soma

I feel alone, but not lonely when my mind is qualifying because to qualify our mind separates things into their separate categories, which is what the mind does so we can survive. and I think it is the path to unity, all one, al-one and that is beyond the mind, beyond categories beyond being separate because we reduce everything down to one. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one." I and everything are one, united, not separate. Our Christian way of life does not mean we have to leave our intellect or have a dogmatic grasp of truth that is disregarded and overlooked by the young and anyone with intelligence. We only need to integrate our Christian traditions with smart, scientific understanding, spiritual discernment and the all-inclusive, all-embracing Christian wisdom of the soul that begins to open us to new ways of thinking that directs us beyond the mind. We need to keep the simple Christian truth of the Divinity within, but allow it to emerge up and outward as individuals embody and represent it in a higher revelation instead of being loyal to rigid policies, rules and sets of law that hold us down. Forget about the promises and guarantees that humans make distracting us from our inner voice opening us to the Divinity within including the untold insights and piercing interpretations that steer us towards unity, freedom and the wings to fly. The silence of the soul speaks clearly about everything in a positive way that only the individual understands, but it depends on our ability to leave the mind to accept the present moment and the love that brings joy, peace and happiness.

Byrch You have wide diverse experiences that you can bring to discussions and help expand our views and angles at perceiving things. Look forward to your post.

Byrch, Salutations to the Divinity within you and we welcome your ideas on Christianity, spirituality, science or anything that might interest you. The Christian path is infinitely wide as it is points to the infinite, but some Christians like the narrow path that they can understand and feel comfortable with. Marcus Borg is reaching out to give them a hand up and they slap it down, which I am sure does not affect Marcus as he is just calling it as he sees it.

Good explanation of a noun, I like it.

I feel the problem with doctrine is it is in words and words can't say or describe the truth. English for example needs a subject and verb and sometimes an object which supports duality. Thomas Merton's journey to nowhere https://www.deily.org/commentary/thomas-merton-the-path-to-the-palace-of-nowhere-it-seems-then-to-me

I feel the directive is to give the latitude to deal with different problems in a local area with their own wording, but the main purpose is to protect the transgenders who are the target and victims of hate crimes. I feel the conservatives instead of using the freedom to act in their own unique way are refusing to act and use that freedom against doing anything to help the victims.

kah, My deepest regards to the Divinity within you and your wife. John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”? Jesus said, " I and the Father are One" Father is God which is everything so I feel the statement says Jesus is experiencing unity in his consciousness with God's ocean of pure consciousness, which is the truth and the life, but to experience this as Christians we have chosen the way of Jesus. The way of Jesus is universal in that we must die first to experience the unity he is pointing to, which is beyond the individual identity which merges with the ocean of being. The mystics in all religions say the same thing in a different way because they are talking to different cultures at different times, but the way is basically the same beyond the ego mind in a state of grace of just being. It is in our nature as human beings to just be present and enjoy the Kingdom of heaven in the here and now. We don't have to die physically to experience heaven because it is eternal and we are in eternity except in our mind, which does not identify with it. We have glimpses of this experience watching a sunset, good music or being in nature. Jesus was trying to share with us the joy of unity and was not preaching to promote a religion so may we help each other by learning to just be our true self. The teachings of Jesus are far-reaching and universal even known by people who are not aware of Jesus because the path of dying to an old way of living and being born again in a new life is made known in all the religions and non-religions of the world. Jesus is the only way because as he said a seed must die to give life, likewise Jesus died to give life to many Christians and non Christians. A seed falls to the ground and dies so it can germinate, grow and make many more seeds, which means there is no harvest without death. Christianity is not just a bunch of stories about the life of Jesus and a fixed set of beliefs for the same reason that we can’t enter a new life by just believing certain things are true that we are saved by just knowing the Jesus stories. The way of Jesus is the way of death and resurrection, a way of transition and transformation from an old way of being to a new way of being. Jesus said, “I am the truth, the way and the life,” making a statement that communicates his embodiment of the way, watch me, watch how I live my life and you will witness the truth within yourself, the light and your own unique way as well.

In my own journey I found science, philosophy, and doctrine were keys to quieting the questions in my mind so I could get a glimpse of the experience that is beyond and encompassing them in silence.

We fight endless wars and think God is on our side and the other side has the same feelings, I think this is Paul's point. Correct me if I am wrong.

