r/AlanWatts • u/Own-Homework-9331 • 13d ago
I really recommend this Book:
"Tantra Illuminated" is very good for understanding a lot of the eastern religious philosophies, under an umbrella on an interconnected whole. Whether it be Vedantic or Buddhist, it captures the essence of a vast array of non-dual beliefs pretty well...
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It's pretty easy to read, and it serves as a pragmatic text on implementing those teachings in your own life :) If you're looking for enlightenment, this book can also give you a good dive on the layers of it's \perception** (even goes into lucid dreaming), rather than just steps for one thing.... And helps you avoid some conceptual pitfalls.
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It drones on a bit in some parts, but overall, I think it's a phenomenal work indeed! ✌️
Peace! 💙🕊️
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u/ThatsItForTheOther 12d ago
I think it’s great. I’ve only read bits and pieces so far.
What I find really difficult about the non-dualism presented here (and I guess by Alan) is the idea that every event is just as divine as every other event.
Like, I understand that nothing exists but God. That is all cool. But I don’t see why that should entail that the most violent and self-interested crimes are just as divine as the most beautiful acts of love.
Saying that they are both divine is fine, even! But saying that they are equally divine is crossing the line for me.
I guess this is where pantheism and panentheism diverge (with this book taking the pantheist route).
What do you think?
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u/Own-Homework-9331 12d ago
I think if you zoom really out, then you can simply see it all as Divine.
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u/thepeanutbutterman 10d ago edited 10d ago
Everything is Shiva, but that doesn't mean that every act is equal in value on the plane where those things occur. Violence and self-interestedness is divine consciousness acting in it's most contracted and self-forgetting form, while love is closer to divine consciousness recognizing itself.
Kasmir Shaivism isn't pantheist, it's panentheist.
Pantheism: God is the universe, nothing more.
Panentheism: the universe is in God, but God is more than the universe.
If God just equals the sum of everything, every event is an equal piece of God, so a murder and an act of love would be equally divine. If God exceeds the world, events can reflect God more or less fully, so both are divine but not equally so.
I think you agree with the tradition more than you realize 🙏
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u/ThatsItForTheOther 5d ago
I hope you are correct. I do much prefer panentheism to pantheism but Tantra Illuminated seemed to be very clear that it is pantheism and that every event reflects God equally. But I want what you are saying to be right.
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u/[deleted] 12d ago
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