Your experience of God

[Sky Dancer]

I still remember the definition of God I was taught in cathecism. "God is the supreme being who made all things."

Now that I'm no longer a Christian, I can still relate to that early teaching, but in a much different way. I no longer think of God as a Creator, or a superhuman. I no longer use the term God, I use the terms; Buddha nature, Presence,
Timeless Awareness Suchness, That which cannot be imagined or described, etc etc.

Now when I think of the definition of God I learned in catechism it is informed by my experince of what "being" itself means. To me, "being" is a state of presence that is uncontrived and natural. There is an absence of conceptual commenting, there is an experience of spaciousness, and oneness. The heart is open. The mind is open. From this place, all else arises. Thoughts, feelings, sensations, come and go. There is a sense of self in presence, but not of ordinary mind.

Another teaching I remember from the Bible, is "Be Still and Know that I Am God." I don't relate to the term, "God", because it has too much baggage with it. I do relate to "being still and knowing what I would call, "Presence", or Buddha nature.

An example, is when some disturbing mental state arises, such as anger. Presence turns toward anger, without judgment. Without telling it, that it has no place within my being. Presence accepts anger and compassion and wisdom equally, not placing one over the other. When my anger is attended to by Presence, it feels satisfied and subsides on it's own. What I would call, Presence, others might call God.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

 

[CitizenPained]

I was fiddling with a piece of grass and saw the different shades of green. It really stuck with me. I was 16.

The Talmud says that every blade of grass has an angel whispering to it, 'Grow, grow'.

I don't believe in God (or rather, I'm neutral) but I do appreciate the world and my 'people'.

 

[Sky Dancer]

What a beautiful experience. Thank you.

 

[Sky Dancer]

It's interesting that with all the so-called believers here no one is willing to discuss their own experience of God.

 

[Sky Dancer]

In Buddhism, there are certain phrases that are designed to lead one into an experience of buddha nature beyond conception.

From the Heart Sutra,

"Indescribable, Inconceivable and Inexpressible, the Perfection of Sublime Knowing is Unborn and Unceasing. It is the very nature of space. It is the realm of your own self-knowing Timeless Awareness. I pay homage to the Mother of the Buddha of the Three Times."

 

[Avatar4321]

It's interesting that with all the so-called believers here no one is willing to discuss their own experience of God.

Just saw the thread but im about to go out. I think youve posted threads like this before that I have posted in though.

 

[AllieBaba]

It's just a bait thread. STandard Sky fare.

 

[Avatar4321]

I've recieved revelation. The Lord gave me answers to prayers. He has taught me to understand and do alot of things I had no clue about before Him. He healed me by His Spirit when i had seriously injured my leg. He's changed my heart on matters and taught me much about humility, honesty, and charity.

I don't know where to really begin sharing everything. But He has certainly helped me become the person I am. And I hope that He will continue to lead me and that I will be humble enough to listen.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I've recieved revelation. The Lord gave me answers to prayers. He has taught me to understand and do alot of things I had no clue about before Him. He healed me by His Spirit when i had seriously injured my leg. He's changed my heart on matters and taught me much about humility, honesty, and charity.

I don't know where to really begin sharing everything. But He has certainly helped me become the person I am. And I hope that He will continue to lead me and that I will be humble enough to listen.

When you received your revelation, did it come in the form of an inner certainty or knowing?

 

[uscitizen]

God told me that the Tea Party was evil.

 

[Sky Dancer]

It's just a bait thread. STandard Sky fare.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm genuinely interested in how people experience God. I'm checking to see if it's similar to what I experience in meditation.

Take care Allie. I hope you get over your grudge some day.

 

[Sky Dancer]

God told me that the Tea Party was evil.

A Buddhist teacher I revere told me that George W Bush was an evil man. That was long before he started the Iraq War on a lie.

 

[Avatar4321]

I've recieved revelation. The Lord gave me answers to prayers. He has taught me to understand and do alot of things I had no clue about before Him. He healed me by His Spirit when i had seriously injured my leg. He's changed my heart on matters and taught me much about humility, honesty, and charity.

