--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" <richard@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > laughinggull108: > > > > The first 49 of 560 pages of Galaxy of Fire. > > > > Other than the Table of Contents and Preface, > > > > not much to read this early in the book. The > > > > really good stuff is in the last half. > > > > > > > > http://tinyurl.com/ntdku3 > > > > > > > Jay Latham: > > > > > > "Why is he here? How did he get in? The men were all clean shaven and had > > > their best suits on. Worst of all, there couldn't have been more than > > > fifteen Westerners, all total; the very top of Maharishi's Western > > > organization, all there by personal invitation from Maharishi himself, and > > > all sitting in the front row in full view of the main entrance. > > > > > > So much for "blending in." Behind the Westerners sat hundreds of exuberant > > > brahmin boys whom Maharishi was instructing in the Vedas. The few ladies I > > > saw were the top administrators of Maharishi's "Thousand Headed Mother > > > Divine Course." I sat down directly in front of Maharishi who was sitting > > > about fifteen feet away on his dais. To his left, and above him on his own > > > dais was the present Shankaracharya of Jyothirmath, the spiritual "pope" > > > of > > > North India, Sri Swami Vishnudevananda. > > > > > > To his left, sitting on an even higher dais, was Guru Dev's successor > > > (appointed by Guru Dev himself, in his will), Shri Swami Shantanand > > > Saraswati Maharaj, retired Shankaracharya of Jyothirmath. These two sat > > > under the gold and red umbrella of the Shankaracharya, on the throne-like > > > chairs of their position. Surrounding them were about fifty of the most > > > illustrious looking orange-clad swarmis I'd ever seen. This was the top of > > > India's spiritual tradition in the flesh. > > > > The application of meditation is just one such way to curtail our desires, > > because you give some time to it, and it takes you away from your lovely > > desires. The extension of this moment of peace between two desires is > > another way. Understand his central point: that consciousness is only > > consumed through desires- the fewer the desires, the better use of > > consciousness that can be made. All the disciplines which we have been > > given are to lead in this direction -if we practise extending the moment of > > peace between two desires, we can get the full benefit of this process. > > -Swami Shantanand Saraswati > > > > > > > > The stage area was surrounded by > > > hundreds of lights (candles, oil and ghee lamps) which are traditionally > > > lit > > > for Diwali. The scene was a blaze of spiritual light. > > > > > > As I was sitting down Marc looked up at me with an inquisitive, raised > > > eyebrow and silently conveyed, "What in the hell are you doing here ... > > > what's with the beard and the dhoti, are you completely out of your mind?" > > > The other Westerners were also checking me out, having, of course, > > > immediately recognized me. I didn't even want to know their thoughts. All > > > I > > > could think was "God, when you fulfill a desire you really go all out. > > > Since > > > this is probably the last time I'll see Maharishi for not being properly > > > invited, I must thank you for the fabulous send-off." > > > > > > I drank in the whole scene. I'd stepped into the ageless, fiery world of > > > the > > > Swami Order of Lord Shankara. A Sanskrit puja was underway in which > > > Maharishi was the deity. A couple of old pujaris were chanting, with one > > > making offerings to Maharishi splashing Ganges water on him, adorning him > > > with green leaves, offering incense, light from ghee lamps, etc. It > > > reminded > > > me of a silent film I'd seen of Maharishi's master, Guru Dev, in which he > > > was worshipped as Shankaracharya in similar fashion. > > > > > > This was a great honor for Maharishi, and demonstrated in the most > > > symbolic > > > way possible that he was held in highest esteem by the present > > > Shankaracharya Order; with both the reigning and retired Shankaracharyas > > > of > > > Jyothirmath in attendance. They obviously regarded Maharishi as the most > > > enlightened disciple of their own guru, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Guru > > > Dev). I had heard that Swami Vishnudevananda was supporting Maharishi and > > > his movement in recruiting Indians for the mass group practice of the TM- > > > Sidhi program. > > > > > > Maharishi always generates a feeling of eternality and transcendent > > > silence > > > around him that is the most profound I've ever felt, but I had experienced > > > this most often in the context of large gatherings of Westerners in > > > Europe. > > > In the midst of his own people, including the most illustrious of the > > > Swami > > > Order itself, the feeling was deeper, more natural, because the land and > > > its > > > spiritual history supported it. This was the "Whole Thing, the Real Thing" > > > as Guru Dev used to say. > > > > > > If this were to be my last sight of the master, I had picked the right > > > night. I felt God smiling on me. For the entire evening, Maharishi > > > remained > > > in samadhi, eyes closed. That doesn't mean he was completely lost to the > > > world, though, because at one point I felt as if he were "scanning" me > > > checking me out with his inner vision. He's far too powerful to not have > > > his > > > attention felt by his teachers. I felt him look right through me, my > > > organs, > > > subtle body, mind, everything. While this was going on, I tried to send > > > him > > > the telepathic message: "Lord Shiva got me in here as a boon." > > > > > > If Maharishi was upset about my being here, it was his own fault-he was > > > the > > > one who taught me, in person, the highly effective techniques for locating > > > transcendental consciousness and fulfilling desires through That. I was > > > living proof of his own success this night. I'd gotten through his > > > carefully > > > selected, highly effective human shield and then been delivered at his > > > feet > > > as a VIP. That is the power of the Lord. > > > > > > The deep velvety-red umbrellas of Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati and > > > Swami > > > Shantanandji Saraswati, embroidered with large gold Sanskrit letters, were > > > obviously very old. To me, they represented the cosmic umbrella that one > > > gets under for spiritual protection when initiated by an enlightened guru > > > into the ancient tradition of the Sanatan Dharma. Each umbrella was imbued > > > with the deep spirituality of ancient India?and great men of cosmic > > > consciousness. > > > > > > I was mesmerized by the rare darshan (sight) of Swami Shantanand > > > Saraswati. > > > He must have been in his eighties at the time, but still had the wrinkle- > > > free face of a baby. The glow on his face was more pure, more translucent, > > > than I had ever seen on any human being before. He looked like the > > > transcendent personified. He remained seated in deep meditation the entire > > > evening. He never moved, never opened his eyes. He looked serene, > > > breathless, in his all-time natural state of cosmic conciousness. From his > > > whole body he radiated powerful waves of love. > > > > > > He was a sensory feast to behold, seated in the highest position in the > > > room > > > on his "throne" chair that was placed directly underneath what looked like > > > the same unbrella that Guru Dev hasd sat under as Shankaracharya. The man > > > had a pure white halo that encircled his whole body." > > > > > > Source: > > > > > > "Galaxy of Fire" > > > By Jay Latham > > > Sunstar, 2000 > > > p. 550-553.
Knowledge is not bound to any land or place. No place is favoured. Knowledge is everywhere, all over. If certain types of people are prepared at a place, they will receive it. Preparation of mind is the only key to where this knowledge will descend. If people at a particular place take to the ordinary way of life, they will get ordinary knowledge. If at a certain place people are preparing themselves for higher knowledge, certainly it will be available. No place is particular for knowledge. > > Anywhere, anytime, anybody who is looking for this knowledge must get it, > because the Absolute is not for a single race, colour, creed or nation. > --Swami Shantanand Saraswati >Guru Dev's successor (appointed by Guru Dev himself, in his will), Shri Swami >Shantanand Maharaj, Shankaracharya of Jyothirmath. > > > > > > > >
