Yes, I have a similar take on this, but have you looked at the Shastras? Phew!!!! Also, Guru Dev extols not only the Shastras but their author, holding him to have supernatural sight. Well it might interest FFLers to check the biographical profile of the author, but really!!
--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Premanand Paul Mason" > <premanandpaul@> wrote: > > > > Well Rick, here is a stream-of thinking answer to your suggestion. > > It is apparent when reading Guru Dev's satsangs that he was totally > > sold on the idea of everyone living by the Shastras. So it might be > > interesting to take a raincheck on that area. He really was quite > > adamantly against arbitrariness - caste was important as was ritual. > > > > He was highly unimpressed with science. > > He had a downer on Westerners. > > He seemed to have absolute belief in fatalism. > > He didn't seem to believe that just doing some worship or > > meditation was enough, he believed that living by the Shastras was > > totally necessary (sorry to come back to that first point - but it > > is so recurrent as to be inescapable). > > > > Okay, where were we. Oh yes, he most certainly was completely sold > > into the idea of rebirth and all the rest of Hinduism's basic > > beliefs, thus re-enforcing the idea that all things Hindu are right > > and fine and dandy. But often he makes it clear that he is > > repeating accepted wisdom. > > > > BUT that is entirely contrary to what I understand MMY has been > > saying. He has encouraged people to believe that being enlightened > > will give up the answers. i.e. it is consciousness not books that > > give the knowledge. > > Would Guru Dev have disagreed that consciousness is > the ultimate source of knowledge? I have trouble > believing that he would have. > > Perhaps what he was doing by emphasizing the shastras > was giving his students/followers something to live > by *until* they could depend on consciousness for > knowledge. > > And if that's what he was telling them, he would have > to live by the shastras' rules himself, would he not, > to set an example? > > MMY actually does somewhat the same thing, by giving > some general behavioral recommendations and then > telling TMers to follow the scriptures of their religion, > and/or the laws of the land, and/or the advice of their > elders, if they are in doubt about the right thing to > do. He doesn't specify a particular set of scriptures > or laws because he wants to reach people of all religions > (and no religion) and all nations. > > > It is likely Guru Dev lived an exhalted inner existence and was > > incredibly at peace with himself. It is implicit in everything MMY > > says about his guru that we are to take it that he was enlightened. > > However, if one lives purely by rules, Shastras and convention and > > never makes decisions for oneself, in any real sense, the point of > > wanting enlightenment gets lost. People want to feel free of the > > interminable rules and regulations, that's a big part of why they > > take a dive into the peace to be found beyond thinking. > > On the other hand, I would suspect that once one > attains complete inner freedom, having to follow > external laws and rules isn't much of a pinch. > > Presumably we want to become enlightened not so we > can be free of rules, but so rules can no longer > impinge on our sense of freedom, which has become > absolute and infinite. > > > > There must be something there worth discussing, other than the > > confused way I have laid out the ideas. > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
