C. I love the sharing about Sasha. What an honor and privilege to help to form a young person's heart and mind. Keep fighting the good fight to help her to be a selfless and thankful contributor to the world. Castle Rock, CO. is a great place to raise a kid if you ever do decide to come back to the states.
I felt compelled to come here to comment, as well, because of your talk about Jesus. He is, indeed, the door guy. He literally says that no one comes to The Father except through Him.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
— John 14:6 (ESV)
He also very much likens Himself to an actual gate.
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
— John 10:7–9 (NIV)
This is not Christ-consciousness, though He does tell us that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit have the mind of Christ. Jesus alone offers the way to glory as He alone had the power to pay the price that we all had to pay in order to become righteous.
God is calling you by name, Chris :0)
Here is the gospel in a nut shell. I HIGHLY recommend John Stott's "The Cross of Christ" if you want more of the glory of God's plan that He ordained before He even created this world. His plan, from the beginning, was revealed in Christ alone. It is truly awesome to meditate on. I am more than happy to buy you a copy if you will read it.
1. Our Problem: Sin and Depravity
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23
Apart from Christ, we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), enslaved to sin, and unable to please God.
2. God’s Requirement: A Perfect Sacrifice
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” — Hebrews 9:22
The Law and sacrifices pointed ahead, but they couldn’t cleanse us fully.
A spotless Lamb was required.
3. God’s Provision: Jesus Christ
Jesus lived sinlessly and became the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin (John 1:29).
On the cross, He bore the wrath of God in our place (2 Corinthians 5:21).
His blood brings forgiveness and peace with God (Romans 5:9).
4. The Only Way: Through Him Alone
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — John 14:6
Salvation is exclusive through Christ, but inclusive in invitation — “whoever believes” may come (John 3:16).
5. Our Response: Repentance and Faith
“Repent and believe in the gospel.” — Mark 1:15
Turning from sin and trusting in Christ’s finished work — salvation is by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9).
6. The Result: Redemption and New Life
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” — Ephesians 1:7
We are forgiven, reconciled, adopted as God’s children, and given eternal life.
7. The Gift: The Holy Spirit
After regeneration (being born again), God doesn’t leave us powerless — He indwells us with His Spirit.
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” — Ephesians 1:13
The Spirit gives us new desires, empowers us to walk in obedience, convicts us of sin, comforts us, and produces fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22–23).
Through Him, we cry “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15) and are equipped to live as witnesses of Christ (Acts 1:8).
Appreciate the nice words and thoughtful response, Chip.
I believe all of that is real, but I do not think it is the ONLY reality. I've met enlightened Buddhist monks who do not accept Jesus in that sense and yet they are the real deal, obviously so when you are in their presence.
What I take away is that while you can only be saved through Christ alone, that means Christ-consciousness alone. Those who allow it are saved, those who resist are lost.
And Christ-consciousness IMO does not mean thinking about Christ, his sacrifice, his story, the bible, etc, but it means to be one with God, the Tao, the way of reality. The Buddha has Christ consciousness IMO, and Christ has Buddhahood. The symbols differ, the narrative framework, the language, the names on the map, but they point to the same destination.
So when I say Christ is not the bouncer at the heaven club, I mean he is not patting his children on the back for using the correct symbols and eschewing the wrong ones. But that to follow Him is to change one's consciousness and that consciousness is the same quality shared by enlightened masters of all stripes.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"
I read as "There is no enlightenment by chasing pleasure. There is no salvation by doing good deeds or getting pats on the back by human society. You will not find peace through striving or being a try-hard or a sycophant. The only way to peace is to let go of your narrow self-conceptions, your ego-driven agendas, your baggage and make space for God."
I don't take it as literally, you have to worship via my symbols or else you are toast.
I would never say that Siddhartha is not in glory or judge anyone's eternal salvation. That is left to God alone. There are some Christ-followers who would stand legalistically and say, literally, that those in the sticks of wherever-booney-land who have never heard the name of Jesus (Yeshua) will not go to heaven. I believe God leaves room for Him to judge the hearts of people and allows those who have never heard His name to enter.
That said, I do not believe there is room for interpreting Jesus' words, or the rest of Scripture, to allow for just a metaphysical experience of His consciousness or the enlightened conscious to open the door for eternal glory with The Father, Son, and Spirit.
