Black

can you guys actually name some beliefs that you hold religiously and not just the religion that you generally agree with? thanks.

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formality known as higherlearner84, la coka nostra and finding balance.

Kishar

religious beliefs are just a way to ease mans mind from the unknown. when you face the unknown it's scary so religion helps bridge that gap with fantasies and fairytales. i prefer a more scientific approach with that being said science only takes us so far back and thats where religion and science intertwine. shits beautiful.

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So, if a stranger walked up to you and poured pebble like seeds into your hand and then said, plant them and your harvest can be made into rope cloth or paper, it could help the sick or intoxicate. What would you say?

Would you keep the seeds or chuck them away?

RollREDRoll

kamikazi89

i was kinda hoping to get into it a little more here:
http://www.yahooka.com/forum/spiritu...ut-theory.html

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katie west is the best

reverie

That's the tricky part for me personally, because I try not to commit to forming or subscribing to any concrete belief systems. Thus the reason I'm not really one for religion.

I suppose in that sense I commit most to Agnosticism. I could tell you something how I like the totality in Taosim, the duality in Buddhism, the healing of Shamanism, the common truths shared in Universalism, the nature in Neo-Paganism and the spirit world within Spiritualism, etc etc. But they really only are just general concepts that I like. The texts are fun to read, and I entertain the possibilities regularly. My imagination is active.

If I had to choose I'd probably say the religion I subscribe to is knowing self, and learning the nature of things around me through life, self and others. Objective observation whilst simply cruising through life. Cruising is probably the most spiritual aspect of it all...experience. Thus I surrender myself to the God called experience.

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verklingen

if you do your best to meet every circumstance appropriately, life can't help but guide you in an appropriate direction.

edit: since this is a religious thread. . .

jesus summed up my beliefs quite nicely. i consider "these things" to be like tao, the way or principle which will guide you to "the kingdom of god:" life in balance, harmony, peace. "his righteousness" is the willingness to seek honestly and remain receptive to whatever manner the way is unfolding for you. i see this mechanism guiding my life and i'm extremely grateful for having discovered it.

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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

SageTree

I'm glad that you feel connected to all these paths.

I just wanted to present my understanding that Duality is Buddhism refers to the Illusion of Duality. Meaning that Non-Duality is the concept in Right Perception. Duality being the 'unfavourable' perception, here.

It's alligned with the teaching on No-Self or Anatman. No-Self in Buddhism is the Non-Duality of Subject and Object, which is very explicitly stated by the Buddha in verses such as “In seeing, there is just seeing. No seer and nothing seen. In hearing, there is just hearing. No hearer and nothing heard.”

Although it worth stating that Non Duality (Ultimate Reality) and honouring the experience of Duality (w/ Compassion) are both Skillfull means, for using cold words to talk about and help people understand Enlightenment of a Being. But are impermanent as well, which means that clinging to understanding via words, will also lead to suffering, via my understanding of the Second Noble Truth, explaining where suffering arises from.

I'd be interested to know if this coinsides with what you where saying, because with alot of Buddhist writing it can tend to be pretty heady with word plays. I'm not try to tell you that you're wrong. I've studied the Dharma a long time and was stired when I saw Duality, looking like a favourable Perception.

In Loving Kindness,
SageTree

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Roach

I prefer science fiction, as opposed to regular fiction.

SageTree

Are you saying you're a scientologist?

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Bearsy

I'm an atheist, and I'm quite interested in exploring Eastern philosophies. Buddhism, Taoism and whatnot.

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SageTree

I have an E-library of Buddhist writing posted in here somewhere, Spritual Smoke. I also think there is a web page with lots of intro information, sutta/sutras, meditation talks and audio guided meditations.

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Jenna_Grows

I'm was raised Christian but around ten years ago started searching for "something". If pressed, I would say I am pagan, probably following the Dianic Wiccan philosophies for the most part. what's that? hmmmm... well, I celebrate the goddess....the great mother, queen of earth, heaven and the underworld. I don't consider the goddess an entity separate from myself as she is all things.. As above, so below..I am a Reiki Master and practice spiritual healing, cleansing and grounding daily. A bit of a hodge podge really when I think about it but it works for me..

stoneric

Not quite. As a recovering cathoholic I no longer fear a god.

reverie

Haha thanks Sage, I definitely should've said NonDualism rather than Dualism. Lol I forgot the term completely. I was wondering if anyone would come to fix on my one word reductions on very large concepts... and for this reason I was weary of even doing so. It really shows how careful we must be with our relaying of concepts.

To explain that post, the words I attached to each religion are not my understandings nor interpretations of the religions themselves. Obviously if I was to sum my view of them in totality, my post count would be numerous within this thread. Rather, the words I selected in that instance represented their image in the most extreme relative manner. They were also most notably my arbitrary flair or experience with them on a personal level.

I suppose with the use of the word "Duality" I was really attempting to explain how Buddhism makes me mindful to Duality's existence. The reason for this is because I feel Buddhism establishes (especially compared to the theory behind Taoism) to conceptualize and distinguish concepts in a comprehensive manner...All the while not being disunited from one another.

Its interesting just how massive the degree of subjectivity from personal experiences arises in communication.
Semantics

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dissolve popular detachment

my_scatterheart

My religious beliefs are that organized religion is iffy. And I think subscribing to one alone is foolish. Take what works for you, toss the rest.
However, regarding religion. I'm more into the religion of Myself and Living. I believe in celebrating and worshiping the things we are blessed to have around us. From the people, to the sky. I believe in the natural collective spirit ten thousand times over before I will some God. Truth is I'm under the impression the lot of us all have a little bit of God in us. Why should I have to create one, when there are innumerable around me each and every day.

(I'd be more inclined towards agnosticism before anything else, really. Leaves it all open for personal interpretation, which I'm about.)

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Be mindful even if your mind is full. -J. De La Vega

SageTree

I agree with everything you said, and feel that is a good way to explain what you meant. I study religions and texts and have a tendancy to really look hard at words. Words are a hard way to express how we feel. This is why I wanted to make sure I didn't sound like the theology Nazi.

Hell I like to read talk banter ect....but take a look at my horrible spelling. I have a vocabualary, I'd just fail the test on techincal merit in that regaurd.

I'm glad you have a healthy curiousity and look into the things in your heart and head.

In loving kindness,
Sage

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reverie

Haha yeah I can relate, I'm the same. Even worse with grammar though.

Thanks a bunch Sage, best of vibes headed your way

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dissolve popular detachment

SageTree

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Lord X

Taoist let the universes energy guide you

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Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

ziplock

My beliefs are my thoughts. No religion will reflect the dynamics of my beliefs, therefore I cannot be religious.

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Insanity is the only sane reaction to an insane society.

Waves

"Everything is more or less organized matter. To think so is against religion, but I think so just the same. When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself." --Peter O'Toole

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On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow