An Original Thought

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste,

I was just thinking ( oh no!)

Many of the ideas and thoughts we have are borrowed or taught...
Many of us stick to ideas we have been given by our families or spiritual advisors.

I was just wondering. Have you had an original thought? something that is new to you and not 'picked up' that you have thought through or pondered? Doesn't matter how obtuse it is or eccentric or even plain 'ol common.

Any thoughts on this? I had one or two but thought to ask you if you wish to offer one up... not so much for debate, but just to stimulate how one thinks or observes or 'computes' the world around oneself....FYI this is no right answers as you can tell.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become - Buddha

pranams

[devisarada]

Namaskar,

what came to mind immediately, was not an original thought that I had, but that my brother had as a toddler. He used to ask me to tell him about the time when he was a girl and I was a boy.

Out of the mouths of babes!

Do you think that he may have had a vague memory of a previous lifetime?

What makes it more amazing, is that he turned out not to be very macho, or "manly" in many ways, and I became a woman who is not seen as very feminine in the traditional sense.

[devotee]

Namaste yajvanji,

My experience has been something of a reverse kind ! It has been very difficult for me to accept which is not logically correct & blind faith has not been my cup of tea since my childhood. So, there were many questions in my head & there was no one to answer them .... as the traditional answers were useless for me because for them I had to stop thinking logically for which I was not ready.

One day ( at the age of 25, perhaps), I was just sitting and seeing people enjoying Holi festival. Suddenly an idea flashed in mind, " Most of our desires are cyclic in nature & they can never be satisfied in a manner that they won't arise again. Therefore, it is foolish to run after them.". This was a great revelation to me but later on I learnt that it was already discovered by many great saints including Buddha that "Not only "Most of" but all our desires are cyclic in nature which cannot be satisfied so that they can never arise".

Similarly, one day, while strolling in my garden, an idea flashed in my mind, that Laws of Universal Gravitation & chemical reactions proved beyond doubt that all so called non-living things are also full of conciousness. Later on, when I discussed with you on this line, you told me that you already knew it through your Guru !

.... So, sir, in my case, it has been just the opposite ! I discovered something only later to be told that it was already discovered ! Ha, Ha !!

Regards

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste devotee,

Very interesting post... you mention the following, and also allude to Buddha later in the post:

My experience has been something of a reverse kind ! It has been very difficult for me to accept which is not logically correct & blind faith has not been my cup of tea since my childhood. So, there were many questions in my head & there was no one to answer them .... as the traditional answers were useless for me because for them I had to stop thinking logically for which I was not ready.

He said the following:
Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense

Most of our desires are cyclic in nature & they can never be satisfied in a manner that they won't arise again. Therefore, it is foolish to run after them.". This was a great revelation to me but later on I learnt that it was already discovered by many great saints including Buddha

Yes, but the thought was original to you and valuable.

Similarly, one day, while strolling in my garden, an idea flashed in my mind, that Laws of Universal Gravitation & chemical reactions proved beyond doubt that all so called non-living things are also full of consciousness. Later on, when I discussed with you on this line, you told me that you already knew it through your Guru !

Yes, I see your point. I too have a similar experience, which is tangential to this notion. Let me offer it as one of my 'original thoughts' but am sure some others on this good earth thought of it.

When we say we are infinite , without boundaries. This notion is very appealing, yet how does one get their mind around this notion?
The way I have thought about it , or the 'flash' that came to me was in this following manner.

• What do I know that is infinite, without bounds? Akasha.
• Akasha has no limits and penetrates every thing, in every direction. It is considered the body of Brahman.
• Now with the infinite , perfect, untainted space, add awareness.
• This awareness fills this akasha , it is ubiquitous, and fills this akasha to the brim.
• This now has the personality of the SELF, of Atman. In all places, all times. So the reason one can be infinite is to experience this akasha+Awareness in ones self as the SELF.
• There is no place it is not, so ones personal experience is Unboundedness, without constraints, Infinite.

To me this insight helps me better understand what Moksha is, and its possibility. It takes it from the mystical , to the plausible and real.

Now did someone else think of this? Most likely yes; for me I put the components together to form a construct that allowed greater appreciation of boundlessness.

I hope others continue to add their ideas...

pranams,

[satay]

Here is mine for what it's worth:

I always wonder if the God we think as 'ONE' is not one but many. That is, what if there are many gods one for each religion. Is it so bad to have multiple gods one for each religion? How does it matter to anyone if there is only one god or multiple gods?

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Satay,

Polytheism is not a new idea.

However, if God is not One, then the veda and vedAnta are false.

