What is meant by the term, "The New Age Movement?"
Transcendental Meditation (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi)
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Transcendental Meditation (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) http://www.thetruelight.net/religions/transcendental_meditation.htm Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born in India around 1910. After graduating from Allahabad University with a degree in physics, he began pursuing a higher purpose in life, becoming a disciple of Guru Dev for thirteen years. Maharishi first taught TM in India and then, at Guru Dev’s urging, he brought this system of thought to the West in 1959. Promoted as the Science of Creative Intelligence, TM offers its practitioners a means of achieving peace, harmony, inner joy, creativity and enlightenment primarily through meditation and the chanting of various Sanskrit mantras. Adherents claim these are designed to lift a person to higher levels of consciousness. TM has been one of the more popular movements out of India and has numerous centers around the world. The Nature of God "God has two aspects, the personal and the impersonal… The impersonal aspect of God is formless, supreme; It is eternal and absolute Being. It is without attributes, qualities, or features, because all attributes, qualities, and features belong to the relative field of life, whereas the impersonal God is of an absolute nature."1 "God is one; It appears as many, however. The appearance of the one as many is only phenomenal. The reality of the one impersonal God is still eternal and absolute."2 A pantheistic view of God is promoted: "Everything in creation is a manifestation of the unmanifested absolute impersonal being, the omnipresent God."3 NOTES 1 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Science of Being and Art of Living (New York: Meridian, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books, 1995) p. 268. 2 Ibid., p. 267. 3 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Transcendental Meditation, p. 266; quoted in Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Handbook of Today’s Religions (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983) p. 83. The Origin and Nature of Man "The impersonal God is that Being which dwells in the heart of everyone. Each individual in his true nature is the impersonal God."1 NOTES 1 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Science of Being and Art of Living (New York: Meridian, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books, 1995) p. 271. The Nature of Salvation, Liberation or Enlightenment This worldview teaches there are seven states of consciousness: (1) Waking - Jagrat Chetana; (2) Dreaming - Swapn Chetana; (3) Sleeping - Sushupti Chetana; (4) Transcendental Consciousness - Turiya Chetana; (5) Cosmic Consciousness -Turiyatit Chetana; (6) God Consciousness - Bhagavat Chetana; (7) Unity Consciousness - Brahmi Chetana.1 Complete liberation comes when the highest states of consciousness are achieved. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi counters the traditional belief that extreme renunciation and detachment are necessary for the attaining of enlightenment. In his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita, he claims this view is a "complete distortion of Indian philosophy."2 Some TM advocates may practice a life of strict renunciation, while others may function in a secular world. Both paths are acceptable, being a matter of personal choice. Another unique point of view concerns the attaining of the state of Samadhi. While many Far Eastern worldviews maintain that Samadhi is the end result of adhering to all the various stages of yogic self-discipline, Maharishi insists, "The practice of yoga should start with Samadhi."3 In other words, seekers of God should begin with a consciousness of their separateness from a world of action and their oneness with God, then all other disciplines and all other strivings toward virtuous character become an automatic and simultaneous outgrowth of this high awareness level. NOTES 1 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Science of Being and Art of Living (New York: Meridian, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books, 1995) p. 322. 2 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, New York, New York: ARKANA: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 1990) p 15. 3 Ibid.
