I'm pleased that my ideas about God have changed

I just had an enjoyable hour-long phone conversation with a man who wanted to talk with me about my book, "Return to the One: Plotinus's Guide to God-Realization." 

It has been so long since I'd picked up the book, I read through it really quickly this morning to refresh my memory about what I'd written.

I have to say that I was impressed. Hey, I made a lot of sense! 

However, early on in our phone conversation I had to tell this guy that my views about both Plotinus, and spirituality in general, have changed quite a bit since I wrote Return to the One. 

Not completely, of course. For example, I still consider that there must be something eternal, which for me is best called "existence." If existence didn't exist, nothing else could.

Another good word for existence is the One, since existence is the foundation, or substrate, of, well, everything that exists. That makes existence an overarching unity. 

However, since this man liked Return to the One a lot, finding Plotinus's philosophy highly appealing, he was a bit (maybe a lot) taken aback by how much my views had shifted over the past fourteen years or so.

Near the end of our conversation he even read a passage from my book in an attempt to convince me that what I'd written was true. Which was kind of weird, but in a nice way.

I did my best to explain that I still believe in some broad themes of Return to the One. I just now prefer to look upon those themes in a more naturalistic and scientific fashion. Instead of "soul," I prefer to think of "consciousness." Instead of "spirit," I've come to favor "laws of nature." And as already noted, I like "existence" more than "God" or "the One."

We talked about how I was able to write the book, even though I knew next to nothing about Plotinus, a 3rd century Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, before I started to research it.

Plotinus's ideas fit fairly neatly into the Eastern form of mysticism and meditation that I'd spent about 35 years practicing before writing Return to the One. So I had a lot to draw on, including my extensive reading in other sorts of mystic philosophies both of the East and West.

What I found most interesting about our conversation was this man's surprise that my views about spirituality could have changed so much. For me, the issue was simple: when I wrote Return to the One I believed in what I said. Now, I have other beliefs. I've changed. 

For the better, in my opinion. 

Doesn't everyone change? Our tastes in music, food, hobbies, clothes, and so much else evolve over time. We also learn more about the world, so our factual knowledge is constantly changing. Yet somehow our spiritual/religious beliefs, or the lack thereof, are supposed to stay constant?

That doesn't make sense to me.

It presupposes that there's some sort of divine objective truth, like 1 + 1 =2, which, once you possess it, shouldn't be discarded. Well, if anyone knows what that truth is, please enlighten me as to what it is. I used to believe that such existed, but I don't anymore.

Change happens. Such is the way of the world. Also, the way of how we view the world, philosophically, religiously, spiritually. 

Comments

[777]

Brian said
I like "existence" more than "God" or "the One."

WTF !

777

[Brian Hines]

777, for sure, existence is real. God or the One are words that don't point to an evident reality. I prefer reality to unreality.

[777]

You made 90% of the readers very happy

May I ask about Madame Hines
Does She agree

777

God isn't so bad a name - It's almost GOOD !

You are of jewish descent , I heard or you said yourself
What do you think about that Orthodox can't say or write that Name
Abraham knew
They are right , existence is a nice word for That Frequency
Anahabad Shabad is the reality of the only existing Reality

I said before : it would make This Existence a kind of stupid if IQ could understand
much worse than trump & co are degrading the Presidency

You are That Brian, . . . Existence

I just gave the essence of your book ( e-book ) in the Romanian language
to a nice girl there
I Pray that it is well written :-)
I Pray all readers here please that the Existence will put some bliss between your book-words
and it will be done like that , . . . because :
How in Heaven Sake , She, as a complete outsider is seeking 5 words
( without me ever mentioning anything like that )

It gave me Colossal Goose Bumps , . . a lot

777

[Jen]

777 you say: "I said before : it would make This Existence a kind of stupid if IQ could understand much worse than trump & co are degrading the Presidency"

I've noticed that you have made some derogatory remarks about Trump quite a few times. What happened to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE?

Sorry 777, you are not going to make it to Sach Khand. Its no good just preaching about love you have to actually love everyone, including Trump!

[Karim W. Rahmaan]

Originally posted by Blogger Brian:

What I found most interesting about our conversation was this man's surprise that my views about spirituality could have changed so much. For me, the issue was simple: when I wrote Return to the One I believed in what I said. Now, I have other beliefs. I've changed.

Much HAS changed. First of all, for me Life is Fair the title itself changed my anti-view on karma. Because as I knew Islam had no visible karma doctrine even in the Koran. But that title changed my view and helped me to shed many doubts about this karma philosophy. Perhaps that's why I'm here, somehow in your debt for writing & doing this sewa. Great Charan Singh Ji Maharaj has stated in his books -that no matter where a disciple goes it is the hidden Master allowing him to stray to work off some subtle karmic debt, or even enjoy karmic credits. Yet, still the Radiant form never leaves his/her side even if unknown to the disciple.

And second of all, the man who you spoke to. This new book Return to the One must have had some profound effect, and even changed his outlook making him want to speak with you more in depth about the content. So with that and with many thanks, I wish your consciousness the deserved splendors, & connectedness of energy binding within the laws of mother-nature.

