Ferocyanide:
1) In Brazil they have a plant called Ayahuasca (like the Peyote plant mentioned in the books of Carlos Castaneda). Christian churches are using it to induce spiritual experiences. Psychiatrists are doing research on it in a bid to create new psychiatric drugs and locals are using it to induce spiritual experiences that will allow them “to see beyond”. The drug is activating the same parts of the brain that are activated in experiences like deep religious experiences or transcendental meditation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca
And the debate on this is far from being over. Many cultures (including earliest cultures in CatalHoyuk - 7000 BC) are known to have used psychoactive drugs to induce spiritual experiences. A modern example could be the Rastafari of Jamaica.
But one thing is for sure: You can get there without drugs if you want to. So personally, I am not forcing my body to deal with the side effects of these substances if I don’t have to
2) This is a very debated issue (in our time). Yet in Early Islam there was something like a small renaissance in all the areas that were controlled by the three Caliphs (Cordoba/Spain; Cairo/Egypt and Baghdad/Iraq). Cities like Samarkand in Central Asia were huge trade centers but these were also center of academic study. Many European and/or Indian/Chinese scientists came to these cities to study things like Alchemy (the Word Alchemy is an Arabic word), mathematics, Astrology, medicine etc. without any fear of censorships. That’s because there are Hadiths (sayings) of the prophet + verses in the Quran that are instructing us to use our reason (before our personal dogmas and/or beliefs) and to respect people who have scientific knowledge:
https://myislam.org/surah-an-nisa/ayat-59/
“Believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those from among you who are invested with authority; “ (Al-Nisa 59)
This “Those Invested with authority” actually means “Scientists”. In my culture we say “Hodja” (Teacher / man-Woman with knowledge) to 1) religious leaders, 2) teachers (religious or secular) 3) Doctors, Astronomers, Quantum physicists, Psychiatrists etc.)
So arguing with scientific evidence based on observation is an egocentric thing. That’s the Ego raging in a Pharaoh mentality. He is the one who knows best so who is the scientist? (Just like in the story of Moses).
And religious people do that. Here we even had religious leaders who said that “The moon (according to the Quran) was made of “Nur” (divine light) so it was absurd to think that the Americans landed a man of it”. (and this story is real it’s not an Urban legend).
Erich von Daniken just made his money: I am an Archaeologist too and I had to stop Archaeology at some point and switched to a more lucrative field (and I am not the only one).
And as Richard Dawkins puts it, as far as Archaeology is concerned, “There is no need for fairies in the garden because the garden itself is already so amazing”.
So I’m a believer in exchanging ideas. I like the idea of there being new possibilities in intellectual terms
3) There is this: Do you remember yourself as a 4 year old? Then as a 14 year old? Then as an 18 year old? Then today, when you go and see yourself in the mirror (and this is something I read in Shirley Mclaine). Do you feel like being radically different? It’s like the “you” or the “I” is still there, not changing, still experiencing while the whole décor out there is changing. So this is our experience of our true self. Moving ourselves to being permanently in that type of understanding. That’s the other issue
On Egyptians: They had a body of knowledge on occultism that is mainly inaccessible to us today (mainly because we barely understand their language first and foremost) . But they had (for instance) a plant based medicine that was similar to Chinese traditional medicine of the Ayurveda system of India that was still very effective. They even did plastic surgery and had very good dentists as well.
On Methodology: This isn’t an academic work. Academic works are for everyone. When you write your thesis and when is has been approved it will remain there for the decades and centuries to come and will be available for all future generations. Of course there are rules so if you say that “Chatalhoyuk was founded 1000 year earlier than previously thought” you have to argue about it and you have to support your argument with facts and observation. This will then be debated by the academic community and if you are right, that’s progress for all of us.
This isn’t how spirituality works. There are schools and groups and traditions that can be useful to some. But the works that is carried out is an individual work that may or may not result in personal spiritual growth. It’s not in competition with science. We are not studying Quantum physics or downloading new technology from aliens here. It’s about inner transformation. A bit like psychotherapy but this one is stronger and more effective because it’s free of charge and quite more effective than therapy groups actually (but do not think that I don’t believe in the value of traditional therapy. Again, it’s a different thing).
