RELIGIOUS SCULPTURE AND SCRIPTURES


These are great pieces of art and great works of writing.They contribute nothing or very little to spiritual life of people.
The first Buddha statue came probably five centuries after Buddha.They have close resemblance to Greek sculpture.Both in statues and painting Buddha has effeminate features.He is very clean shaven .Having travelled in India having seen places habituated by Buddha (eg.Gijjakuta) distances trekked by him he should have been a rugged person.Writings and reilgious illustrations, both modern and ancient paints Buddha as a handsome clever even revengeful proud magician! He could travel in the sky,he could emit rays from the body,could foresee the future.He was nothing of the kind.He was an intelligent human being who indulged himself till mid thirties and sired a son too.He was very sensitive to human suffering and radical had ideas.In fact his path to enlightenment ,"yathabhutha gnana" is translated by some authorities as "radical contemplation".Well ,it is contemplating in a radical and a bold manner.
Impression of god is a old man in the sky spying on us according to all illustrations.in fact it is not that god created man in his own image the man created god in his own image.God is revengeful,jealous and selfish too.
Clergy of religions work for their survival.They maintain the religious establishment and thrive on it.Time has come for us to ignore them and seek salvation ourselves.
Let nice writings be in libraries and book shops.Nice pieces of art can be left in museums or in temples and churches as they are now.They have their own role but not in spiritual development.
Let priests practise priesthood just like lawyers practice law and doctors practice medicine.This should not be regarded as a spiritual dimension.