Issue #1541 -
Monday, September 1, 2003 - Editor: Jerry
"You should roam in
places that are your own, that arise in accordance with your own
true nature.
And what is the place that is your own? It's the pasture of
ardent clearness and mindfulness, where discontent and greed are
put aside for the sake of the world. That is your own place, your
natural range."
-Samyutta Nikaya
Apel
Live Journal
To Autumn John Keats (1795-1821)
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, late flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad my find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
They hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, --
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
Someone wrote and asked...
Dear editor,
I'm puzzled by something in all the stuff on enlightenment
that I have looked at on the Internet. I know this is not a
discussion group but despite this I submit the following.
Something's missing. Most if not all the material I see is
about how to gain enlighenment. (And I know this is badly
worded - it isn't something you gain - more something false
you lose.) Personally I feel the attraction. I'm pulled to
this as everything I read about it makes so much sense to me.
But my wife doesn't understand (sounds like I'm talking to my
mistress!). She wants to know how it will affect my life in
the world practically and also specifically our relationship,
as she isn't following this path. Good question I thought.
And one I can't answer myself. I can make guesses but the
more I thought about this the less satisfactory I found my
understanding. So I have compiled a few points and questions
below and would appreciate if there is anyone reading this
who can throw some light in this. And maybe some more
questions.
Assume in the discussion below I am newly enlightened.
1. If I lose my sense of individuality who am I talking
about when I say "I"? "I love
you". "I agree to do ....".
"This is my bank account and you've
overcharged me". Am I
playing a game here? Do I stop using the word
"I" except
to mean my bodymind?
2. If I don't have any personal wants or needs anymore,
what
gets me out of bed and decides what I shall do
today / at
any moment?
3. Further to 2. if, say, I make an arrangement with a
friend to go bowling. Come the time to go, why
should I
go? Maybe I'll go - or not. I don't need to go
to prove
my ability or man(/woman)hood or anything
else. I might
be content just sitting at home enjoying the
succession
of moments. Do I go to avoid annoying my
friend or to
avoid getting a reputation for unreliability
(which I
wouldn't care about). If I get a reputation
for
unreliability will it start to alienate me
from some of
my current friends? Perhaps I never go bowling
again. Or
play basketball / golf /tennis / etc.
4. Maybe I need to change or abandon my job. Ok this
seems
to be obvious as my whole outlook will change.
5. But what do I do with my life? Do I naturally become
a
teacher/guru? I would have thought that this
isn't the
only calling - presumably I can other things
which I
would "want" to do. (But I don't
have any wants!). I'm
not looking for a job to "do good"
as I don't have any
sense of good and bad - it's just all as it
is.
6. If I look at love as an impersonal love what does
this
mean for my relationship with my wife? Further
if I
wasn't with a partner when becoming
enlightened, how
would one come to be with me? By random
chance? If
there's no personal love could I have a
meaningful
relationship with just anyone who walks into
the room or
is there something which would make a
particular person
special to me?
7. On a more mundane level, can I watch a movie (other
than
the Matrix) or TV entertainment? Presumably it
wouldn't
be possible to mentally put oneself in the
position of
the film's hero as most people apparently do
when they
watch. Can I suspend my disbelief to be
entertained? As I
don't need entertainment maybe I never watch
films or TV
again.
8. Similarly do I watch the news on TV or read the
newspaper? Isn't 99% of the news irrelevant in
reality?
It is what is, and most is just another form
of
entertainment.
9. I presumably don't drink alcohol. No going to the bar
with mates then. Also no drugs. (This bit was
easy).
10. How do I choose what to eat?
11. Do I bother to do anything which is "good for
me" like
eating vegetables or taking exercise? I'm not
looking for
any results - I'm perfect as I am. Do I not
comb my hair
or appear well dressed as I don't need to make
an
impression on anyone?
12. Do I change/ditch my car? Am I concerned what it is doing
to the earth?
13. Do I try to persuade my wife / family to change something
they are doing? Like not being aware. Or
watching soap
operas while I am in the room.
14. Do I go to my friends funeral? Or do I tell people
his/her life is in the past and now
irrelevant.
Do you see the problems? Has anyone written about how their
practical life in the world changed as a result of
enlightenment?
Russell
Jerry
> 1. If I lose my sense of individuality who am I talking
about when I say > "I"? "I love you". "I
agree to do ....". "This is my bank account and
> you've overcharged me". Am I playing a game here? Do I
stop using the
> word "I" except to mean my bodymind?
You keep your natural commitments.
> 2. If I don't have any personal wants or needs anymore, what
gets me out
> of bed and decides what I shall do today / at any moment?
