Quote:
Originally Posted by Indiana
There was something going on in the sixties in the U. S. - flower children, assassinations, civil rights riots, anti-Viet Nam War demonstrations - and a move of Spirit that was sweeping the country in the middle of an atmosphere of upheaval. In a paper that young people put out from Los Angeles in 1972, that tumultuous time period is captured, as well as what was taking place spiritually in a restless and seeking generation of young people.
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You're right of course, there was a lot going on in the sixties culturally - it was a major change in America, with the baby boomers coming of age. There was open rebellion on college campuses against the conservative values of their parents generation - and as noted on
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade60.html "As the 1960's progressed, many young people turned from mainstream Protestant religions to mystic eastern religions such as
Transcendental Meditation (
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) or
Zen Buddhism"... as well as newer eastern religions that claimed to represent true Christianity, such as the Unification Church of
Sun_Myung_Moon (the Moonies).
Eastern mystic religions, with their focus on
spiritual enlightenment, gained a ground in America that they had never had before. This was exciting, it was novel, and it stood in stark contrast to the traditional Christianity practiced by the majority of Americans at that time. Consider some of the new teachings of these eastern religions:
From Theravada Buddhism: Bodhi is a term that literally means "awakening" and "understanding". Someone who is awakened has gained insight into
the workings of the mind which keeps us imprisoned in craving & suffering.
The message: get spiritually awakened by turning off your mind.
From Vedic Hinduism and later Buddhism: Mantras are sounds — words or phrases — that are used as an object of concentration. The sounds may be chanted out loud, or may be heard internally. When the mantra is chanted internally, it is the “inner sound” of the thought that is used as an object of focus in meditation.
Mantras can be associated with particular historical or archetypal figures, and so, when mantras are chanted, the figure associated with the mantra may be visualized, or simply borne in mind. Some of these visualization practices are very complex and detailed. When the mantra is chanted out loud, the sound of the mantra is a focus for attention. Mantra chanting can be a solitary or group activity. It may be done as a formal meditation practice, where we sit specifically to recite the mantra, or it may be combined with our daily activities, and be chanted while we’re walking, or driving, or cooking dinner.
The message: You can gain a heightened spiritual awareness by chanting the name of a particular achetypal figure, and concentrating on him. Do it in groups, do it alone, do it everywhere to get in touch with your spirit.
From Zen Buddhism: Zen Buddhism is primarily interested in experience not in knowledge. "Experience, rather than doctrine, is the ultimate vindication of the truth of their religion". They believe that man is simply an extension of the impersonal god and that his ultimate purpose is to be absorbed back into this impersonal god. Adherents of Zen have an intense dislike for the Christian doctrine of sin. In Zen Buddhism there is no sin, there is no real evil, there is no real good. They see mankind's ultimate problem as being his dualistic way of perceiving things. The Zen Buddhist believes that man's problem is that he sees things in terms of black and white and of right and wrong.
The message: God doesn't want us to worry about good and evil, he isn't interested in doctines and words. Experience Him, and eventually be absorbed (replaced) by Him.
Maybe we're not buddhists, but do any of these things sound familiar to you?