I definitely see how God used my seeking of ultimate truth to bring me to a Buddhist monastery in New York, to this guy who practiced Ekankar (ancient art of soul travel) so that I would learn how to meditate, and to have the many long discussions you and I have had about life/philosophy/etc. And I see similarities in the teachings of the Gita, and the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path Buddha taught. On one level, God absolutely wants to use all paths that everyone is on to bring them to the feet of Jesus.
I was reading Romans 10 this morn, uncoincidentally. It reads, "1Brothers,a my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.5For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7“or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”"
I remember sitting in my dorm room the year after we went to Lake Tahoe and was talking to God. I thought, "God, I do believe I need to be perfect to be in eternal fellowship with you, a perfect God, and that I am corrupted by sin that came into the world by disobedience. But why can I not just repent to you hear and now, confessing my sin and my need for you to perfect me, as I also believe I cannot become perfect on my own?" In the stillness, I had a Job-like experience where God whispered, "Who are you to tell me how to save the world?!" It was very peaceful, but there was authority in the whisper and I was struck with the simple revelation that indeed, how could I think I know better than the God who created me?
I desired peace, joy, fulfillment and did not find it in the consciousness you mention. Granted, I have not sat in a monastery for years "watching" my breath. But, I did meditate for many hours. I did study the other ancient faiths and what was taught. And I found the teachings to fall short. But, the person, Jesus, He has never failed me. I have walked with him since that night in my dorm room and through the way ups and downs, The Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit have comforted and led me. It has not been a mind-frame, but a relationship and a filling by a person, three persons as one. It has been 35 years and it has only gotten better.
God wants that relationship with you, too. It is not this ethereal god-consciousness, though. The byproduct of fellowship with God can and should absolutely produce that peace, joy, enlightenment, fulfillment, etc. that you have experienced in these people you have met. And why some of these "masters" have this aura of sorts is for another discussion. Suffice it to say that there are many people that have have a false sense of security or peace due to psychosomatic practices/habits/denials, literal possession by demons, or temporary satiation by one of the many "things" (Netflix, basketball, sex, parenting, vid games, food, etc.) the world has to offer.
I have to mention, in parting, that about a month after that time with God in the dorm room, I was put in a mental institution(not the last I visited) for like 30 days and diagnosed with manic depression because of the fervor I had for Jesus after that night. I am guessing, because of your relationship with Laird, that you know of that experience. This was just after that visit I made to Amherst where I dunked over you on the court (JK, but I do remember dunking at that court on your campus) and you, me, and Cash watched "Live at Pompeii", among other things. I have always wanted to ask you about your take on that time, along with that one time I visited you in NYC (one of the literal CRAZIEST days of my life). That day in NYC ended with me being put in the jail I did not know existed at Grand Central because I was sitting on the floor with my shirt off waiting for my train when this ununiformed cop came up to me and told me to put on my shirt without telling me he was a cop. I pridefully stood up and told him, in so many words, to beat it, and before I knew it, was cuffed and literally being carried by six cops to the jail. But, that stuff eventually got out of my system and a few years later I was off of all meds, still fervent for His name.
I believe everything you say, Chip, because I know you, and you have never been a bullshitter. But the scripture, the words, the ideas, the images, the teachings are all symbols. They point to the reality of *something* but they cannot be that thing. The map is not the territory. So the thing -- God, Jesus, the peace, freedom, enlightenment, etc. is not the words. It's not the symbols. It's not the names, the narratives, the way in which we represent it to ourselves. It's not sayable.
And if you have found some connection to the unsayable, to some ultimate kind of truth, through ANY arrangement of symbols those are the true symbols. But the thing itself transcends the symbols IMO, and I think we should be after it, rather than the words on the map.
Don't get me wrong, the Christian map seems to work for many people (not nearly as many as purported Christians, but many nonetheless.) It is a valid map. But it is not the only map, and in any event it is still a map IMO.
I just look at things from first principles. If there is existence, there must be a Creator or at least a creating force. And that Creator unless He's a clown (in which case we're doomed anyway), cannot care about trivia such as what symbols his children use, what images they have in their minds, what stories they tell. A serious Creator, one worthy of our devotion, would care only about the sincerity of his creations, the earnestness of them. Not whether they believe proposition A or proposition B. That's just my view. I don't believe a God worthy of worship cares whether I am a Christian or a Buddhist or a Jew. He would only care about my sincerity. How true I am to myself as his creation and ultimately Him.