4,5) Yes I did
- No, I don’t agree with you. We are not that innocent. There are 45 million children around the world who are facing malnutrition right now. İs this happening because we lack the food?
The US military budget is 800 Billion dollar and growing and there are 13 million kids in the US living in food-insecure houses. You can also think of people with college loan debts. Noam Chomsky studied in the US (and became who he is) by studying in state universities and giving but a very little sum of money to the state for his college education. Or let me mention the NRA, think of all their lobbying actions and disinformation campaigns so that not normal persons are still able to buy AK-47’s with their driver licenses. I’m in a third world country here. If the police catches me with a hunter’s knife they will ask me questions. (So this isn’t really how it’s supposed to work).
I’ve been following the Kyoto protocol since the 90’s. Scientists are basically saying that we are all going to get killed (in a nutshell that’s what they are saying). Why don’t our governments invest massively into green technologies and try to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change? In the UK solar panels are being used as fences (because they are too cheap) while there are countries in Africa with 15% of electrification.
Socialism is a good idea. But it’s not a silver bullet either.
My idea is: We have to do the inner work. We have to promote change in the world and we have to start with ourselves. There are people on Youtube who show us how they are going 100% no plastic. These are all pathways we can follow and true spirituality will actually support this (that’s how I see it).
Second Part:
These are good observations. And regarding your question: Listen to Pope Francis for instance. He is also critical of how big businesses handle the whole situation and is pointing to the fact that we all have some amount of responsibility on maintaining life on this planet.
This endless quest for money, money and more money (think of Jair Bolsonaro’s Amazon rain forest policy for instance) is based on denial of the truth (denial of science) that is based on a quest for endless short term benefit (think of JW Bush in the early 90’s he said that “He would not sign an agreement that would hurt the American Economy”).
Now you are not in it. But these are attitudes we understand so well in spirituality. That’s our “Pharaoh Self” that’s our Ego. The ego is dumb. It seems intelligent and sly but it’s the dumbest thing ever to be created. Think of Donald Trump who wants to “Bring back coal”. 1) He thinks he is better than all of us; 2) He thinks he is better than scientists (think of how he contradicted Dr. Fauci during the pandemic); 3) He things he is above everything even God (perhaps) think of the Biblical story of Moses and the Pharaoh. Think of the end of the movie when he becomes enraged and is ready to do anything just to go and murder the Jews before they leave Egypt. Think of that blindness.
To us (and this is some sort of science in itself): This is the Ego. And true spirituality deal with taming this creature and turning it into a tool of our true self and/or spirit (This allegory goes as far back a Plato: He talks about “the little man” making an alliance with “the lion” to go and conquer the Hydra. (reason aligning with willpower to go and tame our ego-self).
So that’s our proposal. But it’s not as easy as that. There is a process that can take a lifetime actually.
Solar system:
This was an allegory. We all have our worldly dreams. Maybe I exaggerated when I said that “it doesn’t matter”. But it’s good to remember that nothing we see is really that important. That’s what I wanted to say.
Dark Matter: no
7) There are similar approaches to Islam too. They are crazy about the headscarf for instance. They will not rest until each and every female walking this earth thinks and behaves the way they want to.
But again: Ego, Ego, Ego.
Why is it that these people are acting like “they know everything”? Why do they have to know everything in the first place? – “I don’t know” is a tremendous possibility. It means that you are teachable.
In true spirituality we want to present an empty bowl to God. If you know than you don’t know, than there can be spiritual knowledge. Otherwise you may end up like this guy claiming that no one could possibly land on the Moon because it is made of divine light.
You know in his Cultural Revolution Mao has murdered about 50 million people in China. This didn’t happen because the teachings of Lao-Tzu or Confucius were completely baseless. It’s because fake spirituality had taken China back to the stone age And Mao Tse Tung being who we know he is, decided to force them out of this situation (Ego vs. Ego)
So these are our deeper issues. Spiritual people need to ask these questions and need to find answers to these on a personal level.
