Guest guest Posted December 9, 2000 Report Share Posted December 9, 2000 Hi James, I was thinking today about the emphasis in the New Testament about remaining always watchful. For example, Luke 12.37, in the parable of the watchful slaves: " Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes... " I was wondering whether a parallel can be drawn between this watchfulness and the meditative mindfulness in Buddhism, advaita, etc., that leads to liberation. Do you know of any Biblical passages that establish such a parallel even more convincingly? Regards, Rob - " James Bean " <santmat Saturday, December 09, 2000 7:08 PM Know Thyself > > KNOW THYSELF > > THE MUSICIAN STING: > We are spirits living in the material world. > > I saw this nice quote on [philist] the other day: > In practical daily life we are hurt by small things; we are enslaved > by little beings. Misery comes because we think we are finite -- we are > little beings. And yet, how difficult it is to believe that we are > infinite beings! > > THE UPANISHADS: > Who is the Self? The Master replies, " The Self luminous being who dwells > within the lotus of the heart, surrounded by the senses and sense organs, > and who is the light of the intellect, is that Self. Know the Self as > lord of the chariot, the body as the chariot itself, the discriminating > intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as reins. Seek the Self through > meditation. " > > THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS, SAYING THREE: > Jesus said, " If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom > is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say > to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the > kingdom is within you and it is outside you. > > When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand > that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, > then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty. " > > THE BOOK OF THOMAS THE ATHLETE: > The savior said, " Brother Thomas while you have time in the world, listen > to me, and I will reveal to you the things you have pondered in your > mind. > > " Now, since it has been said that you are my twin and true companion, > examine yourself, and learn who you are, in what way you exist, and how > you will come to be. Since you will be called my brother, it is not fitting > that you be ignorant of yourself. And I know that you have understood, > because you had already understood that I am the knowledge of the truth. > So while you accompany me, although you are uncomprehending, you have > (in fact) already come to know, and you will be called 'the one who knows > himself'. For he who has not known himself has known nothing, but he > who has known himself has at the same time already achieved knowledge > about the depth of the all [universe]. > > SANT KABIR: > The light of one soul is equal to that of sixteen suns! > > > > > > _________________ > To get your own FREE ZDNet Onebox - FREE voicemail, email, and fax, > all in one place - sign up today at http://www.zdnetonebox.com > > > > ..........INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LIST.......... > > Email addresses: > Post message: Realization > Un: Realization- > Our web address: http://www.realization.org > > By sending a message to this list, you are giving > permission to have it reproduced as a letter on > http://www.realization.org > ................................................ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2000 Report Share Posted December 12, 2000 Dear Rob: There's a passage in the New Testament, a saying of St. Paul: " Pray without ceasing. " The mystics of the west see this as pertainng to a continuos spiritual practice. Often they use the Jesus Prayer, a kind of mantra similar in many ways to the Sufi practice of Zikhr. Even closer, there's a passage in the Gospel of Thomas that I call 'the mindfulness saying!' They said to him, " Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you. " He said to them, " You examine the face of heaven and earth, but you have not come to know the once who is in your presence, and you do not know how to EXAMINE THE PRESENT MOMENT. " (GoT, 91) A side note: the term, " the blessed one, " familiar to Buddhists, is often used in some of the Gnostic books found of Egypt. Namaste,' James > Message: 2 > Sat, 9 Dec 2000 19:17:51 -0500 > " Rob Sacks " <editor > Re: Watchfulness/Mindfulness > > Hi James, > > I was thinking today about the emphasis in > the New Testament about remaining always > watchful. For example, Luke 12.37, in the > parable of the watchful slaves: > > " Blessed are those slaves whom the master > finds alert when he comes... " > > I was wondering whether a parallel can > be drawn between this watchfulness and the > meditative mindfulness in Buddhism, > advaita, etc., that leads to liberation. > > Do you know of any Biblical passages that > establish such a parallel even more > convincingly? > > Regards, > > Rob > > _________________ To get your own FREE ZDNet Onebox - FREE voicemail, email, and fax, all in one place - sign up today at http://www.zdnetonebox.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 13, 2000 Report Share Posted December 13, 2000 Dear James, Thanks very much. Amazing, isn't it, how much wisdom that people go to the ends of the earth to find, are an overlooked part of their own traditions. Namaste, Rob - " James Bean " <santmat <Realization > Tuesday, December 12, 2000 8:15 AM Re: Watchfulness/Mindfulness > > Dear Rob: > > There's a passage in the New Testament, a saying of St. Paul: " Pray without > ceasing. " The mystics of the west see this as pertainng to a continuos > spiritual practice. Often they use the Jesus Prayer, a kind of mantra > similar in many ways to the Sufi practice of Zikhr. > > Even closer, there's a passage in the Gospel of Thomas that I call 'the > mindfulness saying!' > > They said to him, " Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you. " > He said to them, " You examine the face of heaven and earth, but you have > not come to know the once who is in your presence, and you do not know > how to EXAMINE THE PRESENT MOMENT. " (GoT, 91) > > A side note: the term, " the blessed one, " familiar to Buddhists, is often > used in some of the Gnostic books found of Egypt. > > Namaste,' > > James > > > > > Message: 2 > > Sat, 9 Dec 2000 19:17:51 -0500 > > " Rob Sacks " <editor > > Re: Watchfulness/Mindfulness > > > > Hi James, > > > > I was thinking today about the emphasis in > > the New Testament about remaining always > > watchful. For example, Luke 12.37, in the > > parable of the watchful slaves: > > > > " Blessed are those slaves whom the master > > finds alert when he comes... " > > > > I was wondering whether a parallel can > > be drawn between this watchfulness and the > > meditative mindfulness in Buddhism, > > advaita, etc., that leads to liberation. > > > > Do you know of any Biblical passages that > > establish such a parallel even more > > convincingly? > > > > Regards, > > > > Rob > > > > > > _________________ > To get your own FREE ZDNet Onebox - FREE voicemail, email, and fax, > all in one place - sign up today at http://www.zdnetonebox.com > > > > ..........INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LIST.......... > > Email addresses: > Post message: Realization > Un: Realization- > Our web address: http://www.realization.org > > By sending a message to this list, you are giving > permission to have it reproduced as a letter on > http://www.realization.org > ................................................ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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