--- In [email protected], "Paul Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On my TTC, Paul, Mahesh said again and again: the actor can play god better than god. -- He was, of course, talking about himself and the joke was on us because we didn't get it. Mahesh could fool anybody and usually make a point of doing so every chance he got. It really stroked his ego to pull the polyester over the eyes of people who should have known better. -- I wonder if he was thinking "I fooled Guru Dev and I can fool a putz like you." > Back in 1975 at a meeting with Rabbi Levine, the rabbi stated that > MMY was 'God Conscious at least!' If MMY is in no special state of > consciousness it is misleading to allow such statements to be made > without correcting them!? > > Below is a transcript of the meeting. > > God Realization: The Fulfilment of all Aspirations > Science and Religion: Two Paths to the Same Goal > 20th July 1975, Courchevel, France > > Miss Emily Levin Member World Plan Executive Council asks: > Each religion has its own Scriptures. Do they each express the same > reality? > > Rabbi Levine: Are you asking it of Maharishi or me? > > Emily Levin: (very nervously)... either... > > Rabbi: (to MMY) How shall we handle this? Shall we each say something > about it? > > MMMY: I think you will be speaking more because you are authority on > religion. > > Rabbi Levine: (incredulously) I'm authority on religion? (significant > pause and lots of laughter) You who are, who are in God > Consciousness, at least? > > MMY: (lots of laughter) I'll be following you wherever I can. (more > laughter) > > Rabbi Levine: But don't correct me TOO much. > > MMY (more laughter) > > Rabbi Levine: Yes, the answer is a very simple yes. There is only one > reality but there is an infinite ways of trying to discover it. And > each religion has its own path to God. However, the only time that > path will ever lead to God is if it is paved with love. > > > > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > As usual when I post an honest, heartfelt, and > > *non*-putdown opinion of Maharishi, one of the > > terribly attached TBs reacts to it as if it was > > a putdown (not true), and as if she were feeling > > terribly threatened by the opinion itself (true). > > > > Allow me to clarify, for those who are less anal > > retentive about the things they believe. > > > > In the past on this forum, we have discussed > > whether it would really *matter* to people with > > regard to the benefits they have received from > > TM if Maharishi had, in fact, had sex with a > > bunch of his female students. The general > > consensus was No, it wouldn't matter. > > > > Why then are so many people so attached to the > > idea that he is enlightened? > > > > Would it really *matter* if he wasn't? Would > > the benefits they have received from practicing > > TM be any less? By their actions -- overreacting > > almost any time this subject comes up and getting > > all defensive about their belief (and that is all > > it is) that he is enlightened -- one really has > > to assume that it *would* really matter to them. > > My question is, Why? > > > > My completely honest, no bullshit, pondered-over- > > for-almost-40-years opinion is that Maharishi is > > *not* enlightened, and never has been. In all the > > time I spent in the TM movement, I never once > > heard him claim that he was, and based on reports > > here, I don't think he ever has. And yet people > > persist in believing that he is. Again, why, and > > more important -- *what difference would it make?*" > > > > My perception of Maharishi is of a well-meaning > > ordinary guy who had the fortunate experience of > > spending some time around someone who *was* > > enlightened, was inspired by that experience, > > and who decided *on his own*, and against the > > advice of that teacher, to try to spread the > > inspiration that he felt around, so that other > > people could feel as inspired as he did. > > > > This is *NOT* a putdown; it's a compliment. I > > *commend* Maharishi for his devotion to this > > desire to inspire. By contrast, I've worked with > > several other teachers who periodically threw > > tantrums and decided to *stop* teaching; Maharishi > > never has. That, in my book, makes Maharishi far > > more devoted to his desire to inspire others > > than the other teachers were. > > > > I *do* believe that he went against the direct > > advice of his own teacher in making this decision > > to teach, and at his own peril. Spiritual teaching > > is a perilous task; there are pitfalls and dangers > > in it, especially for those who still have a strong > > ego that would be easy prey for these pitfalls and > > dangers. *That* is what I believe that Guru Dev > > had in mind when he told Maharishi not to teach, > > and to follow his *own* example and spend his time > > in meditation, far away from the teaching process. > > (This information came from Sattyanand, many years > > ago.) We are talking, after all, about a guy (Guru > > Dev) who tried as hard as humanly possible to *avoid* > > being forced into the position of being a teacher > > himself. He *understood* the pitfalls and dangers. > > When they tried to make him the Shankaracharya, he > > literally disappeared for 21 days, hoping that they > > would change their minds and choose someone else. > > I think he had Maharishi's best interests in mind > > when he made the suggestion that he *not* teach; > > he must have known that Maharishi was not *ready* > > to teach, and *would* fall victim to the pitfalls > > and dangers that awaited him if he chose that path. > > And I believe that Maharishi did, in fact, fall > > prey to them. > > > > But that doesn't mean that I don't feel gratitude > > to him for what he taught me. TM, as cobbled-together > > and untested as it was, helped to start me on a > > spiritual path, and I am grateful to Maharishi for > > having made it available. But at the same time, unlike > > most of the other TM teachers I have met, I have never > > really considered him enlightened, and still don't. > > > > Many people would *like* Maharishi to be enlightened. > > They have various reasons for why they believe that. > > I have my own reasons for believing that he is not. > > My reasons may be correct or they may not, but it > > doesn't really matter, because it wouldn't *matter* > > to me whether he was enlightened or not. The benefit > > for me was in learning a useful beginner's technique > > of meditation, one that left me open to more inter- > > esting experiences with other techniques and other > > traditions. Maharishi didn't need to be enlightened > > to accomplish that. > > > > Haven't you ever considered the possibility that > > Maharishi coined his "learning to read" analogy (you > > remember the one -- the kid goes to school and learns > > "A, B, C" and then goes home and teaches his younger > > brothers and sisters "A, B, C") to describe *himself*? > > > > I guess my questions for the group as a whole are: > > > > 1. *Is* it important to you to believe that Maharishi > > was/is enlightened? > > > > 2. If so, *why*? > > > > 3. What *difference* do you think that would have > > made in his ability to teach you what you have > > learned from him? > > > 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! 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