Who is an atheist?
This text was machine-transcribed from the printed book and may contain errors. Select the words and choose “Report a mistake”.
January 23, 2011
Atheism has nothing to do with accepting the existence of God or not. Atheism means not looking at all dimensions of life as it exists. It is being fanatic about the technical knowledge which you got in one area or dimension of life, and ignoring the existence of all other dimensions. Deciding to be deliberately ignorant of other dimensions and aspects of life, just because of the arrogance and ego-fulfillment which comes by the technical knowledge of one dimension of life, is what I define as atheism.
Just because you learned how to be a doctor, don't think you know life. Or, just because you learned how to be a police officer, it doesn't mean you know life. These techniques don't work everywhere and in all aspects of your life. Somebody may have a huge organization. That does not mean they are able to tell the truth to the world as it is.
The danger of technical knowledge is
that it makes you a fanatic and
ignorant. Atheism is, having technical
knowledge in only one aspect or one
dimension of life and due to some
fanaticism and ignorance, not looking
at the other aspects of life.
I want you to know that if having technical knowledge in one area makes you feel that you know everything, you are in a dangerous zone. Fanaticism either makes you violent towards others, or it makes you ignorant about your own life and other dimensions of your own life. The major danger fanaticism creates is - you become violent and intolerant towards other ideologies and other ideas, and you become ignorant about the other dimensions of life.
Why do Vedic Masters teach theology in poetry? The unfortunate thing is that prose makes you fanatic, and does not let you look at all other dimensions or aspects of truth. If you remain a poet, it means you have not become violent or fanatic. The prose has not made you a fanatic and violent. The technical knowledge of one dimension has not made you deliberately ignorant about other dimensions of life.
It is most dangerous to receive technical knowledge or techniques from a person who has not completely experienced all the dimensions. Never learn technical knowledge from somebody who cannot give the experience without a technique. Please understand, if you want to check the ability of a Master, use this measure: he should be able to transmit the experience without a technique. He should be able to do this to at least a few people. Then you can be sure that he has a capacity to give you the technical knowledge and the technique. Only then you should go to him for technical knowledge and technique.