podcast

When is the Self not the Self? How are the Gnostic and Buddhist paths of self-negation capable of leading one to truth of no Self just as the Christian and Hindu paths of self-affirmation lead to truth of a Self? It is a paradoxical mystery that I aim to answer in this episode.

• Reflections on the discussion and meditation on Self found in episode 6 along with deeper elucidations from the first-person point of view.
• Deep dive discourse on Gnostic, Buddhist and Christian ideas surrounding self and no self.
• How the Apostles were confronted with the paths of self-negation and self-affirmation through Jesus Christ.

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Timestamps:

• Recapitulation of the previous episode and how we are like God in image (01:38)
• We are the center of our own universe (02:40)
• We are the focal point of Heaven and Earth from the perception of our own consciousness (03:51)
• Jesus frequently says we are like Him, or will be like him at least (05:27)
• The physical Ascension most likely the reason for Gnostic Christian texts being frowned up. They don’t mix together (06:21)
• The mysticism of St. Paul (07:39)
• Gnosticism and Buddhism similarities and differences with Christianity (08:28)
• Challenge in reconciling the teachings of other faiths with Christianity due to the exact representations of the Vision in both cultures. Aspects to the path must be the same if the end goal is Christ or Truth (10:19)
• Gnostic texts must be seen as mystical and not theological or liturgical (11:09)
• Buddha and Gnostics had same goal of release from the wheel of rebirth (12:41)
• Difference in Christianity is that the self is either renewed or given for real as in Gnostic text Zostrianos (14:37)
• One path is negation of self, the other, acceptance of self. Both rely on the idea of Self (16:56)
• Another plea on understanding from the listener, especially if Christian, due to having seen the vision and then seeing how it’s presented and represented in other religions as why my mind continually seeks comparison (18:48)
• Problem of Evil and the only solution and recourse for believers if we have been made in the image of God is believed (22:06)
• The particular story about the Apostles that led me to deeper faith and belief since I could totally relate to it (24:03)
• Flashback story to help explain this march towards deeper faith (25:25)
• The abandonment of Jesus by every single Apostle (27:47)
• Punchline delivered on what would you be willing to die for through the experience of the Apostles (29:22)