I don't allege that he was homeless, that is a fact. I have my own opinion about his mental state just as you do. I sincerely believe that he needed medical attention as a boy. I think his folks needed a check up from the neck up also. Whatever he was able to achieve with such a deplorable beginning in life is amazing.
The aspect that you raise considering his humble beginnings, that he rose to such heights in the Hindu religion is amazing. It is a heroic tale of survival worthy of a movie. The fact that his position of power we instrumental in upholding social values that I find repugnant is another issue. But I appreciate your perspective that he was a spiritual Horatio Alger story. That is an aspect I was not appreciating fully. --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > If one of Curtis's street people were successful > > in these respects, it would be awfully difficult > > not to view them as "special." > > > > (Or let's say "remarkable," since "special" has > > acquired such negative baggage on this forum.) > > > > I think we are missing each other on this point. He was a > fascinating > > guy. I probably would connect with him on his love of nature. I > don't > > see any evidence for him being more amazing then a lot of other > > religious leaders upholding the status quo even if it includes the > > cruelty of the caste system. I think you are over focusing on my > > bringing up the fact of his homelessness. > > And not getting the medical attention he needed, > as I recall. > > Curtis, when you suggest that a very prominent > spiritual leader was mentally ill and homeless, > it's such astonishing assertion, particularly when > it goes against everything we know about Guru > Dev, that it's going to be the focus of attention > as long as you continue to start from that notion > in your evaluation of him. > > That doesn't make him less > > interesting, it makes him more. Especially when coupled with your > > point about how he pulled of the Shankaracharya gig. > > > > So I'll give him special and remarkable (although not > > necessarily for the reasons he is revered in TMO), but > > he doesn't' get divine. Is that fair? > > I think you ought to withdraw the "homeless" and > "mentally ill" allegations. > > "Divine," I don't care about one way or the other. >