Time and cycles smooth out. The choppiness of chronology calms
down.
> 3. Further to 2. if, say, I make an arrangement with a
friend to go
> bowling. Come the time to go, why should I go? Maybe I'll go
- or not. I
> don't need to go to prove my ability or man(/woman)hood or
anything
> else. I might be content just sitting at home enjoying the
succession of
> moments. Do I go to avoid annoying my friend or to avoid
getting a
> reputation for unreliability (which I wouldn't care about).
If I get a
> reputation for unreliability will it start to alienate me
from some of
> my current friends? Perhaps I never go bowling again. Or
play basketball
> / golf /tennis / etc.
True. This could happen. Some friends and social activities
could fade from your life.
> 4. Maybe I need to change or abandon my job. Ok this seems
to be obvious
> as my whole outlook will change.
You may.
> 5. But what do I do with my life? Do I naturally become a
teacher/guru?
> I would have thought that this isn't the only calling -
presumably I can
> other things which I would "want" to do. (But I
don't have any wants!).
> I'm not looking for a job to "do good" as I don't
have any sense of good
> and bad - it's just all as it is.
It is likely your wife will want you to get a decent job.
Your wife is your greatest teacher because of the demands of
marriage.
> 6. If I look at love as an impersonal love what does this
mean for my
> relationship with my wife?
You're not going to become ignorant of what it is to be a
husband. You'll fulfill that commitment.
>Further if I wasn't with a partner when
> becoming enlightened, how would one come to be with me? By
random
> chance? If there's no personal love could I have a
meaningful
> relationship with just anyone who walks into the room or is
there
> something which would make a particular person special to
me?
> 7. On a more mundane level, can I watch a movie (other than
the Matrix)
> or TV entertainment? Presumably it wouldn't be possible to
mentally put
> oneself in the position of the film's hero as most people
apparently do
> when they watch. Can I suspend my disbelief to be
entertained? As I
> don't need entertainment maybe I never watch films or TV
again.
It's natural to want to be entertained. It goes back to
natural commitments, which are met in each person's own way
and now from a different point of view.
> 8. Similarly do I watch the news on TV or read the
newspaper? Isn't 99%
> of the news irrelevant in reality? It is what is, and most
is just
> another form of entertainment.
yes, goes back to entertainment being a natural thing for
people to pursue and enjoy.
> 9. I presumably don't drink alcohol. No going to the bar
with mates
> then. Also no drugs. (This bit was easy).
> 10. How do I choose what to eat?
Diet could change as the spiritual experiences one goes
through do cause changes in the physiology.
> 11. Do I bother to do anything which is "good for
me" like eating
> vegetables or taking exercise? I'm not looking for any
results - I'm
> perfect as I am. Do I not comb my hair or appear well
dressed as I don't
> need to make an impression on anyone?
Ask yourself whether its natural for human beings to eat well
and groom themselves. If it seems natural and you do it now,
you'll always do it, but from a new point of view and
possibly with certain changes.
> 12. Do I change/ditch my car? Am I concerned what it is
doing to the
> earth?
Maybe. This is the kind of thing that could change.
> 13. Do I try to persuade my wife / family to change
something they are
> doing? Like not being aware. Or watching soap operas while I
am in the
> room.
If it's the nature of your personality to push people toward
your way of seeing things, then you'll continue to do that.
Otherwise, unless there's a calling to verbally teach, your
presence alone may or may not have an influence. Not to
worry!
> 14. Do I go to my friends funeral? Or do I tell people
his/her life is
> in the past and now irrelevant.
Where do you hear any enlightened people speaking like that?
> Do you see the problems? Has anyone written about how their
practical
> life in the world changed as a result of enlightenment?
People write about how their life changes as the result of
spiritual experiences. There are some lives you could read
about.
Jeff Belyea
> > Assume in the discussion below I am newly enlightened.
If you were newly enlightened,
you wouldn't have any of these
questions, Russell. But I tease...
> >
> > 1. If I lose my sense of individuality who am I talking
about
when I say
> > "I"? "I love you". "I agree to
do ....". "This is my bank
account and
> > you've overcharged me". Am I playing a game here?
Do I stop
using the
> > word "I" except to mean my bodymind?
You don't lose your sense of individuality,
you lose your sense of separateness. The
rational, logical you is sweetened, tuned
up. Your independence is strengthened, yet
you feel a part of everyone and everything
else at the same time.
What you lose is your attachment to the outcome
of events, and your inner joy is not dependent
on anything external. You come to trust your
own judgment, first and foremost. You feel
as though you are witnessing your own life,
without any emotional attachment to how it
goes. There is a sense of acceptance of all
is well.
