Christ, My Bodhisattva

B

BlaznFattyz

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,589
Reaction score
0
Points
36
...As my mother and others in my family challenged my faith, I found that biblical concepts were only helpful if they were properly translated. My mother would say, "Jesus is a swear word. They use it in the shop every day. Why do you follow this man?" She had followed a guru called Ramakrishna Parmahansa from India; then she switched to a guru named Radha Soami. One of the functions of a guru is to give you a mantra, but when she went to the initiation, some people got the mantra and others didn't. She felt some of those who were refused were more deserving than her, and that troubled her.So when she came to stay with us after our first child was born, she opened one of the Bibles that we had strewn all over the place, and she happened upon this verse, "Whoever comes to me, I will not cast out." She said, "Your Bible is very strange! 'Whoever comes to me'—define whoever!" She had a hard time believing that Jesus would never refuse anybody. But that's the case, I said, because he's the sanatan sat guru.
Sanatan is a Sanskrit word meaning "eternal"; sat guru means "true living way." You can put John 14:6 in brackets after that! He is "the way, the truth, and the life." Guru is a living way. There are lots of sat gurus, but try to find a sanatan sat guru. No guru claims to be sanatan. Then she said, "Tell me more about this guru, who will love everybody." So I said, "Not only is he a sanatan sat guru, he paid for karma. He paid our karmic debt."...
Full Story here
 
A Bodhisatva can be translated as one who has reached nirvana and returns to help others.

If it opens global doors, I can see where nirvana plays a role in ressurection. (Although... never mind.)
 
Nice post, BlaznFattyz (wouldn't BlazinPhattyz be more hip? :D ;) ). I've seen your posts around, but didn't realize that you are of Asian/Indian heritage...? Am I assuming correctly now? Because of your momma and your knowledge of guru systems I am assuming that your family comes from the Indian sub-continent.

Boddhisatvas are everywhere, I think. One could say that it's only a matter of cleansing ourselves that keeps us from seeing everyone (ourselves included, and the brids and the bees!) as Bodhisattvas. Like currently for me, Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS who died under mysterious circumstances (was it murder? suicide? Death while trying to reach new auto-erotic orgiastic heights?), is a shining musical, romantic, poetic Boddhisatva. Love him.
 
"Like currently for me, Michael Hutchence, "

I love him... he is (was) an amazing poet. His voice is so beautifully haunting...

Many people who are Christian have told me that Buddhism has deepened their belief and following of Christ. It was from these people that I first heard of Buddhism as something other than a religion therefore they believed that they could be Buddhist and be Christian too.
 
Miss Amy said:
Many people who are Christian have told me that Buddhism has deepened their belief and following of Christ. It was from these people that I first heard of Buddhism as something other than a religion therefore they believed that they could be Buddhist and be Christian too.
Click to expand...

And for sure. I was raised in a "Christian" church (well, several of them actually) and got turned off by certain things. From there, I had a short-term delving into Transcendental Meditaion (trademarked :D ) which was couched in a larger period of depresssion, apathy and atheism, followed by a textual Buddhist exploration, followed by interests in magick and things like tarot cards/numerology/astrology, followed by adventures in Guru-land and more in-depth meditation exercises, followed by Zen practice, followed by some individual wandering and resurgence in "pagan" interests, and--most recently--I embrace a universal spirituality which has opened into certain "new age" beliefs, leading me full circle to a peculiar renewed interest in Christ.

It's interesting the curves that life dances us around. And quite beautiful.

:)
 
Pathless said:
Nice post, BlaznFattyz (wouldn't BlazinPhattyz be more hip? :D ;) ). I've seen your posts around, but didn't realize that you are of Asian/Indian heritage...? Am I assuming correctly now? Because of your momma and your knowledge of guru systems I am assuming that your family comes from the Indian sub-continent.

Boddhisatvas are everywhere, I think. One could say that it's only a matter of cleansing ourselves that keeps us from seeing everyone (ourselves included, and the brids and the bees!) as Bodhisattvas. Like currently for me, Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS who died under mysterious circumstances (was it murder? suicide? Death while trying to reach new auto-erotic orgiastic heights?), is a shining musical, romantic, poetic Boddhisatva. Love him.
Click to expand...

I think the writer of the article was of Asian/Indian descent.

What is your definition of nirvana?
 
Miss Amy said:
Many people who are Christian have told me that Buddhism has deepened their belief and following of Christ. It was from these people that I first heard of Buddhism as something other than a religion therefore they believed that they could be Buddhist and be Christian too.
Click to expand...

Christianity focuses on transforming the mind. What does Buddhism do for you personally?
 
Last edited:
Well, for me (the only person I can speak for) it was more of a transformation of my life.

Through my readings I have found a peace in reading things that I have always felt inside me. It helps me to be a better person, it doesn't punish me or scare me. It is peaceful, and loving. It helped me to develop a foudnation that I have built my relationships on.

I was really lost and searching without believing, but nothing fit.

It is kind, it is loving, it is peaceful, it is beautiful. I have lost two children and without this to help me pull deep inside myself and work out the pain I think I would have fallen pray to other, unhealthy, ways to work through my pain.

That is what it is for me, a true simple way of living honestly and kindly.

