UyiIredia:


na ur style. thought-provoking. by the way about nothing. here's a passage i'd like to see your opinion of it

There is a common problem among mystically inclined people. They might say something like 'God is ineffable'. Fair enough, but the problem is that such statements are immediately followed by a list of God's attributes.

The same problem here:

no words can describe that Nothing

This statement is preceded and followed and barracked on all sides by words purporting to describe that Nothing.

Since we're making quotations here, I'm totally with Wittgenstein when he says:

"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."


Many mystics have said it as follows:

Know and Shut Up.

PastorAIO, what books would you suggest one to read covering topics from philosophy to history, religin, religious wars etc?
Also, just out curiosity, what is your field?

sonOfLucifer:
PastorAIO, what books would you suggest one to read covering topics from philosophy to history, religin, religious wars etc?
Also, just out curiosity, what is your field?

Hello. There are so many books....

A set of books that I thoroughly enjoyed back in the day, and though my thinking and conclusions are quite different from the author the basic premise of the books are at the core of my beliefs, are called The Masks Of God by Joseph Campbell. These are a set of four books based on the premise that all religions refer to the same experiences but they are presented differently due to the difference of cultures of the people having the experiences. Hence it is the same God with different masks.

The first one is called Primitive Mythology and to be honest it is the only one that I couldn't quite get into.

The second one is called Oriental mythology and it focuses on the history of religious thought and ideas in Asia, it covers india, China, Japan etc.

The third one is called Occidental mythology and it focuses on the history of religious thought from the Babylon, Persia, The Levant all the way up to Western Europe. Christianity falls within this book, as does Islam.

The fourth and final is called Creative Mythology and it looks at the recent evolution of religious ideas over the last millenium. It also delves into the crisis of Faith, first in Islam and then christianity, that started around the 12th century. It is interesting that the development of science and the enquiring mind occurred first in the Islamic world but the backlash from religion was so fierce that they stomped it out. Then christian Europe took it up when they learned about Aristotle etc from the Moslems. I personally think it would have been stomped out in Europe too but for the unique state of politics in Europe at the time. especially the tension between northern Europe and southern Europe. But that is just me adding my jara. Joseph Campbell does not say anything like that.


There is another one called The Hero With a Thousand Faces, also by Joseph Campbell. But The Masks of God are the main Magnum Opus.

Another book is the Rose Garden of the Philosophers which is a collection of Alchemical writings. It was a big influence on the work of Carl Jung.
Actually you can find the whole text here:
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/rosary1.html

Rosarium Philosophorum is the latin name.


The good thing about the Masks of God is that it is one big history lesson seen from the perspective of religious ideas.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have.

Thank you.

sonOfLucifer:
PastorAIO, what books would you suggest one to read covering topics from philosophy to history, religin, religious wars etc?
Also, just out curiosity, what is your field?

Then biographies, I read a lot of biographies of famous people. In biographies you'll learn about the people in their historical context not just their work. You'll also learn what influenced them, what books they read and who taught them and then you'll get a flow.

I could go on and on.

There is a Radio Show on the bbc called In Our Time presented by Melvin Bragg. you can even download them for free as podcasts onto your phone. Everyweek Bragg discusses a topic from the history of ideas with a panel of experts. It really ranges from any subject to any subjects, from historical events to scientific discoveries etc. So far it is an intellectual idea developed at some point in human history then it can be up for discussion.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl


Look! I've just found a youtube channel with episodes of it, just in case you're not in UK and can't access BBC.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iqxJfRYlyM&list=PLU5PoQFnzyKGAcnItXg1b2D4zrGiAaj0f&spfreload=10

Another interesting fact about Joseph Campbell. George Lucas was his student for many years and imbibed his teaching that went into his writing of Star Wars. In Creative Mythology Campbell talks about how the myths have to be reworked to be relevant to our generations experiences and imagination. This is what inspired George Lucas to write Star Wars and true enough it hit a nerve with the world, like it touched something deep that our spirit needed but old school religion was not catering to.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Y4z4e24uU

plaetton:
I believe in a singularity , that is , electromagnetic energy or god, as most would like call it,

Hello Sir Plaetton. How far?

Does this post still reflect your thinking/convictions on spirituality? If not, how did you evolved and what pushed you to change your mind?

I'm not bellicose, just trying to learn one thing or two. Nice write up was it, by the way.

Greetings.

LoJ:

Hello Sir Plaetton. How far?

Does this post still reflect your thinking/convictions on spirituality? If not, how did you evolved and what pushed you to change your mind?

