Christ In Buddha Nature: Two Worlds-One Heart

Father Francis Tiso: Christ In Buddha Nature: Two Worlds-One Heart

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If you have ever struggled with the dilemma of reconciling Buddhist philosophy with Christian theology, you will find yourself quickly absorbed in this rich and informative conversation with Father Francis Tiso, scholar, poet, artist, musician, botanist, alchemist, exorcist, mystic and gourmet cook - a Renaissance man in the truest sense of the term. Responding to the question of how a Catholic priest becomes so involved with Buddhism, Fr. Tiso launches into the story of his calling and the extraordinary unfolding of his lifework. We hear about his travels to Asia to meet Tibetan Buddhist masters; the Tibetan Buddhist phenomenon of the rainbow body and its connection to the resurrection of Christ, and his thoughts on metaphors and symbols. "We have to be aware that culturally we have a lot invested in the term "symbol or metaphor" as a limit feature of phenomenon. When traditional cultures talk about symbols and metaphors they are talking about greater reality. Not only greater in the sense of having more meaning, but representing the way things really are in their depths."

Father Tiso is an ordained Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Isernia-Venafro, where he holds the office of Canon in the Cathedral. He is the author of numerous publications, and presently serves as the Parochial Vicar of the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mill Valley, CA.

New Dimensions seeks out the most innovative and creative people on the planet and engages them in spontaneous, deep dialogues. Its mission is to deliver life-affirming, socially and spiritually relevant information, practical knowledge and perennial wisdom through the voices and visions of those who are asking new questions and are looking at the world in positive and inspiring ways. It is through the exchange of ideas and information that we can be empowered and enabled to meet the future with greater energy and clarity.

Can Sex Lead to Enlightenment?: Tantric and Buddhist Perspectives

Can Sex Lead to Enlightenment?

Tantric and Buddhist Perspectives

Oct 16, 2009 Anita Saran

Tantra, which originated in post-vedic India, may be defined as a form of yoga that teaches the attainment of spiritual ecstasy via esoteric and erotic techniques. One of its goals is to further spiritual evolution through sexual energy.

The practice of tantric sex has been growing in the West. This is often referred to as pop tantra because it is bereft of the other more important aspects of the practice. Many are attempting to attain enlightenment through this ancient practice. But the majority are interested in either enhancing sexual pleasure or creating "spiritual bonds" with their lovers.

Maria P, a writer doing research for her tantric novel, attended a workshop in New York on tantra. She says: "It was interesting that just before the break, one couple piped up to the teacher, 'Is this all we're going to cover? When are we getting to the sex?'

"When the teacher explained that this was more the spiritual aspect, they said, 'Oh, well, no thanks,' and got up and left. Later, when I approached the teacher, she told me she gets a few in every crowd like that. Even though the write up advertising her class tells what will be covered, they always run a 'hot' image with it, so some get the wrong idea."

The Mother of Tantra – Margot Anand

Margot Anand, a disciple of the late Bhagwan Rajneesh (known as Osho), is considered "the mother of tantra." In an interview with What is Enlightenment? magazine, she says that in tantra there is a belief that The Buddha could not have attained enlightenment if he hadn't experienced the transcending bliss of sexual union with his wife. Tantrics claim that The Buddha did not attain enlightenment under the bodhi tree, but in sexual union with his wife.

However, she admires those who become celibate because of a natural tendency, and not because they are repressing their desire. She believes that only after experiencing and indulging in sexual activity is a practitioner ready for celibacy, and mentions how Osho always spoke of Mahatma Gandhi in this regard. Until the very end, says Anand, Gandhi was obsessed with sex and struggled to free himself from it.

Yet it is clear to Anand that celibacy frees people from attachment and jealousy. She says about sex: "If you, once and for all, don't bother with it and remove yourself from it, you probably have a much better chance to focus your energies on spiritual matters."

Read on 

• Senior Sex
• Ecstatic Sex versus Tantric Sex
• Tantra Teacher Mishaps, Part One

The Bliss of Celibacy and Sense-Restraint

In 1996, Sister Siripannà, from the Amaravati monastic community in England, conducted a weekend workshop at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies titled Renunciation: The Highest Happiness.

In a lecture, she explained, “There is a part of us that feels renunciation means to lose everything we love; having to deprive ourselves of what is pleasant and enjoyable in life. . . Renunciation can sound like passivity, a “door-mat” philosophy, but actually it is the opposite.”

She says the practice of sense restraint has given her a "tremendous sense of freedom and relief" and no longer is she "running after the world."

