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Thoughts on Religion: Beyond Boundaries
It is important to begin this journey with an open heart and a discerning mind. Spiritual intelligence is often misunderstood as being inherently tied to organized religion. However, true spiritual intelligence transcends religious boundaries and is more intimately connected to inner awareness, energy, and personal growth.
A powerful analogy lies in martial arts, where the concept of Ki (or Chi)—the internal life force—is central. Just as martial artists cultivate Ki to harmonize mind, body, and spirit, spiritual intelligence invites us to cultivate our inner energy to achieve balance, wisdom, and compassion.
While religion can provide a framework for spiritual practices, spiritual intelligence is not confined to any particular belief system. It is a universal human capacity, accessible to all, regardless of religious affiliation or non-affiliation. It focuses on:
- Inner Awareness: Deepening our understanding of ourselves and our connection to the greater universe.
- Empathy and Compassion: Developing heartfelt sensitivity and genuine care for others.
- Purpose and Meaning: Seeking fulfillment that transcends material pursuits and touches the eternal.
Crossing the Threshold: Awakening Inner Wisdom
"With our newly acquired spiritual mindfulness skills at hand, we are now ready to step forward to explore the next phase: "Crossing the Threshold: Awakening Inner Wisdom"
"True spirituality is not bound by walls or creeds; it is the silent awakening of the soul to its limitless horizon."
In essence, spiritual intelligence is about awakening the profound wellspring of energy, strength, and wisdom that already exists within each of us. Like the cultivation of Ki, the internal power in martial arts, it is a lifelong practice—a dynamic, evolving dance between our inner world and the universe around us.
As we continue, let us use the tools of mindfulness, intentional writing, spiritual awareness, and intuition to navigate these reflections. Through them, we hold the potential to transform not only how we think about religion but also how we embody our most authentic selves—regardless of the paths we walk.
Religion is not a Scam
“Religion was never a scam. It was a necessary evolutionary tool. When humanity transitioned from tribal barbarism to early civilizations, religion played a vital role in creating social cohesion, enforcing moral codes, and inspiring order in the absence of written laws or centralized authority. It answered existential questions, provided comfort, and created a community identity. Without it, we may never have evolved stable societies.
But in today’s world, many of the problems religion initially solved can now be addressed through secular systems: laws, ethics, education, science, and social support structures. Our understanding of the universe has expanded, and our capacity for moral reasoning has matured. I believe we have evolved to a point where we no longer need to rely on mythology or divine authority to live ethical, compassionate, and meaningful lives.
That doesn’t mean religion is inherently a scam—but clinging to it unquestioningly in a modern, evidence-based era can hold us back. I respect the role religion played in shaping civilization, but I also believe humanity is ready to grow beyond it.”
Who Invented God?
The concept of God has evolved over thousands of years, shaped by diverse beliefs, stories, and religious practices across civilizations. Initially, people sought to explain natural events and life's mysteries, leading to various spiritual beliefs. Ancient groups like the Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Hindus had pantheons of gods and goddesses with distinct roles.
Monotheism, the belief in a single deity, is closely tied to the ancient Hebrews and the genesis of Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, introduces Yahweh, a singular, omnipotent God. This idea influenced the development of monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam.
The concept of God emerged not merely as a supernatural explanation, but as a profound psychological and philosophical response to the existential questions that have haunted humanity since our earliest awareness: Why are we here? What happens when we die? What is good? What is just? Across time and geography, civilizations have reached for something greater—something unseen yet deeply felt—to give shape to the ineffable. In ancient Mesopotamia, gods governed natural forces like storms and fertility, embodying the unpredictable rhythms of survival. In India, the divine took the form of Brahman—an all-encompassing consciousness, a spiritual substrate of reality itself. In monotheistic traditions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, God became both transcendent and moral, a singular force binding creation to accountability and purpose.This search for meaning is not static—it evolves with human consciousness. In modern times, theologians, philosophers, and even physicists engage with the "God question" not as relic, but as an evolving framework for understanding reality, ethics, and the limits of empirical knowledge. Whether God is seen as a being, a metaphor, a field of energy, or the deepest self, the concept itself endures because it speaks to something primal: our longing for coherence in chaos, for justice in suffering, and for a cosmos that listens when we ask, Why?
