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My Personal Beliefs
Topic Started: May 3 2013, 05:53 PM (1,342 Views)
Maaritaten
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I summarized the core Atenist beliefs to myself, for myself, but I thought it could be of interest to others to know what a fellow Atenist believe! So while I've written 'we' in the text it should still e understood as my personals views :) I would really like some feedback, and would especially appreciate if it followed the structure of my text :)

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Atenism

- Atenism isn't doctrinal
The beauty of Atenism is its' lack of dogma - while there are certain things that we consider to be uncompromisable truth, the field is wide open for interpretation and discussion of details of our faith.

- the Aten is not the sun
The Aten manifests itself in the sun, the star is an image, a symbol, of the living Aten. We could say that the Aten is the sun as long as we are aware that the divine is not limited to a single physical manifestation and limited to the laws of nature. Similarly the rays of the sun is the manifestation of the life giving energy of the Aten.

- Akhenaten was a man
Akhenaten was a mere mortal. Yes, he was a prophet, and whatever claims to semi-divinity he had stemmed from his pharaonic mission - but he was never more than a man, like the rest of us. His singularity stems from his extraordinary relationship with the Aten, not from any difference to humankind in nature of his being.

- We don't need a saviour
Atenism is not soteriological in that there is something for us to be 'saved' from. Our 'salvation', our live hereafter depends solely on our own actions, not through any mediator.

- Aten is not personal, yet near and knowable
While we can not cultivate a personal relationship with the Aten in the way many other religions do with their respective deities it does not mean that our god is not absent in our lives. The example of Akhenaten proves that the Aten can be knowable, and the hymns speak beautifully of his nearness to all his creation. The way we Atenists can cultivate a relationship with the Aten is by being open to his everlasting presence, by aknowledging his role in life and creation.

- the Atenist view of god is the purest
- We believe that Atenism's claim to 'truth' (however you define that) rests on the points above, on our view of the divine. What we know of the divine/Aten/god is the very basics, the knowledge we get of him from nature and from what he revealed to Akhenaten. Our view of god would be the purest, as opposed to the sole truth. We appreciate all religions as being expressions of mankinds search for the divine, we see the beauty of each individual religion in their faith and practice, we believe that every religion is a path to the Aten as long as they promote the basic values of Ma'at - but we can still see that other religions have been clouded throughout history with layers of human interference. While not having as pure a view of god, they are still true.

- Atenism is inclusive
Well, if you read the above you should've gotten this already. We believe that what we know of the Aten is the most anyone can ever really know of the divine, therefore we consider our faith the purest, while respecting other religious expressions and viewing them in the light of their origin in the aknowledgment by mankind of the divine. We believe and pray that all men and women will achieve everlasting life, regardless of religious affiliation.
'Let me be satisfied seeing You, Oh Living Aten!'
- adapted from the Hymn of Tutu, Chamberlain of the Two Lands
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AmarnaGirl
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I think this is a very good post - it's true that there are no "set" core beliefs for Atenism,so each must really devise their own. It's always interesting to hear (or in some cases,read,LOL) the spiritual views of others!

I can agree with quite a bit you've written. Atenism really isn't doctrinal - there's a lot of wiggle room here for each person. I also agree that the Aten isn't exactly the sun per se,but that the sun is merely a symbol or manifestation (something tangible that we can see and relate to. Yes,Akhenaten was always just human (he cultivated a deep relationship with the Aten,but he was never anything more than a mortal man.) I also agree that we don't need a "savior" in the sense that Christianity and some other religions promote. We alone are responsible for our actions and their consequences in this life.

I also see the Aten as an impersonal,rather than a personal get-to-know-buddy god. The Aten simply "is." It is always there,and its' presence is universal.

While I don't hold that the Atenist view is necessarily the purest view of God everyone has their own spiritual opinions. (Most religions like to think their own way to God is the best,purest and only way.)I think there are many paths to God,each of us may take a different way to get there. Everyone has their own views and opinions of the nature of God (it's really one of those unknowable things,like what awaits us in the afterlife - we don't know 'til we get there) but I think that many (however not all,there are always exceptions to every rule,LOL) views of God are valid in their own way.
Edited by AmarnaGirl, May 4 2013, 04:43 PM.
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Lamaku
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Good post! You very succinctly put my own beliefs into words.

