Groups

  • Mysticism in World Religions
    Name:
    Mysticism in World Religions
    Status: Member
    Description: Every religion is made up of two wings, the orthodoxy and mysticism. The word orthodox from the Greek means “having the right opinion” from orthos = right, true or staight, and doxa =opinion, praise, related to dokein which means thinking. Accordingly the word orthodoxy typically means adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion. The word mysticism (from the Greek mystikos, an initiate of a mystry religion). This initiate is in the pursuit of communion with, identity with or conscious awareness of an ultimate Reality, Divinity, Spiritual Truth or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture that experience or awareness. Mystic traditions generally form sub-currents within larger religious traditions - such as Kabbalah within Judaism , Sufism, within Islam, Vedanta within Hinduism, Christian mysticism within Christianity, Zen (Ch’an) within mainstream Buddhism and Taoism. The term '"mysticism'" is used to refer to beliefs and practices which go beyond the liturgical and devotional forms of worship of mainstream faith, often by seeking out inner or esoteric meanings of conventional religious doctrine. For example, Kabbalah (based in Judaism) seeks out deeper interpretations of the Torah, Sufism (in Islam) extends and amplifies the teachings of the Quran in the spirit of universal love, Vedanta reaches for the inner teachings of Hindu philosophy encapsulated in the Vedas. Mystics hold that there is a deeper or more fundamental state of existence beneath the observable, day-to day world of phenomena, and that in fact the ordinary world is superficial or epiphenomenal. This group, is for the mystics from every religion in order to reach this One and Universal fundamental state of existence in All the religions of the World.
  • Beyond Blue
    Name:
    Beyond Blue
    Category: Support Group
    Status: Member
    Description: This group serves as an extension of the popular "Beyond Blue" blog (http://www.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/) and will provide an opportunity for readers to get to know each other better. My hope is that, like my blog, it will become a supportive network for those suffering from depression or any other mental illness.
  • Being Ourself
    Name:
    Being Ourself
    Status: Member
    Description: This is a group for people who recognize in a profoundly personal way that we are all actually facets of one whole interacting with itself, or more accurately, Ourself. It is a place for peer discussion and exploration as we move through the challenges and insights we encounter while participating in the awakening of ourselves to our common fundamental identity, Ourself. As indivisible aspects of the single, infinitely diverse entity of everything/reality/creation we all have an opportunity and a responsibility to deepen humankind's awareness of Ourself, and to enrich our language with new terminology/ideas to more accurately portray that which truly is. We want to support each other as we discover wholeness while living in a society that defines everything (including God) as separate when in fact the creator and creation (including all people, animals, plants, minerals, and seen and unseen forces of spirit) are not in any actual way separate. So don't be shy... your vantage point of the whole is completely unique, and is just as valid and important as anybody elses. Enlightenment is the recognition of the wholeness, which by its very all-inclusive nature negates the validity of any kind of exclusive spiritual authority or guru. To allow ourselves to truly feel and be aware of ourselves as part of the great wholeness we need to stop putting others on a pedestal as a way of avoiding being accountable for shining our own light. Let's get the orchestra of the wholeness playing diversely, brilliantly, and powerfully enough to wake up humankind from the illusion of separateness. We can only accomplish this as a community of distinct voices and insights singing out in the harmony of the whole, and not by silencing our own special voice because we have decided some other "enlightened" teacher has a monopoly on authenticity! So sing out your insights, your questions... cry out your pains and frustrations... and love your neighbor as yourself because in truth they are; we are all precious dimensions of one whole. Let's respectfully, gently, and lovingly be Ourself together.
  • Be the Next Beliefnet Blogger
    Name:
    Be the Next Beliefnet Blogger
    Category: General Discussion
    Status: Member
    Description: Welcome to our exciting new contest - to be the next Beliefnet Blogger! Throughout July we will be seeking writers that create interesting journal posts that will engage our readers. The contest will start on July 1st and applicants must write to JanaDale (this group's creator) to let her know that they are in the contest. They must create at least 15 journal posts throughout the month of July. The posts must fall under only one of the following categories: News & Politics, Faith, Hope & Inspiration, Entertainment, or Health & Holistic Spirituality. Writers may create journal entries up to July 31st. Our guest judges will be two Beliefnet editors and three current Beliefnet Bloggers. The guest judging will end on August 12. The five finalists will be announced on August 17. The Beliefnet Community will be able to vote for the final winner until August 31, and finally the winner will be announced on August 31st at 5pm EST. Best of luck to all candidates!