Religion and Science

Q: What is the difference between religion and science?

A: The institutional religions have always insisted on belief. Whereas science cannot accept belief. And yet the Masters, the origin of the religions never presented beliefs. The trick of using beliefs is that it covers up your ignorance, it gives you a false reality. Science uses doubt, but religions have made doubt into a negative. But doubt has a great beauty to it. It is the source of inquiry.

When you were born you had no beliefs, you were curious, you were open, but beliefs were imposed on you by parents, teachers, religious leaders etc. And it is these people, who are unconsciously the source of ignorance. Once you have accepted their beliefs, you are no longer looking into the deep reality of existence, you are no longer inquiring, doubting, questioning, exploring, you are floating on the surface in the illusion of the beliefs. These beliefs have kept humanity in darkness for thousands of years. These beliefs have made it possible to exploit, enslave, and manipulate humanity. The institutional religions are not only not concerned about Truth,they want to avoid it.
Why do you need beliefs? Do you believe in the sun? This would be absurd. Do you belief in a rose? No. You know the rose. Knowledge has no beliefs. Zen has no beliefs. Zen is pragmatic. The Master simply invites you to do this, to do that, and then see what happens. Not as a belief, but as a direct experience. Zen is an inner science. It is the great prerogative of the doubters. It is only when you are willing to keep going deeper and deeper, and shedding this concept, that belief, this opinion, that ideal, and still keep shedding, and still keep going deeper and deeper in, and be willing to let all go, even your very foundation, only then will you begin to emerge directly into the mysterious, and into the light of knowing, where Truth, Freedom, Peace and Love are as intimate as the sun and the rose. ~Umi