have been written; Shoghi Effendi, 16,370 letters archived, 30,100 total estimated to have been written ...

Number of tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh

 

[godnotgod]

I notice that very often, there seems to be multiple or one central text(s) in a given belief system, but different beliefs value texts in different ways.

So I'm asking this to everyone across all religions with a central text (or multiple, possibly) as a way to gain insight as to why such scriptures are important, setting aside everything I already know about some of these texts.

Do they sum up your values? What lessons do they offer? Are the texts advice or law?

Please also include your religion.

One of the central teachings of Buddhism is The Heart Sutra, and the central doctrine of this sutra is what is known as Sunyata, or Emptiness. It does not translate exactly as emptiness in the Western sense, but more like 'absence of'. What does this teaching piont to as being absent of?: an inherent self-nature, and this applies to ALL phenomena. What this sutra implies is that the biggest problem for man is that he thinks himself the 'doer' of all things, when the truth of the matter is that there is no such 'self' that actually 'does' anything. IOW, this 'doer', this ego that acts upon the world, is an illusion that exists in the illusory duality of 'self and other', where so such 'self and other' is a reality. Life in this duality creates cause and effect, or karma, which in turn creates suffering and delusion. Realization of the illusion is release from suffering, and a radical transformation, sometime sudden, sometimes gradual, of consciousness in which it is realized that you are not living life; life is living you. It's just that the ego is constantly vying for attention and propping itself up as the central figure of life, all illusory, and karma-driven. Realization, or Awakening, is to embark upon the way-driven life, in which the passions of Lust, Greed, and Anger are extinguished. This extinguishing is called Nirvana. These three passions are the realm of the ego, the self that one thinks is real, but in reality, turns out to be fiction, a character in a drama following a script written by others. And so, this Sunyata is a very powerful and crucial teaching indeed. It has been said that one's true nature is none other than 'The Indestructible Sunyata' itself. The experience of Awakening is the goal of what has been termed 'The Master Game', in contrast to the Religion Game, whose goal is Salvation. The Religion Game assumes the existence of a soul, or self, that is in need of Salvation, whereas The Master Game does not see an inherent self nature in any phenomena. Most of humankind is existing on a level of Conscious Awareness that sees this material world, including themselves, as real. This level is known as 'Identification', and is a fiction. Awakening (ie Self-Tanscendence, or Self-Remembering) is one level higher that allows one to see the illusory nature of the self, and is the beginning of the release from the karmic-driven life and hence, of suffering. This transformation is to go from the world of duality, into the world of The Absolute, which translates to Absolute Joy, rather than only relative joy/relative suffering.

Thank you very much.

 

[VioletVortex]

I am a Pagan, primarily aligning myself with the Norse theology, though I feel kinship with other European, Asian, and North American paths. They aren't necessarily for me, but I find them very interesting.

Regarding the general consensus as far as important texts go, the Eddas are considered sacred. The Eddas are an Icelandic series of poems detailing the deities and their actions, sort of a book of mythology akin to the Odyssey, which details Hellenic mythology.

The Runes are much talked about in Norse Paganism as well. The Runic alphabet is an ancient Germanic writing system, and it consists of various symbols. Many pertain to the deities themselves. For example, the lightning bolt "SS" runes commonly associated with Nazism translates to "power", and is thus a symbol of such, and also a sigil of þorr.

Many Heathens use runes for magic-related purposes. One might somehow create rune of fertility and life during Spring, or put a power rune on the wall in their home gym.

 

[Deeje]

The two most important ones that Jesus taught his followers was "love of God and neighbor". You can't go wrong with those two. Either one of these on their own can become distorted, but together they are powerful.

If the whole world followed just those two commands.....no trouble or tragedy would result from their actions.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Many pertain to the deities themselves. For example, the lightning bolt "SS" runes commonly associated with Nazism translates to "power", and is thus a symbol of such, and also a sigil of þorr.

No, it's not. Thurs is associated with Thor, not Sowelo. And certainly not twin sowelos - which is decidedly Nazi.