What is the essence of all religions?

[Lunitik]

You are focusing upon the actor instead of the action. (Stage magicians use this trick all the time.)

You have assumed an actor is found.

You like Zen koans, have you heard of the man who heard that Dogen was a great master, so he went to seek him out. Asking around, eventually someone pointed him to the right home, but upon approaching he saw who he could only think must have been a servant because he was chopping wood. He asked the man where he might find Dogen, and the woodsman simply lifted up the axe. The man assumed he had not been understood so he asked again, and the same happened. Thinking this man a little insane he thought better of asking again and continued. Coming to the house, somehow the woodsman had beat him there, asking the lady of the house whether he could meet with Dogen she said "well, he's right here". He felt very embarrased and left...

It is because in the Zen state, there is no object or subject, there is only the relation between the two, just the event - in this case Dogen was the subject, and the wood being cut was the object, the axe represented the central event. This is the experience of being totally in the moment, you become lost in it.

 

[Etu Malku]

You have assumed an actor is found.

You like Zen koans, have you heard of the man who heard that Dogen was a great master, so he went to seek him out. Asking around, eventually someone pointed him to the right home, but upon approaching he saw who he could only think must have been a servant because he was chopping wood. He asked the man where he might find Dogen, and the woodsman simply lifted up the axe. The man assumed he had not been understood so he asked again, and the same happened. Thinking this man a little insane he thought better of asking again and continued. Coming to the house, somehow the woodsman had beat him there, asking the lady of the house whether he could meet with Dogen she said "well, he's right here". He felt very embarrased and left...

It is because in the Zen state, there is no object or subject, there is only the relation between the two - in this case the axe wielded by Dogen was the subject, and the wood being cut was the object.

Why didn't the jerk just say " I am Him "?

 

[seattlegal]

Yes. But it has me running off seeking the antidote. It usually causes me to contemplate intensely.

BTW, "High School Meditator"? How did that come to occur? "I was a Teenager Meditator"?

That seems admirable indeed. How could that have been in your case?

Did Chuck Norris meditate? [seisen?]

Hey, I was one of those geeks who would hurry home so I could do my calculus homework...I liked what it did for my mind!

 

[Lunitik]

Why didn't the jerk just say " I am Him "?

My edit explains it, sorry.

The beautiful thing about so many Zen people is they simply look insane.

Any attempt towards sanity, it is not authentic Zen.

... or Sufi, or Yogi ...

All mystics will look a little crazy, if they don't they remain in the head.

Encountering the paradoxes of existence, it is bound to be so.

It is only the mind which is concerned how you are portrayed... with ego you will want approval, the mystic is his own judge, his truth the only law.

 

[radarmark]

One big difference I observe is that Eastern ways focus more on processes and actions, while Western ways focus more upon "things," (actors) and describe processes in terms of the "doer" and such. I fully realize that this just might be a "notion," however.

Oh wise one, that is why I am a process philosopher and theologian

 

[radarmark]

Chuck Norris did meditate (I do not know if he still does). Osensei Ueshiba shows that a martial arts master (who is only that, having spent his entire life dedecated to Aikido) can also go Beyond.

 

[NiceCupOfTea]

Chuck Norris did meditate (I do not know if he still does). Osensei Ueshiba shows that a martial arts master (who is only that, having spent his entire life dedecated to Aikido) can also go Beyond.

everyone meditates, the meditation of most people is the "I" thought.

another way of looking at the the question

What is the essence of all religions?

the answer would be that the people participating in the said religion are its essence because without them there would be no religion in the first place.

 

[Bhaktajan II]

whatever are you going on about now? Say 'something' or keep quiet.

READ THIS:

I asked you a question.
I just slammed the school yard dodge ball into you--- the ball was in your court, and you have not responded the probing question of your revelation that you were a Teenage meditator. I ask How on earth did that occur.

Ya see I asked this question of you ---you'd have to read my post to notice it:

"High School Meditator"? How did that come to occur? "I was a Teenager Meditator"?

That seems admirable indeed. How could that have been in your case?

 

[Lunitik]

Chuck Norris did meditate (I do not know if he still does). Osensei Ueshiba shows that a martial arts master (who is only that, having spent his entire life dedecated to Aikido) can also go Beyond.

Martial Arts IS meditation, if you are not meditative in it, you will not be able to respond effectively to the opponent, trying to figure out what the opponent will do, you are distracted from what he *is* doing...