I'm not bellicose, just trying to learn one thing or two. Nice write up was it, by the way.

Greetings.

Yes sir, it still does.

The only subtle difference is that , I would now try to understand, to synchronize these ideas from a scientific perspective, from a quantum physics perspective.

This is why quantum physics excited me.
Though still at its infancy, I think it holds the keys to understanding what are referred to as spiritual or mystical phenomena.

One of Tesla most memorable quotes is the Universe can only and fully be understood in terms Energy, vibrations and frequencies.

PastorAIO:


Then biographies, I read a lot of biographies of famous people. In biographies you'll learn about the people in their historical context not just their work. You'll also learn what influenced them, what books they read and who taught them and then you'll get a flow.

I could go on and on.

There is a Radio Show on the bbc called In Our Time presented by Melvin Bragg. you can even download them for free as podcasts onto your phone. Everyweek Bragg discusses a topic from the history of ideas with a panel of experts. It really ranges from any subject to any subjects, from historical events to scientific discoveries etc. So far it is an intellectual idea developed at some point in human history then it can be up for discussion.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl


Look! I've just found a youtube channel with episodes of it, just in case you're not in UK and can't access BBC.

Time and day of Bragg's show, please? With that, one can locate it by checking all the Beeb channels onTuneIn.

JuanDeDios:

Time and day of Bragg's show, please? With that, one can locate it by checking all the Beeb channels onTuneIn.

Thursday 9pm on Radio 4. The next one is on Sikhism.

The show goes back more than 15 years so if you are impatient to wait till next thursday you can check the archives here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl/episodes/a-z/a

plaetton:


I believe in a singularity , that is , electromagnetic energy or god, as most would like call it,, and that the universe is just energy existing in differentiated formats or frquencies or octaves. It's hard to say whether  energy is conscious in the way we define consciousness or whether is is just pulsating without any discernable purpose. I think it is safe to speculate that energy or god, as its original purpose, wishes to evolve. The ever changing dymanics of all things  in the universe indicate a clear purpose towards evolution, from galaxies, stars, planets , down to organic life. In all ,we see the same repetitive paterns of change from simple to complex and then back to simple and back and forth.
Everythings sits on the same energy grid and therefore  resonate with same. Therefore everything has a duality of opposites comprising of the substance itself and the energy resonating within it, both having opposite polarities.
All life forms, from the simplest to the most complex, have a dual nature.On this planet, human life seems to be the most advanced . As humans, we have our gross body with our five senses from which we discern the universe, and our light body or soul, which is just a purer form of energy with an opposite polarity to the body.

In ancient scriptures, our body is symbolised by 666(the mark of the beast) because , I am assuming, it is  carbon-based . Carbon has 6 electron, 6 protons and 6 neutrons. On the other hand, the soul is symbolically represented in scripture by 144, 000, which I am assuming to reperesent the 144,000 petals of the main chakras. 144,000 may also represent the arc speed or frequency of light.According to vedic teachings, when all 144 ,000 petals are excited or stimulated, the   individual becomes light or illumined.

Therefore, from my understanding, the human is both beast and light. Just as organic life forms evolve , so does the soul. The soul attaches itself to a body matching its frequency. During the life, if the body dominates the soul, the soul's frequency or voltage or octave is lowered and the soul descends to a lower frequency body after the expiration of the current body. If the soul dominates and overides the bodies desires for materialism, power and dominion, then the soul voltage or freqency increases to occupy a higher octave body in its next incarnation. The soul incarnates repeatedly with the ultimate aim of reaching a level of purity or frequency  or octave whereby it is drawn back to the original source  or grid and thereby  loses its identity- as would happen to a drop of water when it unites with the ocean.

Therefore, the purpose of life is to aid the soul to evolve. The body is therfore an improvised vehicle for the manifestation and evolution of the soul.

Luckily for us , over the ages , many illumined individuals such as Zoroaster,Krishna, Buddha, Jesus , Mohammed and others not well recognised ,have tried to show us the simple path for the evolution of the soul. Jesus summerized it in the most simple words.
"Love thy neighbor as thy self" and "do unto others as you would like them to do onto you".

Although Jesus and Mohammed were and are still today betrayed by the monstrosities erected in their names, their core teachings are still very valid today.

This is quite interesting...

KingEbukasBlog:


In his defence , its actually a nice write up.. Though its wrong but he made some nice points which Ive noted and would research later

You can't deny the sophistry he employed...but like all sophists - his thesis was clever and quite convincible, but still on the wrong...

