Your experience of God

[Iridescence]

I love reading other individuals' experiences of God.

Definitions accordingly, of course, but reverence and depth represented necessarily.

Drawing God through individuals has been my greatest experience. So few understand what I mean that it is little wonder why my writings are too complicated for many to understand.

 

[Douger]

I live in the rain forest. Creation is incredible.Ever watch a Morpho butterfly come out of a pupa and dry it's wings ? How about witnessing a howler monkey giving birth in a torrential downpour while the rest of the tribe huddles on a branch above to shield her from the rain ?
Once I realized that all of the worlds religious instruction books were enslavement scripts, I left that movie.

 

[tonystewart1]

Since the day I was saved I have never been alone. He promsied never leave me nor forsake me and he has not.

In church you can feel the Holy Spirit move among us and inside yourself. Sometimes its an energizing feeling and other times its just like a gentle sping breeze.

When I am troubled or usure and I pray I can feel God inside of me speaking to me and assuring me that all will be well.

He has healed my body and spirit. He has kept me safe. He has corrected me and I love Him for it.

The only way to put into word my expericence with God is that he is ever present and guiding and comforting to me.

 

[Anachronism]

My experiences with God would require much more space than is available here to detail, Sky. I have seen the Miraculous and I have seen moments when I questioned whether any truly Loving Diety could truly exist. I have experienced the supernatural and paranormal with my own eyes, ears, and flesh.

After the death of my father in August of 2001, I went on a two year personal pilgrimage to try and find a religion or spiritual path that could answer my questions about what had happened to him, and why. It was an exceptionally enlightening if also incredibly frustrating experience. It lead me not TO religion, but away from it and to a personal type of spirituality that is uniquely my own (at least in my experience).

These days I explain my understanding of "God" as the Ultimate Power of the Universe, which every human being sees differently. Imagine, if you can, an immense crystal cut with an infinite number of facets and faces on it. Inside that crystal is something. Depending on which facet(s) or face(s) you choose to look through, that something may appear different. It may be a light, an object, a series of objects, entities, etc.... We all choose to look through particular facets and faces of that crystal to see the Ultimate Power of the Universe. We've given some of those facets and faces names.... Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Budhism, Wicca, etc... Every society and culture has had its own prefered facets and faces to look through. Some see only a blur and cannot identify it. We call them agnostics. For some there is nothing to see inside at all. We call them atheists. However one chooses to look at the crystal and the Power with it, I believe they're seeing the same Power.

Just my $0.02 for whatever it is or isn't worth.

 

[Sky Dancer]

My experiences with God would require much more space than is available here to detail, Sky. I have seen the Miraculous and I have seen moments when I questioned whether any truly Loving Diety could truly exist. I have experienced the supernatural and paranormal with my own eyes, ears, and flesh.

After the death of my father in August of 2001, I went on a two year personal pilgrimage to try and find a religion or spiritual path that could answer my questions about what had happened to him, and why. It was an exceptionally enlightening if also incredibly frustrating experience. It lead me not TO religion, but away from it and to a personal type of spirituality that is uniquely my own (at least in my experience).

These days I explain my understanding of "God" as the Ultimate Power of the Universe, which every human being sees differently. Imagine, if you can, an immense crystal cut with an infinite number of facets and faces on it. Inside that crystal is something. Depending on which facet(s) or face(s) you choose to look through, that something may appear different. It may be a light, an object, a series of objects, entities, etc.... We all choose to look through particular facets and faces of that crystal to see the Ultimate Power of the Universe. We've given some of those facets and faces names.... Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Budhism, Wicca, etc... Every society and culture has had its own prefered facets and faces to look through. Some see only a blur and cannot identify it. We call them agnostics. For some there is nothing to see inside at all. We call them atheists. However one chooses to look at the crystal and the Power with it, I believe they're seeing the same Power.

Just my $0.02 for whatever it is or isn't worth.

Thank you. One thing we share in common is that we both found our spiritual paths after the deaths of our fathers. My father's death motivated me to become a Buddhist.

 

[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?

Just wanted to point out that this post earned a neg rep from Allie. Poor thing.

 

[editec]

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

I'm a believer.

God?

Never calls. Never writes.

That or the supreme being calls and writes all the time and I am just too deaf or illiterate to get the message.

However...

It is a perfect day here in Maine, today. Nothing untoward is happening in my life. I'm living indoors, I have enough to eat and a dog that thinks I'M GOD.

Seriously, in terms of the NOW, I think that's about all one can really expect from being and existence.

As to all the other baggage that many of my fellow believers foist off on this question?

Hey, if it makes them happy to anthropomophize GOD into something that they can more easily understand?

Who am I to rain on their parade?

 

[Anachronism]

Thank you. One thing we share in common is that we both found our spiritual paths after the deaths of our fathers. My father's death motivated me to become a Buddhist.