However, there is one thing I want to add where I disagree: the Aten is NOT, in my view, merely a symbol, something tangible to hold on to, in the way that a statue of Jesus is a tangible symbol, but quite literally the sun IS the Aten. Not all of the Aten, to be sure, but as sure as your nose is not all of you it is still quite literally a part of you.

Nobody has so far responded to my post SUNGAZING which leads me to assume that nobody is actually doing it (Akhenaten and Nefertiti did!) If you were to practice it for long enough you would see what I mean.

Gazing at the sun, in a ritualized stting, IS gazing at the Aten. You may say: well, the moon is also part of the Aten's "body", or the tree in my garden, or a flower or......, and of course, you would be right.

But only the Sun is the the most brilliant, purest expression of the Aten .... and the one charged with the highest energies which we can directly absorb into us via the eyes.
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AmarnaGirl
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*nods* While I disagree that the sun is literally the Aten itself,rather than a symbol (but that's just me - it's nice here because we can all have our different views,and there's no one set Aten theology to follow),it's always interesting to learn other's views and ideas on this topic.

While Akhenaten and Nefertiti incorporated sun-gazing into their rituals (and there are probably other religious systems out there that do the same thing),it should still be practiced sparingly and with caution,as it is now medically proven that staring at the sun (at least without protection) will cause blindness and severe eye damage. (hence,incorporating sunglasses is mandatory!) Naturally,Akhenaten and Nefertiti would have been unaware of this,as they would not have known standing too long in the sun without protection can cause skin cancers - we know these things today,and it is still possible to incorporate some of the royal family's worship styles in our own modern practice,if done safely,of course.
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Maaritaten
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I think the issue is with what we mean by symbol: personally I feel that the Aten indeed has it's physical manifestation in the Sun, but I would not want to limit the highest divine power in one physical object that itself obeys the laws of nature - and I think we can agree on that! Even if some us consider the Aten to be the sun, I think we can safely say that it's bigger than that at the same time :)
'Let me be satisfied seeing You, Oh Living Aten!'
- adapted from the Hymn of Tutu, Chamberlain of the Two Lands
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Lamaku
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To Maaritaten
Obviously, a human being is always far more than the sum total of his/her body parts. By the same token: the Aten is more than the Sun and even more than the countless suns of the entire Universe - and that's exactly what I said.

To AmarnaGirl
It is not my intention to convert anybody to the practice of sungazing any more than I would want to talk anybody into becoming a vegetarian. Everybody must decide this for him/herself. I am just presenting my thoughts and my beliefs.

But I think that because this practice was important to Akhenaten we owe it to him to, at least, give it serious consideration. We all agree, I take it, that Akhenaten was not some tribal chieftain of a savage African tribe but a highly intelligent man, educated in the sciences of his time and the ruler of one of the most sophisticated civilizations the world has ever seen.

Akhenaten lived in a part of the world with plenty of sunshine, enhanced by the reflectivity of the waters of the Nile and the desert sand. Egyptians may not have had the science and technology that we have today but why would we think that, given the environment they lived in, they were unaware of the enormous powers of sunlight - and the dangers of excessive exposure to it? They would have had empirical knowledge of and practical experience with both the beneficial and detrimental effects of sunlight. So why not give him credit for knowing exactly what he was doing?

Amongst other things: light enters the eyes and has a direct stimulating impact on your pineal gland and the neuro-transmitters it manufactures and regulates, such as serotonin, melatonin and DMT. The pineal gland isn't called the Third Eye for nothing! Why do you think the word en"light"enment comes from?

I have been practising sungazing for well on five years now - and regret not having started earlier. I live in a sub-tropical part of the world, the Australian state of Queensland with plenty of sunshine year round (in fact: it calls itself the "Sunshine State"). I gaze at the sun at sunrise and sunset and intermittently even during the day. My eyesight is perfect!

Sungazing is not only NOT harmful if done judiciously but highly beneficial. The key, as with everything else, is JUDICIOUS use!

I do not have great faith in anything scientifically proved by "medical science". So-called medical science knows everything about disease and nothing about health.

