The Urantia Book

[AncientMariner]

 

 

I was at the book store the other day and I bought this book called The Urantia Book. I am sure many people classify it in the dreaded "new age" category but after reading it I have to admit that it is one of the most incredible books I have ever read. It goes into detail about the Luciferian rebellion and how our planet has been spiritually quarantined due to this rebellion. It also goes into tremendous detail about the relationship of the Eternal Son to the Eternal Father which really reminds me of the Vedic conception of Lord Brahma. It really is a book that has restored my faith in Jesus which quite frankly I had completely lost due to my brief association with Christians. I really wish Srila Prabhupada was alive (still incarnated on Earth with us) and he could analyze this book. I would be very curious what his impression of it would be.

[mpuri]

Ancient Mariner I agree with you!

 

I was born a Hindu and do appreciate Srila's God Personality centric teachings.

 

Many years ago I was searching for truth when I came across the Urantia Book, it is indeed amazing.

 

Later I came across a group of Urantia Book readers who were receiving spiritual (and still are regularly see http://lightson.net/teachingmission.htm) messages regularly.

 

I'd like to point you to http://tmarchives.com for it contains most of these since 1992, take a look and let me know what you think!

 

Love, Manu.

[stonehearted]

I doubt that Srila Prabhupada would spend any time analyzing this book. He's interested in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, and the books of the goswamis and other Gaudiya acharyas. This book is not new. I remember that my brother was studying it in 1969. We had many discussions about it and how it compares with what I understood then of what Srila Prabhupada has given us (which was even more rudimentary then than now--and I was too often inclined toward "defeating" Lenny so he would "become a devotee," which he did to some extent anyway). Sure, it may be fun to read ans speculate about, but will it help you reawaken your eternal identity as a confidential servant of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda? I doubt it is any more helpful in this regard than any of Zechariah Sitchin's books, or anything else discussed on Art Bell's (or his wannabe George Noory's) radio show.

[mpuri]

> but will it help you reawaken your eternal identity as a confidential servant of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda?

 

>society with God in the center.

 

Stonehearted, I suggest that that the book can help with both the efforts you list in your post (reproduced above) see following excerpts if you wish:

 

http://www.truthbook.com/UrantiaBook/U3.htm

 

Mortal man cannot possibly know the infinitude of the heavenly Father. Finite mind cannot think through such an absolute truth or fact. But this same finite human being can actually feel—literally experience—the full and undiminished impact of such an infinite Father's LOVE. Such a love can be truly experienced, albeit while quality of experience is unlimited, quantity of such an experience is strictly limited by the human capacity for spiritual receptivity and by the associated capacity to love the Father in return.

 

 

 

[AncientMariner]

Prabhupada might not be interested in it at all, who knows but just because I found the Urantia Book to be an awesome book doesn't mean that I am buying into the concept that human beings are a genetic hybrid of the abominable snowman and aliens. Wo! ha-haaa. I don't know if the Urantia Book awakened my eternal identity as a confidential servant of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda or not but it did help restore my lost childhood faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Despite my love for Prabhupada (which I am sure many would criticize or question) I still feel a need to have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

[AncientMariner]

I appreciate it. When I wrote this post clear back in February I figured I would get ridiculed and laughed off the boards but since I gave up on life being a popularity contest after the 3rd grade I decided to speak my peace. If it turns out the Urantia Book is an elaborate hoax or anything I apologize in advance.

[stonehearted]

The book asserts much about God's greatness and power, and that's great. If more people appreciated that, the world would certainly be a better place. However, the book says nothing about Krishna, and the kind of love evoked by the passages you refer me to is very different form the kind of love for Krishna and His eternal associates thatSri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the goswamis teach. That's not to say there's anything wrong or bad in the book. My point was quite simple: Srila Prabhupada would very likely have given the book no time. At best, he may have asked if any of his disciples had previously been familiar with it and accept their version of its essence, no matter how mistaken (see the "philosophy book"). He mentioned The Aquarian Gospel once or twice as possible evidence that jesus may have spent time in India, but he never studied that book. He most likely heard a one- or two-sentence abstract from one of his disciples.

