How many of us really believe in a one supreme being, almighty and all knowing? For me I can see a hierarchy of beings in terms of lifespan and capabilities within each lifespan, though to then make a logical leap based on what? a feeling I suppose, and believe in the existence of a mythical being who controls us all?? I remember prayers to God being somewhat dry and diffuse and unsatisfying, as if there was this part of the process where I was in the dark and couldn't see where the prayer went. What was God, anyway?
It is much more satisfying if we are to recognize a supreme being, that such a deity has some personal attributes. A Jesus, or Shiva, or Vishnu, or Buddha or Lemon Meringue Pie. That way we can have a personal relationship of humility and gratitude and learning, something tangible, and even have the object of our adoration and service change over time, to another aspect of The Divine. However to use the expression "God", although I can assign a feeling, a value to that expression, "God", it is not specific enough to really create a relationship there. Like saying I love all of humanity - OK, examples please? --- In [email protected], turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "wayback71" <wayback71@> wrote: > > > > I find your idea interesting, Barry- what would loss of a > > belief in God do to a community like Fairfield. > > That's why I threw the idea out. I thought it would > be fun to trip on. :-) > > > If you lost your belief in God, would that necessarily > > mean that enlightenment does not exist, at least in the > > TM framework? > > Well, I don't believe in God and I still believe in > enlightenment, although I don't give it the importance > that TMers might. > > > Do they really go to the Dome to create world peace? > > That's what I was thinking. The virus spreads and all > over town people wake up the next morning think, "Oh > shit...I have to hurry or I'll be late for the dome. > No...wait. Let me think this through. I'm about to rush > around and skip my breakfast because I think I have to > go across town and bounce around on my butt with a bunch > of other people to...uh...create world peace. Hmmmmmmm. > What could I have been thinking? Honey, get the kids... > let's go out to a cafe for breakfast this morning." :-) > > > And if they believed there was no God but meditating in a > > group did increase peace in the world, would people still > > go to the Domes - or become more "selfish" with their time? > > > > And if you are in middle age, how much more time would you > > devote to meditation if you knew that enlightenment (if > > you achieve it) died when the brain died and there was > > nothing else? Would you start to spend less time with > > your eyes closed and pretty much give up on the > > enlightenment? Or would you continue to devote hours a > > day trying to train the brain to function in a manner > > that creates feelings of enlightenment? > > Good questions all. I have no answers to them. > > > Or would people still head to the Domes because all that > > meditation makes them feel calm and happy? > > Would the absence of belief in a God and the feeling > that you *had* to do the things that He wanted you to > or expected you to do manifest itself as feeling calm > and happy, as if a great weight had been lifted off > one's shoulders? > > > If you found out God did not exist, is there still a > > possibility of an afterlife of some sort? > > Again, I don't believe in a God, but I believe in > reincarnation. One is not dependent on the other. >
