Posted by:
Tevai
(
)
Date: November 15, 2017 11:33PM
Richard Foxe Wrote:
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> My response was to Tevai, who said she didn't get
> it, and I tried to put it in terms that she might
> understand with her background.
And I appreciate your response...
I've been thinking about what you said in Atman/Brahman terms, trying to "visualize" whether this parallels, or fits into, in some way, a Western-oriented "salvation" concept.
If Christian personal "salvation" is (or can be conceptualized as) Atman, then not only do I finally "get it," but it actually makes sense (in a kind of Hellenistic way, maybe?; I am iffy on Greek cosmology).
For the most part, Jews don't go past death with theorizing or with theology.
Once in a while (and usually separated by fairly large chunks of time) there are kind of hesitant stabs in the form of what to say to loved ones when their loved ones die, but this kind of speculation is usually marginal as well as infrequent.
The closest you get to genuine, after-death theology (that I am aware of) is gilgul (Jewish reincarnation)...discussion of which (before contemporary times) was usually restricted to particular geographical or cultural areas (Tsfat/Safed, for example...or geographically-centered groups like the Hasidim)...
...usually, when there was a Jewishly-accepted, mystical sub-group whose studies and learning spilled over to non-group relatives and close associates.
In general, most Jews don't "know" and don't care, and are only a bit interested in what happens after death.
For many Christians in at least certain denominations, however, I do get that "salvation" is a priority (I got THAT when I was accompanying my down-the-hill neighbors to Baptist church when I was in fourth grade or so. Ditto when, at our across-the-street neighbor's house, I was watching (on TV) Billy Graham speaking live at some big convocation or something when I was in about sixth grade---to me, one of the weirdest experiences of my life up to then).
If Christian "salvation" can be approximated to Hindu "moksha" or "samadhi," then you have answered one of the vexing questions of nearly my entire life, Richard Foxe!
Thank you!!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2017 11:36PM by Tevai.