Religion

Ciro Santilli is agnostic, see also: github.com/cirosantilli/china-dictatorship/tree/965430af9f50a93ac23dfbb72719eee0f93c8c5c#do-you-believe-in-or-practice-falun-gong

His father always told him a story about how when Ciro was small, someone raised the question of the existence of God, to which Ciro replied very directly and naturally, without any doubts:

That doesn't exist.

It's a genetic thing it seems.

It is just mind blowing that Christians, Muslims and Jews can have so many conflicts considering that their religions are basically the same. Uncanny valley comes to mind. See also remarks at: cirosantilli.com/china-dictatorship/zhong-gong

The transfiguration of Jesus is a notable example where Jesus/the Church tries to divert older religions into him. And then Muhammad does the same during isra and Mi'raj, and meets up with Jesus, John the Baptist and Abraham. The Kaaba was also clearly an earlier place of worship of local religions before Muhammad. But of course, Abraham was one of the builders of the Kaaba, so all good.

It is those early splinter groups that make it so clear that religion is fake. We believed in Judaism. Now we believe in Jesus. Oh, but wait, actually Judaism is now semi fake, and we don't live by Jewish law anymore.

Anything that is not Christianism-specific will be at Hebrew Bible.

This is one of the most canonical examples of "Cult leader Jesus tries to divert faith from an old religion into his own".

The first chapter of the New Testament.

Direct translation from oldest documents deemed reliable, originally in a mixture of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Interesting project.

This is notably opposed to the approach taken by many versions which were based on the Septuagint, which was a much earlier full-Greek translation.

How can you make a translation of the Bible and not put it in the public domain???? You tell me, you tell me.

With Falun Gong it's even more fun: the words of God Himself are will be copyrighted for a while after Li Hongzhi dies!!!

Political division:

That self blame, imminent end of the world and hatred for tax collectors stuff is a bit over the top, you should chill man.

But please keep the parables coming.

A pre-Jesus-like figure, likely possibly a mentor or competitor with Jesus.

He would have deserved a scene in Jesus Christ Superstar (1973).

The Twelve Apostles were actually officially appointed by Jesus amongst his followers. It was not simply that they were the first followers. It was official rank.

Brother of andrew the Apostle, called by Jesus in fishers of men. Born Simon, but Jesus renamed him to Peter, thus the weird "Simon called Peter" way he is referred to as in some versions of the Bible.

Brother of Saint Peter, called by Jesus in fishers of men. Crucified.

Matthew 10:16-23 Coming Persecutions, where Jesus before being persecuted warns his disciples that there is evil in the world and that they must be aware of it, all while being pure at heart:

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Proverbs 27:17.

New International Version:

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Gospel of Matthew 4 King James Version:

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and andrew the Apostle his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Gospel of Matthew 4:4:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God

Ciro Santilli's mother loves that one. Even though she was constantly worried that if Ciro had studied physics he would be poor and starve, a factor which led him to study engineering instead, one of the greatest mistakes of his life. don't be a pussy.

Gospel of Matthew 7:13:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Ciro Santilli really likes this one, because he feels that where many people go, it is useless to go again. It is much better to explore that which few can do, but which many will need.

Water Margin also comes to mind. And also A story of floating weeds.

Also known as being hipster.

Islam has some really nice things in it.

The way it was perverted to be used as a tool for terrorism by some is a great tragedy.

Ciro Santilli especially appreciates the idea of Ramadan.

Ciro Santilli appreciates this concept of "remembering the suffering of others" a lot due to Ciro Santilli's self perceived compassionate personality and Ciro Santilli's cheapness.

Turkish Islamic sect.

Ciro Santilli once was at student a hackthon, where he proposed working on OurBigBook.com to others.

The only person who showed interest was a follower of the sect.

It seems that they put a lot of emphasis in education.

Also, their self-name is Hizmet, which translates as "service".

That day, Mr. Fethullah Gülen gained some Cirocoins.

It is fun to see that some New Testament sources cite this Greek version rather than more ancient ones because they or their listeners would not understand the other original languages.

Of course, if you believe in modern science, agnosticism is just an euphemism for atheism.

