Re: Time Monks -- The PM Refugees' Forum

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Date Posted: 01:16:25 09/30/08 Tue
Author: Michael
Subject: Re: Time Monks
In reply to: iteo 's message, "Re: Time Monks" on 19:11:20 09/29/08 Mon

All religions have their 'end time' merchants.

The Hindu kali yuga is very arbitary in when it 'ends'. It is, however, not 'the end of the world' if/when it ends, although, of course, there are some Hindus who do think that - and usually then follow it with special ceremonies and rituals that their group or guru perform to 'save us all.' There have been many yugas.

Of course my belief in enlightenment is a belief. However, I all think it is a personal belief, I do not require anyone else to believe it or peddle it.

When I first started by following the teachings of the Buddha I did so from an atheist standpoint, and I did so with the understanding that following the teachings would make me a better person even if nothing else was true.

As I keep saying, I use my discrimination. I am very cautious of what I believe, and I believe it is important to do so to avoid wasting precious time reading up on nonsense.

We can discuss this further in 2013.

>>>Seek and you will find...very true. You have sought
>out all sorts of weird >>stuff, got into it and begun
>to believe it. Its a quite normal human trait.
>
>>>Ive heard it all before many times.
>
>
>I used to feel very similarly. The end times have been
>predicted time and again for literally thousands of
>years - and yet they never happened.
>
>So why in the world should one believe it now?
>
>Here are some things to keep in the back of your mind:
>
>The Kali Yuga is the Hindu version of the End Times,
>the last of four ages every species of mankind goes
>through and they teach that this age is ending right
>now. They say that this final age lasts 5,000 years
>and encompasses the Roman empire, WW I and WWII, etc.
>
>Since my epiphany I now realize that this is why
>people have felt these are the end times for so long -
>because these have always been the end times!
>
>Now when people in europe had the plague, many
>believed it was the end times. But they were not a
>global community. What happened in their small
>geographic area seemed like the whole world. They had
>no idea that there were civilzations in the Americas
>and other parts of the world were not suffering a
>plague.
>
>Their knowledge was severly limited and so many of us
>in this modern age laugh at their ignorance, even
>though most can understand why, in their limited view,
>they believed such things.
>
>But times have changed - we now do know that
>unprecedented things are happening all over the world
>- not just in our backyard.
>
>We know that the poles are melting - this has never
>happened before, ever. There are massive dead zones in
>our oceans and experts predict that there will be no
>fish at all in our seas in 50 years. All unprecedented.
>
>So-called "free" nations such as America, England and
>other european countries are quickly becoming fascist
>surveillance states waging war and commiting torture
>in Iraq (formerly Babylon) and soon Iran.
>
>The world financial system is collapsing. Once again,
>unprecedented.
>
>All of these things have been predicted, but you don't
>*believe* in prophecy - so if you don't believe it -
>period. It can't be true because you have dertermined
>in your infinite wisdom that prophecy is not possible.
>
>I agree with not believing. But you take it one step
>further, you refuse to even entertain it as even a
>remote possibility. You can't wait to laugh at the
>poor deluded suckers once 2013 arrives.
>
>And yet you believe in the concept of enlightenment -
>when that too is really just a religious belief as
>well. No matter how sure you may feel it's true, until
>it happens, it's still only a theory that appeals to
>you.
>
>But once again, I do agree that even these
>unprecedented events are no reason to *believe* that
>these are the "end times".
>
>BUT - the unprecedented changes happening around the
>world should cause anyone who has an open mind some
>pause. If one is not locked into a paradigm, they
>should, at the very least be able to place it within
>the realm of possibility. Once again - not believe it,
>but admit that it's possible.
>
>If you cannot do that, that I would argue that you are
>just as stuck in your belief system as any
>fundamentalist.

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