Of course I could be mistaken. But that's how I see it, and no citing of scripture (one good map that works for some IMO) can change my mind because it's just a map.
. . .
I appreciate the dialogue too Chip, always have. And if you want my recollection about those days, happy to relate it to you -- but will send via email.
I agree that God focuses on our hearts. That is why I believe there is room for the Buddhist to enter His Kingdom. But, that door was only opened because of the sacrifice of Jesus. There would be no salvation, no enlightenment, apart from Jesus' shed blood. The more you sincerely look into God's plan, from the beginning, from Genesis, the more amazed you will be as The Bible is not some ordinary book, but absolutely proven to be supernaturally written. Look at the exodus, the passover, the feast of the first fruits, and pentecost in light of Jesus' death on passover, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is so beautiful to see His ordained plan.
That said, I understand your argument in regards to using The Bible to show that Christianity is true. Of course the book that is meant to convince you that Christianity is true will try to convince you that it is true. When I had my awakening and was filled with The Spirit, I immediately was encouraged to dive deep into whether Scripture was unique. At the time, I had been studying or studied the holy books of other faiths and as you alluded to, wanted to see if there was a clear distinction. If I was to take The Bible as the literal words of God, not just suggestions for an enlightened life, I needed to know The Bible stood out. Were the teachings the same? Did Buddha say the same thing, in different words, as what Jesus said? So....
1.Were the teachings different than Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Muslims, etc.?
----Jesus' teachings are VERY distinct. He cannot be a good prophet. He is a liar, a lunatic, or who He said He was....GOD HIMSELF. He did not leave room for this or for people entering His Kingdom without His death and resurrection
----Jesus, in history, died and rose from the dead. Christian's faith is rooted in this truth. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians "12Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18Then also those who have [c]fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have [d]fallen asleep. 21For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."
---In a very remedial but deep example, Buddha taught the extinction of individuality as enlightenment, correct? No wants. No identity. Jump in the river. Jesus taught that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made to uniquely and individually enjoy His presence, power, and creation. Our desires are not innately holding us back from enlightenment, but can actually be given to us by God for His great purposes and fulfillment in our lives. When I say "can", I mean that there is also the sinful nature we still wrestle with, our flesh, as well as the demonic and the worldly way of thinking that can rise up and give us desires that lead us away from God and His perfect and pleasing will for our lives.
2.Is the Bible a different book, considering it teaches VERY different things than other faiths?
---I found it absolutely stands out dramatically
+++historical details and accuracy (even in regards to the creation of our world (God stretched out the stars, there was a moment in time when our world came into existence (only recently, in regards to history have either of these been confirmed, but they were written down thousands of years ago)
+++ prophecy (clearly written down details of futuristic events that took place exactly as written). You could dive deep with this. Here is one video. Gotanswers.org is a great site: https://youtu.be/8Mv4Hc4rsVI?si=FEwhQaHsemVzCWJY. This is another example of the miraculous text revealing God's plan from the beginning. The first 10 names in the Bible, literally translated, say, "Man appointed mortal sorrow but the Blessed God
+++power in reading it---That is why I asked you before if you had read the book. I have heard many testimonies of non-believers reading the book and having the truth convince. I personally read many holy books and The Bible wholly stood out......I meditate on it every day to this day and will do so as long as I live
+++Other miraculous things---all the books point to a savior----you can deep dive into this, as well, revealing there is no way humans alone could have written the book
I do not expect any of these words in this post to convince you. I am pretty sure I have said this to you before, but I encourage you again to ask that force/being that you believe created this ridiculously amazing world to tell you, clearly, what/who is truth. I am not saying you have not done that already. The key after doing that, though, is to take the next step as you are led. It is kind of like the wisdom you have recently received regarding running alone in comparison to playing padel. Buddhism would still push you to run in hopes your experience of the suffering would turn to peace, just another "is" in light of life's experiences....no attachment to the suffering, the dread, the monotony....watch your thoughts, don't embrace them....just "be" as you let go of any mental attributing of the feeling in your legs and lung to pain/suffering. Whereas, in your heart and mind, you know that though there is some truth to that, you want to be real with yourself and true to yourself and do physical activity that is enjoyable without the battle pre-workout and during the work out.
