In the knowledge of the humor of true understanding, there is God realization.

originally posted by: LucidWarrior
a reply to: AnkhMorpork

I gathered a somewhat similar conclusion. On the one hand- he talks about man as a process, bot a thing. And this is just-!! So true. He talks about the true man making things functional, living as a healthy process which alchemies the internal environment and transforms the outer as well. He says that it's not by seeking inward, or outward, but refining our process, our actions, in which we find happiness.

All of that is just so true. Because the reason people get into religion or spirituality, if they aren't just seeking some sort of existential comfort, is to find a way to change themselves and make themselves better. Seems to reinforce a belief of mine I'm coming to lately where things like spirituality and religion are colours preventing us from doing our true work.

You said "The human being is a wellspring of desire. The question is upon what shall it be focused? "
And in my view if you look back to the quotes I just mentioned, you'll find that he answered that question. The answer is himself, his actions, and to find a meaningful place in the world around him. We are actors, constantly making any number of actions. It isn't until we align ourselves and bring our actions into balance that we are really whole.

What did seem off to me was when he was saying that everything would be discussed or viewed with an essentially detached sort of humor.

Interesting, thanks for your reply.

I'll come back to the humor part, but I wanted to say that I may have overemphasized to a degree the idea of a fatal flaw in his unwillingness to recognize an I-thou, beloved/beloved other relationship because of the tendency of that way of thinking to throw us back into the notion of I as separate self relating to God as an entity outside one's self with whom we wish to make contact or an appeal or a petition like some sort of magic genie in a bottle or as some other "guy", in the sky (out there).

Jesus also said that Atma & Brahma are one when he said that he and the father were one. I think the idea is one of a kind of nested hierarchy of Russian dolls, so to speak, with father in son and son in father while recognizing the order of causation from a first cause ie: SENT (particularly if/when framed in the cosmological divine order in the case of Jesus' birth and Great Work on a schedule to the hour) so that we have an object of love & desire upon which to place our faith or since the word "faith" has turned into something else, trust in, or confidence in where there's a kind of feedback in the knowledge that this relationship, not unlike a loving parent to their child which is probably the best way to describe it, is the REAL nature of our true condition - Abba! Thank you!

We must have an Absolute Object to whom (where God is also a "person") we may love, be loved by, give, receive, and enjoy with mutual happiness, like a partnership or a marriage, so that we can remain forever "in love" even through our present moment experience, and one that's also capable of carrying a cross of a legitimate or necessary sorrow or suffering to the degree that's needed by which to make no compromise with the truth at the heart of the matter. By not selling out, Jesus gathered into himself, protected and preserved for our mutual enjoyment, everything that's worth living for, or as needed dying for to retain & uphold as a standard of authentic Justice, and Mercy.

What Adi Da I think is describing there, was in the undoing of the activity of the self as being fundamentally absurd (as first causes in that present action are examined) and in the light of the truth and in the resolution of the dilemma of the grasping, seeking self, all that's left is joy & creativity and humor, mithfullness, charm, and fearless self-expression. One can no longer take themselves seriously while taking who they are discovering themselves to be at one with, much more seriously. The basic concern for the self is removed, as we are found again in God. It doesn't matter. Even time and things like death become meaningless and irrelevant (gift of eternal life?) within the context of this "already always" state of being as our true condition.

What I'm saying is that at that moment, the tendancy should not be to say "I am God in human form" but I am WITH God and God is with me and we are "in" one another ie: the father within me with me in the father.

When Jesus said cryptic things like "I only do what I see my father in heaven doing" I think he is referring to first causes both within and without, from the depths of our psychological experience & how we relate to our fellow man, to the unconscious realm of our dream life, to the phenomenal world including the sun, moon, earth, stars, weather patterns, plant & animal kingdom, and even to fate and the unfolding of circumstance itself ie: synchronicity. Patterns, allegory, & symbolism abound, like the phenomenon of solar & lunar eclipse as a prime example (and didn't Jesus and John make use of that to the utmost effect?).