7,5) First we convince ourselves. When I watch the situation in Israel I sometimes catch myself wondering if they couldn’t just take everything or just blow the entire place with atomic bombs so that we can be done with it. Then there is this voice that acts as a reminder: The only solution there is for everyone to stay put. And then live in the 1967 borders. And focus on more constructive issues.
Yet this circle of vengeance, and false religious beliefs that attracts more vengeance etc: These are all issues Buddha was talking about. They cannot let each other in peace. One of them is “The chosen people” the other is “The follower of the last Prophet” so there is no solution in sight.
We, we observe this: That’s what the “I” can do. It’s completely irrational and illogical and it works for the destruction of all of us.
So Atheism is a good thing. Atheists don’t have “The on true answer”. Atheists know they don’t know. But again. These are deep issues. All I am saying is that today we have many good authors that are studying these themes. And these are not Erich von Daniken kinds of author. I personally like doing such studies.
8) When Lao-Tse entered a village it is said that the spiritual mood and energy of the entire village would be lifted by his mere presence. So Jesus’s words are mainly for me. The Romans are all gone now. I am taking photos in the ruins of their greatest cities. All of them are now gone and forgotten eons ago. But I am still studying the teachings of Jesus because I think it’s beneficial for me even today.
So that’s what great spiritual teachings are. The course in miracle says that the thinking of this world is 180 degree different from the thinking of God.
This means: If you are interested in politics and building empires, you can do that. But that’s not spirituality. Spirituality teaches that this world (which is neither good nor bad) is actually an illusion and that there is a more permanent reality within each and every one of us.
This does not mean that you cannot like sport cars. If that’s your tendency, you can go and make a collection of sport cars. When you are done, you can always come back and do the spiritual work. It’s all a matter of tendency and interest. No one is punishing anyone for not doing the spiritual work either. It’s all a matter of personal decision.
“Atheism as a solution?
Well, if the person is in a cult that harms the person, for example, it convinces you that you should starve yourself and you should be happy that you are brainwashed, it is best to leave that group. The people of Heaven’s Gate had that attitude. They were happy to be brainwashed. A few of the members said it out loud.
Also, they are happy that they will be extending their lives by committing suicide so that their soul gets transferred to the alien spaceship that was behind Halley's comet.”
- Marx said that religion is the opium of the people. And he was right in many way.
Ego based religion is misleading many of us. In the old days there was not so many means of communication so when you had a Terrorist cult leader like Hassan-I-Sabbah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasan-i_Sabbah) He could not do as much damage as Osama Ben Laden.
So Spiritual people need to be aware of this and be smart and not be involved in useless stuff like scientology. Basically because we don’t need scientology. There are so much good literature for you if you are spiritually inclined so why would you want to waste resources + time in things like scientology. This isn’t the 60’s anymore. Why would you want some old crappy automobile when you have a brand new EV for half the price? There weren’t as many good resources in the past. So there are now very good teachings that are very logical and understandable and beneficial for everyone so why does anyone still get involved in those sex and drug + exploitation + suicide sects that are often being run by openly malevolent people? (that’s another very serious issue of our time).
Or 2) you can be a atheist. You can ask for proof / evidence for whatever it is they are claiming.
Old School Religion: I Talked with Grand Nudger on these. In the old days priests and religious leaders where more responsible people so it seemed to work on a certain level. I personally am not going to Friday prayers because the sermon and/or speech of the Imam is not really appealing to my level of intellect. But I don’t see old-school people as “being wrong” either. Because “ordinary believers” often surprise me in their understanding of some spiritual issues I’ve been working on since many years.
Paradise: That’s another deeper theme. Old people described the reward of a pious life as “Heaven” because “Heaven” is so big and limitless. That’s what our true-Self or God is actually. Like the difference between our tiny limited existence and the vast, limitless, all-encompassing universe.