http://www.thetruelight.net/religions/unitedchurchofreligiousscience.htm This religious sect is a part of what has been termed the "New Thought Movement." It is based on a belief that the human mind is an expression of the Universal Mind. The universe is its physical manifestation. Something called "affirmative prayer" is used to bring healing to the mind or the body. Ministers and practitioners give spiritual mind treatments. Dr. Ernest Holmes published his beliefs in the book, The Science of Mind, in 1926. The next year he formed the Institute of Religious Science and Philosophy in Los Angeles, California, to disseminate his doctrinal views. In 1949 the United Church of Religious Science was established. The Origin and Nature of the Universe "Creation is God making something out of Himself, or Itself, by becoming the thing He creates… We must understand that Creation does not mean making something out of nothing, but means the passing of Substance into form."1 "Creation is the passing of Being into becoming: the flowing of the Invisible into the visible."2 Just as God and man have a 'trinity,' so the universe has a 'trinity' aspect: (1) The Physical World; (2) The Mental World; (3) The Conscious World. Human beings are one with all three of these aspects. NOTES 1 Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind (New York: R.M McBride and Co., 1938, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., rev. and enl. ed., 1966) p. 582 (page citation is to reprint edition). 2 Ernest Holmes, A Dictionary of New Thought Terms (Marina del Rey, California: DeVorss Publications, 1991) p. 30.
Dr. Ernest Holmes taught that God is "the Neutral Force," yet personal to those who believe in "the Infinite." He redefined the Christian concept of the Trinity using the following descriptions: "The Father [is] the supreme creative Principle… [and] means Absolute Being."1 Furthermore, "the entire manifestation of the Infinite in any and all planes, levels, states of consciousness, or manifestations, constitutes the Son."2 Finally, "the Holy Ghost signifies the feminine aspect of the Divine Trinity. It represents the divine activity of the higher mental plane."3 Ernest Holmes’ concept of God was pantheistic, promoting the idea that the cosmos is the "entire manifestation of Spirit"4 and that "God is in everything."5
1 Ernest Holmes, What Religious Science Teaches (Los Angeles: Science of Mind Publications, 1975) p. 61. 2 Ibid., p. 64. 3 Ibid., p. 65. 4 Ernest Holmes, A Dictionary of New Thought Terms (Marina del Rey, California: DeVorss Publications, 1991) p. 28. 5 Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind (New York: R.M McBride and Co., 1938, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., rev. and enl. ed., 1966) p. 362 (page citation is to reprint edition). The Origin and Nature of Man "There is something Divine about us that we have overlooked. There is more to us than we realize. Man is an eternal destiny, a forever-expanding principle of conscious intelligence… the ocean in the drop of water, the sun in its rays. Man, the real man, is birthless, deathless, changeless; and God, as man, in man, IS man!"1 "Man is the Self-Knowingness of God; the Consciousness of God in execution; the Action of God moving into fulfillment; the Thought of God seeking self-expression."2 NOTES 1 Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind (New York: R.M McBride and Co., 1938, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., rev. and enl. ed., 1966) p. 388 (page citation is to reprint edition). 2 Ernest Holmes, A Dictionary of New Thought Terms (Marina del Rey, California: DeVorss Publications, 1991) p. 86.
"We have tried to show that there is no sin but a mistake and no punishment but a consequence. The Law of cause and effect. Sin is merely missing the mark. God does not punish sin. As we correct our mistakes, we forgive our own sins."1 "True salvation comes only through true enlightenment, through a more conscious and more complete union of our lives with the Invisible."2 Dr. Holmes also offered, "When any individual recognizes his true union with the Infinite, he automatically becomes the Christ."3 NOTES 1 Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind (New York: R.M McBride and Co., 1938, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., rev. and enl. ed., 1966) p. 633 (page citation is to reprint edition). 2 Ernest Holmes, What Religious Science Teaches (Los Angeles, California: Science of Mind Publications, 1975) p. 25. 3 Ibid., p. 65. Dimensions or Planes of Existence Dr. Ernest Holmes teaches the following concerning heaven and hell. Heaven is defined as "Harmony-Wholeness-Health-Physical Well-being-Happiness-Mental peace, poise, and well-being."1 Hell (Hades or Sheol) is defined as "Symbolic of the lower plane of consciousness. The torment of experiencing that which contradicts Truth."2 It is "the underworld," the "drama of the soul in its conflict with opposing desires and state of consciousness before the transition from the lower to the higher plane of perception."3 NOTES 1 Ernest Holmes, "Heaven," A Dictionary of New Thought Terms (Marina del Rey, California: DeVorss Publications, 1991) p. 58. 2 Ibid., "Hell," p. 58. 3 Ibid., "Hades," p. 56. The Spiritual Journey and Ultimate Destiny of Man Dr. Ernest Holmes taught immortality: a continuation of existence beyond death. "Our place hereafter will be what we have made it. We certainly cannot take anything with us but our character. If we have lived in accordance with the law of harmony, we shall continue to live after this Divine Law. If we have lived any other way, we shall continue to live that way until we wake up to the facts of Being."1 There are no rewards or punishments from God awaiting those who die. If we make mistakes, the consequence is personal suffering. If we do well, the consequence is peace, enlightenment and personal fulfillment. "We are our own reward and our own punishment."2 "Every man is an incarnation of God. The soul can no more be lost than God could be lost."3 Physical resurrection of the body is not a part of man’s destiny; instead 'resurrection' is simply an overcoming of death by believing in the perpetuation of personal immortality. The concept of reincarnation is also rejected.