Adi Da refers to it, what's "old" as having lost it's function and that the creative, mirthful, God-realized person brings it all back into it's proper and appropriate function. It's true, but as it relates to the person and character of Jesus (which can be found in study and contemplation) you don't just sweep that all away and set yourself up as the latest and greatest authority figure. That's a form of theft. This is what he did as it relates to Christianity, and it may by why he f'd up in later years.

However, modern Christianity or what I call "Churchianity" has done this to the Christian "faith" and experience where it could be said that they hold to the right basic tenets and precepts but for all the wrong reasons, perhaps to defend against having an authentic spiritual experience as Carl Jung referred to the religious impulse (is that not FUNNY?).

Everyone it would seem is afraid of Jesus, as the love of God personified & made manifest, both Christians and atheists alike!

It contends with us, invites us, asks things of us, challenges us, even while we walk around in a totally different frame of reference and context as part of a creative process and not as a thing, whistling away, doing our work and otherwise appearing normal, but in truth while we may be in the world we are definitely not of the world and wasn't it the same for Jesus.

I think that now, because we're becoming ever more capable of comprehending and understanding and having and experiencial knowledge of these things, long hidden from the wise and the strong but revealed to the meek & mild (more humor and irony) - the kind of loneliness that people like Jesus would have experienced at times, and Adi Da even as he screwed his followers wives, and Meher Baba as he went on his non-speaking world tour of "God-experiences" or phases, isn't a problem as much, any more.

It's just our true state of being and the way things REALLY are, I don't care if it doesn't comport with the modern societal matrix or religious institutions or even a purely materialist monist Newtonian view of the world which we're fast learning doesn't even begin to describe the map of the territory ie: quantum entanglement, non-locality, synchronicity, signs and wonders even "miracles" which nevertheless appear to obey some higher law and will.

I'll try to describe the humorous mirthfulness ltr LOL (do I really need to?)

Be blessed!

Ankh

a reply to: glend

How do you resolve Mathew with Moses "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me", which is exclusive relationship between oneself and God?

Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, just with a different name.

Deuteronomy 6:4

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

Exodus 6:3

3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.

Mark 12:29

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Adi Da refers to it, what's "old" as having lost it's function and that the creative, mirthful, God-realized person brings it all back into it's proper and appropriate function. It's true, but as it relates to the person and character of Jesus (which can be found in study and contemplation) you don't just sweep that all away and set yourself up as the latest and greatest authority figure. That's a form of theft. This is what he did as it relates to Christianity, and it may by why he f'd up in later years.

That's true. Jesus said anyone who tried to get to God some other way than through Him, was a thief and a robber.

Read the chapter of John 10.

However, modern Christianity or what I call "Churchianity" has done this to the Christian "faith" and experience where it could be said that they hold to the right basic tenets and precepts but for all the wrong reasons, perhaps to defend against having an authentic spiritual experience as Carl Jung referred to the religious impulse (is that not FUNNY?).

What's your definition of "authentic spiritual experience"? As you'll notice in plenty of threads here on ATS, people are constantly trying to mix biblical scriptures and Jesus with other new age beliefs and practices. When people start doing that, they open the door to deceptive spirits. This is why Christians are told to adhere to what's written in scripture. Mixing pagan practices with what Jesus taught is a no-no. There are authentic spiritual experiences to be had outside of these practices.

originally posted by: InTheLight
a reply to: AnkhMorpork

I did not watch your posted video because I do not believe in following any other's path but my own, but I did read your OP.

God made us all that we are, so why deny the ego? Accept all that you are and experience all that can be experienced both spiritually, mentally and physically. Why try to dissect the all of which you are? This will result in a partial understanding of existence.

Because we are not at all who we think we are. The ego is in a dilemma. It's afraid for itself, particularly as it might relate to the all in all!

When we know that we're not that person really, then we get to be that same person as a free choice, authentically.

So I'm not talking about rejecting it, but reintegrating it as the smallest part of who and what we are and are becoming, maybe even something that we might not choose to take along as it is or was. lol?

Generating the space for the safe death of an outmoded ego that's free to die to become something else in transformation, that's a great service, and when you think of it, is it not the work of a good comedian who is ready, willing and able to make our own ignorance and absurdity the brunt of ridicule?

Most people have so much invested in their protected personalities that they never get to be themselves as they really and are becoming as a process.