As Goethe said, "As soon as you trust
yourself, you will know how to live."
> > 2. If I don't have any personal wants or needs anymore,
what
gets me out
> > of bed and decides what I shall do today / at any
moment?
The joy being alive. A realization
that you are the field of joy and
love and all of life's experiences.
You plan less and know spontaneity
more, put you do not go into a
stupefied state of beatitude. You
make decisions without the ambivalence
of should I or shouldn't I, because
you have complete trust in your right action.
You find that your energy is renewed
more quickly and your interest in
even minor events is one of awesome
fascination. Goals that looked
unattainable are easily reached.
Things seem to fall into place.
People melt and smile. You are
surrounded by mercy and grace.
Enlightenment is a joy unspeakable,
a peace that passes understanding. It
is a new way of perceiving who you
are and what you are in this life.
> > 3. Further to 2. if, say, I make an arrangement with a
friend to go
> > bowling. Come the time to go, why should I go? Maybe
I'll go -
or not. I
> > don't need to go to prove my ability or man(/woman)hood
or anything
> > else. I might be content just sitting at home enjoying
the
succession of
> > moments. Do I go to avoid annoying my friend or to
avoid getting a
> > reputation for unreliability (which I wouldn't care
about). If I
get a
> > reputation for unreliability will it start to alienate
me from
some of
> > my current friends? Perhaps I never go bowling again.
Or play
basketball
> > / golf /tennis / etc.
That's right. You do what
you what for your own health
and happiness, taking complete
responsibility, and you realize
that by attending to your own
health and happiness as first
priority that you are then the
best friend, lover, neighbor
you've ever been -- because you are
healthy and happy, and filled
with an all-pervading peace
and sense of love for life.
Yes, your new independence may
alienate you from friends. The
problem is that you are not longer
able to be manipulated emotionally,
and those who build relationships
this way will be stunned and angry.
But enlightenment and realization
blossoms, if you will, from the heart --
the seat of kindness and compassion.
These become more keen, but without the
sentimental immaturity that makes
you open to manipulation.
> > 4. Maybe I need to change or abandon my job. Ok this
seems to be
obvious
> > as my whole outlook will change.
Count on it.
> > 5. But what do I do with my life? Do I naturally become
a
teacher/guru?
Yes, but the form of that role can be in a most mundane
occupation.
Your personality will determine in part how you choose to fulfill
the heart' desire that makes you naturally want to share this
good news of freedom available to those who seek it.
> > I would have thought that this isn't the only calling -
presumably I can
> > other things which I would "want" to do. (But
I don't have any
wants!).
> > I'm not looking for a job to "do good" as I
don't have any sense
of good
> > and bad - it's just all as it is.
A knowledge of what is right and what
is wrong is inherent, as is our natural
"goodness", Enlightenment brightens
this sense, it doesn't dull it.
> > 6. If I look at love as an impersonal love what does
this mean
for my
> > relationship with my wife? Further if I wasn't with a
partner when
> > becoming enlightened, how would one come to be with me?
By random
> > chance? If there's no personal love could I have a
meaningful
> > relationship with just anyone who walks into the room
or is there
> > something which would make a particular person special
to me?
Lover's choice. Your own sense of propriety and civility,
loyalty,
devotion will be sharpened. Romantic love is enhanced by
enlightenment. But enlightenment and realization is more
fulfilling
than any sex, drugs and rock and roll - even those all of these
may be enjoyed in a new "light".
> > 7. On a more mundane level, can I watch a movie (other
than the
Matrix)
> > or TV entertainment? Presumably it wouldn't be possible
to
mentally put
> > oneself in the position of the film's hero as most
people
apparently do
> > when they watch. Can I suspend my disbelief to be
entertained?
You'll find that the core
message often is about awakening
and enlightenment, built on
some metaphor. Yes, you do change
your fantasy about being the hero,
but only in your new perspective of
how you see the role of hero. All
sensory apparatus is heightened.
Enjoyment is on a higher level.
You can still enjoy the movie
and appreciate entertainment.
As I
> > don't need entertainment maybe I never watch films or
TV again.
Maybe.
> > 8. Similarly do I watch the news on TV or read the
newspaper?
Isn't 99%
> > of the news irrelevant in reality? It is what is, and
most is just
> > another form of entertainment.
Life goes on and your interests in it go on.
> > 9. I presumably don't drink alcohol. No going to the
bar with mates
> > then. Also no drugs. (This bit was easy).
Doesn't matter. No peer pressure.
> > 10. How do I choose what to eat?
Same way you always did, except possibly
with a new sense of respect for your
physical "temple" in which you found
this treasure.
