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this beautiful statement from a Native American woman practicing the traditional ways came up in another spiritual discussion group and I wanted to share it here. the context was a Hare Krishna, an Indian man from India, was asking this Native lady about her beliefs and practices, and is there a governing belief in one god in her tradition.... she wrote:
"Nowadays, you will hear some native Iroquois speak of a "Great Spirit" but they are by and large Christianized. One almighty god does not work in traditional Iroquois mindset as we work in a balance between twos: sky/earth, man/woman, youth/elder. If you have only one of something, there is no balance."
what a great, simple exposition of dualism and how the opposite forces operate in this world! Vedantists, beware....!
Alx
"Nowadays, you will hear some native Iroquois speak of a "Great Spirit" but they are by and large Christianized. One almighty god does not work in traditional Iroquois mindset as we work in a balance between twos: sky/earth, man/woman, youth/elder. If you have only one of something, there is no balance."
what a great, simple exposition of dualism and how the opposite forces operate in this world! Vedantists, beware....!
Alx
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Re: balance in duality
Thu, June 14, 2007 - 10:38 PMthe balance is still a complete whole tho, and thus a unity. -
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Re: balance in duality
Sat, June 16, 2007 - 12:26 AM*grinning* okay, go 'head, cut right to the chase!
jeepers, I thought we might have a chance at a discussion but you had to drop the punchline already.........
yer sister in Kali,
Alx -
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Re: balance in duality
Sun, June 17, 2007 - 11:10 PMdammit, Saul, I'm a doctor, not a Vedantist!
Alx
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Re: balance in duality
Mon, June 25, 2007 - 3:31 PMI've been reading a text on physics, called "How The Universe Got It's Spots". The author is a (neurotic Vata-deranged) specialist in gravitational topography. Interesting stuff.
This morning, I was struck by her description of a one-dimensional finite universe. How an entity in this universe, if it could travel, would simply find itself over and over again. I've been comparing some of her (and Western Science's) conclusions against the teachings of Vasistha. The physicist is convinced we live in a Finite universe, while Vasistha says the universe is composed of infinities upon infinities.
Then there are those pesky mathematicians, who say that some infinities are greater than others. It could be argued that any true Infinity must be all-inclusive, a Unity. And yet we have larger and smaller Infinities, hence the "spots" of the books title.
Ultimately, there need be no contradiction. It struck me this morning that Duality is also Infinite, and Infinite may also be dual. The unlimited one-dimensional universes with their single dweller may contain within it all all the other dimensions and diversities, the manifest universe that Vasistha describes as illusion or dream. Unity and duality define one another like a body and its shadow. Its true what the yogis say, that the ultimate reality is beyond dualism and description.
I might humbly add that reality is beyond unity as well. It is not constrained by such simple math. Duality is not a false description of Braman, rather a natural, spontaneous expression of Unity.