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Where shall we search for enlightenment? We tera to scence, bat only fairly recently have some scientists bean ta ask ications about foals, vtlucs, and meaning. We chink of philosophy; cerctinly philosophy has traditionally asked these questions. Bue we are kely co find ver modern philosopher cur- rently concerned with symbolical logical systems, where the quesuen about meaning in lite becomes a “meaningless” guesrioa. Well, then, surcly in art, " lterature and poetry we find che questions asked, But the contemporary car is unused to the voice of the poct, understanding much better the call to con- formity of commercial advertising and the influential whisper of anonymous public opinion. Our uncertainry mounts. We turn to the arca of religion. Here above all, men have asked how man fulfills himsclf, stcers his course, finds meaging, Bur in our scentific age we are immediately faced with a perplexing question, “What is religion?" Is ic, as some current best sellers seem to suggest, faith that a particular belicf of being polite to God will bring powers which insure prosperity and success? Is it a socially acceptable form of neurosis, of avoiding facing up to the real world? Is ita lor of false ideas and superstitions stemming from wishful thinking? If an individual's rcligion may be considered co be his over-all attempc to _¢ome to practical terms with his environments, then every one of us has a personal religion. It may be well thoughe out, it may be accepted intact from past tradition, of ir may be a haphazard selection of values on the combined bases of expediency, chance, and childhood training. It is likely to prove an effective guide to making the decisions of lite only to the extent that it is both clearly and realistically thought through and also decply experienced by the individual himself. These considerations scem to suggest that, above all else, che supreme nced of men in our time is contemporary and mature religion. Many of us werd to seck a secure basis for acrion founded on cither scientific proof or certainty through dogmatic faith. This ignores the experience of life that we must ace evea when there is no certainty. Initially the search for the optimum way of life offers no certicude. There is, however, enough margin of probability ro justify a choice; and in the choosing and acting, we may add to that margin. If we cannot expece scientific proof, we can yet employ chat open-minded spirit of inquiry and that willingness to discard inadequate theories which characterize what we know as the scicacific method. We can draw upon the knowledge of the nature of mun slowly evolving from the scientist's researches and the psychiarrist’s experience in the interviewing room, as well as upon the insights of the world’s greac religious geniuses. Nor “back to religion”, but forward to an increasingly mature religion is the need of which men in our time are becoming increasingly aware. 2 Source Material As a guide in this vital search for oricntation, for principks c@ guide in sacis- factory living, the Sequoia Seminar makes use ot dhe teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Whatever else he may or may nor have been, Jesus was appareacly one Who thought deeply abouc human lite and what ic could be, There are several reasons for using the teachings of Jesus as the primary guide, rather than material from more contemporary sources— psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers—or from ‘leaders of thought in other tradigens such as the ethical and religious gennises of che Ease. In the first place, Jesas’ teachings have for centuries been held to be of high value by many, both in and out of the Christian tradition, boch in and our of Western society, On this basis alone they would seem to merit looking at from the standpoint of investi- gating theic worth. Then too, the social sicuation in which Jesus faund himself was perhaps much more like our own than casual examination would indicate. Then, és now, people rended to extecnalize the sources of their troubles. In the Iseich of Jesus’ day it appeared obvious thac the source of much evil was the foreign oppressor; in our own time We tend To see it in alien polidcal doctrines, econoniic inequitics, or the “human nacure” of others, The emphasis of Jesus on the source of out troubles as within ourselves, seems as pertinent wday as then. Perhaps as compelling a teason as any for examining these particular teachings is the impact that che figure of Jesus has had on Western civilization. Wherever we might begin our scarch, with Buddha or Freud, Socrates or Gandhi, we should eventually have to come to terms with this commanding figure, for he can hardly be ignored. Approach to the Material . In approaching any pare of chis material che artempe is made £0 answer various questions: “Whar is ic most probable thar Jesus said?”, “What did he most probably mean?”, “Docs ic make sense?", and “What are its implicanons for me?" None of these questions is simply answered. The knowkedae we have of the statements Jesus made during his litcrinic was first transmirted orally by his followers who appoar to have held very definite views as to his idencity and nacure. It was first written dowa by members of the early Chriscian community who held equally defini, bue probably very different opinions. These eurlics: documents, none of which have survived to the present, could scarcely have escaped a certain amount of reflection of theic authors’ views,