The Buddha on Sensual Pleasures

Sister Siripannà quotes The Buddha on the subject of sensual pleasures, saying, “Whatever bliss in the world is found in sensual pleasures, / and whatever there is of heavenly bliss – / These are not worth one sixteenth part / Of the bliss that comes with craving’s end.”

A Buddhist Monk on Sexual Activity and Enlightenment

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka, in a fascinating interview with Simeon Alev for What Is Enlightenment? magazine, says, "And therefore in his gradual teaching, he [The Buddha] said that first there is the pleasure in sexual activities, and then there are the disadvantages, then there are the problems. And only when you see the problems, only then do you begin to realize that these disadvantages, this negativity, are inherent in sexuality – they are intrinsic."

According to Bhante, sexual activity cannot lead to enlightenment. He mentions The Buddha as saying in the Pali Canon that no matter how well one knows the sutras, or how long he lives alone in a desolate cave, if he cannot get rid of his lust, hatred and ignorance, he cannot attain enlightenment.

Bhante adds that sexual indulgence leads to jealousy and confusion. Although he does not condemn "moderate, wise, healthy sexual activity," he says that it is forbidden to those whose aim is enlightenment.

Celibacy Requires Self-Mastery

Spiritual aspirants contend that celibacy requires ability and an attitude of self-mastery which are signs of inner freedom, of responsibility towards oneself and others. They point out that spiritual practitioners have long known the benefits celibacy brings: those of improved concentration and purity.

They explain that just as the body needs food for sustenance, the soul needs purity.

If you enjoyed this article, you may like to read about how meat-eating affects the psyche, and the moral dangers of eating meat – both according to the Buddhist perspective.

Sources:

• What is Enlightenment? magazine - Margot Anand's interview with Susan Bridle
• Sex, Celibacy and the Spiritual Life interview with Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Copyright Anita Saran. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

What do you think about this article?

Comments

Nov 6, 2009 7:46 AM

Guest :

So "sexual indulgence leads to jealousy and confusion". This entirely depends on the context and persons involved.

Jealousy is a painful emotion, but that doesn't make it bad - like all emotions it is an opportunity for one to learn and grow.

1 Comment:

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Where "Killing the Buddha" originated

T'ang dynasty Chinese Ch'an monk and founder of the Lin-chi school. He originally came from a family named Hsing in Ts'ao-chou, but left home while still quite young and studied Buddhist teaching and practice in many places with many teachers. He achieved his enlightenment experience and received inka from  Hsi-yün (d. 850), and thereafter made free use of Huang-po's methods of beating students and shouting directly into their ears. Aside from these ‘shock’ techniques, Lin-chi also gained renown for his mastery of the most complex Buddhist thought as contained in the Hua-yen ching, and his ability to teach and illustrate it in plain and straightforward language. In 851 he moved into the Lin-chi Temple in Hopei, from which he took the name by which he is mainly known and which lent its name to the lineage that followed after him. The Lin-chi school thereafter became the most successful and widespread of the five Houses’ of Ch'an, and became the ascendant line of the  Rinzai school of zen in Japan. He is perhaps best known for his dictum, ‘If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill the Buddha’, through which he attempted to turn students' attention away from external images and teachers so that they could discover the truth about themselves.

Breathe right to increase energy

One of the benefits of learning Tai Chi Chuan is increased energy and while learning the art can take months or even years to learn, the effects of learning to breathe correctly can dramatically improve one’s health, in some cases in the very first class.

It is common in so called civilized societies to adapt the habit of chest breathing in adulthood but the jury is still out as to why. Different theories exist, including stress and tension, or for appearance purposes (to have a flat stomach). In any case, chest breathing utilizes only a small fraction of lung space, while breathing correctly not only provides the body with more oxygen, it also provides stimulation to one’s internal organs because the diaphragm muscle gently massages them with each breath.

Relearning to breathe

The diaphragm muscle which lies below the lungs is responsible for moving air in and out of the lungs and it moves vertically. By watching a baby breathe, one can see that their stomachs rise and fall with each breath and this is why in Tai Chi and other martial arts, abdominal breathing is referred to as infant breathing.

Learning or rather, relearning to breathe correctly doesn’t require a formal class; all it requires is practice. In fact, it is customary for Tai Chi instructors to explain correct breathing and to instruct their pupils to practice anytime they think of it so that, over time, correct breathing will become automatic or in other words; one will eventually do it without having to think about it.

Easy practice

Set aside a couple of times each day for concentrated practice and add other times whenever it comes to mind. For example, while lying in bed before falling asleep, place both hands on the lower abdomen, one atop the other, and count ten long, full breathes, feeling the rise and fall of the lower abdomen with each one. Do the same upon rising in the morning, before climbing out of bed.