Due to Ciro Santilli's campaign for freedom of speech in China, Ciro Santilli' cult research is located at github.com/cirosantilli/china-dictatorship/flg-cult (permalink).

See: cirosantilli.com/china-dictatorship/orange-papers

As mentioned at: cirosantilli.com/china-dictatorship/falun-gong#christine-marie Ciro Santilli considers this a synonym for "Prophet".

Ciro Santilli does not believe in free will of course because he is an agnostic and he believes that brains are controlled by the laws of physics, see also: physics and the illusion of life.

This vocabulary likely entered Ciro Santilli's vernacular through playing Counter-Strike when he was a teenager.

Ciro Santilli's favorite religion. He does not believe fully in it, nor has he studied it besides through brief Wikipedia and Googling.

Ciro likes Buddhism because it feels like the least "metaphysical explanations to things you can't see" of the religions he knows.

Rather, it feels more like "a plausible theory of the mind" and highly compatible with physics.

Ciro also believes that there is a positive correlation between being a software engineer and liking Buddhist-like things, see also: the correlation between software engineers and Buddhism.

While listening to endless hours of vaporwave while coding, Ciro Santilli spotted some amazing Buddhist-like voice samples, and eventually found that they were by Allan Watts.

Self-help? Maybe. Cult leader? Maybe. But at least it is one that Ciro buys into.

Is there a correlation between software engineers and Buddhism and liking the dude? Because this exists: wattsalan.github.io

Other good talks:

More important than the monk itself in Chinese culture, it is used as a Budhist Amen. TODO find some usage in some Chinese television series.

法 (fa3) is the Chinese name for Dharma, and sometimes used as a way short way to refer to Buddhism.

Psalm 46:10 from the bible:

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

This feels so right. Doesn't have to be taken so literally for non-Monks, but all have clear less-extreme applications to non monks.

The daily ordinary physical world or daily experience, pain, desire and the cycle of endless reincarnation. As opposed to the more elevated goals of spiritual enlightenment and breaking the wheel.

See also: Section "The correlation between software engineers and Buddhism".

The type of feeling of confusion and distrut for your sense that some Koans attempt to instill.

Ciro Santilli's preferred version of it is physics and the illusion of life.

Some notable references:

This is perhaps the most popular version of Great doubt in 21st century China

Fuller quote as seen e.g. at: www.hrfjw.com/fjrw/hcrw/ywfs/324750.html

大疑大悟，小疑小悟，不疑不悟

translation;

Great doubt, great underestanding. Small doubt, small understanding. No doubt, no understanding.

k.sina.cn/article_5668613235_151e02c7300100wutq.html attributes it to modern day Chinese "Master Chongci" (崇慈法师).

On github.com/cirosantilli/china-dictatorship:

Theses places give out free food all the time.

The first time Ciro Santilli went to one was when an Indian friend of his took him to the one in the North of Paris when they were living there in the first half of the 2010's, the Gurdwara Singh Sabha France.

Much like Islam's Ramadan, Ciro Santilli appreciates this a lot due to due to Ciro Santilli's self perceived compassionate personality and Ciro Santilli's cheapness.

Instead of just talking, those people really go out, and put food on the plate for anyone who needs it (or even for those that don't really need it! Although who would be so souless to eat for free and not donate a few bucks if they can afford to???). There's a beauty to that.

Writing this also remembered Ciro of non-religious groups that would give out free food to the poor at

33 chapters. The first 7 are likely by Zhuang Zhou himself, and the rest a mishmash.

Translations:

See also: cirosantilli.com/china-dictatorship/zhuangzi

Chapter 2 paragraph 14:

Formerly, I, Zhuang Zhou, dreamt that I was a butterfly, a butterfly flying about, feeling that it was enjoying itself. I did not know that it was Zhou. Suddenly I awoke, and was myself again, the veritable Zhou. I did not know whether it had formerly been Zhou dreaming that he was a butterfly, or it was now a butterfly dreaming that it was Zhou. But between Zhou and a butterfly there must be a difference. This is a case of what is called the Transformation of Things.'