Conversation Board - Advaita Vedanta..

recoverer

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Re: Advaita Vedanta..
Reply #15 - May 28^th, 2008 at 2:03pm

Bruce Moen recommends Michael Talbot's holographic universe on this site. I looked for it in the library but it was checked out. I'm not certain if I want to read it. I'd rather try to figure it out myself, and then read what Michael Talbot's book says.

Regarding this universe being an illusion, it is projected from ourselves, so it can't be that unreal. I figure the projection takes place so we can learn whatever lessons we learn. The key thing we learn about is love. I've had meditations where I experienced bliss to an extent where it didn't seem that I needed anything else. But then I found out that love is even sweeter. If you experience love to a significant extent, you discover how joyful, wonderful and worthwhile it causes our life to be. What would it be like to be submerged in an infinite ocean of love that we share with God and many other souls for all of eternity? Certainly such a way of being would be more fullfilling than a blissful yet peaceful state that is indifferent.

Regarding peace, I've found that my experiences of love and experience of bliss both include a strong feeling of peace. The peace I experience while feeling love feels more fullfilling than the peace I've experienced during bliss. Part of the reason I feel it while feeling love is because I understand how wonderfully everything works out for everybody. During bliss, such a need never came to be.

Some would say that you can't experience oneness if it weren't for the fact that there are many beings who share this oneness. Of course we all started out as one being. Perhaps we caused ourself to become many on purpose with the understanding that we could never truly be seperate.

If there is only one "now." doesn't this "now" include both the manifested aspect of being and the unmanifested aspect of being in an integrated manner?

briggs5534 wrote on May 28^th, 2008 at 1:42pm:

Recoverer,

I know what you mean about some of the gurus out there that teach advaita.. You found this out 26 years ago?? Jeez you must be old lol j/k.. Well, I c what you mean about the spirits and what not... I'm pretty sure though that we are more than just our bodies.. I'm pretty sure we all are infinite consciousness and love.. I know those are some truths I agree with, that they teach to me.. Also, haven't you read the holographic universe by Michael Talbot?? It shows that the advaita teaching is right that our world is a big illusion..

Well, I don't know but I also agree with them that there is no hell as well..

I've gone from a lot of different approaches, so not to say that I'll be stuck at advaita my whole life..

Thanks, for your interest in this topic and your replies!!

peace n' love

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« Last Edit: May 28^th, 2008 at 7:48pm by recoverer »

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gordon phinn

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Re: Advaita Vedanta..
Reply #16 - May 31^st, 2008 at 7:45pm

recoverer, i often disagree with your views but on this one I'm quite in line with them. Denying manifest existence in favour of the nirvana game is a bit like cheating. It's important to work through all those desirable goals and honourable ambitions and see for yourself just how empty achievement actually is. How radiantly empty.
On gurus: Dylan was right on all those years ago: "Don't follow leaders, watch the parking meters".

gordon

recoverer wrote on May 28^th, 2008 at 1:19pm:

briggs:

I found out about Advaita Vedanta teachers about 26 years ago, so I'm well aware of what's available. I can't say anything about Charlie Hayes because I don't know him. I'm not looking for a teacher.

Through extensive study I've found that teachers of Advaita Vedanta aren't the all knowing masters they present themselves to be. Existence isn't just one big illusion. The spirit realms that exist are very intricate and were created by spirit beings who understood the limitations of the Advaita Vedanta way of teaching long ago. When one communicates with such beings on a regular basis and sees what they are capable of, one sees that there is much Advaita Vedanta teachers aren't aware of. It is most definitely possible to use the creative aspect of being in a manner that is meaningful.

We can paint ourselves into a corner in different ways. Fundamentalism isn't the only way. Since I was exposed to the game years ago, I know of people who hopped around from guru to guru before they found out how such an approach doesn't work.

It is one thing to tell people that they don't need a guru and then surround yourself with a bunch of followers, and another thing to say people don't need a guru and not surround yourself with a bunch of followers. There are gurus out there that know the game, and use reverse psychology. They say what people want to hear.

briggs5534 wrote on May 28^th, 2008 at 12:24pm:

Hey Alysia, It's not Indian.. I don't know exactly what it comes from...

