MANIFESTING

[Mandrake]

@neimad

 

The sin thing, I would argue, comes from you living in a country with a christian heritage.

On the buddhist forums I've participated, the whole sin concept is immediately refuted whenever it turns up. Besides, to my knowledge you can't find support for it at all in the sutras.

 

I would guess that asians wouldn't have these kinds of thoughts (sin related) in general.

 

Karma isn't sin - it doesn't divide us from a god who needs to save us. We don't have to surrender and give us self to a said saviour. We aren't miserable because of any inherent sin.

 

There's just consequences, like in nature (an apple falling from a tree isn't sin), and we have responsability for our action, and that is actually wonderful. Things pass.

 

We are perfect as we are - well, if you wish. At least we don't have to change, it's ok. We can choose to do other things, affect inner/outer causes etc. but is that the real question?

[neimad]

@neimad

 

The sin thing, I would argue, comes from you living in a country with a christian heritage.

On the buddhist forums I've participated, the whole sin concept is immediately refuted whenever it turns up. Besides, to my knowledge you can't find support for it at all in the sutras.

 

I would guess that asians wouldn't have these kinds of thoughts (sin related) in general.

 

Karma isn't sin - it doesn't divide us from a god who needs to save us. We don't have to surrender and give us self to a said saviour. We aren't miserable because of any inherent sin.

 

There's just consequences, like in nature (an apple falling from a tree isn't sin), and we have responsability for our action, and that is actually wonderful. Things pass.

 

We are perfect as we are - well, if you wish. At least we don't have to change, it's ok. We can choose to do other things, affect inner/outer causes etc. but is that the real question?

 

i disagree.... but it's ok to have our differing opinions.

 

i was raised as a buddhist, so i am pretty familiar with it's underlying philosophies.

buddhists view existance as suffering and strive to liberate themselves and all other beings from it.

 

regardless of all the lovely things buddhists say, do and act.... this is it's grounding. everything builds off upon this. perhaps the word 'sin' or it's direct meaning are not present in this religion.... but it's there, deep somewhere in the psychology of the people practicing it.

i personally doubt that the original intent as laid down by the buddha had this in mind, just like christ had no intention of creating a religion based on sin and fear..... but over time humans get their hands on it and as it is passed down along the line parts are misinterpreted (or intentionally altered, but we won't go into that).

 

you are also wrong about the asian mentality too.

i have spent a lot of time in thailand, a mostly buddhist country and everyone there views karma as in my interpretation their sin from a past life. they go to extreme lengths to try to alleviate themselves from this negative karma (i.e. sin) and it very much governs how they live. i am sure you will find this in any asian country too.

 

the matrix seeks to keep us in fear and religion is just one of the many arms of the holographic matrix we inhabit.

ultimately there is nothing so sin is not possible, yet the thought and fear of the consequences of that sin is what keeps us in chains.

[Leo]

I think "good" things happen, and "bad" things happen (good and bad depends on who you ask - winning the lottery is great for you, but bad for the million people that lost a buck). Karma isn't about some kind of punishment, it is just cause and effect. For instance, if you are talking on the phone and not paying attention, and you don't get the lid all the way on the pickle jar, then the next time you grab it you grab it by the lid and the jar falls off and breaks all over the kitchen floor, that's karma. You're not being punished by the pickle god! It's not because you're a "sinner" or a "bad" person, you were just unskillful.

 

Sometimes people don't like the idea of karma because they are afraid. Maybe they did some stuff that they don't want the results of to happen. Often when people talk about karma, it is in the context of their enemies getting punished, or themselves getting rewarded. People may not want to believe in karma because it seems too complicated or ethereal. But as the Alchemists are fond of saying "as above, so below", and there is no exception to karma in any sort of science experiment I've ever seen, and I have no reason to doubt that it is a universal principle, especially when so many diverse people who have achieved attainment all insist on it's existence.

 

There's a lot to karma that I don't like. I don't like it when I eat too much and get fat. Or stub my toe. Or neglect my car maintenance and have a big mechanic's bill. But ignoring cause and effect or pretending it doesn't exist because I don't like it is foolish. And just because someone is successful, doesn't mean they really know how they got that way. "I just said 'umpty umpty umpty' three times and I won the lottery!" doesn't mean it will work for you. And if they're selling something, put your hand on your wallet and run!

[三江源]

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Edited March 26, 2015 by 三江源

[Leo]

[Yoda]

Just a random thought re: manifesting and magic. Lots of folks say that learning M&M are sidelines to real spiritual practice and progress. I would disagree. If you don't have control over your environment, it'll continually freak you out and frustrate you at every turn no matter how much you meditate, pray, etc. and will always be holding you back. By learning M&M you automatically learn that it is the feeling state that is the means and the end and the car, the job, or the lover was just a ritual object for focus.

[neimad]

Just a random thought re: manifesting and magic. Lots of folks say that learning M&M are sidelines to real spiritual practice and progress. I would disagree. If you don't have control over your environment, it'll continually freak you out and frustrate you at every turn no matter how much you meditate, pray, etc. and will always be holding you back. By learning M&M you automatically learn that it is the feeling state that is the means and the end and the car, the job, or the lover was just a ritual object for focus.

 

i agree and include such things as astral travel, healing, clairvoyance and so forth as also tools for disintegrating the hold the matrix has on us.

it's just a matter of not getting caught up in any one of these skills, but recognising that the ability to perform all of them comes from the same place.

 

but then hey, as of this moment i can't do any of these things! although i am participating in the gnostic web astral travel course, but still struggling on week 1 haha.

either i fall asleep while relaxing my body, or finish relaxing it and can't lie still anymore!

and as for lying there in the morning in an attempt to recall dreams..... not possible so far!!!

 

although my dreams do seem to be getting really crazy lately.

those that i can remember parts of, that is.