just wanted to start a thread for anyone to post anything that has crossed their path that they would like to share.... :o)
Of course discussion and commentrary of any kind is welcomed also. lol
Jah Bless
Collection of Thoughts » Collection of thoughts
Scripture, Passages, Verses, Vedas & Quotes
(28 posts)-
" AGAIN Elihu met his pupils in the sacred grove and said, 2 No man lives unto himself; for every living thing is bound by cords to every other living thing. 3 Blest are the pure in heart; for they will love and not demand love in return. 4 They will not do to other men what they would not have other men do unto them. 5 There are two selfs; the higher and the lower self. 6 The higher self is human spirit clothed with soul, made in the form of God. 7 The lower self, the carnal self, the body of desires,is a reflection of the higher self, distorted by the murky ethers of the flesh. 8 The lower self is an illusion, and will pass away; the higher self is God in man, and will not pass away. 9 The higher self is the embodiment of truth reversed, and so is falsehood manifest. 10 The higher self is justice, mercy, love and right; the lower self is what the higher self is not. 11 The lower self breeds hatred, slander, lewdness, murders, theft, and everthing that harms; the higher self is mother of the virtues and the harmonies of life. 12 The lower self is rich in promises, but poor in blessedness and peace; it offers pleasure, joy and satisfying gains; but gives unrest and misery and death. 13 It gives men apples that are lovely to the eye and pleasant to the smell; their cores are full of bitterness and gall. 14 If you would ask me what to study I would say, yourselves; and when you will have studied them, and then would ask me what to study next, I would reply, yourselves. 15 He who knows well his lower self, knows the illusions of the world, knows of the things that pass away; and he who knows his higher self, know God; knows well the things that cannot pass away. 16 Thrice blessed is the man who has made purity and love his very own; he has been ransomed from the perils of the lower self and is himself his higher self. 17 Men seek salvation from an evil that they deem a living monster of the nether world; and they have gods that are but demons in disguise; all powerful, yet full of jealousy and hate and lust; 18 Whose favours must be bought with costly sacrifice of fruits, and of the lives of birds, and animals, and human kind. 19 And yet these gods possess no ears to hear, no eyes to see, no heart to sympathise, no power to save. 20 This evil is myth; these gods are made of air, clothed with shadows of a thought. 21 The only devil from which men must be redeemed is self, the lower self. If man would find his devil he must look within; his name is self. 22 If man would find his saviour he must look within; and when the demon self has been dethroned the saviour, Love, will be exulted to the throne of power. 23 The David of the light is Purity, who slays the strong Goliath of the dark, and seats the saviour, Love, upon the throne."
Chapter 8 from The Aquarian Gospel
Posted 1 year ago # -
Personally, I do see some inconsistencies in them. I can't think of any off the top of my head but when reading through there were certain points that made me think that something is out of place.
In saying that I generally look to the essense of the words themself to see if they are Truthful with importance of wether or not they are truthful portrayals of what may or may not have happened not so important.
I liked the passage above for example as I feel that in a sense it reflects the journey of the seeker in one way as well as the fruits of both higher and lower self (although I am not entirely satisfied with this phrasing), which appear parallel to what I have experienced.
In my opinion whenever you look at anything like this you have to be aware that they were written at a completely different time and are a reflection of society in that time. In other words you can't place too much emphasis on them as more or less Truthful than anything else.
Why do you ask? And what are your thoughts?
Posted 1 year ago # -
When I read it, years ago, I was disappointed. I found it neither 'new' nor inspiring in its language. It was just more of the same 'old' stuff, said in more or less the same 'old' way. However, it did introduce its own idiosyncracies, e.g. Verse 8, 9, and 10 in your quote are IMO totally contradictory.
"the higher self is God in man," and "The higher self is the embodiment of truth reversed, and so is falsehood manifest."
So God is falsehood manifest? What would your explanation of this be?
It actually does not surprise me that traditionalc Christian Churches reject the validity of most of these gnostic(?) writings, including the manu so-called lost gospels. As far as I can see, they contribute little to nothing to the understanding of the earth or heavens.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I had never read these passages before. I can't say I was disspointed by them though, nor was I overly excited. What I liked about them is that they encourage tolerance and acceptance which appears lacking in the world for to long, imo. I also liked that they challenge the conventional teachings of the Christ, which I suspect have been somewhat designed to instill fear in the followers, so as tool of control. I also like that they drew a lineage prior to the birth of Abrah(a)m with the (pre) seed being the Great Integrity.
