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Dwija - Born Again
“Most
Christians very proudly state that they are BORN AGAIN, but
many may not the foggiest idea, how the concept of BORN
AGAIN started and how it is connected with ancient Hinduism.
Well, now let us study deeply about BORN AGAIN CONCEPT.
Long, long ago, the Christian term "Born-again" was
exclusively used within the church as an important part of
the church's phraseology. Now it is widely used even in
commercials, just like the word "Guru". The actual word in
the Greek version of the New Testament is "Anothen" meaning
"Born From the Above" or "Born of God". Jesus said, "Except
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (St.
John 3-3) and Jesus added : "Marvel not that I said unto
thee, ye must be born again". (St. John 3-7).
Born Again concept came from Hinduism. What Jesus said is
Dwija. The actual meaning of Dwija is "Twice Born".
Who is a Dwija (Twice Born)? A Brahmin.
Who is a Brahmin?.... He or she who knows Brahman.
What is Brahman?...That which is infinite...God
So in a nutshell, HE WHO KNOWS GOD IS THE TWICE BORN or he
WHO IS THE TWICE BORN WILL AUTOMATICALLY WILL REALIZE GOD.
According to Hinduism, unless there is an absolute change in
consciousness and absolute self-purification, nobody can
achieve God-realization. Without complete change of
consciousness, it is impossible to realize God and vice
versa. So, it is to be assumed that omnipresent Jesus Christ
was referring to a complete change of consciousness rather
than any ritualistic and symbolic gestures. He who is
born-again, is a Christian as well as a Brahmin.
You do not have to be a Hindu to be BORN AGAIN...You do not
have to be a Christian to be BORN AGAIN. You do not have to
be a Moslem to be a BORN AGAIN. You do not have to believe
in any particular religion or in any particular God to be
BORN AGAIN. That is the naked truth.”
http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.
“Some
have asked why we sometimes use the phrase "born from above"
as well as the more familiar "born again." The Greek words
are gennao anothen. Gennao means "born."
Anothen can mean "again" or "from above," but in the
Gospel of John the preferred meaning seems to be "from
above." Jesus came "from above" (John 3:31). In John 19:11,
Jesus mentions power "from above."
Obviously, if one has first
been born with the natural human mind and is later born
spiritually, he has been born (figuratively) a second time,
or born again. This is the basic meaning of another term
that is sometimes used, regeneration. It means a new
start, a rebirth. It is more informative to say the person
has been born from above because this shows the
source of the new spiritual insight.
However, we must also
recognize that most English translations say "born again" —
primarily because that is the meaning implied in the answer
of Nicodemus (verse 4). Footnotes may inform readers of the
dual meaning of anothen, but the main translations
say "born again."
Since most translations use
"again," we need to use that terminology, too. Otherwise
people might be suspicious that our teaching is marginal
theology, based on a questionable translation. Instead, we
can use the familiar term "born again," and give it fuller
meaning by explaining that spiritual growth must follow the
rebirth.”
http://www.wcg.org/lit/gospel/born/anothen.htm
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