What is your personal deity and/or following?

I've met many people with their own personal totems and Gods. I've met someone who worships Hirn, God of the Hunt, and one into Norse Mythos who intends to go to Valhalla when he dies. A friend of mine is currently working with Baphomet and of course there are plenty of people who work with the more mainstream ones such as Jesus, Krishna, Buddha and Satan. Sailors, of course, would subscribe to the likes of Poseidon, and other professions fell into their own respective praise.

Rather than what you think god is, I'd like to ask you to describe your personal allegiance/faith/following. Which type of totem do you work with? Is there a particular god or tradition you've grown fond of? Perhaps ancestor worship, or the philosophy of a particular historical figure you follow? Remember, no one here is wrong, unless you think your way is the only right way, in which case you're wrong.

I personally worship, much like Arya from Game of Thrones, the God of Death. In SoIaF, this is also referred to as the God of Many Faces, and my allegiance to this totem follows the same pattern as it is regarded in the series. The phrase from the series, "Valar Morghulis" is one I hold as close to my heart as the assassins that repeat it to each other, though I'm no assassin. It simply reflects my outlook on the world. It entails the only question of value and crux upon which all meaning is both created and eradicated. It is my single piece of knowledge, and the only thing I care to believe with any amount of faith. It is my greatest concern as well as my greatest liberator. If I were to worship anything, only that. Grim be my master, my angel with his sickle.

Does it really matter which?

When it boils down to spirit..

Are they not ALL...

External manifestations..

Of the very same essential thing?


And..

If there are differences..

Are they not differences that "the worshipers" themselves have brought into the picture?..

Due to one external reason or another..


If one recognizes the truth at the heart of all..

Is that not worship of sorts, in and of itself?

Of course it is, but aside from getting to the bottom of things and seeing the underground river to which all streams lead, there's also fun in diversity and personal identification with various symbols. That's why I use the word totem, to signify that the symbols are merely bridges.

One practice I've grown fond of is meditating on the connection between yourself a personal deity such as a guardian angel, Jesus, Krishna or Buddha. Eventually one realizes this personal deity they connect to is actually their true self, but the totem or symbol still differs from one person to the next. Even if two people both connect to Jesus, they'll have a completely different personal Jesus in mind.

Diversity is fun and intriguing. Just because I understand Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are all facets of Oneness doesn't mean I can't have a personal interest in Ganesh and decorate my home with more statues of him than the others, for example.

The diversity itself is indeed inspiring.

I find that all beliefs, including totems of any kind, are merely thoughts that comfort us into the bliss of ignorance. Ignorance in this sense being not-knowing. Of course none of us know anything, but that absence makes us uncomfortable and our minds want answers. We find comfort in the imagining of ideas that we hope are true. It doesn't matter if they are true or not. It is our hope that comforts us.

I have found that all thoughts are false. The mind is only capable of thoughts and all products of the mind are false. There is presence and awareness, not as the idea of them, but as the instantaneous experience. Since we are made of the same stuff as the universe, it is possible that we are the universe itself. It is possible that the entirety of the universe is part of us. It is likely that we limit our awareness to that which we are comfortable with: comforting concepts and beliefs, and mostly with the parts of the universe over which we feel some degree of control.

Freeing oneself from these limiting constructs is fairly terrifying to the ego. The ego only exists as a mental construct of each physical body. The ego then confuses its own survival with the survival of the body and voila, we live as narcissistic, fear-driven, idol-worshipping robots. That seems to be the only thing that works, other than dissolution.

JJ

Uh wut? No dude, you are allowed to identify with things because they interest you, not just because they comfort you. The Truman Show is not my favorite movie because it comforts me, it's my favorite movie because I personally like it a lot and identify with it.

And I'm sure you can argue that any form of identification is comfort, but you don't need the shatter something to save yourself from the desire for it. That's not the middle path, its asceticism. Yes, I have an ego, and fuck yeah I'm not ready to let it go. Worshiping Death does not provide any comfort to it, rather it does the opposite. Death has been a profound insight in my life and I give homage to this insight by decorating my world with symbols of it. Each of us finds our own private stream to reach the underground river of truth, mine happened to be death. Another's could be the bible, or something else.

Easy, Dude, no disrespect intended.

