😃2 COMMANDMENTS GIVEN BY JESUS😃

Originally Posted by BigJohn

But why don't people try to correct that?

personally i don't think it is possible. the ego is a certain way. that's why we can't do anything about it. but if we can not be ego, then it is possible for change. but see it's not really us doing it as we are the ego.

Matthew 19:26 New Living Translation
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

we don't do it, can't do it. but we can stop being an ego, then god fills that void

[sky]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

personally i don't think it is possible. the ego is a certain way. that's why we can't do anything about it. but if we can not be ego, then it is possible for change. but see it's not really us doing it as we are the ego.

Matthew 19:26 New Living Translation
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

we don't do it, can't do it. but we can stop being an ego, then god fills that void

If you believe as you said ' we are the ego ' then it's fulfilled it's purpose

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

How can some people follow the First Commandment which is:
"‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’" when they do not believe in a God nor believe that a Soul exist?

Originally Posted by sky123

God and Soul are just ' Titles/Labels '.

You claim God and Soul are just ' Titles/Labels '............

But how does that 'work', for example, with an Atheist who does not believe in God nor Soul?
How can the Atheist "‘Love the Lord your God"" when they do not believe in a 'Lord your God'? And the same goes for when they are suppose to Love with all their heart, soul and mind?

To an Atheist, the scripture
"‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’"
becomes
"‘Love with all your heart and with all your mind.’"

With the scripture re-written from the Atheist's viewpoint, the scripture takes on a whole different meaning.

One of the functions of the Ego is to serve as a reference for the mind as it compares itself to the world to see how it stacks up. The mind needs to know whether the “I” is up to the challenges it sees in the here and now, and the risks it sees down the road. In a social animal dependent upon society to help it meet those challenges, the mind is naturally going to look to the position of the “I” in that society. It can look to that society to help it in at least two ways. It can see itself in competition to the others, or see itself in cooperation (...for most, it is likely some combination of the two).

If it focuses more on the former, the mind will look to create advantage by showing society that it is ‘better’, more traveled and worldly, more experienced and impressive in deeds, recognized by many for one’s accomplishments. In any conversation, attention must be brought back to themselves personally, to show that they are a winner. It seeks to be viewed as strong relative to the mean, the one to be allied with. If so, then keeping those two commandments becomes that much more difficult as that mind tends more to see the world as a zero sum game, with itself in competition with all those others to establish its image as a leader and winner in that society.

On the other hand, it can see the world and everything in it as one, and others as brothers and a part of that whole, like itself. Then it can love that world and everyone and everything in it, and keeping those commandments becomes a much easier task. The individual can even lovingly give its life in sacrifice to the whole, as it knows that the whole is indestructible, and as a part of that whole it has eternal life.

It is an interesting paradox and perhaps window into the nature of the mind of man, that even among those who swear devotion to Jesus and his teachings, a competition will sometimes break out as to who loves God the most, and who is the most concerned for their brother's soul.

All words have two meanings, the one in the mouth that speaks them, and the one in the ear that hears them.

Originally Posted by ketzer

One of the functions of the Ego is to serve as a reference for the mind as it compares itself to the world to see how it stacks up.

i don't think that's one function, i think it's the only function. that's all it can do. there is no back door way out of that. i think it's a mistake to believe it can become "spiritual." it can only act spiritual. it prevents union with god or our true state of being. what we are.

Originally Posted by ketzer

On the other hand, it can see the world and everything in it as one, and others as brothers and a part of that whole, like itself.

i don't see an ego as conscious. two conscious beings in here (this body) would be too crowded! it's a point of reference for me. the "i am this body and it's (my) mind and thoughts." so ego does not make choices or decisions to view itself and life as everything is one. it can't. it's function is to assert individuality and a "self" (ego) centered view.

i think it's not ego that can see the world is one, when i am not operating as an ego i can. only i am conscious. ego like you say is a point of reference. without that point of reference there is no ego being asserted as a view.

