Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-16 Thread Chris Austin-Lane
There is a very enjoyable Manga series on the life of Buddha by Osama
Tezuka, actually. Some gorgeous art and a good story and an interesting if
not orthodox take on his biography and teachings.

Thanks,
--Chris
301-270-6524
 On Jun 15, 2013 3:30 AM, Edgar Owen edgaro...@att.net wrote:

 Uncle Scrooge was my favorite.

 But I outgrew them.

 Edgar



 On Jun 14, 2013, at 5:53 PM, Merle Lester wrote:

 
 
   edgar...tolerance and compassion please...
 
  what is not a comic book to you?
 
  you are so so anti comic books
 
  did you actually ever get to read any as a kid?
 
  merle
 
 
 
 
  Merle and Bill,
 
  Total comic book BS.   Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What
 does that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy
 ego feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about
 it any more
 
  Edgar
 
 
 
 
 
  On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
 
 
 
 
 
 
   yes bill..me too i agree..merle
 
  Suresh,
 
  As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher.
  I think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the
 way Buddha used the language of Hinduism.
 
  Two book I liked are:
 
  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by
 various authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of
 Thomas (which is not in the official Bible).
  http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156
 
  I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which
 also focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
  http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M
 
  ...Bill!
 
  --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@...
 wrote:
 
  Jesus and Advaita:-
 
  HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE
 WELCOME
 
  Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
 
  Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
  the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
  our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
  imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
  paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
  tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
  world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
  saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
  teachings of Christ.
 
  Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
  of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
  He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
  and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
  state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
  of Heaven.
 
  Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
  means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
  This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self
 realisation.
  The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
  They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
  There is no scope for doubt.
  They say it with absolute conviction.
  They have seen the Truth themselves.
  Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
  this same Truth.
  Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
  Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
  names, they all speak about the same Truth.
  So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
  JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
 
  The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
  Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
  Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
  established in a future time.
  In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
  it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
  Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
  from this objective manifested world which is impermanent, and
  meditate on the Self.
 
  Jesus is a spiritual master who has to be seen as a Self realised
  soul, a person who has attained the ultimate Goal prescribed in our
  scriptures.
 
  The Text of the Gospel of Thomas
 
  These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke.
 
  This opening words of this text, gives a very important clue.
  It says that the sayings are secret.
  If we study the teachings of Jesus, he himself says that Truth cannot
  be hidden and that it will reveal itself.
  There is nothing secret about the teachings of Christ, in the sense
  that it shouldn't be imparted to other people.
 
  If someone wants to experience sweetness merely hearing the word sweet
  is not enough.
  He must eat sugar himself so as to experience sweetness.
 
  And he said, 

Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-15 Thread Merle Lester


 i see edgar... says something about your outlook on life now mine was 
donald duck...merle
  
Uncle Scrooge was my favorite.

But I outgrew them.

Edgar

On Jun 14, 2013, at 5:53 PM, Merle Lester wrote:

 
 
  edgar...tolerance and compassion please...
 
 what is not a comic book to you?
 
 you are so so anti comic books
 
 did you actually ever get to read any as a kid?
 
 merle
 
 
 
 
 Merle and Bill,
 
 Total comic book BS.   Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
 that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
 feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it any 
 more
 
 Edgar
 
 
 
 
 
 On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
 
 
 
 
 
 
  yes bill..me too i agree..merle
 
 Suresh,
 
 As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher.  I 
 think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the way 
 Buddha used the language of Hinduism.
 
 Two book I liked are:
 
 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by various 
 authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 
 (which is not in the official Bible).
 http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156
 
 I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which also 
 focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
 http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M
 
 ...Bill!
 
 --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@... wrote:
 
 Jesus and Advaita:-
 
 HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
 
 Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
 
 Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
 the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
 our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
 imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
 paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
 tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
 world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
 saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
 teachings of Christ.
 
 Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
 of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
 He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
 and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
 state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
 of Heaven.
 
 Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
 means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
 This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self realisation.
 The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
 They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
 There is no scope for doubt.
 They say it with absolute conviction.
 They have seen the Truth themselves.
 Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
 this same Truth.
 Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
 Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
 names, they all speak about the same Truth.
 So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
 JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
 
 The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
 Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
 Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
 established in a future time.
 In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
 it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
 Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
 from this objective manifested world which is impermanent, and
 meditate on the Self.
 
