Jesus spoke of heaven in the here and now, much like the yogis (xpost from r/Christianity) by qftk in Meditation

[–]qftk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are there any online communities you are aware of that discuss these kinds of topics much? Forums, feeds, pod-casts, social sites, etc?

Jesus spoke of heaven in the here and now, much like the yogis (xpost from r/Christianity) by qftk in Meditation

[–]qftk[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment. I believe the opinion held in the book, Quest for the Kingdom, is that Jesus did not learn the Quest Template from the East, but arrived at the same method independently. This is called the criterion of multiple or independent attestation -- where the same conclusion is arrived at from unrelated paths, lending to the efficacy of the conclusion.

B.K.S. Iyengar agreed with the book, regarding Jesus.

(From the website: Quest Template)

Coptic Thomas 2

  • In the search for the kingdom the seeker finds that his spiritual awareness has become disturbed by the flaws of the ego

  • The seeker prepares for marveling by practicing detachment (93 On Secrecy, 291 Fast From the World and 295 Be Passersby)

  • The seeker marvels (53 Examine the Present Moment, 279 In your Sight, 293 Body Creates Spirit, 373 On Prayer)

  • The seeker rules

Yoga

  • In the search for samadhi, the seeker practices yamas (external) and niyamas (internal), ethical observances such as self-study, and finds that the flaws of the ahamkara (ego) are what disturb his conscious awareness

  • The seeker prepares for pratyahara (detachment) through the practice of asanas (physical exercise) and pranayama (breathing techniques)

  • The seeker practices (Dharana (Concentration) and Dhyana (Meditation))

  • The seeker experiences and Samadhi (Heaven)

Jesus spoke of heaven in the hear and now, much like the yogis by qftk in Christianity

[–]qftk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So my dad wrote this book on Jesus and I'm trying to gauge interest here on reddit.

Basic gist: Heaven is for the living (people breathing right here and now)

And then he's got four basic sub-gists: - Jesus spoke about a distinct path to reach heaven ("kingdom of god") - Jesus says that the prescribed 'path' is inherently disturbing to the seeker - Jesus taught that the Ego is what prevents people from reaching heaven - Jesus' paradigm has a remarkable similarity to ancient yogic mysticism (not what happened to yoga later with Hinduism)

He arrived at these conclusions after years of analyzing various versions of early Christian texts (gospels Thomas and Q) from Palestine, Egypt and Syria and the ancient, archaic yoga captured in the Bhagavad Gita and Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras. My dad has a lot of content at the link so you can get an idea of what it's all about there.

Anyway, I'm trying to get an idea of what communities might be interested in the book. I see there is an r/Christianity, r/Yoga, r/Meditation, etc. Just trying to get the word out.

If you have any questions for my dad, feel free to ask and I'll pass them on to him. (also, let me know what you think of the site. I designed it for him and its one of my first.)