Originally Posted by sky123

If you believe as you said ' we are the ego ' then it's fulfilled it's purpose

that's how we talk. i'm hungry. i'm full. i'm sad. i'm happy. i'm the ego. i'm not the ego. it's amazing how much we change!

it would be funny if we didn't use so much short hand. so instead of saying i'm hungry implying that is what we are we said, "my body's organ the stomach is empty so my nervous system is signaling this feeling of hunger to my brain where i reside so that i will seek to get rid of this unpleasant feeling my body is having of hunger and eat so that my body has fuel to maintain it's functions so that my body don't die."

are you hungry? me? no, but my stomach is empty and so i am experiencing that feeling my brain creates so i put food into my body to stop that feeling

somebody says something, they ask, do you agree or disagree? me? neither. but my ego totally disagrees with you.

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

i don't think that's one function, i think it's the only function. that's all it can do. there is no back door way out of that. i think it's a mistake to believe it can become "spiritual." it can only act spiritual. it prevents union with god or our true state of being. what we are.



i don't see an ego as conscious. two conscious beings in here (this body) would be too crowded! it's a point of reference for me. the "i am this body and it's (my) mind and thoughts." so ego does not make choices or decisions to view itself and life as everything is one. it can't. it's function is to assert individuality and a "self" (ego) centered view.

i think it's not ego that can see the world is one, when i am not operating as an ego i can. only i am conscious. ego like you say is a point of reference. without that point of reference there is no ego being asserted as a view.

I don't generally see the ego as conscious either. It is the mind that is conscious, or perhaps mind is a function of consciousness, IDK, perhaps just different perspectives on the same relationship.

That said, one can also see the ego as being conscious, again depending on what one views as the ego and the perspective from which they view it. Whether one is observing it and discussing it, or caught up in a moment, and just 'being' it, so to speak.

One can also view the ego as many different "I"s instead of just one. Again it is a matter of the distance from which one views it and the level of resolution that perspective affords. It is very crowded in there, but the mind creates the mosaic of different characters, or different faces of the same character, for the different roles and relationships it must navigate through life. Ketzer only exists on this forum, and has no face at all. Unless you give it one...perhaps a talking dog.

Of course, that is all somewhat academic to my point here. When one sees beyond the ego and sees beyond the perspective of separate self, they can see all as one, all as God, and from that perspective a state of mind arises in which keeping those two commandments becomes natural rather than a struggle. But life intrudes and brings us back to the perspective of the one striving to survive and thrive amongst the many. Whether and how much we strive against each other as individuals, as rivals or even enemies, or together in cooperation as brothers in a spirit of love and compassion, being the important perspective here. Learn to love your enemies, and you will have no enemies, even if theirs remain.

Originally Posted by ketzer

When one sees beyond the ego and sees beyond the perspective of separate self, they can see all as one, all as God, and from that perspective a state of mind arises in which keeping those two commandments becomes natural rather than a struggle. But life intrudes and brings us back to the perspective of the one striving to survive and thrive amongst the many. Whether and how much we strive against each other as individuals, as rivals or even enemies, or together in cooperation as brothers in a spirit of love and compassion, being the important perspective here. Learn to love your enemies, and you will have no enemies, even if theirs remain.

cheers to that!

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by sky123

God and Soul are just ' Titles/Labels '.

Originally Posted by BigJohn

You claim God and Soul are just ' Titles/Labels '............

But how does that 'work', for example, with an Atheist who does not believe in God nor Soul?
How can the Atheist "‘Love the Lord your God"" when they do not believe in a 'Lord your God'? And the same goes for when they are suppose to Love with all their heart, soul and mind?

To an Atheist, the scripture
"‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’"
becomes
"‘Love with all your heart and with all your mind.’"

With the scripture re-written from the Atheist's viewpoint, the scripture takes on a whole different meaning.

Let's get back on subject............