"So God is falsehood manifest? What would your explanation of this be?"
One way to read this is that God is man as not God, in other words, what is false, what is temporal, that which is manifest, is God, but even though it is God it is a false appearance.
Another way to look at this is to ask what appears false, unreal, unseen to that which is manifest, you and I?
Personally I think that if a new way is going to present itself to give further understanding of God & the Heavens it isn't going to come from humans.
Posted 1 year ago # -
ap,
one could interpret things as you say but we fall into the ancient conundrum of asking what is real, or true?Temporal things are real in the temporal realm. Atemporal things may be real in the atemporal realm. God may be real in the godly realm.
Questions: Are there realms which are neither temproral, atemporal or godly? Do they overlap or are they distinct and separate realms? IOW, are there realms where God is not real and therefore a true falsehood? Can one answer a question from one realm from within the perspective of another, and if one can, could one expect the answers to be logical or would one have to allow for 'non-sensical' answers?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I reread your verses Abs. The lower self is the body, of course, and all
the things it wants for itself to fill the ego...of the body... The higher
self is the God within, the soul, the shining part of all in each...
The body will die; the soul can never die..it is eternal...
There are, in these verses, no contradictions, nor confusion... It is
very clear once it is defined.Posted 1 year ago # -
Fundamentally, we come here full of choice. We can satisfy the body,
the ego, the wants, desires of the flesh, or we can rise above all of
that. The best choice is to know what is of the body and what is of
the soul and keep knowledge.. knowing...
because there are some things in this world that must be attended to..
ie...eating a little...taking care of the body one is in..dressing it,
washing it...taking it for walks...having a cup of tea now and then,
but never giving the body full reign...and certainly not treating it like
something to be beaten, whipped, hurt or disregarded.Posted 1 year ago # -
1. Unity is knowledge, diversity is ignorance. This knowledge is your birthright. There never were different religions in the world. We are all destined to have salvation, whether we will it or not. You have to attain it in the long run & become free, because it is your nature to be free.
2. Man is to become divine by realising the divine. Idols or temples or churches or books are only the supports, the helps, of childhood; but on & on he must progress.
3. The highest ideal is eternal & entire self-abnegation, where there is no "I", but all is "Thou".
4. It is not that when a man becomes free, he will stop become a dead lump; but he will be more active than any other being, because every other being acts only under compulsion, he alone through freedom.
5. After so much austerity, I have understood this as the real truth, God is present in every Jiva (being); there is no other God besides that. "Who loves Jiva, serves God indeed."
6. The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the great cause of misery in the world. It is fear that is the greatest of all superstitions. It is fear that is the cause of our woes, and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment. Therefore, "Arise, awake & stop not till the goal is reached."
7. The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others & yet preserve his individuality & grow according to his own law of growth.
-----by Swami Vivekananda
Posted 1 year ago # -
Reread verse 9...
9 The higher self is the embodiment of truth reversed, and so is falsehood manifest.
Say what..???? Did you not misread the text??? Should it not read.
The lower self is the embodiment of truth reversed, and so is falsehood manifest?????Posted 1 year ago # -
Starss,
This context seems right... doesn't it? As it leads up to verse 9.5 There are two selfs; the higher and the lower self. 6 The higher self is human spirit clothed with soul, made in the form of God. 7 The lower self, the carnal self, the body of desires,is a reflection of the higher self, distorted by the murky ethers of the flesh. 8 The lower self is an illusion, and will pass away; the higher self is God in man, and will not pass away.
Posted 1 year ago # -
shin,
Good questions.
Can we say that anything is real or true? Can we say that anything is unreal or untrue? Is not all we can do is look, or experience what we can not say with any certainty is real or unreal? I don't know.
Although it can be seen that to let go of what was once perceived as real as unreal we then begin to see how real that which is unreal really is.
