How Do You Deal With the God issue?

Yilun Ong, modified 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 2:09 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 2:09 AM

How Do You Deal With the God issue?

Posts: 623 Join Date: 8/7/17 Recent Posts
Having searched here with the keyword: God. it seems that the majority is more than sure that there isn't one or many. How do you deal with people who are dear to you, who may be spending a lot of their time with an imaginary friend? Do you go along, preach, teach or freak?
Kuru, modified 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 5:17 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 5:17 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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The variety of experiences and views we as humans can have is extraordinarily vast. As is the amount of things that people may refer to when they use the word God. What a single person means by the word God will often vary a lot depending on context, situation, which part of their experience or thoughts they are describing, etc.

Imaginary friends are just a very small aspect of the full spectrum of the divine. They can sometimes serve a useful function too. Very difficult to generalise. Other people's experiences are their own. For some people the word God could map to imaginary friends, for some it could map to luminous beings from deep samboghakaya or subtle realms, for some it could map to deep experiences of love and spiritual vision, for some it could map to an understanding of interdependence and emptiness, for some it could map to a sophisticated conceptual narrative used as a tool for psychological integration (eg Jordan Peterson / Jung), for some it could map to various virtues, for some it could map to various traumatic experiences, for some it could map to various parts of their ego, for some it could map to authoritative rules injected into their psyche by their parents or various authority figures or their projection of "society", etc etc.

What people here generally think about God is impossible to measure, again because of how varied and nuanced each of our experiences are. Only with something like a shared phenomenological/conceptual mapping tool like AQAL Integral Theory language could we even begin to have something of a nuanced discussion about the forum's collective views.

Ken Wilber's "1 2 3 of God" might be interesting to you, particularly the relationship between 1st person God and 2nd person God
shargrol, modified 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 5:51 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 5:51 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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First of all, respect for the person and their ideas and their conscience. Second, often the god-aspect doesn't directly apply to the details of their problem. I help them focus on the problem itself or the fact that there might not be one. 
Yilun Ong, modified 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 7:11 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 7:11 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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shargrol:
First of all, respect for the person and their ideas and their conscience. Second, often the god-aspect doesn't directly apply to the details of their problem. I help them focus on the problem itself or the fact that there might not be one. 

I do not even know the answer myself - is the God question even answerable factually perhaps through enlightenment or will it always be a Yes/No/Maybe belief system? I think at the moment it is best to avoid going deeper when I encounter such scenarios for now...
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Konstantin Alexandrov, modified 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 8:05 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 8:05 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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Might worth look at Shinzen Young's The Science of Enlightenment book, there's an overview of meditation practice within different traditions, including Hinduism, Judaism and Christanity. This interview contains some related things too.
His point is as far as I understood it is that every tradition has a "meditation core" with religious/cultural circles around it. Meaning for example what the majority of Jewish (or Christian, or whatever) people usually believe is not necessarily the same thing the sources of their religion meant.
Shinzen shares an interesting opinion that the sources if different traditions are just attempts to describe the same feelings/state but with different language
Speaking about God, something described as "no self" can be described as "true self" or "God", the state of no suffering can be called "The World of Infinity" (Kabbalah) and so on.
seth tapper, modified 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 9:53 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/5/17 9:52 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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I think the question of God is only relevant when you imagine seperate entities and selfs.  Then a me can have a relationship or prayer with it - or God.  When duality collapses, the concept God is no longer present and you dont miss it. 

I think believing in God is the best way for a human to be happy and to reach deep states of love and relaxation - that is why so many do! - so i would support them in their belief as long as it doesnt come with harmful dogma and action. 
Yilun Ong, modified 6 Years ago at 11/6/17 10:03 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/6/17 10:03 PM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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Angra Mainyu:
if their imaginary friend is just God then where is the issue ??

The issue is, what if they found out somehow in the future that the amount of time/effort they have spent in the past, doing things in accordance to the imaginary friend's orders is rubbish? I suppose it will not be an issue if they never found out. I am unsure of my current stance of doing nothing or going along with the flow.

Is it best to maintain, "Oh yes He is..." in response to "Isn't God great?"

then again, "He doesn't exist." is a spicy recipe for trouble.
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Bailey , modified 6 Years ago at 11/14/17 3:57 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/14/17 3:38 PM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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The Christian, Muslim, and Jewish God exist in Buddhism, the only difference is that Buddhists know that even he is impermanent.  Read the attachment below the quotes. These religions are great and help a lot of people in this lifetime and the next.  The more Buddhist I became the more respect for Christianity I got.  They just don't have the entire story.

With regard to preaching.  Use your judgement.  Keep in mind that it is not the Buddhism that is important but rather the meditation which is important.  People can reach enlightenment through meditation regardless of any of their beliefs.  Turn them on to meditation in a non-sectarian way.  This is why S.N. Goenka retreats are so great. They are non-sectarian.

Here is a Christian who reached Arahanthood:

http://www.innerexplorations.com/ewtext/br.htm

  • 14 - Great Brahmas (Maha brahma): One of this realm's most famous inhabitants is the Great Brahma, a deity whose delusion leads him to regard himself as the all-powerful, all-seeing creator of the Universe. According to the Brahmajāla Sutta, a Mahā brahmā is a being from the Ābhāsvara worlds who falls into a lower world through exhaustion of his merits and is reborn alone in the Brahma-world; forgetting his former existence, he imagines himself to have come into existence without cause.

