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Argh, me too. Not to be too over-the-top dramatic or make people go "OMG, poor JerZ" but just sayin': I wonder how Mr. Tolle would calmly interpret how I drew my near-drowning (to the point of unconsciousness) in a bathtub by a family member at age four into my own experience. Or how infants draw rape into their own experience. And yeah, infants to do get raped, a couple of years ago on one of these boards there was a giant you-know-what storm about a little boy not even two years old who was raped to death. TO DEATH. HOW would he have even imagined such a thing? Or even violence as a general thing that could ever go to such an extreme? A toddler??? Really?
Yeah, this shyte sets my hair on fire too. I believe to an extent we can draw our own experiences but unilateral "your universe is ALL your own creation," I just can't buy. I think we can influence things and make choices and I do believe in attraction to an extent but throwing it all into one pile of "okay, so this means our every experience is what we made" just doesn't make ANY sense. What about infants who are left in dumpsters? How did they have the consciousness to manage to attract that? Or a 6-month-old who dies of SIDS? That's what she "manifested"?
How about an intellectually delayed person being abused in a home, how is s/he managing to draw that into her own experience? How would she even KNOW such things existed? Say for example (sorry to use rape again)...but she never even heard of sex...and had never been ill treated before...but now she's moved due to money issues or whatever and is sexually abused. HOW did she "attract" that? See what I'm saying? And such stories happen every day.
Just doesn't make sense, IMO.
But the worst is when some smugly calm person steeples his fingers under his chin to calmly inform others experiencing such horrors "drew" those experiences. I...just...I....(JerZ's head explodes) Okay...I feel much better now.
It may have something to do with this very popular notion (Oprah subscribes to it) that "everything happens for a reason" along with the accompanying notion that when we're on the "other side" or between incarnations I guess, we decide what our next life is going to be, for the purposes of learning. We're here to learn.
Of course this is all very comforting but there is absolutely no evidence for it. I don't think it's intellectually respectable.
A. Live in the "Now" don't let the past and future creep into your "present and nowful" thoughts and existence.
B. Avoid the "Pain Body" and remember it is like a drug or habit that likes to be fed.
C. Remain conscious (spiritually not literally as there are times you will need to sleep) and avoid the unconscious.
Keep in mind that most of society is dishing out unconscious pain body. If you don't believe me just go to your local Library and scan the collection of latest DVD's they just got in for their patrons. Bang Bang Shootem Up Action Adventure, Posessed Demonic Homicidal Dolls, Teenage Vampires, War Movies, etc...etc...
So there you have it... Just remain conscious, in the "Now" and out of the Pain Body, easy enough, right?........right?............right? .....
Tolle's take on why there is so much suffering is that all is an expression of the One Consciousness or God that is temporarily assuming physical form and slowly over time evolving or reawakening from a sense of separation or darkness back to itself into the Light of Consciousness. He says he can't explain why God would want to do this other than that God or Consciousness loves to create and appear as countless different forms showing up in countless varied ways. Tolle views the suffering one as a temporary expression of God as God assuming that specific form and taking on that suffering. We can see the suffering of Jesus being tormented on the cross as the archetypal image of human suffering returning back into the Light of God.
Reading the many near death experience accounts could potentially be helpful for some to understanding how it is possible that we are an expression of a larger, greater, vaster power and intelligence.
Tolle's take on why there is so much suffering is that all is an expression of the One Consciousness or God that is temporarily assuming physical form and slowly over time evolving or reawakening from a sense of separation or darkness back to itself into the Light of Consciousness. He says he can't explain why God would want to do this other than that God or Consciousness loves to create and appear as countless different forms showing up in countless varied ways. Tolle views the suffering one as a temporary expression of God as God assuming that specific form and taking on that suffering. We can see the suffering of Jesus being tormented on the cross as the archetypal image of human suffering returning back into the Light of God.
So over about 2.5 million years so far God hasn't had enough temporary pain experience?
He needs some more before he can figure out what the experience of pain is like?
Because an all but thought-less newborn infant can figure it out in like two seconds.
These overly simple stories (not the person I'm quoting, but Tolle's) are like overly simple religious texts. They can only make sense if one doesn't think them through at all. One of two incredibly basic pieces of logic, and they fall down. I will keep searching, I guess.
So over about 2.5 million years so far God hasn't had enough temporary pain experience?
He needs some more before he can figure out what the experience of pain is like?
Because an all but thought-less newborn infant can figure it out in like two seconds.
These overly simple stories (not the person I'm quoting, but Tolle's) are like overly simple religious texts. They can only make sense if one doesn't think them through at all. One of two incredibly basic pieces of logic, and they call down. I will keep searching, I guess.
Bertrand Russell wrote that the two most important things in life are kindliness and intelligence. That's my religion. Good enough for me. Everything else, hair on fire.
Bertrand Russell wrote that the two most important things in life are kindliness and intelligence. That's my religion. Good enough for me. Everything else, hair on fire.
God is the source of all kindliness and intelligence.
God is the source of all kindliness and intelligence.
Not if you read the New or Old Testament: the god portrayed in that literature is violent, misogynist, murderous, jealous. Really horrible. But it's all made up anyway, IMHO.
Bertrand Russell wrote that the two most important things in life are kindliness and intelligence. That's my religion. Good enough for me. Everything else, hair on fire.
That’s not religion. Religion is belief in the superhuman. You have personal ethics and values that aren’t at all religious. You don’t use mythology to justify your personal ethics.
The world is self-centered and 100 IQ. It needs mythology to explain things it can’t comprehend and a social construct to counter the selfishness. You appear to have self segregated away from that.
It may have something to do with this very popular notion (Oprah subscribes to it) that "everything happens for a reason" along with the accompanying notion that when we're on the "other side" or between incarnations I guess, we decide what our next life is going to be, for the purposes of learning. We're here to learn.
Of course this is all very comforting but there is absolutely no evidence for it. I don't think it's intellectually respectable.
You're right. It is not intellectually respectable and it's also emotionally and spiritually reprehensible.
I have some experience on this. My husband committed suicide. You won't believe the tripe I heard from people. Things NOT to say to someone experiencing tragic loss:
"He's in a better place now."
"Everything happens for a reason."
"There will be a blessing in this...you'll see."
"God is testing you/strengthening you."
"Focus on the good."
I shouldn't even be writing this stuff out. It just reminds me how much I hate Tolle, Oprah, Osteen and their ilk (and their disciples).
You're right. It is not intellectually respectable and it's also emotionally and spiritually reprehensible.
I have some experience on this. My husband committed suicide. You won't believe the tripe I heard from people. Things NOT to say to someone experiencing tragic loss:
"He's in a better place now."
"Everything happens for a reason."
"There will be a blessing in this...you'll see."
"God is testing you/strengthening you."
"Focus on the good."
I shouldn't even be writing this stuff out. It just reminds me how much I hate Tolle, Oprah, Osteen and their ilk (and their disciples).
So you hate well more than 50% of the people in the country.
I don't hate unless it's someone trying to force their flawed belief system on me.
Oprah is pandering. She's made her estimated $2.7 billion net worth off the unwashed masses who subscribe to that tripe. Don't confuse brilliant self-marketing with actual beliefs.
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.......right? .....
