While I am not arguing, and certainly I have no fix on the definitive word on
anything, I view it (at times) from a different angle than you. You present a
sort of Horatio Alger spiritual unfoldment bio and "can do" gumption and
earnestness. I can relate. My first 12 years of TM, 17-29 or so, seemed like
that at the time. Looking back at that, or any aspect of my life, the question
that arises is "could I have done anything different". As posted previously, I
think free will is a bit of a mirage. It sure seems real, but when you look
deeper at it, live deeper aspects o fit, there is no "there there", it would
seem.
Or much less there than we presume. What else could I have done? Its like an
equation A + B = C. A = my internal state, vision, POV, yearning for something
undefined but tangible. B = Broad and deep spiritual awakening in America and
the world in mid to late 60s spilling over into the 70's. (Broad and deep
relative to where the culture was at that time.) Lots of teacher and books
emerging. Nothing like today, but lots of new stuff, relative to that time and
what preceded it. C = a 12 year (turn of Jupiter) deep dive into TM, MMY,
teaching, globe trotting. A + B = C.
C was the only possible (or at least one of a few) result. Sure, on the
surface, it LOOKED like there were a billion degrees of freedom. Looking
deeper, I think there were very few degrees of freedom, very little free will
to not jump in tenaciously with everything I had. I simple followed the path of
least resistance. The ball of my life could only roll in one direction. There
was no free will in that, just as the ball has no free will to roll down and
alternative course.
My sense is, that while it may appear to you that you sucked it up, made a huge
decision to follow this path, gritted your teeth and perceivered across a trail
of great hardship and challenge, Indiana Jones style, from another angle, you
did nothing but follow the path of least resistance. You simple did what you
HAD to do, There was no alternative.
Does telling others the Horatio Alger version benefit others. Yes, I think it
does. It opens up options in peoples minds, trains their intellect a bit, and
fills in some pieces that make up the terrain by which their ball rolls down
the hill, EFFORTLESSLY, on the path of least resistance. While the Horatio
Alger story has value, it is also a myth. (Myths have value, IMO, even if not
literally true.)
A Maharishi Jyotishee (of all people -- one who I would have expected to at
least parrot the outer house / party line) indicated some things that would
unfold in my lifetime (several jyotishees, at different readings said the
same). However, the latter one, I politely but firmly challenged. Among my
points of challenge was "So even if i totally abandon my practice, this will
unfold?". He was adament that my karma was clear from my chart and nothing I
could do could stop it -- even if I abandoned all spiritual practices and
pursuits.
While I don't live my life by jyotish, nor necessarily grant this guy a huge
assessment of credibility just because he was a MMY Jyotishee, I do find that
this is reflective of the inner message of some if not much of MMY's teaching.
"Take it easy, take it as it comes" if REALLY lived, can have as much power in
ones life as TM itself, IMO. While in outer forums MMY may have stoked the
fires of Horatioism within the weary masses of seekers, I found, when he was
more informal, not lecturing and inspiring masses, his approach was along the
lines of "Take it easy, take it as it comes./ Do nothing, accomplish
everything/ Let go / Act naturally, according to your nature."
I have found in my own life, that letting go, not being tied to certain
envisioned outcomes, taking it as it comes, being easy with it all, doing
nothing (in the sense of NOT bucking it up, gritting ones teeth, pounding the
table, and vowing to achieve a particular envisoned goal or requiring a
particular outcome) have all been a fuel of nectar for me.
Thus, I periodically rib you a bit about the irony of intensely desiring (which
is my take of your view and advice) the desireless state. I can and do see it
both ways. But the intense desire, relentless, tenacious thing, while that may
be what it appears to be on the outside, on the inside, for me, on the inside,
its all "take it easy, let the ball roll where it will, down the path of least
resistance, don't resist, take it as it comes".
So I am puzzled if you really mean "tenatious" (and relentless) as a reflection
of your inner experience. At least looking back on it. Could you have done
anything different?
.
--- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@...> wrote:
>
> If a person holds their goal of spiritual liberation tenaciously, nothing can
> stop them. Absolutely nothing. On the other hand, if at the first serious
> challenge to the ego, the person derails themselves spiritually, their desire
> was weak anyway. On thing I clearly received from Maharishi's teaching was to
> be self sufficient in our desire for liberation, dependent on nothing,
> particularly outside support.
>
> --- In [email protected], "Buck" <dhamiltony2k5@> wrote:
> >
> > "But if thou declinest to undertake this righteous combat, then, having
> > relinquished thine own dharma and glory, thou wilt reap sin."
> >
> > Yep, I pray for these guys; particularly the ones who work so hard at
> > de-railing folks from the spiritual road.
> >
> > -Buck in FF
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Sure. There are many ways to do this. Energetic healing is one way to
> > > take on someone else's, or a group's, karma. Another way is to engage
> > > others as an aspect of oneself, diving deep into their thought process,
> > > even mirroring it at times, to gain insight into them. Trippy stuff and
> > > very revealing. I don't know that I can explain it better than that. It
> > > is a natural result of the internal infinite meeting the external
> > > infinite. I realize this still sounds abstract, though it is a definite
> > > and concrete experience.
> > >
> > > --- In [email protected], "seventhray1" <steve.sundur@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Maharishi's general advice aside, there is nothing wrong or scary
> > > > about taking on the karma of someone else. Its actually quite an amazing
> > > > experience, and a great indicator of attachment to our ideas.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Would you care to elaborate on this? Give an example of what you mean?
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