Fixed, limited, constrained, wound up, stressed out, fearful, anxious, what he called a "deathful life" built around what is fundamentally inauthentic in terms of who and what they took themselves to be in the first place.

One can only laugh.

When I no longer care about who I am pretending to be, then I become charming, my voice takes on a new cadence and I'm a new creation, but not only that, I become more present to and interested in other people, while accepting them as they are.

Someone's got to make the first move and since no man or woman is an island unto themselves, risk playing the fool without care or concern for themselves or precisely how they are perceived. That's freedom. Prior freedom, and enjoyment but there's no need to play a big self role in any of it.

We are so much more. Until we learn how to get to the core of our action in this person we are generating moment to moment and see the ego undone in a gale of laughter, how can we even begin to explore the domain of authentic life as it is. So many of us are in our own way from a much deeper exploration of truth and self knowledge including knowledge of God-realization and the love of neighbor as self (no less important).

I think at the end of this little thesis is the notion that 1) there is a God, and 2) God is by far funnier than we knew or even had the first inkling, until we did.


"So fear not, little ones, nor let your hearts be troubled, for it pleased our father in heaven to share his kingdom with all his children!"

Does this not evoke the mirthful giggle of a little child and did Jesus not know what he was talking about?

Gratitude wells up in me now, to the point of tears. I am so grateful to God, and to you for being you whoever you are and for listening and participating in the sharing.

I think I'm right that table fellowship and just hanging around and enjoying one another's company and sharing a few laughs and different ideas - is in all truth, the highest frame of reference in the Universe, and there again, didn't JC know what he was doing when he hung out with the sinners sharing company, food, drink, stories, laughter and love?

"And as my father sent me, even so send I, you!"

Rly? (I don't mean to the local tavern)

Bwahahaha he he HO HO - I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy! until I look into his face, and burst out into tears of hilarity until his hand wipes them away from my eyes.

This isn't religion. It's the height of psychology and self knowledge in the knowledge of a personal experience, and lo and behold isn't it filled with humor along with a relief from seriousness and all unnecessary drama.

Then we can get down to business where the rubber meets the road and where it stops nobody knows.

Come, to the table of the Lord for fellowship, it doesn't matter if you're a cripple or think yourself a pirate, Buddha, or an angel! LOL

Let all who thirst freely drink of the living water from the Spirit & the Bride! Let our cups overflow.

Luv,

Ankh

a reply to: Deetermined


All I can say is stick around and allow your own faculty of reason & the Spirit in you to evaluate what I hope to get to in this thread, if we haven't already I don't know.

Many Christians are at arms length away or further, from a sympathetic relationship or a love relationship with God in Jesus, failing to complete his circle of joy by using a religious or a legalistic interpretation of scripture, like a person holding out a Bible like a shield, and as a weapon to be correct, right & accurate, and hey that's important to a degree, but what many may NEVER get, as a result, is the fullness of what might be possible in the Christian experience as a present moment experience and creative process. We fail to join His circle of joy, some refusing to do so until we see the world come to a near end with more than half the population getting beamed up into the sky. We take it too far by trying to adhere to the letter of the law but never getting filled with the Spirit that gives us new life. We try to put on the right faces, and know our bible so well, but do we REALLY know Him? because if we did we would smile and laugh authentically, and we wouldn't make just idle chat - it would really be like a true family get together, a party of sorts, a celebration. No more pretending. That said for those who may be worried, rest assured that there's no amount of Jesus Christ that's capable of ruining your true self, LOL! Absurd!

It can be scary though, even dangerous this risk taking business, but one thing we know with Christ at the head of our table - somehow we'll get through it together and be the better for having had the courage and the audacity to take a place at the table, however hobbled by our own shortcomings and character defects - who knows, that might be just what we all needed to complete the picture, with no one missing.

This is an all-inclusive, non-coersive, yet persuasive invitation to come together and participate, even as children of a loving God and therefore as powerful active historical participants and @ cause free-will agents in transformative change and our individual and collective enlightenment.

