Should we even be spiritual while incarnated in the physis? And why do we incarnate?

[lemex]

Originally Posted by MAYA EL

But you are here to gain understanding to be an individual to make your understanding of life is unique to you which is the opposite of the cancerous concept going around where we need to "all become one" which is spiritual suicide.

Correct me if I am wrong. But I think the "you" is the "soul". The soul gains all that's been said. Is the "you" the soul? Is there a (the) "reason" for the experience or do we just experience. My greatest wonder, is it the "soul" that does all the bad and good things in the world? The soul is controlled here. Maybe a small difference. But because I have changed my soul changed. The soul is so controlled and influenced by this place.

[inavalan]

Originally Posted by Siemens

We are souls that deliberately incarnated on this planet to make experiences that are possible only in the physis. Does it even make sense to lead a spiritual life, focus on spiritual themes, and practice spiritual techniques like meditation, when we, as souls, incarnated in the physis with the intention to experience the physis? Shouldn’t we rather be focused on material things?

Aren’t these spiritual activities things that we could do when we are dead and in the beyond? I mean, for what reason did we incarnate in the physis when we then orient ourselves back toward the non-physis were we actually came from?

Since we can be spiritual when we are in the beyond, wouldn’t it be much more plausible to utilize the material life for material experiences? Shouldn’t we here on earth focus on consumerism, worldly pleasure, ego, individualism, and occupational success - or why do we even incarnate?

Great questions!

Personally, I believe that the most important and practical question each one should ask is: What am I supposed to do in this life?

I'm tempted to reply to your and my questions, and explain what answers I found, and how I found them, but at the same time I'm reluctant to do it, because nobody will benefit from this, as everybody has their minds already made up. In the worst case I might get misinterpreted, and /or get some rude replies.

(Actually, I've already posted about this subject, just not in this thread).

Anyway, in my case, such questions were very important and they sparked a quest for answers, worth to pursue. It could be the same for others. Good luck!

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by inavalan

Great questions!

Personally, I believe that the most important and practical question each one should ask is: What am I supposed to do in this life?

I'm tempted to reply to your and my questions, and explain what answers I found, and how I found them, but at the same time I'm reluctant to do it, because nobody will benefit from this, as everybody has their minds already made up. In the worst case I might get misinterpreted, and /or get some rude replies.

(Actually, I've already posted about this subject, just not in this thread).

Anyway, in my case, such questions were very important and they sparked a quest for answers, worth to pursue. It could be the same for others. Good luck!

Interesting dilemma!

If I go one way, it might be 'wrong'.
If I go the other way, that too might be 'wrong'.
If I do nothing, could that possibly be what 'I am suppose to lean'?

[inavalan]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Interesting dilemma!

If I go one way, it might be 'wrong'.
If I go the other way, that too might be 'wrong'.
If I do nothing, could that possibly be what 'I am suppose to learn'?

This is one kind of replies I was expecting. Disappointing to be right.

[BigJohn]

Why is it disappointing in light of the original poster's question?

[davidsun]

Originally Posted by MAYA EL

reincarnation is a mistranslation of ancient Middle Eastern religious codex. You do not reincarnate because you did not exist until your parents make you ...

I don't know what 'codex' you are referencing MAYA EL but, quoting from my treatise, there are these historical facts which I think are worth considering:

Even in the case of relatively educated populations today, because of self‑imposed ‘blindness’ stemming from their desire to belong to a group-sponsored tradition and corollary wish to not ‘rock the boat’ in this regard, the vast majority of self-identified ‘Christians’ still don’t ‘see’ that the passage: “His disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias [the Greek transliteration of the name Elijah] must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:10-13) clearly indicates that Jesus personally ‘saw’ John the Baptist as having been the (prophesied) reincarnation of Elias. And, because they haven’t read and so haven’t thought about what’s been clearly stated in historical accounts pertaining to early developments in Christianity as a social movement for the same reason, said ‘Christians’ remain unaware of the fact that, like Jesus, many of early Christianity’s members (Origen being just one prominent example) also embraced the idea of reincarnation and understood it to reference a phenomenal aspect of Life’s process. So ‘Christians’ generally still continue to ignore and dismiss the implications of the fact that belief in reincarnation was only declared to be anathema by the Fifth General Council of the Church in 553 C.E. in the course of the Roman Catholic Church Hierarchy’s ongoing quest to establish itself as a centralized, “souls have only one ‘chance’ of getting into Heaven and that is by way of giving absolute credence to what we say the truth pertaining to Jesus and his teachings is and unquestioningly obeying our edicts in every regard during their (presumptively, then) one and only earthly life” dictatorial authority.

Originally Posted by MAYA EL

the cancerous concept going around where we need to "all become one" which is spiritual suicide.

Many don't understand the subtleties of what Jesus meant when he said things like “The Father is in me, and I in him” (John 10:38) which he added in the same speech-sequence (as “I and my Father are one”), and "“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20) If you are interested in such matters, my treatise clarifies this.

[BigJohn]

You quoted John 10:38.

Did you realize the first Greek word translated as Father is not the same Greek word also translated as Father. They are 2 separate, different words. I suspect this might be one of many verses that were not translated properly. Just my opinion, check it out yourself if you want to.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by davidsun

“His disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias [the Greek transliteration of the name Elijah]......

You should note that
the English word for Elijah in Greek is transliterated as Ēlian not Elias.

in Latin, the English word for Elijah is transliterated as Elias.

Sometimes it is hard to keep track in which language how a particular word was pronounced.

Elijah's name literally means "My God is Yahweh".

[Altair]

You are being very insufferable Yjotir, over-analysing my every sentence. I'm honestly not interested in any interrogations. What's important here is that you are missing the point..

This idea that happiness can't be found in the worldly things and in pleasure, because they are 'temporary' is rather problematic, but a view that returns in many spiritual traditions. Many of the things we enjoy are temporary, as are loved ones. I think we may forget anti-pleasure and non-attachment teachings were made and are upheld by ascetics and monks, and are not that relevant for most of us. Abandoning the worldly, eschewing pleasures, and all things of ''a temporary nature'' does not necessarily bring one happiness. Such an anti-world view can work for genuine ascetics and monks, but should IMO be met with caution by most spiritually interested people. And I am not the only one who observed this as others I've talked with have come to similar observations.

Life on earth and everything in it shouldn't be viewed as all misery and unhappiness, and spirituality as some miracle cure for every problem, because it really isn't. When someone says that the worldly won't bring happiness but only something spiritual does, then they are placing themselves firmly into that position. The irony is that spiritual traditions, besides being able to make people happy, can also have the potency to actually make people miserable by making them give up things that would otherwise make their lives better.

[lemex]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

You quoted John 10:38.

Please explain the meaning then.