Religions speak of the timelessness of the Divine. God is "eternal". In Christian beliefs, believers are promised "eternal life". But what does that mean? It's generally assumed to mean that as one day passes to the next in a linear progression, that this will continue infinitely into the future beyond our mortal deaths, ages and ages, forever passing behind us, and us forever into the future. I would say it's natural for us to think in terms like this, since that is the experience of our daily realities. But is this what eternal means? Forever marching forward creating a linear timeline?
I would make the case that thinking is confused when it comes the the timelessness of the Divine, that which exists without beginning or end. That timelessness exists in every moment, fully. It's difficult for our minds to think in terms like this as we are always thinking about the future or recalling the past. Yesterday is behind us. Tomorrow is ahead of us. But the overlooked reality is that we only live in the present moment, and thoughts about the past or the future, are only occurring right now, this second, and not anytime in the future or past. All there is is Now.
So what then is Eternal Life? Not something in the future, but something in the present, right now. To be fully present in the moment, not just strictly concentrating on one thing, but mindfully Aware, is to be in that "timelessness". That "Eternal Life", is Now. And when fully Aware, it is seen and experienced as fully, infinitely Present in all things. Eternal Life, is something within everything.
So, drawing from the Christian tradition in the use of that language, I would say that the deeper meaning is not that you keep going on and on forever in a immortal version of yourself, after you have died in this body. I see those as bit of a "hint" at what it is, but seen from the linear, dualist mind. Yet God is timeless, and thus, non-linear. What I hear is the deeper truth, what the metaphor of "life after death" is meant to point to. That is, that "Eternal Life", is the Divine itself. Is it the reality of God. And it is our participation within that, fully in the timeless Now. Aware and Awake.
To me this is the real underlying message of the Christian faith, using dualistic metaphors to speak to reality of the Eternal Life that is timelessly Present, through all ages, without beginning or end, ever and always Now. This is what Enlightenment is. This is what "Salvation" is a metaphor for. "Except you be born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God". You Wake up, and see. You experience Reality fully in the present.
I've just been processing my thoughts lately, which have undergone some radical transformation since my early days introduced to Christian thought through a very narrow, literal, fundamentalist perspective. I just felt inspired at the moment to share a thought I just had, reflecting the evolution of my views from those early days. Thoughts and feedback are encouraged.
I would make the case that thinking is confused when it comes the the timelessness of the Divine, that which exists without beginning or end. That timelessness exists in every moment, fully. It's difficult for our minds to think in terms like this as we are always thinking about the future or recalling the past. Yesterday is behind us. Tomorrow is ahead of us. But the overlooked reality is that we only live in the present moment, and thoughts about the past or the future, are only occurring right now, this second, and not anytime in the future or past. All there is is Now.
So what then is Eternal Life? Not something in the future, but something in the present, right now. To be fully present in the moment, not just strictly concentrating on one thing, but mindfully Aware, is to be in that "timelessness". That "Eternal Life", is Now. And when fully Aware, it is seen and experienced as fully, infinitely Present in all things. Eternal Life, is something within everything.
So, drawing from the Christian tradition in the use of that language, I would say that the deeper meaning is not that you keep going on and on forever in a immortal version of yourself, after you have died in this body. I see those as bit of a "hint" at what it is, but seen from the linear, dualist mind. Yet God is timeless, and thus, non-linear. What I hear is the deeper truth, what the metaphor of "life after death" is meant to point to. That is, that "Eternal Life", is the Divine itself. Is it the reality of God. And it is our participation within that, fully in the timeless Now. Aware and Awake.
To me this is the real underlying message of the Christian faith, using dualistic metaphors to speak to reality of the Eternal Life that is timelessly Present, through all ages, without beginning or end, ever and always Now. This is what Enlightenment is. This is what "Salvation" is a metaphor for. "Except you be born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God". You Wake up, and see. You experience Reality fully in the present.
I've just been processing my thoughts lately, which have undergone some radical transformation since my early days introduced to Christian thought through a very narrow, literal, fundamentalist perspective. I just felt inspired at the moment to share a thought I just had, reflecting the evolution of my views from those early days. Thoughts and feedback are encouraged.
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