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Post by laughter on Nov 20, 2017 14:01:58 GMT -5
For most of my life I would have dismissed this question or responded to it with some condescension, as I'd followed a path that started with a sort of hard atheism that led over a long time into a sort of soft agnosticism. But even with that softening there was this confidence of how beknighted and primitive the entire concept was to begin with. The world was real, could be understood, and there was no need for some sort of personalized prime mover or designer behind any of it. I had contempt for people who were searching for any greater meaning to life, and thought of them as too weak to accept the fact that life had no meaning other than the living of it. These days I'd say that the absence of any belief about God eventually led to nonconceptual fullness of heart on the issue. There was a critical turning point when I was consciously seeking, where I would have indicated an absence of any meaning with respect to the word. Intellectual and emotional patterns of mind can and do spin this absence into a false construct: the meaningfulness of meaninglessness. This is how I'd describe the negative existential revelry of someone like Jean Paul Sarte, for instance, and I see that same mindset reflected in mainstream secular humanism. Comparing the work of someone like Richard Dawkins with the work of someone like Carl Sagan, for instance, would bring to light the distinction that I'm thinking of. It's a distinction between a position of rejecting "God" with intellect and emotion on one hand (Dawkins) and a position of genuine, curious and open not-knowing on the other (Sagan). So I wrote my current answer to this question here, and am very grateful for the person who asked it.  The flip side to that observation about the intellectual/emotional spin cycle is the bald fact that our minds are built to make associations. If you've read this far, there is some sort of association that's been made with the headline question. What does "God" mean to you? |
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Post by laughter on Nov 20, 2017 14:03:01 GMT -5
K didn't comment on this offer : ) But I am interested. Say whatever you can say on god and also on individuality please! God expresses in every sound, scent and sensation, always speaking to us, always embracing us. God is in the birdsong, the glinting eyes of a cat, and the sucking feel of the mud that pulls down on our shoes at the shoreline. When I was young, I mostly took God for granted when I wasn't scoffing at the misconceived personifications of a judgmental, vindictive father figure. But even those misconceptions have a hint of truth in them about our individuality. The old religions can seem to sometimes put God on high, above and apart from us. This can be deceptive, but at least it puts people on notice of something greater than what most mistake their reality to be. We are each at the center of our sensory perspective. We see and hear relative to where our eyes and ears are and what they have the physical capacity to perceive. It's as natural as rain for us to feel the floor beneath our feet as what it appears to be, and not bother ourselves with the entirety of the planet simultaneously both constantly pulling at us even as it ever supports our bodies against the void. We think of our story as individuals in terms of our birth to our families, but have you ever considered the relative enormity of human history and how completely dependent the story of your family is on that? In those moments when I stood in awe at the night sky or in contemplation at the billions of years that have shaped our world I wasn't taking God for granted. In those moments my mind was silent, my heart was unburdened, and it didn't matter what my thoughts or feelings about God were, no matter how beknigted or rebellious. The old religions also give us reverence and prayer. While the focal point of this devotion is sometimes distorted and hijacked for the purposes of people who would seek to gain from control of that focus, the offer to worship is another shadow of the existential truth. In that silent awe one can become on notice of what the old scriptures mean by God's love. Looking out at the apparent desolation of most of our solar system in contrast to the blue and white riot of Earth's sky as seen from above, one can get a visceral sense for what is meant by that love. How lucky are we to have formed from the atoms that just happened to have found themselves a part of this blessed sphere? Is the fact of this moment by accident, or by design? We all carry God within us and each has the privilege of considering this existential question, which might be framed as, what is our relationship to God? If we use our intellects gently but doggedly, and with respect for what is seen, the mind can notice how interconnected we all are and everything is. If we open our hearts and suspend our passions we might come to feel that interconnectedness, and become present to God's love, as God is always calling to us, in every instant. If we listen to this call we might come to realize something quite profound about our point of unique perspective. The absence of separation of that perspective from what it's on can be realized. The nature of the appearances of the limitations that make up that sensory experience can be known for what they are. After that, God's mystery begins to take on a whole other hue. |
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Post by zendancer on Nov 20, 2017 16:17:22 GMT -5
During a CC experience in 1984 I encountered something so vast, alive, and incomprehensible that the mind could only fall mute in humility and awe. Later, after returning to a more normal state of mind, I suspected that I had briefly encountered what the word "God" points to. It was beyond any category or conception, and had no boundary of any kind. I had the sense that the Infinite Presence that I experienced was fundamentally benevolent, and cared about every atom in every single blade of grass. It's very hard to put into words anything about what was experienced, but I'm sure that any conventional believer who had had such an experience would have had no doubt whatsoever that s/he had somehow come into direct contact with the Absolute. Of course, any limited idea about it, such as gender, would be laughably inapplicable to THAT. After seeing THAT, I didn't care whether the body lived or died because whatever might happen was then seen as part of an unfolding perfection that is untouched by birth or death. Today, I feel tremendous gratitude for being allowed to momentarily glimpse THAT, and to know that THAT is what underlies all phenomena and all appearances.