Recoverer I see what your saying.. The people that I talk to that are more enlightened than I, say to figure it yourself.. By that they mean your higher self. They don't seem to say they know everything or they are a spiritual guru.. So, I think you must of been around the wrong teachers of advaita vedanta.. You should check out theeternalstate.org it's by Charlie Hayes.. He's a great teacher..

Plus, when they are talking about we merge back into pure consciousness (brahman) they are talking from the only real reality.. That we all are infinite consciousness and more than just our bodies.. The only reason there is an afterlife, is because people still believe they are their "bodies."

I've never read his books.. I might be wrong about what he means.. But that's how some of my teachers are.. How they say stuff about the only reality is that infinite consciousness I "AM." Then they talk about the illusion of self is where you reincarnate and all that stuff.. But really there is no reincarnation, since there is only "NOW."

peace n' love

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LaffingRain

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Re: Advaita Vedanta..
Reply #17 - May 31^st, 2008 at 9:47pm

Hi all. this is an ongoing topic now for months. hope we can make headway together, but then surely every journey is individually tailored; at best we pick out the commonalities and relate from there.

If we accept that philosophy, or try to, of Monroe, where we look at the concept of good versus bad, that it is we who define what is good, what is bad, upon a personal basis.

Then for instance, in China, they have a different culture; who am I to say that the women should not deform their feet? I saw a picture of a woman hobbled using a cane, yet she accepts this is ok with her, she's smiling. so it's not a bad thing for her. It's a bad thing in my mind. but if it's a good thing in hers, I am not about to change a whole culture based on my thought what is bad.

so my thought is that a tree can teach you love. a bird can teach that. my next door neighbor can teach me he or she is really a nice person, and I had thought from first impression, they were not good people. it's I let my mind learn new things by letting it open to new things and people.

I think the spiritual path is also to let go of what happened in the past, otherwise you carry it with you into the afterlife areas. the hurts, the ones we hold enmity against, these follow us into the afterlife. that is why we learn to let go. it is called fore giving. it means to give of yourself as you gave before the grievance took place.

holding grudges is your perogative and choice, but it only ends up blocking all possible routes to find out what love really is, and allowing others the benefit of the doubt is one way to open up the heart to humanity. one and all.

then the way is shown. bliss is peaceful. PUL is mind expanding and inclusive. the ego separates itself from others, but the satisfaction of the ego cannot measure up to the joy of a world we ascend to, where each is accepted and known for who they are. thats the power of love, and has nothing to do with attaining it, but allowing love, accepting that it must be there, look again, choose again, then you can see, we humans are the essence of what created us.

gurus...we are all our own guru as time goes goes on. it is good to have a life. we must come to that agreement, then the wars will cease when we know we pretend, (illusion) that we can have a war, and that will solve the lack of love (illusion)

the love is here..ask and you receive. theres people begging to love you, and me. just literally begging. I love them too.

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Who takes away death's sting deprives life of bitterness

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vajra Ex Member	Re: Advaita Vedanta.. Reply #18 - Jun 1^st, 2008 at 9:41am I'd second that Alysia.
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briggs5534

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Re: Advaita Vedanta..
Reply #19 - Jun 1^st, 2008 at 2:28pm

recoverer wrote on May 28^th, 2008 at 2:03pm:

Bruce Moen recommends Michael Talbot's holographic universe on this site. I looked for it in the library but it was checked out. I'm not certain if I want to read it. I'd rather try to figure it out myself, and then read what Michael Talbot's book says.

Regarding this universe being an illusion, it is projected from ourselves, so it can't be that unreal. I figure the projection takes place so we can learn whatever lessons we learn. The key thing we learn about is love. I've had meditations where I experienced bliss to an extent where it didn't seem that I needed anything else. But then I found out that love is even sweeter. If you experience love to a significant extent, you discover how joyful, wonderful and worthwhile it causes our life to be. What would it be like to be submerged in an infinite ocean of love that we share with God and many other souls for all of eternity? Certainly such a way of being would be more fullfilling than a blissful yet peaceful state that is indifferent.

