"INTERNAL STATES CONDUCIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER
SHAME
As for shame, it is something additional to all the rest, for is is based on the realisation of one's deficiencies and the apprehension of sin. It is quite possible to conceive or reverence, fear and hope, without this element of shame."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship
Around twenty-three centuries ago the Chinese philosopher Mencius proposed, "A man must not be without shame, for the shame of being without shame is shamelessness indeed." Mencius, often referred to as the Second Sage, that is, second only to Confucius in Chinese history, wrote that there were four divisions of the human heart, with the most important being the Heart of Shame. His point, while obviously more complex than I'm presenting, was a straightforward one: without an understanding of one's own intellectual or moral shortcomings it was impossible for improvement. With that in mind it's difficult to argue that shame doesn't play a role in prayer, although, not surprisingly, this is also dependent upon degree. Religions can clearly morph into nothing more than shame-inducing engines. How many people do you know who are almost emotionally crippled because of the crushing shame that their religious upbringing imposed upon them? Clearly there is a difference between feeling shame in the failure of our actions, which might represent nothing more than a failure in courage and reserve on our parts, and feeling at the core of our inner beings; the former is useful and should be inculcated while the latter is destructive and should be avoided. All those centuries ago Mencius believed that people were essentially good, which he "proved" by his example of a child falling into a well. If you saw a child fall into a well your first response as human being would be the aid the child; now, you might later decide you didn't like the kid and leave him there or might corrupt the act by pulling out the toddler and negotiating for a reward, but the very fact that your first inclination was to save the child shows that you're, at your heart of hearts, inherently good. So, the shame that Mencius is talking about relates to your actions and not your nature. Similarly, Muslims believe that humans are inherently good. We don't believe in original sin. With that in mind, I would argue that, yes, shame is key in both religion and in prayer, but it's about our actions and us acknowledging when we're not trying hard enough or not letting ourselves off too easily, and not in regards to who we are at our essence.
SHAME
As for shame, it is something additional to all the rest, for is is based on the realisation of one's deficiencies and the apprehension of sin. It is quite possible to conceive or reverence, fear and hope, without this element of shame."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship
Around twenty-three centuries ago the Chinese philosopher Mencius proposed, "A man must not be without shame, for the shame of being without shame is shamelessness indeed." Mencius, often referred to as the Second Sage, that is, second only to Confucius in Chinese history, wrote that there were four divisions of the human heart, with the most important being the Heart of Shame. His point, while obviously more complex than I'm presenting, was a straightforward one: without an understanding of one's own intellectual or moral shortcomings it was impossible for improvement. With that in mind it's difficult to argue that shame doesn't play a role in prayer, although, not surprisingly, this is also dependent upon degree. Religions can clearly morph into nothing more than shame-inducing engines. How many people do you know who are almost emotionally crippled because of the crushing shame that their religious upbringing imposed upon them? Clearly there is a difference between feeling shame in the failure of our actions, which might represent nothing more than a failure in courage and reserve on our parts, and feeling at the core of our inner beings; the former is useful and should be inculcated while the latter is destructive and should be avoided. All those centuries ago Mencius believed that people were essentially good, which he "proved" by his example of a child falling into a well. If you saw a child fall into a well your first response as human being would be the aid the child; now, you might later decide you didn't like the kid and leave him there or might corrupt the act by pulling out the toddler and negotiating for a reward, but the very fact that your first inclination was to save the child shows that you're, at your heart of hearts, inherently good. So, the shame that Mencius is talking about relates to your actions and not your nature. Similarly, Muslims believe that humans are inherently good. We don't believe in original sin. With that in mind, I would argue that, yes, shame is key in both religion and in prayer, but it's about our actions and us acknowledging when we're not trying hard enough or not letting ourselves off too easily, and not in regards to who we are at our essence.
No comments:
Post a Comment