Originally posted by TacDaveySame thing, IMO. Everywhere would mean, eg, in every particle of matter and energy. This is why I like the metaphor of dreaming: everything / everywhere in that "universe" is you, the dreamer. What's especially nice, I think, about this metaphor is that it gives a rudimentary idea of what the awareness of an enlightened being (eg, Jesus, Buddha) might be like. A lucid dreamer no longer sees himself as just "in" the dream, separate from all the other dream "props". In effect, the lucid-dreaming persona (you as you see yourself in the dream) and the "Father" (you, the behind-the-scenes dreamer) become one.
Doesn't that mean God is everywhere, not God is everything?
Originally posted by CloverQuick
IMO absolutely. I believe the afterlife exists for everyone. I tend to think it probably consists of varying levels according to what spiritual growth that person has obtained and has nothing whatsoever to do with religious beliefs.
Except that someone has to define "spiritual growth". Once you do that you're well on your way to just having a new religion.
Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Except that someone has to define "spiritual growth". Once you do that you're well on your way to just having a new religion.
I hadn't realized it before, S.C., but you're right. My beliefs ARE a form of religious beliefs, a religion with 1 member is the only real difference.
Originally posted by Mindship
But he understood the Bible better than you do. All is God. There is nothing else."The entire earth is filled with His presence" (Isaiah 6:3)
"There is no place void of Him" (Tikkunei Zohar 57)Interesting choice of screen name, btw, for someone who wants to shed light. The Dark One Cometh? (Yu-Gi-Oh, episode 215-218)
You think because he is a Rabbi you assume he knows the Bible better than me, that's your opinion but not fact.
What's my screen name have to do with if a non-believer can go to Heaven, the Bible says no?
As such, to address this thread, I conclude (for this and other reasons) that a kind nonbeliever will still 'go to heaven'.
This statement of yours ^ doesn't add up to the Bible, if you know of Jesus Christ and reject him you are condemn, if you never heard of Jesus Christ, God will judge you by your laws and your heart, not if you were a kind person.
no, there is no chance for Unbelievers to enter the heaven . However Almighty God will Give them the return of their Good deeds as by lessing their punishment in the HELL.
________
Rhode Island Retirement Community
Originally posted by Rhode312
no, there is no chance for Unbelievers to enter the heaven . However Almighty God will Give them the return of their Good deeds as by lessing their punishment in the HELL.
________
Rhode Island Retirement Community
What? How can you lessen eternal damnation?
Originally posted by socool8520
What are the other eight?
http://www.sgi-uk.org/index.php/buddhism/tenworlds
1. Hell
- Misery and suffering. Fear, grief and destructive rages or depression. A feeling of being imprisoned by one's circumstances.
+ Having experienced hell helps us maintain a desire to better our circumstances. Empathy, understanding the sufferings of others.
2. Hunger
- Being dominated by desires or cravings, both physical and mental.
+ The driving force to improve a situation. People can hunger, even yearn to see others happy and fight for peace in the world.
3. Animality
- Instinctive behaviour, lacking in reason. Fear of those who seem stronger and bullying of those who seem weaker. The 'law of the jungle'.
+ Protective instincts, for example, that we need more sleep. Preservation of self or others.
4. Anger
- Feeling superior to others and wanting to show it. Aggressiveness. Feeling in conflict with others. The world of self-centredness and ego.
+ Anger at injustice. The passion to fight authoritarian behaviour.
5. Humanity, or Tranquility
- Constant inactivity, laziness, passivity.
+ Being at peace, calm and reasonable. An opportunity to restore one's energies.
6. Rapture, or Heaven
- Short term gratification when one's desires have been achieved . Can quickly revert to hell, or hunger.
+ Temporary joy when desires are fulfilled. Exhilaration at being alive.
7. Learning
+ Learning about life and oneself from others and from existing knowledge.
- Can lead to self-centredness and separation from others. In the Lotus Sutra people of Learning and Realization were taught they could only enter the realm of Buddhahood through faith.
8. Realisation
+ The wisdom or insight where we gain an understanding of an aspect of life from our own observations and experiences.
- Can lead to self-centredness and a tendency to use one's intellect, rather than one's wisdom, to solve problems.
9. Bodhisattva
The word consists of bodhi (enlightenment) and sattva (beings) and means someone who seeks enlightenment, for themselves and others.