Holmes said, "I do not believe in the return of the soul to another life on this plane. The spiral of life is upward. Evolution carries us forward, not backward."4 "Everyone is a budding genius, a becoming God, an unfolding soul, an eternal destiny."5 Souls will have spiritual bodies in the spiritual state. "Form is necessary to self-expression… there can be no consciousness without something of which to be conscious. It is one of the first laws of consciousness to clothe itself in form."6 NOTES 1 Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind (New York: R.M McBride and Co., 1938, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., rev. and enl. ed., 1966) p. 384 (page citation is to reprint edition). 2 Ibid., p. 383. 3 Ibid.
4 Ibid., pp. 386-387. 5 Ibid., p. 387. 6 Ibid., pp. 374-375.
The biblical phrase, "world without end" (Ephesians 3:21) is interpreted as referring to "the endless creation of the Almighty. Particular worlds will always begin and end… but creation itself-the necessity of God manifesting Himself in time and in space-will never end. If creation could end, then God would end."1 NOTES 1 Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind (New York: R.M McBride and Co., 1938, New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putman, a member of Penguin Putnam, Inc., rev. and enl. ed., 1966) pp. 492-493 (page citation is to reprint edition). Unity http://www.thetruelight.net/religions/unity.htm 
WINGS FLYING UPWARDS — Charles Fillmore explained the symbol of his faith, which is wings flying upwards, in Unity Magazine in April of 1923. "As man develops spiritual consciousness, he attains the realization of the soul as the wings of the body. Artists paint their angels with wings, representing in this way their freedom from physical fetters. But the soul does not have wings like a bird. The life activity of the soul is quickened by Spirit until it rises above the thoughts of matter and floats free in the fourth dimension, which Jesus called the kingdom of the heavens." The Unity movement sprung out of mainstream Christianity in the late 1800s when many became interested in how its co-founder, Myrtle Fillmore was healed through prayer and affirmations.1 Myrtle and her husband, Charles, began small prayer circles to teach how the repetition of Jesus Christ’s "positive statements of truth" could bring health, prosperity, happiness, and peace of mind. Charles was born the son of a Chippewa trader on a Minnesota Indian reservation in 1854 and was considered physically disabled after a childhood skating accident.2 Myrtle Fillmore was adopted in Ohio at an early age and described herself as "an emaciated little woman" with a cabinet full of medicines for tuberculosis, aggravated by malaria.3 The couple was plagued with physical difficulties when married in 1881. Five years later, they attended a New Thought Lecture by Dr. E.B. Weeks. At that time, Myrtle accepted the idea expressed in the Christian scriptures that she was a child of God and did not inherit sickness.4 Within two years, she was healed completely. Charles adopted a similar, spiritual healing process and the chronic pain in his leg and hip eventually ceased.5 He continued studying world religions and philosophies, and the couple began writing about their beliefs. In April of 1889, the Fillmores published the first issue of Modern Thought, a national magazine that was renamed Unity in 1894. Unity was born. Today Unity is followed by many throughout the world under the Association of Unity Churches. It produces the Unity and Daily Word magazines. The Bible is the supreme and most deeply spiritual of all scripture and their "textbook." They see the Bible as relevant today and followers turn to it for its historical, literary, and moral teachings.6 "The Bible is the history of man. In its sixty-six books it describes in allegory, prophecy, epistle, parable, and poem, man's generation, degeneration, and regeneration."7 Unity interprets these Scriptures in a metaphysical sense to learn spiritual lessons from the people and their experiences. For example, Unity teaches that the cross Jesus Christ died on symbolizes the destruction of all false beliefs. Unity also believe that other teachings contain spiritual truths. They use instruction from Buddha, the Koran, the Tao of Lao-tse, Confucius, the Upanishads, and Zend-Avesta.8 NOTES 1 The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 2 Joanne Blum, Ph.D., contributor to Unity and New Thought publications, "Judgment ― Don't Go There." She can be contacted at blum.2@osu.edu. (An edited version of this article appeared in the August 1997 issue of Unity Magazine, under the title "Escape the Judgment Trap."), Found at: The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 3 Ibid.