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Post by krsnaraja on Nov 20, 2017 16:17:33 GMT -5
God expresses in every sound, scent and sensation, always speaking to us, always embracing us. God is in the birdsong, the glinting eyes of a cat, and the sucking feel of the mud that pulls down on our shoes at the shoreline. When I was young, I mostly took God for granted when I wasn't scoffing at the misconceived personifications of a judgmental, vindictive father figure. But even those misconceptions have a hint of truth in them about our individuality. The old religions can seem to sometimes put God on high, above and apart from us. This can be deceptive, but at least it puts people on notice of something greater than what most mistake their reality to be. We are each at the center of our sensory perspective. We see and hear relative to where our eyes and ears are and what they have the physical capacity to perceive. It's as natural as rain for us to feel the floor beneath our feet as what it appears to be, and not bother ourselves with the entirety of the planet simultaneously both constantly pulling at us even as it ever supports our bodies against the void. We think of our story as individuals in terms of our birth to our families, but have you ever considered the relative enormity of human history and how completely dependent the story of your family is on that? In those moments when I stood in awe at the night sky or in contemplation at the billions of years that have shaped our world I wasn't taking God for granted. In those moments my mind was silent, my heart was unburdened, and it didn't matter what my thoughts or feelings about God were, no matter how beknigted or rebellious. The old religions also give us reverence and prayer. While the focal point of this devotion is sometimes distorted and hijacked for the purposes of people who would seek to gain from control of that focus, the offer to worship is another shadow of the existential truth. In that silent awe one can become on notice of what the old scriptures mean by God's love. Looking out at the apparent desolation of most of our solar system in contrast to the blue and white riot of Earth's sky as seen from above, one can get a visceral sense for what is meant by that love. How lucky are we to have formed from the atoms that just happened to have found themselves a part of this blessed sphere? Is the fact of this moment by accident, or by design? We all carry God within us and each has the privilege of considering this existential question, which might be framed as, what is our relationship to God? If we use our intellects gently but doggedly, and with respect for what is seen, the mind can notice how interconnected we all are and everything is. If we open our hearts and suspend our passions we might come to feel that interconnectedness, and become present to God's love, as God is always calling to us, in every instant. If we listen to this call we might come to realize something quite profound about our point of unique perspective. The absence of separation of that perspective from what it's on can be realized. The nature of the appearances of the limitations that make up that sensory experience can be known for what they are. After that, God's mystery begins to take on a whole other hue. The definition of God goes beyond what you can describe and comprehend. Yet God is everywhere. He is in your heart. When you see and get to deliver a baby the joy felt when the child cries for the first time after you slap the baby's feet can not be imagined. It is so exhilarating. This particular feeling in your heart call it anything you want is the same feeling when the girl you courted says, " Yes, I love you, too. " So, what is this word " love" that makes the world go round? Why are people so cheerful hearing Christmas carols in November? Why do we hear the singing, " Give love on Christmas day. " If you have not experienced the joy and beauty of Christmas which is Love. Then you have not understood what God is. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2017 19:12:11 GMT -5
What does "God" mean to you? The word has no meaning to me whatsoever. |
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Post by krsnaraja on Nov 20, 2017 20:21:00 GMT -5
What does "God" mean to you? The word has no meaning to me whatsoever. It's an acronym for Generator-Operator-Destroyer. 😁 |
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Post by andrew on Nov 21, 2017 4:56:09 GMT -5
God expresses in every sound, scent and sensation, always speaking to us, always embracing us. God is in the birdsong, the glinting eyes of a cat, and the sucking feel of the mud that pulls down on our shoes at the shoreline. When I was young, I mostly took God for granted when I wasn't scoffing at the misconceived personifications of a judgmental, vindictive father figure. But even those misconceptions have a hint of truth in them about our individuality. The old religions can seem to sometimes put God on high, above and apart from us. This can be deceptive, but at least it puts people on notice of something greater than what most mistake their reality to be. We are each at the center of our sensory perspective. We see and hear relative to where our eyes and ears are and what they have the physical capacity to perceive. It's as natural as rain for us to feel the floor beneath our feet as what it appears to be, and not bother ourselves with the entirety of the planet simultaneously both constantly pulling at us even as it ever supports our bodies against the void. We think of our story as individuals in terms of our birth to our families, but have you ever considered the relative enormity of human history and how completely dependent the story of your family is on that? In those moments when I stood in awe at the night sky or in contemplation at the billions of years that have shaped our world I wasn't taking God for granted. In those moments my mind was silent, my heart was unburdened, and it didn't matter what my thoughts or feelings about God were, no matter how beknigted or rebellious. The old religions also give us reverence and prayer. While the focal point of this devotion is sometimes distorted and hijacked for the purposes of people who would seek to gain from control of that focus, the offer to worship is another shadow of the existential truth. In that silent awe one can become on notice of what the old scriptures mean by God's love. Looking out at the apparent desolation of most of our solar system in contrast to the blue and white riot of Earth's sky