[quote=PatR;15982]From Vedanta pov:
What is moonlight ?
Reflected sunlight, in other words the moon borrows light from the sun. The moon is not self luminous. Similarly Jiva borrows consciousness from Atman or the individual awareness is the reflection of the cosmic awareness.
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This is a great picture. In esoteric christianity, Atman is Christ, and Jiva is the individual soul. There is really no conflict here. Non christians are in difficulty with christianity because the hystorical figure of Jesus gets in the way of their understanding of the true nature of Christ. But exactly this was the point of Jesus’ birth and life, to make God’s (as Atman/Christ is an aspect of God/Brahman) existance, presence observable for an age almost totally shut to transcendental, spiritual. We need to realize, that the world as it is today was shaped by the western culture, (with all the bad things it brought, but there is never advancement without conflict), as result of the development of free individual consciousness, and today’s human rights, justice, and general wellfare resulting from industrial (XIXth ct.) and IT revolutions (XXth ct.) would never been possible without christianity. Western culture was mainly christian, from the time of early christianity, up until the XXth century, and even the latest and greatest achivements are based on how this christianly shaped people’s minds and hearts, both in esoeteric, hidden but direct ways, and by reactions to the church’s exoteric way. So, while asessing that the truths about man and the world, in hindu/eastern wisdom are true, these truths could not ever became widespread, if there wasn’t the western world, and it’s religion based on the Person of God made flesh and bone. The eastern wisdom was restricted to mystery schools, to certain people, and never had the chance becoming mainstream thinking. For that to happen, it was necessary what we have witnessed through the last two thousands of years. And even if the ways of traditional christianity seem unfitting for many, and they turn towards eastern wisdom, it is just the sign that those people are ready for a deeper spirituality, and part of this deeper spirituality will be the real comprehension of what The Christ Event is, and how all works according to the divine plan.
Hello Fin 
You mean to say in this life time free-will doesn’t exist ?
This again is a very good question. I am sure it exist, but I also know that it is not that obvious. Especially today’s science is scpetical regarding this freedom, and I would say, in it’s field the lack of freedom is true.
