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to man's growth.
The devil is the original rebel. And what he said to Adam and Eve is the beginning of a true religion, not what God said -- that is the beginning of suicide, not religion.
In the East the serpent is worshiped as the wisest animal in the world; and I think that is far better. If the serpent really did this then he is certainly the wisest animal in the world. He saved man from eternal slavery, ignorance, stupidity.
This is not the original fall, this is the original rise.
You are asking me how to save humanity from falling even further.
Humanity has never been falling.
What has been happening is that all the religious dogmas sooner or later become small and cannot contain man.
Man goes on growing:
Dogmas don't grow, doctrines don't grow.
The doctrines remain the same and man outgrows them.
The priest clings to the doctrine. That is his heritage, his power, tradition, ancient wisdom. He clings to it. Now what to say about the man who goes on outgrowing all those doctrines? Certainly to the priest this is a continuous fall; man is falling.
Just take a few examples and you will understand how doctrines are bound to be rigid, static, dead. Man is alive. You cannot hold him in something which does not grow with him. He will break all those prisons, he will shatter all those chains.
For example, in Jainism the Jaina monk is not supposed to use shoes, for the simple reason that in ancient days shoes were made only of leather, and leather comes from animals; animals are killed. It is a symbol of violence, and Mahavira wanted his followers not to be in any way -- directly or indirectly -- involved in violence.
He prevented everybody from wearing shoes. He was not aware that one day shoes of rubber would be available, which involves no violence. Shoes of synthetic leather would be available, which involves no violence. Shoes of cloth would be available, which involves no violence. He was not aware. So it indicates two things. The claim of the Jainas that Mahavira is omniscient is nonsense; he knew nothing of synthetic leather -- he cannot be omniscient.
Secondly,
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