Thanks for adding that to my comment Bhairitu. I thought about mentioning that same thing, but my mind isn't working well due to sleep deprivation. The impulses are real enough, and the personification as "gods" or "angels" may be appropriate in the sense that they correspond to Jungian (pashyanti) mythic structures of the human mind. But taking them literally as all fundies do, that is a step away from the reality status that they do, in fact, enjoy.
--- Bhairitu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The Hindu gods are about as real as the guy in the > sky that the > Christians believe in. They are analogies. If one > believes there are > laws of physics then just think of those gods as a > analogies to forces > at the very low levels of physics. Yup, I know that > is the spiel that > the TMO gives but they may not be that far off > there. Most > fundamentalist groups in India may actually want to > believe in literal > gods and there is a debate that in your own mind > often in dream states > these forces may manifest as some physical being > (I've actually > experienced that). > > Angela Mailander wrote: > > I'll add my ditto. Even if we say that the > mantras > > are the names of gods, we shouldn't jump to easy > > conclusions about how mantra meditation is really > a > > Hindu religious practice. We should first ask a > few > > questions about exactly what is meant by the term > > "gods," especially if we are dealing with an > > unfamiliar cultural context. > > > > MMY once said that the gods were "impulses of > > consciousness." That, to me is an accurate > rendering > > of what St. Thomas Acquinas means in his > discussion of > > angels. We thus could translate the term "gods" > into > > "angels," except for the fact that in modern > usage, > > angels have become exactly what they have become > in > > the popular culture of India: personifications of > > those impulses. > > > > The nature of those personifications are quite > > different in both cultures. In the West we have > these > > insipid creatures with wings and clad in white > > nightgowns. In India there is a wild an colorful > > bunch of "gods." The personification develops > here, > > as it does in many cultures, to explain things to > the > > popular mind or the mind that isn't deep enough to > > experience the impulses directly as what they are. > > > > > It is accurate to call them "sacred," in some > sense > > because they are primary in the sense of being > first > > distinctions from the Absolute. They are also the > > primary sounds the human speech apparatus is > designed > > to make. > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
