Posted by verne on August 31, 2004, at 23:36:51
In reply to Names of God....., posted by Jai Narayan on August 27, 2004, at 17:15:23
Jai,
One of my favorite books that helped me turn the "spiritual corner" is "The Constant Companion" or "The Thousand Names of the Lord" by Eknath Easwaran.
A complete atheist, I got involved in TM (transcendental meditation) in the mid 80's and went to live on the Mahrishi International University campus, although I was always on the periphery of the movement.
During the early 90's, I went through a divorce and the heartache of being a weekend dad. In spite of my atheism, I checked out 4 books by Eknath Easwaran in a small coastal village in Oregon where I hoped to get some space and time out.
I think those books, which included the "Constant Companion" caused a crack to develop that began to let the light in. A few years later I was touched by something (god?) and even experienced healing. We are talking, a hard-core philosophical skeptic getting zapped. No doubt. I knew then, there was more to life than what we "can see".
I went through the usual church-hopping and burnout. I'm sick to death of bible thumpers and christians who want to change everybody else but haven't done the one needful thing - die to self and simply abide in the vine. They like the "Great Commission" which gets the proud self involved.
Anyway, this book turned me around. Somehow I have no problem with reconciling buddhism, hinduism, native american spirituality, ancient cave drawings, or anything done in Spirit. God was around just as much back then as now.
After all that, I don't believe in "God" in my head. I was touched, my heart was changed, and I can't put a name or a religion on it.
verne
poster:verne
thread:383102
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20040729/msgs/385099.html