 Jesus is a spiritual master who has to be seen as a Self realised
 soul, a person who has attained the ultimate Goal prescribed in our
 scriptures.
 
 The Text of the Gospel of Thomas
 
 These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke.
 
 This opening words of this text, gives a very important clue.
 It says that the sayings are secret.
 If we study the teachings of Jesus, he himself says that Truth cannot
 be hidden and that it will reveal itself.
 There is nothing secret about the teachings of Christ, in the sense
 that it shouldn't be imparted to other people.
 
 If someone wants to experience sweetness merely hearing the word sweet
 is not enough.
 He must eat sugar himself so as to experience sweetness.
 
 And he said, Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings
 will not taste death.
 
 Jesus said, Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find.
 2When they find, they will be disturbed. 3When they are disturbed,
 they will marvel, 4and will rule over all.
 
 This 

Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-15 Thread Merle Lester


 butting in edgar...and bill...bill has a compassionate heart..warm and fuzzy 
because he loves dogs...that's as real as it gets..merle
  
Bill,

LOL! How presumptuous and condescending of your ego to think I don't...

The apparent difference between you and me is that real things here and now 
give me warm fuzzy feelings but illusory personal opinions about things that no 
longer exist and likely never did give them to you

Gosh saying that just made me feel warm and fuzzy!
:-)

Edgar

On Jun 14, 2013, at 8:23 PM, Bill! wrote:

 Edgar,
 
 I'm glad you have something that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling.  I'd 
 advise you to try to expand that feeling as much as possible to encompass as 
 much of the rest of your life as possible.
 
 ...Bill!
 
 --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@... wrote:
 
 Edgar
 
 What gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling? The 3 half grown fox babies running 
 around my front yard this morning. The mother has been missing for weeks. 
 The father is running himself ragged taking care of them with my help. He 
 can't walk on one hind leg and so can't hunt well enough to feed his babies 
 so I've been feeding them all since they were born.
 
 In other words what gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling are things real and 
 natural going right, rather than irrelevant speculations about long dead 
 preachers who DID NOT rise from the dead and go to heaven and were NOT 
 fully enlightened whatever that means...
 
 Edgar
 
 
 
 On Jun 14, 2013, at 9:56 AM, Bill! wrote:
 
 Edgar,
 
 Yes, things like this do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
 
 What gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling?
 
 ...Bill!
 
 --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@ wrote:
 
 Merle and Bill,
 
 Total comic book BS. Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
 that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
 feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it 
 any more
 
 Edgar
 
 
 
 
 On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
 
 
 
 yes bill..me too i agree..merle
 
 Suresh,
 
 As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher. I 
 think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the 
 way Buddha used the language of Hinduism.
 
 Two book I liked are:
 
 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by various 
 authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 
 (which is not in the official Bible).
 http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156
 
 I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which also 
 focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
 http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M
 
 ...Bill!
 
 --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@ wrote:
 
 Jesus and Advaita:-
 
 HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
 
 Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
 
 Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
 the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
 our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
 imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
 paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
 tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
 world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
 saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
 teachings of Christ.
 
 Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
 of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
 He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
 and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
 state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
 of Heaven.
 
 Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
 means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
 This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self 
 realisation.
 The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
 They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
 There is no scope for doubt.
 They say it with absolute conviction.
 They have seen the Truth themselves.
 Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
 this same Truth.
 Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
 Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
 names, they all speak about the same Truth.
 So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
 JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
 
 The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
 Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
 Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
 established in a future time.
 In 

Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-14 Thread Edgar Owen
Merle and Bill,

Total comic book BS.   Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it any 
more

Edgar




On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:

 
 
  yes bill..me too i agree..merle
  
 Suresh,
 
 As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher. I think 
 he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the way Buddha 
 used the language of Hinduism.
 
 Two book I liked are:
 
 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by various 
 authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 
 (which is not in the official Bible).
 http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156
 
 I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which also 
 focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
 http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M
 
 ...Bill!
 
