u/KaffeDreamer

I just want to talk about neville from a more Hindu-ish perspective. I don't think I qualify as Hindu but I have a great fondness of it and many of its ways of thinking are similar to my own.

When Neville says that we are God and that I AM applies to us, it reminds me of a sanksrit phrase, Tat Tvam Asi or "You are that." It means that you are the same as the underlying force of the universe, Brahman which is you and everything. It is the Atman, or self, and it is the "who" behind the thoughts.

The Bhagavad Gita points to this as well, Krishna and Arjuna are riding in a chariot driven by five horses. Krishna is the self while the chariot is the mind being driven by the five senses. Krishna even says “All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” and that "I am the Self, O Guḍākeśha, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings."

It even talks of manifestation "Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is"

I just find it interesting that two cultures separated by hundreds if not thousands of years point to the same truth. I wanted to share and see your perspective and discuss.

You are God. god is you. Or as the Muslim mystic Rumi would say "You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop."

So I'll state upfront that I'm a seeker and my beliefs aren't exactly Buddhist based but I'm exploring pure land buddhism as an option and I must admit it sounds appealing.

One thing I'll admit is that I believe in God and a heaven but this could fall under the Buddhist idea of them being beings and realms within Samsara. I'm not one hundred percent sure I believe that but it's a perspective I'm considering.

One problem I have is that none of my family is Buddhist. My mom especially is atheistic but has an affinity for Jesus. So whether she'll be reborn or go to the Christian heaven is hard to say. My brother too. My other family members are all Christian.

Thing is I think Amitabha's Pure Land is probably the best afterlife to aim for. You leave Samsara and have an ideal realm to obtain buddhahood. But I'm afraid I'll miss my family. And my pets wherever they go.

Does anyone have any advice they can give me?

Thanks in advance and sorry if this is a stupid question.

Hey all, I'm a seeker currently considering Buddhism as my practice (particularly pure land Buddhism). Thing is, though, I find a lot i resonate with in other religions as well from Christianity to advaita vedanta to vaishnavism to Baha'i. But a lot also resonates within Buddhism.

Part of what attracts me to Buddhism is the promise of reducing suffering and I feel if that works then that's reason enough to accept it as true.

But it's the cosmology of these religions that has me unsure which one is true. Buddhist cosmology makes a lot of sense to me but so does the idea that we are all manifestations of a singular Brahman or mind such as in vedata vedanta. I just don't know.

What made you choose Buddhism? What about its cosmology convinced you?

Hello I am considering, among other possibilities, becoming a pure land Buddhist. It seems like it might be one of my best hopes for a peaceful afterlife and an end to suffering. But I am a Santa Muerte devotee which is a lifelong commitment I won't walk away from. Will Amitabha still accept me and help me into his Pure Land? Can I be a pue land buddhist?

Hey all, I want to start by saying that I am a seeker of God and not (yet potentially) a Baha'i. I love the teachings of Baha'u'llah. I think they're very wise and speak to a truth that I've felt in my being my whole life.

But the same can also be said of ramakrishna paramahamsa, who was a contemporary of Baha'u'llah. Among many other things Ramakrishna said "I  have practised each religion for a time — Hinduism, Islam, Christianity. Furthermore, I followed the paths of the Saktas, Vaishnavas, and Vedantists. I realized that there is only one God toward whom all are travelling; but the paths are different."

Is this compatible with the teachings of Baha'u'llah? What about claims that Ramakrishna is an avatar of God? I'm just confused and looking for answers. Thank you.

A lot of people have them, dreams after a person have died that either inform the dreamer that the deceased is dead or that the deceased is ok or just allows them to share a final moment together. Do you feel they're legitimate visitations or just dreams?

In Magickal Protection is it okay to think the words you're to speak to the Genius spirits instead of saying them? I live with people and don't want to be asked what I'm doing. But if they must be spoken I suppose I can find a way. Anyone had any luck with this?

Also do I need to look at the talisman while speaking the words or is it look at the talisman then speak the words freely?

What exactly is Goloka like? Could you describe a day there? To get there do we just have to have our hearts set on Krishna?

So today my friends made it clear that they dont value my friendship. A group of them took a vote as to whether or not I could come on a trip with them (that I already told them I couldn't come on) and voted no for me going. Then when I said I wasn't going to comment because I had nothing nice to say, one of the friends came after me calling me immature. We're all in our thirties btw. I admit I lost my cool and said some not nice things to him.

I'm just sad and angry. I thought these people were my friends.I want them to feel the pain I'm feeling, but there's nothing I can do and I know Krishna would want me to move past it. But in my heart I want fate to align and their trip to be cancelled.

Have any of you had an experience like this? How did you move past it?