[777]

Karim W. Rahmaan |

I agree

His overall result must be positive

Thank You Brian

777

[Spencer Tepper]

Hi Jen
You wrote
"Sorry 777, you are not going to make it to Sach Khand. Its no good just preaching about love you have to actually love everyone, including Trump!"

How about loving 777?

As for Trump, well, Jen, we should love even the criminals and murderers. But then tough love might be most helpful.

I think 777 pointed out worse than Trump are degrading the Presidency. But what is worse or better if the destiny of our society is decline?

I think a molestor and murderer who repents can be helpful.

But if not, certainly hurtful.

If we are casting judgment on someone that's wrong.

But if we see one powerful person victimize others we have a civic duty and a humane duty to step forward and do what we can to protect the innocent and isolate the perpetrator.

That is all love for everyone, for we help the perpetrator by preventing them from doing further harm, and provide the victim with an opportunity to pursue happiness in an honorable way that does no harm and helps their family and community.

It is no lack of love to decry the behavior of a bully. It may help the bully to wake up. It may encourage others to stand against harmful behavior.

And this is really about behavior. I cant say who Trump is. I can tell you that molesting girls, enslaving workers, threatening others with Nuclear war, stealing from the poor to enrich himself, and cheating others of their due payment is wrong. These are all very wrong.

We lower our standards of morality hiding behind false piety, as many in the church did during Hitler's time, and are doing in like fashion today.

If you see clearly, there is a duty to use your voice.
Both vision and voice are gifts of the Lord. We honor Him using them effectively.

[Jen]

Spencer: "If we are casting judgment on someone that's wrong."

Exactly, that is what 777 is doing. Judging. And at the same time he is always preaching about LOVE. I hate double standards and don't pretend to be a loving and caring 'holier-than-thou' person and with both of you preaching about some imaginary God etc, you are both sounding exactly like that. So this is a challenge, can you really LOVE everyone?

Inner experiences are simply the manifestations from a person's imagination producing a scenario that the person believes in.

[Spencer Tepper]

Hi Jen

You wrote
"So this is a challenge, can you really LOVE everyone?"
Yes of course. I defined what that meant for me. In the case of Trump it means tough love because, despite his intentions , he is harming innocent people.

Can you love a sexual predator? A molester? A thief? Yes I can, and I want to help them by preventing them from harming others. That's love in action. I first acknowledge the behaviors, separate from the person.

And of course I love the innocent victims too and wish to do my small part to protect them.

How about you? How do you love the innocent victims? How do you love the guilty?

Surely we are all a little of both.

[Spencer Tepper]

Hi Jen
You wrote
"Inner experiences are simply the manifestations from a person's imagination producing a scenario that the person believes in."

We all have the problem in our experiences, inner and outer, of seeing and hearing and feeling just what we want to see hear and feel.

That is overlaying our experience with our desire. Freud rightly identified it by a number of different names. It takes over and rational thinking ends. Most people are largely unaware of it. So then we become multiple in intelligences: The logistical rational you which you are aware of, and the irrational you which you are largely unaware of, and often learn about only in retrospect.

In meditation we learn, in stages to see that desire, that old habit, that wishful but irrational and immature thinking and feeling directly, and in stages to set it aside, to outgrow it.

Then we see the other internal experiences are real experiences built right into the human body and brain. One day physiology will provide some sort explanation. Today we know that meditation is a unique set of brainwaves unlike other levels of normal consciousness. And we know it is very healthy for the brains of most people.

The internal experience are legitimate. They are a kind of internal sensory experience. A child through play and effort learns to test reality with their senses, and to control their own instruments of arms, legs and hands, to manipulate their world, so they learn about reality so clearly they can walk and speak and interact in this world. So the meditator, through no more nor less than the same effort, learns to function in that world / those worlds inside themselves.

Becoming more sensitive to your internal state opens up that subconscious thinking and reacting so that you become a more fully aware, integrated, functioning and independent whole, even while realizing how inter-connected we all are.

[777]

So this is a challenge, can you really LOVE everyone?

It totally depends on our semantics of Love

Have you ever touched a tree, thinking I love you, . . a doggy, a fly
I was in the TGV (Train Grand Vitesse - High Speed ) passing where many cattle was
and suddenly a Cow stared in my eyes profondly
and I thought
" Oh my God, . . thank You, that I'm not torturing YOU, kill YOU"

Thes feelings also change intensity by the hour

The best way is to write : I often like to love all that lives

Also : Let my concept of Love be that of Compassion, Empathy
and it's important to have felt it: Give Love and it multiplies in the giver (Mirdad)

Experience learns that this is TRUE,
it is even exponential

Only THAT makes us all equal by mathematics , just continue compassion in practice
and you surpass easily Bill Gates ( love-wise )

THEN >> Brians 'Existence' is so touched by your Love that SHE arranges for the method to exit this Chaurasie by activating our scanner in the third eye and fall deeply in this most giant LOVE of all, the 'Frequency' of the Existence

Loving everybody ? - Yes their deep insight, not their outside aspects often

So now I say :
Love to You All . . . and what does that mean ?
It means LOVE for the Primal 'Existence' in everybody -
That's my Love for You

Charan looked at an old lady from the red quarter in Amsterdam
and said
OMG , She makes me cry

That is the love we sometimes feel

I'm sure the Lady was saved at that point by His Love

We can all do this every day plus meditations as a thoughts purifier this time

777