On Jul 27, 2011, at 12:16 PM, turquoiseb wrote: > --- In [email protected], Mark Landau <m@...> wrote: > > > > Is there anyone here who spent long and equal time with > > M and Rama? > > Besides me, you mean. 14 years each. > great > > > I have one friend who felt that Rama's darshan blew M's away. > > I would have to agree. > > thanks, too bad I missed it
> > But she didn't spend nearly as much time with M as with R. > > And, of course, two others who "saw" him fly and disappear. > > You can find thousands of people who saw that. > > And do you hold it was actual seeing of physical events or images he was able to fill people's minds with? > > Of course we know how he spiraled out of here. > > Sad. The guy had so much potential, and pissed it away. > Yeah, glad his main squeeze didn't go with him. Ending your life seems to be more prevalent in the tantric Buddhist traditions, though TM has those who sacrificed themselves in that way. You probably knew of my friend, I won't mention her name here. Rama used to tell certain groups that she was his best student. > > > And, of course, that's another thing we loved so much about > > being with M, how much and how warmly he and we all laughed > > together. > > In the early years. I left when laughter started > to be actually frowned upon. > laughter stopped in M's presence? When was that? > > > On Jul 27, 2011, at 6:10 AM, turquoiseb wrote: > > > > > What is the sound that causes the most disparate reactions in people? > > > Some can hear this sound and react with fury in the moment of hearing > > > it, and seemingly hold on to that fury for years, basing whole vendettas > > > on it. Others can hear the same sound and join in, as if adding harmony > > > to an already-sweet song. To the former, this sound closes the door on > > > any possible future communication or resonance with the person or > > > persons who laughed at them forever; it is perceived as an affront that > > > can never be forgiven, an offense that should and must be punished. To > > > the latter, the same sound actually *opens* doors to enhanced > > > communication and increased resonance; it is perceived as an invitation > > > to expand one's awareness, both of self and of the world. > > > > > > The sound in question is laughter. In particular, the sound of other > > > people laughing at you. > > > > > > I've heard this sound a lot, because I studied with a spiritual teacher > > > who used it as almost a mahavakya to facilitate breakthroughs to higher > > > states of attention. Rama would poke merciless fun at us, his students, > > > often in front of an audience of hundreds of other students. > > > > > > Whatever else he might have been, Rama was a natural comedian, as fast > > > on his feet as Robin Williams; he could find something funny in almost > > > any situation. He specialized in "finding the funny" in situations that > > > almost everyone around him treated with deadly seriousness. One of the > > > things that almost every spiritual aspirant takes seriously is their > > > self -- its stories, its importance, and above all its very seriousness. > > > This 'tude is seemingly endemic to the spiritual seeker, and often to > > > the spiritual path itself, as reflected by the very language that path > > > uses. A "good" student is described as a "serious" student; a "proper" > > > attitude to the study itself is described as "taking it seriously." > > > > > > Color me not convinced of this. I'm with Christian philosopher G.K. > > > Chesterton, who said, "Seriousness is not a virtue." Not only do I agree > > > with him that there is no virtue in seriousness, I have come to believe > > > that seriousness is the very antithesis of spiritual practice. I believe > > > this because the few human beings I have encountered on this planet whom > > > I would suspect of being enlightened or close to it were funny as hell; > > > they could find a joke in *anything*. Including themselves. > > > > > > Rama felt similarly. What was best about him is that he wisely included > > > himself in the list of "viable targets for humor." He was remarkably > > > self-effacing, and made himself the butt of his own jokes as often as he > > > did us. In my 14-odd (very odd) years with him, I shared the limelight > > > with him many times, and became the butt of many of his jokes. > > > > > > Some of them roasted me mercilessly, and resulted in many of my fellow > > > students joining in the laughter. This presented me with a koan: "What > > > is the sound of one person not laughing, in a room full of laughing > > > people?" Fortunately, in almost every case I decided that the answer to > > > that koan was "An absolute boob who has started to take himself FAR too > > > seriously," lightened the fuck up, and joined in the laughter. > > > > > > I rank doing so right up there with my highest satori experiences in > > > this life. Without exception, every time I managed to break through the > > > self importance of seriousness, I found my self dwindling to the tiny, > > > mischevious, and genuinely laughable imp it really was, and being > > > replaced by Self. There is IMO very little in life as liberating as > > > being able to laugh at oneself, and one's self. > > > > > > IMO, the proper "soundtrack" of the movie or soap opera that is the > > > pathway to enlightenment is laughter. If your path doesn't have a "laugh > > > track," you might want to consider grabbing the remote and changing the > > > channel. > > > > > > The sound of laughter -- especially when people are laughing at you -- > > > is a double-edged sword. It presents you with a koan. You can choose to > > > reply to that koan with outrage and anger, or you can choose to lighten > > > the fuck up and join in the laughter. Or, even better, take the joke > > > that you are the butt of and riff on it, not only joining in with the > > > laughter but "piling on" and provoking an even bigger laugh. > > > > > > I've been reminded of such an occasion recently on the Rama-oriented > > > forum I've mentioned recently. One woman recapitulated one of her > > > all-time highest experiences with the dude. It was at one of our formal > > > dinners -- the guys all wearing tuxedos, the women in evening dresses; I > > > think we were having dinner at the Pierre in NYC. At any rate, that > > > night she was feeling "off," having sunk into a period of taking herself > > > and the study far too seriously. Rama, himself dressed in a tux, walked > > > up to the table at which she was sitting with about ten other students, > > > and "made the rounds," making some comment about each of their states of > > > attention that night, from his point of view. He got to her, stopped, > > > and said, "You are awfully serious lately. You should masturbate more." > > > > > > She replied immediately and instinctively, "More?" > > > > > > Everyone cracked up, including him. She had a major satori experience, > > > and wound up residing in enlightened states of mind for some weeks > > > afterwards. Go figure. > > > > > > > > > >