 

And, Manu, it's okay to call me by my name, which is Babhru.

[mpuri]

Dear stonehearted I understand what you're trying to convey, thanks!

[mpuri]

I believe in the Urantia Book just like I do in the Bhagavad Gita.

 

To me it represents another source of truth.

 

The UB led me to the Teaching Mission (www.tmarchives.com) and which prompted me to launch a site called lightson.net. We read and listen to weekly teacher expositions and really enjoy them.

 

Please ping me if you'd like more info.

 

In love,

 

Manu

[stonehearted]

AM, there's no need to get defensive. If my references to Sitchin and Art Bell seemed over the line, I apologize. I didn't mean to put you down or laugh you off the board (Hell, I'm hardly here myself).

 

If the book reawakens your regard for Jesus, I think that's great. I have a long-standing relationship with Jesus, having accepted him as my savior when I was nine years old. When I was 22, I dedicated my life to serving Srila Prabhupada by helping him spread the teachings of Lord Chaitanya. I never felt that cancelled my acceptance of Jesus, but enhanced or fulfilled it.

 

And I'm well aware that I am in no position to judge your relationship with Srila Prabhupada. My main concern is my own relationship with him. But I also find the way devotees discuss the things we do rather interesting. If that bugs anyone, well, I guess that puts me right behind you in the "out-of-the-popularity-contest" line. Junior high and slam books are far in the past.

[AncientMariner]

Sorry if I was defensive. I hope I didn't offend you with my juvenile humor. Even though we don't always agree I always hold your opinion in high regard and have always admired you as being a straightforward and honest servant of the Lord. The fact that you actually had real association(I have only associated with Him through books) with Prabhupada definetly does lend credence to the fact that Prabhupada probably would have just dismissed the book so I see what you are saying.

[theist]

Babhru:

He mentioned The Aquarian Gospel once or twice as possible evidence that jesus may have spent time in India, but he never studied that book. He most likely heard a one- or two-sentence abstract from one of his disciples.

 

 

I understand your point and we see it in evidence in Dialectic Spiritualism.

 

But he did read the Aquarian Gospel. I say read vs. studied. There was a bramachari I knew, Chakradari das,(yes that poor soul) who was working in the kitchen close to his room(can't remember where). He told me Prabhupada would excitedly emerge from his room while reading it and mention how Jesus has been at Ratha-yatra and he commented on his having lived in Jagannatha temple for four years etc. He said he came out several times like that.

 

Now that doesn't mean he even read the whole book. He may have just read the portion of Christ in India. I wouldn't know.

 

He did quote from it numerous times but he also never endorsed it and said he used it for his preaching.

 

[theist]

AM:

Despite my love for Prabhupada (which I am sure many would criticize or question) I still feel a need to have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

I hear that.

[stonehearted]

There's nothing for you to apologize for. It was my humor that was puerile. I always find your posts interesting and productive. This one was no exception. It took me back to '69 or'70, when I was a new zealous devotee (perhaps the more so for having left the temple) and eager to convert my brother. There's a lot to appreciate in the UB (as there is in the Aquarian Gospel), but, even though the psychedelic counter culture was not far behind me (and even though I grew up reading adult science fiction), I remember thinking that a lot of it was the product of a fertile imagination. If I were to read it today (not likely, considering the problems I have with time and the list of books in front of it), I imagine that I'd approach it with a more open mind, since my faith doesn't seem as fragile as it was 25 years ago.

 

And don't get too carried away with any stuff about my association with Srila Prabhupada. I was certainly no intimate disciple, in the sense that we usually (or otherwise, I guess) think. If someone had mentioned my name, he would probably not have said,"Oh, yes--the nice Tulasi boy in Hawaii." I did have some personal interaction with him, I did go on some walks in Honolulu, and I was present in many classes he gave in Hawaii and LA. But I really am just one obscure disciple among almost 5,000. If I hadn't let ISKCON politics get in the way and had been able to get something going in Peru, as he asked me do to, it may be a different story.