What's the bigger picture for us?

[Nowayout]

Just like the body needs food the spiritual needs are?

Renewal

Understanding

Wisdom...

Here

Have a slice of life

There

Afterlife unfolds

With or without you...

No other promises..

Its already been



Given.

No way out.....

Of your sickness..


Other lives...

Do you remember?

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by alcyone

Ok so say I believe I have some past lives. I have this life where I'm working hard to learn my lessons while seeking truth and some fun in this life, and I probably will have another human life.

What else is there though? Do I just reincarnate, live life, die, and reincarnate on repeat forever?

If this isn't the case, where am I going in the grand scheme of things?

I'm just curious

In the Hindu tradition, there is a concept called Moksha. Moksha is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, where the soul goes back to Source and merges with it - whatever that has been experienced to be.

This happens when the karmic 'bank balance' has been evened out...nobody owes you and you owe nobody and it's why many sadhus (holy men) isolate themselves from society, so they can simply exist within their own 'space' without accruing any more karma.

Some also go in for the practice of Karma Yoga and that is burning off their karmic debt by helping others and trying to get their Karmic 'bank balance' in the black....but if this is done for any motive...for any purpose or reward, then it is not Karma Yoga, so it is very tricky.

The aim of Karma Yoga is to eventually realise that there is nobody 'doing'...nobody 'working'...nobody 'helping' as it is all achieved through the hand of the Supreme and you are just a willing puppet; "There but for the Grace of God, go I".

To attain the realisation of Self (Nirvikalpa Samadhi/Nirguna Nirvana) is the final 'test' in this lesson of life...and you can only get a 'pass' or 'fail' mark. Pass, means that you have attained Moksha and you are now free from the Kalachakra (the wheel of death and rebirth) and 'fail' means you have another opportunity to take the examination, but if you have been working towards it in a previous existence, you'll still get to remember what all the questions were.

[Starman]

inavalan, thank you for being so respectful, and I hope to be respectful to you as well. I agree that life here on Earth is for learning, but I think where we differ is that, I see thoughts and emotions as tools for learning. I also see our human body as a vehicle that allows us to participate here on Earth, and in my opinion, thoughts and emotions come and go, as do our human body.

So if you are your thoughts, which thoughts are you, the thoughts you had last week, or last month, or are you the thought you had this morning? “I think therefore I am” in my opinion is inaccurate, because “I AM” regardless whether I think or do not think. The same thing can be applied to emotions. In my opinion and experience, we are something that is more steady and permanent than thoughts or emotions, and that does not come and go like thoughts and emotions. But as I said, I respect that you have a different opinion.

Now to the subject of love. I cannot let the outside world dictate how I feel inside of myself. I am not a puppet to what is going on around me. Love protects me from what “antagonism” there may be in this world. Love, in my opinion, is one of the greatest lessons we as human beings have to learn, and we have to learn this regardless what is going on around us. I am here on this plant to share the love, unconditionally, that is inherent in my soul, inherent in my deeper being.

“Thy Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heave,” is part of a prayer said to be given by Jesus Christ, and in my opinion we humans, are the instruments that will bring that Kingdom here on earth by letting that divine love, which is within all of us, shine forth as brightly as possible, in spite of what darkness that may prevail. People here on Earth are all in various stages of spiritual development. Some let the love in their heart shine brightly while others are not even aware that they have love in their heart. There is no better or worst in this, we are all as a river flowing towards an ocean; if ever so slowly coming out of darkness.

We all have unconditional love in our heart, at the core of our being. This is my experience. A love that can be covered up but can never be destroyed. A love that can be dimmed but can never be extinguished. In my opinion that divine love is in everyone. Within every human being there is a “divine spark,“ a brilliant light, and when you feel that light it feels like intoxicating love. It is a light, a love, that can transform you, a love that can transform this world; a love that can change your perspective. Again, this is my experience. But still, I respect those who differ and disagree.

I do not post here to convert anyone rather I only post here to share. I thank you for broadening this discussion. and allowing me to further share on this topic.

Love

[peteyzen]

The swiftest way to remove yourself from the circle of constant reincarnation, apparently, is by linking up with an Avatar. This isn`t very `trendy` right now, but in the Indian traditions it is quite clear that`s the best way.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

The swiftest way to remove yourself from the circle of constant reincarnation, apparently, is by linking up with an Avatar. This isn`t very `trendy` right now, but in the Indian traditions it is quite clear that`s the best way.

I wonder if Rudra is an Avatar of Shiva? lol

There's no use in linking up with any specific Avatar (like Krishna or Rama) if they don't make one feel anything inside and there's absolutely no connection or feeling there. I tried doing so for many years, but I was only being a hypocrite.

Lord Shiva is my Ishta Devata and that's all there is to it. He has many 'emanations' but no Avatars.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

There's no use in linking up with any specific Avatar (like Krishna or Rama)

I thought pete was talking about linking up with a real person, a spiritual teacher and master, yes/no?

Not trendy right now... that made me giggle a little. Yes, not a lot of interest in tradition these days. Even the spiritual masters of old are getting knocked as coming from an archaic era and place of understanding that is no longer relevant. Eternal truth has no expiry date.

[Miss Hepburn]

There may not be a need...but, I gotta tellya...if someone, even here, says
they can offer me a bit of guidance to get to Bliss faster...
I'm reading their post or going to their speaking engagement.
(At least once.)
I have no pride if it's the real deal...and you can tell if they're not.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Baile

I thought pete was talking about linking up with a real person, a spiritual teacher and master, yes/no?

Not trendy right now... that made me giggle a little. Yes, not a lot of interest in tradition these days. Even the spiritual masters of old are getting slammed as coming from an archaic era and place of understanding that is no longer relevant. As if eternal truth has an expiry date.

In the Indian tradition (particularly in the Vaishnava tradition), the term "Avatar" does not refer to a 'real person' or a 'spiritual teacher/master'. It is used with specific reference to one of the ten "Avatars" of Lord Vishnu, with Krishna and Rama being the most important ones...one of them is also said to be the Buddha, six of them are pretty much forgotten about and one called Kalki is yet to come (he is the Hindu Antichrist).

This is only true for Vaishnavism (the Vishnu worshipers) but in the case of Shaivism (Shiva worshipers) and Shaktas (Goddess worshipers), they have no concept whatsoever of an "Avatar" and so, it really isn't an 'Indian Tradition'...it is only an Indian Vaishnava one....the point I was trying to make.

[alcyone]

Originally Posted by Nowayout

Just like the body needs food the spiritual needs are?

Renewal

Understanding

Wisdom...

Here

Have a slice of life

There

Afterlife unfolds

With or without you...

No other promises..

Its already been



Given.

No way out.....

Of your sickness..


Other lives...

Do you remember?

thank you. I don't know what you just said, but thank you or saying it : smile:

[lemex]

Originally Posted by inavalan

Here, on Earth we are those things. After this, we still are our thoughts and our emotions, and in the overwhelming majority of cases, we continue them as they are after our death for awhile, sometimes a long while. Our thoughts and emotions determine our reality both here, in the physical, and there, in the non-physical. We are actually incarnating to learn to master our thoughts and emotions, using the time and space which are the training wheels featured only by the physical.

This thought resonates very strongly. This idea touches on many ideas and feeling I have myself. I would like to study it if there are any authors that have written about it. Does the idea come from any current belief system, if so, which one.

It's interesting though from my (own) direct experience I agree with the other POV in spite of antagonism which I take to be a distraction now. Strange before now I had no problem knowing what to do (observing).