--- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@...> wrote: > > "What has been your experiences with Buddha, Buddhism, and Buddhist cultures?" > > Mostly positive and lots of exposure, in Borobudur, Bali, Hong Kong and here. > I can go into more detail with you privately, but I am not here to try to > prove my open mindedness re Buddhist stuff.
Good. I misunderstood the point of our question. Given the context of your question, i thought you were chastising me to not be blind to the evils of Buddhism. And thus my response, "Not my experience". (though I had never collected my thoughts about Buddhism before so the exercise was productive and left a sublime sustained aftertaste. > > In any case, this isn't about Buddhism vs. TM. This is about a confused, > emotionally stunted person on here (Vaj), My take is a lot more along the lines of Curtis'. I hardly think Vaj is perfect, as i hardly think I am -- so right off the start he and I have some commonality. I find him a useful resource on a number of things. Not the definitive word, but someone who introduces concepts, frameworks and sources that I later explore and make up my own mind about. He has some quirks and a given schtich -- some of which I pass over. No value to me, but it may be for someone -- who am I to judge. >who has a great deal invested in Buddhism, especially the Tibetan variety, Which is wonderful stuff IMO. >who has watched the Dalai Lama help to destroy Tibet. How has he done this? By not violently resisting the Chinese? >Instead of admitting such a gross failure, Vaj has decided that he wants to >blame Maharishi for everything wrong, and try to tear down the positive >experiences of those who practice TM. Seems like there is quite a stretch in your motivational analysis -- and it has little practical value to me. But if useful to you, and does no harm to others, go for it. >It is unconscionable and misguided, and I enjoy pointing out Why is that? Seems an odd pastime to me. So MUCH more productive, entertaining and helpful pastimes. (Ha, listening to jewel who has popped up on my random play "In the end, only kindness matters". (She sounds so great on good speakers at high volume.) >the distraction lil' Vaj is creating to avoid owning up to following the Dalai >Lama, I did not know he was student of DL. I thought he had several mentors including Repoche this and that. And simply read and quoted a little DL. So that GREAT if he is one of DL's adepts. Perhaps i can have him introduce me someday. I "met" him in Sarnarth along with one million Tibetians and Nepalese -- I would not have it any other way. But a personal meeting would be sublime. >currently the world's greatest spiritual failure. > If he is for you, great. I hope his failure serves as inspiration for your own path. To me he is just God, just a slob like one of us, trying to find his way home. While a great song line -- I do find it one of life's most astonishing and holy ventures to actually, really, see God behind the mask of everyone we meet. Some such visions are challenging, but ultimately rewarding, i find. > The other man child thats a good thing right? The experience and wisdom of a man (of some years, ha) and the heart and mindset (as in fluid, flexible and creative) of youth. Like George Strait sings, "I feel like I'm 25 .. most of the time." (And that song has some amazing almost vedantic wisdom in it and nicely said.) >who indulges in this distraction is Bozotronic Barry, I hope that is a moniker that helps you see the best in Turq -- God in another form, just a slob like the rest of us, trying to find his way home. >not for the same reasons as Vaj, but the dynamic is the same; doesn't own his >shit.:-) > Great line. Gives me the image of you meticulously maintaining a shit museum -- owning every single piece from your life, making a shrine of each terd. Me, I like to abandon shit as soon as it happens -- but thats me. > > --- In [email protected], tartbrain <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > I am quite happy with my experiences of visiting Buddhist temples in India > > and Thailand, and the museums there with Buddhist art and religious > > objects. I passed so many exquisite statures of Buddha, he became alive to > > me. Inside of me and outside of me. > > > > More so, I was very happy with my experience of stumbling into the week > > long Kalichakra ceremony in Sarnarth when close to a million aspirants > > from from Tibet and Nepal descended on vast field for the week long > > ceremony. Watching, hearing, interacting and literally becoming one with* > > this crowd was a wonderful experience. I was touched by and awakened to > > many things by them. Some these pilgrims are the most gentle, kind, devoted > > people that I have ever had the good fortune to meet and see. And circling > > the stupas in Sarnarth at the place of Buddhas first teaching was quite > > special for me. > > > > Bicycling out in the country and visiting 10 Buddhist temples, some very > > simple and elegant in their starkness, around Chaing Mai was a great day in > > my life. As was seeing some half constructed new monuments -- where a > > 200-300 foot of stone had a half carved Buddha at the top, as if emerging > > from a cave of rock. Exquisite visual metaphor. > > > > And the many young Buddhist monks in Thailand are a healing sight for poor > > and weary western eyes. I love that there a culture, even in this modern > > age, that encourages ALL of the young to take 1-3 years of monastic life -- > > before entering into their worldly professions (or continuing as monks.) > > > > And jack Keroeuc' s Dharma Bums is a classic IMO -- a western beatish life > > interpretation and adaptation of living