Now when I said I have no problem with atheism and that I have no problem with all deeply rooted main religions of this planet I have a problem with what the bible calls “false prophets”.
These are mostly deeply narcissistic people (people with NPD) who create cults that works to glorify their own egos and these people end up hurting themselves and of these people who are stupid enough to follow them. They use drugs, hypnosis, brainwashing videos to recruit teenagers and college students they will either sexually exploit and/or use as personal slaves.
Now I did go in and out of some Sufi groups in my country. And I know how meditation retreats of truly enlightened people og great Yogis like Paramahansa Yogananda or Sadhguru are working:
a) We don’t brainwash people.
b) We don’t exploit other people
c) We don’t force anyone / or gaslight anyone to do things that are harmful to them.
These places are like schools. Most of the time you have to pay to be there for a given amount of time. Just like in college you take the classes you think are interesting and then you move one with your life.
This one is very important:
- There is no savior / the savior is you. So you don’t worship anyone. You do bow to your Guru (or teacher) but this is just a sign of respect toward the knowledge this person is incarnating. And there is no Enmeshment. You don’t become like a part or organ of someone else. You Yourself you belong only to God so you don’t bow to anyone other than God.
I wanted to mention this because that’s exactly what so many SOB’s out-there are doing. SO I wanted to warn people on that as well.
On the length of these posts:
- I will try to answer most issues when I have time.
My main issue is this: Knowledge in this world is travelling extremely fast. So fake knowledge is also travelling extremely fast.
People are talking about “Islamist” terrorism. Well guess what? – There is no “Islamic” terrorism. And the IRI is just a name. In my understanding there isn’t an ounce of spirituality in any of these stuff. + these are ethnocentric and even racists terms.
ISIL should be called “The terrorist group calling itself Islamic-State”, IRI should not be allowed to call itself Islamic (nor even Republic actually).
So that’s my point here. But we may also try to have shorter discussions in separate threads to make it easier for us to debate and for others to participate in the debate.
1) In Brazil they have a plant called Ayahuasca (like the Peyote plant mentioned in the books of Carlos Castaneda). Christian churches are using it to induce spiritual experiences. Psychiatrists are doing research on it in a bid to create new psychiatric drugs and locals are using it to induce spiritual experiences that will allow them “to see beyond”. The drug is activating the same parts of the brain that are activated in experiences like deep religious experiences or transcendental meditation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca
And the debate on this is far from being over. Many cultures (including earliest cultures in CatalHoyuk - 7000 BC) are known to have used psychoactive drugs to induce spiritual experiences. A modern example could be the Rastafari of Jamaica.
But one thing is for sure: You can get there without drugs if you want to. So personally, I am not forcing my body to deal with the side effects of these substances if I don’t have to
2) This is a very debated issue (in our time). Yet in Early Islam there was something like a small renaissance in all the areas that were controlled by the three Caliphs (Cordoba/Spain; Cairo/Egypt and Baghdad/Iraq). Cities like Samarkand in Central Asia were huge trade centers but these were also center of academic study. Many European and/or Indian/Chinese scientists came to these cities to study things like Alchemy (the Word Alchemy is an Arabic word), mathematics, Astrology, medicine etc. without any fear of censorships. That’s because there are Hadiths (sayings) of the prophet + verses in the Quran that are instructing us to use our reason (before our personal dogmas and/or beliefs) and to respect people who have scientific knowledge:
https://myislam.org/surah-an-nisa/ayat-59/
“Believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those from among you who are invested with authority; “ (Al-Nisa 59)
This “Those Invested with authority” actually means “Scientists”. In my culture we say “Hodja” (Teacher / man-Woman with knowledge) to 1) religious leaders, 2) teachers (religious or secular) 3) Doctors, Astronomers, Quantum physicists, Psychiatrists etc.)
So arguing with scientific evidence based on observation is an egocentric thing. That’s the Ego raging in a Pharaoh mentality. He is the one who knows best so who is the scientist? (Just like in the story of Moses).
