Comment by doug on January 28, 2012 at 8:57am

I went on from this first video to a few others...very time consuming...but they show eventually that Deepak is no different than so many other Hindu teachers.   Ho hmmmmm....

Comment by The Kernel on January 28, 2012 at 11:03am

Interesting observation.  It sounds like you kept searching until you found what you were looking for - which was to support your existing  notions.  Nevertheless, it is a credit to you doug to take the time to watch this video. 

From my point of view, Chopra articulates what I see as new/emerging views of spirituality.  If you noticed, he hardly mentions the name of God and gives no lasting reference to avatars/messengers like Buddha and Jesus and Krishna.  He however does an excellent job of briefly illustrating some frameworks for peace and well-being.  As well, I think he provided a wealth of science-based information and perspectives. . . then he links many of these to ancient Vedic Literature or scripture as you would call it.  In other words he alluded to a certain consistency between what science is finding today and what the ancient seers articulated thousands of years ago.  doug do you not see any similarity between human well-being, the teachings of Christ and modern science?  Chopra suggests there is increasingly little discrepancy between science and spirituality.

Thanks for taking time to comment.

Comment by doug on January 28, 2012 at 12:40pm

Kernel,

I pretty well agree with what you say and with what you conclude.  As much as it may seem that I kept searching for things to support  my "existing notions", it was more that that this evinced itself as the underlying basis for what he says.  Hinduism and pantheism is exuded in most of his ideas...and they do merge eventually with science.  Yes. 

My contention, if you would call it that, is that people tend to get caught up in these concepts and can neglect to see or realize that God is the creator of all these things.  And as such, we are to worship Him, rather than what He has created.  Recognizing our-self is great, but if we do not recognize who the creator of "us" is, then we have missed the point of it all.   

Comment by The Kernel on January 28, 2012 at 2:29pm

doug,

The more I look at it panthianism is as realistic a way for some to connect to the divine or sense of divine as, for example, Christianity that endorses more than one manifestation of God - as in the trinity . . . or as the "Hindoos" call it, The Trimurti.  

The contention that God is the creator of everything is, in my opinion a convenient way for people to turn God into something that controls the material universe - to say the least.  My personal understanding is that, contrary to the popular view, God is neither the creator or controller of the universe.  The premise I use is that matter/energy is neither created or destroyed and that the Supreme does not intervene in the material universe of motion.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you say, "Recognizing our-self is great, but if we do not recognize who the creator of "us" is, then we have missed the point of it all." As you know the paradigm I use is that I am an infinitesimal (metaphysical) point of conscient energy that is eternal.  I am a soul and God is my Father.  God is the Father of Souls.

Comment by doug on January 29, 2012 at 10:57am

Yes, yes.  But if matter is neither created nor destroyed, then that contradicts entropy, which clearly evinces itself thoughout our world, and it can not be minimalized by calling it an illlusion or trying to explain that there is no entropy because it is actually an open system.  That is a poor and erroneous excuse some use. 

Surely I accept what you say as your opinion, but I then answer that the "convenient way" of some people to view God as the creator, may just be MORE than a convenience...it may just be the truth.  And as you might well expect, I say this because I believe this is what God has clearly told us in the Bible ...numerous times.

Yes, you are a soul, but God is only your father if you have "made peace with Him" and have not remained a renegade in sin.  (Here we go again)...and the only way to make peace with God is through his son Jesus.  (forgive me if I sound like a broken record)   

 

Comment by The Kernel on January 29, 2012 at 12:29pm

No doug you don't sound like a broken record.  Your arguments are solid and illuminating. 

The entopy (2nd) law would appear to contradict the 1st thermodynamic law.  On the one hand matter/energy is neither created nor destroyed and on the other heat energy seems to disipate into cold.  Does this mean that the universe, regardless of how it was created will become a cold lifeless place?

In "my" cosmology, creation is a mystery - the mystery of creation. My assumption is that the universe is a process that is both living and dying and transforming and being transformed.  "I" do not prefer to attribute the universe or multiverse to a big bang that had no cause - nor do I attribute creation to an all-powerful Deity. 

I look at existence as what some call The Eternal Drama of Souls, Matter and God.  These constituents are eternal.  God is beyond time and space.  Matter is inert - is subject to rules, like entropy, and does not the purveyor of life/consciousness.  Souls, like me and you, come from the soul world as a particle of conscient energy and enter into the space/time world of matter.  Why?  Because, at least for a time this is a very fun place to be.  Eventually, the law of action/reaction turns paradise into hell on earth.  Eventually, the world of purity is despoiled or polluted.  Yes entropy moves all systems from "order" to "disorder".  The only way to offset this tendency is to inject energy/purity into the system.  And in the end God comes to restore all degenerated souls to their former perfect state.

How does your cosmology work from a pseudo-scientific or socio-spiritual POV?

Comment by Adriaan Braam on January 30, 2012 at 8:56am

Maybe I'm somewhere in between here but closer to the Bible and all its concepts or creation and reasons for our existence. I don't like typing at all and only do short comments, generally. I have a book, called Proving God, and I really like it as it explains the process by which God created and still creates the universe. Existence is constant creation. Creation by God is the process in which He distances His Divinity from Himself which becomes spirit as it is brought down ('filtered') through the heavens to us and ultimately as the matter of the world (and as you know, even matter is not solid but a combination of particals and waves). Much the same as sunshine is 'filtered' through the distance and different atmospheres before it hits the world and helps and 'causes' creation.

Even in this analogy it can be detailed as light=truth and warmth=love. God is Love itself and Wisdom itself and when combined into Use becomes Life.

I don't see the universe, or our reason for being here, as the entertainment centre of the spiritual world. I see it as the womb or building ground of our human characters or self. With the ultimate result or goal to have heaven within us here, so we can become an angel in heaven after our body dies. We determine our destination by the quality of our character. Does this show how 'my' cosmology works? :)

"Does this mean that the universe, regardless of how it was created will become a cold lifeless place?" Anyone thinking we have a problem of "global warming" does not see it that way :)

Now I'm going to watch the video..

 

Comment by Adriaan Braam on January 30, 2012 at 9:51am

Great video!! The one aspect I really apreciate in this video is that if we go into matter deep enough we meet spirit.
That, to me, shows the spiritual origin of matter as I mentioned above. The next time we meet, John, I'll give you that book "Proving God". As 'far' as I understand it, it makes perfect sense. It is written my Edward Sylvia who also has a blog.

http://www.staircasepress.com/Advance_Praise.php

Comment by The Kernel on January 30, 2012 at 10:45am

Thanks for that Adriaan.  For a guy who doesn't like to type much, you sure know how to say a lot. 

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