There is a spiritual battle waging for your eternal soul. The enemy does not want you to do the next thing, believe the next thing that you know you are being led to do or believe. Regardless, you know you always have a friend in me who is on the journey with you. I pray you have an awesome rest of the day!
I agree with a lot of this, though I did go running today, suffered and saw the merit in it, got some insights about it. I would say there are more parallels between Buddhism and Christianity than most think. Jesus having an Immaculate Conception/Virgin Birth is similar to an enlightened person transcending the wheel of Samsara. A virgin birth is an effect without a cause, just like an enlightened person chooses a re-birth rather than being impelled to take one by his karmic desires.
Also if the Buddha were to have ascended to heaven, he'd had to have done it 500 years before Christ. So Jesus could not be the reason for that.
I am not sure I see the link between escaping the wheel and the virgin birth. The Father clearly sent His Son, by the Holy Spirit, into Mary, for salvation, so I am not understanding the "effect without a cause" principle like I see in Buddhism. I have not thought about the enlightened choosing rebirth. I see the connection there, for sure. So the enlightened would choose to come back because they want to help others?
God talks about His death paying the price for those who died prior to Him coming to earth. 1 Peter 4:6 "For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does." There are other Scriptures, as well. His blood sacrifice covers all sins committed past, present, and future for those who believe and receive.
I hope you have an awesome day. I look forward to hearing your insights regarding the suffering you endured on the track. I love suffering and need to choose it more. It is a gift, for sure!
The modern-day checked-out parent is pretty bad, too. As opposed to our versions who wanted us out of their hair and sent us outside, the modern version of this parent is too busy doom-scrolling on their phone and handing their kids tablets so they don’t have to throw a ball with them, to the point that it makes me end up devolving into the "worst kind of parent" you speak of—being overly involved out of fear that my kid will become their anxiety-riddled, end of-the-bench kid who doesn’t know how to do anything even remotely analog.
C. I love the sharing about Sasha. What an honor and privilege to help to form a young person's heart and mind. Keep fighting the good fight to help her to be a selfless and thankful contributor to the world. Castle Rock, CO. is a great place to raise a kid if you ever do decide to come back to the states.
I felt compelled to come here to comment, as well, because of your talk about Jesus. He is, indeed, the door guy. He literally says that no one comes to The Father except through Him.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
— John 14:6 (ESV)
He also very much likens Himself to an actual gate.
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
— John 10:7–9 (NIV)
This is not Christ-consciousness, though He does tell us that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit have the mind of Christ. Jesus alone offers the way to glory as He alone had the power to pay the price that we all had to pay in order to become righteous.
God is calling you by name, Chris :0)
Here is the gospel in a nut shell. I HIGHLY recommend John Stott's "The Cross of Christ" if you want more of the glory of God's plan that He ordained before He even created this world. His plan, from the beginning, was revealed in Christ alone. It is truly awesome to meditate on. I am more than happy to buy you a copy if you will read it.
1. Our Problem: Sin and Depravity
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23
Apart from Christ, we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), enslaved to sin, and unable to please God.
2. God’s Requirement: A Perfect Sacrifice
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” — Hebrews 9:22
The Law and sacrifices pointed ahead, but they couldn’t cleanse us fully.
A spotless Lamb was required.
3. God’s Provision: Jesus Christ
Jesus lived sinlessly and became the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin (John 1:29).
On the cross, He bore the wrath of God in our place (2 Corinthians 5:21).
His blood brings forgiveness and peace with God (Romans 5:9).
4. The Only Way: Through Him Alone
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — John 14:6
Salvation is exclusive through Christ, but inclusive in invitation — “whoever believes” may come (John 3:16).
5. Our Response: Repentance and Faith
“Repent and believe in the gospel.” — Mark 1:15
Turning from sin and trusting in Christ’s finished work — salvation is by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9).
6. The Result: Redemption and New Life
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” — Ephesians 1:7
We are forgiven, reconciled, adopted as God’s children, and given eternal life.
7. The Gift: The Holy Spirit
After regeneration (being born again), God doesn’t leave us powerless — He indwells us with His Spirit.
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” — Ephesians 1:13
The Spirit gives us new desires, empowers us to walk in obedience, convicts us of sin, comforts us, and produces fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22–23).
Through Him, we cry “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15) and are equipped to live as witnesses of Christ (Acts 1:8).
