Kavanah

66 T I K K U N W W W. T I K K U N . O R G W I N T E R 2 0 1 1 25 YEARS OF TIKKUN NetiNeti: AManifestotoEnd ReligiousViolence byRamiShapiro H umansareintrinsicallyreligious.Religions are intrinsically human; we make them in our own image, after our own likeness, often to conjure divine sanction for what we know is evil. Religionisn’tevil,butitisdangerous.Whenlived as mythos rather than logos, religion offers paths to selftranscendence rooted in compassion. When lived as logos rather than mythos, self-transcendence is blocked, and religion breeds fanaticism, self—obsession, xenophobia, arrogance, and violence. Weliveinanageoffanaticsandfantasieswherereligionsrootedin jealous gods are hijacked by even more jealous demagogues, and thepiousareimprisonedinafogofself-servinglies.Mypassionis toliftthefogandfreeothersandmyselfforself-transcendence.My method involves the Neti Neti (Sanskrit for “Not this, Not that”) Manifesto. For the past few years I have used the Neti Neti Manifesto to foster conversations across the United States about the nature of religious violence. I invite you to do the same. Share the following manifesto and ask people if they are among the “we” for whom it speaks.Iftheanswerisyes,askthemtoexploretheimplicationsof their affirmation. If no, ask them to explore the implications of theirrejection. Neti Neti Manifesto We believe God transcends theology; that no idea about God can adequately encompass the reality of God. We believe that revelation is not given to people, but through people to the Rabbi Rami Shapiro directs Wisdom House, an interfaith center in Nashville, Tenn., and writes a regular column for Spirituality and Health magazine.HismostrecentbookisEcclesiastesAnnotatedandExplained. That Tikkun has already paved this direction for the past twenty-five years is plenty of reason to celebrate it, and to seek the support of visionaries to help Tikkun both financially and creatively with prose writing, poetry, art, music, and dance. I urge everyone connected to Jewish Renewal or other forms of religious and spiritual renewal to both subscribe and read it carefully! I Kavanah Intentioniswispy,madeofwind. It’sgivinganIOUthatyouhope willnevercomedue. It’slikesaying you’resorrywhenyoudon’tmean tochangeoneiotaofhabit. IntentionisaPotemkinVillage neverintendedtohouseanyone orsolidifyintorealworkbehind thosejazzyfacades. Itmasks prettilywhatwillneverexist. Actionsweatsandgetsmessy. Doingcanpullamuscle,can knockyoudownintothedirt, canforceyourdaysintonew shapesandbleedyournightsdry. Intentionspoken,evenpromised quietsandperfumestheair ennoblingthespeakerwithgarlands. Itfeelshalfdonealready. Praise rains. Thenitalldissipates. Wemakeresolutionswedon’tactually meantokeep,likeagarment hanginginthebackofthecloset thatneverwillfitourheftybodies— oh,whenIlosetwentypounds. Onespringwenoticeit’sgone quiteoutofstylesowithrelief wedonateittoGoodWill. Somany ofourbestintentionsage,notlike wineorcheesebutlikesourmilk. —MargePiercy ...