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My God.

sandandfoam

sandandfoam

Veteran Member
When I speak or write about God I believe I am speaking about myself.
I am in the world and the world is in me. Only in the world do I know myself. God is the pulse of life underlying my awareness. God is a story which makes meaningful my being in the world. God is the ground of my being. Nature is Theophany as is life.

I read today in another context that the oddest thing about the upper reaches of a consciousness performance is the abscence of a conductor before the performance begins. As the performance unfolds a conductor comes into being. The conductor exists in my mind and nothing is gained by dismissing it as an illusion.

Sitting motionless I glimpse the potential of a still and pure awareness.

This is my God. Of course my views of God have no bearing on the existence or otherwise of God in any hypothetical objective reality. But it is my reality.

Thoughts?
 
D

drsatish

Active Member
BEYOND the EDGE!

Hi stephenw,

The Buddhist or Buddha's
Anatta
Anatta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sunyata
Śūnyatā - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nirvana
Nirvana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

is the NEXT Arrow / Step / Path / Direction...

AFTER...

..the SELF....has been Fully Experienced...!

It is like DARING....to put your foot....ON THE VOID...
......when you have UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING...
...on the FLAT EARTH....and you are now at its VERY EDGE!
(like leaning over from the Top of the Statue of Liberty!!!!)
(metaphorically, of course!)

+...-...?...?....<...<....!!!!!......Yes!

Satish
 
Levite

Levite

Higher and Higher
stephenw said:
When I speak or write about God I believe I am speaking about myself.
I am in the world and the world is in me. Only in the world do I know myself. God is the pulse of life underlying my awareness. God is a story which makes meaningful my being in the world. God is the ground of my being. Nature is Theophany as is life.

I read today in another context that the oddest thing about the upper reaches of a consciousness performance is the abscence of a conductor before the performance begins. As the performance unfolds a conductor comes into being. The conductor exists in my mind and nothing is gained by dismissing it as an illusion.

Sitting motionless I glimpse the potential of a still and pure awareness.

This is my God. Of course my views of God have no bearing on the existence or otherwise of God in any hypothetical objective reality. But it is my reality.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

What you're describing is actually very close to the theology of a school of thought in Reconstructionist Judaism. I have to say though, with all respect, that the idea of a God who is at most the essence of Nature, or at least merely symbolic of meaning, is deeply unmoving to me.

For me, I need a God who is Other, who is a self-aware and transcendant being distinct from (even if linked to) myself and other finite beings. IMO, only such a God can be partners with the People Israel in the Covenant, and it only seems reasonable to offer prayer to such a God, and not an impersonal or symbolic one.
 
Midnight Pete

Midnight Pete

Well-Known Member
stephenw said:
When I speak or write about God I believe I am speaking about myself.
I am in the world and the world is in me. Only in the world do I know myself. God is the pulse of life underlying my awareness. God is a story which makes meaningful my being in the world. God is the ground of my being. Nature is Theophany as is life.

I read today in another context that the oddest thing about the upper reaches of a consciousness performance is the abscence of a conductor before the performance begins. As the performance unfolds a conductor comes into being. The conductor exists in my mind and nothing is gained by dismissing it as an illusion.

Sitting motionless I glimpse the potential of a still and pure awareness.

This is my God. Of course my views of God have no bearing on the existence or otherwise of God in any hypothetical objective reality. But it is my reality.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

So you're saying you are your own God, but your views have no bearing on anything.

Am I understanding correctly? :confused:
 
Riverwolf

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
A nice description of what the Vedas call the Atman (a term used wholly for convenience when referring to Brahman as it directly relates to us; "God Within." It's often translated as Self.)
 
sandandfoam

sandandfoam

Veteran Member
Midnight Pete said:
So you're saying you are your own God,
Click to expand...


No. I'm saying if I look inside I perceive God. I also perceive God in the world.
But when I talk about God it is myself I am talking about. My perceptions. My projections and my understandings.

If I claimed to be talking on behalf of God I would think I was a bit nuts.

but your views have no bearing on anything.
Click to expand...

My views are subjective. Thet are my reality. They are not objective. There is no objectivity for humans.
 
Madhuri

Madhuri

RF Goddess
Staff member
Premium Member
stephenw said:
When I speak or write about God I believe I am speaking about myself.
I am in the world and the world is in me. Only in the world do I know myself. God is the pulse of life underlying my awareness. God is a story which makes meaningful my being in the world. God is the ground of my being. Nature is Theophany as is life.

I read today in another context that the oddest thing about the upper reaches of a consciousness performance is the abscence of a conductor before the performance begins. As the performance unfolds a conductor comes into being. The conductor exists in my mind and nothing is gained by dismissing it as an illusion.

Sitting motionless I glimpse the potential of a still and pure awareness.

This is my God. Of course my views of God have no bearing on the existence or otherwise of God in any hypothetical objective reality. But it is my reality.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Ok seriously, you must have influence in your life from eastern philosophy. How did you come to this perspective through Christianity?
 
blackout

blackout

Violet.
stephenw said:
When I speak or write about God I believe I am speaking about myself.
I am in the world and the world is in me. Only in the world do I know myself. God is the pulse of life underlying my awareness. God is a story which makes meaningful my being in the world. God is the ground of my being. Nature is Theophany as is life.

I read today in another context that the oddest thing about the upper reaches of a consciousness performance is the abscence of a conductor before the performance begins. As the performance unfolds a conductor comes into being. The conductor exists in my mind and nothing is gained by dismissing it as an illusion.

Sitting motionless I glimpse the potential of a still and pure awareness.

This is my God. Of course my views of God have no bearing on the existence or otherwise of God in any hypothetical objective reality. But it is my reality.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

That was very beautiful. :rainbow1:
 
Madhuri

Madhuri

RF Goddess
Staff member
Premium Member
stephenw said:
Spong and Philip Newell's books have had a big influence on me. I am also a fan of books about the Cathars - They considered themselves 'good Christians' :)
Click to expand...

Interesting. You have a very similar approach to my dad who is an Anglican priest. But he came to his perspective after years as a Hindu.
 
Madhuri

Madhuri

RF Goddess
Staff member
Premium Member
stephenw said:
I'm not familiar with the term :D
I like what we call 'low church', I like liberalism - is that the same thing?
Click to expand...

Lol, no. Dad refers to the Anglo-Catholic side as high church and the more protestant thinkers as low church.
In my experience, it's the individuals who lean toward the Catholic side that tend to be into philosophy closer to eastern concepts, and are into mysticism and meditation etc.
 
sandandfoam

sandandfoam

Veteran Member
Madhuri said:
Lol, no. Dad refers to the Anglo-Catholic side as high church and the more protestant thinkers as low church.
In my experience, it's the individuals who lean toward the Catholic side that tend to be into philosophy closer to eastern concepts, and are into mysticism and meditation etc.
Click to expand...
aha
Now I could well be off the mark on this but I associate high church with conservatives who like communion every Sunday and low church with liberals who have communion the odd time, favour gay marriage and female clergy.

But I don't find it comes up IRL
 
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