+ Devotion to the happiness of others as shown by eg nurses or a parent's love for a child.
- May turn to arrogance if you feel superior to those you are helping. Pouring life-force out towards the lives of others, without paying attention to one's own needs means that one's life will move towards the lower life states.
10. Buddha
An ordinary person awakened to the true nature of life, and experiencing absolute happiness and freedom within the realities of daily life. Indestructible joy, unlimited wisdom, courage, compassion, creativity and life force.
If life is a lesson or a game, I doubt you win it by obtaining knowledge of an invisible parent and punished for not knowing or thinking its true. As if our brains sends waves of thought to a super-being and analyzes it all.
It just seems ridiculous. Its like me putting a bunch of children in a house with unlimited food and peeking through the windows years later to see if anyone knows who I am yet and if they dont I burn them. Why shouldnt they know about me? I put a friggin note hidden high up in the chimney for them to find. Geez.
If there is a god i dont think he would be this ridiculous.
Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
The use of the word "world" is really a bad choice (so are "Heaven" and "Hell" which already have pretty well set meanings in English). They're more like elemental of personality or experiences, wikipedia has a very good phrase in "conditions of life".
The idea of the ten worlds was (and is still by some Buddhist schools) considered to be real worlds that you are reincarnated into. The Buddhism I follow believe these are states of mind, only.
As for the wording, sense Buddhism is much older then Christianity, I think the word "world" is appropriate to use.
Originally posted by Mairuzu
If life is a lesson or a game, I doubt you win it by obtaining knowledge of an invisible parent and punished for not knowing or thinking its true. As if our brains sends waves of thought to a super-being and analyzes it all.It just seems ridiculous. Its like me putting a bunch of children in a house with unlimited food and peeking through the windows years later to see if anyone knows who I am yet and if they dont I burn them. Why shouldnt they know about me? I put a friggin note hidden high up in the chimney for them to find. Geez.
If there is a god i dont think he would be this ridiculous.
I agree. The idea that god is separate from yourself is ridiculous.
Originally posted by Shakyamunison
http://www.sgi-uk.org/index.php/buddhism/tenworlds1. Hell
- Misery and suffering. Fear, grief and destructive rages or depression. A feeling of being imprisoned by one's circumstances.
+ Having experienced hell helps us maintain a desire to better our circumstances. Empathy, understanding the sufferings of others.
2. Hunger
- Being dominated by desires or cravings, both physical and mental.
+ The driving force to improve a situation. People can hunger, even yearn to see others happy and fight for peace in the world.
3. Animality
- Instinctive behaviour, lacking in reason. Fear of those who seem stronger and bullying of those who seem weaker. The 'law of the jungle'.
+ Protective instincts, for example, that we need more sleep. Preservation of self or others.
4. Anger
- Feeling superior to others and wanting to show it. Aggressiveness. Feeling in conflict with others. The world of self-centredness and ego.
+ Anger at injustice. The passion to fight authoritarian behaviour.
5. Humanity, or Tranquility
- Constant inactivity, laziness, passivity.
+ Being at peace, calm and reasonable. An opportunity to restore one's energies.
6. Rapture, or Heaven
- Short term gratification when one's desires have been achieved . Can quickly revert to hell, or hunger.
+ Temporary joy when desires are fulfilled. Exhilaration at being alive.
7. Learning
+ Learning about life and oneself from others and from existing knowledge.
- Can lead to self-centredness and separation from others. In the Lotus Sutra people of Learning and Realization were taught they could only enter the realm of Buddhahood through faith.
8. Realisation
+ The wisdom or insight where we gain an understanding of an aspect of life from our own observations and experiences.
- Can lead to self-centredness and a tendency to use one's intellect, rather than one's wisdom, to solve problems.
9. Bodhisattva
The word consists of bodhi (enlightenment) and sattva (beings) and means someone who seeks enlightenment, for themselves and others.
+ Devotion to the happiness of others as shown by eg nurses or a parent's love for a child.
- May turn to arrogance if you feel superior to those you are helping. Pouring life-force out towards the lives of others, without paying attention to one's own needs means that one's life will move towards the lower life states.
10. Buddha
An ordinary person awakened to the true nature of life, and experiencing absolute happiness and freedom within the realities of daily life. Indestructible joy, unlimited wisdom, courage, compassion, creativity and life force.
Is this your new belief?