 --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@... wrote:
 
  Jesus and Advaita:-
  
  HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
  
  Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
  
  Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
  the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
  our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
  imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
  paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
  tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
  world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
  saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
  teachings of Christ.
  
  Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
  of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
  He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
  and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
  state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
  of Heaven.
  
  Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
  means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
  This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self realisation.
  The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
  They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
  There is no scope for doubt.
  They say it with absolute conviction.
  They have seen the Truth themselves.
  Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
  this same Truth.
  Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
  Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
  names, they all speak about the same Truth.
  So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
  JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
  
  The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
  Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
  Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
  established in a future time.
  In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
  it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
  Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
  from this objective manifested world which is impermanent, and
  meditate on the Self.
  
  Jesus is a spiritual master who has to be seen as a Self realised
  soul, a person who has attained the ultimate Goal prescribed in our
  scriptures.
  
  The Text of the Gospel of Thomas
  
  These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke.
  
  This opening words of this text, gives a very important clue.
  It says that the sayings are secret.
  If we study the teachings of Jesus, he himself says that Truth cannot
  be hidden and that it will reveal itself.
  There is nothing secret about the teachings of Christ, in the sense
  that it shouldn't be imparted to other people.
  
  If someone wants to experience sweetness merely hearing the word sweet
  is not enough.
  He must eat sugar himself so as to experience sweetness.
  
  And he said, Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings
  will not taste death.
  
  Jesus said, Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find.
  2When they find, they will be disturbed. 3When they are disturbed,
  they will marvel, 4and will rule over all.
  
  This verse throws light on the knowledge of Jesus Christ about the
  ultimate reality behind the universe.
  These are the words of a real master, who has discovered the Truth himself.
  The words come from a man of absolute conviction, who does not have to
  think twice about what He is saying.
  Jesus instructs his followers that they should not 

[Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-14 Thread Bill!
Edgar,

Yes, things like this do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

What gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling?

...Bill!

--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@... wrote:

 Merle and Bill,
 
 Total comic book BS.   Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
 that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
 feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it any 
 more
 
 Edgar
 
 
 
 
 On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
 
  
  
   yes bill..me too i agree..merle
   
  Suresh,
  
  As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher. I 
  think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the way 
  Buddha used the language of Hinduism.
  
  Two book I liked are:
  
  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by various 
  authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 
  (which is not in the official Bible).
  http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156
  
  I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which also 
  focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
  http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M
  
  ...Bill!
  
  --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@ wrote:
  
   Jesus and Advaita:-
   
   HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
   
   Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
   
   Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
   the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
   our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
   imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
   paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
   tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
   world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
   saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
   teachings of Christ.
   
   Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
   of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
   He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
   and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
   state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
   of Heaven.
   
   Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
   means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
   This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self realisation.
   The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
   They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
   There is no scope for doubt.
   They say it with absolute conviction.
   They have seen the Truth themselves.
   Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
   this same Truth.
   Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
   Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
   names, they all speak about the same Truth.
   So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
   JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
   
   The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
   Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
   Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
   established in a future time.
   In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
   it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
   Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
   from this objective manifested world which is impermanent, and
   meditate on the Self.
   
   Jesus is a spiritual master who has to be seen as a Self realised
   soul, a person who has attained the ultimate Goal prescribed in our
   scriptures.
   
   The Text of the Gospel of Thomas
   
   These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke.
   
   This opening words of this text, gives a very important clue.
   It says that the sayings are secret.
   If we study the teachings of Jesus, he himself says that Truth cannot
   be hidden and that it will reveal itself.
   There is nothing secret about the teachings of Christ, in the sense
   that it shouldn't be imparted to other people.
   
   If someone wants to experience sweetness merely hearing the word sweet
   is not enough.
   He must eat sugar himself so as to experience sweetness.
   
   And he said, Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings
   will not taste death.
   
   Jesus said, Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find.
   2When they find, they will be disturbed. 3When they are disturbed,
   they will marvel, 4and will rule over all.
   
   This verse throws light on the knowledge of Jesus 

Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-14 Thread Edgar Owen
Edgar

What gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling? The 3 half grown fox babies running 
around my front yard this morning. The mother has been missing for weeks. The 
father is running himself ragged taking care of them with my help. He can't 
walk on one hind leg and so can't hunt well enough to feed his babies so I've 
been feeding them all since they were born.

