Posts by Karen Sanchez19

Muslim.com said:Karen Sanchez19 basically boiled her entire response down to "I AM."

My suggested rebuttal is this:
Let me illustrate. In nearly every religion, God forbids lying.
Yet, people find themselves in positions where they feel they "must" lie. Before that lie even leaves the lips, a voice of reason kicks in to protest. It creates this internal tug-of-war between the soul and the intellect. Whoever wins, they win heavy.😬 😉

A question for Karen Sanchez19: In this scenario, who represents that "I AM"? Is it the one about to tell the lie, or the one fighting against it?

God didn't "forbid" anything. He is everything. There is nothing separate from Him; nothing exists outside of His essence.

"I AM" is God—meaning Everything, the Absolute, all that exists. And in your specific example, it’s both sides of that struggle.😁

Let’s take concepts like consciousness and energy as our starting points.
In that framework, the Soul acts as the fountainhead of consciousness, while the Spirit serves as the source of energy. And God? God remains beyond it all—entirely independent of both consciousness and energy.

Stop overcomplicating things for no reason.

Energy exists, period.😉 It doesn't have a "source"—even the physicists will tell you that if you listen closely enough.😉

Quincy:

First off; if there even is an "I" (how can we possibly verify its existence?) is that "I" actually the Soul? By what mechanism is the soul perceived? What specific instrument of cognition is capable of recognizing the soul? Is it the ego? Or perhaps intelligence?

Yeah, what exactly is the self? In other words, WHO AM I?

The "I" is just a thought... much like any other thought... a mere thought "about oneself," specifically regarding individuality.

But when faced with the question "WHO AM I?", the answer would be—even though that answer itself is just more WORDS and fails to capture the essence—I AM.

That’s from one perspective. Now, if you want to get into a debate, you could argue that the soul is some kind of energy body or whatever, but doing so explains absolutely NOTHING.
Those explanations above are nothing but hollow pretenses.😉

Quincy:

If a soul exists (how can a soul know that it is a soul?)

Heh. Therein lies the fallacy; you’re twisting the logic. I’m not sure if this analogy will land, but try looking at it this way.

The standard, flawed approach: viewing the soul as an "energy body" and so forth. It’s the equivalent of claiming the brain generates consciousness—though that version carries a thin veneer of scientific legitimacy.
You MUST look FROM YOURSELF, from within your own vantage point.

Because: EVERYTHING YOU PERCEIVE—both the material and the immaterial, along with every single thought—originates from WITHIN, from the mind, from YOU.!!!!!
The physical world follows the same rule, as does the concept of the soul and everything else...

Your entire individuality, your whole complex web of thoughts, everything you imagine, see, or feel, emerges from WITHIN...
How should I put it? It originates solely from itself...

Since EVERYTHING "floats" within consciousness, and your tiny individual "self"—which spends so much time obsessing over distinctions and relationships—is itself merely a thought... just as thoughts of God, the Absolute, or Spirit are also part of the soul...
And even this very thought and this very text...
Since it works THAT WAY, the truth—the "Absolute"—cannot be comprehended, understood, or reached by these means.

As long as there are QUESTIONS, there will be RESTLESSNESS.😉 When you STOP ASKING (that is, when you cease having questions), answers become unnecessary.
In short, there is NO ANSWER to this question.

Ahu Soph Nia said:Maybe when you gather like this, you gain better clarity or spot certain errors? Enjoy:

The soul is a localized aspect of God residing within the heart of a living being. The spirit is the formless aspect of God that binds the infinite souls of the universe together.
Without the spirit, the soul would be blind—completely severed from the cosmos.
Without the soul, life itself would be hollow; humans and all other creatures would be nothing more than animated puppets.

God, Spirit, and Soul are three manifestations of the spiritual realm.

Depending on how you look at it, various teachers or schools will offer their own definitions and divisions; they usually just tailor it to what the students are actually capable of grasping.

Because of varying levels of instruction, people often mix these three up; you see folks mistaking God for the soul or the spirit.

From a spiritual standpoint, these three phenomena are one, yet distinct.

Regardless, I am giving it my best shot:

The soul animates the living being.

The spirit animates the universe.

All of this is made possible by God.

God is the master of both soul and spirit.

Now, we have established that breath equals spirit.

In other words: he who consecrates his breath, enjoys a holy spirit.

Soul and spirit both have material analogs.
An analogy for the spirit might be the wind; meanwhile, the material mirrors of the soul are intelligence and the mind, for example.
Without further deliberation,
soul and spirit are two lower—though not material—attributes of the eternal God.

The soul is the essence of man. The spirit is the essence of the universe. God is the Essence.
Man is constantly immersed in the spirit, yet fails to perceive it directly.
The soul communicates with man constantly, yet man does not hear it directly.
God communicates with both soul and spirit constantly; yet, no one sees it at all.

Can God exist solely for Himself? He can; there is nothing we can do about it.
Can the soul survive the total destruction of the universe? It can.
Can the spirit destroy the soul or overshadow God? It cannot.

God is the source; the soul is the ocean; the spirit is the current.


Even though the soul isn't a separate entity in its own right, there is an element of reality within it—namely, the light of consciousness, which stems from the true Self, perceived by us as "I am."

What Sarma intends to convey is that while the soul is eternal, it cannot exist independently. The soul manifests within the Spirit, and God manifests within both the Soul and the Spirit according to His own will.
God is that which does not depend on Spirit or Soul. The soul depends on God.
The soul might even become independent of the Spirit, but the Spirit can never become independent of God.

A being is that which is alive. Life is spirit. God is the one living Being who is the Master or Source of Life.

The Absolute has absolutely NO "labels" or forms in itself.

