There is difference between science and theology. Much of religion is anthropomorphic and cultural. For example, the Jews sacrificed animals for their sins. It was a long tradition. So, when Jesus, a truly enlightened spiritual being, was killed, the Jews interpreted his death through their tradition. What did they come up with? He died for our sins. Just like the lambs they slaughtered, they called him "The lamb of God.
In the case of Christianity, Western theology doesn't understand Christ in the least. Being a direct realizer of the Truth, Jesus taught what he knew to be the Truth. Unfortunately, he was not in a culture where their was an understanding of Awareness/consciousness, so he had to speak in parables and metaphors. He did the best he could.
I come from a long line of protestant preachers, seminary presidents, and missionaries. Having been raised by Christian missionaries, I got to travel the world as a child and grow up comparing cultures, beliefs, and traditions. I know what fanaticism is. It took a big toll on me.
I recommend the book by Eric Hoffer "The True Believer" for a deep look into fanaticism. Hoffer discusses the psychological causes of fanaticism. It will aid in looking at your own beliefs. We are all looking for psychological security, but we can double down on beliefs, or we can examine rationally, coolly, who and what we really are.
You see, the bottom line isn't whether we believe in Christ, or Buddha, or Krishna. The bottom line is existential. The bottom line is the discovery of what we truly are. Quantum Science and Advaita Vedanta both point to Awareness/Consciousness as that essence. Vedanta, like Quantum physics is the result of investigation. One uses the discoveries of external world, and one uses the discoveries of the internal world.
Vedanta, like science, does not ask you to believe; it asks you to investigate. In both cases the evidence points to the truth of non duality. The point here is that although Hinduism may be a religion, Vedanta is not.
In my case, I never believed I was a sinner because I didn't create the world, nor myself. I knew something else was responsible for my existence. I guess I had a premonition from childhood that "I was not the doer." This being the case, I knew that Jesus did not die for my sins. You might say he died because of our sins, namely, the big sin of ignorance.
When I discovered non duality as edified by Vedanta, I was suddenly struck with an understanding of Jesus. When I looked at what Jesus had to say, it was non duality, pure and simple. What a delight to finally understand what he was saying. What a joy to finally be able to understand what he was pointing at.
If you ask the Vedanta sages about Jesus, they will say, "Yes, he was an enlightened master." Why because they recognize their own. It's not a matter of belief, it's a matter of knowing. I never found the reverse to be true. When you ask a Western theologian about the Eastern sages, they call them pagans.
Don't get me wrong. I love the Christian mystics. Meister Eckart stands out as a pure non dual realizer. However, I think it is much harder via Christianity to realize the truth of non duality. Why? Because it is not a science. That's why we call it mystical.
For me it was the discovery of Vedanta that set me free. I don't have to convince anyone else of this truth. It's for them to discover. The science of awareness/consciousness is fundamental, unchanging, and only requires understanding, not belief.
In the case of Christianity, Western theology doesn't understand Christ in the least. Being a direct realizer of the Truth, Jesus taught what he knew to be the Truth. Unfortunately, he was not in a culture where their was an understanding of Awareness/consciousness, so he had to speak in parables and metaphors. He did the best he could.
I come from a long line of protestant preachers, seminary presidents, and missionaries. Having been raised by Christian missionaries, I got to travel the world as a child and grow up comparing cultures, beliefs, and traditions. I know what fanaticism is. It took a big toll on me.
I recommend the book by Eric Hoffer "The True Believer" for a deep look into fanaticism. Hoffer discusses the psychological causes of fanaticism. It will aid in looking at your own beliefs. We are all looking for psychological security, but we can double down on beliefs, or we can examine rationally, coolly, who and what we really are.
You see, the bottom line isn't whether we believe in Christ, or Buddha, or Krishna. The bottom line is existential. The bottom line is the discovery of what we truly are. Quantum Science and Advaita Vedanta both point to Awareness/Consciousness as that essence. Vedanta, like Quantum physics is the result of investigation. One uses the discoveries of external world, and one uses the discoveries of the internal world.
Vedanta, like science, does not ask you to believe; it asks you to investigate. In both cases the evidence points to the truth of non duality. The point here is that although Hinduism may be a religion, Vedanta is not.
In my case, I never believed I was a sinner because I didn't create the world, nor myself. I knew something else was responsible for my existence. I guess I had a premonition from childhood that "I was not the doer." This being the case, I knew that Jesus did not die for my sins. You might say he died because of our sins, namely, the big sin of ignorance.
When I discovered non duality as edified by Vedanta, I was suddenly struck with an understanding of Jesus. When I looked at what Jesus had to say, it was non duality, pure and simple. What a delight to finally understand what he was saying. What a joy to finally be able to understand what he was pointing at.
If you ask the Vedanta sages about Jesus, they will say, "Yes, he was an enlightened master." Why because they recognize their own. It's not a matter of belief, it's a matter of knowing. I never found the reverse to be true. When you ask a Western theologian about the Eastern sages, they call them pagans.
Don't get me wrong. I love the Christian mystics. Meister Eckart stands out as a pure non dual realizer. However, I think it is much harder via Christianity to realize the truth of non duality. Why? Because it is not a science. That's why we call it mystical.
For me it was the discovery of Vedanta that set me free. I don't have to convince anyone else of this truth. It's for them to discover. The science of awareness/consciousness is fundamental, unchanging, and only requires understanding, not belief.
1 comment:
Great!
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