> > 11. Do I bother to do anything which is "good for
me" like eating
> > vegetables or taking exercise? I'm not looking for any
results - I'm
> > perfect as I am. Do I not comb my hair or appear well
dressed as
I don't
> > need to make an impression on anyone?
You enjoy the art form. You appearance may become impeccable
because you enjoy the process and feeling of dressing up. You
just don't do it to impress, you do it because you enjoy it.
> > 12. Do I change/ditch my car? Am I concerned what it is
doing to the
> > earth?
Maybe.
> > 13. Do I try to persuade my wife / family to change
something
they are
> > doing? Like not being aware. Or watching soap operas
while I am
in the
> > room.
An early reaction can be to mentally machine gun
everyone you meet into discovering this exciting
new enlightenment, but for the most part, all
is taken in stride, and soap opera or not is
of no consequence.
> > 14. Do I go to my friends funeral? Or do I tell people
his/her
life is
> > in the past and now irrelevant.
No, you feel emotion and love on a deeper level.
You become kinder and sweeter, not detached and indifferent.
> >
> > Do you see the problems? Has anyone written about how
their
practical
> > life in the world changed as a result of enlightenment?
Volumes. Yogananda Paramhansa wrote
a lot about balancing practical life
and enlightenment. As did, Jesus.
Always in love, Jeff
Gene Poole
> > Dear editor,
> >
> > I'm puzzled by something in all the stuff on
enlightenment that I have
> > looked at on the Internet. I know this is not a
discussion group but
> > despite this I submit the following.
> >
> > Something's missing. Most if not all the material I see
is about how to
> > gain enlighenment. (And I know this is badly worded -
it isn't something
> > you gain - more something false you lose.) Personally I
feel the
> > attraction. I'm pulled to this as everything I read
about it makes so
> > much sense to me. But my wife doesn't understand
(sounds like I'm
> > talking to my mistress!). She wants to know how it will
affect my life
> > in the world practically and also specifically our
relationship, as she
> > isn't following this path. Good question I thought. And
one I can't
> > answer myself. I can make guesses but the more I
thought about this the
> > less satisfactory I found my understanding. So I have
compiled a few
> > points and questions below and would appreciate if
there is anyone
> > reading this who can throw some light in this. And
maybe some more
> > questions.
> >
> > Assume in the discussion below I am newly enlightened.
Here is the easy shortcut answer: (easy for me to give)
If you were newly 'enlightened', you would
get a very strong impression that the world
is a very different place, than you had known
'before'.
There is now a very powerful ability to
'negotiate' with your 'host'; you discover
that every act you 'do' does initiate an
outward-ramifying field of force, which
produces an immediate 'feedback' with
no delay AT ALL. You know that the entire
universe is ALIVE, but that the most
important and rewarding aspect of the
universe to negotiate with is usually
OTHER PEOPLE.
You learn quickly to easily differentiate
between the 'cosmic feedback' and the
learned, idiosyncratic stuff that is of the
'person'. So it is possible to communicate
with the living universe by communicating
'with' a person. The person you are interacting
with does not necessarily know what you are
experiencing, and you will not necessarily
tell them. You will practice this until you
are 'natively proficient'.
The universe does not need to be pushed,
and it does not LIKE to be pushed. Basically,
it will respect you just to the degree that you
respect it.
It is possible for you to find peace (ha ha... lets
narrow that down!) or a very neutral and quiet
place 'within yourself'. If you do, the whole universe
will become just that quiet and 'peaceful'.
You understand that the universe does NOT play
favorites. You are one of many 'units', and it is
your 'place' (not pushing!) to simply wait to be
contacted by an intelligence agent of the living
universe. On the other hand, you are that agent.
Because the entire universe is alive, you may
be deeply surprised to find that inanimate objects
can be animated, and made to display themselves
to you in unusual ways. The living universe will
give you as much as you can take; but you also realize,
that if you have blockages and ignorance, that
you must submit yourself to the universe's rapid
development forces. This is like a very compressed
course in 'how things work', and if you learn, you
will be spared many failures-by-experiment.
Consciousness will be known as a mutable 'force'
or energy, which can be dense, light, empty, dry,
moist, and/or 'still' and 'moving'. You will learn how
to manipulate your local atmosphere (the energy of
the space around you), to correct or take advantage
of these properties of consciousness.
Now... as to your many questions about social
propriety (because that is what your issue is),
remember that you know that everything in every
moment is a 'negotiation'. How you 'hold yourself'
(including letting go) is a 'signal' to the living
universe and the feedback is immediate and can
be felt... profoundly so.
