Alternative Spirituality

» pink101 - Dualist Ideologies

In response to Dualist Ideologies posted by sacred_insights:
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"How do you see it fitting here?"
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Did you check out the link I gave?
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The dualism I'm talking about deals with the mind. The dualist thinks of the mind as being possessed by the soul or the spirit as an entity separate from the body. Whereas the monoist thinks that the mind is an expression of the body--it doesn't exist as a separate entity.
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Questioning the existence of external spirits is a lot like what Jesus did when he told the priests that the Realm of God is within the person--that he and his father were one. So, he was teaching the path to God was an inward journey when he said that he was the way and the light. Religionists, I think, have perverted that message and changed it into some kind of a support system for going back to being under their control. Why wouldn't they do that? It's how they make their way in the material world. Money grubbers.
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-- posted by pink101

» sacred_insights - Dualist Ideologies

In response to Dualist Ideologies posted by pink101:
Ok now I see where you are coming from and I did read the synopsis of the book but was not making the connection. Yes I see the Body, Mind and Spirit as 3 separate but interconnected aspects. I am not sure if that counts as dualism or a kind of Trinitarianism...

Anyway, I do agree that the spiritual journey is an inward experience. It is individual and yet most of humanity seeks some kind of spiritual journey as a sort of shared experience.

I would also agree that those in organized religion are taking the spiritual and making it about money. As a reader I make a living too but I do not insist that the seeker's spiritual experience be dependent on a connection with me. Most of what I do is give people information about themselves that will help them to questions and begin their own movement on their spiritual path.

Cat

-- posted by sacred_insights

» pink101 - Dualist Ideologies

In response to Dualist Ideologies posted by sacred_insights:
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Most dualists believe that the spirit is eternal and goes on beyond the body after it dies and some believe that it pre-exists the body--that it is put into the egg at conception.
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The reason being that the spirit and the body are specifically two different entities. For dualists, the body is an expression of the spirit.
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So, if that is what a person believes, then I don't think they will ever get to really know their own self. They will always be looking for something that is apart from them--different--separated.
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I wonder what Jolinda might have to say about these things.
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-- posted by pink101

» pink101 - Off The Wall Concept

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Cat, here's another link of interest:
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Soul-Life-Eve...
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Just in case some might think I've come up with some new off the wall concept. It is a well established idea and much study has been given to it.
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-- posted by pink101

» sacred_insights - Off The Wall Concept

In response to Off The Wall Concept posted by pink101:

LOL ok Phil... No fear of me assuming any such thing... Away on holiday here so computer time is limited. Been reading to see who else might join this discussion. Thanks for the link. Will respond in more detail when I get back home to unlimited Internet time!

Cat

-- posted by sacred_insights

» pink101 - Enjoy Your Break

In response to Off The Wall Concept posted by sacred_insights:
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I trust you will enjoy your break on your holiday.
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The subject of dualism vs monism is very controversial as it opens discussion regarding how we humans come to believe in the supernatural. Furthermore, it shows the great similarities between religionists of different venues. What we see a major differences among the various religious concepts, is really quite small. So people go to war and kill each other based on minor points of religious beliefs in so far as dualism is concerned.
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What, it seems to me, happens is that the truth regarding the foundations of our beliefs gets lost in the demands for adherance to doctrine. For example, if someone doesn't believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus, they cannot be a member of such and such a church--they are out casts. I see you are pointing at some similaraity in the church where you find your beliefs are under scrutiny.
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All of this arises out of the basics of dualism--some extraphysical identity that speaks to our consciousness from inside our being. My sense on this is that once we give in to that way of understanding, we are sunk to accept the supernatural as a guide for our day to day experiences. Somehow, we have to develop an ability that allows us to circumvent that tendency in our make up.
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Does your religious faith allow you to consider such an alternative approach to your spirituality? Most religious teachings will not allow that under any circumstance as it is the ultimate heresy.
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-- posted by pink101

» pink101 - Enjoy Your Break

This line:
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"What we see a major differences among the various religious concepts, is really quite small."
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Should read:
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"What we see AS THE major differences among the various religious concepts, is really quite small."
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Corrected error is emphasized in bold caps. Sorry about that.
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:)

-- posted by pink101

» pink101 - Enjoy Your Break

In response to Enjoy Your Break posted by pink101:
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"ARE really quite small"
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Eventually, I get it right.
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:)

-- posted by pink101

» sacred_insights - Enjoy Your Break

In response to Enjoy Your Break posted by pink101:
LOL yes did enjoy my break and agree that the so called differences between different religious followings are really much smaller than most would willingly admit.... I might go so far as to say that all the argument is really all over semantics and only applies to the good stuff... LOL all the bad stuff is totally the same and very obviously so... No argument needed to identify it! LOL

And yes fear of the supernatural and a need to explain it in manageable, livable terms seems to be the basis of all religious faiths. The degree of control exerted on its adherents is the only distinguishing factor between most faiths and this control and need for it depends on whether humanity is seen as inherently evil or basically good... The more negatively the faith group sees humans the more control they feel must be had over bad human nature. Good and Evil Nature is huge duality wouldn't you agree?

Cat

-- posted by sacred_insights

» pink101 - Good and Evil

In response to Enjoy Your Break posted by sacred_insights:
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Good and Evil Nature is huge duality wouldn't you agree?"
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I don't know. It seems to me that there is such a wide diversity between what westerners believe about good and evil compared to what easterners believe that there is much more than a duality involved. What's good in Canada may not be good in the U.S.A. or in Cancun or New Delhi.
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Maybe we should spend some time as a society exploring the secular ideas of good and evil?
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-- posted by pink101