JosephM

Welcome Mark, I guess we all have our own addictions and it seems to take more than ourselves to get us through. Glad to hear you have found this site and are drawn to the more progressive side of things. Life seems to me a journey that hopefully takes us from tradition and blind faith to a living reality that challenges us and brings us home to a place of peace. Again welcome and feel free to start a thread on any particular concerns or areas of interest. Joseph

Nice picture. You look a little older and much more peaceful than your previous picture. The glasses go well with you. Joseph

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Back on topic...... I have found in experience it is best for me to turn away from those who do violence or it is perceived would harm me. I have found it is best to not be the one who takes an eye for an eye. It seems to me that consequences follow actions in the concept of time when the perpetrator finds a victim so inclined. I have found it wise to try to live peaceably with all and when that doesn't seem possible then be the one to walk away before it escalates. It seems to me people will find what they are looking for, if not now then later with a willing victim. I would like to choose not to be that victim by resisting violence if it is in my power to do so. IF not, the capacity for retaliation and self preservation would no doubt be enacted. Joseph

To me, on the contrary, freedom of mind IS being able to see the strings.

Hand pulling the nutsedge is not so good. It will just come right back. In my experience it is better to just spray and it will kill the root system. To me it is better time spent to analyze ones own life experience and learn than try to guess what someone else is seeing especially In such matters and writings that primarily embrace faith and belief more than the experience , reason, and logic you speak of.

Greetings Artyop, Welcome to the forum. You are most welcome to share your own ideas and views on this site without the fear of being banned. All that is asked is to keep it respectful of others who may have different or opposing views. You may find little interest in some subjects here but you are free to start a thread on a particular subject. If there is no interest the thread will die of its own accord. BTW , IF Jesus were on this site at this time in history, no one would be tolerated to insult or verbally personally attack him and he would be held to the same standards. JosephM( as Admin)

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Weekly Recap HERE

I don't claim to be able to explain "I am" or speak further of it but to me it is self evident. I know this without language. Red and green are frequencies of light that is subjective when languaged in other than a frequency measured by an accepted standardized instrument (which the body is not). As sentient beings we live in a subjective world where the duality of language and our nature makes everything perceived a subjective reality whether there is agreement between two or not.. The sense of "I" has no content because there is nothing to know. It is silent and without images, words or concepts. Truth to me, can best be expressed as "I" without the verb "am". When mental function is not present, only Truth seems present and seems to me to be experienced as profound peace, completion, or at-homeness by this sentient being. Joseph

Truth is ..... I am That is all i can say.

Welcome to the forum, I'm certain its already there but you may be searching for that which is not. May you find peace and insight in your time here. Joseph

I think i got what you are saying.......

This Weeks PC.org Weekly Recap

PaulB, Personally i don't think Jesus was predicting the end of the world in the literal sense. After all when he was demanded of the Pharisees when and where the new kingdom would come in Luke, he answers. the kingdom of God doesn't come with observation (outward show) for the kingdom of God is within you. He also many times said his kingdom was not of this world and that we are in the world but not of the world. It seems to me that the Bible not only contains parables but also metaphors. It must be read in context of stories and that which is not obvious in words. Do you remember the song. whose lyrics read "don't say no, its the end of the world, it ended when i first met you". It easy to see in poetry or song lyrics that some things are simply not literal in the sense we might commonly interpret. Just sayin, Joseph

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By Life living itself, i mean letting go of the need for an expected outcome. It can be quite freeing to the mind and body.

Perhaps Dogen is saying, we see things exactly the way they are because we are effectively making them the way they are and the changing we perceive in our understanding is nothing more than the unfolding of enlightenment which is always present ? But why punish the brain with all these conundrums and perhaps nonsense when there is in reality nothing to attain that is not already present? It seems to me, practice and searching is ended for him/her who realizes this and allows life to live itself. Just musing

Just to add a similar quote. Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

To me, Jesus is the representation of the awareness of the connection and indwelling union of God and man as One. The unity from which nothing is hidden and that provides the confidence and knowing that all things are possible from within that union.

Yes, I think one could say .... In a sense when you are aware , you are less lost. Now is that really true at a deeper level? Probably not but language seems to me to be a real impediment when one is trying to make a point when we are on a different wavelength. ?

Rom, (anointed?) Probably some of the time. Other times not so much.... perhaps i would say not when you get lost in your mind. In my eyes, you can be a Christian or whatever label you wish to attach to yourself BUT IF i were you, i might avoid the Christian label as it doesn't sync well with what i perceive is your choice of words. And then again i could be wrong. Joseph

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Rom, I think Point 1 of PC might answer some of your question. Believe that following the path and teachings of Jesus can lead to an awareness and experience of the Sacred and the Oneness and Unity of all life; or the older point 1 .... By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who.... Have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus. Whether the character that the followers followed is fictional or actual would seem to me to make no difference. It is the life and teachings of the character that weigh in to me. The story says the followers of his teachings were first called Christians at Antioch. Which specific teachings, i do not presume to know. All i know is from my experience in following a couple of basic teachings reported by this Jesus, i have experienced a Oneness and unity of all life. I do not see the teachings of this reported man named Jesus as exclusive to experiencing this Oneness. While i choose to use the label of PC, i am not attached to it nor opposed to another that chooses to attach to it or some other label. I am of the persuasion that no group of consonants and vowels are able to adequately define an individual in my mind. To me, the word Christ in Christian means to be (anointed) as in being smeared together with the Allness of creation or God. Joseph

Yes Paul. There are "people here that would call themselves Christian but for whom it doesn't matter whether Jesus actually lived or not". Amen. We can be followers of men or followers of that which is greater. Even Jesus is recorded as saying that the words he spoke (and for that matter the works he did) were not his own. To me , that would make his words and actions greater than the man.