As an after-thought: Is it not just possible that sunlight has been "proved" to cause damage to the eyes, or even blindness, to prevent us from doing sungazing and harnessing its benefits? Is it not just possible that the ideological "descendents" of Akhenaten's opponents are still playing their same old game of trying to prevent our enlightenment - which would be to their own advantage as we would remain under the control of their various superstitions?
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AmarnaGirl
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Lamaku,

I know you're presenting your own beliefs - I don't have any intention of converting anyone to my way of thinking either,LOL (That's one of the good things about this forum - we can all share our own ideas,and everyone can have a different opinion. And most of us do,LOL!)

I actually do give Akhenaten quite a bit of credit, (for certain things),and not a lot of credit for others. Do I know that he knew exactly what he was doing? No,I don't (and I'm not entirely sure he did either. I concur that Akhenaten knew exactly what he wanted,but history shows he didn't quite know how to go about presenting it.)

I don't think the key to sungazing is the word "judicious." I think it is the word "safely." Just because your eyesight is perfect now,doesn't mean it will be in the future. Staring directly into the sun without eye protection is not a safe thing to do. That's just common sense. (Now,I don't know if you wear sunglasses/protective eyeware,but if you don't,you should.) My eyesight IS damaged,and I take very seriously my optometrists' instructions to wear prescription sunglasses at all times outdoors. So no,for me personally,"sungazing" is not an option I am willing to consider.

This of course doesn't mean that others should or shouldn't adopt this practice. To each their own,and everyone's spiritual practices are their own personal business. What people do is up to them - we are responsible for our own actions. As far as the last paragraph goes,no,sunlight has not been "proven" to cause eye damage in order to prevent people from sungazing and being enlightened. Staring at sunlight has been proven to cause eye damage,because that's precisely what it does. Any kind of "oppression" to enlightenment has nothing to do with it. It has to do with actual fact,and that alone. I'm afraid you'll find that I'm a very "factual" type of person - I always say that if life were Star Trek,I'd probably be a Vulcan,LOL!
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Lamaku
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In the last paragraph - please read it again carefully - I made absolutely no claims as to who proved sungazing dangerous and for what purpose! I just asked two questions: "Is it not just possible..."
It was actually nothing more than a bit of a tongue-in-cheek thought experiment to which there can be no real answer, of course.

I respect your decision not to use sungazing, whatever your reasons may be. That's your perfect right!

But I challenge your right to categorically declare it unsafe without backing it up! For every expert you can name who claims it is unsafe at any level I can name you one who will say the exact opposite. And, more importantly, there is my personal experience and that of thousands of people world-wide; personally experienced truth trumps the mere theories of a scientist or, for that matter, a thousand scientists. Sungazing is an established practice in many old and not-so-old traditions, such as certain branches of yoga.

Most people would have heard of the Bates Method of improving eyesight. Did you know that he advocated sungazing, too! I am not up to date on this but it wouldn't surprise me to hear that this has now been cleaned up by the medical mafia like so many other things that they do not like because they cannot make any money out of it. Sunlight costs nothing, after all. There is no profit in it.

OK. Let's rephrase it - sungazing can be dangerous if it is not practiced safely. Where exactly did I say anything to the contrary? Almost everything I can think of can be dangerous if done to excess or done in the wrong way: smoking the odd cigarette or drinking the odd glass of wine or indulging, once in a while, in a fat-and-sugar rich dessert is not going to harm anyone but regular and/or excessive smoking and drinking and consumption of sugary foods is not safe.

The key to anything, as I made clear, is judicious use. Judicious means using good judgment and I'd say that includes, without having to spell it out, thinking of your safety. Sungazing has not been proved to be dangerous if practiced within the limits of what common-sense tells us.

I take anything that comes out of "scientifc research" with a bucketful of salt. Just one example: Scientists do not concur on what causes cancer and know even less on how to cure it. If we all had a dollar for every time some researcher announces a breakthrough in cancer treatment we'd all be rich - and, of course, these announcements ALWAYS come with a proviso: before the treatment is truly effective a few more years of research are needed (translated this means: "Give us more money"!). That's the bottom-line for modern science! Call me a cynic if you like!

Whether anybody takes up sungazing is not for me to decide. My intent was to let others know that sungazing was an integral part of Atenism and is still being practised today by many people around the world, some Atenists and some not. That's all I wanted to do.