I just thought you wanted to hear how different people see the world.

That's just how I see it. How you see it is fine too.

JJ

I saw it that way for a stage of my development, too. Then I went back and embraced all the cool symbols and details I liked. I keep in mind that they are sign posts to truth and not truth itself. I wasn't getting defensive, just pointing out that I disagree that identification is meant to provide comfort. That's not necessarily true.

Maybe I'm a little offended that so far people are only presenting their views of what is, and the thread was never about that. There's plenty of threads about what is. Just cause a Sailor gives homage to Poseidon doesn't mean he thinks that's what is.

I was raised roman catholic. But due to the political situation in my country, I was never practicing.

I don't really believe in God of any kind. But I do believe in some higher power. I have not decided yet what that power is. I call it The Creator, My Higher Self, The Universe. Mostly what I see behind those names is power of my mind and how my mind is connected to other peoples minds and to everything in the universe.

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=Original Poster;2075281
Maybe I'm a little offended that so far people are only presenting their views of what is, and the thread was never about that. There's plenty of threads about what is. Just cause a Sailor gives homage to Poseidon doesn't mean he thinks that's what is.

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Not my intention really. I only meant to say that I can pay homage and respect to any of them in the way I see them, and without conflict. But if you want me to narrow it down, I "personally" feel for one reason or another, more of a connection with say.. Vishnu, Rama, Krishna as far a dieties go and the writings pertaining to them. Go figure.. a homeboy from the Midwest US raised in a Lutheran setting..

I have not yet finished the Dao de Jing, but what I've read so far confirms my belief in that reality.

I was initially intrigued by this line from the Emerald Tablet (completely unrelated to the Dao de Jing): "What is above is as below, to accomplish the miracle of the one thing." Which I had to memorize as part of my college fraternity's initiation ritual. It's been 8 years since then and I still contemplate on what that means.

The Dao de Jing is the closest literature I've ever read to what I feel that line means. The best comparison is from chapter 25:

There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.

It flows through all things,
inside and outside, and returns
to the origin of all things.

However, there is a previous chapter that explains when you give the Tao a name it is no longer the Tao...or something like that (it's still too deep for me to understand completely). As a scientist this makes sense as much as we use scientific models to discuss reality, but any good scientist knows that all scientific models are nothing but crude tools used for communicating that reality. What we call gravity doesn't actually exist, it's just made up to explain the common reality we experience. We make the models to fit reality, and if they make good predictions we keep them. Or as in art...a painting of a forest is not actually a real forest, but if it is a good representation we cherish the imagery.

As a former Catholic, I can also see how this connects to the whole concept of God as an entity Who Cannot Be Named.

In essence it's the closest thing to a unified theology I have ever read about.

I mainly rely on self-taught knowledge and self-belief as that's how I learnt to LD. I also see life, love, joy and having compassion for others as the most important aspects of existence.

For the most part I believe in a higher power I'm just not quite sure what that higher power is. I tend to believe in a source or force that drives creation giving life to everything.

I don't know anymore.

I have lots of totems I use depending on the situation!

For God, I use Spirit a lot for something easily digestible, even if its only a 'drop'. Spirit I can imagine as a ball of light, right in front of me or even inside of me. Spirit flows in me, spirit guides me, spirit resides in me, etc.

I use Universe when I want something mind-blowing and expansive. Meditating on the Universe ALWAYS feels expansive. Even just learning about the Universe feels amazing.

One totem came to me in a dream, an indigo eastern dragon which then took the form of an indigo man so beautiful I thought he was a woman. In that time of my life, that totem proved to be powerful.

These days, I'm interested in angels, right now Gabriel. I know that seems old school. But the archangels are actually the only consistent thing between the major western religions, no religion can claim them!

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Originally Posted by juroara

One totem came to me in a dream, an indigo eastern dragon which then took the form of an indigo man so beautiful I thought he was a woman. In that time of my life, that totem proved to be powerful.

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Krishna?

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Originally Posted by Original Poster

I've met many people with their own personal totems and Gods. I've met someone who worships Hirn, God of the Hunt, and one into Norse Mythos who intends to go to Valhalla when he dies. A friend of mine is currently working with Baphomet and of course there are plenty of people who work with the more mainstream ones such as Jesus, Krishna, Buddha and Satan. Sailors, of course, would subscribe to the likes of Poseidon, and other professions fell into their own respective praise.