Yet, as our understanding of the cosmos expands—through science, philosophy, and inner reflection—so too does our interpretation of the divine. For some, God remains a personal deity; for others, God becomes a symbol for consciousness, love, or the underlying patterns of the universe itself. Thinkers like Spinoza equated God with Nature, while Carl Jung saw God as an archetype embedded in the collective unconscious. Even in quantum theory, where particles exist in states of potential until observed, some perceive poetic parallels to mystical thought. These evolving ideas do not diminish the sacred—they enrich it. They invite us to explore religion not merely as doctrine, but as metaphor, myth, and mirror: a reflection of our evolving understanding of what it means to be human, to be moral, and to belong in a universe still unfolding.
So what, then, is the true nature of belief? Is it the acceptance of inherited truths—or the courage to question them? As we journey forward, let us not be confined by the walls of orthodoxy, nor lost in the boundless unknown. Instead, let us use our spiritual tools—introspection, intuition, critical thought—to navigate the sacred space between certainty and mystery.
In the next section, we dive deeper into this liminal space: examining not just what we believe, but how we believe—how religion, spirituality, and reason can coexist, challenge, and even elevate one another in the pursuit of a more awakened life.
Critical Reasoning: Spirituality
It is crucial to approach every situation with mālama—care and respect—acknowledging the many currents that shape a single story. Consider the following:
Assumptions:
“The mindfulness teachings of Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad can save the world.”
“The inception of religion has the capability of destroying it.”
Critical Reasoning:
By applying nānā i ke kumu—the practice of looking to the source—we begin to see clearly. History shows that rigid loyalty to institutionalized religion, combined with claims of supremacy, has led to centuries of war, division, and wounded souls. What was born as a path to the Divine has often become a battlefield for ego. This paradox, left unchecked, has the potential to erode the very peace these teachings intended to create.
And yet, here is a deeper truth, like an ‘ōlelo no‘eau passed down on the wind:
Jesus was not a Christian. The Prophet Muhammad was not a Muslim.
They were not builders of walls, but wayfinders of spirit.
They did not found churches or empires, but pointed to the Great Light—
The Source, Ke Akua, Allah, that which has no name and yet is in all things.
Critical Reasoning: Religion
The Oxymoronic Paradox of “Holy War”
The term Holy War is one of the most profound contradictions in human language—a fusion of two opposing energies: the sacred and the violent. Holy, derived from the idea of divine purity, compassion, and enlightenment. War, the manifestation of destruction, hatred, and suffering.
To call a war holy is to bind fire to water, to paint violence with sanctity. Yet history is marked by crusades, jihads, inquisitions, and conquests—bloody trails carried out in the name of God, under banners of salvation and supremacy. But if God is love, as so many teachings proclaim, how can love wield the sword?
This paradox exposes the distortion that occurs when divine messages are filtered through human ego, political power, and fear. Religion—at its worst—becomes a tool of division, judgment, and control. The walls grow higher. The “us versus them” deepens. The Spirit is replaced with structure.
A Decisive Realization
This is why we must approach faith through critical reasoning and spiritual mindfulness—not blind obedience. It is essential to question authority, history, and inherited beliefs with humility, clarity, and courage. E nānā i ke kumu—look to the source.
In my journey, I have found that the Spirit of Aloha—rooted in love, humility, patience, and mutual respect—embodies the truest essence of all great prophets. It echoes in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad, not as dogma, but as lived compassion. When practiced with aloha, religion uplifts rather than divides. It heals rather than wounds. It restores mana, not takes it.
Return to the Kumu Wai — the source waters of compassion, unity, and mindfulness
Jesus, a Jewish teacher in Galilee, walked barefoot among the poor and the forgotten, not to found a religion but to awaken the heart. Muhammad, born into tribal Arabia, retreated to a cave not to establish power, but to listen deeply to the silence of God. The mana of their teachings lies not in the rituals that followed, but in the presence they carried—their pono, their alignment with truth.
Let us not confuse the canoe with the ocean.
Let us not mistake the chant for the mountain itself.
Religion is the canoe.
The message is the ocean.
Spirituality is the current beneath.
If we cling too tightly to the vessel, we may never feel the living waters. But if we paddle with humility and honor, guided by the stars of wisdom they left behind, we may yet find the shore of understanding—kahua ʻuhane, the spiritual foundation.