Mix in other times too; while sitting idly, while driving or riding to work, and any other time it comes to mind. Within two weeks or so, correct breathing will be relearned and will be done without conscious thought. Most people, who relearn to breathe, find an immediate increase in energy simply because of increased oxygen intake and if continued long term, they often gain increased vitality due to renewed energy derived from improved organ function.

Yoga takes CWG by storm

2010-10-03

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New Delhi: Young athletes at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony enthralled the audience by performing stunning yoga asanas and 'surya namaskar', a series of postures in salutation to the sun. With body, mind and soul in unison, lean but strong performers in amber light spread across the field at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, depicting 'kundalini' or the coiled energy, an instinctive force that lies at the base of the spine. Then one of them rose in the 'padma asana' or the lotus pose. The performers choreographed themselves to form 'chakras', the seven energy points of the human body as the 65,000-audience looked in awe.

Coming together

Coming together

by Gary Gach, The Buddhist Channel, Oct 18, 2010

 

Living in Harmony When Things Fall Apart: Notes from the World Buddhist Conference 2010

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- FOLLOWERS of the teachings of Buddha encircle our blue planet.  Like the migration of birds, their activity (and non-activity) proceeds without any single, central leader.  What it is, is – up to its communities and practitioners ever seeking harmony with life.

<< More than 800 participants attended the World Buddhist Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from September 25, 26, 2010 (Photo by Lim Kooi Fong)

The Buddha once declared that whenever three or more people sincerely gathered in his name, he’d be there. A year after his final continuance (paranirvana), 500 of his realized disciples convened to discuss the preservation of their practice. Three of four more such summits were held, over the years.

Gathering together to learn from the past and renew our vows for the future, all in the present moment, can be wonderfully salutary. Such was the case on the weekend of September 25-6, when the 2010 World Buddhist Conference (WBC) convened in Kuala Lumpur.  This important gathering could be typified by its marriage of broad scope with relevance to everyday life. Here follows the first of a series of exclusive reports on this invigorating wind.

Coming Together Under One Banner

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold …
— William Butler Yeats

Things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. — Pema Chodron

The World Buddhist Conference was initially organized to provide a contemporary approach to issues affecting Buddhism. It continues to illuminate the timeless Dharma through the lights and lives of male and female monastic and lay practitioners from all traditions –including such notables as Pra Ajahn Brahm, Geshe Thubten Jinpa, Roshi Jan Chozen Bays, and Bhante Gunaratana. 

Originally entitled ‘Global Conference on Buddhism,’ it’s also been held in Auckland and Perth as well as Kuala Lumpur.  Topics have included Buddhism and technology; death, dying, and rebirth; euthanasia; karma vs fate; ending war, making peace; and revelation and realization.

Such a grand undertaking is fruit of many hands, seen and unseen.  Spearheaded by the Buddhist Gem Fellowship, the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia, and the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia, support also came from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society, Buddhist Channel, Losang Dragpa Buddhist Society, Nalanda Buddhist Society, Shah Alam Buddhist Society, Subang Jaya Buddhist Association, Than Hsiang Temple, and World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth.

---

Please goto: www.wbc.my to view more pictures from the conference

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When the 2010 conference was first conceived, the catastrophe of 9/11 and collapse of America’s debt chain were still of recent memory. The phrase, “when things fall apart” came to mind.* Indeed, people often turn to the Buddha’s teaching from personal disappointment, such as experience of divorce, disaster, or death.

 

We may hold life to a model of perfection, but impermanence is a fact of nature.  An intricate spider web can blow away in a storm.  A life’s savings built up over years can be wiped out in a single day.  An entire family is placed in jeopardy when its breadwinner meets an accident on the road.  A bird with a broken wing fears being target of other birds. A war veteran, haunted by memories of killing in battles fought in a distant land, is unable to return to normal life.

Thinking it through, the organizers realized their initial phrase, alone – ‘things fall apart’ -- might seem like too bleak a prospect.  Further contemplation yielded ‘Living in Harmony.’  The two phrases fit in a perfect balance, as of Ying and Yang. Living in Harmony: When Things Fall Apart.  After all, the Buddha tells us he offers but one teaching: the nature of suffering, and liberation from suffering.

Instead of living on autopilot, driven by stress and anxiety, we can look into the roots of our suffering, to gain deep insight into its cause and remedy.  We can know ourselves better and more profoundly by cultivating and tapping the potential of the mind – training mind as a tool to transform mind.  We can mobilize our wealth of inner and outer resources for learning, growing, healing, and transformation, regardless of our situation – and participate in the common wealth of friends along the path.

