by LittleToe 78 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The "way" of Jesus is not at all well defined
Perhaps that depends on your desire for a broad definition or a massively detailed one. "Love God with your whole heart, mind and soul, love your neighbor as yourself" seems quite a simple definition that can be applied to every situation. So simple it need hardly be written down.
"Love God with your whole heart, mind and soul, love your neighbor as yourself" seems quite a simple definition that can be applied to every situation. So simple it need hardly be written down.
Perhaps if the people telling us Jesus "way" had left it at that, it would really be so simple. They didn't, and it's not. Believe me, I find that unfortunate. Of course I respect anyone who cast off the bible dirt enough to distill the Jesus phenomenom down to "love your neighbor as yourself".
They will tell you god talks to them in many ways other than audibly.....such as through his creation and design, that he is active in their life. How many people could have a relationship with a human who interacted in such a manner...never speaking, never showing his face, and not answering you on your timeline
Gumby-bastard, (LOL)
Millions can attest to the fact that their prayers were answered. Most often you hear stories of synchronicity where a prayer is made and suddenly events begin happening to the believer that leads him. In my own experience I'd have to say I've seen some remarkable things.
My post was specifically to the point that if one believes in a God, one has difficulty making an argument we were never separated from him, at least to some degree. To use an extreme example, I don't see how anyone could make a good faith argument Hitler wasn't separated from God. Unless you want to say that God is evil as well as loving. I have met people who were dedicated to a religion of the self, who practice *their will* as being the only creed or "God" that they follow. They think nothing of how their actions affect others because it is all about them, and only them. History is full of examples of people like this that I don't need to reiterate. If one believes in a God, and that that God is love personified, and then say we have never been separated from God, how does explain some of the real horrors that humans inflict upon each other? We have free will. You can choose the path of love, or choose whatever path you wish. You can choose to victimize as many people as you want to get what you want. It is true the worst kind of person can change their choices. However, there are people who plan never to change their choice and never do.
We gotta find you another line of work, Mega!
IMHO we ARE all connected. The "divine" is everywhere AND within. All IS one.
You'll have a hard time finding religionists who have truly thought out "God"'s omnipresence to the point of making this assimilation. Oftentimes it is left as an "externalised" belief.
It is possible to systematically examine every aspect of one's live and dis-attach them. In my own case I believe (there we go again, with the self-delusion) that I am getting to the point where all that is left IS "my beloved" (as JamesThomas so aptly put it). In my own case this is focused on "Jesus" who I would describe as the very personification of "love" and omnipresence. The process of dis-attachment for illusion allows reality to surface.
Being alert to this "connection" brings forth an abundance of "synchronicity". Therein is the essence of much of what is touted as "spiritual experience". It brings us to a state of awe.
I suspect that it is hard to divorce this from the emotions, and unfortunately for some it becomes synonymous with them. So often our minds and senses fall far short of that which "IS". Hence any description of "the divine" is as worthless as the bytes they are written in.
IMHO John had a good crack at penning it. As a starting point to said "connection" (or more appropriately "re-connection", since we are all too good at creating illusion for ourselves, and I believe the Adam and Eve story is adequate symbology for this) his comments are worthy of note. Are we willing to pay the price, though, for it takes a form of "submission" of which many are unaware, far less willing to make?
We gotta find you another line of work, Mega!
How 'bout tequila taster?
Sirona, you ask "What do you have if you have purely the belief of being ONE?"
You have another "belief"; another cherished-mental-representation added to the dense swirl of other conceptual confetti that blinds us to the presence of what we seek.
Intellectual images have there place, but when it comes down to the actual realization of our true Being, there must be a radical surrender, a letting go of all, everything we think we know or believe to be true. There must be a silence so pure and pristine that the entire story of "me" is nonexistent. ("You must die before you live")
Simply put, it is about undeniably seeing, realizing first hand, what is here, within, already: our True-identity.
How to awaken, how to see?
By earnestly, sincerely and gently moving attention from the minds interpretation of life and all it's past and future, beliefs and judgments, good and evil, mumblings and commentary, and instead silently offering conscious awareness to this present moment. Look deeper into what is it to be alive. Look deep into the raw senses of BEING (without the dark lenses of mental conceptualizing and story telling). Be present. Be open. Allow Truth to reveal Itself.
It is, so simple. Yet, it is not be easy to fall back into the arms of our True-nature which is everything, yet, no thing in-particular. There is much energy placed upon who we believe ourselves to be. We cherish our story, our tragic world, our gods, our relationships. There is much invested in the tiny fragment called "me".
It helps to have a hunger for Truth that is willing to pay the price: everything.
LittleToe, sorry if it seems I am high-jacking your thread. I would have PM'd Sirona the above, but I have not been able to PM anything for months now.
My way is not any better than your way. It's waking the hell up that counts.
j
>By earnestly, sincerely and gently moving attention from the minds interpretation of life and all it's past and future, >beliefs and judgments, good and evil, mumblings and commentary, and instead silently offering conscious awareness to this >present moment. Look deeper into what is it to be alive. Look deep into the raw senses of BEING (without the dark lenses of >mental conceptualizing and story telling). Be present. Be open. Allow Truth to reveal Itself.
you're saying we should relinquish everything we have been taught, break down all the boundaries we have built up around ourselves and find our 'inner being'?
I agree this would be an exceptional place to be in mentally but equally hard to get there.
How long did it take you to achieve this viewpoint?
Are we willing to pay the price, though, for it takes a form of "submission" of which many are unaware, far less willing to make?
And what do you get for that price?
How 'bout tequila taster?
They do say "do what you love", so....
