Your Own Personal Jesus

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Permalink Reply by Toni on August 29, 2011 at 5:19pm

uhm . . .  interesting thought - one that I have had on occasion but never bothered to actually write down and speak about . . . . would love to hear others' thoughts . . .

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Permalink Reply by Eric Allen Bell on August 29, 2011 at 5:47pm

When it comes to true spiritual inquiry, this is an area I find that most teachers and most spiritual websites are way too politically correct to touch.  Not here :)

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Permalink Reply by Alysia LaughingRain Mcalister on August 29, 2011 at 8:35pm

Seth says J didn't die on the cross. he got away or was aided to get away after a few hours up there and lived out his life anonymously. Seth says the crucifixion happened only in a psychic sense, in the minds of the conspirators. I think the story about the tomb was fictionalized. J didn't make a Christian religion. the ones who witnessed his deeds made the religion and it got all twisted out of shape to say he died for your sins, then we ended up drinking his blood...gross.

 

I think he's hanging about saying look what they did to my song ma, look what they did to my song! as for me, I love him, he's just like Ghandi, doesn't mind suffering for what he believes in, if it sets a group free, but personally I know for a fact I'm the one who pays for my own sins or errors and nobody can pay for my sins through their blood letting. doesn't make a lick of sense. I think J would like me. I've been beat up for saying what I think so I admire others who have courage to speak out. Christianity is going under or at least being revised let us hope.

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Permalink Reply by Alysia LaughingRain Mcalister on August 29, 2011 at 9:19pm

I concede it doesn't matter if the crucifixion happened as an actual event or not and we should keep it simple.

I'm more interested in the things he did while alive then what happened after he left the body. you're most likely right about compassion..we don't seem to be born with it...

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Permalink Reply by Eric Allen Bell on August 29, 2011 at 10:27pm

We can make Jesus say, do, like anyone or anything.  But it doesn't mean any of it's true.  If you're serious about inquiry then it is critical that one is honest with themselves.  The fact is you don't know if Jesus said anything at all, did anything or even lived.  Until one is willing to come to terms with that and to deeply inquire about the nature of consciousness, all one is left with is a placebo.  Never discount the potential power of a placebo, but it is a placebo nonetheless.  Having an imaginary friend who knows the way is not the same as knowing the way yourself.

 

Peace,

 

Eric

 

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Permalink Reply by Eric Allen Bell on August 30, 2011 at 2:01am

Keenashe -

 

Mysticism is the pathless path.  One seeks the thread of truth that runs through every religious and spiritual tradition.  We seek the essence but try to avoid the trappings such as dogma, superstition, etc.  If you feel you are able to access a "Christ Consciousness" through holding the myth of Christ in your heart, then you must follow your heart.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Alexi on September 2, 2011 at 8:49pm

Eric - what if Gandhi or Madame Blavatsky lived in a time where there could be no certainty of what they actually said?  Would it be wise to dismiss outright *all* of the first-hand accounts if their life and central teachings?

We are in lock-step agreement about the need to really inquire about Jesus, Christianity - all of it - and not just take the interpretation of others on Jesus and his message (which has been altered, mistranslated, and in some cases bastardized to further an agenda that is the anti-thesis of what his life seemed to be an example of).  

I think people often confuse religion with Jesus.  As an example -  just because Christian leaders of the time waged wars (and continue to) in the name of Jesus, it does not render first-hand accounts of his life as a "meaningless story" or pure fiction.   Whether Jesus was simply an enlightened soul or an incarnation of God himself, there are actually amazing teachings, words of wisdom, and compelling examples of empathy, kindness and (by our 2011 standards) - revolutionary enlightenment recorded.  How accurate are they?  How much has been edited/deleted/exaggerated/re-purposed?  I don't know.  To your point, we will never know.

However, there is something about what was recorded that has resonated with people for thousands of years.  Even today, despite all of the reasons to dismiss Jesus altogether - people's personal relationship to God (through Jesus) remains quite powerful, and those who truly live by that relationship are (in my experience) some of the most spiritually aware and open people I know.

