iain

Spirituality gives sensitive people the strength to put up with assholes ... Assholes do some times abuse this.

angels coming close; Faster than you can believe ... if you are an alien.

Why ascribe natures worst and lowest behavioral traits to its endeavors to rise above them? http://science.gaeatimes.com/2010/06/22/chimps-kill-neighbours-to-expand-territory-16830/ In so doing; you are arguably propagating the same pattern of behavior ...

A very nice post CrazyFox, it is a pleasure to read you. Here are a few thoughts that you have inspired: I would like to mention that this subject has already been studied scientifically, and over thousands of years; though one must study Sanskrit a little to understand this, the sense is lost in English; or one may have had a direct experience. Study is recommended as a practice within the safety of a lineage; in which the knowledge is passed on through the generations to those capable of grasping its deepest understanding, they are few and far between. Grace, or "anugraha" as it is known in Sanskrit, does not come unless the aspirant is ready; given through Śaktipāta, either due to the conditions of that individual person being ripe; or their being close to or finding an able master who has been instructed in the ways of this. I think my point here is that; the notion of the individual crying out to God for help, although within the denigration of Western society, is correct; It is perhaps not in this instance the best portrayal of what is to my mind humanities most efficient knowledge passing system. Knowledge, like living beings aspires to reproduce its self ... The Knowledge it's self, is both transient and transcendental. Thank you.

On a parallel with Dawkins own self comparison with that of a selfish machine ...

for Sunday high tea of scones that are most butter with the lemons aid.

Then we have all already scored ... Human is our own self made tag, our perception of this and that is all that we know; that is spiritual stuff, residing purely in thought; but that which we perceive is material, or at least has passed through our senses at some level in the case of emotions, rather like looking at the world through a mirror. Are you certain that the image that you have just described; is not somewhat inverted?

lone and level sands, of time, divine, dividing. what meter and why?

Dear TT, We are all spiritual beings, having a material experience. Some are more aware than others, but we are definitely all spiritual.

He wanted to get away from sociopaths; that is fairly clear I thought.

How very materialist of you, in the vedic culture it is believed that a soul who has achieved their life's purpose leaves the loka; perhaps for moksha, job done ... This is only a stage. The importance of his work is still being revealed today.

budha is a planet ... Oh, you said buddha, sorry ...

Kept in the family; His older brother Stanley, Was married to his?

Nope sorry, had to turn Dawkins off when he started ranting about delusions; he should consider training as a priest, he could then perform exorcisms ... If the cap fits and all that.

Where as an occidental equivalent was so tortured by his visions (given to him by the gods) that he eventually committed suicide. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Cantor It may be the dark Abrahamic slant that did that?

Perhaps you don't know any mathematicians? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinivasa_Ramanujan This chap claims the goddess saraswati revealed maths to him in dreams ...

Quantum theory in regard to science; why this is so relevant to the upanishads and to vedic science is blatantly obvious to a Jyotisa: The scientific mind so often peers too sternly at the objective world, so much so that it fails to recognize its own similarity to the photon detector in the famous quantum slit experiment; if in fact the mind is less objective (externalized) and a little more subjective (internalized), when retracted from observation and analysis im meditation; there is a second slit right next to the first through which we have been peeking; the result of seeing this second slit or rather by not looking so objectively at the first, the nature of the reality being observed changes, or rather, I should say "percieved" ... Perhaps this could explain why 80% of the universe is missing? I would so love to "chat" with Mr Dawkins, I was abused by science in my childhood, physically and psychologically ...

Dear Protector, Please, I am all Dawkined out, he is so infuriatingly preachy ...

Mathematicians regularly precede physics by centuries; their practices is a purely spiritual pursuit. A great example being Maxwell with his famous field theory of electromagnetism; borrowing on mathematics already well ahead of its time; I will need to look the maths up.

not even being not even uneven now just breathing again

The calendar is quite fascinating in its construction; our heavy dependance on clocks and the solar calendar in the West, tends to distract our attention from the true nature of time, at least I think so. Ah yes, an interest at a young age; most certainly from past life learning ... When speaking of Jyotiṣa, it is often said it can take many lifetimes to swim this great Ocean. I certainly appreciate your links and info!

whats found could surprise once round again in this life, rebirth would surmise

Haiku Marblehead. Now what is this I see here, Doubling of the thread.

life is born anew, Yet where were you whilst sleeping; is this consciousness ...

An little side note for any who might be interested ... Atheism as opposed to theism; when taken in a purely linguistic sense; makes use of a Sanskrit grammatical tool. The addition of an "a" in front of a word as an affix, denotes a negative; this is of Sanskrit origin not Latin. Sanskrit teachings of the period that concerns our recent history, that of the last few thousand years or so (a very short period) when relating to the nature of reality they include both Atheistic and theistic schools of thought. Another often argued point is the notion of a dualistic or non dualistic reality; I think a far more pertinent an issue. --- What do the Tao philosophers say of theism?