Any monotheistic religion that claims eternity, omnipresence, omnipotence, and perfection, for its Godhead, must be considering exactly the same ultimate Deity.

And any suggestion of multiple Godheads simultaneously denies all of the above.

[satay]

namaskar,

However, if God is not One, then the veda and vedAnta are false.

Yes, I know and thus as a hindu my original or not so original thought is false.

[saidevo]

Namaste Sarabhanga.

However, if God is not One, then the veda and vedAnta are false.

Any monotheistic religion that claims eternity, omnipresence, omnipotence, and perfection, for its Godhead, must be considering exactly the same ultimate Deity.

And any suggestion of multiple Godheads simultaneously denies all of the above.

What about the hierarchy of multiple godheads under and as manifestation of Brahman, the One God (for example the Hindu Trimurti brahmA-vishNu-shivA)? What about their powers (of omnipotence etc.) vis-a-vis each other and Brahman? And what about the powers of 'avatArAs' and 'jnAnis' considered on par with the Absolute?

[devisarada]

Here is mine for what it's worth:

I always wonder if the God we think as 'ONE' is not one but many. That is, what if there are many gods one for each religion. Is it so bad to have multiple gods one for each religion? How does it matter to anyone if there is only one god or multiple gods?

Namaste Satay,

I don't think it's so bad to have one (or more)gods for each religion. But, I believe that it is not true. As Sarabhanga says, the belief that there is only one God is contrary to the Vedas. I do believe, however, that each religion perceives that same God differently. God is the UltimateTruth. There can only be one Ultimate Truth.

This brings me to my original thought. A few years ago, when I was having some heated arguments with people about the nature of God and Truth. I contemplated about the nature of God for some time. God is beyond attributes, infinite, and cannot be understood by the logical human intellect.

Suddenly the analogy came to me that God/Truth is like an immense, many faceted diamond (in limited human terms):

The Diamond has many attributes, and many facets, it flashes many colours of light, As we look at it from different angles, it's shape changes. No one can see all of the facets of the diamond at the same time with the naked eye.

Therefore, as each of us from his own vantage point perceives only part of the diamond, so too,many religions teach about only part of God.

Only those who have become enlightened can experience God as a whole, and that experience can not be explained in words.

Since many relgions rely only on words to spread their message, how can they pass on the whole experience to their followers?

[devotee]

Namaste,

When we say we are infinite , without boundaries. This notion is very appealing, yet how does one get their mind around this notion?
The way I have thought about it , or the 'flash' that came to me was in this following manner.

• What do I know that is infinite, without bounds? Akasha.
• Akasha has no limits and penetrates every thing, in every direction. It is considered the body of Brahman.
• Now with the infinite , perfect, untainted space, add awareness.
• This awareness fills this akasha , it is ubiquitous, and fills this akasha to the brim.
• This now has the personality of the SELF, of Atman. In all places, all times. So the reason one can be infinite is to experience this akasha+Awareness in ones self as the SELF.
• There is no place it is not, so ones personal experience is Unboundedness, without constraints, Infinite.

Excellent insight !

I always wonder if the God we think as 'ONE' is not one but many. That is, what if there are many gods one for each religion. Is it so bad to have multiple gods one for each religion? How does it matter to anyone if there is only one god or multiple gods?

If no offence is taken, I would say that God never was, never is or will never be One ... it is always one each for every individual. The Krishna I know and worship is different from what Meera worshipped or what others worship. Will it be blasphemy to say that "I am the creator of my God/god" ?

God is a concept which is a creation of mind & that is why it has various names, forms, characteristics, nature, likings & dislikings. God changes with the concept of the devotee. The reality is devoid of all those attributes. That, "What Is", has no name, no form, no attribute what we may think of through our mind and senses. Reality takes the form and the name devotee/seeker wants to give It. It becomes YHWH for the Jews, Jesus for the Christians, Buddha for the Buddhists, Shiva for the Shaivites, Vishnu/Krishna/Rama for the Vaisnavas, Mother Goddess for the Shaktas.

"O Arjuna, even those devotees who worship Devas other than me with faith, they also worship Me, but in an improper way because I am the Supreme Being. I alone am the enjoyer of all sacrificial services (Seva, Yajna) and Lord of the universe." (Gita: 9:23)

( ===> Can anyone enlighten me why Lord Krishna chooses the word, "improper way" & not "sinful" here ? )

If we believe NDEs, it can be seen that the experience of a Christian is completely different from that of a Hindu. In fact, it is slightly varying from one individual to the other even within the same religion & thus makes a strong case for individual Gods !

IMHO, all concepts of God are within the realm of mind ... Reality which is One ( saying it One is also incorrect as there nothing to compare/count) without a second is beyond that !