In other words what gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling are things real and 
natural going right, rather than irrelevant speculations about long dead 
preachers who DID NOT rise from the dead and go to heaven and were NOT fully 
enlightened whatever that means...

Edgar



On Jun 14, 2013, at 9:56 AM, Bill! wrote:

 Edgar,
 
 Yes, things like this do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
 
 What gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling?
 
 ...Bill!
 
 --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@... wrote:
 
  Merle and Bill,
  
  Total comic book BS. Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
  that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
  feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it 
  any more
  
  Edgar
  
  
  
  
  On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
  
   
   
   yes bill..me too i agree..merle
   
   Suresh,
   
   As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher. I 
   think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the 
   way Buddha used the language of Hinduism.
   
   Two book I liked are:
   
   THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by various 
   authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 
   (which is not in the official Bible).
   http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156
   
   I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which also 
   focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
   http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M
   
   ...Bill!
   
   --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@ wrote:
   
Jesus and Advaita:-

HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME

Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-

Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
teachings of Christ.

Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
of Heaven.

Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self 
realisation.
The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
There is no scope for doubt.
They say it with absolute conviction.
They have seen the Truth themselves.
Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
this same Truth.
Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
names, they all speak about the same Truth.
So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.

The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
established in a future time.
In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
from this objective manifested world which is impermanent, and
meditate on the Self.

Jesus is a spiritual master who has to be seen as a Self realised
soul, a person who has attained the ultimate Goal prescribed in our
scriptures.

The Text of the Gospel of Thomas

These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke.

This opening words of this text, gives a very important 

Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-14 Thread Merle Lester


 edgar...tolerance and compassion please...

what is not a comic book to you?

you are so so anti comic books

did you actually ever get to read any as a kid?

merle



  
Merle and Bill,

Total comic book BS.   Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it any 
more

Edgar





On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:

  




 yes bill..me too i agree..merle
  
Suresh,

As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher.  I think 
he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the way Buddha 
used the language of Hinduism.

Two book I liked are:

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by various 
authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 
(which is not in the official Bible).
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156

I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which also 
focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M

...Bill!

--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@... wrote:

 Jesus and Advaita:-
 
 HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
 
 Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
 
 Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
 the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
 our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
 imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
 paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
 tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
 world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
 saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
 teachings of Christ.
 
 Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
 of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
 He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
 and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
 state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
 of Heaven.
 
 Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
 means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
 This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self realisation.
 The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
 They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
 There is no scope for doubt.
 They say it with absolute conviction.
 They have seen the Truth themselves.
 Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
 this same Truth.
 Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
 Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
 names, they all speak about the same Truth.
 So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
 JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
 
 The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
 Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
 Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
 established in a future time.
 In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
 it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
 Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
 from this objective manifested world which is impermanent, and
 meditate on the Self.
 
 Jesus is a spiritual master who has to be seen as a Self realised
 soul, a person who has attained the ultimate Goal prescribed in our
 scriptures.
 
 The Text of the Gospel of Thomas
 
 These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke.
 
 This opening words of this text, gives a very important clue.
 It says that the sayings are secret.
 If we study the teachings of Jesus, he himself says that Truth cannot
 be hidden and that it will reveal itself.
 There is nothing secret about the teachings of Christ, in the sense
 that it shouldn't be imparted to other people.
 
 If someone wants to experience sweetness merely hearing the word sweet
 is not enough.
 He must eat sugar himself so as to experience sweetness.
 
 And he said, Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings
 will not taste death.
 
 Jesus said, Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find.
 2When they find, they will be disturbed. 3When they are disturbed,
 they will marvel, 4and will rule over all.
 
 This verse throws light on the knowledge of Jesus Christ about the
 ultimate reality behind the universe.
 These are the words of a real master, who has discovered the Truth himself.
 The words come from a man of absolute conviction, who does not have to
 think twice 

Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-14 Thread Merle Lester


 and edgar...what's so evil about feeling warm and fussy?...oh what a 
feeling...merle


  
Edgar,

Yes, things like this do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

What gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling?

...Bill!

