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Date Posted: 21:18:11 09/17/07 Mon
Author: iteo
Subject: Re: Zeitgeistmovie
In reply to: Johnny Reb 's message, "Re: Zeitgeistmovie" on 11:35:45 09/17/07 Mon

>i have never forgotten this experience and i have read
>quite some scriptures over the years but more out of
>general interest as i am curious. a few years ago i
>underwent a psychotherapy after i had tried to kill
>myself after having been abandoned in a vicious manner
>by my partner. my therapist had her own spiritual base
>in zen-buddhism which reflects in her style of
>therapy, and i learnt a lot about myself, so much that
>i am stabile now.

Johnny, I really enjoyed this post. The info on the golden hats is fascinating. I had not heard of them before, now I want to do more research.

And your story about the Buddhist monk is one of those fantastic spiritual experiences that so many have had, but easily dismiss as nothing unusual as time passes. Glad you see it for what it was, a genuine spiritual experience.

For what it's worth, I believe that the monk was there just for you, but also that you were psychically open to the experience. Take another person who was not ready, and most llikely, they would have felt nothing in the presence of the monk.

I have a post entitled:

Has it Already Happened to You?

<a rel=nofollow target=_blank href="http://nomoredoubt.wordpress.com/2007/01/30/has-it-already-happened-to-you/">http://nomoredoubt.wordpress.com/2007/01/30/has-it-already-happened-to-you/</a>

In it, I quote Alvin Schwartz. He was a writer for the Superman and Batman comics during the 1940s. He is over 90 years old and recently wrote a book about his metaphysical experiences. Experiences that he originally thought were unusual, but also easily forgotten. he writes:

“It truly does come. I believe it actually presents itself over and again, though few recognize it as it struggles to thrust through the screen of “rationality.” But I now know that to everyone at some crucial time comes an opportunity to become aware of a greater reality and a greater freedom. In my case it came late, with a bewildering leap into the unknown.”
— from "An Unlikely Prophet"

Anyway, your experience almost brought tears to my eyes, it was very moving and I appreciate your sharing it. The suffering we experience is supposed to help us (somehow). I too have suffered and feel the suffering of others and I can't say that I like it one bit. At the same time, I do know that at least some of my "suffering" did directly lead me to my epiphany, so there may be some merit in it ( I use the word lightly because compared to others in this world, my suffering was a walk in the park)

In Buddhism, the story goes that the Buddha was originally in heaven, but he understood that heaven is temporary and a product of yin and yang. He returned to Earth in order to experience suffering and permanently escape samsara by entering the "void", or nirvana (i.e. the original emptiness from whence everything came). In heaven, there is no motivation to "escape", we need suffering to aid us, to push us forward.

I don't even know if I believe this story or it's moral — but it's food for thought.

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