And religious people do that. Here we even had religious leaders who said that “The moon (according to the Quran) was made of “Nur” (divine light) so it was absurd to think that the Americans landed a man of it”. (and this story is real it’s not an Urban legend).
Erich von Daniken just made his money: I am an Archaeologist too and I had to stop Archaeology at some point and switched to a more lucrative field (and I am not the only one).
And as Richard Dawkins puts it, as far as Archaeology is concerned, “There is no need for fairies in the garden because the garden itself is already so amazing”.
So I’m a believer in exchanging ideas. I like the idea of there being new possibilities in intellectual terms
3) There is this: Do you remember yourself as a 4 year old? Then as a 14 year old? Then as an 18 year old? Then today, when you go and see yourself in the mirror (and this is something I read in Shirley Mclaine). Do you feel like being radically different? It’s like the “you” or the “I” is still there, not changing, still experiencing while the whole décor out there is changing. So this is our experience of our true self. Moving ourselves to being permanently in that type of understanding. That’s the other issue
On Egyptians: They had a body of knowledge on occultism that is mainly inaccessible to us today (mainly because we barely understand their language first and foremost)
. But they had (for instance) a plant based medicine that was similar to Chinese traditional medicine of the Ayurveda system of India that was still very effective. They even did plastic surgery and had very good dentists as well. On Methodology: This isn’t an academic work. Academic works are for everyone. When you write your thesis and when is has been approved it will remain there for the decades and centuries to come and will be available for all future generations. Of course there are rules so if you say that “Chatalhoyuk was founded 1000 year earlier than previously thought” you have to argue about it and you have to support your argument with facts and observation. This will then be debated by the academic community and if you are right, that’s progress for all of us.
This isn’t how spirituality works. There are schools and groups and traditions that can be useful to some. But the works that is carried out is an individual work that may or may not result in personal spiritual growth. It’s not in competition with science. We are not studying Quantum physics or downloading new technology from aliens here. It’s about inner transformation. A bit like psychotherapy but this one is stronger and more effective because it’s free of charge and quite more effective than therapy groups actually (but do not think that I don’t believe in the value of traditional therapy. Again, it’s a different thing).
4,5) Yes I did
- No, I don’t agree with you. We are not that innocent. There are 45 million children around the world who are facing malnutrition right now. İs this happening because we lack the food?
The US military budget is 800 Billion dollar and growing and there are 13 million kids in the US living in food-insecure houses. You can also think of people with college loan debts. Noam Chomsky studied in the US (and became who he is) by studying in state universities and giving but a very little sum of money to the state for his college education. Or let me mention the NRA, think of all their lobbying actions and disinformation campaigns so that not normal persons are still able to buy AK-47’s with their driver licenses. I’m in a third world country here. If the police catches me with a hunter’s knife they will ask me questions. (So this isn’t really how it’s supposed to work).
I’ve been following the Kyoto protocol since the 90’s. Scientists are basically saying that we are all going to get killed (in a nutshell that’s what they are saying). Why don’t our governments invest massively into green technologies and try to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change? In the UK solar panels are being used as fences (because they are too cheap) while there are countries in Africa with 15% of electrification.
Socialism is a good idea. But it’s not a silver bullet either.
My idea is: We have to do the inner work. We have to promote change in the world and we have to start with ourselves. There are people on Youtube who show us how they are going 100% no plastic. These are all pathways we can follow and true spirituality will actually support this (that’s how I see it).
Second Part:
These are good observations. And regarding your question: Listen to Pope Francis for instance. He is also critical of how big businesses handle the whole situation and is pointing to the fact that we all have some amount of responsibility on maintaining life on this planet.
This endless quest for money, money and more money (think of Jair Bolsonaro’s Amazon rain forest policy for instance) is based on denial of the truth (denial of science) that is based on a quest for endless short term benefit (think of JW Bush in the early 90’s he said that “He would not sign an agreement that would hurt the American Economy”).
