"God is...nothing else is."

[Chanine]

Originally Posted by davidsun

Ahhh, the great couch potato, 'sit back' choice! There's a response to what's actually here (i.e. WAS and so now IS) and continuing to go on (and so WILL BE)!

Maybe also play a fiddle or two or sing some 'praises' while you are at it ... Why not? I mean, if you are one who can't stand just sitting and watching. That's another 'free' (to god-like folks) choice! Aye what?

The ever expanding couch potato, peeled or unpeeled..it make no difference...very perceptive about my fiddle playing :)

[davidsun]

Originally Posted by Chanine

The ever expanding couch potato, peeled or unpeeled..it make no difference...very perceptive about my fiddle playing :)

Though you may have 'gotten away' with it till now, I offer the following counter to your above statement (for all to consider), Chanine. IMO, the presumptuousness (over-confidence) exhibited by your conclusiveness in the above regard is totally unwarranted:

From my book, Godspeak 2000: "Life is Creativity and Creativity is causal purpose in action."

LOGIC 101: Therefore every choice (i.e. A instead of B, or B instead of A) makes a 'difference' - the word 'makes' reflecting the above reference to 'Creativity'.

Fiddle away, if that continues to be your primary 'choice'. Please know, however, that I personally 'see' such 'choice' as essentially being the same as Nero's supposed one!

[Chanine]

Originally Posted by davidsun

Though you may have 'gotten away' with it till now, I offer the following counter to your above statement (for all to consider), Chanine. IMO, the presumptuousness (over-confidence) exhibited by your conclusiveness in the above regard is totally unwarranted:

From my book, Godspeak 2000: "Life is Creativity and Creativity is causal purpose in action."

LOGIC 101: Therefore every choice (i.e. A instead of B, or B instead of A) makes a 'difference' - the word 'makes' reflecting the above reference to 'Creativity'.

Fiddle away, if that continues to be your primary 'choice'. Please know, however, that I personally 'see' such 'choice' as essentially being the same as Nero's supposed one!

The creativity and devotion I feel in your words shine through..well done my friend, please carry on

[davidsun]

Originally Posted by Chanine

The creativity and devotion I feel in your words shine through..well done my friend, please carry on

Please also know that I know that what I 'read' in your (anyone's!) words is only what I perceive on the basis of my understanding of the 'logic' they express, Chanine. What can I say except that the 'board' is such that I can only operate 'on it' as linear-logic wielding tactician. I know there has to be much more to anyone than what they actually verbally say in writing.

I am touched that you see and feel and are postively responsive in relation to my intent, which I also know my words (alone) can't possibly fully express.

[Miss Hepburn]

God is...nothing else is.
What freedom of sight and experience.
How simple it makes all obstacles....challenges placed in front of our own
individualized selves to our Self.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Happy
Not snappy
Smile
Without guile

Pause the cause ...
Stay a while ...
Cognise
Realise

Oneness

***

[Atma Varta]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Ha! Quite the statement, eh?

That basically sums up ACIM... A Course In Miracles...
Well, and Ramana and Nisargadatta.
I dunno...can anything else be said after that !? Hahahahahlol

If you believe that God will do all the things that you want Him to do, then surrender yourself to Him. OTHERWISE LET GOD ALONE AND KNOW YOURSELF .If there be true surrender, there can be no complaint or frustration.

Another beautiful line by Ramana Maharishi

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

God is...nothing else is.
What freedom of sight and experience.
How simple it makes all obstacles....challenges placed in front of our own
individualized selves to our Self.

God is everything, including Self, but not Self exclusively.
Self-realisation is the association with Atman at the level of cognitive awareness.
God-realisation, is the integration with Paramatman at the level of Agape, which is heart based, in which the Self becomes totally lost in an ocean of Bliss.

For many years, I have tried to reconcile Bhakti with Advaita Vedanta, as I followed BOTH paths, even though they seemed to contradict each other at every turn...One being the path of duality, while the other being the path of non-duality.

Until I realised, that Duality vs Non-Duality WAS that Duality which prevented me from getting any further, and always being stuck in my "brain box". I had wracked my brain over it SO much and couldn't find a happy medium...A middle ground which incorporated both and neither simultaneously.

Then last night, I found my answer...My OWN answer and it is called Advaita Siddhanta:

https://chestofbooks.com/new-age/spi...Siddhanta.html

This postulates that Duality is a PART of Non Duality and vice versa, and not as an antithesis or point of counter-existence.

It came when I asked the Universe why it was that many Advaita Vedantins still worshiped a God... including Ramana Maharishi and Adi Shankaracharya, when they didn't need to because "They ARE that" and I got "Yes, I AM that, but SO is the God I worship....thus, I worship God just to remind me of this" and in this way, what is seen as "Duality" and "Non Duality" is only a matter of perception and nothing more...and one can still get stuck at that level, taking lifetimes to try and figure it out.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

God is everything, including Self, but not Self exclusively.
Self-realisation is the association with Atman at the level of cognitive awareness.
God-realisation, is the integration with Paramatman at the level of Agape, which is heart based, in which the Self becomes totally lost in an ocean of Bliss.

For many years, I have tried to reconcile Bhakti with Advaita Vedanta, as I followed BOTH paths, even though they seemed to contradict each other at every turn...One being the path of duality, while the other being the path of non-duality.

Until I realised, that Duality vs Non-Duality WAS that Duality which prevented me from getting any further, and always being stuck in my "brain box". I had wracked my brain over it SO much and couldn't find a happy medium...A middle ground which incorporated both and neither simultaneously.

Then last night, I found my answer...My OWN answer and it is called Advaita Siddhanta:

https://chestofbooks.com/new-age/spi...Siddhanta.html

This postulates that Duality is a PART of Non Duality and vice versa, and not as an antithesis or point of counter-existence.

It came when I asked the Universe why it was that many Advaita Vedantins still worshiped a God... including Ramana Maharishi and Adi Shankaracharya, when they didn't need to because "They ARE that" and I got "Yes, I AM that, but SO is the God I worship....thus, I worship God just to remind me of this" and in this way, what is seen as "Duality" and "Non Duality" is only a matter of perception and nothing more...and one can still get stuck at that level, taking lifetimes to try and figure it out.

Excellent post.

Gaudapada, author of the commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad, avoided all requests to explain the multiplicity of empirical experience in the universe. He simply stated (and proved if one can indeed prove such a thing by sheer logic) that this is the very nature (Unity in Diversity) of the Effulgent Being.

It seems that you have come to the same conclusion (in different words: "Duality is a PART of Non Duality and vice versa") as I have and as Gaudapada has stated.

Welcome back !

[davidsun]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

... this is the very nature (Unity in Diversity) of the Effulgent Being.
...

Welcome back !

Ditto.