My experience is that what we perceive as the Universe is within the "House of Jah". This is just my experience though. :o)
Posted 1 year ago # -
starrs,
My reading of the passage is not dissimilar to yours. In a sense, like most spiritual teachings, it defines what is relative and absolute stating that freedom lies within releasing the strain of that which is relative and awakening to that which is absolute.
Posted 1 year ago # -
"MISHNA I.: There are two acts constituting transfer 1 of movable things (over the dividing line of adjoining premises, based on biblical statutes). The two acts are, however, increased to four on the inside and to a like amount on the outside of the premises (by the addition of rabbinical statutes). How so? A mendicant stands outside and the master of a house inside. The mendicant passes his hand into the house (through a window or door) and puts something into the hand of the master, or he takes something out of the master's hand and draws it back (toward him). In such a case the mendicant is guilty (of transfer) and the master of the house is free. If the master of the house passes his hand outside and puts a thing into the hand of the mendicant, or takes something out of the mendicant's hand and brings it into the house, the master of the house is culpable and the mendicant is free. 2 If the mendicant extends his hand into the house and the master takes something out of it, or puts something into it which is drawn to the outside by the mendicant, they are both free. If the master of the house extends his hand outside and the mendicant takes something out of it, or puts something into it which is drawn to the inside by the master, they are both free."
The Babylonian Talmud, Book 1: Tract Sabbath
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks Abs ! This thread can be a great source of inspiration for us. We have knowledgeable people on this forum from different backgrounds.
Posted 1 year ago # -
1. The magnetic needle always points to the North & that is how the sailing vessel doesn't lose its direction. Similarly, as long as the heart of man is directed towards God, he cannot be lost in the ocean of worldliness.
2. Seekest thou God ? Then see Him in ma; His divinity is manifest more in man in any other object. Man is the greatest manifestation of God.
3. If you say, 'I am sinner', eternally, you will remain a sinner to all eternity. You ought rather repeat, 'I am not bound, I am not bound. Who can bind me ? I am son of God, the King of kings'.
4. Purify the spectacles of your mind & you will see that the world is God.
5. As the dawn heralds the Sun, so sincerity, unselfishness, purity & righteousness precede the advent of the Lord ( Self-Realisation ).
6. Don't find fault with anyone, not even with an insect. As you pray to God for devotion, so also pray that you may not find fault with anyone.
7. Visit not miracle-mongers & those who exhibit occult powers. These men are stragglers from the path of the Truth.
8. As long as egotism veils the heart, God cannot shine upon it.
9. Let me condemned to be born again & again, even in the form of a dog, if so I can be of help to a single soul.
10. A boat may stay in water but water should not stay in the boat. An aspirant may live in the world but the world should not live within him.
11. All religions are true. God can be reached by different religions. Many rivers flow by many ways but they fall into the sea. They all are one.
------ by Sri Ramkrishna Paramhans (Teacher of Swamy Vivekananda)
Posted 1 year ago # -
Errr???? 7. Visit not miracle-mongers & those who exhibit occult powers. These men are stragglers from the path of the Truth.
So, then using that reasoning, Jesus was a straggler from the path of the Truth.
And then, passing on love from God to another human, is wrong...???? And this 7
argues with 9...so I can be of help to a single soul...(Perhaps he means those who can heal, heal, heal...and make money doing it?? But
it is not stated in the text...)Posted 1 year ago # -
Starss, look for the meaning intended. Words sometimes mislead !
The words used are : miracle-mongers. Can we categorise Jesus as miracle-monger ? That is stupid.
Another word used is : Exhibiting Occult Powers
Mark the words : Exhibiting & the Power. Jesus used the love of God to heal out of compassion & not for "exhibiting" his "Occult Powers". Can you see the subtle difference ??
OM
Posted 1 year ago # -
"Whoever sees all beings in the soul
and the soul in all beings
does not shrink away from this.
In whom all beings have become one with the knowing soul
what delusion or sorrow is there for the one who sees unity?
It has filled all.
It is radiant, incorporeal, invulnerable,
without tendons, pure, untouched by evil.
Wise, intelligent, encompassing, self-existent,
it organizes objects throughout eternity"Aum Peace, Peace, Pace !
