Comments for Thoughts of a Seeker http://thoughtsofaseeker.net Exploring the important religious questions from a Mormon (LDS) perspective. Focus on ancient history, early Christianity, and Mormon doctrine/practice. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:13:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Monks in Caves or Saints in Society? by daviddstoker http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/monks-in-caves-or-saints-in-society/comment-page-1/#comment-204 daviddstoker Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:14:43 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/monks-in-caves-or-saints-in-society/#comment-204 Thanks for coming by Konrei- you are absolutely right in terms of this not being a great description of Zen and I feel completely inadequate to do the topic justice. So I will spend some time searching around about it. Thanks again. Thanks for coming by Konrei- you are absolutely right in terms of this not being a great description of Zen and I feel completely inadequate to do the topic justice. So I will spend some time searching around about it. Thanks again.

]]> Comment on Monks in Caves or Saints in Society? by Konrei http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/monks-in-caves-or-saints-in-society/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Konrei Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:14:32 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/monks-in-caves-or-saints-in-society/#comment-203 This is an interesting blog entry, though you don't really address "Zen" as such. Cambodian Theravada Buddhism is quite different from Zen. As a matter of fact, Zen is very different from most other forms of Buddhism (and there are scores of sects). Zen focuses heavily, but not exclusively, on sitting meditation and mindful awareness as expressed in the Bodhisattva Precepts. I can't go into a deep discussion of the Precepts here, but there is a wealth of material on the net. I agree though---Zen is more a spiritual practice than a religion as Westerners understand religion to be. This is an interesting blog entry, though you don’t really address “Zen” as such. Cambodian Theravada Buddhism is quite different from Zen. As a matter of fact, Zen is very different from most other forms of Buddhism (and there are scores of sects). Zen focuses heavily, but not exclusively, on sitting meditation and mindful awareness as expressed in the Bodhisattva Precepts. I can’t go into a deep discussion of the Precepts here, but there is a wealth of material on the net. I agree though—Zen is more a spiritual practice than a religion as Westerners understand religion to be.

]]> Comment on Why are there so many religions? by Bryan http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/why-are-there-so-many-religions/comment-page-1/#comment-202 Bryan Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:09:56 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/?p=11#comment-202 You pose a very good question--regarding the possibility that God could intervene again. Do we believe in a loving God? Do we believe that we need God? Do we believe in a God that is smart enough to answer our questions? My heartfelt answer to these three quesitons is a definite yes. If so, and if His purpose is to bring about the happiness and exaltation of His children(that is what the scriptures teach), then why would He set up the perfect atmosphere to bring the truth back (the religious freedom we have today that is unparalleled in world history), enable global communication so that any important message could go to all the world, and aid the world in becoming more literate than ever before in its history, and then leave the world in confusion? In essence, why would He do all that and not bring the fulness of the truth to a clearly confused world? God is not the author of confusion. He is a Being of light and knowledge--which He wants to share with His children. The only logical and correct conlusion is that He has brought back answers that were lost through the Dark Ages in which learning was terribly suppresed. God prepared the world for a restoration of truth. Since He is preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior (at which time He will gather in the faithful, so there must be faithful people to gather in), He clearly has a plan for letting His children actually know what is true. The idea that we can't actually know something, but must blindly believe, is an old trick of the devil and is false. We CAN know! I believe in a God who reveals truth if we ask--and He only stops revealing truth when we refuse to learn more. So, the truth is out there and God wants us to find it. How then can we know what the truth is when so many claim to have it? If you have a chance to talk to a couple of LDS missionaries, they would happy to share with you how God has made it possible for anyone who desires to know to know for certain what is true in this world. I advise all to listen to the missionaries with an open heart and read from the Book of Mormon they give you. They will make a unique claim--you don't have to believe it because that's what you're told--believe it because God answers your prayers and tells you so. Put their promise and mine to the test: if you ask God sincerely He will tell you that it is true! You pose a very good question–regarding the possibility that God could intervene again. Do we believe in a loving God? Do we believe that we need God? Do we believe in a God that is smart enough to answer our questions? My heartfelt answer to these three quesitons is a definite yes. If so, and if His purpose is to bring about the happiness and exaltation of His children(that is what the scriptures teach), then why would He set up the perfect atmosphere to bring the truth back (the religious freedom we have today that is unparalleled in world history), enable global communication so that any important message could go to all the world, and aid the world in becoming more literate than ever before in its history, and then leave the world in confusion? In essence, why would He do all that and not bring the fulness of the truth to a clearly confused world? God is not the author of confusion. He is a Being of light and knowledge–which He wants to share with His children.

