To Climb High One Must Begin Low ( 14 dec 06 thu)

Religious organizations become as fixed and as rigid as the thoughts of those whobelong to them. Life is a constant change, a continual becoming, a ceaselessrevolution, and because an organization can never be pliable, it stands in the wayof change; it becomes reactionary to protect itself. The search for truth isindividual, not congregational. To commune with the real there must be aloneness,not isolation, but freedom from all influence and opinion. Organizations of thoughtinevitably become hindrances to thought.As you yourself are aware, the greed for power is almost inexhaustible in aso-called spiritual organization; this greed is covered over by all kinds of sweetand official-sounding words, but the canker of avariciousness, pride and antagonismis nourished and shared. From this grow conflict, intolerance, sectarianism, andother ugly manifestations.Would it not be wiser to have small informed groups of twenty or twenty-fivepersons, without dues or membership, meeting where it is convenient to discussgently the approach to reality? To prevent any group from becoming exclusive, eachmember could from time to time encourage and perhaps join another small group; thus,it would be extensive, not narrow and parochial.To climb high one must begin low. Out of this small beginning one may help to createa more sane and happy world.