I'm not talking about slap stick humor here or crude jokes, but the kind of good-willed, good-natured humor, mirth & charm that never ends, and won't leave you stone-faced with your hair blowing in the wind for the Youtube video on Fiji as a God among lesser mortals for them to gaze upon with adoration! (and if Adi Da is in the Spirit, he would have to laugh at that, maybe after crying a bit).

God is a great universal comedian (who never quite crosses the line), and for all we know the joke starts here of all places, even to the chagrin of the "elder brother" who refused to join the party at the return of the prodigal son - let all with ears (or their equivalent) let them hear! [just kidding around, sort of]

When our function in relationship with God is restored, it's a new creation, and we're part of it, but without the ego-inflation that might typically accompany such an experience. lol?

It's what I call being a fearless untouchable in a world gone mad. From many other's POV, a very funny AND a very dangerous person, but in the best possible way!

This is the kind of stuff that Jesus wanted of us, including the courage, to be truly happy!

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

We take it too far by trying to adhere to the letter of the law but never getting filled with the Spirit that gives us new life. We try to put on the right faces, and know our bible so well, but do we REALLY know Him? because if we did we would smile and laugh authentically, and we wouldn't make just idle chat - it would really be like a true family get together, a party of sorts, a celebration. No more pretending.

It's true. The thing is, we don't really "know Him" until we understand who He is, and most of that is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that the power of the Holy Spirit works through scripture when people make the effort to read it. Without knowing it very well, it's real easy to get sucked into believing what everyone else wants us to believe instead of what God himself wants us to believe and know about Him.

True joy, peace, comfort and contentment comes through Him, if we'd only listen to what He has to say to us through prayer and His word.

God bless.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Manaical laughter !!!

Did you?

originally posted by: AnkhMorpork

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Manaical laughter !!!

Did you?

I have a cunning plan of deadly revenge against my enemies.

I will do nothing at all and watch as they slowly and inevitable die.

"MawHAHAHAH!"

a reply to: Deetermined


Fair enough!

I certain can't find any fault in that statement.

Makes sense, provided we don't make the error of falling into what might be called Bibiolatry as "dry" Christians or as pretenders of which there are many.

What hurts and bothers me is that for many Christianity is dead to them because of strict literalism and narrow interpretation and all kinds of nonsense that provokes a great deal of anti-Christian bias in the modern world or in other words that we're failing in the true commission by making it into a "right" way of believing and thinking, and without really explaining the how or why of it all. Seems robotic. Many, if not most don't want to touch it with a 10 foot poll, and as I pointed out, many many Christians aren't even in love with Jesus to begin with. They think that "believing in" is all that's required of them, as if holding a very strong opinion. It's ridiculous and intollerable and I can understand why many are turned off by it.

We have to fix that. Make it functional and bring it into it's approriate function as intended by none other than Jesus himself and the first father with whom he was with before the foundation of the universe as the love of 2 in 1 that's eternal and inseperable.

a reply to: chr0naut


Better yet you could be like Moby Dick and let them come to you like Captain Ahab only to scuttle their ship upon the first hint of your fearsome brow!

"Thar she blows!" was the last thing they said.

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

We have to fix that. Make it functional and bring it into it's approriate function as intended by none other than Jesus himself and the first father with whom he was with before the foundation of the universe as the love of 2 in 1 that's eternal and inseperable.

As humans, we're fallible and we're not capable of fixing anything. We ruin everything we touch. The best we can do is share the gospel and pray that the Holy Spirit will touch others' lives. It's really up to the Holy Spirit to change ones' heart. We can be the best Christians imaginable and scoffers will still come up with reasons why not to trust in God. It truly does take the work of the Holy Spirit to make the change. As Jesus said, the world first hated Him and will hate us too, no matter what we do.

originally posted by: AnkhMorpork
a reply to: chr0naut


Better yet you could be like Moby Dick and let them come to you like Captain Ahab only to scuttle their ship upon the first hint of your fearsome brow!

"Thar she blows!" was the last thing they said.

See the darkness. Be the darkness.

a reply to: chr0naut

No, Moby Dick was a white albino! By far more terrifying!

Chapter xlii - THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE [must read! trust me!]