Appreciate the nice words and thoughtful response, Chip.
I believe all of that is real, but I do not think it is the ONLY reality. I've met enlightened Buddhist monks who do not accept Jesus in that sense and yet they are the real deal, obviously so when you are in their presence.
What I take away is that while you can only be saved through Christ alone, that means Christ-consciousness alone. Those who allow it are saved, those who resist are lost.
And Christ-consciousness IMO does not mean thinking about Christ, his sacrifice, his story, the bible, etc, but it means to be one with God, the Tao, the way of reality. The Buddha has Christ consciousness IMO, and Christ has Buddhahood. The symbols differ, the narrative framework, the language, the names on the map, but they point to the same destination.
So when I say Christ is not the bouncer at the heaven club, I mean he is not patting his children on the back for using the correct symbols and eschewing the wrong ones. But that to follow Him is to change one's consciousness and that consciousness is the same quality shared by enlightened masters of all stripes.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"
I read as "There is no enlightenment by chasing pleasure. There is no salvation by doing good deeds or getting pats on the back by human society. You will not find peace through striving or being a try-hard or a sycophant. The only way to peace is to let go of your narrow self-conceptions, your ego-driven agendas, your baggage and make space for God."
I don't take it as literally, you have to worship via my symbols or else you are toast.
Thanks for the quick response and thoughtfulness.
I would never say that Siddhartha is not in glory or judge anyone's eternal salvation. That is left to God alone. There are some Christ-followers who would stand legalistically and say, literally, that those in the sticks of wherever-booney-land who have never heard the name of Jesus (Yeshua) will not go to heaven. I believe God leaves room for Him to judge the hearts of people and allows those who have never heard His name to enter.
That said, I do not believe there is room for interpreting Jesus' words, or the rest of Scripture, to allow for just a metaphysical experience of His consciousness or the enlightened conscious to open the door for eternal glory with The Father, Son, and Spirit.
I definitely see how God used my seeking of ultimate truth to bring me to a Buddhist monastery in New York, to this guy who practiced Ekankar (ancient art of soul travel) so that I would learn how to meditate, and to have the many long discussions you and I have had about life/philosophy/etc. And I see similarities in the teachings of the Gita, and the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path Buddha taught. On one level, God absolutely wants to use all paths that everyone is on to bring them to the feet of Jesus.
I was reading Romans 10 this morn, uncoincidentally. It reads, "1Brothers,a my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.5For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7“or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”"
I remember sitting in my dorm room the year after we went to Lake Tahoe and was talking to God. I thought, "God, I do believe I need to be perfect to be in eternal fellowship with you, a perfect God, and that I am corrupted by sin that came into the world by disobedience. But why can I not just repent to you hear and now, confessing my sin and my need for you to perfect me, as I also believe I cannot become perfect on my own?" In the stillness, I had a Job-like experience where God whispered, "Who are you to tell me how to save the world?!" It was very peaceful, but there was authority in the whisper and I was struck with the simple revelation that indeed, how could I think I know better than the God who created me?
I desired peace, joy, fulfillment and did not find it in the consciousness you mention. Granted, I have not sat in a monastery for years "watching" my breath. But, I did meditate for many hours. I did study the other ancient faiths and what was taught. And I found the teachings to fall short. But, the person, Jesus, He has never failed me. I have walked with him since that night in my dorm room and through the way ups and downs, The Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit have comforted and led me. It has not been a mind-frame, but a relationship and a filling by a person, three persons as one. It has been 35 years and it has only gotten better.
God wants that relationship with you, too. It is not this ethereal god-consciousness, though. The byproduct of fellowship with God can and should absolutely produce that peace, joy, enlightenment, fulfillment, etc. that you have experienced in these people you have met. And why some of these "masters" have this aura of sorts is for another discussion. Suffice it to say that there are many people that have have a false sense of security or peace due to psychosomatic practices/habits/denials, literal possession by demons, or temporary satiation by one of the many "things" (Netflix, basketball, sex, parenting, vid games, food, etc.) the world has to offer.