So 'propriety' is AWAYS a matter of negotiation;
there are few relationships (potentials of interaction)
that can be stated as 'law'. What you 'do' will come
back to you, and you are not confused about this;
it is simply the way things are. You negotiate not with
'people' but with the cosmos; and the feedback of the
cosmos can express through others. But it always
expresses 'in your self' as a presence that is 'pro' or
'con' to whatever impulse you are tempted to enact.
Finally, you realize that the true 'balance of nature'
expresses itself 'geometrically'; that is, given the
forms of the moment, things either fit or not. You
know that in the next moment, what fit before will
not now, and vice versa. You appreciate the great
beauty of the flow of continual change, and you
accept your own changing nature as that.
You see clearly that the universe is itself 'evolving'
as an 'entity'; and that it is quite busy, but not too
busy to share itself with you. You learn by its
example; you learn to emulate the ways of the
universe. You may be shocked to actually see
that you are the universe.
You finally (and suddenly) understand that the
universe expresses itself everywhere, always;
and you finally 'get' why nobody could succeed
in pushing around the David Carradine character
(Cain?) in the TV series 'Kung Fu'. You see how the
principle of negotiation in ALWAYS enforced; there
are no exceptions. Selfish 'doings' do not 'fit' and
the 'clash' will reverberate within you, as evidence
of error.
On the other hand... it is possible (you see) to
simply live in simple harmony, you as your own
nature, in the living universe with its nature. There
are no mysteries, because the ongoing way of Being
is a harmonious flow, which relieves you of 'having to
figure it out'. There is little if any reward offered for
being or having a 'personality'.
Somewhere along the way, if you learn from the
experiences that are offered to you, you may gain
'administrative privileges'. You may be called upon
from time to time to perform important acts of
arbitration in certain 'hot spots' that can arise,
due to the ongoing theme of 'evolution' (learning
the effects of ignorance).
You will learn what it feels like to be 'wrong'; and
that it usually feels like nothing at all to be 'right'
(right is "not wrong", not right). Peace is your
'reward' for staying in balance, and every thought,
every impulse you have, creates immediate and
profound 'feedback' that you feel. You discover that
it is quite easy to 'stay on the path', because if you
stray a bit to either side, you feel the burn.
Awareness is not a matter of figuring it out, or
of interpretation; it is an ongoing negotiation,
which if allowed, can be so subtle as to draw
you into its very heart...
Hur Guler
> > Assume in the discussion below I am newly enlightened.
and i'll answer as an unenlightened spectator in the guru
field...a
sort of market analyst, specializing in things of unpractical
nature.
> >
> > 1. If I lose my sense of individuality who am I talking
about
when I say
> > "I"? "I love you". "I agree to
do ....". "This is my bank account
and
> > you've overcharged me". Am I playing a game here?
Do I stop using
the
> > word "I" except to mean my bodymind?
i'm not overly fond of ramesh's concepts but i find myself using
them
often. he has a useful expression: "act as if."
"act as if" you are an individual, especially when it
comes to your
bank account.
> > 2. If I don't have any personal wants or needs anymore,
what gets
me out
> > of bed and decides what I shall do today / at any
moment?
'cause usually it's easier to walk to the bathroom than putting
one's
hand in the bedpan?
> > 3. Further to 2. if, say, I make an arrangement with a
friend to
go
> > bowling. Come the time to go, why should I go? Maybe
I'll go - or
not. I
> > don't need to go to prove my ability or man(/woman)hood
or
anything
> > else. I might be content just sitting at home enjoying
the
succession of
> > moments. Do I go to avoid annoying my friend or to
avoid getting a
> > reputation for unreliability (which I wouldn't care
about). If I
get a
> > reputation for unreliability will it start to alienate
me from
some of
> > my current friends? Perhaps I never go bowling again.
Or play
basketball
> > / golf /tennis / etc.
it depends where you get the better offer from. even if a
"highly
experienced enlightened" guru got a better offer than the
satsang in
your town s/he'd be there instead.
> > 4. Maybe I need to change or abandon my job. Ok this
seems to be
obvious
> > as my whole outlook will change.
i know where you're going with this. don't even think about being
a
guru. at this rate there are two enlightened gurus for every
nondual
seekers in the market. it's always the same 20 people who show up
for the satsangs and just as you think you're winning them over,
they'll make passing references to their (other) teacher.
> > 5. But what do I do with my life? Do I naturally become
a
teacher/guru?
ok since you insist...yes, you can naturally become a successful
guru
IF you have tons of shakti (and if you did, you'd already know by
the
psychic shakti vampires eager to suck the energy all around you).
if
talk alone was enough, trust me, most of us on this are more than
qualified.
