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Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 4:42 pm
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I was raised roman catholic, i tried to follow the faith as beset i could. Sometimes I just had questions about things. Then later I ran into some long video on google with some weird name and not too long after that, this section of an article I read
"Religion as a Key and Frame of Reference
The magician should not fear religion, but instead, he should understand its practical uses and utilize the various aids which it offers to the best of his ability. In general, the God of the magician is an infinite, eternal Oneness existing as undifferentiated consciousness in its essence. Anyone who has tried to meditate on this, however, shall have quickly discovered that the mind can not really grasp God when viewed through this light. This is where religion steps in.
Religion has served an excellent purpose in categorizing the otherwise unnamed forces of the spiritual universe into qualitative and quantitative forms. In so doing, it allows the seeker of God to understand Him in a way that is most productive for that person's particular inclinations, or for that person's particular needs. Fortunate are we, for God so loves us that He goes out of His way to appear to the various cultures of humanity in different forms so that each culture may understand Him. The rough, disciplinary, wrathful God of the Torah was perfect for a semitic civilization which itself was very disciplinary, and so God appeared to the Jews in that form. Because they could appreciate that kind of a God, this was the form which God took, so that they would draw to Him and live a moral life. Had the same God-Personality appeared to the Hindus he would have been scorned by people who refused to worship a God which was still subject to earthly passions such as jealousy and anger. Therefore, God appeared to the Hindu culture in the form of perfected saintlike gods who all played a particular part in the cosmic scheme, so that every Hindu could worship the aspect of God which they could most easily adore. The Jews would not have been impressed by a forgiving Krsna and would have been frightened by the elephant-headed Ganesh, while the Hindus would have refused to worship a God who did not have as much control over himself as their own human saints did. Likewise, when the Roman civilization penetrated the Jewish culture of Judea and the surrounding areas, it was necessary for a new face of God to emerge in the personality of Jesus Christ, preaching a more forgiving aspect of God than that area had previously been introduced to. Thus, as we can see, God expresses His various personalities in the ways that are most appropriate for the evolution of each culture. If the magician searches, he will likely find somewhere in the midst of it all an aspect of the Supreme God which he personally seeks true union with, and through that gate, he can experience the limitless and indescribable Absolute. Having an image and a name, however, gives the magician a starting place and a handle to grip.
The personality of God chosen by the aspirant will differ according to his inner inclinations. In my own case I am of a more disciplined, fatherlike nature, and so am more inclined to a father-aspect of God. Likewise, I seek to be a fully attained magician and perfected being, so it would make sense to worship God in the form of the perfect mystic-magician. The result is that Shiva is a suitable name for the aspect of God which I feel most drawn to, and Shiva's form is a suitable imagery to depict those qualities. Thus, Shiva is the focal point of my meditations on the Divine, for I can not practically focus on something which is beyond knowledge and form, and so instead utilize a form and a name to focus my meditations. For some people the corresponding figure may be the personality of God presented in Jesus Christ, or for others the personality presented in Brahma, or in Krsna, or in Buddha, or whatever the case may be. The student should choose the aspect of God which he is most drawn to, and then seek direct experience of God using that particular gate, for it will be the easiest and most practical gate through which he can enter. "
So basically that kind of sealed the deal I guess for me on the subject.
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:37 pm
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:49 am
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 11:21 am
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:19 pm
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