Dear Hari,
A very appropriate quotation which was supposedly spoken ones by someone in this regard is the following: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” For me it is obvious by the wording of this sentence that the than author of this phrase is trying to raise the awareness of his listeners to something else than the uninitiated might be considering or be able to grasp.
What he means with this is for sure not something mundane, something profane, as some personal liberty, or independence on some mundane level, or something like that, rather something related to our true self, us on the level of the soul, although he may not use such terms in the wording that carried his message to those to whom he may have spoken on that occasion two thousand and something yeas ago.
I think that here on Harimedia there is no-one more able to write something about this and what this author who has achieved this level of self-expression, self-awareness, may have meant by saying this to his listeners ones, than you Hari. In this way you could also reveal to me how someone who is being well versed also in the Christian theology, philosophy, and religious history, as one may draw the impression by reading your book Conscious Evolution, is viewing and understanding this topic.
I would like to abstain for the time being from writing something about this sentence which I read ones in a Christian book. The reason for this is that I, being an ethnic German from Romania who has been raised and brought up since my childhood in the Christian understanding of Protestantism of Lutheran character, may differ in the understanding from the way you, as a (former) Catholic, may understand this topics. I may be wrong but let’s see.
Unfortunately language is often too restricted so that some words I may use here, like Protestant or Catholic, may not denote us in the proper way. Nevertheless I use them since they may describe in what understanding of things one may have grown up and developed in due course of time and with what spiritual/religious groups one may consider oneself and others to be involved with as well as for a better understanding of some possible spiritual and other-related conceptual differences.
"The truth will set you free."
Re: "The truth will set you free."
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"The truth will set you free" said Jesus reportedly ones. And there may well exist also a way, or a formula, a "truth" if you will, of becoming free from ones false, or wrong understood conceptions of things. It could well be so that the Sanscrit word "maya" denotes and gives some refferences, or hints, also to something like that.
"The truth will set you free" said Jesus reportedly ones. And there may well exist also a way, or a formula, a "truth" if you will, of becoming free from ones false, or wrong understood conceptions of things. It could well be so that the Sanscrit word "maya" denotes and gives some refferences, or hints, also to something like that.
Re: "The truth will set you free."
Another point, which came into my mind in this regard, is that if we would consider that "the truth will set us free", than this must have some relevance also on the level of the Absolute, and that this Absolute Truth is able to make Itself known to us in a way which is also traceable and understandable to us.
That is so since at the core of our existence we, every single one of us, are a part of that Supreme Truth. And since we share with that Supreme the same qualities, atributes and spiritual abilities, that Supreme, with whom we share this divine qualities, is able to make Itself known to us through us. And through us to the entire world if we also wish it to be so.
That understanding and experience of oneness and unity, embracing the fact that at the core of our existence, as a body (not a physical one) and individually, there is only one of us, I find to be very uplifting and empowering. To be and stay aware of this is a challenge we are, and all have to face, everyone of us in its own way, wherever and in whatever society of people we may be situated around the world. Just a thought.
That is so since at the core of our existence we, every single one of us, are a part of that Supreme Truth. And since we share with that Supreme the same qualities, atributes and spiritual abilities, that Supreme, with whom we share this divine qualities, is able to make Itself known to us through us. And through us to the entire world if we also wish it to be so.
That understanding and experience of oneness and unity, embracing the fact that at the core of our existence, as a body (not a physical one) and individually, there is only one of us, I find to be very uplifting and empowering. To be and stay aware of this is a challenge we are, and all have to face, everyone of us in its own way, wherever and in whatever society of people we may be situated around the world. Just a thought.
Re: "The truth will set you free."
I would just like to let you know something which I wrote in this regard recently in a discussion group where this issue was also mentioned. Hope you dont mind.
"Many people in India and in other places around the world still believe that by sacrificing an animal, the curses and sins of their family will be gone. There is also another way to look at the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is the way I understand also this issues: "In the beginning, God allowed mankind to sacrifice animals, so as to make them understand that there is atonement for everyone's sins, as it is written in Thertiriya Aranyaka verse 3, Sarvapapa pariharo raktha prokshna mavasyam" which means that the atonement is through shedding of blood only. Though the animal's blood is not a substitute, it was expected that man would repent and turn away from his sinful ways by seeing the animal, which is being sacrificed on his behalf. But mankind started practicing it just as a ritual, and thus came into condemnation." (Excerpted from Sermonindex.net)
You may know also the deep backgrounds and meanings of the story related to Abraham wherein God demands from him to slay his own son as a sacrifice. What God really wanted, was to see and test Abrahams love and devotion towards Him and his willingness to make sacrifices for God. You may know that Jesus was also able to get to safety while in the Garden of Gethsemane, but he consciously did not do that. Why?