I have to mention, in parting, that about a month after that time with God in the dorm room, I was put in a mental institution(not the last I visited) for like 30 days and diagnosed with manic depression because of the fervor I had for Jesus after that night. I am guessing, because of your relationship with Laird, that you know of that experience. This was just after that visit I made to Amherst where I dunked over you on the court (JK, but I do remember dunking at that court on your campus) and you, me, and Cash watched "Live at Pompeii", among other things. I have always wanted to ask you about your take on that time, along with that one time I visited you in NYC (one of the literal CRAZIEST days of my life). That day in NYC ended with me being put in the jail I did not know existed at Grand Central because I was sitting on the floor with my shirt off waiting for my train when this ununiformed cop came up to me and told me to put on my shirt without telling me he was a cop. I pridefully stood up and told him, in so many words, to beat it, and before I knew it, was cuffed and literally being carried by six cops to the jail. But, that stuff eventually got out of my system and a few years later I was off of all meds, still fervent for His name.
Thanks again for the dialogue, C!
I believe everything you say, Chip, because I know you, and you have never been a bullshitter. But the scripture, the words, the ideas, the images, the teachings are all symbols. They point to the reality of *something* but they cannot be that thing. The map is not the territory. So the thing -- God, Jesus, the peace, freedom, enlightenment, etc. is not the words. It's not the symbols. It's not the names, the narratives, the way in which we represent it to ourselves. It's not sayable.
And if you have found some connection to the unsayable, to some ultimate kind of truth, through ANY arrangement of symbols those are the true symbols. But the thing itself transcends the symbols IMO, and I think we should be after it, rather than the words on the map.
Don't get me wrong, the Christian map seems to work for many people (not nearly as many as purported Christians, but many nonetheless.) It is a valid map. But it is not the only map, and in any event it is still a map IMO.
I just look at things from first principles. If there is existence, there must be a Creator or at least a creating force. And that Creator unless He's a clown (in which case we're doomed anyway), cannot care about trivia such as what symbols his children use, what images they have in their minds, what stories they tell. A serious Creator, one worthy of our devotion, would care only about the sincerity of his creations, the earnestness of them. Not whether they believe proposition A or proposition B. That's just my view. I don't believe a God worthy of worship cares whether I am a Christian or a Buddhist or a Jew. He would only care about my sincerity. How true I am to myself as his creation and ultimately Him.
Of course I could be mistaken. But that's how I see it, and no citing of scripture (one good map that works for some IMO) can change my mind because it's just a map.
. . .
I appreciate the dialogue too Chip, always have. And if you want my recollection about those days, happy to relate it to you -- but will send via email.
I agree that God focuses on our hearts. That is why I believe there is room for the Buddhist to enter His Kingdom. But, that door was only opened because of the sacrifice of Jesus. There would be no salvation, no enlightenment, apart from Jesus' shed blood. The more you sincerely look into God's plan, from the beginning, from Genesis, the more amazed you will be as The Bible is not some ordinary book, but absolutely proven to be supernaturally written. Look at the exodus, the passover, the feast of the first fruits, and pentecost in light of Jesus' death on passover, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is so beautiful to see His ordained plan.
That said, I understand your argument in regards to using The Bible to show that Christianity is true. Of course the book that is meant to convince you that Christianity is true will try to convince you that it is true. When I had my awakening and was filled with The Spirit, I immediately was encouraged to dive deep into whether Scripture was unique. At the time, I had been studying or studied the holy books of other faiths and as you alluded to, wanted to see if there was a clear distinction. If I was to take The Bible as the literal words of God, not just suggestions for an enlightened life, I needed to know The Bible stood out. Were the teachings the same? Did Buddha say the same thing, in different words, as what Jesus said? So....
1.Were the teachings different than Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Muslims, etc.?
----Jesus' teachings are VERY distinct. He cannot be a good prophet. He is a liar, a lunatic, or who He said He was....GOD HIMSELF. He did not leave room for this or for people entering His Kingdom without His death and resurrection
----Jesus, in history, died and rose from the dead. Christian's faith is rooted in this truth. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians "12Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18Then also those who have [c]fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have [d]fallen asleep. 21For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."
---In a very remedial but deep example, Buddha taught the extinction of individuality as enlightenment, correct? No wants. No identity. Jump in the river. Jesus taught that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made to uniquely and individually enjoy His presence, power, and creation. Our desires are not innately holding us back from enlightenment, but can actually be given to us by God for His great purposes and fulfillment in our lives. When I say "can", I mean that there is also the sinful nature we still wrestle with, our flesh, as well as the demonic and the worldly way of thinking that can rise up and give us desires that lead us away from God and His perfect and pleasing will for our lives.
