Barry I like your take and I will get back to you later on about what you said. Thanks very much for such clear expression. Ken
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Kenny H" <kenhassman@> wrote: > > > > After reading many thousands of posts first at alt.tm then here > > I have the idea of writing a book about what I think of as The > > Other Side of Spiritual Growth. > > > > With the new wave of Oprah-Eckhart Tolle, every magazine in > > creation touting some kind of yoga. and presenting only the > > "pro" side of living the Eastern or Spirit-based life, I have > > thought that there are many many people like me, and like others > > posting on FFLIfe, and many people here know of others, both > > TMers or some kind of other spiritual aspirants, who have lived > > the spiritual life only have things go awry as opposed to better. > > They do not necessarily turn into ardent bashers but they are > > experiencing disappointment, disillusionment and may have taken > > steps such as I have and many others have by getting out and > > pursuing an independent life. > > > > I am looking for stories, first-person accounts from people, like > > me, who are not out to bash what they have done, but to express > > themselves, addressing the disappointments and broken promises, > > their side of the story, how life may have taken a downturn inside > > of the opposite. Also, what you/they have done to create a change > > for yourself. Or if you/they even have. > > Ken, > > Since some have pooh-poohed your book idea, I'm > going to applaud it, but with reservations and > suggestions. Please forgive the un-asked-for advice. > > I think that a book full of stories of "Those Who > Walked Away" could be valuable, *especially* in an > age where many are catching the Oprah wave and > "walking to" groups and organizations that promise > realization and/or happiness. > > HOWEVER, while some focus on the "disappointments > and broken promises" might be in order, I think that > you will sabotage the value of your proposed book if > you select stories that tend to repeat that theme > ad nauseum. > > What I think would be more valuable, and less whiny, > is a book full of stories of Those Who Walked Away, > but focusing on the fact that they were all "walking > towards" something new, not merely walking away from > something old. > > Making the decision to walk away from a long-held > set of spiritual beliefs or from the company of those > who believe similarly is heavy-duty. It is a *no less > amazing* thing for a long-time TMer to walk away from > the TM movement than for a long-time Catholic priest > to walk away from the priesthood. And there are > traumas involved IN walking away. > > But if you want to create a work of lasting value in > the world of spiritual books, don't focus on what those > who walked away were walking away *from*, but instead > on the act of walking away, and how that enabled them > to find something more fulfilling. > > My fave songwriter, Bruce Cockburn, wrote a song a few > years ago called "Strange Waters." It was his riff on > the 23rd Psalm, and dealt with his *own* "walking away" > from too-rigidly-held Christian beliefs and "walking > towards" something lighter and more flexible. The last > line of the song reflects, IMO, the distinction I'm > trying to make. It goes, "If I loose my grip, will I > take flight?" > > Bruce loosed his grip on beliefs that had grown para- > lyzing for him, and the result was being able to walk > freely again. A similar theme is found in the video of > Henry Miller that do.rflex posted last night, in which he > relates the Zen parable of the student who studies his > Zen diligently for many years, but who only experiences > satori when, on a trip outside the monastery, he takes > a prostitute up on her offer and gets himself laid. > > SO MUCH of the dogma of spiritual disciplines and relig- > ions is aimed at getting people NOT to "walk away." It's > all about "WE have the 'highest path.' There is nowhere > you could go where you will find higher knowledge or a > faster path to what you seek than WE possess. Therefore > you should *stay where you are*. To leave our path is to > leave the spiritual path, period." > > Sound familiar? It should. That was the essential message > of the TMO for decades, and still is. > > And yet. > > And yet, as you say, one reads the stories of those who > ignored this insistent dogma and DID walk away, and the > bottom line is often NOT bitterness, NOT having left the > spiritual path for good, but a sense of freedom and having > "walked to" something better and brighter (for them) than > what they had walked away from. > > Me, I don't think that the *particular* "new thing" that > these people found that they had "walked towards" is very > important. I think that the important thing -- the exercise > of will and intent and personal power that made spiritual > progress possible for them -- is to be found more in the > act of walking away itself than in the thing one eventually > finds oneself walking to. > > The act of walking away places one of necessity in "Begin- > ner's Mind," in a state where one is OPEN to new experience. > It is THAT act IMO that allows one to loose one's grip and > take flight. Once you find yourself flying, it almost doesn't > matter what direction you fly in. The important thing was > taking that first leap, NOT the "disappointments and > disillusionments" that led you to take it. > > Just my opinion... >
