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Theosophy may have beaten Buddha to the punch. As far as I can tell the teaching are considered to predate any recorded history. Claim is that the roots of all religions can be traced back to Theosophy.

There is more similarity than difference between Theosophy and Buddhaism.

If you want a person, Buddha would be my guess.

"Consciousness is reckoned only in accordance with the condition causing it; visual cognition from sight and seen object, idea from mind and mental object. Just as fire is different according to its fuel. Do you see that this is a becoming and not a being? Do you see that the becoming is according to a stimulus? Do you see that if the stimulus ceases, that which has become ceases?"


wow hyper I was just thinking how bored i was lately on UM not much new and stimulating and here you come in with this, WOW the above jumped out at me , what is your thoughtss on this????Great article I'd like to read the book Venom will like this too, i can't wait for him to see this... Namaste sheri

Buddha a humanist? Never heard it put in those terms but I believe it can be said he was humanist, absolutely. The first humanist I am unsure but perhaps the first that had such an impact on the scale that his life has had. it was a very interesting read, thank you.

As a side note: and perhaps a little off topic but I wanted to add this.
Buddhism gets analyzed and taught and differentiates however the core remains the same.
I don't think I really have the words to illuminate what beauty and serenity it has taught me about the world. I don't think I could ever analyze its nature or categorize Buddha and do any of it justice. I've had moments in meditation where I have felt absolute emptiness and yet fuller than ever. other times I have felt smaller than a grain of sand and vaster than the universe at the same time. It makes all the sense in the world to me and yet none at all. As Buddha once said; "believe nothing no matter where you read it or who said it, no matter if I have said it unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." At times when I seek to understand the core of it I realize I can only use perception rather than absolute truth because I have not yet reached that level.

Anyway I apologize for going on. I just felt it and thought perhaps you would understand.
Very nice post thank you.

I read the article, and would like to point out a "minor" problem. "hina-yana" is a term only used by the "mahayana" sect. the term used by those who follow that path refer to themselves as "theravada". "hinayana" is used by the later school in ever so slightly deprecating tones. Very refreshing to see a thread about siddharta gautauma. The moment when he saw the beginning and ending of all things and acheived enlightenment may well be the most important turningpoint in human history. We don't really know exactly what he saw, and it was so surreal, that it was very hard for him to even tell anyone what it was. Most of the early books have him answering questions rather than spouting vague platitudes. What is most important about the Buddha is that he refused to accept faith as being important. He taught that you must experience what he did for yourself, and that it was easy. He opened the path for all mankind to escape suffering.

It teaches us to live in this world with wisdoms,peace.Held meeting to solve problems when occurs.There is always a better conclusion if there is convention.What u seed is what u sows.Always have "Win-Win" for both parties or to the world.Don't fight.No to "war".

No "God or "Goddess" in these world.Only "karma".

Universe has no beginning nor ending.It just evolve as we kept on realising new things from this universe and created it.We are the creator for the entired future of the next generation.

"Nothing" Don't" see,touch,hear,feel no taste".No regret of what u did.U can escape to eternality.

once they asked the buddha if Ishvara (sanskrit for YHVH, as far as I can find out) created the universe or not. He answered "Who cares? seek enlightenment." Buddha did not disbelieve in God, just that belief was unimportant.

mmm..although buddha had teaches us the process but to achieve that is a long way and i dun think any human is capable of achieving it.

At one time people also thought that the world was flat!
I happen to believe anything is possible if you don't limit your thinking.

What a great thread, gid and star beautiful posts, Star for one who couldn't find the words you did very well and you too gid

I actually was gonna post what you put star so thanks you beat me too it, , there have been times in meditation that I have connected to this safeness and love that isn't even describable , I don't want this to becomes sheri's meditation journals but , buddhism has inspired me to question , that the only place to be looking for anything is within, Its a very beautiful philosophy and because Buddha was so real so human, his journey says to me anything is possible, ...awesome thread i'd like to see more contributions on this subject though....

did I miss a wedding?
When did Sherri and Hyper tie the knot? :

me too I must have missed it LOL...and to think I wasn't ask to be usher bridesmade tut tut shame on you both (j/k)

ImOne,
i know a couple theosophists and next time i see one of them i will ask. One of them makes many references to Hinduism. The interesting thing is how similar theosophy and buddhism are.

Sheri,
indeed in the becoming. to use more modern terminology, people tend to focus on the nodes of a network because they are concrete. It is safe and easy to have these solid markers of reference, but they are illusionary. The dynamics are in the connections, and the activity of the connections is only in the present. Everything else is a probability. We are not separate from anything, for it is those things that interact with us that create us.

Turtle,
it has been a while old friend. Sorry you didn't get the invite in time.

Well nuts to you too then J/K

Nor our respective partners eh hyper


Turtle have yo uever heard the word friends????

indeed sheri,

but if we played it right we could get our very own thread in the conspiracy section.

