Must one confess wrongdoings & inequities to have a pure heart?
I have read two schools of thought on this. One is that confession and prayer for forgiveness of sin, purifies us. That makes us feel better, lighter and more at peace. The other school of thought is that, at least, too much confession can make a person consumed with their own guilt and that is not good.
In my own experience, prayers for forgiveness have definitely helped me quite a bit. I have a lot of chronic pain, I live in a lot of anger. And that makes me feel horrible as a person. Prayers for forgiveness have helped me a lot.
define righteousness?
I heard one saint define sin very simply as acts that cause harm to others. And, I guess, that would really include acts that cause harm to oneself. So, I guess righteousness would be the dedicated work to cause the least harm to others and oneself...and do the most good to others and oneself.
Are humans meant to suffer?
I have read the writing of one saint that suffering is the price we pay for spiritual growth. So, suffering is kind of the currency here. So, in that sense, yes, we are meant to suffer. However, in those religious terms, we are suffering down here on earth...for an eternal reward and infinite bliss. So, in that context, it is a small price to pay for the eventual reward.
How do animal and human differ in the way they think and reason?
I have read a couple of things about this. That animals, in a sense, are like toddlers. They rise to an intelligence and emotional sensitivity not unlike a 2 or 3 year old. And, they never evolve beyond that. Also, they have no concept of sin...so they are, like children are, very innocent.
Also, they don't reflect all that much and live in the moment. So, for example, when an animal is in pain, they are just living in the moment of the pain. They don't really compare their pain at the moment to the past and mourn for the past without pain, they just live in the moment.
Would humanity benefit if we were less human and more beast?
Well, Walt Whitman wrote, "don't forget your barbaric yarp." So, he is asserting that we need to remember, let us say, the power within us. And that power, you could say, is that animal side of us. So, I guess he is saying that if we move towards depression and pain, we should remember that we have an "animal" inside or a "warrior" inside and not be afraid to call on it, to reduce our difficulties.
There is an ancient prayer to God that goes, "Thy power and energy I invoke, thy battle fury I invoke."
As a disabled person living in chronic pain, I have taken this advice very seriously. In order to overcome pain, I directly learned some martial art breathing techniques. Many athletes use something similar. And that has, indeed, helped me get through difficult times.
