--- In [email protected], "John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Curtis, remember our recent discussion on the > > curious phenomenon of people wanting more than > > anything to stop the process of incarnation, and > > never "come back to this world." > > > > Well, duh...this is where it comes from. > > > > In a way, Maharishi's whole rap about "200% of > > life" is and always has been a lie. He has *never* > > been interested in living well in the relative > > world; his interest has always been getting the > > hell *out* of the relative world. He thinks that > > the relative world is "horrible." > > > > Just look at his personal lifestyle. We are talk- > > ing about a man who probably has not been face to > > face with someone who isn't a True Believer in > > decades, and who hasn't left his *room* in a > > similar amount of time. So is it likely that his > > students can get into the idea of the relative > > world as beautiful and perfect on its own terms? > > Nope...they're going to develop beliefs about how > > "horrible" it is, about how interacting in the > > "pleasures of the material world" will "trap" them > > there and lower their state of attention. > > > > As you pointed out, it's NOT just TM and Maharishi. > > This is a recurring theme among many Eastern and > > Western philosophies and spiritual traditions. > > The founders were by nature recluses, unable to > > function well in the world without being taken > > out by their *own* attachments and desires. So they > > retreated from the world, into the world of medi- > > tation or, in some cases, actual recluse lifestyles. > > While these teachers may put on a "false front" for > > the cameras of meditation being a way of enjoying > > 200% of life, for them it was never true; meditation > > was the vehicle for getting *out* of life, for never > > having to deal with it and become as comfortable > > with the relative as they are with the Absolute. > > Is it any wonder that their students begin to > > believe the same things? > > > > In contrast, there are traditions within Buddhism > > and other spiritual groups in which the emphasis is > > NOT on one's personal enlightenment but on helping > > other people as much as possible. The students *get > > out into the world* as an integral part of their > > sadhana, interacting with the "common folk" on a > > daily basis, learning to love them and treat them > > as equals, not as the rabble lost in sensory plea- > > sures and Maya. When you look into the dogma of > > such groups, you *rarely* find any myths or stories > > about "ending incarnation." The reason is simple. > > These traditions *embrace* life instead of running > > away from it, and so their spiritual goals *also* > > embrace life, as opposed to representing getting > > out of life altogether. > > > > Different strokes for different folks. Some folks > > get off on the idea that until they can end their > > relative existence altogether they are "stuck" in > > this "horrible place" as meat puppets or whatever. > > Some are as comfortable with the manifest side of > > life as they are with its unmanifest side, and get > > off on experiencing and enjoying more of both. > > For some reason or the other I just want to present a story from the > Shrimad Bhagavatam, which may or may not address any of the issues > being discussed. It was about a man who hated Krishna with all of > his mind and being. > > At gathering of many people, this man got up and started denouncing > Krishna at top of his lungs. Everyone in the gathering was outraged > and so was Krishna. So, Krishna threw his sharp chakra or discus > toward the man which took the man's head off in a bloody instant. > > As soon as the man died, however, the man's soul or atma merged into > Krishna's body. > > The narrator of the story stated that the reason for this was that, > even though the man hated Krishna with all of his being, he thought > about Krishna night and day. So, he in effect was rewarded for his > efforts, even though his thoughts were full of negative thoughts.
Someday, John, you should learn the difference between pitying Maharishi and hating him.
