Where do I ever claim 'to know' as you claim I claim?? I do believe it is possible that the Self-Realized gurus/swamis actually 'know' from direct experience but I don't claim to be there yet.
Sorry - I didn't actually say that you, personally, "know." If you look, I said that your claim is that it is possible that this sort of knowledge CAN be had, or attained/experienced by a person. I understand the confusion, because at one point I wrote:
A Vestigial Mote said:
you should just stop saying that you know these things, and stop stating with confidence that it is possible to know these things
where before that I only ever wrote explicitly that your claim was to the potential for a person ("one") to know these things. I didn't mean to imply that you said you know these things... but just that you are claiming that you know a person can attain them. That sort of knowledge, if as concrete as you seem to be saying ("complete understanding"
ARE your words) should be something that could readily be explained/evidenced to others. If there truly is a complete understanding, then there should be knowledge there that would allow the person to perform feats, or uncover facts or display that knowledge to anyone/everyone and completely convince them of that "truth." As an example, let's say I discovered the true "source" of gravity. I uncovered the relationship between particles that causes them to be drawn to one another. This is something I had
better be able to relay to someone else, otherwise there is NO REASON for them to believe that I have uncovered what I say I have!
I simply believe what is most reasonable to believe after a lifetime of consideration.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I simply do not care about your lifetime. I care about what you can demonstrate through evidence.
That is through the normal human reasoning process. A lifetime of considerations can't be covered in a Religious Forums reply post (perhaps in a book maybe).
I understand, and agree. And I am using every ounce of my own, personal experience in life (my "lifetime" - which I do, obviously, care very much about) to come to the conclusion that this is all bunk. In not one way has any of this been demonstrated to me... or even so much as the reality of it
HINTED to me. I've seen nothing I would term "supernatural," nothing to support anything generally considered "paranormal," etc. Nothing. Not one single thing. If that is "odd" for a lifetime, so be it. It literally affects me not one iota to disbelieve you - and that is the prudent course considering my personal experience, the evidence you are able to bring to the table and the mostly nebulous words and ideas you are willing to impart these ideas with.