What is meant here is that it will be difficult for you to perceive the Absolute on your own, as the Absolute possesses no attributes or forms that you could simply point to with a finger.
But the fact that labels and forms exist—or that we recognize them as such—is the obvious will of the Absolute. This provides clear insight that while labels and forms aren't inherent, the Absolute is the very form that exists by itself.

The soul says "I am"
The spirit says "I am That"
God says "I am I"

🙂

But WHO is doing all this thinking and conceptualizing? All that stuff mentioned above, huh? WHO is the criterion for your statements, or rather, the actor behind them?🙄 😉

I am the Architect of the cosmos.
I am both the Father and Mother of all existence.
Every atom, every star, originated from Me.
And eventually, everything will gravitate back to Me.
Think of it this way: mind, spirit, and flesh are merely temples
constructed for the Self to manifest
Its ultimate essence and divine state of being.

👍 😁

blue bird said:Ah... our little home. I fear this is all we get.

Spirit, soul—it’s nothing more than a desperate craving for immortality. Once death hits, you watch the body break down, dissolve, turn back into dust. It’s a grim realization. We cling to the idea of some non-material component because we're terrified. We need something to outlast the physical decay, something to carry our thoughts and memories into some transcendental existence.

I wish I could believe in an afterlife—though, honestly, my faith in such things has withered—but everything I observe about how this world actually functions contradicts it. Lightning doesn't strike because of Zeus!

So, to me, the "soul" and the "spirit" feel like mere relics of a bygone era... just pure nostalgia!

How can you die when you were NEVER even born?🤣 🤣

electricdrifter68 said:God? Who is God?
Who are you kidding?
Does anyone actually not know?
Why the three questions? It’s all one single point.

Yeah, 😁 😁

I want to hear from the yogis out there:

WHAT IS YOUR ACTUAL MOTIVATION? Why on earth are you practicing yoga?

Sophia Jones61 said:God? Who is God?
Who are you to ask?
Everyone knows who He is.

There you go, proving you actually know. 😈

Stop playing games and quit this endless verbal ping-pong... 😁

And these experts feel they have to "perform" their speech, but that doesn't mean they won't talk just like everyone else..
It’s all the same old story anyway.😁

Sophia Jones61 said:😘 😬 😈

🤣 😍

You're acting pretty strange😕

One minute you're writing in the masculine, the next it's feminine... and so on🙄

Sophia Jones61 said:God? Who is God?
Who are you to ask?
As if anyone doesn't know.

There you go, proving you actually do know. 😈

Stop playing games and quit this verbal ping-pong nonsense... 😁

🙂

Sophia Jones61 said:Do you have a boyfriend? Friends, whether they are dear or just expensive? Bitter enemies? Anything at all?
Then the concept of an apron still holds weight—for you, and certainly for me.
If it exists in your mind, then it's real enough.

But honestly, this conversation feels like running in circles. It's going nowhere.

Karen Sanchez19 knows exactly what I'm getting at. 😉

Thank God I don't know.🤣

electricdrifter68 said:Don't sweat it; you aren't missing much. Nothing more exciting than today's sunshine or tonight's inevitable rain.

Heh, heh. 😁

So, is Swamidji actually heading to Umag?

Sophia Jones61 said:Godfather, Mano, I wouldn't even get angry. Even if this behavior is blatantly rude, it seems to me he’s just undergoing that process our Uncle calls "acting out."

It is the practice of dragging things that should be considered "sacred," special, or sublime down to the level of a common curse word—purely as a way to release lifelong psychological shackles from the mind.

The opposite would be a total mental (religious) breakdown, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Look at those few brainwashed fundamentalists out there. If they had ever cracked a joke or understood the humor in the Bible, they wouldn't be staring at every church painting feeling like they're suffering, bleeding, or weeping.

Swamidji would probably respond to him like his respected teacher would: tell him to insult us as much as he wants, and not to stop until he finally feels better. 😉

Deep down, you know he doesn't mean any harm; it just bothers us because we have different experiences. But still, he has the right to offend. That is simply how the world works.

This is just his version of therapy, and for us, it's an opportunity to observe how we view our Teacher. Surely a few swear words won't ruin us. 😉

And Godfather, Karen Sanchez19, I kindly ask you to respect the sensitive feelings of godfathers Mano and FW and stop picking through that keyboard so selectively... 😁

...otherwise, we’ll knock some sense into him and shove his non-violence straight down his throat. 😈

😁

There's my two cents. 😎

So, does this mean you attack anyone who says anything against Swamidji?
Even the Bad Boys don't always act like that.🤣

And let me be perfectly clear... when I see these outbursts of raw emotion, it isn't about whether I’m insulting you, boldsailor2, or some other guy like Swamidjija... but it seems the point still escapes you.

Frankly, I couldn't care less about Swamidjija, nor do I have any personal beef with him...😁

Fine, let me make this even simpler for you:

Total garbage. Absolute trash. Complete nonsense.

😁

boldsailor2 said:Just slap the idiot since I didn't hand him the opportunity myself...

There. Done. Are you satisfied now? 😁

I see you’re wielding your sense of moral superiority like an iron fist: what's next, starting a new cult?

Didn't even the concept of pure ego teach you that its presence is nothing more than an illusion? Calling it a facade shouldn't offend anyone. 😁

And just because you worship this persona doesn't give you any right to decide it isn't a total sham in my eyes.

What on earth is going on in Malibu...

Did some total hack decide to start posting recipes for enlightenment or something? 🙂

Pacific Coast said:

I’d argue he simply handed people plenty of fuel for contemplation
—specifically, enough to force them to confront and dismantle the deep-seated prejudices and delusions they've clung to for years.

There is no such thing as "not a delusion." If you have an opinion on it, it's a DELUSION.😉 😁 😁