Many years ago, when my spiritual Master who taught me Occultism was a teenager, he had an intense religious experience that changed his life. Although raised as a Roman Catholic, he began sturying Buddhism and decided he wanted to be a Buddhist. He was angry how the Church had deceived him, as he thought at the time. It was Winter, and, in his parents' house blazed a raging warm fire in the fireplace. He sat in front of the fire and meditated, one night, after his family had gone to bed. He made the decision. "Jesus," he began, "if you really have any power, catch this!" With that he threw his copy of the new testament, that he had been given at first communion, towards the fire. To this day, he swears this really happened. Jesus appeared to him in front of the fireplace and caught the book! "This isn't necessary," Jesus said. Jesus then changed into the Buddha, laughed, and said, "My child, did you really think there was that much difference between his teachings and mine?" The Buddha then handed the n.t. back to him. That's not even the weird part. Wait; it gets better. When my teacher was born, the umbilical cord had been wrapped around his left arm, and he went through childhood with a withered left hand. The doctors had always told his mother nothing could be done for it. When the Buddha gave him back the book, the Buddha touched his left hand with just one finger, and his hand burned. He thought for a second that he had hallucinated the whole thing, for the Buddha disappeared as soon as the nt was returned to him, but his hand was healed, completely, and still bears a tiny scar in the shape of the eight-spoked wheel of dharma! True story, and I have seen the scar. It looks like a tiny round birthmark, and he has had full use of his hand since this happened!

interesting story gideon.

i hope you don't mind if i am a skeptic?

it does demonstrate how beneath all the superficial there is root commonalities to all these belief structures. Why you think the similarities are there is where it gets interesting. Is it simple influence? Is it a common source called HUMANITY or the human condition? Is it magic mushrooms?

Gid metaphorically speaking if i was to derive a message I would say wisdom shows up to us in the way we can understand it best, in a way we will recieve it based in large part on our personal beleifs, and often we see what we expect to see, Very good story though... One thing I did notice was how each "jesus' and "buddah referred to their teachings as theirs and subjective.....I don't think fellows of that awareness would say my teachings...but thats the scepto in me but it could be in the retelling of the story over time words change.....anyhoo namaste sheri

No offense intended to Gideon or his "Master", but I always find stories like that rather difficult to swallow.

Many people claim that their diety has appeared to them and performed "miraculous acts" in regards to rather trivial events. Throwing a book in a fire, or preventing someone from recieving a relatively minor injury.

I have personally witnessed the death and disfigurement of children and adults through no fault of their own except to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I guess god/jesus/buddha/shiva was too busy saving bibles to save these victims instead.

Ah, but I know the counter arguemnts: "god works in mysterious ways" "god has a plan" "how can we fathom the wonders of a supreme being".

Meh. If it works for you, who am I too disagree with you.

but u noe most humans cant let go their emotion and love to seek their form of dreams, they also do not wan to seek enlightment for the sake of all being(compassion) without comapassion and determination humans cant achieve nibbana.
why would any beings seek enlightment instead of their dream as to them their dream is their happiness and not enlightment.....unless their only dream is enlightment..lol

Okay, uncle, I give up. I have answered these questions before. There are "nodes", moments and places where the divine is in contact with the physical world. When you experience a node, miracles can happen. The physical world is otherwise set up with very rigid lawa which usually are never violated. Even at "miraculous places", like Lourdes, healing may take place, whether for the faithful or not. There are hundreds of pairs of crutches at Lourdes and Fatima, but not one artificial leg. You may believe my little story about my teacher, or not. I will say I myself have experienced similiar occurrences, and your belief or lack makes no difference to me. I think the point of the story was obvious.

Its great you shared the story Gid and it seems as if each of us got something out of it, but becasue a few us don't choose to understand things through "nodes" or "miracles' doesn't mean for you to take it personal, your perspective is very religious gid for the most part your respectful and gracious to others beleifs, It doesn't matterr if we agree with the way the message got here,( thats only important to you) gid thats the problem with religon they want you to believe the way they tell you, one that thinks for themselves doesn't do that nor should they???.....namaste sheri

What religion do you believe I am pushing? I don't have a religion, I am an occultist. I would not worship a god unless participating in a ritual that required it. For the duration of the rite, I would temporarily believe in whatever was necessary. Just because you don't believe in nodes doesn't make them unreal. I have actually seen them on many occasions. Kuan Yin and Bridgit are amnong my closest friends, but I understand that they are thought forms that have an indwelling energy from the other side that is very powerful and ancient.

Gid i have a deep respect for you and i have said you are not lacking in intellegence, and interest, i've learned alot from you merci, this is a gentle nudge so you don't get lost in a certain way being the only way, IMO only... , I'm not going to argue the validity of "nodes' gid and it only is important to you.Because i have such a respect for you i read the story and commented i'm also a skeptic in the event I looked into occultism 'nodes' may take on a deeper meaning to me by the same token becasue you beleive in 'nodes' doesn't make them true, we can go back and forth or just leave it at kool story, thanks for sharing and this is my input, take it or leave it , it seems like you are getting defensive about it and I felt i'd mention that Namaste sheri

sheri-occultism by its very nature is not the path for everyone. the very wrd "occult" means hidden. the node thing is just one explanation to "why does God let bad things happen?" or, "why don't miracles save every hungry or diseased child?" I will explain; if you don't accept it as valid (and you prob won't). Basically, although
God really is everywhere at once, according to buddhism, taoism and kabbalah, there are these nodes or contact points when God happens to be paying more attention. otherwise, prayer is meaningless or purposeless.timewise, these can be the holiday traditions followed by one's people or tribe of origin, which are coincidal for many cultures. Likewise, there are blessed places, either permanent or temporary, like when a wiccan casts a circle, for example. it comes and goes. this to me is a better explanation than "God works in mysterious ways." these ways are to an extent documentable through experiment, and someday a truly objective scientist will look for god energy and either find it or not. Only a small part of occult wisdom and knowledge is suitable, or even necessary, for the gen.pop. to study. I have no religion to sell, I just share what I can.

I know Gid, i meant no disrespect, just keeping things real, If that works for you i think that is awesome, really...It really boils down to how one can live in the most fun and benefit to themselves and all, merci beaucoup for taking a moment to explain