So, it's all about Barry.
emptybill: > None of these comments address the disparity between the traditional > practice of Maitri Bhavana (the contemplative cultivation of loving > kindness) versus the three little "impulses" used in tm-sanyama > practice. > > Having to follow strict institutional rules is no excuse for the absence > of compassion. For example, Buddhist monks must strictly observe 253 > rules, Buddhist female monastics must observe 348 rules. However, these > monastics are not thereby allowed to be assholes to people. > > Administrative duties in Buddhist monasteries require many skill sets > and yet maitri-bhavana is still enjoined as one of the most fundamental > practices for everyone. Not that everyone in a monastery does them > because most of their time is spent performing chants for the benefit of > the lay people. That is how the monasteries earn donations. However, the > administrators are answerable to the whole assembly of monastics for > their behavior. > > A total of nine little "impulses" doesn't seem to do much > for practitioners supposed "evolution". In actual results, this > practice seems unconnected to these administrator's personal > consciousness, whether surface or deep, no matter how long or how much > they have performed sanyama. This disconnect basically stands alone as > an example of "something is missing". > > That is why I included the example of the guided contemplation. It is > one example of what seems missing. > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" <dhamiltony2k5@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" emptybill@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > People wonder why administrators who practice the tm-sidhi program > for > > > 40 years are so unkind and uncaring. Look no farther than the how > the > > > first three sutra-s are practiced - three reps of three ideas ... > that > > > is all. > > > > > > > That job. I have friends who have experience working in the > movement's course office over the years. Hopefully the guidelines > facilitate what is going on. When the guidelines are less than fair to > people there can be a lot of deep (spiritual) hurt in enforcing them > where it wrecks people's lives as it can. At times this has been real > bad. The course office position holds a lot of power over people. > There is a lot of communal hurt around that and the people working there > end up a conduit for that communal hurt and consequent anger. If > someone doesn't have a thick skin before coming in to the job they get > one or get out. It's an soul corrupting job if ever there was one like > being a Ring-bearer in Lord of the Rings. Hopefully the guidelines help > facilitate what we are doing and not get in the way of it. The > guidelines evidently have caused a lot of trouble that way. There's a > reality to that. > > -Buck > > > > > > > Although engaged with during tm-sanyama, the three sutra-s are > initial > > > ideas. Their possible results? According to MMY some feelings of > > > "warmth". But why should only three repetitions of such introductory > > > feelings produce a significant, lasting change in someone? > > > > > > MMY used to analogize every method other than tm/tm-sidhi as just > > > another "cart and bullock" practice. > > > > > > As a counter-point, here is a condensed and succinct example of the > main > > > method used in the traditions of Patanjali Yogasutra-s and Gautama > > > Buddha's eight-fold path. Once you get a feel for it, you will > > > understand why these Abodes of Brahma (Brahma Viharas) are > considered > > > essential for actualizing and realizing awakened liberation. > > > > > > . > > > > > > The Four Brahma Viharas > > > > > > A guided meditation by Ven. Ayya Khema > > > > > > Think of the four brahma viharas, the four supreme emotions, > > > loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy (joy with others), and > > > equanimity. And see them, as the Buddha explained them, as the only > > > emotions worth having. Nothing else has any real place in our > hearts. > > > And think your heart as yearning to be filled with love and > compassion, > > > with joy with others, and equanimity. See your heart as yearning for > > > that and then fill it with those emotions. The warmth of love. The > care > > > of compassion. The generosity of joy with others. And the > peacefulness > > > of equanimity. Fill your heart to the brim. > > > > > > And now spread the love and compassion, and the joy with others, and > the > > > equanimity through this room. So that there is the warmth and the > care, > > > the generosity and the peacefulness of it all through this room, so > that > > > everyone can partake of it. > > > > > > And now let these four emotions, with their warmth and their caring, > > > their generosity and their peacefulness emanate from your heart and > > > reach out to the people who are close to you, so that they can have > part > > > of it, without expecting that you can get the same back. > > > > > > Now let all your friends partake of the beautiful emanation from > your > > > heart. Loving and compassionate. Caring and peaceful. > > > > > > Now reach out to other people you know. Neighbors. People you might > work > > > with. Those you meet in everyday life. Let the heart full of > > > loving-kindness and compassion reach out to all these people that > you > > > can think of. > > > > > > Now think anyone towards whom you have some negative feeling in your > > > ordinary life, and don't change your heart now. Allow it to retain > love > > > and compassion, joy with others, and equanimity and let those same > > > emotions reach out to that > > > difficult person. > > > > > > Now feel your heart emanating the beautiful rays of love and > compassion, > > > the warmth and the caring, the giving and peacefulness and let these > > > rays go out into the world and touch people's hearts near and far. > > > Think of people around here and then go further afield. Letting > these > > > beautiful rays and emanations from your heart go to as many hearts > as > > > you can find. > > > > > > And put your attention back on yourself and feel the warmth of > > > loving-kindness and the peacefulness of giving permeate you, fill > you > > > and surround you. The warmth in the heart brings joy and the > > > peacefulness that surrounds you brings a feeling of security. > > > > > > May beings everywhere love each other. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Dear Seek, I agree that TMers are not necessarily more > evolved or > > > knowledgeable or calmer in turmoil or overall better humans than > > > others. However I also want to bring up an experience that has > > > puzzled me for years. It came up when, for emotional healing, I > got > > > involved with non TM groups. BTW, both groups contained ex > TMers as > > > well as long term practicing TMers and non TMers. To me, the > non > > > TMers in general just did not feel natural, which is not exactly the > > > best word but comes closest. Maybe unstraining is a better way > to > > > say it. Some subtle energy of settledness missing. Again, > I'm > > > fumbling for words and thinking out loud here. But wanted to > > > mention to get your feedback.   > > > > > > > > > > > > I also notice that a lot of people are familiar with New Age ideas > and > > > even wisdom. But much of that sounds more like common sense to > > > me. Which is very good on that level. Or New Age knowledge > > > often puts the cart before the horse. My favorite example is > > > Eckhart Tolle and his teaching to be in the Now. It's my > experience > > > that being in the Now is a result rather than a path. It's also > my > > > experience that the Now contains both past and future so no need to > > > avoid them. Anyway, I'm ever grateful to Maharishi for his > teaching > > > on consciousness and its unfolding. > > > > > > > > > > > > At this point, I have not gone deeply into Buddhist or Taoist > > > wisdom. But what I have encountered nourishes my spirit. > I'm > > > simply grateful for all the wisdom and practical help that is > available > > > these days. And that it's my dharma to explore. > > > > Share     > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: seekliberation seekliberation@ > > > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > > > Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 9:20 AM > > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Apostate Meditators > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > I agree with you that transcendence is a deeper and more > significant > > > quality of consciousness and a major step towards evolution. But > this > > > doesn't mean that every person who meditates is automatically more > > > knowledgeable on spiritual topics than everyone else, nor does it > mean > > > they are further advanced through this cycle of birth and death just > > > because of a technique learned in one lifetime. > > > > > > > > For example, Michael Phelps could stop swimming for the next 5 > years, > > > and you and I could swim every day for the next 5 years. He would > still > > > be faster 5 years from now. In the same way you and I can't make up > for > > > all his mileage in just 5 years, meditators & Siddhas aren't > necessarily > > > going to make up for a lack of development for their last few > lifetimes > > > (or dozens/hundreds of lifetimes....however many there are). > > > > > > > > I'm not putting TM/TMSP down, i'm just saying that 'some' TMer's > tend > > > to assume they are ahead of everyone else out there who isn't > practicing > > > or hasn't learned TM. Moreover, TM is not the 'only' way of > > > experiencing transcendence (although it does seem a lot easier, > IMO). > > > For example, i've met a lot of people in my life who don't meditate > that > > > seem a lot more calm and relaxed in the midst of turmoil than any > > > meditators I know. How is that? My only explanation is that > > > transcendance is not a quality of consciousness only experienced by > > > practice of TM. > > > > > > > > This isn't just an issue with meditation either. It's everywhere. > > > People sign up for a course, graduate from some class, attend a > seminar, > > > etc.... and all of a sudden they automatically assume they're more > > > developed than anyone who hasn't signed up for that course. This > could > > > be anything, spiritual or material in nature. > > > > > > > > seekliberation > > > > > > > > > Dear Liberation Seeker; > > > > > Yes, so the science says so; that transcendence is the way of > > > evolution. > > > > > For many good reasons that even the science is showing now that > > > > > everyone should meditate, take time out and meditate. > > > > > Yes, Transcendence is the way of any good meditation. > > > > > According to TM research too. (There'll be time for scientific > > > reconciliation with the buddhists later). > > > > > > > > > > Now then, bliss also as sat-chit-ananda on the other hand as > > > experienced in the subtle of the heart which other meditational > > > techniques like http://www.vedicvibration.com/ and > > > > > the Ved and Physiology meditational technique would cultivate. > > > http://www.mumpress.com/other-items-of-interest/mvhp.html > > > > > Even for the awakened there is more work to do. > > > > > But certainly for the seeker. > > > > > > > > > > Best Regards, > > > > > -Buck > > > > > > > > > > > After leaving Fairfield and being exposed to some other > teachings, > > > i've begun to assume we might not be as enlightened or as far > through > > > this cycle of birth and death that we seem to assume we are. I > admit I > > > could be wrong, but that is my perception nonetheless. > > > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps my fatalistic and pessimistic views towards America > and > > > the world in general would give some the impression that i'm no > longer > > > meditating, or never did in the first place. So I guess one > question > > > would be how could you know or tell whether someone on FFL is or > isn't a > > > meditator unless they declare if they are or aren't? > > > > > > > > > > > > Besides, sometimes when we get wrapped up in our theoretical > > > paradigms we never get the chance to test our theories where the > rubber > > > meets the road. We often times just sit in our little world > accusing > > > everyone else of being so stupid for not understanding our perfect > > > perceptions or theories. Therefore, I think it is helpful to have > the > > > perceptions posted from someone who isn't a dedicated meditator. > > > Sometimes it's irritating sometimes, but at the same time can help > > > balance out perceptions and give a reality check to some people > whose > > > heads are in the clouds. > > > > > > > > > > > > seekliberation > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