For me the question is this - what are the most accurate recordings of what Jesus actually said?  How is it similar to other named prophets from other religions?  What is the common theme?  I believe we are all part of the Divine and some are more enlightened than others.  Perhaps Jesus was simply sharing his message of enlightenment, like Muhammad, or even Gandhi.  To dismiss all of his words simply because they cannot be verified is as absolute as believing the people who interpreted what it meant got it right and we should follow it verbatim.

I disagree "Mysticism is the pathless path" - for me, mysticism is much like speaking in metaphor and analogies, it can be used as an abstraction to illustrate a bigger meaning.   I think looking at Christian mysticism is simply a different way of looking at the whole message.  And again, for me, reviewing concepts from mysticism cannot be in a silo of the religion of Christianity, I will be looking at it in context of many spiritual "leaders" and religions throughout time.

It is just my personal view, but when you strip away the agendas of the way this recorded info is presented, there seems to be a very common and compelling theme/message across all these spiritual leaders.  That's where my inquiry is focused.

FWIW, I find it more challenging to stay with the inquiry than it would be to abandon everything about Jesus.  Why?  Because of the way his recorded words have been used to justify exactly the opposite of what he seemed to be saying.  It's maddening.  Yet, just as I am determined not to let the Sheeple talk me out of taking the time and energy to explore spirituality in a meaningful way, I am determined not to let my disdain and disgust of the religious zealots prevent me from taking a closer look at the Bible, Qur'an, etc.

Namaste - Alexi

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Permalink Reply by Eric Allen Bell on September 3, 2011 at 1:09am

The fact is that we know what Gandhi said.  As time passes new things are surfacing about the more human side of Gandhi, his moods, his personality flaws, his sexual hangups - or so those are the assertions being made.

 

With Jesus there is about zero credible evidence that this mythological figure ever historically existed.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Levon Stokes on September 3, 2011 at 3:05am

I agree.  If people watch the prepositions and see that Jesus died "because" of sin rather than "for" it makes a lot more sense.  I can identify with much of what he went through too.  It doesn't matter to me if he actually existed or not, who ever wrote this story about this man certainly had some valid points, and the love and kindness, and commonsense is very appealing to me.  The Christian's are the one that set up the act of dying on a cross for my sins crap, and a fornicating god.  He died because he took a stand, as many do who refuse to bow down to crap!

Alysia LaughingRain Mcalister said:

Seth says J didn't die on the cross. he got away or was aided to get away after a few hours up there and lived out his life anonymously. Seth says the crucifixion happened only in a psychic sense, in the minds of the conspirators. I think the story about the tomb was fictionalized. J didn't make a Christian religion. the ones who witnessed his deeds made the religion and it got all twisted out of shape to say he died for your sins, then we ended up drinking his blood...gross.

 

I think he's hanging about saying look what they did to my song ma, look what they did to my song! as for me, I love him, he's just like Ghandi, doesn't mind suffering for what he believes in, if it sets a group free, but personally I know for a fact I'm the one who pays for my own sins or errors and nobody can pay for my sins through their blood letting. doesn't make a lick of sense. I think J would like me. I've been beat up for saying what I think so I admire others who have courage to speak out. Christianity is going under or at least being revised let us hope.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Allen Bell on September 5, 2011 at 11:43am

That's kind of how I see the Buddha - as an excellent mythological figure - a story worth telling, as long as one does not need it to be historically true.  The Buddha story, and in some ways the Jesus story, illustrate bigger principals when taken as metaphor and not reduced to something literal.

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Permalink Reply by Bette Kibble on September 10, 2011 at 10:16pm

My personal Jesus went to India in the Lost Years of Jesus, that they did not know about.....there are places in India that believe He came and there is an oral tradition of Him being there. I believe He was an Enlightened Yogi....and there are books and a video documentary of his 30 years lost.... that is why He talked about "I and my Father are One and The Kingdom of God is within...that resonates with Eastern Philosphy...and Knowing the Oneness of everyone and everything

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Permalink Reply by Eric Allen Bell on September 14, 2011 at 12:07am

Bette -

 

You do realize though that those books are based on wishful thinking and speculation.  There are also books that say Jesus went on to Mecca or even flew to India when he died.  Some books say that Jesus came to America to enlighten latter day saints.  It's about as credible as the Jesus in the video I posted at the beginning of this thread.  Perhaps Jesus is singing lead vocals for Lynard Skynard with backup singers who have angel wings :)

 

 

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