Martial Arts has come about with Bodhidharma and Zen, the monks needed to defend themselves, but could not be violent - thus Martial Arts is basically about how to stop the attacker long enough to get away, usually. Do not discredit them so much, it is another branch of the same thought system - although it is beautiful to hear of one who has gone beyond them.

 

[Etu Malku]

I ask How on earth did that occur.

Ya see I asked this question of you ---you'd have to read my post to notice it:

When a question is placed the way you have (How on earth did that occur?) it really isn't a question it is a provoking statement.

The proper way to really ask a question would be;
"How did you get into meditation at that age?"
Are we comprehending yet?

 

[Lunitik]

everyone meditates, the meditation of most people is the "I" thought.

This is why I am trying not to say meditation, meditation is not a contemplative exercise.

the answer would be that the people participating in the said religion are its essence because without them there would be no religion in the first place.

I disagree, authentic religion is hard to find exactly because people think they are the basis of religion - they have made it basically egoistic.

 

[Bhaktajan II]

Originally Posted by bhaktajan
New fangled "narrative led contemplation", usually, enmass, and famously done at psychic stage shows are not Classical Meditation

whatever are you going on about now? Say 'something' or keep quiet.

I was referring to the popular technique used in many venues known as "Guided Meditation"

Guided meditation | Define Guided meditation at Dictionary.com

Definition: a meditation session conducted with verbal instruction from a teacher
Definition: a meditation session conducted with verbal instruction from a teacher
"a</SPAN> meditation session conducted with verbal instruction from a teacher"

I ahve seen such things used in multiple settings by varied types of instructors of varies subjects for usually the same simply purpose: The instructor sought relaxtion & group cohersiveness.</SPAN>

 

[Bhaktajan II]

When a question is placed the way you have (How on earth did that occur?) it really isn't a question it is a provoking statement.

The proper way to really ask a question would be;
"How did you get into meditation at that age?"
Are we comprehending yet?

Yes. Now I do. Thank you for all your time and attention.







Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Oh, nothing.

oh i forgot about the 'provoking statement' . . . ahhhhhh never mind.

<PS: feel free to critic me>




Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
What was the question?

 

[Etu Malku]

You all will probably laugh but I became interested at that age because of the tv show Kung Fu . . . LOL!
Practiced martial arts from ages 8-16, had a couple of traditional instructors, studied Alexander Technique later on.
Eventually, Franz Bardon's Introduction to Hermetics made sense to me and from then on I've used meditation to control my thoughts and discipline my Inner Eye.

 

[Lunitik]

You all will probably laugh but I became interested at that age because of the tv show Kung Fu . . . LOL!
Practiced martial arts from ages 8-16, had a couple of traditional instructors, studied Alexander Technique later on.
Eventually, Franz Bardon's Introduction to Hermetics made sense to me and from then on I've used meditation to control my thoughts and discipline my Inner Eye.

I have not seen you present yourself as vulnerable before, it is good.

Do not feel embarrassed about the HOW, ultimately everything in life is pulling each of us towards SOMETHING, this just happens to be the bait that got you snared

 

[Ahanu]

What is the essence of all religions?

Chocolate milk!

 

[radarmark]

My family comes from the home of Guinness

 

[seattlegal]

By their fruits you shall know them.

 

[NiceCupOfTea]

You all will probably laugh but I became interested at that age because of the tv show Kung Fu . . . LOL!
Practiced martial arts from ages 8-16, had a couple of traditional instructors, studied Alexander Technique later on.
Eventually, Franz Bardon's Introduction to Hermetics made sense to me and from then on I've used meditation to control my thoughts and discipline my Inner Eye.

how and why do you discipline your third eye ?

 

[Lunitik]

how and why do you discipline your third eye ?

How is to bring awareness to the 3rd eye, to build energy in the area between your eyebrows. The why is to gain certain ESP abilities, but it remains observational, you are actually triggering the pineal gland which is there in dreams and death - it releases the same drug some South American tribes use in Shamanic rituals to "know God". It is a psychedelic experience, yet interesting...

It is the 6th center of the body, but integrating it with the 7th, the crown chakra, it becomes far more real. Now there is a basic change in your being, each chakra becomes fully integrated as you work with the crown chakra, and this gives you access to the "mind which was also in Jesus" - you have access to more bodies than just the emotional, mental and physical, the mind which was in Jesus is the Truth Body of the Buddhists, but there are also the astral body, etheric, and psychic (which is the 3rd eye).

As these each become fully integrated and aligned, you are becoming enlightened.

This is the "turning base metals into gold" because the enlightened aura is a golden color, now you are whole, all the bodies are perfectly in rapport for the first time.