In other words the self sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross should make us feel also some love and compassion for this person who felt so confident in his spiritual essence and whose connection or bond with God was so strong that he did not even shied away to sacrifice for that his physical life, knowing well that in his essence and being (soul, spirit, if you will) he could not really be hurt. ('Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit') So that those who believe in him could also take inspiration and be touched by what he did for and on behalf of God. Not that he just had to do such a thing in order to repent for the ´sins´ of me, or you, the whole mankind, or of the whole "Universe." ("die on the cross in our place in order to pay the penalty for our sins.") - What a heartless idea. See: ww.gotquestions.org/garden-of-Gethsemane.html
Everyone of us is already whole and complete in itself. Thus was also "created" or meant to be good enough just the way one is in ones essence of Being, just the way the God-Ess, or Radha-Krishna if you will, the Supreme source of all of us is in It/Themselves. In this way we as spiritual beings are all inter-connected and if some-one of us is doing something wrong or "sinful" that some-one of us can also decide on its own to do it right by acquiring knowledge (insight, wisdom, realisation, cognition of being) and by being willing (ones God given free will) to apply that new gained understanding in ones life and in ones reciprocal relationships with others and ones environment.
That is my understanding and reached conclusion in regard to Jesus`saying: "the truth will set you free". That may well slightly differ from yours. But hey, isnt that the whole purpose of life, to find ones own approach to God and to experience that, his or her own connection and realisation to the fullest extent?! Is it not that what it is meant to be happy and fulfilled, evereyone in his/her own way?! We are all individuals and yet we are not all the same. We are a body of Being in our spiritual essence, and yet we and the Supreme exist simultaniously. We would just have to become aware of this and live our lifes in accordance with this new-gained knowledge, consciousness and understanding; that intrinsic nature of ours or the way it is/was meant to be."
"Many people in India and in other places around the world still believe that by sacrificing an animal, the curses and sins of their family will be gone. There is also another way to look at the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is the way I understand also this issues: "In the beginning, God allowed mankind to sacrifice animals, so as to make them understand that there is atonement for everyone's sins, as it is written in Thertiriya Aranyaka verse 3, Sarvapapa pariharo raktha prokshna mavasyam" which means that the atonement is through shedding of blood only. Though the animal's blood is not a substitute, it was expected that man would repent and turn away from his sinful ways by seeing the animal, which is being sacrificed on his behalf. But mankind started practicing it just as a ritual, and thus came into condemnation." (Excerpted from Sermonindex.net)
You may know also the deep backgrounds and meanings of the story related to Abraham wherein God demands from him to slay his own son as a sacrifice. What God really wanted, was to see and test Abrahams love and devotion towards Him and his willingness to make sacrifices for God. You may know that Jesus was also able to get to safety while in the Garden of Gethsemane, but he consciously did not do that. Why?
In other words the self sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross should make us feel also some love and compassion for this person who felt so confident in his spiritual essence and whose connection or bond with God was so strong that he did not even shied away to sacrifice for that his physical life, knowing well that in his essence and being (soul, spirit, if you will) he could not really be hurt. ('Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit') So that those who believe in him could also take inspiration and be touched by what he did for and on behalf of God. Not that he just had to do such a thing in order to repent for the ´sins´ of me, or you, the whole mankind, or of the whole "Universe." ("die on the cross in our place in order to pay the penalty for our sins.") - What a heartless idea. See: ww.gotquestions.org/garden-of-Gethsemane.html
Everyone of us is already whole and complete in itself. Thus was also "created" or meant to be good enough just the way one is in ones essence of Being, just the way the God-Ess, or Radha-Krishna if you will, the Supreme source of all of us is in It/Themselves. In this way we as spiritual beings are all inter-connected and if some-one of us is doing something wrong or "sinful" that some-one of us can also decide on its own to do it right by acquiring knowledge (insight, wisdom, realisation, cognition of being) and by being willing (ones God given free will) to apply that new gained understanding in ones life and in ones reciprocal relationships with others and ones environment.
That is my understanding and reached conclusion in regard to Jesus`saying: "the truth will set you free". That may well slightly differ from yours. But hey, isnt that the whole purpose of life, to find ones own approach to God and to experience that, his or her own connection and realisation to the fullest extent?! Is it not that what it is meant to be happy and fulfilled, evereyone in his/her own way?! We are all individuals and yet we are not all the same. We are a body of Being in our spiritual essence, and yet we and the Supreme exist simultaniously. We would just have to become aware of this and live our lifes in accordance with this new-gained knowledge, consciousness and understanding; that intrinsic nature of ours or the way it is/was meant to be."