Durga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Durga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



In Hinduism, Durga ("the inaccessible" or "the invincible") or Maa Durga (Mother Durga) "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress".

Durga is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having ten arms, riding a lion or a tiger, carrying weapons and a lotus flower, maintaining a meditative smile, and practicing mudras, or symbolic hand gestures.

An embodiment of creative feminine force (Shakti), Durga exists in a state of svātantrya (independence from the universe and anything/anybody else, i.e., self-sufficiency) and fierce compassion. 

Kali is considered by Hindus to be an aspect of Durga. Durga is also the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya. 

She is thus considered the fiercer, demon-fighting form of Shiva's wife, goddess Parvati. 

Durga manifests fearlessness and patience, and never loses her sense of humor, even during spiritual battles of epic proportion.

Tibetan Book of the Dead

Frye

Northrop Frye on Jesus

It would be absurd to see the New Testament as only a work of literature: it is all the more important, therefore, to realize that it is written in the language of literature, the language of myth and metaphor. The Gospels give us the life of Jesus in the form of myth: what they say is, “This is what happens when the Messiah comes to the world.” One thing that happens when the Messiah comes to the world is that he is despised and rejected, and searching in the nooks and crannies of the Gospel text for a credibly historical Jesus is merely one more excuse for despising and rejecting him. Myth is neither historical or antihistorical: it is counterhistorical. Jesus is not presented as a historical figure, but as a figure who drops into history from another dimension of reality, and thereby shows what the limitations of the historical perspective are. [Northrop Frye]

Gnostic Gospels

The Gnostic Gospels are a class of writings about the life of Jesus which are associated with the early mystical trend of Gnostic Christianity. Morton Stith has taught art history at a number of American universities.The Pierian Spring academy is a non-profit, free-standing organization in Sarasota, Florida that offers lectures and courses for adults. Religion Philosophy icollege lecture - Ted Koszarski

Karen Armstrong

A History of God
1:33:30 - 3 years ago
Based on Karen Armstrong's book, this film examines the concept of God in the three major monotheistic religions from the days of Abraham to modern times. Through analysis of historic and holy texts and incorporation of ancient art and artifacts, the program explores the deity written about in the Bible and the Quran. The evolution and intertwining of various Christian, Jewish and Islamic interpretations of God are also addressed.