--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Xenophaneros Anartaxius" <anartaxius@>
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Xenophaneros Anartaxius"
> > > <anartaxius@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Since you feel you have nailed Barry, what about Maharishi?
> > > > Was Maharishi enlightened or not? What is your take on that?
> > >
> > > You didn't ask me, but because this is shaping up as
> > > another Get Barry Sunday :-), I might as well give
> > > them some more fodder. :-)
> > >
> > > I spent some time around Maharishi. I do not consider
> > > him enlightened, and never experienced anything around
> > > him that convinced me he was experiencing enlightened
> > > states of mind sufficiently to radiate them.
> > >
> > > With the Rama guy, I certainly experienced the latter
> > > sensation, so that leads me to believe that he was at
> > > least during some periods of time experiencing
> > > enlightened mindstates. But I don't consider him
> > > "enlightened" in the sense of it being any state
> > > he achieved and held onto.
> > >
> > > I've only met one other person whom I have suspected
> > > of being enlightened, and won't name him. I never got
> > > the opportunity to meditate with him (as I did with
> > > Maharishi and Rama), but just being around him at a
> > > public gathering was a state of consciousness changing
> > > experience. Dude radiated silence so profoundly it
> > > was almost impossible to have thoughts when close
> > > to him.
> >
> > That's interesting because I never think of these fellows
> > as radiating something, there is just something about
> > them that I thought was different.
>
> I didn't wish to imply radiating in the sense of
> "pushing it out" or doing anything consciously to
> affect others with their state of attention. In my
> experience, the phenomenon I'm talking about is
> more a function of their "aura," the field of
> energy that surrounds them. Some of these auras
> are "busy," filled with constant mind-chatter;
> others so silent and thoughtless that it is near-
> impossible to form thoughts in your own mind when
> you are around them.
>
> It's a subjective thang, but it's all I've got to
> go on. The only "measure" I would tend to use for
> trying to figure out (even for fun) if someone
> is enlightened or close to it is to meditate with
> them.
>
> > Do you think that, just as we can be attracted to
> > particular women and not others, among the so-called
> > enlightened crowd we, say you and I, would resonate
> > with different teachers; we would not necessarily
> > come to the same conclusion about any particular
> > person? That is, it is not actually the teacher but
> > our resonance with a particular personality, manner
> > of expression etc., and that undefinable quality
> > that says 'go in this direction'.
>
> I definitely think this is the case.
>
> > There are more important questions. It's evening in
> > Paris if that is where you are at the moment. Must be
> > around dinner time. Have you had that meal yet?
>
> Not yet. I have half of a roasted chicken waiting for
> me at home that I picked up in the wonderful Grand
> March� de Bastille this morning, and I look forward
> to digging into it. But right now I'm in this cafe
> because it has Wifi and the apartment I'm staying in
> does not. I've got to finish one more article for one
> of my medical clients before I head home.
>
> > I am still waiting to fix lunch here. I think I will
> > cook something Chinese.
>
> Probably safer legally than cooking someone Chinese. :-)
>
As it turned out, the family member that was picking up food ingredients was
delayed, so the Chinese-style meal will be later, and lunch for me was frozen
pizza baked in a toaster oven and coffee; at least the coffee made the grade.
