Very apposite Bill. I'm more often reminded of the 'my big brother is bigger than your big brother' stuff. I don't really go for making guesses about bifurcations of reality myself. I still find the apparent appearance of an 'I' in thoughts disturbing and incomplete.
On May 25, 6:36 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > Other than the obvious prejudice for men and against women in most > cultures over the millennia, I’ve always wondered why god is > attributed with the male gender. > > Some ponderings include: > If he is immaterial, how is the gender determined? > Could such anthropomorphism and sex be attributed to a simple > projection of the author’s gender in most holy books? > Since more men are physically more powerful than most women, is it > merely an attempt at a display of force? (even though we aren’t > talking about a physical thing??...or are we?) > > I suggest that when attributing gender to a god or gods one should > remember as RP says that: “…Whoever God may be , good morals are a > necessity for a virtuous life and towards that end a person must > strive.” > > This would include not excluding any gender when discussing god, > especially not the *majority* gender! > > Surely, ‘sage’s are not all men. Surely if one is to ‘understand’ this > ‘person’ whom one can’t hear nor see, one would not wish to exclude a > gender! And for sure not all ‘teachers’ are men…or am I missing > something? > > http://www.bluemantshirts.com/images/bfs_slogans/finished/god_bigger.png > > On May 25, 8:32 am, RP Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > God is not someone you can see or hear , but He is someone you can > > understand and for that you need a trained understanding. > > Understanding can be trained through years of study and deliberations > > and maybe not even then ,in which case you can rely on the words of a > > sage in whom you have faith. In any case only a man of faith gains > > knowledge because initially you have to have faith in someone or some > > scripture , to learn English you have to have faith in your teacher. > > Whoever God may be , good morals are a necessity for a virtuous life > > and towards that end a person must strive. > > > On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 7:32 PM, [email protected] > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Perhaps Rigsy, I guess that depends on who you want to define the word > > > perfect? > > > > I like the idea that perfection meaning nothing else needing changing, > > > which means of course perfection is a stagnant thing. As we know > > > nowthing stays still all is in flux. > > > > If you belive that the universe is equated with the body of God, then > > > it is clear that the universe is always moving, and so in this way we > > > can say that at least the body of God is not perfect. Umm perhaps > > > then when we say that God is perfect it is purely spirit we talk > > > about? > > > > Yes indeed we can attain knowledge without experaince, what worth is > > > it though without the experiances? I think the old adage that > > > 'practice makes perfect' is very true. Us older people both 'know' > > > more about the workings of the world and have the 'expriances' to go > > > with the knowledge, this is wounderfull thing yes? > > > > I'm still learning to play the guitar, I have read and am still > > > reading many books, tracts, downloaed bits and bobs, but it is the > > > practice that will eventualy make me a better guitar player. In a > > > very real way the practice or the experiancine of some endevour feeds > > > the knowledge of it, the more practical experiances of a sphere of > > > knowledge you grab, the better you are able to 'know' it. > > > > Famouse writters when asked how to be a better writter offten simply > > > reply 'Just write' > > > > As to why you would paint your roof a diffrant colour, well perhaps > > > you got bored with the old one? > > > > I'm curious about many things, I have learnt over the years (through > > > experiance) to rein such curisotiy in, or risk my little mind > > > explodeing! > > > > On May 25, 2:38 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> This would indicate God is imperfect, lee. Even humans can attain > > >> knowledge without direct experience. > > > >> Weren't you curious about why I would paint a roof a different > > >> color? :-) > > > >> On May 24, 10:29 am, "[email protected]" > > > >> <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > I'm reading a book of short stories at the mo, one called The all-at > > >> > once man, by R A Lafferty has this concept of before the begining. > > >> > Paraphrasing wildly then: > > > >> > Before the begining was a perfect sphere spinning at a ferocious rate, > > >> > it didn't know any of this for there was nothing else by which to > > >> > measure such things. > > > >> > An infantisimal speck appared and the sphere had now had something > > >> > with which to relate, to measure it's own existance and dimenseons and > > >> > movment, and thus time was born. > > > >> > The sphere found that is was not perfect and this was because it was > > >> > spinning at such a rate as to deform, it soon deformed enough to > > >> > explode and all that is comes for the broken sphere. > > > >> > A similar thought occours in the set of books called Conversations > > >> > with God. The premise is that God is, and God is all knowing, but > > >> > being all knowing God decided that knowledge without experiance is > > >> > worthless, hence