4 The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 5 Joanne Blum, Ph.D., contributor to Unity and New Thought publications, "Judgment ― Don't Go There." She can be contacted at blum.2@osu.edu. (An edited version of this article appeared in the August 1997 issue of Unity Magazine, under the title "Escape the Judgment Trap."). Found at: The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 6 The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 7 Charles Fillmore, "Mysteries of Genesis," page 9; http://websyte.com/unity/mog.htm,Obtained 3/2/05. 8 Unity School of Christianity, "What Unity Teaches," page 4. Found at: The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04.
Followers of Unity believe that the world and man were created by God the Good.1 The substance of intelligence, love, power, and every rock, tree, and animal is the manifestation of God. They differ only in the degree of their manifestation of God.2 This is a form of pantheism because believers embrace the idea that God is present in all of creation and the earth itself.3 Unity leaves the exact beliefs about the origin and nature of the universe up to each individual. Students are encouraged to align with the spirit of the Christ within themselves for guidance to enhance their spiritual growth.4 Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore relied on the Bible to explain the creation of the universe, a book that he said is an allegory that can be reduced to ideas, which can then be reduced into mental laws.5 He described God as a mind force that created through his word or idea, which is the vehicle for creation.6 "God creates through the action of His mind, and all things rest on ideas. The idea back of the flower is beauty. The idea back of music is harmony."7 Fillmore believed that God, who is called Elohim at certain places in the Bible, created that which produced the earth, but not the earth as it appears.8 Elohim is the spirit that creates the spiritual idea, just as man must first have an idea before he can make something.9 Jehovah God executed what Elohim God ideated.10 "We identify Jehovah as the I AM, the spiritual man, the image and likeness of Elohim God. But Jehovah, spiritual man, must be made manifest, so He forms a man called Adam."11 Though each believer is left to determine his or her faith, the following excerpts from a prayer at a typical service at a Unity Church in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, offer a glimpse of their worldview. "We recognize God as the only power in the universe. Therefore, there is nothing to fear, control, oppose or overcome. This power works in and through our lives, creating order and harmony in every aspect of our life. Let us affirm this truth together: There is only One Presence, One Power, One Activity in my life and in the universe - God the Good, Omnipotent."12
1 The Association of Unity Churches. http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 2 H. Emily Cady, Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, "Lessons in Truth," 1925, page 25. http://www.websyte.com/Unity/cady.htm, Obtained 3/2/05; Website date: April 1996. 3 Unity Church, "Unity Beliefs," http://www.bible.ca/cr-Unity.htm, Obtained 12/13/04. 4 The Association of Unity Churches. http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 5. Charles Fillmore, "Mysteries of Genesis," http://websyte.com/unity/mog.htm page 9, Obtained 3/25/05. 6. Charles Fillmore, "Mysteries of Genesis," http://websyte.com/unity/mog.htm page 14, Obtained 3/25/05. 7. Ibid.
