Where the World's Religions are right now. (Page 3)

Zanjan: Don't worry, if the old religions held any truth, the newer religions will carry them forward on their behalf, guaranteed. In fact, that's happening as we speak - it's a snowball that never stops, just gets larger.

GeraldtheGnome: All past and present religions hold some resemblance of truth.

'The Sufis.

Sufis were the ecstatic mystics of Islam, inspired by the "throne verses" and other mystical elements of the Koran. The Sufi movement began in Saudi Arabia and spread to Persia and India, where elements of Hinduism are incorporated into the Sufi customs. At times, Sufis challenged orthodox Muslim authority and were regarded as heretical. Sufism was so-named because its adherants wore wool garments like the early Christian ascetics (suf, meaning wool) and lived a life of devotion and prayer. They aimed to lose themselves in divine love through esoteric practices such as trance, meditation and ecstatic dances* and songs*. Sufi ideology combined some elements of pre-Islamic shamanistic spirituality, Neo-Platonic philosophies of Ancient Greece and other Islamic commentaries.' That is from the book 'Atlas of the New Age by Gerry (show me the money !) Maguire Thompson.

* = I changed a word. What are throne verses and ascetics ?

Whoops ! It was on page 94.

Zanjan: Of course, every religion in the past has eventually spawned mystics and mystical groups so that's not unique to Islam.

GeraldtheGnome: True.

'Sufi Rituals.

Sufism was organized into dervish orders, where members lived a life devoted to God (Allah)^ and to^ rituals#. Rituals involved powerful verbal recitations proclaiming the devotees' belief in God (Allah)^ and vigorous dancing and breathing exercises, leading to personal hypnosis and tanscendence expressing the union with God (Allah)^. Other dervish orders were less physical in their rituals# and concentrated on reciting confessionals of faith. The shayks who led the orders had complete authority over the members and some were credited with magical and telepathic powers. A New Age Sufi revival is in progress worldwide, attracting both Muslims and non-Muslims. It applies the principles of the original Sufis through spiritual dance, poetry and meditation.' That is from the Book the 'Atlas of the New Age', by Gerry (show me the money !) Maguire ('Jack' ) Thompson on page 94.

^ = I added a word. # = I changed the word.

Zanjan: Yes, I noticed that trend too. Maybe you were too young to remember the go native herbal/sweat lodge/ earth & water stuff, or the Hindu transendental meditation/yoga/shakra trend. People seem to be drawn to the exotic, then get bored with it after a decade or so.

However, it's nice to know the hunt for "who am i?" is still on, and people want their questions of the universe answered.

Seems to me there isn't much of anything exotic left to get into but maybe it's like shoe styles, which have to make their rotations. Hard to say why people don't look for something that's actually NEW...could be they're afraid to take risks.

GeraldtheGnome:
I'm thinking of going into a self made hermitage, I'll get back to the stuff for this forum.

'The Enneagram.

The enneagram is a graphic device used by specific Sufi orders for understanding human nature (who by the way are a crap all male music group) and many of their theories fed back into Islamic mathematical literature. The Enneagram was introduced in the 1920s by mystic psychologist George Gurdjieff, famed for his personality theories. A later mystic, Oscar Ichazo, applied Gurdjieff's theories to the Enneagram and it is this fusion of ideas which forms the basis of New Age Enneagram analysis. The Enneagram can be read in conjunction with other spiritual models, such as the Cabalistic Tree of of Life developed by Jewish mystics.' That was on page 94 of the 'Atlas of the New Age' by Gerry (show me the money !) Maguire Thompson. I just added this in in hindsight. What is a Cabalistic Tree of Life ?

Zanjan: Gerald, perhaps the day will come when you wont put females at the top of the list of things describing your identity. I hope you'll never have to ask others who you are, unless you're just joking.

All answers are good if they're the truth; naturally, you wont like some - we're all that way but it's still always good for your soul. With frequent consumption, you can develop a new taste for the sticky stuff, like the Cherokee tomato - ugly as roadkill but sweet as sugar pie.

Yes, we tend to be creatures of habit, hesitating to move beyond our comfort zone. Yet if we don't move, we'll wither and dry up. You see, even a potato, when planted and re-planted in the same worn out soil will cease to flourish.

The enneagram, like the I-Ching, Astrology, Chatelain quizzes, card readings - I tried them all once, out of curiosity. So many different entertaining 'tests' and devices popped up as interesting parlour games when people used to socialize together at home, before TV was invented. Now we have fantasy gamers, who just want to be somebody else. A few people do Luminosity exercises to train their brain to work faster and retain memory longer.

Don't concern yourself with 'esoteric' knowledge and secret codes - it's the same as above. No one owns a truth - tricks are secret but truth isn't, it's accessible to anyone who's interested and not too lazy to apply it often enough to understand how it works.

That's what religion is about - not to learn who you are, but what you were meant to become. What do you think your driving would be like if you kept looking out the back window? Never mind what's behind you - eyes forward.

GeraldtheGnome: I'll contact you in a second, I've got a situation going on.

GeraldtheGnome: A little bit of what you mentioned was cryptic to me, I couldn't understand it, the rest I could and I agree with you. Oh boy, I wish I had a Time Machine, things are a bit too much for my liking, in fact I hate most things that are going on right now, anything I don't know about, whatever it is, where ever that is, I can't dwell on it, all things get found eventually unless we bury something forever, which is pretty rare and highly unlikely. I have a little trouble remembering what esoteric and things like that mean, I remember for a short time what they mean and then I forget. I have to be careful with my words here, when someone is thinking that most things I come out with are the worst, yet might be about them they could decide that it is about them. I don't know why they think that way but they do. My real name isn't GeraldtheGnome. So what ? How many people use their real name here anyway, there's no need to and there's no need or reason for everyone or even anyone if I decide (but I didn't) to know my name or the name of someone else. That is the individuals right and that persons individual right only, no one else needs to know.

I intend to become what I want to be, without compromising myself in any way, if others don't like that about me then they are doing themselves a great disservice as they are to me. Making compromises with others is different because if I don't then I'm only going to fail therefore I look for the middle ground with everyone without compromising who I am, instead only find things that myself and others can be on common ground with or between others in regards to things that they both like, then and only then will things go right for me and those that interact with me, I'm not always right, I don't think I'm always right, others are not always right and they are not always wrong around me or around everyone else. We should all just get along, never look for the quickest way to fight but look for the quickest way to resolve things. Never should I look for the quickest solution or quickest answer to anything, I should go for the best answer for everything, sometimes if the best answer is being slow and patient, then so be it. It is better than me looking for the quickest answer which will lead to disaster. Am I an unusual person that way or someone that some or most or 1/2 or all of us should be like or like no one should be like at all ? Should I be patient or impatient and if so then what for in each individual case, also what would be the ramifications for doing so ?

'Dervish Dancing.*

The best known image of Sufism is that of the whirling Dervishes#, whose spinning and jumping help them reach a state of spiritual unity with God (Allah).^ There were also howling dervishes who walked on and swallowed hot coals without appearing to suffer.' A new meaning to Heartburn right there. That was from page 94 of the 'Atlas of the New Age' by Gerry (show me the money !) Thompson. As you can tell with how late into the bit I came back on here, I've had a very rough few days and it isn't over yet.

* = I changed the word. ^ = I added a word. # = I put a capital on the front of the word.