In consciousness and energy their are many dimensions from crude to subtle; I feel the same with degrees of faith. The Hindu caste system is about four different categories of mentality, but the Brahmans have manipulated the system to benefit them and are not real Brahmans because consciousness is not inherited. In every religion we have the elites manipulating the lower caste to do their dirty work, which shows they are not as holy as they make out. I think that is why Jesus said, the fruits, deeds or actions tell you about the tree, not the words. There are great mystics in every religion too, Rumi is an Iranian mystic poet who has won the hearts and minds of many spiritual people around the world, the same as the Christian Merton and the Hindu Tagore because they reflect the truth. It is difficult to stay above the hate, fear and chaos that worldly tragedies magnify and that is why they are done to incite terror. Cooler heads will prevail if they are not caught up in the emotional upheaval that different leaders use to manipulate the masses.

We all have our methods to center when these tragedies occur so we can meet them and do our part with kindness and compassion. Talking about the gun culture and intolerance that emotionally triggers these acts is a good place to start in the US especially with the election bringing up the opportunity.

Tilopa is right drink the water and don't worry about the cup being half empty or half full.

I think they pray as a substitute to act because they are not at the point to consciously act and I also feel it is a first step because they notice and are verbally making a statement for others to act instead of them, but their next step usually is to act if they can overcome their fear.

"1. Do you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour? 2. What are your views on hell, eternal damnation, and demons? 3. What do you think about homosexuality? 4. Do you believe God created the earth in six literal days?" Haylee, Welcome and salutations to the Divinity within you. I like your Christianity and your mind reaching out for the Divinity within the soul. 1. I feel Christ is my Saviour because I chose him as my concrete representative of the abstract, all pervasive consciousness of God. It seems he has guided me to mature Christians, atheist and many spiritual teachers from other religions that have made me a better Christian. 2. Hell and fear are great selling points, but they are only obstacles to the present moment heaven that is all around us, all the time. It is sad that Christians leaders give more time to Satan and hell than their saviour. 3 I am not a homosexual, but I have many friends who are good Christians and compassionate individuals who are homosexual. Jesus hung around these people who were rejected and stood up for them as their insights are sometimes more powerful than the Christians who hate them. 4.God in my view is Eternity which is a multidimensional unity so encompasses time. Humans invented time watching cycles which is linear where one thing happens after another. In Eternity everything happens at the same time. 5. Jesus was human and God so I feel he rose from the human instincts, a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned : a natural desire or tendency that makes you want to act in a particular way, these are not sins. I feel Christianity with their compulsions and guilt about sin actually drive people to sin because what we think about is what we are drawn to. Many churches preach that Jesus was saying that salvation is only attainable through Jesus making Christianity an exclusive institution, but most Biblical theologians disagree with this premise. What Jesus said has universal meaning beyond the narrow interpretation used to get followers, it is not about religion or disregarding other faiths, but just a declaration to observe and learn how to live. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” a way is a path or a lane to be followed, not a religion so Jesus is saying for us to observe him and how he lives. The life of Jesus demonstrates how to live in order to remember who we are in the present that we are the light, the truth and the way in the same way Christ lived and is living now. Jesus is "the way," a metaphor that needs to be applied to our life where it becomes conscious that the Jesus’ way leads to death and triumph, a path of death leading to resurrection. Resurrection is a revitalization that gives us guidance, a way, direction and involvement with a break that opens many opportunities to start over. We don’t just find it written in the pages of the Bible, but in the leaves that appear at spring time after a long winter because it is a spiritual practice of a conscious participation in life by way of death. Our strength and power does not come from what we are doing, but from what we have stopped doing, overcome, died and buried giving wings to our mind to once again experience the ecstasy of a force already within us, a love forgotten and remembered. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:24)

This is a great thread, thanks tariki. The quotes are powerful and they put you on the raft, push you off the raft and show you the raft is going no where. I am in Vegas helping my son move in 113 degrees, all the lifting is in legs, back, and arms, but I strained the muscles in my neck which is taking me through the same cycle as your quotes. Our only mission is to enjoy the show, in any climate, situation and environment and it doesn't matter what theater we go to Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Christianity or Atheist. If we are not enjoying the show then it is time to move to another theater, which is the universe housing them all. The theater of pain gives images that are very sharp and to the point, but its path is razor sharp.

Thanks Paul he did express the issue in a nice way.