8. Charles Fillmore, "Mysteries of Genesis," http://websyte.com/unity/mog.htm page 15, Obtained 3/25/05. 9. Ibid.
10. Charles Fillmore, "Mysteries of Genesis," http://websyte.com/unity/mog.htm page 28, Obtained 3/25/05. 11. Ibid. 12. Unity Church, Edinboro, Pennsylvania. http://www.unity.org/worship_forms/typical_service.html. Found at: The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04.
God is spirit, the only one presence and power who is God the Good. "God is the sum total of all good."1 At the center of all visible form of good, is unlimited God.2 God, divine mind, is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power.3 God is the invisible, creative, and intelligent energy that caused all visible things.4 Though he is invisible, he is very real. God is perfect love and infinite power. Without God there could be nothing that is visible.5 God is the substance of every thing that is a visible and invisible form of life, power, love, and intelligence. Every rock, tree, and animal is the manifestation of God, differing only in the degree of God’s manifestation. The terms Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three aspects of mind action: mind, idea, and expression.6 God is not a person but is what Unity calls life. "God, then, is not, as many of us have been taught to believe, a big personage or man residing somewhere in a beautiful region in the sky, called 'heaven,' where good people go when they die, and see Him clothed in ineffable glory; nor is He a stern, angry judge only awaiting opportunity somewhere to punish bad people who have failed to live a perfect life here."7 Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore described God as having male and female characteristics.8 Fillmore wrote that wisdom is the male, or expressive, side of God, while love is the female, or receptive, side.9 He went further to say that every idea contains the male and female side of mind, which unite to increase and bring forth divine law.10 To Unity followers, Jesus Christ was a man who became perfect because he was able to express perfection through his thoughts, words, and deeds. "By Christ is not meant the man Jesus."11 The Christ, who is the perfect man, is the higher spirituality in every individual." 12 "God is the true essence of everything. This is unshakable; it knows God is the power at work in every situation. This is the faith that acknowledges for all people everywhere: 'You are the Christ, the son of the living God.' This is the firm foundation which underlies all of God’s creation."13 Unity believes that God is always accessible to all people on earth at all times, regardless of the individual’s religion, location, age, language, culture, or history. God guides each person into his or her individual truth, which varies from person to person.14 NOTES 1 H. Emily Cady, Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, "Lessons in Truth," 1925, page 64. http://www.websyte.com/Unity/cady.htm, Obtained 3/2/05; Website date: April 1996. 2 Ibid. 3 The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 4 H. Emily Cady, Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, "Lessons in Truth," 1925, page 18, http://www.websyte.com/Unity/cady.htm, Obtained 3/2/05; Website date: April 1996. 5 Ibid.
6 The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 7 H. Emily Cady, Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, "Lessons in Truth," 1925, page 17-18, http://www.websyte.com/Unity/cady.htm, Obtained 3/2/05; Website dated: April 1996. 8. Charles Fillmore, "Mysteries of Genesis," http://websyte.com/unity/mog.htm page 27, Obtained 3/2/05. 9. Ibid.
10. Ibid. 11 Unity Magazine, No. 2, page 146. Found at: The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 12 Unity School of Christianity, "What Unity Teaches," page 3. Found at: The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 13 Unity Church of Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, "Understanding the Twelve Powers." Found at: http://www.unityofmississauga.com/12powers.html. Found at: The Association of Unity Churches, http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. 14 Connie Fillmore Bazzy, President, Unity School of Christianity, "The Nature of The Unity Movement Non-Denominational and Denominational." Found at: the Association of Unity Churches website: http://www.unity.org/, Obtained 12/13/04. Yüklə 1,08 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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