--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "wayback71" <wayback71@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu <noozguru@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Most spiritual teachers do have the ability to do number two > > > > and a number here might argue they experienced number 2 or > > > > what is usually called "darshan" even with Maharishi. The > > > > guy did have some shakti after all. If some folks didn't > > > > experience maybe they hit him on a bad day or their nervous > > > > system was just too coarse to experience it. > > > > > > Ignoring the obvious humor bait of the "number two" > > > references :-), I'd love to hear from those who feel > > > that they experienced what I'm talking about with MMY. > > > I never did. > > > > > > The occasional light "buzz," or a feeling of upliftment > > > maybe, but the full-blown experience of one of his 3 > > > higher states of consciousness, never. IMO, what most > > > people I've talked to experience as "darshan" is an > > > occult buzz, not what I'm talking about at all. > > > > I almost always had that lightness and quieting of thoughts > > and a certain sense of the aliveness of the energy in MMY's > > presence. But twice I had something much more,: my awareness > > just shifted and became infinite, there was no "I" to find > > anywhere, just infinity, and that was so powerful and stunning > > that I was not aware of much else at all for a while. Not > > much thought, just a stunned wonder and taking it all in. > > Then, I as I moved around and had to interact, I noticed this > > silence and energy just everywhere and especially where I put > > my attention. These 2 experiences lasted a a few hours each > > and then faded (during which feelings of bliss and joy were > > intensely everywhere). I felt bereft when they were done - > > smaller and trapped in the cycle of thoughts and small > > awareness I believe that MMY's presence triggered them. > > They were of a completely different nature than the buzz or > > lightness I usually felt around MMY. They were entirely > > different states of awareness. > > > > I also had a few more of these more profound and intense > > types of experiences (way more than the buzz) without being > > in MMY"s presence, but directly after meditating, and once > > even before learning TM - at about age 18. And I think I had > > something similar at about age 4, after awakening from a nap > > in which I had dreamt that a snake was biting my left big toe! > > I think energy traveled from there to my brain and that began > > some experience. > > Thanks for your reply. I have nothing to say about it > because, after all, what is there to say? It was your > subjective experience and thus essentially valid; there > is nothing I or anyone can say about a subjective exper- > ience other than "That's cool," or "Whatever." :-) > > As I said, from my side I never experienced anything > similar with him. Once, in fact, in Fiuggi, I was > curious as to whether he'd notice anything different > in *my* SOC because I'd been witnessing 24/7 for about > a week, my subjective experience pretty much mapping > one to one to his descriptions of CC. As it turned out, > at the height of this experience he was giving advanced > techniques and I got to go up and sit by his side, > literally at his feet, and have him spend a few minutes > with me one on one, talking to me first and then giving > me the advanced technique. He didn't notice a thing. > > From my side, I didn't notice any change between full- > on witnessing and that profound, everpresent silence > you spoke of before while sitting a foot away from him, > or during, or after. No effect whatsoever, and as I said, > he didn't notice any change in my SOC from his side. > There was a line of others waiting for their techniques > so I didn't bother him with any questions at that time, > and before I had a chance to do so the experiences had > faded and my questions and any "confirmation" from him > would have been irrelevant. > > I've actually heard the same experience from others. > At the height of their highest experiences, mapping > from their perspective one to one to his descriptions > of CC, they got to be close to Maharishi and he never > noticed. So much for the notion of "like knows like." > Either that or he really didn't care enough about his > students to notice them, period. Or any other "explan- > ation" you prefer.
I agree - this is odd, to say the least - that your Master (at the time) would not say something to you quietly just to acknowledge the experience you were having. It never occurred to me before that MMY seemed not to talk to people one on one about their experiences. When I had one of my more major experiences, I was late to get to the lecture hall in Humboldt (could not figure out how to come out of meditation since I thought I had to cause the experience to end before opening my eyes! Finally just gave up, opened my eyes, and went to the cafeteria anyway). So I was late to dinner and then showed up at the lecture hall about 15 minutes into the talk he was giving. I was still having the experience, just the beginning of a fade. I walked in the door way at the back of this huge hall, and it seemed to me that just as I entered MMY turned his head and looked right over at me, right in the eye and nodded - I felt he knew exactly what I was experiencing and nodded to say so. That could have all been wishful thinking. But I continue to think he knew. > > > I never heard MMY talk about his darshan or that he tried > > to evoke these shifts in SOC's with his students. > > Neither did I. > > > I assumed many people had this happen - one reason they > > stuck around even in the midst of the craziness. And we > > all assumed that happned all the time with those in the > > very inner circle like Bevan and John and skinboys. > > I think there was *great deal* of "assuming" going on. :-) This is true. I have since heard of long long time meditators who swear they have never had a "clear" experience of any sort. And they still meditate 40 years later. Amazing. They just feel relaxed and rested from the practice. I wonder if Rob McCutcheon has ever talked about his subjective experiences during the years he was MMY's skinboy adn what he made of them. I guess the question is that if in fact these teachers do evoke these experiences in students - at least more so than would happen on their own - what does that mean about the teacher? And what do the experiences signify? It is hard to step out of the mindset that they are better since it feels so good. And even if they are merely styles of brain functioning that we have cultivated in meditation and yoga practice, are they "better" styles than what we call waking? Maybe not - just more spacey or self-involved. Or maybe really more integrated and relaxed and leaning toward compassion? It would interesting to study that when the machinery and subjects are available. Certainly some of Rick's interviews with people suggest some sort of genuine improvement in the person's life as opposed to feeling glad they reached Enlightenment. > > Assuming that Maharishi was enlightened when he never > claimed to be. This is true, he never did. Assuming he'd just "know" when you got > enlightened. Assuming that "being in his presence" > would get you high, and then (Holy confirmation bias, > Batman!) having that happen. :-) >