Rather than what you think god is, I'd like to ask you to describe your personal allegiance/faith/following. Which type of totem do you work with? Is there a particular god or tradition you've grown fond of? Perhaps ancestor worship, or the philosophy of a particular historical figure you follow? Remember, no one here is wrong, unless you think your way is the only right way, in which case you're wrong.

I personally worship, much like Arya from Game of Thrones, the God of Death. In SoIaF, this is also referred to as the God of Many Faces, and my allegiance to this totem follows the same pattern as it is regarded in the series. The phrase from the series, "Valar Morghulis" is one I hold as close to my heart as the assassins that repeat it to each other, though I'm no assassin. It simply reflects my outlook on the world. It entails the only question of value and crux upon which all meaning is both created and eradicated. It is my single piece of knowledge, and the only thing I care to believe with any amount of faith. It is my greatest concern as well as my greatest liberator. If I were to worship anything, only that. Grim be my master, my angel with his sickle.

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When we dream together this happens. But we have to dream together for the "One" to play with us though powerful outerworld synchronicities like this:

***

C posted that she had a dream where she visited a friend (or something) and noticed a salt-water swimming pool (seawater swimming pool). In the dream C asked her self,*

“Why would anyone have a seawater swimming pool so close to the beach”?*

Well, this really excited me. I got out of bed and got my butt down to my sacred beach (where the mandala is anchored, off the coast) and took a picture of what remains of the saltwater public swimming pool near the Henley Beach Jetty.*

Here is that pick from my flickr account dated October 25 2010

"Picture"

Then I explain to C that long ago before the world famous Voluntary Australian Surf Life saving thingy was formed some councils built swimming pools, right on the beach, so kids could swim safe from rips and sharks.*

and on*October 28th*this happened as if the "One" was answering C dream question.*

"Picture of big shark at mans feet"

I thought to myself that it was cruel of the "One" that a big healthy shark should have to die so he the "One" could prove his existence to dreamers that way.

Then a few days later the "One" answered my objection to the way he did it.*

On the*5th of november*this happened:*

Picture " Young man catches shark and lets it go".

Here is the news article and news video.

***

No Cookies | Herald Sun

***

Dear Readers

No sharks swam onto my sacred beach before this or after this. We dreamers were talking in dreams with the "One" and the "One" was talking back with "outerworld" Synchronicities.

To continue the conversation. ..

Click my signature

and havago

I'm an atheist, though I do respect and somewhat adhere to the morals taught in many religions. I'm also an anti-nihilist, if that counts for anything.

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Originally Posted by Original Poster

Krishna?

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Yes! Just, a little more indigo than blue. While dreaming the concept went over my head. When I was looking at the beautiful woman I got seriously confused when I noticed 'she' has a man's chest. Confused, I forced his appearance back into a dragon.

Attachment 6458

Older versions of Krishna are Indigo, which I assume means deep blue right? Sorry I'm male, I don't understand subcolors.

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Originally Posted by Original Poster

Older versions of Krishna are Indigo, which I assume means deep blue right? Sorry I'm male, I don't understand subcolors.

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Indigo is the color between blue and purple in the rainbow.

I thought that was violet

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Originally Posted by Original Poster

I thought that was violet

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That's just another word for purple.

Why are there two words for the same color?

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Originally Posted by Original Poster

Why are there two words for the same color?

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My first instinct is to say that one is Germanic and one is Latin. That's the main reason English has a fuckton of synonyms (like having separate words for many animals as animals and as food), two languages influenced it more or less equally (a third each or so, with the rest being influenced by others and by pure invention). Look up the etymology on the words.

It's cause violet is bluer than purple, and indigo is bluer than violet: Purple - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So basically violet is bluish purple and indigo is purplish blue.

Okay, actually it's even cooler than that (STOP DERAILING THE THREAD OP). Violet is a real color and exists on the spectrum of visible light. Purple is a combination color, made by combining red and blue. Violet cannot be generated using RGB but Purple can, however only violet can be found on spectrum of visible light and purple cannot.

TIL ^