--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, khazana108 <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > Go figure. > > > > > > Me, I'm more of a "you have to have been there" kinda guy. > > > I'm gonna see the movie. :-) > > > > Me too. This is a fundamental spiritual policy: See the guy, > > do the practice (if it's a about practice), or go to the > > place. Form your own judgment. Btw. I followed you > > recommendation to see Cloud Atlas, and I really enjoyed > > it. Great film. > > Thanks, but that probably wasn't me. I have commented > on the book, I think (thanks to Susan for recommending > it orginally), but the only copy of the movie I've found > was too grainy and bad-piratey for me to comment on. I > did watch it enough to realize that its structure was > vastly different than that of the novel (and I preferred > the novel structure more), but it was intriguing enough > that I'll probably watch it again when I score a better > copy. > > > <snip> > > > That's the same way I am these days with spiritual books. > > > I tend to read them only after I've already had the > > > experience they're discussing, to see how our impressions > > > jibe, or don't. > > > > > > Go figure. > > > > Yep. But what we observe here is, what I have understood > > to be a pattern of AVOIDANCE. People talk about teachers > > they have never met, they talk about practices they have > > never understood or done, they talk about enlightenment, > > without having experienced it, they talk about Maharishi > > without having ever seen him. Or when they saw him, they > > saw him very shortly, or only in a certain setting, of > > a lecture, or while attending a course, not really > > WORKING with the guy, never experiencing him when he > > meant business. They talk about the group effect, but > > don't participate, they talk about the movement without > > knowing it. They defend the ludicrously high course fee, > > and not take the fertilizers because they don't have the > > money, etc. In short, they don't walk the talk. How could > > we take them seriously? > > Can't disagree. And you can't talk them out of their > belief that none of this "talk walking" is necessary. > I think that in the long run the best thing you can > do for such people is laugh at them. Given enough time > and enough laughter, maybe they can learn to lighten > up and laugh at themselves. > > As G.K. Chesterton once said so wisely, "Seriousness > is not a virtue." :-) > > > I observed this with a friend once. He had a certain > > difficulty with discipline. But then he talked about > > keeping discipline, and how good it was, just he didn't > > act on it. I realized then, that his talk was a means > > to avoid it. > > > > Talk, words, the ideas where a SUBSTITUTE for the real > > thing the words represented. Give me somebody to adore, > > so that I can keep him at a save distance. Something > > along the lines: dead gurus can't kick ass. > > I like that. Also the corollary -- live gurus can and > often DO kick ass. It's tough to develop a lot of self- > importance when every so often you've got someone to > remind you how unimportant you really are.
See, you know it! You and me, we both have gone (and still are going) through that experience. Others just have a fantasy idea who it is to be with a live guru, an idealized version. And unless you have been through this YOURSELF, you can't really comment. Now, that brings me to another example, if I think of it, it is rather outrageously confirming my thesis: Think of one person here on our forum, which some people have met, some didn't, I mean Robin. Now, whatever we may think about him doesn't matter. But in the case somebody thinks very high of him to the extend of adoration, you would assume this person would be eager to actually meet him physically, right? You would certainly think so. But that's not the case, the person is actually AFRAID of meeting him. I mean one of his main supporters here on the forum, I will decline mentioning names, I am only commenting on the phenomena. Funny thing on the side: When Robin proposed, that the persons who wrote CULT, or any of the other people involved at the time, could meet him, to see how much he changed (supposedly), this person, actually afraid to see him him/herself challenged others that they could act upon such an invitation - which I could very well understand, why one wouldn't want to follow, if you were hurt enough at the time. Now, Barry, I myself would have no fear actually meeting Robin, given that this was easily coming about, not that this would be very high up on my list of interest, but I certainly do not fear such a meeting. I guess, and here I am probably differing from you, that for an hour or two, this could be a very entertaining conversation. I don't seek it, but I am not afraid either. Same with you btw. we could have a great talk once we actually would meet. But this is another example of AVOIDANCE, and in fact hypocrisy.
