SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

The Religion of the Future 99The religion of the coming period must not contradictscientific truth. Science aims at both freeing itself from all preconceivedideas and the systematic classification of knowledgefree from contradiction. Although religion belongs to a realmwhich transcends science, we cannot say that it contradicts it.Miracles and supernatural power are not necessary accessoriesof religion. The culture of the future must include science andhave as its basis a religious spirit which will serve as its guide.This religion must stand upon a firm philosophical base.Philosophy is nothing other than the most fundamental realizationof historical actuality. The object of philosophy is thesearch for the way to live in truth through logic. Philosophymust not become a lady-in-waiting for theology as happened inthe Middle Ages. However, religious doctrine which has nophilosophical background is both weak and shallow. Therefore,the religion of the coming period must not be opposed toscience and will require a strong philosophical foundation.Finally, in the new religion, gratitude and a desire forcontinuous progress must always supplement each other. In thereligions of the past, one of these two elements was oftenlacking. Although the concept of gratitude may have existed,the desire for progress was missing. The reverse also was sometimesthe case. We believe that gratitude and the effort to moveforward complement each other like the two wheels of a cart.Those people who have realized the depths of their mistakes