Now you are not in it. But these are attitudes we understand so well in spirituality. That’s our “Pharaoh Self” that’s our Ego. The ego is dumb. It seems intelligent and sly but it’s the dumbest thing ever to be created. Think of Donald Trump who wants to “Bring back coal”. 1) He thinks he is better than all of us; 2) He thinks he is better than scientists (think of how he contradicted Dr. Fauci during the pandemic); 3) He things he is above everything even God (perhaps) think of the Biblical story of Moses and the Pharaoh. Think of the end of the movie when he becomes enraged and is ready to do anything just to go and murder the Jews before they leave Egypt. Think of that blindness.
To us (and this is some sort of science in itself): This is the Ego. And true spirituality deal with taming this creature and turning it into a tool of our true self and/or spirit (This allegory goes as far back a Plato: He talks about “the little man” making an alliance with “the lion” to go and conquer the Hydra. (reason aligning with willpower to go and tame our ego-self).
So that’s our proposal. But it’s not as easy as that. There is a process that can take a lifetime actually.
Solar system:
This was an allegory. We all have our worldly dreams. Maybe I exaggerated when I said that “it doesn’t matter”. But it’s good to remember that nothing we see is really that important. That’s what I wanted to say.
Dark Matter: no
7) There are similar approaches to Islam too. They are crazy about the headscarf for instance. They will not rest until each and every female walking this earth thinks and behaves the way they want to.
But again: Ego, Ego, Ego.
Why is it that these people are acting like “they know everything”? Why do they have to know everything in the first place? – “I don’t know” is a tremendous possibility. It means that you are teachable.
In true spirituality we want to present an empty bowl to God. If you know than you don’t know, than there can be spiritual knowledge. Otherwise you may end up like this guy claiming that no one could possibly land on the Moon because it is made of divine light.
You know in his Cultural Revolution Mao has murdered about 50 million people in China. This didn’t happen because the teachings of Lao-Tzu or Confucius were completely baseless. It’s because fake spirituality had taken China back to the stone age And Mao Tse Tung being who we know he is, decided to force them out of this situation (Ego vs. Ego)
So these are our deeper issues. Spiritual people need to ask these questions and need to find answers to these on a personal level.
7,5) First we convince ourselves. When I watch the situation in Israel I sometimes catch myself wondering if they couldn’t just take everything or just blow the entire place with atomic bombs so that we can be done with it. Then there is this voice that acts as a reminder: The only solution there is for everyone to stay put. And then live in the 1967 borders. And focus on more constructive issues.
Yet this circle of vengeance, and false religious beliefs that attracts more vengeance etc: These are all issues Buddha was talking about. They cannot let each other in peace. One of them is “The chosen people” the other is “The follower of the last Prophet” so there is no solution in sight.
We, we observe this: That’s what the “I” can do. It’s completely irrational and illogical and it works for the destruction of all of us.
So Atheism is a good thing. Atheists don’t have “The on true answer”. Atheists know they don’t know. But again. These are deep issues. All I am saying is that today we have many good authors that are studying these themes. And these are not Erich von Daniken kinds of author. I personally like doing such studies.
8) When Lao-Tse entered a village it is said that the spiritual mood and energy of the entire village would be lifted by his mere presence. So Jesus’s words are mainly for me. The Romans are all gone now. I am taking photos in the ruins of their greatest cities. All of them are now gone and forgotten eons ago. But I am still studying the teachings of Jesus because I think it’s beneficial for me even today.
So that’s what great spiritual teachings are. The course in miracle says that the thinking of this world is 180 degree different from the thinking of God.
This means: If you are interested in politics and building empires, you can do that. But that’s not spirituality. Spirituality teaches that this world (which is neither good nor bad) is actually an illusion and that there is a more permanent reality within each and every one of us.
This does not mean that you cannot like sport cars. If that’s your tendency, you can go and make a collection of sport cars. When you are done, you can always come back and do the spiritual work. It’s all a matter of tendency and interest. No one is punishing anyone for not doing the spiritual work either. It’s all a matter of personal decision.
“Atheism as a solution?
