I got in a terrible state over Hinduism.

[Honza]

If we are reincarnating over and over, then it must be true that it is only in this present lifetime that I actually heard of Hinduism and self realisation. I believe I have been incarnating in the West and have never been to the East.

Hence the Eastern religions and spirituality are totally new to me. It took me years and years this lifetime to come to terms with them. I got hurt in the process too. In the end it was worth it. I feel I understand reality/God better now.

The Eastern religions/spirituality can come as a huge shock to Westerners.

[HITESH SHAH]

Originally Posted by Honza

I got hurt in the process too. In the end it was worth it. I feel I understand reality/God better .

Sad that u got hurt yet very happy that u not only overcome it but also feel it worth.l am glad for u n
wish great journey ahead.

[Unseeking Seeker]

All isms address mind, do they not? They help us focus, perhaps point out to truths recognised by others but that’s it.

The word is not the thing. Picture of the fruit offers us not its taste.

It hardly matters in which culture we are born. If God is omnipresent, He must be within. Silence reveals the truth. Of course, for one wave to rise, another must first subside, so when thoughts recede, identity dies and then the truth is known, being what we always were and are but forgot.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Honza

The Eastern religions/spirituality can come as a huge shock to Westerners.

From my experience, it was not a real shocker. Although there were some shockers but not the type people might expect.

I used to buy Hindu pictures from one Hindu woman in which she mounted and framed the pictures. Near her shop was another shop run by a Muslim woman.
It didn't take long for the Muslim woman to figure out the picture business and soon I was buying pictures from her. I was surprised she saw nothing wrong in selling Hindu pictures.

[Honza]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

If God is omnipresent, He must be within. Silence reveals the truth. Of course, for one wave to rise, another must first subside, so when thoughts recede, identity dies and then the truth is known, being what we always were and are but forgot.

That is already an Eastern way of seeing God. I don't see it that way.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Originally Posted by Honza

That is already an Eastern way of seeing God. I don't see it that way.

There’s nothing Eastern about it. It is either external or internal. For example, we say God is ‘out there in the sky or in an unknown heaven’ or maybe worshiping of deities, idols, concepts, a spiritual master (Jesus, Buddha or whoever) etc ~ all external. We are ‘here’ and God or whatever is ‘out there’.

Internal is silence. We step aside, relinquish all concepts, beliefs and imagined knowing, all conditioning imposed by culture etc. We may look at it as meditation if we wish.

Either which ways, it does not matter. As long as we rely on the thinking process, we are in mind and so there are beliefs, imagined or otherwise. Still, focus makes attention single pointed, doesn’t it? Everything fades away except the object or symbol or idea we imagine as the Absolute. We then meld, merge with that construct. Identity disappears, so that light of Self May then be cognised.

Likewise, in silence, we are still. Yet here too, an internal battle wages since we tend to anticipate manifestation or perhaps an attribute like light or bliss or sounds we may have encountered previously. The doer surreptitiously surfaces! Ultimately, when we can release ourselves completely, light of Self shines forth!

All roads lead to Rome.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Honza

That is already an Eastern way of seeing God. I don't see it that way.

Being still is not Eastern, Honza .
''Be still and know that I am God''... is just not a prevalent teaching in many Western churches, from my exp.
And understandably - what need would a person have for a church, a priest or rituals if we all knew we could connect to God Himself within!
Look at the problems Meister Eckhart had telling people this !! Oh my! (d. 1328)

Here, for those that know nothing of him - found online for example--
Q: Why was Meister Eckhart excommunicated?

A: During Meister Eckhart's life many of his teachings were formally condemned and suppressed because
church leaders feared that simple people might misunderstand the master's words and reject all religion.

[BigJohn]

Just a thought: some claim Christianity has an Eastern origin.

[Altair]

It's kind of pointless calling it 'eastern' or 'western'. Christianity for example is viewed as a ''western'' religion but it is dominant in South Korea and the Philippines. What about Islam? Dominant in Morocco and in Indonesia. What about the popularity of yoga and meditation in Europe and the US? If some ancient Christians went all the way to India (and they did) then what does it still mean anyway?

The concepts of ''west'' and ''east'' are pretty outdated by now, resting on certain cultural and even racial biases stemming from the 19th and 20th centuries. There are of course countries and their history and a dominant religion that shaped the culture, but this is subject to change and on an individual level so much more is possible. A practice might work for you but it might not be popular in your area, does that mean you are 'east' or 'west'? Does it really matter?

[Honza]

Where would one say the idea of 'God above' is more common? Where would one say the idea of 'God within' is more common?

I would say those two ideas are largely Western and Eastern, with a certain amount of overlap.