You're welcome. Very often losing a parent or other important person in one's life forces you to look at your spiritual beliefs. I know it really did for me.

When I went on that "quest" after my father's death, I had a very simple goal.... I wanted to find one group, one religion, one spiritual path that could explain to me "Why?" and "If God doesn't have the 'heart' to help someone like him (my dad) why the Hell should I think He/She/It would give a fuck about someone like me?" In two years the closest I got to an honest answer were the two or three pastors and the one rabbi who looked at me, shrugged their shoulders and replied "I don't have an answer for you." A couple more just shook their heads and had no response at all.

That was when I realized that organized religion as a whole is a farce. At that point I started looking inward, at what I believed, and what made sense to me from my experiences and what I have read/seen/heard over time. That was a truly enlightening venture.

 

[syrenn]

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?

Great orgasms..... that's where you touch the universe and feel god.

 

[Dr.House]

God told me that the Tea Party was evil.

That wasn't God....

 

[Sky Dancer]

Thank you. One thing we share in common is that we both found our spiritual paths after the deaths of our fathers. My father's death motivated me to become a Buddhist.

You're welcome. Very often losing a parent or other important person in one's life forces you to look at your spiritual beliefs. I know it really did for me.

When I went on that "quest" after my father's death, I had a very simple goal.... I wanted to find one group, one religion, one spiritual path that could explain to me "Why?" and "If God doesn't have the 'heart' to help someone like him (my dad) why the Hell should I think He/She/It would give a fuck about someone like me?" In two years the closest I got to an honest answer were the two or three pastors and the one rabbi who looked at me, shrugged their shoulders and replied "I don't have an answer for you." A couple more just shook their heads and had no response at all.

That was when I realized that organized religion as a whole is a farce. At that point I started looking inward, at what I believed, and what made sense to me from my experiences and what I have read/seen/heard over time. That was a truly enlightening venture.

Looking within is the ticket. I'm so happy you've found your true path.

 

[Anachronism]

Looking within is the ticket. I'm so happy you've found your true path.

Thanks. Hasn't always been terribly easy. When your maternal grandfather was a Lutheran pastor for 60+ years, your mother has been a church organist since she was 13, and you have more church workers in your family than you can shake a stick out, it's not taken real well when you decide to step away from the church. It's basically accepted at this point, even if they don't LIKE it.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Looking within is the ticket. I'm so happy you've found your true path.

Thanks. Hasn't always been terribly easy. When your maternal grandfather was a Lutheran pastor for 60+ years, your mother has been a church organist since she was 13, and you have more church workers in your family than you can shake a stick out, it's not taken real well when you decide to step away from the church. It's basically accepted at this point, even if they don't LIKE it.

I hear you. It wasn't popular in my family for me to leave Catholicism, either.

 

[AllieBaba]

Good grief.

 

[Momanohedhunter]

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

I would, but I am suspicious of tour motives. Thees threads of yours always seem to be meant to set you up as a victim of the religious nuts .

 

[Momanohedhunter]

I live in the rain forest. Creation is incredible.Ever watch a Morpho butterfly come out of a pupa and dry it's wings ? How about witnessing a howler monkey giving birth in a torrential downpour while the rest of the tribe huddles on a branch above to shield her from the rain ?
Once I realized that all of the worlds religious instruction books were enslavement scripts, I left that movie.

I have seen none of that. I have seen wild fires burn, I have watched bears rip hony comb out of rotten logs, I have spent a whole summer watching leaf cutter ants prepare for winter, I have seen two massive whit tail bucks settle the issue of who was the better of the two, I have slept on the ground and fell asleep to the sound of wolves howling all night, I have seen my children being borne, All of it is proof That the Lord is there. Hey, it works for me. Good to see your thing works for 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.

I would, but I am suspicious of tour motives. Thees threads of yours always seem to be meant to set you up as a victim of the religious nuts .

Fine. You don't have to participate if you don't want to. I think this is a great topic.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I've been thinking about this topic and why I started the thread. I'm trying to find common ground.

I'm not a person who believes in God the way he is concieved of by some; as angry, judging, jealous, condemning and punishing.

I do have a sense of something deep within that I'm aware of when I'm very quiet inside. It is something that is knowing and is not the ordinary mind.

One of the few bible phrases I can relate to is the one that goes something like, "be still and know that I am"

 

[AllieBaba]

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

I would, but I am suspicious of tour motives. Thees threads of yours always seem to be meant to set you up as a victim of the religious nuts .

Yup.

If you want to see some REALLY crazy stuff...

http://www.usmessageboard.com/general-discussion/160059-you-wouldnt-be-caught-dead-where.html

 

[Sky Dancer]

"Indescribable, inconcievable and inexpressible. The Perfection of Sublime Knowing is unborn and unceasing, the very nature of space. It is the realm of your own self-knowing timeless awareness."