This is the call of our time: to return to the Kumu Wai—the source waters of compassion, unity, and mindfulness. To breathe deeply with all faiths, not above them. For when we walk in aloha, we do not ask who is right—we ask how we may uplift one another.
Religion at its Best: A Force for Healing
Let us not forget, too, the immeasurable good that religion has offered when rooted in love:
- It builds community, shelters the poor, and feeds the hungry.
- It inspires art, music, poetry, and philosophies that elevate the soul.
- It comforts the grieving and offers purpose to the lost.
- It has given the world Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolence, Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, Mother Teresa’s compassion, and Archbishop Tutu’s truth.
When religion teaches us to look within rather than judge without, it becomes the light in the cave. It becomes pono. This is the sacred purpose of spiritual teachings: not to convert, but to awaken.
A Transitional Reflection: Jesus and the Buddha
And so, if the Spirit of Aloha transcends denomination, could it be that great spiritual leaders across cultures drank from the same well of universal truth?
Some scholars and seekers wonder: Did Jesus learn from the teachings of the Buddha?
The similarities between their messages are striking: love thy neighbor, detach from materialism, seek the kingdom within, turn the other cheek, the middle path, the inner light, the power of compassion over judgment.
Might these parallels suggest a deeper spiritual connection—one beyond time, language, and geography?
Let us explore this possibility with open minds and open hearts, as we continue the journey into the next section:
“Did Jesus Learn from the Buddha?”
How did Jesus acquire his Knowledge?
How did Yeshua (Jesus’s real name) acquire his divine knowledge in the undocumented 18 years of his life to go from a carpenter to a great teacher?
During the undocumented years of Yeshua’s life, from ages 12 to 30, he is believed to have worked as a carpenter before becoming a great teacher, a role recognized in the Quran, where he is known as Isa.
While it’s unlikely that Yeshua traveled east to study Gautama Buddha's teachings, the Silk Road was a major route for the exchange of goods and ideas between the Far East and the Middle East.
The Quran describes Isa (Yeshua) as a prophet and messenger who was given divine revelation, performed miracles, and taught his followers about God's guidance (Quran 19:30, 5:75).
This raises an intriguing question:
Were Yeshua’s teachings purely inspired by God, or could he have been influenced, even indirectly, by Buddhist ideas brought by traders and travelers passing through the region from the far east?
In religious scholarship and speculative history, one question has sparked curiosity and debate: Did Jesus Christ, during the so-called "lost years" of his life, journey to India and learn from Gautama Buddha?
Did Jesus Learn from Buddha? Exploring the Intriguing Theory
This theory suggests that between the ages of 12 and 30—a period largely unaccounted for in the New Testament—Jesus might have traveled eastward, immersing himself in the spiritual teachings of Buddhism. Proponents of this idea often point to the striking similarities between the teachings of Jesus and those of Buddha, especially in their shared emphasis on compassion, non-violence, and inner purity. Could it be that the foundational tenets of Christianity were influenced by the wisdom of the East?
Yet, despite its allure, this theory faces a significant hurdle: the need for concrete historical evidence. Mainstream scholars maintain that no reliable documentation or early Christian text supports the claim that Jesus ventured to the regions where Buddhism flourished during his lifetime. The Gospels, silent in these years, offer no clues to suggest a journey of such magnitude.
Moreover, the geographical and cultural divide between the Roman Empire, where Jesus lived, and the distant lands of Buddhism raise further doubts. While the ancient Silk Road facilitated some exchange between East and West, the notion of a young Jewish carpenter from Nazareth making this journey remains speculative at best.
In the end, while the idea of Jesus learning from Buddha is fascinating—blurring the lines between two of the world's great religious traditions—it remains a theory rooted more in imagination than in historical fact. For now, the teachings of Jesus are generally understood to have emerged from the Jewish prophetic tradition, shaped by the cultural and religious milieu of the Hellenistic world, rather than directly from the teachings of Gautama Buddha.
Bridging the Sacred Currents: From Shared Teachings to Inner Vision
Like the waʻa (canoe) crossing ancient currents, we now sail from one sacred shore to another—from the life of Yeshua, whose teachings echo distant wisdoms, to the deeper question of how such visionary insight is perceived, cultivated, and ultimately lived.
