BUDDHISM
The Four Noble Truths

Life is suffering -- "Dukkha"

  • trauma of birth
  • pathology of sickness
  • morbidity of decrepitude
  • phobia of death
  • tied to what one abhors
  • separated from what one loves

BUDDHISM
The Four Noble Truths

Cause of suffering -- "Tanha"

 

  • Desire - pulling apart from life

 

  • Clinging - to ego consciousness

 

  • Craving

BUDDHISM
The Four Noble Truths

 

 

Tanha must be extinguished

BUDDHISM
The Four Noble Truths

 

The way to extinguish Tanha

and end Dukkha

is to follow

the Noble Eight-Fold Path

BUDDHISM
The Noble Eight-Fold Path

1. Right Belief

2. Right Purpose

 

These involve the acceptance of the first three truths and the determination to effect a change in one’s life

 

 

BUDDHISM
The Noble Eight-Fold Path

Basic Ethical Requirements

 

3. Right Livelihood:

 

living according to Buddhist principles

BUDDHISM
The Noble Eight-Fold Path

Basic Ethical Requirements

 

4. Right Speech:

avoidance of

anger, gossiping, boasting, etc.

BUDDHISM
The Noble Eight-Fold Path

Basic Ethical Requirements

 

5. Right Conduct:

 

"10 Commandments of Buddhism"

 

 

 

 

BUDDHISM
The Noble Eight-Fold Path

Meditation

 

6. Right Effort

 

7. Right Mindfulness

 

8. Right Meditation

 

 

BUDDHISM
Key Buddhist Insights

Humans suffer because they cling to, desire, and struggle for permanence in a constantly changing world

 

  • No Self = egoless-ness

BUDDHISM
Key Buddhist Insights

 

  • Dependent origination

 

  • the Self only exists in relationship with everything around it; the sense of "apartness" is an illusion.

BUDDHISM
Key Buddhist Insights

 

The goal = MEDITATE

free oneself from the illusion of separate selfhood

RAMTHA SCHOOL OF ENLIGHTENMENT

J.Z. Knight channels a 35,000 year old Ascended Master named RAMTHA

RAMTHA SCHOOL OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Characteristics of Channeling:

  • rejection of traditional Christianity and its scripture
  • belief in reincarnation
  • roots in the tradition of 19th century Spiritualism: contact with the dead in "seances" - belief in ghosts and spirits

 

RAMTHA SCHOOL OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Characteristics of Channeling:

  • contact with spiritually evolved beings who have migrated to higher planes of existence
  • the soul travels through higher and higher levels of consciousness
  • Channeling groups are closely affiliated with UFO-oriented belief systems

THE RAZOR’S EDGE

Key characters:

  • Larry
  • Sophie
  • Grey
  • Isabel (Izzy)
  • Uncle Elliot

 

THE RAZOR’S EDGE

Tragedy initiates a "religious quest"

Larry: a religious quest

TRAGEDY:

Sophie: booze, drugs,

prostitution

(a religious quest?)

THE RAZOR’S EDGE

While the human quest for meaning, purpose, peace, love, order, belonging, wholeness, etc. is not religion, itself, it is the spark that ignites all authentic religious activity.

 

  • Key question: What is the "razor’s edge?"

 

THE RAZOR’S EDGE

Notice our Key Class Themes:

  • boundary questions
  • rites of passage
  • pervasiveness of religion
  • tragedy initiates a religious quest
  • seeker style
  • death, suffering, change