Thanks for the information. I will, as you say, keep my own counsel in these matters.
Meantime I always use the formula of maximum sincerity simultaneous with (contingent) maximum irony. In a postmodern universe you have to have the one (which is probably there just by grace) while learning to deploy the latter. This, plus being able (at any moment) to make a stronger argument against oneself than your opponent can make. Then, knowing your free will is part of the mechanical providence of the universe, you're set! --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@...> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], maskedzebra <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > Whoa. Now you got me thinking I should have JUST NOT SAID > > ANYTHING AT ALL. I mean in reply to Ravi Yogi. > > Still, bless him—I think his love for his guru (Amma) seems > > genuine. > > I think so too. > > > But the threat to my self-prestige (my necessary egoism) > > seems to have come to nothing after reading this. > > Did it ever come to anything, in your mind? > > It looked to me like duelling smackdowns. You came on > pretty strong in your second post here, and Ravi came on > pretty strong in response. > > Vaj and Barry (Turq) are engaging in the time-honored > FFL practice of "piling on" because they feel intimidated > by Ravi, as they do about anyone here who seems to be > claiming some degree of enlightenment (they'll deny this, > of course). They hope they can sucker you into joining > the dump-on-Ravi faction. > > But I get the sense you're in the process of making up > your own mind. > > > > > Those Indian gods, they play their music on the instruments of human > > beings. > > > > --- In [email protected], turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Vaj <vajradhatu@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I believe Ravi did an interview at Buddha at the Gas Pump where > > > > > he talked about his enlightenment. > > > > > > > > > > http://batgap.com/ravi-chivukula/ > > > > > > > > It is worth pointing out that as far as I remember > > > > Ravi has since said on two different occasions that > > > > his entire interview was a put-on, and that he was > > > > taking advantage of Rick's naivete. I don't remember > > > > the exact messages in which he said this, and don't > > > > consider him worth my time to look it up, but I'm > > > > sure someone could if they wanted. Just providing > > > > this information to help you know who and what > > > > you're dealing with. > > > > > > Someone looked it up, found one instance, and sent > > > it to me. It was from post #279237. When dealing > > > with Ravi, consider the source, MZ... > > > > > > Me: > > > > > To date, like MMY, Jim has NOT demonstrated anything to > > > > > back up his claims that he (and other claimants to the > > > > > throne of enlightenmentitudeness) is "special." He seems > > > > > to me to be the most ordinary of human beings, someone > > > > > who at one point in his life grew tired of being a nobody > > > > > and figured out that if he just made a bunch of claims to > > > > > gullible people, a certain percentage of them would treat > > > > > him as "special," just because he claimed to be. Same with > > > > > Ravi. He, too was an absolute nobody until he suckered > > > > > Rick in with some parroted spiritual bullshit and a similar > > > > > claim to be self realized. > > > > > > Ravi: > > > > Again enlightenment is nothing about feeling special or > > > > demonstrating anything, though some of them do which is > > > > entirely optional. > > > > > > > > You are at least partially right about me - I totally > > > > suckered Rick into an interview, my story ended long > > > > time back. I'm just a liar making up stories since I > > > > have no more stories left to project. I make up new > > > > stories to engage in playful fun to make fun of > > > > pimps(egoistics) like you totally fascinated with their > > > > whores(intellects) and can't seem to entertain the > > > > possibility of a life outside the 'hood(small self). > > > > > >