Regarding peace, I've found that my experiences of love and experience of bliss both include a strong feeling of peace. The peace I experience while feeling love feels more fullfilling than the peace I've experienced during bliss. Part of the reason I feel it while feeling love is because I understand how wonderfully everything works out for everybody. During bliss, such a need never came to be.

Some would say that you can't experience oneness if it weren't for the fact that there are many beings who share this oneness. Of course we all started out as one being. Perhaps we caused ourself to become many on purpose with the understanding that we could never truly be seperate.

If there is only one "now." doesn't this "now" include both the manifested aspect of being and the unmanifested aspect of being in an integrated manner?

briggs5534 wrote on May 28^th, 2008 at 1:42pm:

Recoverer,

I know what you mean about some of the gurus out there that teach advaita.. You found this out 26 years ago?? Jeez you must be old lol j/k.. Well, I c what you mean about the spirits and what not... I'm pretty sure though that we are more than just our bodies.. I'm pretty sure we all are infinite consciousness and love.. I know those are some truths I agree with, that they teach to me.. Also, haven't you read the holographic universe by Michael Talbot?? It shows that the advaita teaching is right that our world is a big illusion..

Well, I don't know but I also agree with them that there is no hell as well..

I've gone from a lot of different approaches, so not to say that I'll be stuck at advaita my whole life..

Thanks, for your interest in this topic and your replies!!

peace n' love

I c what you're saying recoverer.. Love is the answer to all of our questions though.. Bliss and love are different categories for sure.. I just think advaita vedanta is a great helper to my achieving of enlightenment..

peace n' love

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ultra

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Re: Advaita Vedanta..
Reply #20 - Jun 3^rd, 2008 at 1:41pm

Hi Briggs,

My understanding is that Vedanta is a vast and ancient system similar to Buddhism and Christianity in that it encompasses many branches, approaches, and proponents. Specifically, it is representative of variations on the theme of "Self-realization" and how to get there as continuously evolved to the present (with Buddhism as a special offshoot along the way) from ancient Indian teachers and texts, including the Vedas. There are endless discussions on God, both with and without form, physical reality as illusion or not, and various ways and means to reach "The Goal", and what that may mean. Regardless of individual personal preference in any specific definition or method, if one believes in the concept and possibility of God-realization, then it might benefit one to take a look at this 'system' and some of its literature, which it seems you are doing anyway.

One fairly contemporary and imo excellent source for this subject in case you are not familiar (at least I did not see you mention him) is Swami Vivekananda, who wrote and spoke extensively on various aspects of Vedanta. The reason a contemporary source may be of benefit besides the question of authenticity, is that the language and context are fairly recent, and the material is not distorted or derivative over time, but fairly direct and accessible, not in need of interpretation. In fact, much of Swami Vivekananda's works are available online here:

http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/complete_works.htm

I would especially recommend the material which speaks about the different approaches people take according to their basic temperament (although everyone in actuality combines the 3 in varying measure), including: Devotion (bhakti), Wisdom (jnana), Service (karma). There are some good essays on each of these approaches at the link (in Vol 1 & 2 ??), among many other subjects, but people seem to like these essays, and in fact one usually sees them each published as a separate book. (Since doing retrievals falls into the category of service (karma yoga), I guess that particular area would have some relevance to members here who are interested in that in a general way.)

Vivekananda had a very interesting life. He was the first Eastern 'mystic' to come to and have a substantial influence on the West, which can now be seen as extremely significant development for the world evolution. His own Master, Sri Ramakrishna once said that when Vivekananda realized who he was, he would leave his body by an act of will, which did happen before his 40th birthday. I recommend taking a look at his life story, and Ramakrishna's for that matter too, if you haven't already.

best wishes in your pursuit,
u

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"What the soul sees and has experienced, that it knows; the rest is appearance, prejudice and opinion."

- Sri Aurobindo

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