God's Angels


  • 13 - Ministers of Brahma (brahma-purohita deva): The "Ministers of Brahmā" are beings, also originally from the Ābhāsvara worlds, that are born as companions to Mahābrahmā after he has spent some time alone. Since they arise after his thought of a desire for companions, he believes himself to be their creator, and they likewise believe him to be their creator and lord.

Attachments:

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Alesh Vyhnal, modified 6 Years ago at 11/14/17 10:40 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/14/17 10:40 PM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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All the proofs of God's existence have so far been refuted. Anselm' ontological argument, Aquinas' and Aristotle's proof from first cause or ultimate goal, divine inspiration of sacred texts, etc. to modern attempts of Gödel, William Lane Craig or Richard Swinburne and other theistic philosophers. So for a rationalist the only possible stance is negative atheism, i.e. "I don't believe God exists" (Since so far we don't have a valid proof of the existence of any.) Positive atheism, i.e. "I believe God doesn't exist" is much less logically defensible. (Since about 1990 philosophers have been developing plethora of "atheological arguments", i.e. proofs of God's nonexistence.)

All of these proofs depend on the definition of what you mean by the word "God". As Andrew S. writes it is highly individual and dependent on each subjective or inner experinece. E.g. for Einstein God was equivalent to the Nature or the physical laws describing it.   
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Bailey , modified 6 Years ago at 11/15/17 1:19 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/15/17 1:16 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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Lol    Try meditating to the point where angels and gods come and talk to you and then come answer this
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Alesh Vyhnal, modified 6 Years ago at 11/15/17 11:32 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/15/17 11:32 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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I even had a friend who regularly had sex with God during sleep. He had an immensely large collection of modavites. But God told him that moldavite is the sperm of aliens. So he threw all his precious collection to the river. It all disappeared after the treatment by ziprasidone. emoticon
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Alesh Vyhnal, modified 6 Years ago at 11/16/17 5:28 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/16/17 5:28 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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But I think you are right. In my opinion the right question is to ask why at all the human brain has the capacity to create such deep and complex states that cannot be described by words. (Induced by meditation/contemplation/introspection/concentration/hallucinogens)
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Richard Zen, modified 6 Years ago at 11/16/17 8:35 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/16/17 8:35 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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Some people use it to great effect:


https://www.amazon.com/Ask-Your-Guides-Sonia-Choquette-ebook/dp/B003H7EVLC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510842748&sr=8-1&keywords=Ask+your+guides

Ask your guides - Sonia Choquette

It's basically Intuition Introversion. A vision that you use to guide you. This way you don't have to follow human idols who are disappointing, you can follow perfect Gods that never waver in their dedication to help you. Then the brain gets that validation it always wanted without having to pay for a psychologist.
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Richard Zen, modified 6 Years ago at 11/16/17 7:23 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/16/17 7:23 PM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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For me it would be Individuation. Carl Jung was good at Intuition Introversion.
Chuck Kasmire, modified 6 Years ago at 11/19/17 12:43 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/19/17 12:42 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

Posts: 560 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
Yilun Ong:
Having searched here with the keyword: God. it seems that the majority is more than sure that there isn't one or many. How do you deal with people who are dear to you, who may be spending a lot of their time with an imaginary friend? Do you go along, preach, teach or freak?

Unless they are interested in what you have to say I wouldn't do anything. Otherwise it will just get both of you upset.
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Andrew McLaren Lewis, modified 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 6:08 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 6:08 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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I would say there are three different types of people who might say they believe in God. First, there are emotional people who seem to need an emotional crutch from this belief. Second, there are people who accept the idea of God as concept because that makes sense to them. Third, there are people who have done a lot of certain types of meditation and their experience is that they have merged with Brahman or God.

I am reading Suzanne Segal's book Collision with the Infinite. She did a lot of TM and she has had experiences that are difficult to understand from the Buddhist point of view. Some Buddhists would say that hers is a valid form of spiritual development, something along the lines of  Advaita Vedanta. Others might say that there's something wrong with what happened to her, that she's been following a spiritual dead end. I don't know.
Yilun Ong, modified 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 6:23 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 6:23 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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I am still awkward dealing with people e.g. asking me to go back to church for e.g. 

How the heck do I respond man... I really feel like having ants crawling all over me. I cannot say what I know for sure, so whatever clever lying I do, just feels like lying!
seth tapper, modified 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 9:13 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 9:13 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

Posts: 477 Join Date: 8/19/17 Recent Posts
Why not think of Christinaity as a giant religion dedicated only to Metta.  Just go to church and try to be like Christ. 
Yilun Ong, modified 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 9:18 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 9:18 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

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seth tapper:
Why not think of Christinaity as a giant religion dedicated only to Metta.  Just go to church and try to be like Christ. 

Dressed as a monk? I'd pay good money to see ANYONE do that and stay for the whole service in a mega-church! emoticon
seth tapper, modified 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 10:56 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 11/23/17 10:56 AM

RE: How Do You Deal With the God issue?

Posts: 477 Join Date: 8/19/17 Recent Posts
If they are really christian, they will love you for it. 

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