The next step for the conference organizers was finding speakers for the year’s theme. Benny Liow, of Buddhist Youth Association, deserves a deep bow for assembling a well-rounded roster of high-caliber presenters, capable of connecting with a diverse, savvy audience.  No doubt, his ongoing tenure as editor of Eastern Horizon helps him keep his finger on the pulse of international Buddhism. As is the custom of the series, the final line-up not only represented the three major groups of traditions, Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, but also a healthy blend of gender, age, profession, etc.  Relative status ranged from one of the most beloved spiritual leaders of our time, Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh, to the relatively unknown but potent Anchalee Kurutach who has been involved in refugee work and survivors of torture for over twenty years in her native Thailand as well as in the US. 

This Writer was particularly honored to meet two Malaysian presenters.  Venerable Wei Wu from Than Hsiang Temple, Penang, is best known for setting up Malaysia’s first International Buddhist College, and many welfare projects such as kindergartens and orphanages throughout the country.  Very present too was Buddhist psychotherapist Dr Tan Eng Kong is a key figure in the alloy of psychology (soul-study) and Buddhism (the art of awakening).

<< Roshi Joan Halifax demonstrating a healing session at the WBC 2010

Other speakers included Venerable Tenzin Zopa from Nepal, a resident teacher at Losang Dragpa Center, Petaling Jaya — who we instantly recognized from the widely acclaimed, new documentary The Unmistaken Child, about his search for his reincarnated teacher Lama Konchog. Speakers from the West included Dr Joan Halifax, internationally-reknowned medical anthropologist and Zen master; Venerable Tejadhamma, a pioneer in hospice work in Sydney, Australia; Venerable Thubten Chodron, well-known author and spiritual teacher from the Pacific Northwest of America; and Prof David Loy, gifted scholar practitioner from the US and co-founder of Buddhist Global Relief.

On Saturday morning, September 25th, years of hard work paid off.  The palatial grand ballroom of the Hotel Istara was filled to capacity with 800 attendees, from across 12 countries. The audience mirrored the diverse presenters, in reflecting a balance of both women and men, young and old; a cross-section of seekers from everyday society.  All there welcomed the conference’s practicality, on how to live in harmony and lead peaceful, happy lives. As the Malaysian Buddhist community has a penchant for wearing white, in the sea of attendees there was fine contrast of white clothes, bordered by the grey and red, saffron and orange, of the robes of monastic attendees from various sanghas. The palatial crystalline chandeliers in the ballroom seemed, to this Writer, like bright nodes from the Net of Indra, infinitely interpenetrating luminosity and bliss, overhead.

Prof Loy spoke for hundreds there when he told us, after the event, ‘I found it very moving, not only because of what people said, but how they said it. Everyone spoke from the heart, and you could feel it.’

For more information :

Buddhist Gem Fellowship
http://www.bgf.org.my
Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia
http://www.bmsm.org.my
Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia
http://www.ybam.org.my

Religion vs Science

Religion vs Science

 

"Let me explain the problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand. "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes, sir."

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could... in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't.

[No answer.]

"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

[No answer]

The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones. "Let's start again, young fella."

"Is God good?"

"Er... Yes."

"Is Satan good?"

"No."

"Where does Satan come from?" The student falters.

"From... God..."

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience."I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen." He turns back to the Christian.

"Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"

"Yes."

"Who created evil?

[No answer]

"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness. All the terrible things - do they exist in this world? "

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"Who created them? "

[No answer] The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"

[No answer]

The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.

Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?" The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"

[No answer]

"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?"

Pause.

"Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, "Is God good?"

[No answer]

"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do."

The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen him? "

"No, sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir. I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus...in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"

[No answer]

"Answer me, please."

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"

"No, sir."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"...yes..."

"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling."According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"

[The student doesn't answer]

"Sit down, please."

The Christian sits...Defeated.

Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"

The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."

The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"Is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No, sir, there isn't."

The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold.

The second Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super- heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than -458.

You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. "Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.

"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"

"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"

"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes..."

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester. "Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!""

"Sir, may I explain what I mean?"

The class is all ears.

"Explain... oh, explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains. "That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."

The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"

"Of course there is, now look..."

"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality.

Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses. "Isn't evil the absence of good?"

The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless.

The Christian continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."

The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."

"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian replies.

"Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.

"Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"

"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.

"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"

"I believe in what is - that's science!"

"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin. "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."

"SCIENCE IS FLAWED?" the professor splutters.

The class is in uproar.

The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?" The professor wisely keeps silent.

The Christian looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out in laughter.

The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain... felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?" No one appears to have done so.