I don't know where to really begin sharing everything. But He has certainly helped me become the person I am. And I hope that He will continue to lead me and that I will be humble enough to listen.

When you received your revelation, did it come in the form of an inner certainty or knowing?

It's difficult to explain. It's just like pure intelligence entering the mind. You feel the love and glory of God. It's weird because I never really understood the glory of God and i still can't describe it really well. But when it's there it's just there and it's undeniable.

 

[uscitizen]

Peace against turmoil, anger and fear can be found within each of us if we just focus on it.
It is nothing religious just a learned skill of focus and meditation.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I've recieved revelation. The Lord gave me answers to prayers. He has taught me to understand and do alot of things I had no clue about before Him. He healed me by His Spirit when i had seriously injured my leg. He's changed my heart on matters and taught me much about humility, honesty, and charity.

I don't know where to really begin sharing everything. But He has certainly helped me become the person I am. And I hope that He will continue to lead me and that I will be humble enough to listen.

When you received your revelation, did it come in the form of an inner certainty or knowing?

It's difficult to explain. It's just like pure intelligence entering the mind. You feel the love and glory of God. It's weird because I never really understood the glory of God and i still can't describe it really well. But when it's there it's just there and it's undeniable.

I trust it's hard to describe. If I understand what I read in your post, it sounds like you experience something outside of yourself that enters you?

When I listen deep inside, what I experience is already there waiting and it does not come from outside of me. It's the deepest part of my being. If that makes any sense.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Peace against turmoil, anger and fear can be found within each of us if we just focus on it.
It is nothing religious just a learned skill of focus and meditation.

I agree that focusing and meditating bring peace and well being.

When you meditate, you experience something that cannot be described or imagined and is non-conceptual.

It's a knowing presence, something that can hold everything else that arises.

 

[Avatar4321]

When you received your revelation, did it come in the form of an inner certainty or knowing?

It's difficult to explain. It's just like pure intelligence entering the mind. You feel the love and glory of God. It's weird because I never really understood the glory of God and i still can't describe it really well. But when it's there it's just there and it's undeniable.

I trust it's hard to describe. If I understand what I read in your post, it sounds like you experience something outside of yourself that enters you?

When I listen deep inside, what I experience is already there waiting and it does not come from outside of me. It's the deepest part of my being. If that makes any sense.

It is something outside. It's not something I can reproduce on my own. (I've tried). I can't deny the power of God I've experienced. If I did, I would be a liar. Others might not know, but I would know and God would know.

 

[uscitizen]

When you received your revelation, did it come in the form of an inner certainty or knowing?

It's difficult to explain. It's just like pure intelligence entering the mind. You feel the love and glory of God. It's weird because I never really understood the glory of God and i still can't describe it really well. But when it's there it's just there and it's undeniable.

I trust it's hard to describe. If I understand what I read in your post, it sounds like you experience something outside of yourself that enters you?

When I listen deep inside, what I experience is already there waiting and it does not come from outside of me. It's the deepest part of my being. If that makes any sense.

Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Sky Dancer]

It's difficult to explain. It's just like pure intelligence entering the mind. You feel the love and glory of God. It's weird because I never really understood the glory of God and i still can't describe it really well. But when it's there it's just there and it's undeniable.

I trust it's hard to describe. If I understand what I read in your post, it sounds like you experience something outside of yourself that enters you?

When I listen deep inside, what I experience is already there waiting and it does not come from outside of me. It's the deepest part of my being. If that makes any sense.

It is something outside. It's not something I can reproduce on my own. (I've tried). I can't deny the power of God I've experienced. If I did, I would be a liar. Others might not know, but I would know and God would know.

That makes sense and it illustrates how our beliefs and paths differ. You think God is separate or outside of you. I don't believe in an eternal Deity separate from my own awareness and being.

Buddha nature is intrinsic. It is inseparable from timeless awareness itself. It's like a wave dissolving in the ocean. The wave cannot be separated from the ocean itself.

Thank you for your explanation.

 

[nitroz]

My experience with god: Dealing with a bunch of people who lack self esteem and are dumb enough to let fake beliefs affect their decisions throughout life.