Table of Contents

One function of every religion is to give its followers an understanding of what sort of world they live in, a “worldview”. Who are we? Why are we here? Where is here? How does all of this work? What happens to us after death?

Just 500 years ago, only religion could provide the answers to such questions. In modern times, we have schools, universities, books and the internet to help us get this understanding. But the amount of information available today is so vast and mixed with so much misleading or incorrect information that people may never read the few things that can help them form an accurate “worldview”. And even if they read some it, it is not presented in a way to help form a “worldview” and so it does not get the frequent deliberation it deserves to truly internalize it.

Hence to bring all of us on the same page, we must review a very concise yet insightful history of the the world we live in, some of the principles which make it work and the implications of some of the major recent discoveries on the human journey and the central character of most religions, God.

Given what we know about the world we live in and how we were created, what are the best recommendations for living this life

Given the fact that other humans are also conscious entities, products of the same blind forces of evolution and environment, how should one treat them and what should one expect from them.

Given that we are creatures of habits, what are the best rituals to ensure a happier life and a happier world. No one size fits all, so list of multiple options with pros and cons for people to pick and choose

How should a religion based on community updates be organized?

Motivation

Based on the principles we have seen throughout this book, it would be dishonest to “command” anyone to do anything but we can certainly try to distill Open Religion into ten recommendations for the ease of remembering and maximizing effectiveness for the individual and society.  If nothing else, it acts as a TL;DR.

Content

1. Thou shall seek to Know Thyself
   • Your true self is buried under layers of social conditioning and default habit patterns and it is easy to misidentify your-self as one of these layers and this misidentification can be the root of much avoidable suffering
   • As you go about your day and especially when something makes you unhappy, check with your self, which layer are you strongly identifying with in that moment and see if you can shift to the perspective of your true self
     • Am I my possessions?
     • Am I my reputation?
     • Am I my job title?
     • Am I my body?
     • Am I my thoughts?
     • Am I my story?
     • Who am I?
2. Thou shall remember to relax
   • Your body has two competing modes that inhibit each other, sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (relax, nourish,repair, create). Modern life constantly puts us in a mild fight or flight mode and hence its important to relax multiple times during the day especially before eating and sleeping.
   • 1 minute relaxation : Repeat the following 3-5 times. Inhale deeply from your nose with a smile on your face and exhale from your mouth with a prolonged sigh. Throughout this process express gratitude in your mind.
3. Thou shall behold the miracle of creation
   • Remind yourself how small you are by thinking of the vastness of the universe. May be a poster like this on your wall can help.
   • Remind yourself how special you are to be alive and conscious at this moment. May be a poster like this on your wall can help.
4. Thou shall nourish your body and mind
   • Your body and mind, however imperfect, are the most valuable and irreplaceable gifts that you have been given. Treat them that way.
   • Body : Sleep 7-9 hours everyday, fast 1-2 times a week, eat more vegetables, exercise 4-5 times a week.
   • Mind : Meditate atleast 30 mins each day to train your consciousness to focus, handle thoughts and handle emotions wisely. Be very mindful of addictive substances.
5. Thou shall learn how to learn
   • You are born knowing very little about this vast and complex world and your well being depends on having the right knowledge.
6. Thou shall create habits and routines with intention
   • Your habits will shape a lot about your well being, create them with intention rather than just following random habits that you may have fallen into.
7. Thou shall create your own purpose wisely
   • Life may not have an inherent purpose and as you explore possibilities to create a purpose for yourself, know that many purposes like chasing wealth, fame and power will put you on a never ending treadmill that will eat you alive
   • A combination of helping others, loving and caring for those around you and pursuit of knowledge may serve as a better purpose.
8. Thou shall learn how to communicate
   • Communication is the only way to achieve mutually beneficial goals
   • Learn to listen with empathy and talk with respect and truth.
9. Thou shall seek to find your tribe
   • Your well being will depend on the people you surround yourself with.
   • Find people who resonate with you
10. Thou shall be compassionate to all conscious beings
    • Remember that all conscious beings, no matter the differences in their species, gender, race or socio-economic status etc, are all products of the same blind/divine/magical processes that made you and they are all capable of suffering.
    • If you can, reduce the suffering of others but definitely do not add to it.
11. Thou shall embrace death
    • While you  are alive and healthy, use death as a compass to help point you to the truly important things for this very limited time we have.
    • When your body starts failing beyond repair, embrace death with a smile.
12. Thou shall seek to improve this Manual
    • This is an Incomplete Manual and it will stay incomplete forever
    • You will bring your unique perspective to improve upon it in small and big ways.