--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" <jr_esq@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander > > <mailander111@> wrote: > > > > > > Did you write this? The ideas expressed in this poem are > precisely > > why it doesn't matter whether or not there ever lived a man named > > Jesus. The truth expressed in the myth is not diminished if he > > didn't since he does live in all of us. > > > > You've said a lot in a very few sentences. IMO, the vedas has been > > saying the same thing in one way or another from the very ancient > > past. MMY has said that the vedas are saying that It has not > > remained distant from creation, but immersed Itself in creation or > > matter. > > > > From this idea, we gather ideas of the divine incarnating Itself in > > the world. Thus, we read the personification of the divine in the > > personality of Krishna or Christ. There will be endless debates as > > to who is the true incarnation of the Divine. But the point is > that > > the Divine has not remained detached from the world, but rather > > participated in it. > > > > From this viewpoint, the ancients have been saying that human > beings > > are special and not just a biological machine created by evolution > or > > a random roll of the cosmic dice. What then is the future of > mankind? > > Perhaps you will find this interesting: > > Avatars down the ages > by Felicity Elliot > > Avatars have brought successive revelations to humanity throughout > history. Each Avatar brings some teaching which, correctly > apprehended and gradually applied by humanity, expands our > understanding and is the next step forward in our development.
Thanks for the recommendation. These are the subjects that I'm interested in. I'll have to squeeze this in along with my study of jyotish and other activities. > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > ---------- > > The successive revelation to humanity of new aspects of reality has > taken place throughout history and continues to do so, as the > emergence of Maitreya, the Christ, demonstrates. In the West our > knowledge is more or less confined to Christianity, but buried in > most ancient myths and legends, and then later in holy scriptures, > there are preserved records of the lives, presence and teachings of > other, earlier teachers or Avatars. > > Our focus on the achievements of Jesus in Palestine frequently blinds > us to, or at least dims our appreciation of, the contribution of > other Avatars and other faiths. This blinkered view of the unfoldment > of humanity's evolution makes the acceptance of the appearance of yet > another teacher difficult for many Westerners. Each Avatar has > brought some teaching which, correctly apprehended and gradually > applied by humanity, expands our understanding and is the next step > forward in our development. > > Hercules > > One of the first such teachers appeared so far back in time that it > is impossible to say when he lived, but ancient legend carries the > memory of His achievements: Hercules, a hero-teacher, > portrayed "through the form of a pictorial and world drama (symbolic > in nature) the concept oaf great objective, only to be reached as the > result of struggle and difficulty." The Reappearance of the Christ, > by Alice A. Bailey, Lucis Publishing Co. He presented to humanity the > concept of great tests and trials on the path back to the Father, the > journey of evolution itself, epitomized and preserved in the Twelve > Labors of Hercules. These are the tests all are subjected to prior to > each initiation. > > Vyasa > > Vyasa was another great Avatar who brought to humanity the message > that death is not the end. The impact of such an apparently simple > concept was enormous, since it meant that the possibility now existed > for identification with a higher immortal self rather than with the > physical-plane life only. > > The Buddha > > There were many other lesser teachers between the time of Vyasa and > the Buddha, but the Buddha was a major teacher who came to the East > bringing enlightenment, the answers to the many questions which > plague and puzzle humanity about its own existence. He came "to lay > the foundation for a more enlightened approach to life, giving the > teaching which would open the door to the work of the Christ who > would, He knew, follow in His steps." (Alice Bailey, The Reappearance > of the Christ) > > By giving out the Four Noble Truths, He answered man's question: why? > He taught that man's suffering was of his own making, and that the > focusing of desire on the material and the ephemeral caused all > despair, hatred and competition, and was why "man found himself > living in the realm of death-- the realm of physical living..." His > life, example and teachings prepared the way for the Christ. Coming > approximately 500 years before the Christ, the Buddha was a > manifestation of the Wisdom aspect of God, just as the Christ is the > embodiment of the Love aspect. These two great Avatars continue to > work together, the Buddha aiding and supporting Maitreya, the Christ, > in His present mission to the world. > > It is interesting to note that He who is known as the Buddha worked > through His disciple, the Prince Gautama, in a way similar to that in > which Maitreya, holder of the office of the Christ, overshadowed the > disciple Jesus, who acted as His vehicle in Palestine. The Master > Djwhal Khul says (in The Reappearance of the Christ) that, around > about the time of the Christ's return, the Buddha will send two > trained disciples to reform Buddhism -- this at a time when the > Master Jesus will be taking certain initial steps towards reassuming > control of His church. Buddhism, along with other religions, awaits > the coming of another great teacher. He is known as Maitreya Buddha, > the Fifth Buddha in the continuing line of divine revelation. > > Krishna and Sankaracharya > > Sri Krishna and Sankaracharya, two great Avatars, were both previous > incarnations of Maitreya. Krishna appeared around 3000 BC, and > Sankaracharya lived in about 800 BC. Sankaracharya gave "deep > instruction upon the nature of the Self," while Sri Krishna, by > demonstrating the need to control the astral, emotional nature, > opened the door to the second initiation. In Palestine, working > through the disciple Jesus, Maitreya the Christ completed the work of > the Buddha by manifesting the Love aspect of deity. > > A comparison of all religions shows their common > elements. "Eventually a new world religion will be inaugurated which > will be a fusion and synthesis of the approaches of East and West. > The Christ will bring together not simply Christianity and Buddhism, > but the concept of God transcendent, outside His creation, and also > the concept of God immanent in all creation." Both approaches will > come together in a new religion based on the Mysteries of Initiation > and an informed knowledge of the Science of Invocation of Deity. > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > ---------- > > GAUTAMA FORESAW MAITREYA > "Now in those days, brethren, there shall arise in the world an > Exalted One by name Maitreya (the Kindly One) an Arhat, a Fully > Enlightened One, endowed with wisdom and righteousness, a Happy One, > a World-knower, the Peerless Charioteer of men to be tamed, a teacher > of the devas and mankind, an Exalted One, a Buddha like myself. He of > His own abnormal powers shall realize and make known the world, and > the worlds of the devas, with their Maras, their Brahmas, the host of > recluses and brahmins, of devas and mankind alike, even as I do now. > He shall proclaim the Norm, lovely in its beginning, lovely in its > middle, and lovely in the end thereof. He shall make known the wholly > perfect life of righteousness in all its purity, both in the spirit > and in the letter of it, even as I do now. He shall lead an Order of > Brethren numbering many thousands, even as I do now lead an order of > Brethren numbering many hundreds." (Gautama the Buddha in DIGHA > NIKAYA) > > http;//shareintl.org >
