--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" <jflanegi@> > wrote: > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > > > It's *not* some- > > > thing that only happens to the "holy" or the "pure" > > > or those who "follow all the rules." Sometimes it > > > happens to just the weirdest people in the world, > > > for no other reason than it just happens to them. > > > > Yeah, one thing that has been discussed here at length is the > > endless diversity of experiences people go through on their way > > to awakening. The reason I stuck with TM forever was that I found > > I didn't have to follow anyone's rules when doing it, so I have > > continued to live a quietly unorthodox life, and though the > > challenges have been great, so have the rewards. > > > > From the time I could think, I have approached each situation as > > either something I should do, unless I could personally think of a > > reason not to, or, something I should not do, unless I could > > personally think of a reason to do it. In other words, I've never > > taken anything for granted, nor had much respect for rules imposed > > externally. > > > > Allows for a much freer life, though I've also learned that the > > amount of freedom exercised is absolutely equal to the amount of > > responsibility taken. > > Yup. And I think it's important to present that approach > to others as a viable spiritual path. > > So *much* of traditional spirituality has been about > *elitism*. The portrayal of the enlightened as rare, > the portrayal of them as perfect, without human frailty > and Normal Everyday Flaws. > > I don't think it's like that. I don't think it's *ever* > been like that. Shankara farted and shat just like > everyone else does. He had his good days and his bad > days. He probably had his share of sexual fantasies. > In other words, he was a normal guy...just a normal > guy who realized his own enlightenment, that's all. > > I think that the portrayal of the enlightened as > perfect, as existing on some kind of idealized pedestal, > is counterproductive to the max. The higher the pedestal > that seekers put the enlightened on, the more difficult > they believe it is for *them* to ever get up to a pedestal > that high. So they don't. Portraying the enlightened as > extraordinary, and lacking everyday human frailties, > is IMO a mechanism for *preventing* enlightenment. > > In general, I'd say that the more a spiritual tradition > puts its enlightened masters up on a pedestal and > teaches its students to revere them as "special" and > "rare," the less likely it is that the tradition will > ever *produce* enlightenment in those students. > Yeah, the whole thing is a misintepretation. Because the experience of an awakened person is that they continue doing everything without becoming lost; in other words, there is a perfect synchronicity to their their thoughts and actions, a perfect attunement. This has come to be misintepreted as meaning they are to be seen and revered as perfected.
Which they are. But only to themselves. To someone who is not perfected, the awakened person is not perfected, nor will they ever be seen as such, so why hold them up as such? After awhile, after the hand-holding has gone on for awhile, it is just a big distraction. One thing I really like about the Mr. M tradition is that it doesn't actually rely on the belief in the deification or divinity or perfection of its founder. Sure, lots of folks think it does, but they are mistaken. The only thing necessary is confidence in the techniques for purification of the mind and body. After that, its up to us. ------------------------ 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/