Oh yeah... and I am not always that great at it.
 
pattimax said:
Christianity focuses on transforming the mind. What does Buddhism do for you personally?
Click to expand...
theres is a world of difference between enlightment and transformation. to the one that asked, no im not asian/indian. i didnt write the article, im just posting it for thought.
 
Miss Amy said:
Well, for me (the only person I can speak for) it was more of a transformation of my life.

Through my readings I have found a peace in reading things that I have always felt inside me. It helps me to be a better person, it doesn't punish me or scare me. It is peaceful, and loving. It helped me to develop a foudnation that I have built my relationships on.

I was really lost and searching without believing, but nothing fit.

It is kind, it is loving, it is peaceful, it is beautiful. I have lost two children and without this to help me pull deep inside myself and work out the pain I think I would have fallen pray to other, unhealthy, ways to work through my pain.

That is what it is for me, a true simple way of living honestly and kindly.

Oh yeah... and I am not always that great at it.
Click to expand...

I am sorry for your loss. I empathize with needing something to fill voids in your life and reading wonderful things can transform your life.

I lost my mother, then I lost my father. I was engaged to an atheist before my mother died and after she passed, I drifted away from him, got into mind science and interfaith, then after my dad died I finally found Christ. I never knew how richly rewarding it can be.

I am not always great at Christianity, I absolutely thrive on resurrection.
 
BlaznFattyz said:
theres is a world of difference between enlightment and transformation. to the one that asked, no im not asian/indian. i didnt write the article, im just posting it for thought.
Click to expand...

I fully agree. The enlightenment process involves emptying the mind and liberation of attachment. Transforming your mind personally invites Jesus Christ into your heart.
 
Last edited:
pattimax said:
I think the writer of the article was of Asian/Indian descent.

What is your definition of nirvana?
Click to expand...

Nirvana is reality. Or in Buddhist terms, "Nirvana is found in Samsara. Nirvana is Samsara. Ain't no sense in anyone lookin' for Nirvana outside of Samsara. The corruptible world is all we got."

"So get-r-done!!" says Boddhisatva Larry the Cable Guy.

"Get what done?" asks a feminist, who for some reason is disgusted by Larry the Cable Guy.

"Nothing, it's already done," says Alan Watts.

Buddha (whoever that is) holds up a flower and smiles.

There's a mirror somewhere that shows Larry the Cable Guy's reflection is the feminist. That mirror is in this world, just as Nirvana is this world. (And so much more). Just a matter of cleansing the doors of perceptions--or your chakras if you prefer--or having your nappy body washed clean of sinfulness by accepting Jesus inot your heart if you prefer that.

So Nirvana is reality and the problem of heaven is one of seeing reality clearly.

Ask the Taoists. I think they'd agree.



gayyingyang.jpg





Peace,
P :)
 
Does anyone find that the western thinking of Nirvana and Karma and the like is almost egotystical.

When something bad happens to someone you don't like it is Karma just for you to gloat on. If something good happens to you it is Karma, a gift just for your goodness.

And Nirvana is a coffee at starbucks with just the right amount of cream and sugar.

Does anyone agree?
 
Pathless said:
Nirvana is reality. Or in Buddhist terms, "Nirvana is found in Samsara. Nirvana is Samsara. Ain't no sense in anyone lookin' for Nirvana outside of Samsara. The corruptible world is all we got."

"So get-r-done!!" says Boddhisatva Larry the Cable Guy.

"Get what done?" asks a feminist, who for some reason is disgusted by Larry the Cable Guy.

"Nothing, it's already done," says Alan Watts.


So Nirvana is reality and the problem of heaven is one of seeing reality clearly.
Click to expand...

I am familiar with Alan Watts, as for Larry the cable guy, well... you know, discerment and all that.

Nirvana is reality?
I don't think so.
Where did you get this definition?
 
Last edited:
pattimax said:
I am familiar with Alan Watts, as for Larry the cable guy, well... you know, discerment and all that.

Nirvana is reality?
I don't think so.
Where did you get this definition?
Click to expand...

A peace frog gave it to me during an interstellar zen transmission.

What else would Nirvana be, if not reality? Unreal? ;)


by the way, maybe a mod-type should scoot this thread on over to Comparative forum.
 
I never thought of Nirvana that way...

Thanks for your input... but I have no idea who Larry the Cable Guy is.:D

My husband whispers..."he is a TV show guy...":D
 
I'd like to clarify that although I do believe Nirvana is found in the world and that Earth is literally Nirvana (perhaps just not collectively realized as such ath this point in Time by Her inhabitants), Nirvana is not limited to "this reality." Indeed, Earth and "this reality" are simply expressions of Higher Reality/Nirvana, which is infinite, in all things, is all things, and contains all things. :eek:

Hopefully that makes the prognosis (prognosis is good!) a bit easier to swallow, pattimax. :)

Peace,
Pathless
 
pattimax said:
I am sorry for your loss. I empathize with needing something to fill voids in your life and reading wonderful things can transform your life.

I lost my mother, then I lost my father. I was engaged to an atheist before my mother died and after she passed, I drifted away from him, got into mind science and interfaith, then after my dad died I finally found Christ. I never knew how richly rewarding it can be.

I am not always great at Christianity, I absolutely thrive on resurrection.
Click to expand...

I think the greatest "gift" your dad ever gave you, was a look at his own faith...very smart man ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top