Spiritual Meritocracy

Religion has played an important role in the human experience, arguably since humans have had experiences. This is interesting, because religion ties into the human experience... With the key word being experience.

Human beings can and according to many interpretations of differing faiths, do seek out religious knowledge, but this is very distinct from religious experience. Religious experience is an interesting term, I would argue that this term encompasses the true beauty of religion. Religious knowledge is something that can be learnt, that can be passed on to others, and it is an important part of faith for many. However, it only makes up a small piece of a true religious experience. Religious experience cannot be transmitted to others, it cannot be taught, or learnt, it does not depend on the amount of training that a person has, or the environment in which one lives. So since, it can be argued that religious experience is the primary goal of religion, and that every person has their own religious experience, it leads us to another interesting point. If the earlier presumptions are correct, it means that religion and religious practices at their ultimate base form a meritocracy.

Now meritocracy may be a misnomer of sorts, as the "cracy" in it implies a system of government, but the key point remains the same. A meritocracy is a society wherein an individual who is meritorious, or worthy, is the one who benefits - that is those who deserve accolades are the same people who receive the accolades. The principle is the same in religious matters. A religious experience does not depend on how much money a person has, how much education they have, how powerful their families are, or even how much religious information a person knows. A poor individual has the same likelihood of having a positive religious experience as a rich one. The most learned individual may never have this experience, while one who is ignorant may surpass the learned.

Now, I do not know what creates a positive religious experience, I only know that it is subjective. One person may have an enlightened moment while engaging in formal religious practice, another may find these experiences while informally meditating, and yet another may encounter this during a busy working day. This subjectiveness is necessary for this, as there is no way to measure a religious experience externally. We create our own positive religious experiences... they exist within us and because of us. Whether we create them through prayer, meditation, sheer belief, incisive questioning, generosity, or a host of actions, the key point is that we create these experiences for ourselves.

So, what is the reason for all of this? ... I believe the proper answer to this question is "Why." Our search for a "why" is the reason behind the importance of the religious experience. Why are we here? To have an experience that surpasses the capabilities of the human intellect, to grow beyond ourselves. The path to this experience differs from person to person, the road differs, but something deep inside tells me that the destination may be more similar than any of us would believe.

Cosmopolitanism

I recently had a great opportunity to hear Rizwan Mawani speak on what cosmopolitanism is. I began to think about it, assimilate it and now think I'm ready to write a little bit on what it is and how it affects all of us.

Firstly, cosmopolitanism in this context does not refer to the magazine, not does it refer to being "worldly" or "urban," I refer to it here in the ideological form. Before discussing this, we must set a few premises. Diversity must be recognized as being a fact (which it is for all intents and purposes), our lives, our world, our communities, no matter how homogeneous all express diversity. Having recognized diversity as being a fact of life, we must climb the conceptual ladder to the concept of pluralism. Pluralism is a concept that refers to acceptance of diversity. It is something that is spoken about in the writings and speeches of many renowned figures, including the Aga Khan (IV) and the Dalai Lama. So, diversity is a fact, pluralism is a thought... where does that leave cosmopolitanism (and what is it anyways)?

Cosmopolitanism is an action (and as wikipedia says, an ideology, however, it can be argued that the two are the same here). Cosmopolitanism is putting into action in your everyday life the belief that all human beings are equal. All of us are from the same community and race (the human race - I love cliché’s). So, it is often argued that a person who believes in the ideals behind cosmopolitanism may want a form of world government or have wish for inclusive moral, economic or political relationships between people and nations. This may be true, but I would argue that cosmopolitanism doesn't involve only broad over-arching thoughts such as these. The way in which I see cosmopolitanism is through the lens of daily life. I see a cosmopolitan individual working in their community to actively encourage diversity and its strengths and working to overcome its inherent problems, (diversity is a strength, but it's at times a difficult one to utilize effectively). I see cosmopolitanism as the implementation of pluralism, and thus, in the concept of cosmopolitanism, I see our future.

Our world is wracked with problems, oil spills, energy crises, environmental crises, wars, ideological battles, intolerance, poverty, ignorance and many others, are constant challenges. To face these challenges, all we have is the indomitable human spirit and hope. In cosmopolitanism, I see hope for a brighter future, where ignorance exists, but it doesn't affect how we treat each other. I can be ignorant of your faith, beliefs and values, yet still respect you for being a fellow human being with your own intellect and your own rights. With respect for others and for creation, I see each of us doing our own part to clean up our world and act as vicegerents of God on this Earth, as we were truly meant to be. With a cosmopolitan ethic, I see ideological differences being insignificant, for acceptance of difference would be the norm.

It is my sincerest prayer and hope that this ideology, this action is adopted by all, for in it, I see love.