the Dharma. > > > > > > And the sandpainting ceremony has become a powerful and elegant metaphor in > > my life. While I know little of Buddhist practices or organizations, when I > > pick up a book or scan an article, I am amazed and thrilled by the depth > > and subtlety of experience expressed. And expressions so unique and fresh > > relative to my background. > > > > Descending from the heights of Darjerling -- in a cab with bald tires > > passing Buddhist temples alive with colors and flags on a windy day, > > perched on steep moutain sides just below the mountain slope tea > > plantations was breath taking -- or breath fulling. > > > > The few short interviews that i have seen from DL have given me insights > > not present before. > > > > As much as anything, the 4-5 Tibetian Buddhist equisitly detailed and > > beautiful mandalas and paintings of Tibetian gods and godesses that I have > > are daily reminders of the hugely rich and varied culture that Buddhism has > > enlivened. > > > > And MMY -- someone I understand that you respect -- was a large admirer of > > Buddha -- as I experienced in my slices of time with him. > > > > A fully western colleague of japanese descent died suddenly -- and I > > attended his funeral. It was a Buddhist service and was wonderful. The > > chanting monks were to me, the same as the chanting hindu pundits that I > > have had the honor to hear on three continents. And the incense, art, and > > ceremony were signs of a deeply integrated culture. > > > > So yes, Buddha and Buddhism has touched my life in elegant, wonderful and > > mystical ways -- though I have hardly touched the surface and am hardly a > > Buddhist, nor learned in Buddhist ways or methods. I love all world > > cultures and the seeds, branches, sometimes only faint smells, of infinity > > running through them. > > > > What has been your experiences with Buddha, Buddhism, and Buddhist cultures? > > > > > > *in line to see the sand painting, the crowd became one, no one could move > > by thier own volition, one just had to go with the flow. While getting > > crushed was a possibility (and not something I anticipated when stepping > > into the line) it was a wonderful and humbling experience.) > > > > --- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@> wrote: > > > > > > Blindness doesn't work either tart. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], tartbrain <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], nablusoss1008 <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Vaj's MO is to always keep the focus on Maharishi's relatively > > > > > > minor failings vs. having us notice the 400 pound gorilla in the > > > > > > room. OK, Maharishi had girlfriends and did other unethical things. > > > > > > Granted. > > > > > > > > > > > > On the other hand, THE DALAI LAMA SOLD OUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF > > > > > > TIBET. First he lost the country to China, then ran away as his > > > > > > countrymen and fellow monks were systematically tortured, > > > > > > imprisoned, and slaughtered, on the pretext of "fighting for a free > > > > > > Tibet" (from a distance, of course). That was over FIFTY YEARS > > > > > > AGO.I don't see Tibet getting any freer in the meantime, do you? In > > > > > > fact just the reverse. By continually agitating for rebellion, all > > > > > > the Dalai Lama has done is bring increasing hardships to his former > > > > > > people and ensure that the Chinese continue to crack down HARD on > > > > > > the Tibetan region. > > > > > > > > > > > > From a review of Tim Johnson's new book, Tragedy In Crimson (Nation > > > > > > Books ISBN1568586019): > > > > > > "Tibet's exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, is a global moral figure > > > > > > but with a tragic dimension he captures worldwide fame and brings > > > > > > Hollywood figures to his side, but can do little to end six decades > > > > > > of repression against six million Tibetans living under Chinese > > > > > > rule." > > > > > > > > > > > > It is clear by now that Tibet will never be free. This is a > > > > > > monstrous and huge injustice by the Dalai Lama. However if Vaj can > > > > > > continue to turn our attention away from the millions slaughtered > > > > > > in Tibet as the result of the DL's misguided intentions and focus > > > > > > instead on how "TM doesn't work" and "Maharishi charges too much > > > > > > for meditation", he is accomplishing what he set out to do here on > > > > > > FFL and other forums. Don't look at poor, miserable, downright > > > > > > fucked Tibet. Instead focus all that misplaced anger and > > > > > > frustration on on MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI. Yeah, that's the ticket! > > > > > > > > > > > > Vaj is a fraud and a liar. The guy never learned, practiced or > > > > > > taught TM. He has learned though how to build a fantastically > > > > > > distracting story about Maharishi and TM, attempting to mask > > > > > > Tibet's destruction as a result of the egomaniacal intentions of > > > > > > his hero, the Dalai Lama. Sorry Vaj, but WE SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU > > > > > > AND THAT KALI YUGA "MR. NICE GUY". Oh, and as Maharishi used to > > > > > > say, JAI GURU DEV. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That's an interesting analysis. > > > > > Everyone knows that the 2 most fanatic critics of Maharishi and the > > > > > TMO, Turq and Vaj are both so-called Buddhists, which is hardly a > > > > > coincidence. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Intolerance of other religions and POVs is not the hallmark of > > > > spirituality that I aspire to or seek. > > > > > > > > > >