------- From Isa Upanishad
Posted 1 year ago # -
"I am convinced that It (the Essence) is non-existence, since by existence It was manifested.
Thought hath beheld It from afar as a power exerting itself in existence.
It is not other than a wall, wherein is set for thee a store of treasures. I am that wall, and It is the hidden treasure—hidden in order that I may find it by digging.
Take It then, to be a body in respect of an outward form (which It assumes), while to that body It is a spirit, that thou mayst regard it (the body).God made Its comeliness (ḥusn) complete, and by the beauty (jamál) of God It became celebrated (known to all).
It never subsisted (as an object) but in thee alone: perceive the Word (Amr), that thou mayst see its diverse forms.I am the existent and the non-existent and the naughted and the everlasting.
I am the awared and the imagined and the snake and the charmer.
I am the loosed and the bound and the wine and the cupbearer.
I am the treasure, I am poverty, I am my creatures and my Creator.
* * * * * *
Neither affirm my existence nor deny it, O immortal one!
Do not suppose thyself different from me or deem thyself the eye of my eye-corners.
* * * * * *
And say, "That am I, yet in respect of my qualities and natural dispositions That I am not.""I am not sure where this was originally quoted from but I found it in;
Studies in Islamic Mysticism, by Reynold A. NicholsonAnyways, very busy at the moment so not much time to post. Trust all are well and good.
Jah Bless All.
Posted 1 year ago # -
"I am the existent and the non-existent and the naughted and the everlasting.
I am the awared and the imagined and the snake and the charmer.
I am the loosed and the bound and the wine and the cupbearer.
I am the treasure, I am poverty, I am my creatures and my Creator."Thanks for the above quote, Abs ! I have held strong belief that the True Seekers must find the same Truth irrespective of their religions & faiths. I keep looking for the common ground where we all meet. I have found (& I think most of us in this forum) that Non-duality is common ground at the highest level of spirituality & it doesn't depend upon belief system of the seekers.
However, Islam has proved to be a difficult terrain for me. It is very difficult to find direct verses in Q'uran (though a few of them give slight hint) which support the idea of Non-duality. The Sufis have treaded this path, but except Rumi I found little material supporting Non-duality in Islam. Even in Rumi's verses, such direct reference is not visible.
Can you tell me to whom this passage is attributed to ? I have downloaded "Studies in Islamic Mysticism, by Reynold A. Nicholson". It appears to be worth reading.
OM
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hazrat Hasan Basri once saw Rabi'a near a lake. Throwing his prayer rug on top of the water, he said, "Rabi
a come! Let us pray two ruku here." She replied, "Hasan, when you are showing off your spiritual goods in the worldly market, it should be things which your fellow men cannot display." Then she threw her prayer rug into the air and flew up onto it. "Come up here, Hasan, where people can see us," she cried. But seeing his sadness Rabi`a sought to console him, so she said, "Hasan, what you did fishes can do, and what I did flies can do. But the real business is outside these tricks. One must apply oneself to the real business"....Posted 1 year ago # -
"Happy the moment when we are seated in the Palace, thou and I,
With two forms and with two figures but with one soul, thou and I.
The colours of the grove and the voice of the birds will bestow immortality,
At the time when we come into the garden, thou and I.
The stars of heaven will come to gaze upon us;
We shall show them the Moon itself, thou and I.
Thou and I, individuals no more, shall be mingled in ecstasy,
Joyful and secure from foolish babble, thou and I.All the bright-plumed birds of heaven will devour their hearts with envy,
In the place where we shall laugh in such a fashion, thou and I.
This is the greatest wonder, that thou and I, sitting here in the same nook,
Are at this moment both in ‘Iraq and Khorasan, thou and I."---- Jalaluddin Rumi
Posted 1 year ago # -
hi seeker,
Thanks for the quotes. I love that Rumi "Thou & I" piece.
Not sure where that quote was lifted from. It is a refreshing look at Islam though I agree. :o)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFeUGJGG_q8&feature=related - Rasta business
Posted 1 year ago # -
At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.
And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.
The inner freedom from the practical desire,
The release from action and suffering, release from the inner
And the outer compulsion, yet surrounded
By a grace of sense, a white light still and moving.
~TS Elliott~
Posted 1 year ago #
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