The only logical and correct conlusion is that He has brought back answers that were lost through the Dark Ages in which learning was terribly suppresed. God prepared the world for a restoration of truth. Since He is preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior (at which time He will gather in the faithful, so there must be faithful people to gather in), He clearly has a plan for letting His children actually know what is true. The idea that we can’t actually know something, but must blindly believe, is an old trick of the devil and is false. We CAN know! I believe in a God who reveals truth if we ask–and He only stops revealing truth when we refuse to learn more. So, the truth is out there and God wants us to find it. How then can we know what the truth is when so many claim to have it?

If you have a chance to talk to a couple of LDS missionaries, they would happy to share with you how God has made it possible for anyone who desires to know to know for certain what is true in this world. I advise all to listen to the missionaries with an open heart and read from the Book of Mormon they give you. They will make a unique claim–you don’t have to believe it because that’s what you’re told–believe it because God answers your prayers and tells you so. Put their promise and mine to the test: if you ask God sincerely He will tell you that it is true!

]]> Comment on Monks in Caves or Saints in Society? by Sampuran Das http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/monks-in-caves-or-saints-in-society/comment-page-1/#comment-200 Sampuran Das Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:08:08 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/monks-in-caves-or-saints-in-society/#comment-200 Buddha Dharma is a philosophy seeking Religion. The original teachings of Buddha is stated in Tripitaka. Abhidharma ( Beyond Religion ) - is 3rd Section of Tripitaka, is the fundamental philosophy of Dependent Origination – (Pratitya-samutpada).All beings and phenomena are caused to exist by other beings and phenomena. In Buddhism, there is no teaching of a First Cause, Buddha emphasized understanding the nature of things as-they-are over speculation of what might have happened in the past or what might happen in the future. Buddha remained silent on the question of "creator god".“ Secondly, there is no permanent "self". What we think of as our self, our personality and ego, are temporary creations of the “skandhas” -- form, sensation, perception, mental formation and consciousness, which gives rise to false notion of permanent "you" as an separate entity and distinct from everything else/universe. In India at the time of Buddha there were other competing Religious Philosophy (Vedantic Hinduism)-Sankya Philosphy (Sāṁkhyapravacana Sūtra) It is also argued that the existence of God cannot be proved and hence cannot be admitted to exist and an unchanging Ishvara/God as the cause cannot be the source of a changing world as the effect. (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad) is another Vedanta Text that precede Buddism states "The Divine is not this and it is not that" ( In Sanskrit "Neti-Neti"). Divine is not real as we are real, nor is it unreal. The divine is not living in the sense humans live, nor is it dead. The Divine is not compassionate as we use the term, nor is it uncompassionate. And so on. We can never truly define God in words. All we can say, in effect, is that "It isn't this, but also, it isn't that either". In the end, the student must transcend words to understand the nature of the Divine. Vaisheshika Sect Buddhist Monk Dharmakīrti, teached - atomism philosophy about reality as being composed of atomic entities that are momentary flashes of light or energy. Buddhists denied the existence of substantial matter altogether. Movement consists for them of moments, it is a staccato movement, momentary flashes of a stream of energy... "Everything is evanescent" Buddhism in India was anhilated by Islamic Invasion. Currently, Mahayana School of Buddism founded by Monk Nagarjuna is practiced in East Asia- Japan/China etc. And Theravada Buddism is practiced in SE Asia- Sri Lanka is the oldest & closest to original Buddhism, since the time Emperor Ashoka in 270 BC. Buddha Dharma is a philosophy seeking Religion. The original teachings of Buddha is stated in Tripitaka. Abhidharma ( Beyond Religion ) - is 3rd Section of Tripitaka, is the fundamental philosophy of Dependent Origination – (Pratitya-samutpada).All beings and phenomena are caused to exist by other beings and phenomena. In Buddhism, there is no teaching of a First Cause, Buddha emphasized understanding the nature of things as-they-are over speculation of what might have happened in the past or what might happen in the future. Buddha remained silent on the question of “creator god”.“ Secondly, there is no permanent “self”. What we think of as our self, our personality and ego, are temporary creations of the “skandhas” — form, sensation, perception, mental formation and consciousness, which gives rise to false notion of permanent “you” as an separate entity and distinct from everything else/universe.

In India at the time of Buddha there were other competing Religious Philosophy (Vedantic Hinduism)-Sankya Philosphy (Sāṁkhyapravacana Sūtra) It is also argued that the existence of God cannot be proved and hence cannot be admitted to exist and an unchanging Ishvara/God as the cause cannot be the source of a changing world as the effect.