> > 6. If I look at love as an impersonal love what does
this mean
for my
> > relationship with my wife? Further if I wasn't with a
partner when
> > becoming enlightened, how would one come to be with me?
By random
> > chance? If there's no personal love could I have a
meaningful
> > relationship with just anyone who walks into the room
or is there
> > something which would make a particular person special
to me?
enlightened people say there's no lover, no beloved but love
itself...yet if you are lucky enough to find her, you'd be a fool
to
let go off the beloved in the flesh just because she's
an "illusion." what an illusion though...oh la la
> > 7. On a more mundane level, can I watch a movie (other
than the
Matrix)
> > or TV entertainment? Presumably it wouldn't be possible
to
mentally put
> > oneself in the position of the film's hero as most
people
apparently do
> > when they watch. Can I suspend my disbelief to be
entertained? As
I
> > don't need entertainment maybe I never watch films or
TV again.
your life as a movie, imagined in another movie, dreamer waking
up in
the dream and waking up again and again, finding oneself in the
dream, it happens all the time.
> > 8. Similarly do I watch the news on TV or read the
newspaper?
Isn't 99%
> > of the news irrelevant in reality? It is what is, and
most is just
> > another form of entertainment.
you never read the story of ramana handing ug krishnamurti the
comic
pages from the newspaper he was reading when ug asked him for
enlightenment? save the comic pages and hand them out as your
teachings.
> > 9. I presumably don't drink alcohol. No going to the
bar with
mates
> > then. Also no drugs. (This bit was easy).
spiritual wine is cheaper too...just bread and water and
voila...the
brain turns it into non-toxic intoxicant, which some celebrate as
the
Truth. what year were you enlightened? 2002? it was a very good
year.
> > 10. How do I choose what to eat?
ask for the menu
> > 11. Do I bother to do anything which is "good for
me" like eating
> > vegetables or taking exercise? I'm not looking for any
results -
I'm
> > perfect as I am. Do I not comb my hair or appear well
dressed as
I don't
> > need to make an impression on anyone?
sure, if you're looking for a date or need job.
> > 12. Do I change/ditch my car? Am I concerned what it is
doing to
the
> > earth?
what? you already expect your imaginary seekers to drive you???
wait till you have seekers who're ready to drive you in a new
rolls
royce. i'd even settle for a toyota since the guru market is very
tough nowadays.
> > 13. Do I try to persuade my wife / family to change
something
they are
> > doing? Like not being aware. Or watching soap operas
while I am
in the
> > room.
now that you're enlightened you know that you never had any power
over your wife...especially over watching soap operas.
> > 14. Do I go to my friends funeral? Or do I tell people
his/her
life is
> > in the past and now irrelevant.
no, instead you say things like, "he was never born. what
was never
born, never dies," while you wipe your tears.
> >
> > Do you see the problems? Has anyone written about how
their
practical
> > life in the world changed as a result of enlightenment?
practical guide to enlightened living? now that's an interesting
idea for a new age book.
Another Question and Answer
Someone asked:
why not make up a full inventory of sayings by nisargadatta,
Ramana maharshi, krishnamurti and ramesh balsekar that
coincide with remarkable similarity. I have noticed such
parallels of articulation in i am that, ramesh's books and
ramana and the other chap.
Jan Barendrecht
The suggestion reminds of questions like
"why is chocolate with
milk
fruits
nuts
pure
but never without sugar?" The chocolate is similar to
the Upanishads
in works regarding Advaita Vedanta,
and the Patanjali sutras regarding texts on
raja yoga. The sugar is a way to seduce those, disliking
a bitter taste, or not hungry. Good appetite! :-)
Hur Guler
rather than getting into a passionate philosophical debate or
an
aloof advaitin response of "who" would be concerned
with such mind
categorizations, i'd like to point a more mundane handicap:
possibility of running into copyright violations when one tries
to
make up a "full inventory." yet for a scholarly
seeker who has such
capability, this may present an interesting challenge if done in
a
limited scope that didn't violate the fair use laws.
and they can always use the nonduality related discussion groups
to
publish/publicize their comparative jewels of remembrance (or the
broken pieces of glass as someone pointed on another
group).
svcs
I Am list
Question: Should we not also consider his teachings?
Sri Ramana Maharshi: He who instructs an ardent seeker to do this
or
that is not a true master. The seeker is already afflicted by his
activities and wants peace and rest. In other words he wants
cessation of his activities. If a teacher tells him to do
something
in addition to, or in place of, his other activities, can that be
a
help to the seeker?
Activity is creation. Activity is the destruction of one's
inherent
happiness. If activity is advocated the adviser is not a master
but a
killer. In such circumstances either the Creator (Brahma) or
death
(Yama) may be said to have come in the guise of a master. Such a
person cannot liberate the aspirant; he can only strengthen his
fetters.
