--- In [email protected], khazana108 <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > For some reason, I find myself still tripping on a phrase used > > > on FFL yesterday. *Not* on the person who wrote it, but on the > > > content, the idea expressed. The phrase was "Now my love for > > > Maharishi was of course the highest love I had ever known." > > > > > > I admit to stopping in my reading tracks when I first > > > encountered that phrase. My first reaction was, "Excuse me?," > > > followed by a hearty "Of course?" > > > > > > I'm bringing this up because I suspect that some people here > > > never paused at that "of course," or even noticed it, because > > > for them it really *is* an "of course." > > > > Or perhaps some of us read the *entire* post in which > > the sentence appeared and saw why "of course" made > > sense in that context (even if we ourselves had never > > felt love for Maharishi). > > And how exactly do you know he didn't read the whole post, > and for him it obviously didn't make any more sense in this > context?
I guess you didn't read the entire post either, huh? BTW, an English lesson for you: An assertion can "make sense" to one without one's necessarily *agreeing* with what has been asserted. > > Just another of the big bloopers Barry made in his > > responses to that post because he didn't read it all, > > and what he did read, he read without attention or > > comprehension (or, goodness knows, empathy). > > And how exactly do you know he cannot have empathy, but still > comes to a different conclusion? Why would this post somehow be an exception to the rest of Barry's oeuvre? > > > What, I'm supposed to believe that my relationship with > > > Maharishi -- who I spent very little face time with -- is > > > somehow better or "higher" or on a more elevated plane > > > than my relationship with other people I've known and > > > loved up close and personal for years or decades? > > > > Astonishing. There was no imperative whatsoever in what > > Robin wrote, no "supposed to," for Barry to think of his > > relationship to Maharishi as Robin did. That is entirely > > 100 percent something Barry has manufactured in his own > > imagination. How weird is that? > > > > <snip> > > > I'm not sure I can understand how anyone who is married or > > > in a long-term relationship can say that. Or anyone who has > > > children, or has helped to raise them. Or, for that matter, > > > anyone who has actual friends. Does the love one is "supposed > > > to have" for one's spiritual teacher > > > > Note Barry is still stuck on his imaginary "supposed to." > > > > > somehow *trump* the love you feel for these people? Is it > > > on some "higher" level? > > > > > > I don't think so. > > > > How the fuck can Barry possibly pretend to know what > > someone else's experience is? It's beginning to sound > > now as though everybody else is "supposed to" have > > *Barry's* experience. > > > > > And tonight I'm wondering where the belief that it > > > *does* trump other kinds of love CAME FROM. > > > > For Barry, it seems, love is not an experience but a > > "belief," and he assumes that's the case for everyone > > else as well. > > > > <snip> > > > Devotion to and love for one's spiritual teacher is a very > > > Eastern thing. I doubt that very many of us brought up in > > > the West would ever have decided on our own that it trumped > > > more real, more tangible love relationships. > > > > Again, the term "decided" with regard to an experience of > > love is very, very strange. > > > > But of course, love and devotion for one's spiritual > > teacher that exceeds one's "more real" love relationships > > is just as much a Western thing as an Eastern thing: > > > > "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, > > and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and > > his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."--Luke 4:26 > > > > "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not > > worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than > > me is not worthy of me."--Matthew 10:37 > > > > <snip> > > > Is bhakti inherent to human nature, or is it a taught -- > > > and learned -- behavior? > > > > > > I think it's the latter. > > > > Me, I don't think anyone who had ever really been in love > > would even think of asking that question. > > > How can you insinuate such a thing? I said it right out, I didn't "insinuate" anything. > Why can a person deeply in love not reflect upon the origin > and the influences that brought this love about? Why not, indeed? Did you think I had suggested they could not? > And even if he would have never felt such a love (he > obviously does, only in different contexts), how would > an intellectual questioning be blasphemous? How, indeed? Did you think I had suggested it would be? > I always felt that your capacity for self-reflection is > somehow hampered. I think you need some self-reflection on your tendency to falsely accuse people due to your imperfect comprehension of English.
