(no subject)

In the Bhagavad-Gita Krishna describes an attitude towards the Vedas very similar to that of Paul towards the Law of Moses.

Sacred action (karma) is described in the Vedas and these come from the Eternal, and therefore is the Eternal everpresent in a sacrifice. Thus was the Wheel of the Law set in motion, and that man lives indeed in vain who in a sinful life of pleasures helps not in its revolutions. But the man who has found the joy of the Spirit (atma-ratihh) and in the Spirit has satisfaction, who in the Spirit has found his peace, that man is beyond the law of action. He is beyond what is done and what is not done, and in all his works he is beyond the help of mortal beings. Bhagavad-Gita 3:15-17, trans. Juan Mascaro

Compare this to:

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. Romans 7:4-6, NIV

Both passages can be read in light of the Gnostic psychic/pneumatic distinction to read thus: religious codes are good as far as they go, in maintaining the social harmony and encouraging people to live better lives. But they do not represent the pinnacle of human spiritual awareness; direct spiritual awareness supercedes the religious codes, as one who always acts from compassion does no wrong.

(no subject)

Thanks to sermoa for the quiz. She remarks that every TG person she knows of who takes the quiz is told they had in their last life their gender identity in the present one. Other info on this is interestingly relevant to some of my interests.

You were female in your last earthly incarnation.

You were born somewhere around the territory of which we now know as modern Korea, approximately in the year 1250.

Your main profession was: chemist, alchemist, a manufacturer of deadly poisons.

A brief psychological profile of you in that past life:
You were a sane practical person, materialist with no spiritual consciousness. Your simple wisdom helped the weaker and poor of your society.

A lesson that your last past life wishes you to learn in your present life is:
You should develop self-love and ability to implant hope into hearts of people. Ambition is not everything. True wealth is buried in your soul.

take the past life test at http://www.internetjunk.org/users/pastlife.php