JosephM

For myself.... no tongue in cheek. I still have to play out my part ... which now includes enjoying retirement, contributing to my grandchildren's college fund, maintaining this site, answering posts, and a myriad of other so called things. My life must continue to unfold .... how could i resist its unfolding? I have no blame to shift and nowhere to shift it if i did. If someone has an objection to such a supposition as i might seem to have .... i would ask them... (this is not personal or directed at any reader) Who makes you to differ? What have you that you have not received or been given? and If you have received it then why would you boast as if you had not? Illusion - a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses. Yes in a sense " everything and everybody, including those dearest to (me) you? Including you (me)? seems to me an illusion. Thormas, This i find as an interesting quote from a summary of the Pali canon concerning the essence of Buddhism. "Absolute changeless permanent reality, the unconditioned, itself alone is, all else has always been, is, and always will be just a state of make-believe fiction, a state of delusion worn like a costume with multiple fabricated viewpoints, with each self-sustaining itself in a self-perpetuated state of self-ignorance, " Joseph

What you see as a cause in your example is nothing more than a pre-condition or sequence when trying to find cause in a logical world. Sure we say this causes that... but then what causes this and we continue on a seemingly infinite number of causes that takes us through all of time.. Yes, i see causality in this world as an illusion and yet as you, i have planned for my retirement. While one might attribute my planning as the cause to a successful retirement i know that also is an illusion. Joseph

Personally i see no cause and effect in this visual world. I only see sequences that we conceptualize and compartmentalize as events and then try to attach a cause when to me it seems there is no causes to be seen. Seems to me more like a story written and we are viewing the sequences or frames of the equation already written.

Thormas, Are you saying that we as humans have a possibility of actualization that a dog ( or any other creature ) does not have? Did we all not come from the same source? Our appearances admittingly seems different but ... What makes us 'more' that the other creature is complete but we humans are not ?

Thormas, It seems to me if your dog is complete then so are you. Is one evolving and the other not? Joseph

It seems to me that emptiness is the 'place' where all questions disappear. Without a question, there is no answer ... just pure being. Perhaps less, not more is better?

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Hi Paul, I see it a bit differently than others. I think his words were more spiritual than literal. The second coming i see as not a one time for all event in the far off future but rather a coming inside ones consciousness. Christ in you as a revealing or personal revelation. The kingdom of God coming not with observation or outward show as spoken of in Luke when he was demanded of the Pharasees as to when it should come. I think the Book of Revelations clearly indicates in the 1st Chapter that it was not literal and the things written therein were things that have been, are, and would shortly come to pass. Not that it matters much to me for agreement but i see it all in the present tense. I don't see as thormas has indicated that Jesus was wrong about the kingdom coming before his disciples passed away. It seems to me it has been here always and there were some standing there that did see it before physical death as there are some here now that also see it before physical death. This is what i see personally as the true Gospel message. Joseph

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It seems to me wise not to have a belief system or be worried about having one. Inevitably, they all seem to fail including science. Joseph

PaulB, You certainly are not alone in your beliefs or feelings mentioned in your introduction with many on this site. Hope you enjoy participating . Feel free to start a thread on any particular area you might wish to discuss. Welcome, Joseph

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Christmas has remained a time of gathering together and of course thankfulness and gifts to the grandchildren. We do this mainly out of custom but i don't really celebrate it as the birthday of Jesus or attend church on that day. Today we are gathered together about 30+ in number to share together a wonderful turkey dinner and fellowship and just be thankful for life here in general .

Acdc Don't have any answers for you or threads to point to. Perhaps you could start a thread on the subject?

Welcome to the forum Dave. May peace fill any uncertainties you may have. Joseph

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The same can be said of Hillary. I would not want to put up with her lies or corruption. Neither, in my opinion, is a good choice but i am ok with what is. I have no issues with fairness nor with my choice.

Rom, I had a difficult time even calling either of the major candidates a real choice but at this moment I am ok with what is. It seems to me no matter what we may say about our fairness in elections publicly, they are in a sense most definitely rigged no matter who wins.

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I'm okay with Trump.

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I think better even though we have a long way to go. If someone thinks it was better 100 years ago, i challenge them to live in the old west here in the US. Lawlessness, amenities , medicine , sanitation and the like have come along way to improve life for the majority. Joseph

Burl, My experiences confirms what you have said in the above post. One has to go through that path of theism to experience it but i also must say that i have found through experience that a simple definition of theism is just a point on the journey to truth. It is not the destination or end. There come a difficult and painful point in the journey where truth seeks to evolve past the point of our programmed limitations and we must grow past what we thought were certainties that we were fed and once accepted solely by faith. We are compelled to evolve beyond the comfortable herd instinct into new personal uncharted territory where past answers no longer make sense. In my experience many choose to remain in comfort in familiar surroundings and that is fine with me. Yet sooner or later if we want to continue the journey i think one will come to see that the limits of religion, dogma and doctrine of theism will no longer suffice and each will have to enter these unchartered waters for themselves. Joseph

Bill, Just to share my 2 cents, No matter what happens to me , whether judged as good or bad or fortunate or unfortunate by others, i am of the view or opinion by a subtle "knowing" that nothing can separate me from the love or presence of God which to me is not a person yet is as personal to me and all as one can get even when my awareness of this was lacking. Joseph