Across the span of human history, sacred texts hold a unique place within it. Regardless of any of the current secular thinking on Earth, these books have shaped and reshaped both ancient and modern thinking and civilization. They continue to do so. Among the numerous religious texts throughout time, no one can argue that major sacred texts such as the Bible, the Quran and the Bhagavad Ghita have greatly influenced philosophy, laws and the very core of civilized society.
But the question of how to really use the sacred texts comes into play. In our very secularized world, it is very difficult to support the use of such books and align them to our lives to achieve a sense of synchronicity or relevance. More plainly put, how do we keep going forward with these books? How can we utilize them to better incorporate them into our lives?
What is a sacred text? Why are they considered sacred?
First, a little history is required. The origins of “godly” paradigms go back as far as we can take prehistory. As such, the history and differences between gods lay well beyond the scope of this article.
However, it is important to note that not all religions documented their principles and practices within any specific text. Some ancient religions are evidenced solely by writings on temples, pyramids, coffins, stones and papyrus in some archaic languages.
Here is a list of the top 10 oldest religions known.
The official definition of a sacred text is writing that is intended to respect and worship one or many deities.
Within the Abrahamic religions, it is well known that the Bible and the Quran have similar narratives and prophets. There are of course, many differences but nevertheless, their authors typically referred to as prophets, were deemed to have communicated with God or else had divine thoughts placed within their minds.
On the other hand, the Bhagavad Ghita (BG) has a more complex authorship in that the BG is part of a larger epic poem known as the Mahabharata. Although there is much speculation on the author/s of the Mahabharata, it is generally thought that Vyasa, a wiseman or sage wrote and/or compiled it circa 1500 BCE. But that’s not exactly the whole story.
The “sacred” aspect of the BG comes into play when we take into account that Hindus believe that the BG, are the direct words spoken by Krishna (one of the three godheads in Hinduism) approximately 3,000 years ago.
How are sacred texts used?
Getting back to our initial question, one of the most difficult things for modern man to fathom is to understand the purpose of life and where we are supposed to go. Yet, if we examine all three of the sacred texts under discussion here, we will see that they do well to answer such questions. Why? The reason is that such questions have plagued mankind since the beginning.
And whether or not you are a believer, you can see from their principles and philosophy that each one attempts to explain creation, natural laws, morality and to describe the “story” of mankind.
When we use solely a lens of “logos” or logic, the Bible, the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita all attempt to do the following:
- Ontology and Creation – To supplement man’s understanding of the properties of nature and thus, the unknown.
- Morality – To serve as a roadmap for regulating collective human needs and resources.
- Law and Justice – To act as a blueprint or guidebook for legal matters.
- Time and Reason for Life – To establish the beginning and ending, and the purpose and path of mankind.
However, we can’t really speak of any “sacred” text and not point out one obvious note that can get lost in literary analysis. The sacred texts are not solely to be examined from a logic perspective. They are also tools of worship. They have a purpose in that they serve as both an explanatory yet passive, manual of life and as a ritualized yet actionable object used by believers to both laud and petition God.
Thus, sacred texts feed not only philosophical but also psychological and sociological needs. For when we defer to a higher being for answers, from our point of view, it is akin to letting go of our troubles or sometimes asking for help. Hence, the “sacred” in sacred texts really point straight to the “deification” of the text. Whatever your specific faith is, these books are really meant as a means to have a conversation with God. They are not meant solely as books of history, law and reason but as books of love, purpose, atonement and sacrifice. These last 3 topics are ingrained within these and other sacred texts.
Postscript: A Writer’s Perspective on the Sacred Texts
As a writer of poetry and other genres, I don’t think I could really write on any topic if I didn’t have a sound understanding of sacred texts from both a literary and a religious perspective.
Solely from a literary point of view, sacred texts are not only great fodder for analysis but they also influenced countless works in both secular and non-secular genres. Sacred texts are literary “powerhouses” filled with poetry, rhetoric and philosophy. Apart from the more well-known study Bibles I have in my collection, some years ago, I read an excellent book entitled “How to Read the Bible as Literature” by Leland Ryken. I encourage anyone interested in reading the bible as a literary work to get this book. It tackles all the necessary poetic structures, content and forms used within the Bible. This is a “must read” for all lovers of religious and secular literature.
As for the Quran, I highly recommend The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. This is an astoundingly ambitious & very comprehensive version of the Quran which, along with the Clear Quran, should be in every writer’s arsenal.
Finally, every writer should read 3 major texts of Hinduism or at least excerpts of each (The Bhagavad Gita, The Vedas, The Upanishads) to gain a sound foothold towards understanding this rather complex and inspired religion.
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