2.Is the Bible a different book, considering it teaches VERY different things than other faiths?
---I found it absolutely stands out dramatically
+++historical details and accuracy (even in regards to the creation of our world (God stretched out the stars, there was a moment in time when our world came into existence (only recently, in regards to history have either of these been confirmed, but they were written down thousands of years ago)
+++ prophecy (clearly written down details of futuristic events that took place exactly as written). You could dive deep with this. Here is one video. Gotanswers.org is a great site: https://youtu.be/8Mv4Hc4rsVI?si=FEwhQaHsemVzCWJY. This is another example of the miraculous text revealing God's plan from the beginning. The first 10 names in the Bible, literally translated, say, "Man appointed mortal sorrow but the Blessed God
shall come down teaching His death shall bring
the despairing comfort or rest." https://jeremiah111.org/?page_id=919
+++power in reading it---That is why I asked you before if you had read the book. I have heard many testimonies of non-believers reading the book and having the truth convince. I personally read many holy books and The Bible wholly stood out......I meditate on it every day to this day and will do so as long as I live
+++Other miraculous things---all the books point to a savior----you can deep dive into this, as well, revealing there is no way humans alone could have written the book
I do not expect any of these words in this post to convince you. I am pretty sure I have said this to you before, but I encourage you again to ask that force/being that you believe created this ridiculously amazing world to tell you, clearly, what/who is truth. I am not saying you have not done that already. The key after doing that, though, is to take the next step as you are led. It is kind of like the wisdom you have recently received regarding running alone in comparison to playing padel. Buddhism would still push you to run in hopes your experience of the suffering would turn to peace, just another "is" in light of life's experiences....no attachment to the suffering, the dread, the monotony....watch your thoughts, don't embrace them....just "be" as you let go of any mental attributing of the feeling in your legs and lung to pain/suffering. Whereas, in your heart and mind, you know that though there is some truth to that, you want to be real with yourself and true to yourself and do physical activity that is enjoyable without the battle pre-workout and during the work out.
There is a spiritual battle waging for your eternal soul. The enemy does not want you to do the next thing, believe the next thing that you know you are being led to do or believe. Regardless, you know you always have a friend in me who is on the journey with you. I pray you have an awesome rest of the day!
I agree with a lot of this, though I did go running today, suffered and saw the merit in it, got some insights about it. I would say there are more parallels between Buddhism and Christianity than most think. Jesus having an Immaculate Conception/Virgin Birth is similar to an enlightened person transcending the wheel of Samsara. A virgin birth is an effect without a cause, just like an enlightened person chooses a re-birth rather than being impelled to take one by his karmic desires.
Also if the Buddha were to have ascended to heaven, he'd had to have done it 500 years before Christ. So Jesus could not be the reason for that.
I will read some of those links you sent, though.
I agree. There are definitely a lot of parallels.
I am not sure I see the link between escaping the wheel and the virgin birth. The Father clearly sent His Son, by the Holy Spirit, into Mary, for salvation, so I am not understanding the "effect without a cause" principle like I see in Buddhism. I have not thought about the enlightened choosing rebirth. I see the connection there, for sure. So the enlightened would choose to come back because they want to help others?
God talks about His death paying the price for those who died prior to Him coming to earth. 1 Peter 4:6 "For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does." There are other Scriptures, as well. His blood sacrifice covers all sins committed past, present, and future for those who believe and receive.
I hope you have an awesome day. I look forward to hearing your insights regarding the suffering you endured on the track. I love suffering and need to choose it more. It is a gift, for sure!
The modern-day checked-out parent is pretty bad, too. As opposed to our versions who wanted us out of their hair and sent us outside, the modern version of this parent is too busy doom-scrolling on their phone and handing their kids tablets so they don’t have to throw a ball with them, to the point that it makes me end up devolving into the "worst kind of parent" you speak of—being overly involved out of fear that my kid will become their anxiety-riddled, end of-the-bench kid who doesn’t know how to do anything even remotely analog.
involvement is good, but was more talking about micromanagement
Ok last one haha
REAL PARENT makes kid run to game while following in the car, but gives hug afterwards
Once told Sasha she couldn't come home unless she scored 20
My goal is to be a friendly Marv Marinovich. It will probably fail miserably
REAL PARENT haha