Does Christianity connect with Maharaj in any way?

[MrDoremouse]

And I just have to say, if John meant his Gospel to teach Advaita, he sure didn't explain Advaita very well! Of course John's Gospel doesn't teach Advaita. That's wishful thinking on the part of Advaitists, whatever you think of Jesus or the Bible or the Gospel of Thomas or whatever!

[MrDoremouse]

But that's not how John's Gospel intends it. John's Gospel DOES mean the Person Jesus Christ.That's why Thomas calls Jesus God at John 20.28 That said, if you start asking whether John's Gospel is historically accurate or not, you get tangled up in the mind. On the one hand there's a strong Church tradition that John the disciple wrote it, on the other hand you ask why John's sayings aren't also in the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke). So you get into the 'search for the historical Jesus'.

[planet123]

There is no evidence at all that Jesus was an historic figure, but it's of no importance what so ever.

[Scrumpilump2000]

@planet123 But wasn't Jesus mentioned by Josephus, a Roman historian?

[planet123]

@Scrumpilump2000 I think this is the only reference to Jesus by an historic figure and is widely considered by academics as an obvious forgery. Probably forged around 400 in Constantine's reign to promote the new religion. I think that you will find that Josephus ' reference to Jesus will not stand up to critical analysis.

[Scrumpilump2000]

@planet123 I do not find that hard to believe at all! When the powers-that-be need to sell a new religion to the masses they'd use any and every means available to make it more palatable.

[planet123]

@Scrumpilump2000

Gnostic Christianity is a different kettle of fish (no pun intended). They thought the whole idea of the "Christ" as an historical figure as preposterous. Try the Jesus Mysteries by Tim Freke or perhaps Jesus Never Existed by Kenneth Humphreys. Om Shanti

[ERICWAGNERSLUCID]

Absolutely

[jhgosnell]

the Christian Mystics essentially read it this way as well...people like Eckhart...Jesus is a kind of Master for them, or a Guru...but also represents the pure consciousness

in fact, John's gospel words it similarly...I in you, and you in Me...

then...if you see me you see the Father. this is one way to talk about Christ Jesus as a portal or a doorway...which he also says in the traditional canon as well as in the Thomas Gospel.

blessings, j. 

[SamuelSkelter]

Perfect. Stephen is a living Jnani.

[mrcuteblackie]

come on let's be honest, what is written in the bible is through Jesus Christ the person. I will not listen to this man anymore, because he does like the Buddhists who validate their teachings with the Bible. Shame.

[unvoidless]

i think we have to understand that Christ is not a man nor can it be personified. Christ is universal and not separate from who you are. making a separate - often exclusive - entity of the Divine Essence has led humankind down the path of destruction.

[BesACB]

"Thy will be done" (Jesus) and "simply submit to God" (Ramana). It's the same thing and it might even be simpler than self-enquiry.

[who000are000you]

We are not bodies, but spirit, as Jesus demonstrated it. As bodies we cannot come home, but as spirit, we are one with the Christ and know the Father.

[Rybot9000]

I would agree, except that I think the Christ is Truth. "I am the Truth, the Way, The Light" etc... now of course the Truth is as you say, but I think "Truth" ecompasses much more as an abstract.

[0hmprakash]

Fantastic! Stephen makes this crystal clear. I was made aware of the gnostic meaning of the Christ by The Power of Now and this helps me further along the same lines of understanding. I always figured there was a deeper meaning to the word Christ that the common populace couldn't comprehend and now I know. Thank you so much. Peace.

[abqhighdes]

It is not too difficult to recognize the dualistic agenda imposed on Christianity by Constantine's co-opting of the original and then in all the subsequent revisions. It is fairly amazing that much survives at all except that ignorance is so pervasive that some things just cannot be seen when "plain as one's face." The Darby Bible is the loudest and most stridently dualistic one today. Quite scary. The Gospels of Thomas offer the nondual version of Jesus. No doubt Jesus was an "avatar".

[martincho4334]

Why He , Jesus, made that metaphore? why is he so indirect? why why why ??why is so difficult to understand????Why make that simple thing ununderstable?wiy?

[CassiusChrysanthe]

OK, now you know it - so from this moment, make it clear for the rest of the organism as well... - this requires an entirely different approach and will not happen until there is slightest doubt or presence of "mentalism" - it means a product of dual mind which somehow came to understanding of nondual philosophical premises...

[naetron]

it's a shame that hardly anyone realizes that when they repeat the verse "I AM the way the truth and the light" it is they who are the I AM...there are no personal distinctions in I AM

or the empty tomb as a metaphor for the absence of the "I"

so much depth when the words are not taken literally!

[ivorbernhart]

I recognize what he means here. When the man Jesus was reborn as the Christ, he was no longer the person Jesus. He realized that he was one with God the Father, the absolute reality. So when he said "the only way to the Father is through me" he wasn't coming from the realm of the personal, saying "I, Jesus the son of Joseph, am the only way to God". He was saying that the awareness in us , which is trans-personal, is the way to the absolute reality. The portal to God is in us all. :)

[PhilosopherFresh]

fantastic thank u!

[FrequencyGenerator]

Wow! Thank you for explaining that. I was brainwashed as a Southern Baptist and need continuous clarity. But now I know, before Abraham was, I AM too.

[cheshireallycat]

Yes - I saw this too, Jesus says not I am (personally as the body/mind Jesus) am the way. BUT- I AMness ITSELF - IS THE WAY !

[quxantipe]

I have read very little in the bible since the way it's written doesn't appeal to the way I like things to be explained.

But I've heard preachers speak about the bible and the biggest differents in my view is. FREE WILL. The preacher says you do this and that is a sin. You need to do that because Jesus did that and so on.

He talked about it as if I have free will, and therefore chose so called "bad" behaviour or so called "good" behaviour.

[simex909]

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." Isaiah 45:7

It's a nice idea, but in my experience, for every Bible verse you find that sounds like advaita, there are 100 more that are pure, avidya soaked dualism. There are some nice quotes, especially the red letters, but the spirit of the Bible is conflict.