I think that a lot of belief in god comes from that nice warm safe feeling that people get when praying, for want of a better saying the feeling of gods love. Another explaination for this could be the manifestation of Ki, Qi or Chi, this being the universal energy from eastern philosophies.
Discuss
Originally posted by Jay Peatea
I think that a lot of belief in god comes from that nice warm safe feeling that people get when praying, for want of a better saying the feeling of gods love. Another explaination for this could be the manifestation of Ki, Qi or Chi, this being the universal energy from eastern philosophies.
Discuss
If people indeed use their faith just to get "a nice warm safe feeling", they should investigate their motives for believing.
The Christian faith can be used as a drug. The famous Marxian "opium of the masses". However this use is wrong. Jesus asks us to take up our cross, meaning we have to face the sorrow, the fears and the difficulties of life. Hardly a call to flee from reality.
However if you deal with your faith the correct way there is nothing wrong with feeling safe, warm and comforted by the Lord when praying to Him.
There indeed seems to be a universal "force" or fundamental energy that pervades all. Wisdom traditions around the world have had a name for it. Some examples as begun in the first post...
Hinduism -- Prana / Shakti / Kundalini
Taoism -- Chi
Zen martial arts -- Ki
Polynesian shamanism -- Manna
Christianity -- Holy Spirit
Judaism -- Ruach
Islam -- Will of Allah
Wilhelm Reich -- Orgone Energy
Russian parapsychological experiments in the 1960-70s -- Bioplasma
Star Wars -- The Force
And many others.
When you study the traditions and backgrounds and personal experiences people have had with this force/energy, you're left with many remarkable parallels -- when the cultural or dogmatic trappings around the concept of what this energy truly is -- are removed.
Originally posted by xxxenophobeGeorge Lucas (Star Wars guy) got the themes of his material from Joseph Campbell, probably the 20th century's greatest mythologist. Lucas dressed it up in a cartoon form, but much of his spiritual themes were simply borrowed from Campbell's research. Yoda was nothing but a Chinese Taoist master given a science fiction spin. The "Force" as they described it was identical to the Taoist concept of "Chi".
Ah yes the force...
Originally posted by MetamorphosisMay the force be with you, grasshopper.
George Lucas (Star Wars guy) got the themes of his material from Joseph Campbell, probably the 20th century's greatest mythologist. Lucas dressed it up in a cartoon form, but much of his spiritual themes were simply borrowed from Campbell's research. Yoda was nothing but a Chinese Taoist master given a science fiction spin. The "Force" as they described it was identical to the Taoist concept of "Chi".
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Originally posted by MetamorphosisAbsolutely. As a practicioner of Tai Chi, I must confess I saw the correlation quickly.
George Lucas (Star Wars guy) got the themes of his material from Joseph Campbell, probably the 20th century's greatest mythologist. Lucas dressed it up in a cartoon form, but much of his spiritual themes were simply borrowed from Cam ...[text shortened]... they described it was identical to the Taoist concept of "Chi".
Originally posted by frogstompNow you're talkin'.
May the force be with you, grasshopper.
Grasshopper, aka Kwai Chang Caine, master of Kungfu, student of Shaolin Temple.
According to Chinese legend, Shaolin Temple was founded by Bodhidharma, the legendary patriarch of the Cha'an lineage of Buddhism. The word "Cha'an" derived from the Sanskrit word "dhyan", meaning "meditation". When the word got to Japan, it became "zen" because Japanese physiology resulted in the Chinese "ch" sounding like "z".
But back to Kwai Chang Caine. The show played in the early 1970s and was the first to popularize the right usage of the "force" ("Chi" in the case of the Chinese) in a way that enabled a dude to never lose a fight....
Tai Chi as far as I know also has its roots in Shaolin...
Originally posted by MetamorphosisIt's not exactly easy to think non-thoughts is it?
Now you're talkin'.
Grasshopper, aka Kwai Chang Caine, master of Kungfu, student of Shaolin Temple.
According to Chinese legend, Shaolin Temple was founded by Bodhidharma, the legendary patriarch of the Cha'an lineage of Buddhism. The word "Cha'an" derived from the Sanskrit word "dhyan", meaning "meditation". When the word got to Japan, ...[text shortened]... d a dude to never lose a fight....
Tai Chi as far as I know also has its roots in Shaolin...
Originally posted by frogstompIndeed, can't be done.
It's not exactly easy to think non-thoughts is it?
But how do you think a thought?
How do you get a thought to appear in your consciousness?
Is there any sort of willful volition involved in the generating of a thought?
And if so, *who* is generating that thought?
A thinker?
Problem there is that if we look deeply, we can't find this "thinker".
This is why when Emperor Wu asked Zen master Bodhidharma, "who are you?", Bodhidharma replied, "I do not know."
Wu thought he was being insolent and tossed him out of his court. But in doing so he missed the deepest of all teachings.
Originally posted by MetamorphosisYou'll find also that modern science has a remarkably broad concept of 'energy', encompassing ideas like mass, motion and light, and there's even 'potential' energy. It's versatile stuff, and one of the most important concepts in science. Of course, many people don't find the idea that they have less 'fundamental energy' than a ton of concrete very appealing.
There indeed seems to be a universal "force" or fundamental energy that pervades all. Wisdom traditions around the world have had a name for it. Some examples as begun in the first post...
Hinduism -- Prana / Shakti / Kundalini
Taoism -- Chi
Zen martial arts -- Ki
Polynesian shamanism -- Manna
Christianity -- Holy Spirit
Judaism -- ...[text shortened]... cultural or dogmatic trappings around the concept of what this energy truly is -- are removed.
Originally posted by MetamorphosisDavid Carradine was on TV the other night being interviewed by Jonathan Ross. He said that Kung Fu was ceasored and only ever allowed to have two minutes of fighting per episode. Plus Caine wasn't allowed to kill anybody directly.
Now you're talkin'.
Grasshopper, aka Kwai Chang Caine, master of Kungfu, student of Shaolin Temple.
According to Chinese legend, Shaolin Temple was founded by Bodhidharma, the legendary patriarch of the Cha'an lineage of Buddhism. The word "Cha'an" derived from the Sanskrit word "dhyan", meaning "meditation". When the word got to Japan, ...[text shortened]... d a dude to never lose a fight....
Tai Chi as far as I know also has its roots in Shaolin...
Originally posted by MetamorphosisExactly my point.
There indeed seems to be a universal "force" or fundamental energy that pervades all. Wisdom traditions around the world have had a name for it. Some examples as begun in the first post...
Hinduism -- Prana / Shakti / Kundalini
Taoism -- Chi
Zen martial arts -- Ki
Polynesian shamanism -- Manna
Christianity -- Holy Spirit
Judaism -- ...[text shortened]... cultural or dogmatic trappings around the concept of what this energy truly is -- are removed.
The Chi could be misinterpreted as coming from God.
So does Chi exist? and what evidence is there to support this ?