Religious concepts in non duality

[mary isaak]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Ultimately and from an Advaita perspective they are Maya (i.e. apparent reality)...

Thank you very much JustASimpleGuy
I am not sure I understand the meaning of apparent reality, does it means as they are as real as the external world?

Originally Posted by mary isaak

I am not sure I understand the meaning of apparent reality, does it means as they are as real as the external world?

Hi Mary.

For the Birth and Death of every living, there must be a means. Likehow Covid-19 spreads to kill many Humans, they are descripted as 'satans/lucifers/Rakchasa' in a form. without these means, death cannot occur in Humans/living beings. They do not cause death, but those are the means, and they just do the duty.

I don't know, whether they long for souls to battle with "zeus/Indra/god who rule heaven". Why didn't God killed satan/lucifer? Bcz they have to be present, so that living beings can die.

The real existence/ the world beyond, is something which cannot be expressed. it's like the "empyrean" Dante expresses. He too can't express what 'that' is, and just he felt the merging with "that".

[mary isaak]

Thank you very much Iamthat for the very clear explanation

Originally Posted by iamthat

In Christian terms, these concepts of Paradise, Hell, etc all stem from the idea of a transcendent God...

I like how you define paradise and hell. I can understand that well. And, the idea of us being our own judges makes so much sense for me. I can relate to it from my experience even in this life (before a judgement day).

Originally Posted by iamthat

As for Satan..makes no real sense...

Thanks for saying this. I struggled so much with the idea of satan, and thanks for suggesting the Urantia Book. I will read from it.

Originally Posted by iamthat

We have to act, even while knowing that it is all just a temporary drama. So it is worth trying to understand the nature of these religious concepts and how they fit in with the various dimensions we inhabit.

Very nice perspective, it solves many of my confusions.

[mary isaak]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

https://truthbook.com/urantia/topical-studies/satan
A presentation from the Urantia Book.

Thank you very much Miss Hepburn for the link and for explaining the meaning of concept . I always fall in the trap of not differentiating concept and reality. That is the root of all my troubles

[mary isaak]

Originally Posted by Rishi27

in the non-dual context, such believes, need to fit it to the box of oneness...

Thank you very much Rishi27. Sorry I cant fully understand. How do we know that truth should be all inclusive?

[mary isaak]

Originally Posted by Greenslade

They're not, they're largely control mechanisms used by the post-Constantine Roman Catholic Church...

I see, thank you very much for the information Greenslade

[mary isaak]

Originally Posted by MikeS80

Religious concepts such as hell, satan, demons etc are parables and metaphors for our false nature...

Hello Mike80,
Nice explanation! If I understand correctly paradise and hell are descriptions of our current experience and not a posterior life.
Thanks!

Originally Posted by mary isaak

I am not sure I understand the meaning of apparent reality, does it means as they are as real as the external world?

Deep subject. Very deep subject. LOL! In essence it means everything up to and including gods and demigods, devils and demons, heavens and hells is only apparent reality. It's not ultimate reality (Source, Brahman).

If you're really interested I'd suggest going to an expert and for me that's Swami Sarvapriyananda so I'll point you in that direction.

The first video is relatively short and touches on it. The second video gets right to the heart of "The Real and the Apparent" (it's also in the playlist - #6). The third is a playlist focused on Jnana Yoga (Yoga of Knowledge).

Who Keeps Track of Karma? https://youtu.be/OXDGsyNxFGA

The Real and the Apparent https://youtu.be/Femq2264px4?list=PL...L7bBEZA7C9v s

Swami Vivekananda's Jnana Yoga https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1VL7bBEZA7C9vs

[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by mary isaak

Hello,

I have believed for so long in religious concepts such as: Paradise, Hell, Judgement Day, Prophecy, Revelation, Satan etc.
I would like to know how these concepts are viewed in non-dual teachings.

Thank you very much.

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The ideas you bring up such as Paradise, Hell, Judgement Day etc. are paradigms or perhaps archetypes within the human mind. The fact that people have brought them to the fore in religious forms through mythology, story telling and the appearance of great 'religious figures' doesn't really tell us alot sometimes, except to say that the human mind is very busy isn't it ? I have had a few non dual experiences in Buddhism as well as Catholicism, although i'm not a fully paid up member of these religions. Although if you ask me to sum up in words what i have experienced i would struggle to do so. So perhaps these religious concepts are useful pointers for how we become victims of our own fantasies and games here on earth, how we are often drawn by ourselves and others into 'Dramas' which are often inconsequential in the end but mar the planet for ourselves and others.

Making use of thought and concepts here on earth is something we are charged to do it seems ,whether we like it or not, it is not unenlightened activity. Seeing the operation of thoughts is easy enough if we follow a path long enough but the operation of the emotional body, its injuries and its behaviours is another matter. People say they are connected and of course they are but they are not as connected in the easy way that folks make out. Anyways I digress, thank you for the opportunity to put a few thoughts on paper. Joe.

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[mary isaak]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Deep subject. Very deep subject...

Thank you very much for the links JustASimpleGuy. I will study the teachings of Swami Sarvapriyananda.
I like the metaphor of the movie in the first video. It makes things clearer to me