So, let's agree to disagree! Nobody has to do it but anybody serious about Atenism should at least know that it was, historically, a part of ancient Atenism.
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Lamaku
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Allow me just one more contribution to the subject and then I will let the matter rest.
Exposure to the sun is not inherently dangerous. That's an urban myth! If science is to be believed we evolved on the African savannah with its strong sunlight.
But there is alway this warning to be considered: One man's meat is another man's poison - as the saying goes. What is still safe for me may not be safe for you. Our unnatural citified way of life with its artificial lights, our TV and computer screens and a host of other unnatural conditions, not least of which is sub-standard nutrition, may already have taken its toll and even without the extra challenge of sungazing your eyes may not be what they were intended to be by nature. Just consider this fact: most people in the Western world live in cities where the horizon is no further away than the next building. Are you surprised that they lose the power to focus into the distance? What else do they lose?
So take to heart the admonition: KNOW THYSELF! If you were to decide to take up sungazing start slowly and carefully observe yourself and your reaction (the power of the sun is not to be trifled with).
If you use a common-sense approach you need not fear the exposure of your eyes to the sun. You may not want to but that's an entirely different matter.
But what is common-sense? Actually, anybody who has to ask that question doesn't have enough of it
Here are some guide-lines to take into consideration:
a) geographical location (How close to the equator are you?)
b) local topography (Are you on a mountaintop where UV radiation is very strong or at sea-level?)
c) choose the time carefully: look at the sun at most for half an hour after sunrise and half an hour before sunset
d) if you glance at the sun during the day do so for no more than a few seconds (my limit is 20 seconds)
e) observe yourself and if you feel discomfort stop immediately
Don't take my word for anything. Do your own research.
The quote below is taken from an article I found on a website maintained by an astronomer (who makes a life and a living from observing the sky and presumably the sun). If you do not believe anything he says then there is nothing that will convince you. Fair enough, in that case you do not do sungazing and that does in no way diminish you as an Atenist.

Google GALILEO, SOLAR OBSERVING, AND EYE SAFETY
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G. Lowe
Bold experiments in physiological optics
Meteorological Magazine 59, 213 (1924)
As there appears to be prevalent a belief that looking at the sun with the naked eye would be injurious … , for some years I have experimented with the sun by looking at it with the naked eye … . On one occasion, on the 21st of June at 12 o'clock noon, I looked steadily at the sun for 15 minutes, changing from one eye to the other at intervals of about 30 seconds, and beyond making my eyes run there was no inconvenient effect. This was done while I was living in Atlanta, Ga., where the sun is fairly strong on the date given. As this took place 12 years ago, and, as at the age of 68 my sight is very good, I am sure that no one need fear trying similar experiments.
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Lamaku
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Excerpt from the article:

"Increasing Solar Activity And Disturbances In Earth’s Magnetic Field Affect Our Behavior And Increase Our Health" as found on Internet. Just google www.wakingtimes.com

Akhenaten DID know that the sun in general and sun-gazing in particular are NOT harmful but, if used properly, have a highly beneficial effect on body, mind and soul.


Photonic Energy Inevitably Affects Consciousness And Influences Our Health 
While the mechanism behind the stimulation of human behavior is still a mystery, many are now accepting that humanity is receiving the highest support from the consciousness of the cosmos, allowing us to wake up to our magnificence and divine connection to each other and the universe. The Sun is only assisting in this inevitable process.
It will be traumatic for many when those revelations of why human consciousness if shifting at the same time major changes are being introduced. Knowing that all of the confusion and turmoil is heralding Earth’s exit from third density, how will we be prepared to weather the coming months and to help those who are foundering.
The interesting fact about this energy is that since it is of a higher frequency it creates the power of instant manifestation of our thoughts, which means whatever we think, we create instantly. This never before happened in our lifetime and that is why many people are writing books on the subject on the Power of Attraction.
Photonic energy connects to our thoughts so it is important that we know what we want, rather than we don’t want, otherwise, we will manifest more of what we don’t want. If you are in the process of change and transformation this energy works well for you. On the other hand, if you are stuck in the past through victimization and anger, you will simply manifest more reasons to remain stuck in victimization until you are ready to release it.
There is some Russian research that shows an increase in cardiac problems during sunspot maxima. The solar activity probably sets off a preexisting condition and no one is suggesting that people will drop dead in the streets. We could see the stress of solar activity on the biology of living things as an evolutionary agent weeding out the old and sick and strengthening those who can resonate with its radiations.
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