Ann, I like this. Reminds me of this quote I read recently (and I don't quote this in judgment or opinion of anyone on FFL, including myself. I am completely in favor of discussing "consciousness"):
"We spend our lives hurrying away from the real, as though it were deadly to us. "It must be somewhere up there on the horizon," we think. And all the time it is in the soil, right beneath our feet." - William Bryant Logan (arborist and author of "Dirt.") ________________________________ From: awoelflebater <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 8:51 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Bhakti As A Learned Experience --- In [email protected], "Xenophaneros Anartaxius" <anartaxius@...> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "Xenophaneros Anartaxius" > > <anartaxius@> wrote: > > > In this post Ann brings up a really important point about the > > > enlightenment game. It does not matter if the person you are > > > trying to imbibe spiritual experience from is enlightened or > > > not - that would be a good thing if they were enlightened - > > > but that they can get you to the next step that works out for > > > you in that direction. > > > > Seems to me Ann is saying she wasn't even looking for > > enlightenment, so I'm not at all sure how she can be > > said to have brought up the point Xeno makes. > > > > > They might not be able to take you all the way, but at that > > > point you are there and maybe they get you onto the next step > > > whereas if you were somewhere else, maybe that would not > > > happen. When the limit of what they can do is reached, and > > > you are not an idiot, you move on somewhere else. How many TM > > > initiators would you feel could take you all the way? Their > > > job - initiation, which means basically 'to start' - is to > > > get you on a path. It is clear that perhaps with the exception > > > of MMY no one continues to rely on their initiator to complete > > > the job because their job specification specifically limits > > > them to a few special tasks. Just a few more words on the subject here Xeno. I am perhaps an anamoly here at FFL. Even though I meditated from the age of 14 until about 29 and attended and graduated from MIU I am not really a seeker of any state of consciousness that has a name. All the talk of CC, GC, UC or whatever other terms are out there in other practices, these are not something I necessarily believe in or, at least, I am not sure consciousness can be packaged so neatly into these kinds of categories. As far as I know, I wouldn't be able to recognize someone in any of these states even if I was married to them. It is not that I don' believe these states could be possible it is just that the fact of them makes no difference to my life - at least as I perceive it. I am pretty sure, intellectually, that humans who are in those states, if they exist, are probably assets to the planet but other than that, I don't give it much thought. What I DO think about is how I can best live my life. For all I know I am in Brahman consciousness if there is such a thing (it sounds faintly familiar) but so what? I am what I am and I do what I do. Things happen in the world around me and I react/act/respond. Sometimes I need to think about it and many times I don't. Impulses come up out of somewhere and out they go into the environment in what I say, how I move, how I look. I perceive myself acting and measure the effect and respond again accordingly. I think this is what everyone does. But more than enough about me. To synopsize, I would just say that if I am a seeker at all it is to find, in every moment, the most appropriate action, statement, movement that is possible to ensure that I support what I believe to be positive and beautiful and worthwhile in this world. There just isn't an impulse in me to seek out a state of consciousness that may, or may not, exist as a distinct reality. If, in going about my day to day existence I stumble into some other state then so be it. I just hope it doesn't scare the hell out of me. > > > > This may well all be valid, but again, it's not clear to > > me how any of it relates to what Ann is talking about. > > > > > Ann's lack of condemnation of Robin in the present day is a > > > recognition of her ability to know when an appropriate break > > > is indicated, when to move on is necessary. > > > > Very interesting interpretation of what Ann wrote: > > > > > --- In [email protected], awoelflebater <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > <snip> > > > > > > 2. Robin was never enlightened. > > > > > > > > > > Isn't it amazing that Barry knows for sure? Isn't it > > > > > amazing that Barry would even have an *opinion*, when he > > > > > didn't know Robin during the period when he says he was > > > > > enlightened? And when he doesn't even read Robin's posts? > > > > > > > > Yes indeedy, it certainly is amazing. If anyone could say > > > > anything about this small matter it could potentially be me > > > > since I was hanging around every minute of every day for > > > > about 1260 days back in the 80's. But guess what? I am no > > > > more qualified to say that someone is enlightened than I am > > > > to say if they are in love, hungry, scared or schizophrenic. > > > > Did it matter to me if Robin was enlightened? No, actually. > > > > I did not hang around because I thought Robin could get me > > > > to enlightenment or could bestow on me great spiritual gifts. > > > > I hung around because I felt it to be life-supporting, > > > > positive, extremely interesting, exciting and immensely > > > > fascinating. In addition I really liked Robin as a person, > > > > as a rebel, as a really smart, lively human being. I felt > > > > really alive around him and others who were also part of > > > > the "group". We were rockin' and rollin' back then. It was > > > > ecstatic and it was agonizing in turns. > > > > > > > > If it turned out Robin wasn't enlightened 26 years ago would > > > > I ask for my money back? Naw, I got more than the price of > > > > the ticket/admission in return. If what he had going on back > > > > then was called "Unity Consciousness" then so be it, you could > > > > call it anything you like, it doesn't mean much to me but if > > > > someone wants to put a label on it then sure, label it UC. And > > > > after all, Robin should know. I think you just might as well > > > > believe him as there isn't a soul on this planet who could > > > > prove otherwise. > > > > I wonder how Ann feels about Xeno's interpretation of the > > above. > > Well, that would settle the matter so I welcome it. In any case, I was > riffing off of what she said. Projecting. She seems like a practical gal, and > would make practical decisions about her own life, enlightenment or not. >
