Eastern Spirituality And Eknath Easwaran's 8-Point Program

[Brother Jeff]

Hey everybody,

 

I have embraced what to me is a very positive form of spirituality. It's based on Eknath Easwaran's 8-Point spiritual program, but I also am taking what I like from Eastern spirituality, especially Hindu beliefs about God. This is working really well for me, and I am HAPPY and at peace... Glory!

 

I really like was Eknath Eawaran had to say about who God is...

 

When we use the word "Lord" or "God" we are not talking about some extraterratorial figure in an entirely different galaxy. On the other hand, when I say Lord, because of my personal experience of it, I am referring to somebody who is closer to me than this body, who is dearer to me than my very life. If you remember that simple definition of God, you can avoid the misunderstanding even great philosophers like Bertrand Russell have fallen into. Not only is this the simplest definition that I can give but we are all come into this world -- in all countries, in all religions -- to make this simple discovery: that God, whom we may call Krishna or Christ or the Buddha or Shiva or Allah or the Clear Light, is present in the depths of our consciousness. This has been reiterated for us many, many times during the march of civilization by rare people in every religion -- Sri Krishna, the Buddha, St. Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Ansari of Herat, Sri Ramakrishna, and in our own time, Mahatma Gandhi. 

 

 

I also like much of Easwaran's thought and writings. It all really makes sense to me in a beautiful way...

[Ellinas]

I'm not familiar with this person's ideas.  If he's saying that all that is should be regarded as equally divine, I have some sympathy for the concept - though the practicalities of fitting that to everyday reality are not so clear.

 

In the end, Brother, whatever works for you is OK by me.

[Lyra]

 

On the other hand, when I say Lord, because of my personal experience of it, I am referring to somebody who is closer to me than this body, who is dearer to me than my very life.

 

The way I interpreted that, is that a higher power is someone who is very very close to us to the point of giving life enhanced meaning, like a kindred spirit close friend or a true-love lover. I can buy this. Each person has energy and consciousness (in the terms of cellular life, not just in a mumbo-jumbo way), and when you find someone who is at your "wavelength" and brings out the deepest parts of you, this could be like a higher power in a way.

 

I had never encountered this idea before, but I like it a lot.