--- In [email protected], "Paul Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Okay, it is time for me to own up. I have sensed Guru Dev behind my > research work since way way back, whether it be wandering in the > jungle chatting with swamis or trawling the internet or puzzling over > the meaning of a rarely used Sanskrit word. > I guess I am an unlikely conduit for his teachings, but as far as I > am concerned, I work on his behalf.
You are doing a great job. I have learned a lot from the quotations of Guru Dev. Ingegerd> > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], t3rinity <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" <jflanegi@> > wrote: > > > > > > > I've had an active relationship with His Holiness for many > > > > many years. > > > > Is it out of the norm? Sure! Yes! Of course! > > > > Is it absolutely real? Sure! Yes! Of course! > > > > > > > > Should I deny it, or not speak about it, or doubt my > > > > direct perception for the last 25 years, just because > > > > those who haven't had such an experience cannot > > > > comprehend it, or doubt it? > > > > > > The same question must have confronted Maharishi, when he > > > was equally inspired by visions of Guru Dev in 1955. With > > > the slight difference, that he had known him (and his vibe) > > > in body, and was very well in a position to judge the > > > validity of his experience. Easy for anybody to dismiss > > > this, take an old lecture of GD out of context. Besides > > > that, we all know how often masters contradict themselves. > > > Even Guru Dev could have changed his mind, once he had > > > left his brahmanical body and his Shankaracharya position. > > > > And "besides that," :-) if I have such an experience > > and dismiss it because of something my teacher told > > me just doesn't happen in nature, I'm just a nobody. > > Whereas if I believe that what my teacher said was > > not true, and Just Another Guru Contradiction, I can > > believe in my experience, which allows me to be a lot > > more special than "those who haven't had such an exper- > > ience and cannot comprehend it." > > > > :-) > > > > Just to clarify, I am *not* saying that everyone > > who has ever had a visionary experience was deluding > > themselves out of a desire to seem "important" and > > "special." But that *IS* true about many people, and > > I think it's a good thing to keep in mind when > > evaluating their claims. > > > > In almost every case, the claims themselves cannot > > possibly be either verified or disproven. So my > > personal "litmus test" when dealing with such claims > > (*especially* claims of communicating with the dead > > teacher) is to watch the *overall* behavior of the > > person who is making the claim. > > > > Do they treat the experience they had matter-of-factly, > > as if it was no more important than any other experience > > they've had in their lives, or do they make it into A > > Really Big Thing, one that makes them unique and special? > > Do they use the experience itself as a mechanism for > > setting themselves up as some kind of "expert" or > > someone who is more capable of passing along "the > > latest message from the dead teacher" to others? Or > > as "the next great teacher" themselves? > > > > Just to clarify, I think Jim's handling his report- > > ing of his own subjective experiences fairly well. > > But I have seen other folks, in the Rama trip and > > others, who *definitely* used their "visions of the > > now-dead teacher" to set themselves up as "the new > > teacher," and to develop a fanatical following who > > hovered around them waiting for the next "message > > from the teacher." And often to pay them a great > > deal of money for "delivering" these "messages." > > > > It is this last phenomenon I expect to happen a LOT > > in the TM movement when Maharishi finally dies. I > > expect there to be at least half a dozen folks who > > start hearing "messages from Maharishi" and that > > mini-cults will develop around each of them. On the > > one hand (as a sociological phenomenon) it'll be > > fun and fascinating to watch. On the other hand > > (as an exercise in mind control and charlatanry) > > it's IMO likely to get really ugly. > > > > Then again, maybe I'll be surprised and no one > > will start claiming to be in almost daily "communi- > > cation" with Maharishi after he dies. > > > > Yeah, right...like *that's* gonna happen... :-) > > > 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/