Question: How can I find my own Guru?
Sri Ramana Maharshi: By intense meditation.
Akilesh Ayyar & Swami Bodhananda
NDS
Hello. Swami Bodhananda Saraswati and I recently wrote a book
of
dialogues on a number of spiritual and philosophical topics of
interest, from consciousness and reality to the daily application
of
spiritual principles. The Swami's perspective is of the
Hindu "advaita," or "non-dualistic" school,
with of course his own
unique interpretation of that tradition. I was the "young
american"
skeptic in the talks, and he was the teacher and respondent.
Currently we have posted two chapters from our manuscript online,
at http://tinyurl.com/lqqu .
We would really appreciate any critiques or thoughtful feedback
you
may have. Are the ideas clear? Does the book interest you? If you
are familiar with the hindu philosophy of vedanta, does it enrich
the global understanding of that topic? If you aren't, did it
give
you a clear and interesting new perspective on non-duality?
Our apologies in advance for any spelling or grammar mistakes --
if
you point them out, we would be grateful. Anything else of value
you
could add would be much appreciated.
Swami Bodhananda Saraswati is the spiritual director of The
Sambodh
Society, USA, and is a well-known vedantic scholar and sannyasi.
I
am currently completing a master's in information systems at
Carnegie Mellon.
Thank you very much.
Hari Om,
Akilesh Ayyar & Swami Bodhananda
Petros Petros Truth
'The entire universe is doing zazen in the same way that your
body is doing
zazen. When all parts of your body are practicing zazen, then
that is how
the whole universe practices zazen. Each mountain is standing and
each river
is flowing independently. All parts of the universe are
participating in
their practice.'
-- Shunryu Suzuki
from 'Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness: Zen Talks on the
Sandokai'
Karta
NDS
"My whole life has been spent waiting
for an epiphany, a manifestation of
God's presence, the kind of transcendent,
magical experience that lets you see
your place in the big picture. And
that is what I had with my first
compost heap."
-Bette Midler,
Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1996
SeraphimSigrist
Live Journal
The DIVISION OF
THE WATERS: Then and Perhaps Now Also. .
Friends, pockawida sent me a link to a
gallery of paintings by
Michael O'Brien. I am struck in particular by one titled Angel Dividing the Waters. The thumbnail of it is here,
but
it looks better in a larger form which however is not linkable.
Now this leads me to think a little about the division of the
waters
which is the event of the Second Day of Creation where it is said Let there be an expanse(the word firmament is used in some
translations but it conveys not much to the mind)which divides
the
waters below that expanse from those above it...
I then do a little reading on and off the internet and come to
some idea about what this is all about and perhaps you will join
me in considering the matter, which is finally not as remote
as it seems I think... . .
I will use my form of loosly linked paragraphs as being
quicker and more condensed in some ways by leaving gaps.
THE DIVISION OF THE WATERS
(1)Now the image of the universe in ancient times ,as knowledge
developed, became one of the earth as the center looking upwards
into the night sky at spheres of planets and beyond that the
stars. It is not an inaccurate image, but it is much more
cumbersome for astronomic calculation than the Copernican.
However
it does have its own quality of awe and of a sense of the Height
of things.
(2)The image of the dividing waters is still more ancient than
this
largely discarded image even, and is that of earth and above
it a sort of dome, expanse we have called it or firmament in
an old word, which is in effect a weather maker for one thing...
dividing water above from the waters which surround the
inhabited earth.
(3)Before that we have an undifferentiated vast water with
no land... a primitive chaos. In the Babylonian version of this
image of the world the separation of things into clarity is
represented by the victory of the sky god Marduk (Marduk by
the way appears as a travelling peddler in the wonderful
cult film The legend of Hillbilly John which I have
spoken of before and is based on the Silver John stories of
Manly Wade Wellman which I love, but anyway...where were we,
Marduk's victory over the sea dragon Tiamat whom he kills
and divides. Although it comes from the same level of science
as it were, the same cosmic image, the Genesis story is concise
and without mythological material(the Angel of the Division is
the
painters concept in fact not the Biblical).
(4)What is represented here?
I suppose the dividing the actualized from the imagined possible
is an important labor for all of us isnt it?
Each starts with a sense of possiblities, and we may imagine them
at first to be without limit. Suppose for example I have the idea
that I can be a writer.
I will likely start with a sense of almost unlimited talent
and unless I allow myself to actually write something and submit
it to some judgement, by sending it to an editor or showing it to
people not too kind to make serious critical comment, I will not
go beyond this stage of feeling oceanic but with no limits, no
form, nothing created.
