What we’re about
This is a book club for people who have moved past organized religion and personal gods and are yet interested in the ideas that historical figures like Jesus, the Buddha, Muhammad, Laozi...etc., felt strongly about preaching to the world.
Once one looks past the seeming diversity of institutional religion and directly into the original teachings of their founders, a surprising observation makes itself known: the same specific ideas repeatedly show up, sometimes to the point of indistinguishability. Even more surprisingly, these ideas aren't necessarily "religious" in the mainstream sense.
These ideas include the following:
- some sort of a "surrender" that is optimal for living life.
- the supremacy of one's private mental world over his/her physical environment.
- The supremacy of intention over action.
- A boomerang effect that governs one's interaction with reality ("Karma" being the most popular name).
- some sort of a "unity" that underlies the apparent diversity of reality.
Other metaphysical ideas that repeatedly show up include:
- Multiple life cycles/Incarnation
- The existence of a grand plan for one's life (destiny).
- The existence of some sort of a liberating experience in the ultimate sense: Nirvana, Kingdom of Heaven, Moksha, Janna...etc.
Books read in this club need not come from a particular religious tradition. Relevant books from other related areas like the near-death-experience genre, the works of psychiatrist Carl Jung, relevant works of philosophy, and even the recent findings of quantum physics are equal reading candidates.
Everyone in welcome. However, this isn't a debate club. If the premise of this club does not resonate with you, it isn't for you and that is okay.
