"Nothing is better for a man than to be without anything, having no asceticism, no theory, no practice. When he is without everything, he is with everything," wrote Al-Bistami. He wrote that a person needs to be in the presence of unity (neither good nor evil exists) in order to know the true presence of God.
After reading many different religious articles in The Enlightened Mind, I noticed that almost all the writings have the same theme to them. Give up everything and become one with God/Buddha/etc... Al-Bistami's words sound like an echo of the previous readings. Each one encouraging us to do this or that to obtain some form of enlightenment. I respect the individuals who have either obtained this goal or are in the process of obtaining it; however, in our present world and society, such a feat may prove to be impossible. Could you give up your home, car, worldly possessions, and other miscellaneous things to have a shot at some sort of religious epiphany? Personally, I think some people have the strength to go through with, but others (myself included) might not be so inclined.
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It's funny that you say that you have noticed that almost all the writings have the same theme to them. I commented on Amanda's blog that said the same thing. I think we are all noticing the similarities in the readings and in the religions.
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