Interesting, Sanat
When you start looking around you can actually see the mirror reflecting back at you in all kinds of things.
Recently, I watched a TV program about child witchcraft in Nigeria. It was appalling - children with acid burns, machete marks - one, sadly brain damaged by a three inch nail driven into the top of her head - all in an attempt to elicit a 'confession' from these absolutely naive and innocent babes. Often these injuries were inflicted by their parents. Needless to say there were 'pastors' who could do the job of driving out the demon - for a price.
The sight of the injury done to these children and the trauma written deep into their faces was truly heart-wrenching.
Leading this movement was one woman, a self-styled expert in this field who had made highly irrational, quite evil, 'informational' DVD's on the matter. People watched them, word went round - children were persecuted because mankind always seems to need a dark force upon which to pin its angers and fears. Deaths in the village were down to a child witch; poor or no catches at sea - all down to child witches (in fact, it was a spillage from an oil tanker)
I guess millions who watched this must be thinking 'How can such primitive notions still exist?', but actually, they exist in our so-called 'civilised' world - we just don't always see them with such clarity. We still appear to need a 'dark' force; we still listen to whoever is going to 'guide' us away from them. We put our faith in those who say they can help. We still pay them to do so.
I suppose this program sort of summed up why I opt not to follow anyone and to lose my attachment to the outcome.
You have to be extremely careful whom you choose as your 'teacher' , 'guide' or 'leader'.
Better still - be your own eh?