--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], Vaj <vajranatha@> wrote: > > On Feb 28, 2006, at 8:22 AM, TurquoiseB wrote [to trinity, > who speaks first below]: > > > > >> I didn't say that the experiences they have had are exactly > > >> the ones that were described. But I believe most of them had > > >> experiences of one sort or another, which made them go for > > >> these very books, etc. For example, somebody had an experience > > >> with TM - following a set of instructions laid out by the > > >> MMY - and therefore tends to believe that MMY knows about > > >> higher states of Consciousness. His belief is therefore > > >> reinforced by experience. Acting on those beliefs he may > > >> come across another experience, - again not necessarily > > >> identical to those described, but sort of in the same > > >> direction, and therefore tends to give some more authority > > >> to MMY, therefore the experience is reinforcing his beliefs > > >> once more. > > >> > > >> This is how it works for most people, and therefore what > > >> I say is perfectly true. > > > > > > Not "pefectly," but you're right...people do tend > > > to re-believe the people they've believed before. > > > This often tends to be an enormous trap, as when > > > they believe that Maharishi says about politics > > > is valid just because what he said about how TM > > > seems to work was valid. > > > > Really a key point here is the validity and authenticity > > of the teacher. There are real teachers and there are > > charlatans--both go by the same name: teacher. > > Ah, but who gets to "validate" or "authenticate" > the "real" ones? Again, we're back in the realm > of "trusting experts." > > I'd say instead that a more relevant "key point" > is the willingness to retain one's critical > faculties and perform one's *own* "validation > and authentication" of the teachers one encounters > and what they teach. > > This is, sadly, a fairly rare trait. More common > is "belief out of habit." If the teacher in question > seems to have said something valuable in the past, > many people tend to *stop* evaluating what that > teacher says in the future. Instead, they just > buy into it out of habit. > > > Furthermore some people by their own obscurations > > and karma will instinctively find the latter, others > > possessing different patterns which are free of such > > concerns, find someone to point out their true nature. > > Again, though, who gets to say what is the student's > "true nature?" > > I'm not arguing that there aren't charlatans out > there; there are. But even the charlatans may teach > valuable stuff, just as the "real" teachers may > teach garbage. The key to me seems to lie in > preserving that tendency to evaluate each thing > that one's teacher says on its own merit, here and > now, in real-time, *without regard for* the things > the teacher may have said in the past. > > Easier said than done. We're all creatures of > habit, and tend to take the easy path rather > than the one that requires a little effort. > Agreed. Spiritual growth is no different than our body's growth. First, we need the teacher like a parent and unquestioningly follow what they say. And we look for that parental figure to guide us. (I personally never followed a teacher for more than a day if I didn't sense they were right for me.)
Then I continued to follow Maharishi as a child follows his parent. Until it was clear by the direction I was taking this was no longer possible. Then it was time to leave home, to go Home. Bye, bye Baby, bye bye... ------------------------ 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/