Well, if the person is in a cult that harms the person, for example, it convinces you that you should starve yourself and you should be happy that you are brainwashed, it is best to leave that group. The people of Heaven’s Gate had that attitude. They were happy to be brainwashed. A few of the members said it out loud.
Also, they are happy that they will be extending their lives by committing suicide so that their soul gets transferred to the alien spaceship that was behind Halley's comet.”
- Marx said that religion is the opium of the people. And he was right in many way.
Ego based religion is misleading many of us. In the old days there was not so many means of communication so when you had a Terrorist cult leader like Hassan-I-Sabbah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasan-i_Sabbah) He could not do as much damage as Osama Ben Laden.
So Spiritual people need to be aware of this and be smart and not be involved in useless stuff like scientology. Basically because we don’t need scientology. There are so much good literature for you if you are spiritually inclined so why would you want to waste resources + time in things like scientology. This isn’t the 60’s anymore. Why would you want some old crappy automobile when you have a brand new EV for half the price? There weren’t as many good resources in the past. So there are now very good teachings that are very logical and understandable and beneficial for everyone so why does anyone still get involved in those sex and drug + exploitation + suicide sects that are often being run by openly malevolent people? (that’s another very serious issue of our time).
Or 2) you can be a atheist. You can ask for proof / evidence for whatever it is they are claiming.
Old School Religion: I Talked with Grand Nudger on these. In the old days priests and religious leaders where more responsible people so it seemed to work on a certain level. I personally am not going to Friday prayers because the sermon and/or speech of the Imam is not really appealing to my level of intellect. But I don’t see old-school people as “being wrong” either. Because “ordinary believers” often surprise me in their understanding of some spiritual issues I’ve been working on since many years.
Paradise: That’s another deeper theme. Old people described the reward of a pious life as “Heaven” because “Heaven” is so big and limitless. That’s what our true-Self or God is actually. Like the difference between our tiny limited existence and the vast, limitless, all-encompassing universe.
Now when I said I have no problem with atheism and that I have no problem with all deeply rooted main religions of this planet I have a problem with what the bible calls “false prophets”.
These are mostly deeply narcissistic people (people with NPD) who create cults that works to glorify their own egos and these people end up hurting themselves and of these people who are stupid enough to follow them. They use drugs, hypnosis, brainwashing videos to recruit teenagers and college students they will either sexually exploit and/or use as personal slaves.
Now I did go in and out of some Sufi groups in my country. And I know how meditation retreats of truly enlightened people og great Yogis like Paramahansa Yogananda or Sadhguru are working:
a) We don’t brainwash people.
b) We don’t exploit other people
c) We don’t force anyone / or gaslight anyone to do things that are harmful to them.
These places are like schools. Most of the time you have to pay to be there for a given amount of time. Just like in college you take the classes you think are interesting and then you move one with your life.
This one is very important:
- There is no savior / the savior is you. So you don’t worship anyone. You do bow to your Guru (or teacher) but this is just a sign of respect toward the knowledge this person is incarnating. And there is no Enmeshment. You don’t become like a part or organ of someone else. You Yourself you belong only to God so you don’t bow to anyone other than God.
I wanted to mention this because that’s exactly what so many SOB’s out-there are doing. SO I wanted to warn people on that as well.
On the length of these posts:
- I will try to answer most issues when I have time.
My main issue is this: Knowledge in this world is travelling extremely fast. So fake knowledge is also travelling extremely fast.
People are talking about “Islamist” terrorism. Well guess what? – There is no “Islamic” terrorism. And the IRI is just a name. In my understanding there isn’t an ounce of spirituality in any of these stuff. + these are ethnocentric and even racists terms.
ISIL should be called “The terrorist group calling itself Islamic-State”, IRI should not be allowed to call itself Islamic (nor even Republic actually).
So that’s my point here. But we may also try to have shorter discussions in separate threads to make it easier for us to debate and for others to participate in the debate.
![[Image: 7151bc275de2d3d422106a4008215efe.jpg]](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/71/51/bc/7151bc275de2d3d422106a4008215efe.jpg)
