Sand Dancer
Currently catless
I just wanted to know what spiritual teachers you like in regard to your religion or another religion. If you could give me the name, what they taught in general, and the religion, it would be great!!!
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Spiritual teachers
- Thread starter Sand Dancer
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QuietRain100
Member
The two big ones for me are jesus and buddha...jesus taught forgiveness, love, and that the KIngdom of Heaven is near...either in the future or right now..inside you. Buddha taught the four noble truths...that attachment is suffering....and the Eightfold Path, right action,speech, mindfulness, intention, livihood, effort, view and concertration. Both men's lifes are extrordinary and both men said a ton of stuff that was spiritually enlightening.
It is interesting to note, that no great spiritual leaders, except Moses, every put anything to paper. Buddha"s teachings were carried by memorization for quite some time. Jesus never wrote a thing, our primary sources are the four gospels. Muhammed, never wrote anything down, this was done by his followers.
It is largely assumed that so many people wanted their time, that they never had the time to sit down and actually write out their spiritual thesis.
It is interesting to note, that no great spiritual leaders, except Moses, every put anything to paper. Buddha"s teachings were carried by memorization for quite some time. Jesus never wrote a thing, our primary sources are the four gospels. Muhammed, never wrote anything down, this was done by his followers.
It is largely assumed that so many people wanted their time, that they never had the time to sit down and actually write out their spiritual thesis.
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
I really am looking into living by the Eightfold Path. Good stuff!
QuietRain100
Member
His stuff is in brilliance...of that there is no doubt.
Three things that cannot be hid, the Sun, the Moon and the Truth......Buddha.
Three things that cannot be hid, the Sun, the Moon and the Truth......Buddha.
Gjallarhorn
N'yog-Sothep
Vergere. She taught that actions are equally (if not more) important to intentions, that true greatness comes from surrender (ala Crowley's "man of genius"), and that questions are more important that answers, because all truth is greater than the words we use to describe it. She was a Jedi of the Old Republic.
Prahmahansa Yogananda.....the book I recommend is 'The Autobiography of a Yogi'.
His teachings are Hindu (Vedic) and his book is a great learning tool and fascinating (with many, many of his true encounters with the miraculous).
His teachings are Hindu (Vedic) and his book is a great learning tool and fascinating (with many, many of his true encounters with the miraculous).
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
We Baha'is have LOTS of spiritual teachers! 
They're commonly called "pioneers" and move to various parts of the world with the express intent of spreading the Baha'i Faith. This is why though we're still fairly small numerically, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in terms of where adherents live we're now the world's second most-widesapread religion, ranking right after Christianity!
The specifics:
RELIGION..........NUMBER OF LOCALITIES
Christianity.................140,000
Baha'i Faith.................110,000
All others.....................90,000 or fewer
Peace,
Bruce
They're commonly called "pioneers" and move to various parts of the world with the express intent of spreading the Baha'i Faith. This is why though we're still fairly small numerically, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in terms of where adherents live we're now the world's second most-widesapread religion, ranking right after Christianity!
The specifics:
RELIGION..........NUMBER OF LOCALITIES
Christianity.................140,000
Baha'i Faith.................110,000
All others.....................90,000 or fewer
Peace,
Bruce
chinu
chinu
This spiritual teacher has no specific name, but different people call this spiritual teacher by different lovingly names, whichever they like.
This teacher appears within the human body itself, at first step.. in the form of "Sound" and in second step.. in the form of "Light", finally both these Sound and Light makes a complete teacher.
Rather than any teachings, this teacher just holds the arm of a disciple and takes beyond the limits of Time and Delusion, and finally nothing spiritual remains thereafter, to learn.
And by the help of this teacher, when any disciple reaches the final destination(God), which is beyond the limits of Time and Delusion, At that place disciple finds that God and Teacher are one with each other, and further disciple also becomes one with the Teacher/God (Oneness like.. the drop who becomes sea after falling into it).
Now, after all that process when such a disciple returns back, Such a disciple becomes worthy of being called as "Living-Spiritual-Teacher" on this earth, because after this process such a disciple always remain attached with the sea of Light and Sound (like.. Sun and its rays), whereas we normal human beings are detached from it, by birth.
Finally, such a disciple/teacher is also worthy to guide other souls who are interested in liberation/Salvation/Moksha/Rid from the cycle of deaths and births or whatever you like to call it
As per this teacher, "Religion" means re-union with from where we all started this journey of life in the beginning.
I truly believe everyone can be a worthy spiritual teacher, if sufficiently inspired and trained. The trick is in sustaining such a state for a length of time, as well as in learning to teach in a fruitful way.
Wisdom, compassion, rationality and honesty are basically available to anyone.
Wisdom, compassion, rationality and honesty are basically available to anyone.
chinu
chinu
What do you think is the difference between a Spiritual-Teacher and a False-Spiritual-Teacher ?
