This page value would be significantly augmented, if it was deleted. BorisStitnicky '''Basic Precepts:''' * ThePast has already happened. * TheFuture has not yet happened. * ThePresent is the edge upon which all reality evolves. These three concepts, once believed, create a powerful argument for living in the moment. As such, the ReligionOfTheEternalMoment does not really conflict with many other religions, rather, it is a paradigm for a BaseClass from which other religions have extended properties. Some religions seem to hold as true that all past-present-future is a giant predetermined map, which of course does not negate the three precepts, however, losing one's self in a mental process that completely confuses them seems a path to insanity. -- KirkKitchen I don't find this even slightly meaningful, because "happened" could be defined to be compatible or incompatible with determinism. Could you elaborate? Or is it supposed to say nothing about determinism? -- DanielKnapp See BeliefSet, and http://clublet.com/c/c/why?AllTimeIsSimultaneous for the antidote. ---- This is nice, but I really don't understand what the "Basic" should have to do with "Religion". For me, this is just a fact. From my point of view, there are two levels to be distinguished: one is the ''actual'' level - there is ''nothing'' but the moment; the other the ''mental'' level. I suppose you mean the latter. Because the former we have not to ''believe'', as you write, this is simply an inevitable fact. I agree that much changes in one's perception of the world when one dives into the ''fact'' to be only ''NOW''. But what does that mean actually? And what does this have to do with religion? Are we religious because we have a sense of time, you mean? Because we know about our own death? In everyday life, it's cool to perceive the ''Eternal Moment'', but its functionality is restricted to a simple ''reactive mode''. As soon as you THINK, you are out. An electron is constantly in the Eternal Moment, you aren't (mentally). So I don't understand why "precepts". And I don't agree that religion has its roots in this kind of reasoning / feeling. Probably spiritual experiences, but not religion as such. Certainly, to confuse past-present-future leads to insanity, but not to merge them at all does also. -- DavidAndel ---- '''Our Notion Of The Past''' * is stored in state information within our minds. '''The present''' * represents the transitioning of state for both the mental map and the World. * is the moving curtain that separates past and future. '''The future''' * is hypothetical, but predictable to a certain extent. * might be called a rationalist perspective. '''What you believe is your religion''' * It could be math and it could be a story about Moses. * Moment Centric ** I've had some spiritual experiences. and this is what they gave me. Didn't say I didn't believe in past and future. ** Just trying to be "moment-centric". Maybe not your cup of tea. So be it. ---- '''Comparative:''' The Buddhists believe that the awake mind sees as much as the senses provide. The Hindus believe that achieving enlightenment will merge you with Nirvana, which is a conjunction with all past-present-and-future-and-nothing-at-all. Both Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation, which holds the past in high honor. The Christians believe that doing good in the moment is service to God, as do the Muslims, although they both uphold future reward as the ultimate outcome of a good life. Other religions have their own peculiarities. ---- As a humorous aside, it could be mentioned that in the DiscWorld series, the Troll race generally believe that time moves from the 'future' to the 'past'. They based this on the fact that they can 'see' (remember) the past, but not the future; therefore, the past must be in front of them, and the future behind them. -- JayOsako ''Why "humorous"? It's perfectly correct that the future steadily becomes the past.'' * Conversely, this confused me when I was a child. The TV would say things like "The following program ..." or "The preceding program...". From context, I could tell "following" meant the future and "preceding" meant the past, but that seemed backwards from where I sat. The show I just watched was behind me in time and therefore following me. The show I was about to watch was in front of me in time and therefore preceding me. Perhaps the TV was run by Trolls. ---- CategoryHistory