Religion and Power

Posted: February 28, 2008 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, Dune, Latin, Religion | Leave a comment »

(reposting this since my old blog is gone)

I was reading this passage this morning on the bus to work, and got to thinking about Religion and Power, and the paradox behind that. Religion should stand opposite of Power, yet so often we combine the two willingly.

I remember in high school we read excerpts of Plato’s The Republic and Plato’s argument had ultimately been that the best kind of leader for the state was the philosopher-king: a enlightened man* deeply imbued with philosophy and morals. On paper this makes perfect sense. Power is most effective in the hands of one person, instead of a democracy where power is diffused, stymied by bureaucracy and it’s hard to get a consensus. And so, if the power is concentrated in someone who wields it well, then a lot of good can come out of it.

The problem with this argument lies in the fact that power inevitably corrupts. Even if the person who wields power can stay clean, it attracts others who want that power, but are egotistic or just insane. It’s like someone who wins the lottery: suddenly everyone wants a piece of their money.

All of this is even more true with regard to religion and power. A person who wields religious authority over others can’t help but fall into a sense of egomania; after all, they have the power to decide how other people live, and those people willingly follow. This creates a cycle though where the person in power exercises the power even more, creating an atmosphere of fear.

Consider the words of Lao-Zi, founder of Taoism:

The ruler in whom others fear
Cannot help but fear others…

The more power you wield, the more lonely and fearful it becomes. The egotistical and insane react to this fear by clenching even tighter, which worsens the cycle. The Spanish Inquisition is a great example. In the early years, the Inquisition had limited authority to interrogate and torture, but as the fear of Protestants, crypto-Jews and such worsened, the Inquisitioned resorted to worse and worse torture. The fanatic, Tomás de Torquemada, expanded the power of the Inquisition to the point that people were burned at the stake (autos de fé) en masse. But examples can be found in many religions, and in political philosophies such as Communism and Fascism as well; power and fear feeds on itself to exercise more power and fear.

Even in Buddhism, you can see examples where powerful monastic groups fear a loss of power or influence, which even leads them to violence! In Japanese Buddhist history, the conflict between the Tendai sect of Mt. Hiei, and the newer Pure Lands sects of Honen and Shinran is one example. Another is the conflict between the Old Shingon school and the New Shingon school where monks even killed monks!

How can one wield religious power and stay morally just and uncorrupted? I think the answer is that you can’t. I think a true religious seeker must forsake power just as a they should wealth. Nothing good can come from power, and if one wants stay sane and morally intact, they should drop it like a hot potato. I don’t care if they come from a great religious lineage, have had visions of higher powers, or have good intentions; power will inevitably corrupt. Better to renounce power and lead a quiet and peaceful life. Renunciation is the cornerstone of Buddhism, and this is something everyone can practice at one level or another. A life of renunciation will lead to peace while a life devoted to accumulating will lead to misery.

To borrow a quote from Marcus, in Latin no less:

Si comprehendis, non est Deus
“If we have grasped or understood it, it can’t be God.”
–St. Augustine

As the Buddha would say, better to just let go.

Namo Amida Butsu

* – For an “enlightened” people, the Greeks were awfully misogynistic. Then again, so was every pre-modern society.

---