It's not jaw dropping. Buddhists consider TM to be a form of shamatha or calm abiding meditation which is just what it is. Shamatha with support it's called. Vippassana is about 'insight.' Insight into what? Basically what Buddha taught. There are many forms of vippassana. The point being though that even Buddhist can still appreciate TM and also what it is not.
To assume all meditations are the same or producing the same results and so on is just not so. In some ways it's sad Rajaneesh is not still around to prove that because he was someone who could turn anything into a technique, for something or other. generally jnana I guess. I wasn't personally involved with him. At some Buddhist rallies I have felt no shakti and little sense of coherent stillness, but at other rallies I have felt shakti like in the domes but stirred up really well. Part of the Vajrayana is like the old TM Sunday potluck dinner. I used to like those. But the ceremony involves the food and maybe some light drink so it's like meditation and social interaction. Which is a different sort of shakti altogether. Thanks everyone, even Old World for trying to help me. Today is the day I get shrink wrapped so I'll size the fit and let you guys know how it went. Peace, over..... ----- Original Message ----- From: "raunchydog" <raunchy...@yahoo.com> To: <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 8:47 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Coming to Fairfield, seek to learn. >A few years ago, I lived in Boulder, CO for a few months. One day I >happened to walk by Karma Dzong‎. I went in and discovered a quiet >place to meditate, a beautiful shrine to Buddha, a lot of open floor space >and some comfortable red cushions to sit on. So occasionally, I would stop >by to do TM. Very few people were ever present. No one seemed to mind I was >there, I never spoke to anyone and no one ever spoke to me. It was the >perfect spot. > > Then one day, as I was meditating I noticed a few women arriving with > bowls of food and setting up some tables. Pretty soon the place was > bustling. It turned out it was some annual shindig/feast. I finished > meditating and decided to stick around. > > Everyone started to organize the cushions into rows facing a staged area > and all the food. I sat down next to a nice looking man in his 40's and > introduced myself. He explained they were have a feast and celebration of > something or another. I told him that I had been stopping by to do TM > occasionally. He said he used to do TM but does Vipassana meditation now. > Then much to my surprise, he said, "I start Viprassana by doing TM to > settle my mind." > > I didn't ask, the obvious, "Well, if you need TM to do Viprassana, why > don't you just do TM?" I just smiled and said something lame like, "That's > nice." Some things are just so drop-jaw obvious, an explanation is > unnecessary. > > Anyway Mike, I hope you'll pay us a visit in Fairfield and check out MUM. > Don't mind the naysayers, find out for yourself. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Kirk" <kirk_bernha...@...> wrote: >> >> I almost went to Naropa. On looking back I am glad that I did not. >> Unless >> one loved caligraphy, social working, and archery. Back then Ginsberg >> and >> Trungpa were still alive. Now they are not. The Shamballah people are as >> much a totally absorbing cult as any other on the planet. many lamas do >> not >> support them. Their Kalachakra, has no relation to that of the Dalai Lama >> and Sakya Trizin. In short, they can teach you much but their cultish >> bullshit is whack. Not to mention their core group moved from Boulder to >> Nova Scotia. >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "enlightened_dawn11" <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> >> To: <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> >> Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 3:55 PM >> Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Coming to Fairfield, seek to learn. >> >> >> >i agree with Vaj here, Mike-- if you don't have an established daily >> >routine with TM, Naropa may be a better choice for you. >> > >> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mar 4, 2009, at 4:02 PM, Mike wrote: >> >> >> >> > Hi, >> >> > >> >> >> If you are a college age student looking for a university degree I >> >> >> would recommend getting a broader exposure to your options in life >> >> >> than MUM can offer. I had a great time there, but in retrospect, I >> >> >> know that my college education was very narrowly focused and it >> >> >> limited my life experiences that college can bring. College age is >> >> >> about broadening your horizons to find your happiest life, and MUM >> >> >> is all about one perspective on what the happiest life means. >> >> > >> >> > Yes indeed. I am 35 years old and am specifically interested in MUM >> >> > because of it's focus on mind + body health and balance. I think >> >> > more than the Degree or the traditional learning that happens in >> >> > school, I am interested in deeply integrating health consciousness >> >> > and behaviors into my daily life and routine. The classes and >> >> > learning is like an added bonus. From what I can tell, it seems >> >> > that MUM offers a great structure for this kind of integration. >> >> > >> >> >> Of course if you are out of college and way into TM, then you'll >> >> >> probably love MUM and Fairfield sounds like a charming place with a >> >> >> spiritual bias if you are into that. >> >> > >> >> > Yes, though I am not trained in TM. I do practice my own composite >> >> > form of meditation, which shifts over time depending on what I'm >> >> > learning and trying. Though I am consistently focusing within. I >> >> > am all for a consciousness based community, and think it could be a >> >> > great experience. >> >> > >> >> >> But remember what Shakespere wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio than are dreampt >> >> >> of in Maharishi's philosophies. (That may not be an exact quote but >> >> >> you get my point!) >> >> > >> >> > Yes, I do get your point, and this is what I'm weary of. I >> >> > understand that MMY is a man with a viewpoint who founded a global >> >> > movement of people seeking to create peace on earth. I am all for >> >> > this, it's a beautiful intention. And, if we are all of Unity, and >> >> > I AM THAT, then by extension I am my own Guru. MMY is a teacher, a >> >> > great teacher, among many. So what I am really looking for is fine >> >> > tuned instruction in re-balancing my habits and strengthening my >> >> > foundations with daily practice and clean, vital, healthy foods, and >> >> > communion with like-minded folks. >> >> > >> >> > As I say this, I am reminded that this can be available in many >> >> > regions and places. And still, the MUM option ought to be explored. >> >> >> >> >> >> Have you considered Naropa University (naropa.edu)? Much more diverse >> >> options and a more open-minded place, with options for travel abroad >> >> to the Himalayan kingdoms. >> >> >> >> I once considered MIU, as it was once called, but am glad in >> >> retrospect I ended up going elsewhere, based on friends who went there >> >> and later had regrets. It's too orthodox and limited in terms of >> >> meditative and alternative health for me. >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > ------------------------------------ >> > >> > To subscribe, send a message to: >> > fairfieldlife-subscr...@yahoogroups.com >> > >> > Or go to: >> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ >> > and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To subscribe, send a message to: > fairfieldlife-subscr...@yahoogroups.com > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links > > >