--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@... wrote:

 Merle and Bill,
 
 Total comic book BS.   Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
 that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
 feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it any 
 more
 
 Edgar
 
 
 
 
 On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
 
  
  
   yes bill..me too i agree..merle
  
  Suresh,
  
  As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher. I 
  think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the way 
  Buddha used the language of Hinduism.
  
  Two book I liked are:
  
  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by various 
  authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 
  (which is not in the official Bible).
  http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156
  
  I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which also 
  focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
  http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M
  
  ...Bill!
  
  --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@ wrote:
  
   Jesus and Advaita:-
   
   HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
   
   Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
   
   Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
   the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
   our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
   imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
   paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
   tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
   world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
   saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
   teachings of Christ.
   
   Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
   of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
   He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
   and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
   state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
   of Heaven.
   
   Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
   means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
   This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self realisation.
   The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
   They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
   There is no scope for doubt.
   They say it with absolute conviction.
   They have seen the Truth themselves.
   Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
   this same Truth.
   Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
   Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
   names, they all speak about the same Truth.
   So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
   JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
   
   The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
   Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
   Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
   established in a future time.
   In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
   it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
   Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
   from this objective manifested world which is impermanent, and
   meditate on the Self.
   
   Jesus is a spiritual master who has to be seen as a Self realised
   soul, a person who has attained the ultimate Goal prescribed in our
   scriptures.
   
   The Text of the Gospel of Thomas
   
   These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke.
   
   This opening words of this text, gives a very important clue.
   It says that the sayings are secret.
   If we study the teachings of Jesus, he himself says that Truth cannot
   be hidden and that it will reveal itself.
   There is nothing secret about the teachings of Christ, in the sense
   that it shouldn't be imparted to other people.
   
   If someone wants to experience sweetness merely hearing the word sweet
   is not enough.
   He must eat sugar himself so as to experience sweetness.
   
   And he said, Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings
   will not taste death.
   
   Jesus said, Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find.
   2When they find, they will be disturbed. 3When they are disturbed,
   

[Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-14 Thread Bill!
Edgar,

I'm glad you have something that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling.  I'd 
advise you to try to expand that feeling as much as possible to encompass as 
much of the rest of your life as possible.

...Bill!

--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@... wrote:

 Edgar
 
 What gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling? The 3 half grown fox babies running 
 around my front yard this morning. The mother has been missing for weeks. The 
 father is running himself ragged taking care of them with my help. He can't 
 walk on one hind leg and so can't hunt well enough to feed his babies so I've 
 been feeding them all since they were born.
 
 In other words what gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling are things real and 
 natural going right, rather than irrelevant speculations about long dead 
 preachers who DID NOT rise from the dead and go to heaven and were NOT fully 
 enlightened whatever that means...
 
 Edgar
 
 
 
 On Jun 14, 2013, at 9:56 AM, Bill! wrote:
 
  Edgar,
  
  Yes, things like this do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
  
  What gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling?
  
  ...Bill!
  
  --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@ wrote:
  
   Merle and Bill,
   
   Total comic book BS. Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
   that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
   feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it 
   any more
   
   Edgar
   
   
   
   
   On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
   


yes bill..me too i agree..merle

Suresh,

As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher. I 
think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the 
way Buddha used the language of Hinduism.

Two book I liked are:

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by 
various authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel 
of Thomas (which is not in the official Bible).
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156

I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which 
also focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M

...Bill!

--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@ wrote:

 Jesus and Advaita:-
 
 HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE 
 WELCOME
 
 Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
 
 Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
 the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
 our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
 imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
 paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
 tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
 world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
 saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
 teachings of Christ.
 
 Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
 of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
 He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
 and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
 state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
 of Heaven.
 
 Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
 means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
 This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self 
 realisation.
 The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
 They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
 There is no scope for doubt.
 They say it with absolute conviction.
 They have seen the Truth themselves.
 Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
 this same Truth.
 Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
 Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
 names, they all speak about the same Truth.
 So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
 JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
 
 The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
 Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
 Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
 established in a future time.
 In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
 it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
 Jesus says that in order to realise the Father one must detach oneself
 from this objective 

Re: [Zen] Re: Jesus and Advaita

2013-06-14 Thread Merle Lester


 and much more than warm and fuzzy... tolerance and compassion merle
  
Edgar,

I'm glad you have something that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling.  I'd 
advise you to try to expand that feeling as much as possible to encompass as 
much of the rest of your life as possible.