the creation of matter out of the spirit of God. > > > >> > I'm not sure on this idea, but you who know me, know I am taken with > > >> > the idea of matter from spirit. > > > >> > On May 24, 1:49 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > We have one mortal life but our spirit lives on through our works and > > >> > > relationships. Our body is like the transport that our spirit drives. > > >> > > Why then, would God be lonely and create Adam and Eve in the flesh? > > >> > > What did he lack with the angels? All myth, of course. > > > >> > > On May 23, 10:46 am, RP Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > > All matter and all individualities are emanations from the One Self > > >> > > > and it is in the nature of emanations to be dualistic. I know it > > >> > > > hurts > > >> > > > our pride to accept that we are mortals and have only this life , > > >> > > > but > > >> > > > if we change our perceptions a little and identify ourselves with > > >> > > > the > > >> > > > One Self instead of this body, then we would be having the right > > >> > > > perspective and really be the One and only Atman. > > > >> > > > On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 5:31 PM, [email protected] > > > >> > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > > > > I think perception is route to realisation perhaps. > > > >> > > > > Perception first, followed by evidance that such perceptions are > > >> > > > > valid > > >> > > > > (if only subjectily in some cases) leading to realisations. > > > >> > > > > As to the Blake quote. > > > >> > > > > My and my oldest son where having a convo last night, I can't > > >> > > > > really > > >> > > > > recall what it was about, but I asked him if he thought it at all > > >> > > > > possible that a 'thing' can act outside of it's 'nature'. > > > >> > > > > Perhaps it is the nature of man to have blinkered perceptions. > > >> > > > > Like > > >> > > > > the fly dog visualy percives in black an white, perhaps human > > >> > > > > kind > > >> > > > > simply cannot percive any other realms than it is capable of? > > > >> > > > > On May 21, 12:12 pm, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > > > >> I see your point, a good one too. At what point does perception > > >> > > > >> become realization. But I would say that there is much more to > > >> > > > >> perception than sensory perception. As William Blake pointed > > >> > > > >> out: "If > > >> > > > >> the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear > > >> > > > >> to man > > >> > > > >> as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees > > >> > > > >> all > > >> > > > >> things through narrow chinks of his cavern."[ > > > >> > > > >> On May 19, 7:19 am, "[email protected]" > > >> > > > >> <[email protected]> > > >> > > > >> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> > Hey Molly, > > > >> > > > >> > Is such a thing truely a perception or a realisation? > > > >> > > > >> > I used to live with a bloke who is colour blind, we rented > > >> > > > >> > our place > > >> > > > >> > from two lesbians, and so his perception of the colour of his > > >> > > > >> > bedroom > > >> > > > >> > was grey. The bedroom was to my eyes coloured pink, but he > > >> > > > >> > knows that > > >> > > > >> > he is colour blind and although not sure of what colour I saw > > >> > > > >> > (until > > >> > > > >> > he asked me) he realised that his perception was not correct. > > > >> > > > >> > So we can have a realiastion that our perceptions may not be > > >> > > > >> > correct. > > > >> > > > >> > On May 19, 12:09 pm, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> > > How is it possible, from a non dual perspective, to > > >> > > > >> > > perceive the world > > >> > > > >> > > as dualistic in nature, and thus an illusion (and separate > > >> > > > >> > > from > > >> > > > >> > > self)? By definition, this view would remain dualistic. I > > >> > > > >> > > do think it > > >> > > > >> > > true that how we view the world forms our experience. From > > >> > > > >> > > a > > >> > > > >> > > dualistic view, some are right, some are wrong. From a non > > >> > > > >> > > dual view, > > >> > > > >> > > all views are the One/many paradox that is One. How we > > >> > > > >> > > view (and > > >> > > > >> > > experience) birth and death changes as we change. From a > > >> > > > >> > > non dual > > >> > > > >> > > perspective, they are only states of transformation and not > > >> > > > >> > > a > > >> > > > >> > > beginning or end. > > > >> > > > >> > > On May 17, 2:07 pm, RP Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> > > > In duality there is the relationship of the observer and > > >> > > > >> > > > the observed > > >> > > > >> > > > , the knower and the known , that is , there are two. In > > >> > > > >> > > > Non-Duality > > >> > > > >> > > > there is only One and the world which is dualistic in > > >> > > > >> > > > nature , remains > > >> > > > >> > > > what it is , just an illusion - i.e. subject to birth and > > >> > > > >> > > > death. God > > >> > > > >> > > > ,Reality or Atman is Non-Dual and duality is just its > > >> > > > >> > > > expression.- Hide quoted text - > > > >> > > > >> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > >> > > > >> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > >> > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > >> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > >> > - Show quoted text -- Hide > > ... > > read more »