I killed my own thread, but that's ok too. It's all good. "Don't worry. Be happy." Meher Baba

LOL

I feel kinda rasta as in "what it is. ire mon"

It's not an easy table or frame to hold together, particularly when everyone's wondering what the great joke is supposed to be, and hoping that it's not at their own expense or somehow residing in their own blindspot, may the responsibility fall to the next guy. Meanwhile, that guy barged in and took a high seat that was not reserved for him (maybe that was me), as the humble person (you) are moved right up to the position of the Bride at the very right hand of the Bridegroom, discovering to your dismay that you yourself were the one we were all waiting for at a party thrown in your own honor. I hope as a type of doorman or usher that that doesn't leave me without a place to sit, so while extending a hand of friendship, I must also ask for someone else to give me a hand, and we're all in the same predicament. Some people would rather DIE than do public speaking, let alone be responsible to crack a joke that most everyone else will laugh at, but when we try, when we risk it, don't others love us for it, no matter how difficult or challenging it might be to "take the stage" for moment.

It's really tricky and exremely interesting within the context of the relativity of human being in terms of boundaries and treating others as they would want to be treated, and without stepping on someone else's toes as we josstle around for our seat, and find our true place. That is kind of like slaptick three stooges comedy come to think of it.

It's a terrible predicament. But it's as fun as it is dangerous, provided we can muster up the courage when it comes to our turn to be the hand that gives another courage to come forward as their authentic self, and so on and so forth until we have ourselves an authentic celebration where the frame holds all the way across the board, even to the degree that it results in signs and wonders and synchronicities in the midst of the psychic change and transformation that's unleased as a result.

"The happy and creative man, he is moved! He is already moving! He is a process, not a thing."
~ Adi da

a reply to: Deetermined

Thanks for explaining Deetermined.

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: Deetermined

Thanks for explaining Deetermined.

You're welcome. Don't get me wrong, those who seek God/Jesus with all of their hearts, will find Him. We are expected to use our free will to pursue God, but ultimately, only the Holy Spirit can change our hearts in order to open our eyes and ears to hear what He has to say in order to obtain the life that we all strive for here as well as in the afterlife. We're not able to accomplish this on our own or without His help. This is the understanding that He wants us to come to.

a reply to: Deetermined

afterlife... I try to live in the now without expectations of a better world or not, in the future. Not perusing rewards nor punishment, but doing, because I want too. Of cause, I often fail to live up to my own aims. But try learn from those mistakes.

Thanks again, I really needed to hear your last comment.

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Only one God? That is boring

a reply to: Noinden


And thus the need for table fellowship, as we all makes fools out of ourselves. There's no other way and nothing else to do.

I don't know about you, but I find the predicament to be thrilling and dangerous and with the potential for a lot of hilarity, including the one that you just posed ie: with everything being one thing. Boring. You're right.

This doesn't mean to imply the invocation of a million Gods in a pantheon playing politics and God knows our own is terribly flawed (as above, so below? what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven? God forbid, doesn't matter what you think of Trump).

I'm thinking of the Bible verse where Jesus references scripture about Gods and people as Gods to win an argument when someone accused him of blasphemy.

Table fellowship. The highest frame of reference in the universe - oh my!

Now think about how we typically view ourselves, one another, and in all our action and interaction, and then tell me that we don't have a lot of comedic material to make the brunt of ridicule for being so simple and narrow minded in our all our assumptions and evaluations, and Adi Da is right to call this a process, and an activity, not a thing.

So the predicement only gets worse, and better ie: as a kind of joke that just keeps on giving and keeps our joy and humor alive.

To then add the Spirit to this family framework and bring that into presence as we get out of the way and empty ourselves with laughter at ourselves and as the present moment activity of the ego-self and it's predicament is undone, then in the reframe and in the twinkling of an eye we are playing a whole new game where it's vital and essential that we both take ourselves much less seriously, and, much moreso.

It's a human house of God and we're already in it, since it's our true condition.

Anything is possible in this domain & field of awareness.

It's also congruent with the pattern and the teaching of the Bible, I feel, so we're not out of bounds or off track with the truth and the reality.

Now back to our funny stories..

Cheers!

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Sorry all I see is singular deities being mentioned again. Like I said, boring.