Megalomaniac - Incubus

For my 11th post I want to tackle a song that might allow us to highlight one of the major differences in outlook between the exoteric messages of the great monotheistic religions and their guarded, esoteric, mystical teachings reserved for the initiated.

Christianity has a rich mystical heritage through a long line of initiated adepts: sects such as the Anabaptists, Levellers, Brothers of the free spirit and the Quakers. Deeper mystical schools developed independently in the form of The Freemasons, Rosicrucians and The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Judaism has most famously the Kabbalists but a great mystical heritage through the Essenes (from which both John the Baptist and Jesus emerged) to the Hasidic tradition still flourishing today.

Islam has the Sufi mystical sect most notably espoused by the illuminated poetry of Rumi.

For many years I struggled with the notion that an open, egalitarian religion such as Christianity (claims to be) should maintain a more secretive wealth of inner teachings reserved for the few. This seemed horribly unfair and I couldn't reconcile the words of Jesus "Do not cast your pearls before swine" Matthew ch.7 v.6. with his broader message of the equality of all human beings. Surely the inside knowledge or inner teaching should be available to everyone.

The song Megolomaniac by Incubus explains why the true (and near identical) inner teachings of the these three great religions are reserved for those who are able to deal with it. Incidentally as an Incubus is a mythical creature their inclusion in this blog seems entirely appropriate! Its a cracking song too, which is a further prerequisite for analysis here!
Here are the lyrics:

1. I hear you on the radio
You permeate my screen, its' unkind but
If I met you in a scissor fight
I'd cut off both your wings on principle alone
On principle alone

2. Hey megalomaniac
You're no Jesus
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
Special, as you know yourself
Baby, just step down, step down

3. If I were your appendages
I'd hold open your eyes
So you would see
That all of us are heaven sent
There was never meant to be only one
To be only one

Hey megalomaniac
You're no Jesus
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
Special, as you know yourself
Baby, just step down, step down

Yeah
You're no Jesus
You're no Elvis
You're no answer

Hey megalomaniac
You're no Jesus
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
Special, as you know yourself
Just step down

1. The most vociferous (and often fundamental) members of these religions tend to be the ones with the most primitive theology: think atonement (its basically saying human sacrifice is what God likes?), think Jihad (that a holy war is an actual war to be physically fought with violence rather than an inner spiritual struggle?), think circumcision (God for some reason wasn't happy with the way he created male genitalia?). These theologies are no better (and probably worse) than the theology of a childrens' playground.
Brandon Boyd the lead singer and lyricist for the band is not keen on such base theology and those that espouse it as virtuous and somehow enlightened. He eludes to every person's innate divinity that he would "cut off both your wings on principle alone" - we are all angels with the wings to fly through the spiritual realms - but those that are ignorant of this and subvert the true message of religion should have their wings clipped. After all we are all buddhas - we just don't know it . . .

2. And there in lies the danger of the esoteric message of these great religions - and why its plain dangerous to cast pearls before swine. The petty and small minded fundamentalist already deludedly believes that his small minded theology makes him closer to God - and the mystical message of all religion that we are already One with God (we just don't realise it all / most of the time) only makes this worse. It can genuinely turn people into Megalomaniacs. True union with God / the Universe / the Dao / Brahman or whatever else you want to call it (the ground of all being, Paul Tillich?) occurs with the dissolution of the ego and the humbleness of the true servant. So "step down" off the throne and lose the ego-trip.

3. Brandon here shows his frustration at these ego-megalomaniacs. Why can't they see how deluded they are? All of us are heaven sent - not just Jesus (or Elvis) - every single one of us. Jesus was not the only one. Mohammed was not the only one. Elijah was not the only one. To quote Maxi Jazz from my first post on this blog:
Because damn it, he didn't just give us the planet 
And its wealth, deep inside your soul he left a piece of himself 
The lord is in here. 
His voice is small. 
You keep lying and trying, 
Denying the call From inside 
 Its a dangerous message but one I think we need to trust more people with in this age.