Marmalade is Here!

[marmalade]

Hello!

Even though I already belong to way too many forums, I felt like exploring some new ones. This one looked a bit different. I don't know that I've ever come across any other interfaith forums before.

My main forum is INFPglobalchatter. Its a Jungian personality type forum for INFPs. I'm INFP and so that is where I hang out to chill with people similar to me.

I suppose I could tell you something about my beliefs. I sometimes call myself an agnostic gnostic. I've had my share of 'spiritual' experiences, but I don't always know what to make of them. I was raised in New Thought Christianity, and the only reason I don't still attend a church is because there isn't one nearby. I was attending a Unitarian Universalist church for a while. I might go back there again some time.

I'm a seeker. I seek experience and I seek insight. I seek knowledge and I seek understanding. I seek because I'm very curious and very dissatisfied.

I've been attracted to the goddess Saraswati for maybe the past 5 years or so. She is the goddess of knowledge, creativity, and spiritual aspiration. I never felt a connection to Jesus, but I've slowly begun to feel a connection to her.

I was watching again the movie A River Runs Through It just the other night. The father was preaching about how even if we don't completely understand someone we can love them completely. I agree to an extent, but personally I'm drawn towards the ideal of understanding. Christianity downplays the importance of knowledge, and so that is why I've been drawn towards Eastern philosophies. That said, I do enjoy studying early Christianity in terms of Gnosticism and astrotheology.

I do consider Saraswati to be my patron deity, but I don't consider myself Hindu. She just inspires me is all.

My personal practice mostly consists of meditating on my heart and repeating the mantra of the secret heart. Supposedly, the secret heart is where lord Narayana presides(Godhead) in the sense that this is the spark of God in each of us. The secret heart is where all spiritual visions come from which is to say that God comes in whatever form we desire deeply enough. Unfortunately too many people get stuck on a particular form and miss out on what is truly universal to reality and the human experience.

I try not to worry too much about whether such things are true in an ultimate sense. They feel true to me and that is good enough. If it doesn't feel true to someone else, then that is fine. I think of spiritual ideas and practices in the terms of Buddhist 'skillful means'. Either I find it useful or I don't.

I'm loyal to no particular tradition. I take truth where ever I can find it. However, I tend to see the bigger picture through an integral lense. I feel that integral theory and practice has the greatest potential for helping create a better world whatever that may be.

*marm takes a breath*

Nice to meet ya'll!

[Snoopy]

Hi and welcome to CR

I too think that I think that I take "truth" wherever I find it. I'm also the current Grand Wizard of the CR Don't Know Lodge, which is quite popular round these cyber-parts.


Snoopy (an INTP if I recall correctly!).

[flowperson]

Hi Marm and welcome to CR !

My only comment regarding knowledge and Christianity (which I consider myself to be in mainly a the Gnostic sense) is...DUH'OH.

flow....

[greymare]

hey there marmalade, me snoop and even the lovely flow are part of the old farts brigade here, lol. welcome and i look forward to more posts.

[marmalade]

I'm back again.

So, what is the membership like here?

I've only looked around the forum a little bit so far.
If I feel inspired, I'll post some more.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by marmalade

So, what is the membership like here?

Rather like the offline world, a mixture of all sorts; from sages to nutters. Except, one person's sage is another person's nutter. And vice versa.

Moderation means no flaming, if that's of interest. F'rinstance I can go calling anyone a ................ as it would blanked be out and I'd be slapped around a bit by the others.

So feel inspired, marmy, the water's fine!

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Hi Marm and welcome to CR !

My only comment regarding knowledge and Christianity (which I consider myself to be in mainly a the Gnostic sense) is...DUH'OH.

flow....

thanks for confirming my post, flow!

The Grand Wizard.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by greymare

hey there marmalade, me snoop and even the lovely flow are part of the old farts brigade here, lol. welcome and i look forward to more posts.

Just to be clear grey, that's not a chronological thing, more of a spiritual dimension to one's thinking

s.

[greymare]

speak for yourself, snoopy. lol

[17th Angel]

Welcome to CR...

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by greymare

speak for yourself, snoopy. lol

Thanks, grey, old dear, , I was.



s.

[greymare]

lolololololol

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by greymare

lolololololol

olololololololololololo

your go.


s.

[Pathless]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Rather like the offline world, a mixture of all sorts; from sages to nutters. Except, one person's sage is another person's nutter. And vice versa.

I'm a nutter who has a couple of sage plants, but they're not doing so well this winter. It's too dark in my house. I'm also perhaps the youngest member of the Old Farts, or I could just be lying. I don't lie very much. I don't know, ask Flow.

Mmmmm... Marmalade--YUM!!! Marmalade and peanut butter.

I'm a mad hatter, a cheshire cat, a real live nutter.

Don't know much about Saraswati, Marmalade, but I have a fondness for goddesses of all kinds, so I look forward to your posts. Welcome to CR.

Peace Out,
Pathless

[marmalade]

Originally Posted by Pathless

Mmmmm... Marmalade--YUM!!! Marmalade and peanut butter.

I'm a mad hatter, a cheshire cat, a real live nutter.

Its funny you should mention cats and that you have one as your avatar. Marmalade is the name of my childhood cat. On other forums I have a picture of him as my avatar. I'll put it up here too some time when I'm feeling motivated.

Don't know much about Saraswati, Marmalade, but I have a fondness for goddesses of all kinds, so I look forward to your posts.

My knowledge of her is pretty limited. She is popular amongst Hindus, but for whatever reason there isn't much info about her available on the web. I have a book I have about mantras, and in it the author conjectured that possibly Hindus don't talk much about her because she represents something centrally important to their religion.

I'd love to learn more about her if anyone knows of some good books or websites.