Educated versus Popular Religion

Robin,I do find an important distinction between the East and the West in that the popular view seems to be held forth as authoritatively "true" in the West whereas in the East the sages who have gone beyond the popular myths are venerated and it's understood that the deities and concepts of popular religion are there to help people along the path but that at some point the popular notions will be transcended.Fundamentalist Christians in America and on this list tend to strongly hold that the teaching myths are literally true and to disagree with doctrine invalidates those who don't agree with them. I don't know much about Catholicism but it does appear they have shunted there ER's off into monasteries and so to some extent allow it but in a highly controlled and often silenced manner. I know Bernadetta Roberts believed that St. John the Divine might have written more had it not been for the Spanish Inquisition. The church did declare the teachings of Meister Eckert heresy though neither he nor Roberts believed that to be the case.In brief it does seem to me that literalism is the curse of the Judeo Christian Islamic etc. religious traditions in the west and has led down through the centuries to the religious violence that is ongoing in the west today. Ethnic religious violence is a problem in the east also though much of it is the result of the Islamic invasions. I'm not claiming that it's unique to the middle eastern intolerant "monotheism" but it is is exacerbated by it.Buddhism having no divine revelation has the most peaceful tolerant record by far and I hold that is significantly because it doesn't claim it's teachings were delivered from the divine source of the universe. What you speak of as "conscious" is something I think Buddhism addresses as "compassion". Compassion being a fundamental teaching of Buddhism.lfen

It's two different phonetical representations, transliterations to write the sounds of Chinese words in English. It the same word. The older system used "t" for the sound that in the more recent system is represented by "d". The old "ch" is now a "q" so "Chi" is spelled "Qi", and "Chi Kung" is written "Qi Qong". Same words in Chinese just one system for whatever reason is being replaced by another for writing them in English.Here is an overview.
Chinese Romanization Guide : Encyclopedia DepotAdded By Edit: Ooops, had I kept reading before hitting reply I would have seen the question had been ably answered.
lfenThis message has been edited by lfen, 01-15-2005 16:55 AM

Well, one attitude and I'm not sure how wide spread it is is that it's compassionate to allow PR believers their beliefs often with the notion that if they pursue external deity by practising prayer, devotion, etc. they will develop their minds to the point where they can go beyond concepts. Shri Ramana Maharshi's teachings are a good example of this gentle acceptance of the necessity of starting where you are at.On the other hand some teachers such as both the Krishnamurti's J. and U.G. tend to be very iconoclastic and point out the absurdity of all beliefs as being illusions. They condemn all religions as something created by the ego that fosters and strengthens it so they have a dim view of PR.I'm sure there are teachers that fall along a continuum between acceptance and condemnation.lfen

I would prefer it didn't. But it's Robin's terms so he gets to define them.For me the distinction lies in ego based or nondual consciousness based teachings. I think worship can be a good activity for the ego. The problem I see in the west is that the religions for the most part don't understand what is beyond the dualistic experience of the ego and so tend to persecute as heretical individuals who have gone beyond that whereas in the East it's more often generally understood that there is something beyond the dualistic experience of the ego and a recognition that there are higher or more accurate and profound teachings.lfen

There is no single view point. The first thing that comes to mind is an analogy from Buddhism. You take a burning candle as it is about to burn out you use it to light another candle. The flame of the second candle can't be said to be the first flame and yet it clearly came from it and is in some sense a continuation of it.I don't have a good grasp of the idea of karma and reincarnation and the two go together. The notion of cause and effect continuing. The idea as I undestand it is that as long as consciousness is identified with the phenomenal world it will experience the cycles of pain pleasure, becoming and ending, samsara. When it awakens to it's real nature it realizes it was never phenomena and never subjected to birth and death or suffering.Is there something more specific you were looking for?lfen

Krishna lives! or as the button in the 60's said, "Frodo Lives", yes. But remember the ego is a fictional construct. Your personality lives in the same sense Hamlet lives. And who is the actor playing the role?lfen

This is an archetype especially found in the East but I think also in the West. The holy fool. Lao Tzu is often depicted as such an empty fool, whose foolishness is the highest wisdom.lfen

Well the popular side of it takes it very literally. But moving into inner teachings is very different. The philosophical explanations are hard for me to follow but it's not literal. I know that much.lfen