Awakening

Marta,

First of all, I think you have a good set of questions (see below!).

My nonduality flavor would include:

The creation story about the animals, and naming them, and the Adam and Eve story, all

relate to duality.  It is the (seeming) splitting of Consciousness (the Divine) into all of this multiplicity.

The Kingdom of God is Consciousness, which has always been present, but its pure unity has

been veiled by the multiplicity mentioned above.  

Marriage symbolizes the return to unity, or the recognition of the Kingdom of God (Consciousness)

which has never really been absent. Grace is another name for Consciousness, as is Awareness.

So...what we are talking about here is an Awakening to our real identity, which is Consciousness.

And some level of Awakening is necessary for the two partners in a marriage.  The Course in Miracles

Movie, which I will be showing, refers to "special love relationships" and "holy love relationships,"

and the importance of the holy kind.  Seems to relate to the blessing, Namaste, in which there

is a recognition of a common holiness (Consciousness) between people, without which the

 ego (duality) jumps up and gets in the way...which points to much of life, as we know it!

OK, don't know if that helps or not.  I think much of this lies beneath what you are already planning

on saying and asking.  In the SSS discussion, it would be important to me to distinguish between

beliefs and experience.  Or intellect (the head) and experience.  Not what, but how!!

See you tomorrow!

Charlie

The text are: Genesis 2:18-24 and Mark 10:2-16 

Here is what I am thinking, I would love your flavor: 

1) With both these texts, how do we receive and/or understand the Kingdom of God. ( Jesus is more concerned about what is intended for the kingdom of God not about what is not allowed). 

2) If we are to have union between two people- in a sense we are creating community as God intended. 

- providing companionship 

- a context for creating community (procreation)

- a place to be intimate in building the beloved community. 

How can this formula for "marriage" be translated to the larger union of people in faith communities? 

3) What might you have learned about these texts in your early years and how much has your understanding of them changed or not changed? Do you still understand it as sin/punishment or do you think about is as more communion with humanity? How does this impact or reflect your relationship to the divine? 

What does the Kingdom of God represent to you or when have you experienced the kingdom of God? 

These can be changed! Thoughts? 

Marta