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
I chose to give 4 examples of protagonists (From the Classical, Near Eastern, and Norse world) I find interesting, educating, or inspiring. If the thread further develops I may give more examples of teachers or figures that resonate with me.
Chiron
Chiron was a centaur in Greek religion, a wise teacher who educated some of the finest heroes in the Greek tradition. Including Jason, Heracles, Achilles, Perseus and others. Unlike the other centaurs who were violent and savages, Chiron was a noble creature, and an oracle. He taught medicine, archery, hunting, music, and prophecy among other lore. His schooling and tutoring has helped various heroes succeed in various landmarks during their adventures. The Greeks honored Chiron by identifying the constellation Centaurus with him.
al-Khidr
al-Khidr is a mysterious figure of Islamic tradition, which possibly also reincarnated into Europe as the Green Man, as men began to return from the Crusades in the east, bringing with them oriental traditions.
al Khidr is specifically remembered as taking Moses on a journey and testing him. al Khidr tested Moses by committing what to the untrained or unfaithful eye seem like great atrocities, however the challenge was for Moses to accept al Khidr's actions without judgment or protest, which Moses failed to do. In the end of the journey al Khidr shows Moses that for every action he committed, no matter how cruel it may seem there was a reason rooted in perceiving the bigger picture and a knowledge of the circumstances and people involved. His actions in fact served a greater good and were meant to show Moses the ability of not judging the will of God and remain faithful to the fact that things have a reason, a bigger picture.
Enki
A Sumerian god, which was so instrumental and essential in the consciousness of the region that beliefs about hiim spread from Mesopotamia to the Levant and the Hittites. Enki was a god of life, with depictions of the rivers Tigris and the Euphrates flowing from his body. He created living creatures which populated the earth. Enki is credited in Mesopotamian traditions as saving humanity from the wrath of Enlil and the other gods who plotted to drown an overpopulated humanity in a deluge. (The Mesopotamian deluge tradition reincarnated into the Biblical telling of this story).
Odin
The Allfather. Chief god of the Aesir (the Norse pantheon) and of Asgard.
Odin was willing to sacrifice much and to suffer much in order to gain insight and wisdom and to understand the fate of the world and the ages.
He is wise, cunning, and knows how to manipulate his rivals. And although he has the great honor to stand above all the other Aesir, he also as the habit to disguise himself and roam the earth as a traveler and a wanderer. Although Odin is well aware of his fate at Ragnarok, he still guides his family, solves difficulties, and protects the interests of Asgard.
What do you think is the difference between a Spiritual-Teacher and a False-Spiritual-Teacher ?
Virtue. A false teacher will lack honesty (or self-honesty), plain wisdom and/or self-knowledge. Quite a few are self-deluded. Others are just plain dishonest.
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
We Baha'is have LOTS of spiritual teachers!
They're commonly called "pioneers" and move to various parts of the world with the express intent of spreading the Baha'i Faith. This is why though we're still fairly small numerically, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in terms of where adherents live we're now the world's second most-widesapread religion, ranking right after Christianity!
The specifics:
RELIGION..........NUMBER OF LOCALITIES
Christianity.................140,000
Baha'i Faith.................110,000
All others.....................90,000 or fewer
Peace,
Bruce
I want to sit at the cool kids' table with the Baha'is! I'm so there in spirit.
Krishna - Never fear doing your duty, no matter what it is; see God in all, including yourself; love and be devoted to God above all else.
Buddha - Loving compassion.
Jesus - Loving compassion; see God in all, including yourself; love God above all else.
Ramana Maharshi - See God in all, including yourself; self-enquiry.
Paramahansa Yogananda - See God in all, including yourself; God is accessible.
Lao tze - Be one with the Tao (analogous to Brahman for some) and nature; go with the flow; live and think in simple terms.
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
Is there a specific book to learn more about Krishna?
Krill The Unwashed
Member
I like several "teachers."
I like Robert Anton Wilson, I've read most of his books and I find him to be illuminating. The Buddha and Lao Tzu are two more. Jesus & Saint Paul are two more I like. I like the actual teaching Jesus taught, sans the church's interpretations. Alan Watts is great. Ajahn Chah & Ajahn Brahm of the Thai Forest Tradition (Buddhism). Ahajn Brahm is English - living in Australia - and has many youtube videos. David Myatt, for his Philosophy of Pathei-Mathos, Reichsfolk, the Numinous Way, and his 'esoteric philosophy of Anton Long corpus.'
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sandandfoam
Veteran Member
On one level I think Gibran was a great teacher.
On another level kids are probably better. Guaranteed no frills or bull **** with them.
On another level kids are probably better. Guaranteed no frills or bull **** with them.
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
A nice start, then.
But I'm afraid all I can say is: "Less talk and more action!"
:-S
Peace,
Bruce