Read the Bible as Literature: An Eastern-Styled Literary Lens
Read the Bible as Literature: An Eastern-Styled Literary Lens
For centuries, readers of the Old and New Testaments have encountered two distinct designations for the divine: "God" and "the LORD." Traditional commentary often treats these two names as interchangeable titles for a single, distant entity. The B. Conscious Lens to reading the Bible does not.
The B. Conscious Lens to reading the Bible considers all references to 'God' as referencing some manifestation of unity. The unity of a family, the unity between individuals, and the unity one experiences in a complete state of consciousness are all considered to speak as 'God' throughout the Old Testament narrative.
References to 'the LORD' are considered to be references to individuals who hold power over others due to family status, military might, or states of awareness. Men, women, and kings all speak and act as 'the LORD' of the Bible narrative through such a lens of understanding. Reading the Bible through such a lens opens an entirely new dimension to the Bible narrative.
The information presented on this website and for free on Soundcloud.com seeks to reveal an entirely new, refreshing, and unorthodox approach to reading the Bible that continually reminds humanity that everyone and everything is interconnected and one.
The author of this body of writing shares this theory with the profound hope that those who hear will better understand the brilliance of the Bible narrative and what it has to teach all of us about our identity, true peace, and love.
This website provides readers of the Bible with Bible Study Questions so that every individual can arrive at his or her own understanding of the Bible narrative. These are the very questions the author sought to answer in the crafting and writing of the B. Conscious Lens to reading the Bible.
In addition to Bible Study Questions spanning the Old and New Testaments offered on this website, this website offers readers Recommended Videos that can inspire individuals to think differently about ourselves and how each of us sees the world in which we live.
At the core of the B. Conscious Framework are two foundational definitions:
1. 'God' Represents Infinite Unity and the Eternal Present Moment
In the B. Conscious Lens, every reference to 'God' represents an expression of intrinsic unity:
* The Present Moment: 'God' is the eternal and infinite now. The present moment is unified, boundless, and ever present. Read through the B. Conscious Lens, this is the God of Creation within Genesis Chapter 1.
* Unified Consciousness: 'God' describes the alignment of individual human consciousness with the infinite present reality. Read through the B. Conscious Lens, this is the God who spoke to Noah in Genesis Chapter 6.
* Relational Unity: Any structural oneness—such as the unity between two individuals or of a family—serves as an expression of 'God' within the biblical text. Read through the B. Conscious Lens, this is the God who Eve referenced in Genesis Chapter 4 and who spoke to Abraham in Genesis Chapter 22.
2. 'The LORD' Represents a Human Embodiment of Positional Power
In contrast to the ultimate unity of 'God,' any reference to 'the LORD' denotes an individual who holds positional power or authority due to their patriarchal status within a family, their power dynamics with others, or their military rule over vast lands. As a result, men, women, kings all speak and act as "the LORD" when approaching the Bible from a B. Conscious Lens.
* Within the Bible narrative, 'the LORD' often appears and speaks as a patriarch. Read through the B. Conscious Lens, Adam acts as "the LORD" in Genesis Chapter 4, Methuselah acts as "the LORD" in Genesis Chapter 7, Abram and Sarai's great-to-the-seventh-degree grandfather Shem serves as "the LORD" in Genesis Chapter 17, and Judah acts 'the LORD' in Genesis Chapter 38.
* In addition to being a person of patriarchal power within families, 'the LORD' includes others - including women - who hold power over men due to their individual relationships with them. Read through the B. Conscious Lens, Sarai acts as "the LORD" to Abram in Genesis Chapters 12 and 16 and Rebekah acts as "the LORD" of her family in Genesis Chapter 27.
* Beyond the dynamics that exist between individual people, 'the LORD' also arrives in the biblical narrative when kinds exercise temporal governance through military rule. Read through the B. Conscious Lens, this is the LORD who destroyed both the Tower of Babel in Genesis Chapter 11 as well as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis Chapters 18 and 19.
The author of this website writes by the name B. Conscious to convey his understanding that the fundamental purpose of life - and the foundational theme of the Bible - is to strive to be highly conscious in our moment-to-moment lives. What happened five minutes ago only exists as a memory and what will happen five minutes from now exists only as a dream. Thus, we are not who we think we are - we are right now because right now is the only reality that exists. The name B. Conscious attempts to reflect this understanding.
The author's approach to the Bible narrative was heavily shaped by his experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal from 1996-1998. Drawing insights from his reading at the time of individuals such as Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi, Jiddu Krishnamurti, and Paramahansa Yogananda, the author came to the realization that all is interconnected and one. The author came to vividly see that life is not separate from the universe - life is the universe coming into being and seeing itself - all is interconnected and one.
Having uncovered the truth that all is one through his study of the Eastern teachings of Advaita, the author brought his understanding of these Eastern teachings of non-duality to his reading and discussion of the Bible. What he found concerning the relationship of Advaita and the Bible narrative fascinated him to the point where he felt compelled to share what he had found with others. And with that, this website - and the books that he has written - were born.
"A unique commentary on the first portion of the Hebrew Bible...An unorthodox and unexpected work that will give readers reason to rethink and re-examine otherwise familiar biblical stories."
"Bibliture: Genesis - The Ten Commandments The First Seventy Chapters is a valuable tool and a companion for Bible studies...This author, writing under the pen name B Conscious, shows great mastery of the Bible...The author has what it takes to give readers the interest they need in reading the Bible, but it also offers a guide to understanding its message. Bibliture: Genesis - The Ten Commandments The First Seventy Chapters is a great tool for Bible study groups as well as individual exploration of the Bible."
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