PastorAIO:


Thursday 9pm on Radio 4. The next one is on Sikhism.

The show goes back more than 15 years so if you are impatient to wait till next thursday you can check the archives here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl/episodes/a-z/a

Many thanks.

darkenedrebel:
You can't deny the sophistry he employed...but like all sophists - his thesis was clever and quite convincible, but still on the wrong...

Why is he according to you, on the wrong?

darkenedrebel:


You can't deny the sophistry he employed...but like all sophists - his thesis was clever and quite convincible, but still on the wrong...

Could you kindly point out the sophistry?

darkenedrebel:


You can't deny the sophistry he employed...but like all sophists - his thesis was clever and quite convincible, but still on the wrong...

my brother, thanks for showing me the light....
Nairaland has always been the darkness until u mentioned quora. It's a pity many hav been whiling away precious time chasing shadows. I will always remain grateful

Www.quora.com

plaetton:


Yes sir, it still does.

The only subtle difference is that , I would now try to understand, to synchronize these ideas from a scientific perspective, from a quantum physics perspective.

This is why quantum physics excited me.
Though still at its infancy, I think it holds the keys to understanding what are referred to as spiritual or mystical phenomena.

One of Tesla most memorable quotes is the Universe can only and fully be understood in terms Energy, vibrations and frequencies.

Ummm...did you take these words from my mouth? I once said something very similar here on NL. I probably didn't say it as well as this though.

Cutehector:
my brother, thanks for showing me the light....
Nairaland has always been the darkness until u mentioned quora. It's a pity many hav been whiling away precious time chasing shadows. I will always remain grateful

Www.quora.com

lol...you are welcome, brov...NL is quite helpful in keeping one's finger on the pulse of Nigerian news/happenings, but Quora is better overall...

PastorAIO:

Could you kindly point out the sophistry?

Not all parts of his writeup was plausible - but they were stringed together so intelligently and articulately that it sounds very convincible...that's why I labelled it 'sophistry'....

darkenedrebel:


lol...you are welcome, brov...NL is quite helpful in keeping one's finger on the pulse of Nigerian news/happenings, but Quora is better overall...

I swear.

darkenedrebel:


Not all parts of his writeup was plausible - but they were stringed together so intelligently and articulately that it sounds very convincible...that's why I labelled it 'sophistry'....

What were the implausible parts?

darkenedrebel:


lol...you are welcome, brov...NL is quite helpful in keeping one's finger on the pulse of Nigerian news/happenings, but Quora is better overall...

Hey dude remember rule 7. LOL. You might be surprise at the speed by which you get a ban for breaking it. LOL.

Seriously dude, what's quora? Does it have a place where a 'lewd' poet like me can 'put my pen on paper' without being called a womaiser?

joseph1832:
Hey dude remember rule 7. LOL. You might be surprise at the speed by which you get a ban for breaking it. LOL.

Seriously dude, what's quora? Does it have a place where a 'lewd' poet like me can 'put my pen on paper' without being called a womaiser?

I've checked it. They want your Facebook and google deets before you can even enter to read. I'm not that desperate to talk with folks.

PastorAIO:


I've checked it. They want your Facebook and google deets before you can even enter to read. I'm not that desperate to talk with folks.

That's better, let them know who is who. LOL. Unlike here where every urchin and cretin join and hide under the guise of anonymity and make fools of themselves and their parents.

darkenedrebel:


Not all parts of his writeup was plausible - but they were stringed together so intelligently and articulately that it sounds very convincible...that's why I labelled it 'sophistry'....

PastorAIO:


What were the implausible parts?

Yes do tell @ darkenedrebel

texanomaly:


Ummm...did you take these words from my mouth? I once said something very similar here on NL. I probably didn't say it as well as this though.

Nice to see you again Tex.

plaetton:


Nice to see you again Tex.

Nice to see you too. I miss the discussions with the old gang. It's not the same here anymore.

texanomaly:


Nice to see you too. I miss the discussions with the old gang. It's not the same here anymore.

Hi Tex. I trust you're well. There's a little something I need your thoughts on, I'm just a ping away...

Pantheism presents a logical proof in some way for God's existence - only the blind can't see it

Which god exactly?

KingEbukasBlog:
Pantheism presents a logical proof in some way for God's existence - only the blind can't see it

PastorAIO:
Which god exactly?

Who do you think I am talking about

KingEbukasBlog:


Who do you think I am talking about

i have no idea