Similarly with any sort of possibility, including for that matter
the spiritual ways...one may easily at the start feel onself an
at least potential saint or living Buddha or Mage of the of
course
most powerful sort... without any evidence at all beyond this
undefined
oceanic feeling.
(5)
So Melville remarks that the watch in the crows nest atop the
ship
looking out over the sea, can easily stop seeing anything at all
beyond the merging of everything into one...and yet all that one
seeks, the whales, is in making the distinction and seeing
the realities not the dreams enduced by the sea...
(6)
Of course this division is a kind of end for the imaginary
spirituality and the imaginary action and creation...
Eliot puts it...
Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
(7)
But at the division of the waters the
possibility of a world appears... a real
creativity, a real life, a real spiritual
way. Not what we dreamed in the aeons of
sleep of the undivided sea, but precisely
beyond all our dreams...
Now I will try to find an image or two further to represent
this matter of the waters divided...
And welcome all shared thought, ideas, questions even the
floor always open, and am yours
+Seraphim . . . .
The Brilliance of the Sea by Robert Meyers . .
" The great firmament:The heavens are shown as a
double circle around two intersecting ellipses. On the inner
circle are twelve smaller circles inscribed with the names of the
signs of the zodiac. Scientific instructions in the Mashal
ha-Kadmoni." .
.
Firmament: Barbara Howard.
Wildgarden
Live Journal
After my son caught a back-to school-cold, and then a long
weekend, I find my self blessedly alone this morning. The hardest
thing about family life is the constant demands on my attention.
My husband has 5 planets in Leo, ha, and while he is the kindest
soul in the world he needs a lot of attention. My son makes a lot
of noise, some of it is beautiful noise, he often sings
spontaneously, melodic little songs which are a pleasure. He also
squawks and bumps into things and wants to play the television
and noisy video games which cut right through whatever thread of
thought I am following.
I find it to be impossible to write unless I am alone. I envy
those who can write in a cafe, in a public place. I used to be
able to, but now I need silence.
Last night there was a firefly on the screen. I've seen them
outside of town but that was a first in the 6 years I've been
living in the city. When I was a child my sister and I ran
through a fairyland of insect flourescense every summer evening,
while the chatter from the baseball game on the television
drifted through the open windows.
I was writing about etheric engineering and there's a lot I mean
by this. But it basically comes down to spiritual approaches to
medicine and to agriculture. I have always been spiritually
inclined, somewhat mystical even, but I am not religious. I have
not met a religion that I could feel free within. This could be
because I am a woman who does not easily submit, but assumes an
equal balance of power with man.
Even Buddhism has a strong patriarchal tradition although it
looks to me that contemporary Buddhism is a field in which women
can participate to fullest potential. But I don't even feel as if
I could say that I 'am' a Buddhist. I never approached Buddhism
particularly as a religion anyway but as a practice, a strategy.
I was never so much interested in the scriptures as I was in
meditation and the flowering of the self within. And to follow
the self within has been for me the means of seeking God.
But God has always been most evident to me in the face of
creation. When I first became involved with Buddhist meditation I
fell prey to a sort of nihilistic depression that I also
recognize in many others even long time meditation friends in the
Theravadin tradition. It's as if by realizing the illusory nature
of phenomena one begins to dismiss phenomena as being
unimportant.
An epiphany occurred for me when I heard Chogyam Trungpa say
something to the effect that
the ultimate spiritual realm and the physical realm are the same,
and that by conscious and compassionate attention to the physical
environment one honors spiritual reality. Elementary right? But I
am perhaps not as deep as I like to think that I am. This
statement liberated me to live in the sacred world, right here
and now.
RobertsTheology
Live Journal
The Wounded Healer, by Henri Nouwen
But the more I think
about loneliness, the more I think that
the wound of loneliness is like the Grand Canyon - a deep
incision in the surface of our existence which has become an
inexhaustible source of beauty and self-understanding.
Therefore I would like to voice loudly and
clearly what might
seem unpopular and maybe even disturbing: The Christian way
of life does not take away our loneliness; it protects and
cherishes it as a precious gift. Sometimes it seems as if we
do everything possible to avoid the painful confrontation
with our basic human loneliness, and allow ourselves to be
trapped by false gods promising immediate satisfaction and
quick relief. But
perhaps the painful awareness of loneliness is an
invitation to transcend our limitations and look beyond the
boundaries of our existence. The awareness of loneliness
might be a gift we must protect and guard, because our
loneliness reveals to us an inner emptiness that can be
destructive when misunderstood, but filled with promise for
him who can tolerate its sweet pain. -Henri Nouwen
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