Every time we have an election the Republicans get on the social issues bandwagon. The Republican voters eat it up and don't even care about the other issues and after the election everything dies down, but now corporate America formed the Tea Party, it is really not grass roots it was thought up by politicians and funded by corporate America so they keep the issues alive to elect the people they want and make it look like they are doing something. You are right before transgender individuals used the bathroom they were comfortable with and dressed for and no one minded, but the whip of social issues pushes the Christian right into witch hunting mode. It is sad that very few people have the integrity to stand up for their individual truth because they are afraid of the masses. The Republican elite were saying Trump was bad for America, but now they support him, maybe bad for America, but they think good for the GOP. He has cemented the white Supremacist, KKK and other right wing groups to support him. Even the Evangelicals are warming up to him and his anti-Christian rhetoric, it is like being in the Twilight Zone.

I don't think America is ready, and it will never be ready unless we speak out. My crazy dharma is I have to speak out on what I feel is the truth and sometimes I am wrong, but I would never have learned anything if I hadn't spoken. I paid the price for speaking out, demonstrating against the Vietnam War and had to pay a price for speaking out when we bombed Iraq into the stone age. I was in India when Indira Gandhi established marshal law, Korea when there Chun Do Hwan lead a coup'd tat and the revolution in Iran. None of these countries were ready for change and there are many people vested in keeping the status quo, but we must start somewhere. I am practical so feel your suggestion to use the bathroom we have already for special needs be used is a good first step. I really feel the issue is being used as a political football to score points, but feel we can all learn from the situation, first by bringing it out in the open to discuss and debate. Before I retired I worked at an at risk school and the administration was abusing the ESL program for other purposes, no one spoke out because they were concerned with promotions, or to be placed on the Sh.t list. When I got on the list I had nothing to lose so continued while other teachers were afraid they came to me to express their concerns about the problems we were facing. I don't think it is everyone's dharma to be in the front and get your legs chopped off, but it is a good place to be to learn quickly.

The individuals I mentioned are yelling in support of racism, fear and hate, they really can't argue their position, but love the slogans and want to show their support. I asked the gym administration to change the channel and they told me when Fox is not on they yell at them.

I feel the schools have faculty bathrooms for one person at a time and we have bathrooms for people with disabilities so we can make one bathroom with a neutral label for those who seek a safe place. People are never ready for change, but if we are not changing that means we are dead. America persecuted those against the Vietnam war and were vocal, but it was necessary to stop the unnecessary killing of our youth and Vietnam's.

I think we need to do something especially in schools where the children reflect the racism and prejudice of their parents. Bathrooms because they have no cameras was the place where boys and girls would corner a person alone and beat them up.We can do so something and keep children from being hurt mentally and physically, victim and the bullies and having to carry it with them for life.

I feel the issue is center stage because of right wing talk shows, which also made Obama's birth certificate an issue. Nine of the eleven states have Republican governors and I still remember Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who is now Majority leader made his single most important issue when Obama was just elected said, "What we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." This issue is easy for Republicans to again try to make Obama a villain. At my gym where conservatives yell at the Fox News and the emotions of hate that their shows stir up had a surprise when a transgender showed up. She was very annoying in the Jacuzzi but nothing happened. My wife is Korean and they usually are very conservative, "Did she go in the ladies room?" and she said yes. Nothing else everyone one went on with their business.

I think it is just a political issue for politicians who do nothing to solve the real problems to score points. I have seen members at my gym yell at the TV when it is on Fox news which appeals to their emotions and gives them an emotional fix for the day. I think they are addicted to the rush of hate and fear that gushes through their veins. I go swimming with my wife and we encountered a transgender woman and I asked my wife did she use the women's room because I didn't see her in the men's and she said yes. There were no repercussions that I know of and I have seen her there a couple of times. I think politicians especially around election time use these social issues to pull their supporters to the polls to vote. It is sad that they have no solutions except to pit one person against another.

The Yoga Bear is a natural spiritual teacher trying to teach us about being natural. Have you noticed that many yoga postures and martial art Katas are named after animals. They observed their movements, copied and discovered the benefits. I think the Bear contribution is the importance of sleep.

The schools in the US always have a problem with conservatives and sex education where in Europe they don't have this problem and their teen pregnancies are a lot lower than ours. When I taught Biology I was told I could not teach the reproductive system as if it was not a system in the human being to High School Students who need to know and are probably the most interested in this system. I think we need to teach tolerance, but the only way I know is by being tolerant, but we could teach religion in school meaning, we teach equally all religions and atheism the same number of days.