A truth is the truth. There's nothing that could make it otherwise. However, a whole belief system that will spring out of that one truth and that will be followed zealously by others who may not discover the same truth because they are fixated by dogma, rituals and so forth.
The truth can only be discovered by oneself with the help of dogma, rituals and the like. Dogma, rituals and others are meant to guide and it in itself is not the truth. Many religious zealots do not realize this and rigidly follow their beliefs to the point where their actions become unreligious and sometimes uncouth, in the name of the truth.
Thanks BU,
So if i may continue from what you are saying:
(a) dogma is not the Truth,
(b) but is taken as the Truth ignorantly by some (*),
(c) and then imposed onto others,
(d) with the result of many of these "others" to seriously doubt the dogma (**),
(e) and by extension the very idea of a "Truth".
(*) maybe because it is the aspect that reveled the Truth to them.
(**)and rightly so in fact, for the mistake of the method for the truth can be seen by logic for those that have not had a glimpse at what lies being the method...
My thoughts:
Dogma is an affirmation that has not been validated, it is a view that is imposed onto others by force.
Validation is achieved by ensuring the authenticity of the source of the object of the dogma and by realizing its veracity through analysis, logic, inference and personal experience.
Validation of a dogma = faith.
De-validation of a dogma = doubt.
When the dogma finds a validation, when it is not imposed onto me, it ceases to be a dogma, it becomes a faith, it becomes a method (not an end - and not the Truth - for the Truth is a result beyond any method).
But it is still a dogma for those that have not concluded to its veracity.
Example: God created the world.
Yet when one has realized this dogma and attained faith, then it is no more a dogma, and progress on the spiritual path may be made.
The path will be christian or Muslim or Jewish.
Example: karma and rebirth.
If imposed onto people that do not believe in karma and rebirth, it is dogma to them.
Yet when one has realized this dogma and attained faith, then it is no more a dogma, and progress on the spiritual path may be made.
The path will be Buddhist or Hindu.
Example: enlightenment.
If imposed onto people that do not believe in enlightenment, it is dogma to them.
Yet when one has realized this dogma and attained faith, then it is no more a dogma, and progress on the spiritual path may be made.
The path will be Buddhist.
When the result of the spiritual path is achieved, the method becomes obsolete to the achiever.
The "Truth" - I call it sunyata, I call it compassion - must be so hard to grasp without guidance, without a Guru, without merits and practice, without discipline.... It must be so easy to fall back into a belief that is just one aspect of the Truth, and then hold onto it tight out of "spiritual vertigo".
Is this detrimental to the person? I don't know. But it could be detrimental to others if this belief turns into a dogma by being imposed on others without benefiting them.
