One of the problems with the TM teaching is this idea that Vedic sages "cognized" things in a mystical manner whereas other traditions will tell you it was a trial and error thing. Like others here after many years of practice I have become very sensitive to the effects of different mantras, herbs and foods. This is probably the "cognizing" the sages did. What worked stuck and what didn't went away. Of course we could get really tin hat and say that the Vedas are what remains of a teaching that came from another planet and were left by the "seeders" who bred the human race. An we can't disprove the latter any more than we can prove the former. :)
curtisdeltablues wrote: > New Morning, > > I had hoped for some thoughtful responses, thanks! I am not doubting > your subjective experience and those of your friends. I am also not > saying that everything the Vedic writers believed is wrong. I am > saying that I have no reason to believe that ancient India was > specially blessed with complete knowledge of how life works. There > may be an effect from making offerings to statues and paintings that > transcends the obvious psychological and sociological effects. These > are highly testable,falsifiable claims. But I don't see the movement > offering the slightest interest in testing it. It is presented as a > given that they have successful yagya knowledge. Judging by how the > sidhi program was developed by trial and error, I find this claim > dubious. We should not only have anecdotal evidence for something > that could be specifically tested. I don't know if yagyas work, or if > the offerings to the gods of Egypt or Greece work. The world is an > amazing place. But to assert that ancient India had the best god > offering program out of all the versions in man's history seems highly > unlikely. If it works it probably worked in other cultures too. I > say test them all! > > Now till that is done, some people will find it more credible and get > benefits from yagyas as you have described, and some, like myself, > will believe that people in the past were wrong about a bunch of > stuff, so I have to pick my battles of what I want to sort out. For > me testing the medical use of herbs in traditional cultures should be > at the top of the testing list. If yagyas prove to be part of our > growing knowledge about how life works, fantastic. And it will have > been open minded people like yourself who financed it way ahead of the > curve. > > I think we have more knowledge about the mechanics of how things work > in the examples you gave, including how TM causes rest. We are not > living in a world of unknown cause and effects, we know how a bunch of > stuff works well enough to make specific predictions and benefit from > those predictions. I think there needs more work on the causality > claims of yagyas. I'm sure you would welcome it as well. Thanks for > letting me hear about your experiences with yagyas. > > > > > --- In [email protected], new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Curtis, you make many fine points. >> >> However, your points don't negate my experience that there is a >> discernable cause and effect mechanism between a blsck box called a >> "deva" and me, and/or my yagya doing compatriates. I don't offer proof >> of yagyas or puja other than my own, and some friends, antecdotal >> experiences. But its pretty clear to me that if you push this or that >> button, this or that result occurs. >> >> To experience that, to see that, does not require any particular >> understanding of the black box called "deva". Just as it doesn't >> require any understanding of modern electronics, computer science,etc >> to turn on and use a computer. My computer is a black block called PC. >> I understand its inner nature and characteristics about as well as >> the black boxes known as "devas". (Though I know how to replace a >> hard dirve and CPU on the PC black box. I have yet to master that >> skill on deva black box.) >> >> As far as cause and effect of yagyas and pujas, lets use an example >> familiar to many here. Doing TM puja (cause) creates a real inner >> stillness, purity, contentment thing (effect). I don't know how, the >> inner cosmic mechanics, but it does. Switch on light switch, light >> turns bright. I have experienced that same "thing" in witnessing >> and/or participating in yagyas. Heavy shakti is how one friend >> describes that very tangible thing. >> >> I have had yagyas done from afar. Not even knowing when they were >> being done, something really lit up on the inner switchboard during >> the week various things were being done. >> >> But I didn't get those 12 goats the sciptures promised, so I am a bit >> bummed at that. But someone gave me a really nice wool sweater. When >> you push some buttons, its not clear precisely what will happen. >> Though, in my experience, you can hear the "dishwasher" running. >> >> > > > > > 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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> 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/