...Bill!

--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@... wrote:

 Edgar
 
 What gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling? The 3 half grown fox babies running 
 around my front yard this morning. The mother has been missing for weeks. The 
 father is running himself ragged taking care of them with my help. He can't 
 walk on one hind leg and so can't hunt well enough to feed his babies so I've 
 been feeding them all since they were born.
 
 In other words what gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling are things real and 
 natural going right, rather than irrelevant speculations about long dead 
 preachers who DID NOT rise from the dead and go to heaven and were NOT fully 
 enlightened whatever that means...
 
 Edgar
 
 
 
 On Jun 14, 2013, at 9:56 AM, Bill! wrote:
 
  Edgar,
  
  Yes, things like this do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
  
  What gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling?
  
  ...Bill!
  
  --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen edgarowen@ wrote:
  
   Merle and Bill,
   
   Total comic book BS. Jesus, a fully enlightened teacher ? What does 
   that even mean to you two? Obviously nothing other than a warm fuzzy ego 
   feeling you can use to put some concept to bed without thinking about it 
   any more
   
   Edgar
   
   
   
   
   On Jun 14, 2013, at 4:15 AM, Merle Lester wrote:
   


yes bill..me too i agree..merle

Suresh,

As you probably know I believe Jesus was a fully enlightened teacher. I 
think he just taught and spoke using the language of Judaism - much the 
way Buddha used the language of Hinduism.

Two book I liked are:

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ZEN which is a collection of writings by 
various authors including Alan Watts, and focused on the Gnostic Gospel 
of Thomas (which is not in the official Bible).
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-Zen-Beyond/dp/0451627156

I also like THE MUSTARD SEED by Bagran Sri Rashneeh (AKA Osho) which 
also focused on the Gospel of Thomas.
http://www.amazon.com/Mustard-Seed-Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh/dp/B000NXJ71M

...Bill!

--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, SURESH JAGADEESAN varamtha@ wrote:

 Jesus and Advaita:-
 
 HERE IS A COPY OF A MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND AND COMMENTS ARE 
 WELCOME
 
 Bible and christian quotes in the light of Advaita:-
 
 Here an attempt is being made to interpret the parables of Jesus, in
 the light of the knowledge contained in the innumerable scriptures of
 our ancient land of Bharat. When interpreted thus, all sectarian ideas
 imposed on the teachings of Christ, such as rejecting all alternative
 paths, other than Christianity as false, will disappear. The illogical
 tenets imposed by the Church such as making it mandatory for the whole
 world to accept the person Jesus as their saviour, in order to be
 saved from the eternal suffering in hell, finds no place in the real
 teachings of Christ.
 
 Christ's teachings are primarily concerned about the ultimate reality
 of the universe being one's real Self or consciousness.
 He necessitates the withdrawal of one's senses from the sense objects
 and relations of the world, so as to come into the eternal blissful
 state of being one with the Self, which he calls Entering the Kingdom
 of Heaven.
 
 Hindu Rishis have declared, Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahuta Vadanti which
 means Truth is ONE; the learned people call it by different names.
 This is a statement made by the Rishis who have attained self 
 realisation.
 The Rishi declares without an iota of doubt that Truth is one.
 They say this because they have fully realised it themselves.
 There is no scope for doubt.
 They say it with absolute conviction.
 They have seen the Truth themselves.
 Therefore they say, wherever the learned men are, they speak about
 this same Truth.
 Because there is no second Truth about which anyone can speak.
 Therefore the Rishi say, even though the learned men may use different
 names, they all speak about the same Truth.
 So whether you call it the `Kingdom of God', or you call it
 JeevanMukthi they all refer to the liberated state of the soul.
 
 The teachings of Jesus are very much in accordance with the Advaita
 Vedanta philosophy contained in Vedic texts.
 Jesus does not speak about a Kingdom of God, which shall be
 established in a future time.
 In fact the Kingdom of God transcends time itself and one shall enter
 it by living in the present moment, by connecting to one's inner Self.
 Jesus says that in order