Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!data.nas.nasa.gov!news From: radams@cerritos.edu Subject: Re: Seven Stages... Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 05:43:52 GMT Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov Organization: Cerritos College, Norwalk CA Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov Message-ID: <1991Jun26.054352.26444@nas.nasa.gov> Lines: 43 asanders@decwrl.dec.com (Alan Sanders) writes: >From where I stand, this discussion has degenerated into >flaming speculation: "An enlightened being doesn't do this, >doesn't do that..." >We don't know any such thing! >Christ said: "I am the way, the truth and the life." >Would someone like to take on the Gospels? That person >would look pretty silly! I am not "blaming" anyone, just >suggesting we stop this racket and *be present*. > -Alan I knew someone would bring this up so here goes. When Christ made statements such as "I am the way, the truth and the life", he was not referring to himself as a man but to a state of consciousness which was manifesting in him - a Universal consciousness which we might call Christ Consciousness or Krishna Consciousness etc. or the universal omnipresent consciousness of God within creation. To paraphrase another saying of Christ: only through me can you go to the Father: this refers to the idea that Christ Consciousness must be established in you first before you can attain Cosmic Consciousness which is the consciousness of God beyond creation as well as in creation. Now whether you agree with this or not is not my problem but Christ was not bragging about himself, he was showing the way for others to follow in His footsteps. Krishna often spoke in similar terms and the same can be said of Him also. Christ and Krishna and Buddha were not cosmic exceptions; they wanted us to know that everyone can be free or illumined as they were. I also agree with a statement that Kumar made about masters that they will refer to their being illumined on occasion. Roger Adams radams@cerritos.edu To those in whom love dwells, Cerritos College the whole world is one family. 11110 Alondra Blvd A Hindu Proverb Norwalk, California 90650 USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------