The Christian shakes his head sadly. "It appears no-one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science, I DECLARE that the professor has no brain."

The class is in chaos.

The Christian sits down.

 

The yoga of light and meaning of life

What is the ultimate yoga of light? It is life well lived. How do you define life well lived? It is one being suffused in light and guided by it. Being suffused in light and guided by it an essential part of the yoga of light? Life and light are inseparable. One is defined through the other. The meaning of life, which is not enshrined by light, signifies a pale incompleteness of life. The meaning of light without the existence of the humans signifies an incompleteness of the picture of the universe.

All conceptions of light are rooted in human consciousness. There is certain circularity in the meaning of the phenomena. But it is a good and symbiotic circularity. Life and light blush and blossom in the presence of each other.

Is light a religious phenomenon, or some kind of god? No. Light is not god — not, in any traditional sense. But it is sacred because it is the source of all sources. As such, it deserves to be treated reverentially and considered sacred.

The appreciation of the enormous worth and beauty of light leads naturally to acts of homage we pay to light. But this form of reverence does not lead to the idolatry and mindlessness characteristic of traditional religions. The celebration of the glory and sacredness of light is a joyous and participatory phenomenon in which the inspired humans co-create with the Ultimate Source.

Can you ask of light more than your share? You can do it, if you are ready for it; and light will bless this readiness — if you are ready to act on its behalf; also on behalf of the whole universe. You never ask for anything big on your own behalf, but only on behalf of larger causes.

How do you justify your acting on behalf of Big Light? You don't need to justify it. You just act — until your acting is so compelling and beautiful that all can see. Acting on behalf of Big

Light is beautiful and rewarding. And yet heroic and demanding.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Search/search.aspx?q=Henryk%20Skolimowski&o...

Atheists Debate How Pushy to Be

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/us/16beliefs.html?scp=1&sq=atheists%20debate&st=cse

Killing The Buddha Motion Comic

We wanted to give you a sample of our Bestseller: Killing The Buddha Motion Comic! The motion comic is featured with audio and video, can be read on any smartphone, computer or iPad.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Is this a dream or is this reality?

If you scroll back into our older posts, you can find that we have already posted about dream yoga and lucid dreaming. After a day of tweeting about lucid dreaming, I thought we could add another post related to lucid dreaming. You may or may have not seen Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio, but in the movie they explain the dynamics of lucid dreaming. The multiple levels of a lucid dream, how to create them and how to find out if you're in a dream or in reality. Through the hours of research I have done, I have found that lucid dreaming can actually help you. 

"The overwhelming majority of lucid dreams are positive, rewarding experiences. Moreover, lucidity in unpleasant dreams or nightmares can transform habitual fear into conscious courage. The simple state of lucidity is frequently enough to elevate the mood of a dreamer in a nightmare. In a study of the effect of lucid dreams on mood, college students reported that realizing they were dreaming in a nightmare helped them feel better about 60 percent of the time. Lucidity was seven times more likely to make nightmares better than worse." - lucidity.com

I have had a few of my own lucid dreams; they were the most amazing and intriguing dreams I've ever had. If you could create your own lucid dream, what would you do in it? Would you fly around the world, dive deep into the ocean, or create your own world? 

 

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

We are going to be giving you more than candy and ghosts on Halloween, in 13 days we will be unveiling our biggest secret yet! You have been waiting and asking and we are ready to give you what you want. We can't wait to share our secret with you, and we will be giving you clues days before the big announcement!

Also, do not forget to enter in our iPad Giveaway; we have three iPads to giveaway to some lucky winners! The iPad's will be loaded with our bestseller, Killing The Buddha Motion Comic, you definitely don't want to miss out on a free iPad!

Check our Facebook and Twitter to receive constant updates on our big announcement!

Can color make you feel better?

There are seven main energy centres (chakras) of the body. These chakras are like spirals of energy, each one relating to the others. Using the seven colors of the spectrum, Color Therapy aims to balance and enhance our body's energy centres/chakras and also to help stimulate our body's own healing process. Color Therapy uses color to rebalance the Chakras that have become depleted of energy.

Color therapy can be shown to help on a physical level; however there are deeper issues around the colours on the psychological and spiritual levels. Color has a profound effect on us on all levels, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. If our energy centres become blocked or depleted, then our body cannot function properly and this, in turn, can lead to a variety of problems on any level. 

Our well being is not purely a physical issue. Many more practitioners are now treating patients in a holistic manner. That is to say, we are body, mind and spirit and none of these areas function entirely alone; each has an effect upon the other. This is why Color Therapy can be so helpful since color addresses all levels of our being.  

This post was taken from Three Hearts & Company.