(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad) is another Vedanta Text that precede Buddism states “The Divine is not this and it is not that” ( In Sanskrit “Neti-Neti”). Divine is not real as we are real, nor is it unreal. The divine is not living in the sense humans live, nor is it dead. The Divine is not compassionate as we use the term, nor is it uncompassionate. And so on. We can never truly define God in words. All we can say, in effect, is that “It isn’t this, but also, it isn’t that either”. In the end, the student must transcend words to understand the nature of the Divine.

Vaisheshika Sect Buddhist Monk Dharmakīrti, teached - atomism philosophy about reality as being composed of atomic entities that are momentary flashes of light or energy. Buddhists denied the existence of substantial matter altogether. Movement consists for them of moments, it is a staccato movement, momentary flashes of a stream of energy… “Everything is evanescent”

Buddhism in India was anhilated by Islamic Invasion.
Currently, Mahayana School of Buddism founded by Monk Nagarjuna is practiced in East Asia- Japan/China etc. And Theravada Buddism is practiced in SE Asia- Sri Lanka is the oldest & closest to original Buddhism, since the time Emperor Ashoka in 270 BC.

]]> Comment on Beautiful photo exhibition depicting the life of Christ by Rebecca http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/beautiful-photo-exhibition-depicting-the-life-of-christ/comment-page-1/#comment-198 Rebecca Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:34:54 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/?p=77#comment-198 a beautiful video. thanks for sharing. a beautiful video. thanks for sharing.

]]> Comment on Planet Earth Series should be added to Mormon Endowment by Dawn http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/planet-earth-series-should-be-added-to-mormon-endowment/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Dawn Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:25:18 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/planet-earth-series-should-be-added-to-mormon-endowment/#comment-197 We have to learn dominion. As with everything else we first observe and in observing learn. That alone should take a lifetime. The least we can do is not interfere with already established creations - before we have observed and learned about them. We have to learn dominion. As with everything else we first observe and in observing learn. That alone should take a lifetime. The least we can do is not interfere with already established creations - before we have observed and learned about them.

]]> Comment on Contempories: Buddha and Enos of the Book of Mormon by Ganzo http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/contempories-buddha-and-enos-of-the-book-of-mormon/comment-page-1/#comment-196 Ganzo Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:24:15 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/contempories-buddha-and-enos-of-the-book-of-mormon/#comment-196 Buddha , Jesus, Allah, Also before times many god are true Gods. You can know in the love and real knowledge. This is not difficult if you got into pure heart and pure mind. Buddha , Jesus, Allah, Also before times many god are true Gods.

You can know in the love and real knowledge. This is not difficult if you got into pure heart and pure mind.

]]> Comment on Contempories: Buddha and Enos of the Book of Mormon by Julio http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/contempories-buddha-and-enos-of-the-book-of-mormon/comment-page-1/#comment-195 Julio Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:15:51 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/contempories-buddha-and-enos-of-the-book-of-mormon/#comment-195 Theodore, nobody has ever said Buddha is God or a god. Not even Jesus and Allah are considered gods! The discussion is about the guideline of those religions. Read with more attention, in order to understand the core of the discussion, and not expressing misleading opinions. Theodore, nobody has ever said Buddha is God or a god. Not even Jesus and Allah are considered gods! The discussion is about the guideline of those religions. Read with more attention, in order to understand the core of the discussion, and not expressing misleading opinions.

]]> Comment on Book: Mystery Religions of Ancient World–quotes of interest to Mormons by Dave http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/book-mystery-religions-of-ancient-world-quotes-of-interest-to-mormons/comment-page-1/#comment-193 Dave Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:06:26 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/?p=31#comment-193 You're right there are many interesting passages from teh texts of the Nag Hammadi Library and other texts. One translation I like is Bart Ehrman's Lost Scriptures. I particularly like it because it simply presents the text without commentary or interpretation. You’re right there are many interesting passages from teh texts of the Nag Hammadi Library and other texts. One translation I like is Bart Ehrman’s Lost Scriptures. I particularly like it because it simply presents the text without commentary or interpretation.

]]> Comment on Book: Mystery Religions of Ancient World–quotes of interest to Mormons by CL Palmer http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/book-mystery-religions-of-ancient-world-quotes-of-interest-to-mormons/comment-page-1/#comment-192 CL Palmer Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:47:48 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/?p=31#comment-192 You should read the Nag Hamadi Library. I think you'd find a lot of interesting passages there, especially one which is very close to a word-for-word quote of Brigham Young explaining the purpose of the endowments. These texts, however, were discovered in the middle of the twentieth century. You should read the Nag Hamadi Library. I think you’d find a lot of interesting passages there, especially one which is very close to a word-for-word quote of Brigham Young explaining the purpose of the endowments. These texts, however, were discovered in the middle of the twentieth century.

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