Metaphor for power
Also in relation with Christianity, the narrator points out how religion is based on lies, even though religion generally tries to transmit the idea that one must always be truthful. The lies give power to the person who uses them and so the lies told by the religious leaders become here a metaphor for power.
Buddhism as a hygienic religion
While the narrator does not agree with Christianity, he does agree to some extent with the ideas promoted by Buddhism. Christianity is called as being a decadent religion while Buddhism is compared with a hygienic practice. The reason why the narrator compares Buddhism with a hygienic practice is because he wants to transmit the idea that Buddhism helps a person become better and get rid of the negative things in his or her life.
The world of dreams and the Bible
The scenes presented in the Bible are compared with the world of dreams by the narrator. The reason why the narrator compares the Biblical scenes and the world of dreams is to show how for the narrator the Biblical stories are nothing more than just fairytales, things that can’t be trusted and believed because for him, there is not even a morsel of truth in them.
Blind men
In his writings, the narrator compares priests with men who have their eyes closed shut and do not want to open them. By all means, these people are blind but the reason they are so is because they chose it. The reason why the narrator compares priests with people who refuse to see is because he wants to transmit the idea that religion is falsity and that nothing promoted by religion has anything to do with the truth.
Suffering like a contagious disease
The narrator talks about suffering and compares it with a disease that can spread from one person to the other. The way through which this disease is transmitted is through the act of being sorry for someone who is in pain. This, according to the narrator, makes us more susceptible to the suffering as well. What the narrator wants to transmit through this comparison is the idea that a person should not feel sorry for another person. Instead, they should stay as separated from them as possible.
