--- In [email protected], Emily Reyn <emilymae.reyn@...> wrote: > > Ann, I like this. Â > > Reminds me of this quote I read recently (and I don't quote this in judgment > or opinion of anyone on FFL, including myself. Â I am completely in favor of > discussing "consciousness"): > > "We spend our lives hurrying away from the real, as though it were deadly to > us. Â "It must be somewhere up there on the horizon," we think. Â And all the > time it is in the soil, right beneath our feet." Â - William Bryant Logan > (arborist and author of "Dirt.")
Love this Emily. Somehow you have captured it perfectly with that quote. I am a big fan of dirt and soil and all things organic squelching under my feet and getting into my nostrils. When I die I just want to lay down in the forest and bury my head in the pungent fallen leaves. > > > > ________________________________ > From: awoelflebater <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 8:51 AM > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Bhakti As A Learned Experience > > > Â > > > --- 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. > > >