as seen from above, one can get a visceral sense for what is meant by that love. How lucky are we to have formed from the atoms that just happened to have found themselves a part of this blessed sphere? Is the fact of this moment by accident, or by design? We all carry God within us and each has the privilege of considering this existential question, which might be framed as, what is our relationship to God? If we use our intellects gently but doggedly, and with respect for what is seen, the mind can notice how interconnected we all are and everything is. If we open our hearts and suspend our passions we might come to feel that interconnectedness, and become present to God's love, as God is always calling to us, in every instant. If we listen to this call we might come to realize something quite profound about our point of unique perspective. The absence of separation of that perspective from what it's on can be realized. The nature of the appearances of the limitations that make up that sensory experience can be known for what they are. After that, God's mystery begins to take on a whole other hue. 20 years ago, as my questioning and exploration was really beginning, I was sat on a beanbag and happened to notice a rather large spider running across the floor at a bit of a distance from me. Traditionally spiders had creeped me out, and my instant physiological reaction was the same. But this time I watched the spider, and as I watched, I began to feel a tremendous compassion and depth of love for the spider. I could sense 'something' in it, that was also 'in' me....a presence perhaps, 'something' that went way beyond material form. As I sat there experiencing this depth, I found myself reaching for a word for what this was. To my great surprise, the ONLY word that I could come up with was 'God'. I have no religious upbringing to speak of, and mentioning 'God' among my peers and friends at the time would have likely made them think I was going crazy (maybe I was). But I could no longer DENY that there is 'something' that I can ONLY appropriately use the word 'God' to describe. These days I can come up with lots of alternative words, and I use those sometimes, particularly with those that don't like the 'God' word, but privately, I am bow comfortable with the word, and I am fine to say that 'I know God'. The dilemma is of course that so many of the worlds problems are surrounded by the God idea. I am on board with the idea that a dose of atheism would probably be good for the world. On the other hand, I do believe that we will inevitably come back to the 'God' idea, because there is a point of experience at which it is the only appropriate word. The REAL problem isn't the God idea/word at all, the problems are caused by the particular understandings about God. Judgement, heaven and hell, reward and punishment etc....I think at the core of these understandings is the idea that God has a choice, or is a chooser. I don't see it like that. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2017 6:59:35 GMT -5
The word has no meaning to me whatsoever. It's an acronym for Generator-Operator-Destroyer. 😁 Gangsta's original dogma |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2017 14:04:16 GMT -5
It's an acronym for Generator-Operator-Destroyer. 😁 Gangsta's original dogma Grandad's oppressive delusion. |
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Post by enigma on Nov 21, 2017 19:46:56 GMT -5
What does "God" mean to you? The word has no meaning to me whatsoever. Have you tried Googling it?  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2017 20:16:04 GMT -5
During a CC experience in 1984 I encountered something so vast, alive, and incomprehensible that the mind could only fall mute in humility and awe. Later, after returning to a more normal state of mind, I suspected that I had briefly encountered what the word "God" points to. It was beyond any category or conception, and had no boundary of any kind. I had the sense that the Infinite Presence that I experienced was fundamentally benevolent, and cared about every atom in every single blade of grass. It's very hard to put into words anything about what was experienced, but I'm sure that any conventional believer who had had such an experience would have had no doubt whatsoever that s/he had somehow come into direct contact with the Absolute. Of course, any limited idea about it, such as gender, would be laughably inapplicable to THAT. After seeing THAT, I didn't care whether the body lived or died because whatever might happen was then seen as part of an unfolding perfection that is untouched by birth or death. Today, I feel tremendous gratitude for being allowed to momentarily glimpse THAT, and to know that THAT is what underlies all phenomena and all appearances. |
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Post by Reefs on Nov 22, 2017 8:57:17 GMT -5
During a CC experience in 1984 I encountered something so vast, alive, and incomprehensible that the mind could only fall mute in humility and awe. Later, after returning to a more normal state of mind, I suspected that I had briefly encountered what the word "God" points to. It was beyond any category or conception, and had no boundary of any kind. I had the sense that the Infinite Presence that I experienced was fundamentally benevolent, and cared about every atom in every single blade of grass. It's very hard to put into words anything about what was experienced, but I'm sure that any conventional believer who had had such an experience would have had no doubt whatsoever that s/he had somehow come into direct contact with the Absolute. Of course, any limited idea about it, such as gender, would be laughably inapplicable to THAT. After seeing THAT, I didn't care whether the body lived or died because whatever might happen was then seen as part of an unfolding perfection that is untouched by birth or death. Today, I feel tremendous gratitude for being allowed to momentarily glimpse THAT, and to know that THAT is what underlies all phenomena and all appearances. TMT |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2017 20:37:57 GMT -5
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Post by krsnaraja on Nov 22, 2017 23:09:48 GMT -5
It's an acronym for Generator-Operator-Destroyer. 😁 Gangsta's original dogma Vox Populi Vox Dei The voice of people is the voice of God. Trump won? |
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Post by justlikeyou on Nov 23, 2017 10:06:06 GMT -5
What does "God" mean to me?  |
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