Uh, Gee, Barry - It sure looks to me, and everyone else here, that *you* got YER BUTTONS PUSHED. Karma's a bitch, ain't she?? :-)
--- In [email protected], turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In [email protected], doctordumbass@ wrote: > > > > Agreed. Those who continue to say that there is no > > transcendental value in the Puja are simply parroting > > the values of the material world we live in. > > Sorta the same way you're parroting things TOLD to > you by people you consider "authorities?" At least > *we* are speaking from our own experience. How many > pujas have *you* performed? > > > Lazy, confused minds, much more willingness to flow > > with the incomplete values of this world's consciousness, > > than attempting something different, something new, > > outside the boundaries of common experience. > > Ahem. *I* am the one speaking "out of the box" here. > *You* are the one invoking old mood-makey things you > have been TOLD. Again, *I* am the one speaking from > experience, whereas *you* are talking from theory. > > > Materialism is an awesome blindness, because it can > > never be disproved. It is the safest harbor from > > reality that there is. :-) > > Some would say that is has a great deal more to do > with reality than believing in things you've only been > TOLD about by others, with no experience of personally. > Or correct me here...how many pujas have you performed > in your life, Jimbo? I've done thousands. And *on the > basis of that experience*, I think that their supposed > "effect" can be almost completely written off to the > placebo factor, and moodmaking. > > I *understand* that others -- IMO those who still cannot > break free from the conditioning of what they have been > TOLD about the puja, during the same instruction in which > they were TOLD to moodmake while performing it -- may not > agree, and may hold to "good experiences" they had while > performing puja. Me, I have no such allegiances to the > past, or to past beliefs. I never noticed much of an effect > from the puja, even after following all of Maharishi's > instructions to the letter, and trying to moodmake myself > *into* having a "good experience" the way I was told to. > Therefore, in retrospect, *based on my own personal > experience*, I have to believe that what I was TOLD about > the puja was flowery bullshit. > > Please explain to us the basis on which you believe it's > more than that. We'll wait. > > > > --- In [email protected], "seventhray27" wrote: > > > > > > Hey, Tom Ball was a good friend of mine back in the day. I think he > > > threaded the needle pretty well here. > > > > > > And just like Tom to address it pretty much head on. I like that. > > > > > > Ah, the Puja. Just thinking about it makes me what to pull out my set, > > > each piece wrapped in an ochre colored bag, I had specially made. > > > > > > I haven't sung the Puja in some time, but Michael, you have been > > > inspiring me to get back in that mode. > > > > > > And yes, I always felt the Puja did just what it was supposed to do - > > > prepare the ground for the imparting of the mantra. > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Michael Jackson wrote: > > > > > > > > I am wondering what the deal is on puja anyway. > > > > > > > > This is what good old Tom Ball, Re-certified Governor of North > > > Carolina says on his blog and website about TM: > > > > > > > > But doesn't the Transcendental Meditation instruction ceremony involve > > > "offerings?" > > > >  > > > > The TM instruction ceremony derives > > > > from and retains many elements of the traditional Vedic custom of > > > guest reception: offering a bath, fresh garments, food, etc. â" > > > all done > > > > symbolically during puja as gestures of respect. The puja used in TM > > > > instruction recites the names of the tradition of teachers and honors > > > > them, most prominently acknowledging the latest representative of that > > > > tradition, Maharishi's teacher, Brahmananda Saraswati, or "Guru Dev" > > > > ("great teacher"). > > > > > > > > There is no "offering to gods" or any such thing. It's more like > > > giving an apple to your teacher â" very simple and natural. > > > > > > > > I heard that the TM instruction ceremony mentions names of gods? > > > > > > > > The secular-type puja performed during Transcendental Meditation > > > > instruction uses the traditional Sanskrit language of honor and > > > respect > > > > that's indigenous to the ancient Vedic culture. Although it may sound > > > foreign to Western ears, the formal > > > > language is used ceremoniously and not religiously. For example, in > > > this Vedic performance, when Maharishi's teacher, Brahmananda Sarasvati, > > > is metaphorically compared to a > > > > traditional deity of that culture, Brahma, the deity itself is not > > > > appealed to or acknowledged one way or another. If you say someone is > > > > "Christ-like," it's a way of expressing high adoration and > > > appreciation. It doesn't mean that you are engaged in worship or even > > > believe in > > > > Christ. > > > > > > > > There are others like former TM teacher Bob Fickes who say the > > > puja ceremony helps to refine the awareness of the initiator and gives > > > the mantra its potency. He has said without the puja the mantra won't > > > have the proper vibration or potency. > > > > > > > > Still others, specifically Raja Badgett Rogers has said that the > > > mantra doesn't work unless there is the offering or dakshina of the > > > fruit, flowers and money, and it is the offering, the gift, that makes > > > the mantra work and of course the flowers and fruit are part of the > > > puja. > > > > > > > > So to all you TM teachers or former TM teachers, what is the puja > > > actually for of the above possibilities or is it something different > > > altogether? Or a combo of the above? > > > > > > > > > >