As we ponder the mystery of the undocumented years of Yeshua’s life, we are invited not only to explore historical possibilities, but to open our naʻau—our intuitive heart center—to the idea that truth travels not only by distance, but by resonance. Whether through the whispering winds of the Silk Road or the silent spaces of divine communion, sacred knowledge does not belong to any one nation or lineage. It appears wherever the soul is ready to receive.
Just as Hawaiian navigators read the stars and swells to find their way across the ocean, so too might the seeker trace familiar constellations between spiritual teachers. We do not need certainty to appreciate the pattern; we need only humility, curiosity, and a heart tuned to truth.
What if the teachings of Jesus and the Buddha are not separate streams, but different expressions of the same spring? One clothed in parables, the other in stillness. One speaks of the Kingdom within, the other of Nirvana beyond. Both urge us to loosen our grip on ego, to practice compassion, to seek peace not in conquest but in surrender.
Yet such insights are not visible to the ordinary eye. To see this shared essence—to recognize the unity beneath the robes—we must awaken the deeper sight: the Third Eye.
This is where the journey now turns inward.
For the knowledge that liberates is not only acquired through scripture or travel—it is received through inner perception. To understand divine wisdom, we must cultivate makawalu, the Hawaiian practice of seeing with eight eyes: to look deeper, beneath appearance, through intuition, imagination, ancestral memory, and divine guidance.
The question is no longer only where Jesus may have learned, but how we too might come to know what he knew.
And so, we move forward—not merely across time or geography—but into the temple of the self, where visionary intelligence waits to be awakened. The Third Eye does not ask for belief; it asks for attention. It asks you to see the sacred not only in scrolls, but in silence… not only in temples, but in your own inner landscape.
It is here that the teachings converge—not in history, but in presence.
Let us step into that space now, where vision becomes illumination.
This is the call of our time: to return to the Kumu Wai—the source waters of compassion, unity, and mindfulness.
Visionary Intelligence: Awakening the Third Eye
In Aloha Mindfulness, the awakening of the Third Eye is not about mysticism or myth—it is about clarity. It is the opening of one’s inner vision to pierce through illusion, division, and surface appearances. It is where awareness becomes insight, and insight becomes compassion.
To see with the Third Eye is to look beyond the inherited stories of culture, creed, and ego. It is to feel the pulse of unity behind all things. Where the physical eyes see difference, the Third Eye perceives connection. It recognizes that religion, like language, is a vessel—not the ocean. The sacred becomes stagnant when it is memorized but not lived. The Third Eye dares to ask: “What lies beyond even this teaching?”
But this kind of vision is not passive. It calls for courage over comfort, truth over tradition, and presence over performance. It is not enough to simply see. We must also think, discern, and act from that clarity.
The Next Step: Critical Thinking as Spiritual Practice
As we deepen our journey into Aloha Mindfulness, we arrive at a crossroads: the meeting of spiritual insight and critical thought. These are not opposing forces—they are complementary strengths. Where the Third Eye opens perception, critical thinking brings that perception into focus. It becomes the lens through which we examine our beliefs, behaviors, and choices with compassionate scrutiny.
In Hawaiian culture, deep knowing comes not just from the heart (naʻau), but from observation, experience, and reflection. This is where critical thinking lives. It is the practice of asking powerful questions:
- Why do I believe this?
- Is this tradition still serving growth?
- Am I repeating or awakening?
Living with Eyes Wide Open
True mindfulness honors the spirit and the intellect. It invites us to challenge complacency, examine inherited assumptions, and refine our awareness through inquiry. It reminds us that to live pono—righteously and in balance—we must see clearly, think freely, and act with aloha.
Living with Eyes Wide Open
This moment marks a shift in our journey. From here, we move into the next layer of awareness: MMA Critical Thinking—a path that explores clarity in motion, presence under pressure, and the art of discernment in real-world practice.
Whether through quiet meditation or courageous questioning, the highest form of skill is not domination—but discernment. It is knowing when to speak, when to listen, when to act, and when to yield.
As we continue forward, we carry the wisdom of a beloved Hawaiian visionary. Kupuna Aunty Pilahi Paki once said:
"The world will turn to Hawai‘i as they search for world peace, because Hawai‘i has the key… and that key is Aloha."
With this key in hand, and the Third Eye awakened, we prepare to enter the next stage of this journey, critical thinking—not just to think more, but to think with wise-mindedness with mana.