--- In [email protected], "Rick Archer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > My own experience, and my observation of those whom I consider to have most > successfully achieved the "goal" of meditation practice, does not > corroborate your theory. The realized people I know, on this forum and in my > personal life, tend to be dynamic, clear-thinking, decisive, even forceful > individuals who are above average in their ability to fulfill their desires. > They are not meek, submissive, subservient, or drained. They tend to respect > the guru or gurus from whom they have learned, but are quite independent of > them now, thinking their own thoughts and putting things in their own terms > based on their own experience. It is the goal of true gurus to produce such > individuals. Gurus are just people who are farther up the mountain, or > perhaps sitting on its summit. They can be useful in pointing out the best > route up, or in reminding you that you haven't reached the summit if you're > sitting on your butt thinking you have. To my understanding, you don't unite > with gods by using a bija mantra. You transcend the mantra and realize the > ground state of all existence, including the gods' existence. The realized > people I know don't see themselves as having united with a god. They see all > life from ants to gods as being particles or facets of their infinite > nature. > Amen to that- Yes, that is the very purpose of realization, so that we can enjoy life to the fullest, dynamically. Even a recluse like Ramana Maharishi or Brahmananda Saraswati could no doubt kick the butts of everyone on FFL at once, with both hands tied behind their backs-- no problem. These Indian gurus are anything but passive slugs, mouthing empty philosophies, and declaring that all is stagnant...er, perfect.
And if a realized soul wants to refer to their experience of the infinite as living within God, hearing God, seeing God, then what of it? It is a testament to their fullness of heart.:-)
