--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Me, I don't know why he took himself out. I wrote > down some of my theories about it in a story > (http://ramalila.net/RoadTripMind/rtm53.html), > and the bottom line of that story (written now > almost ten years ago) is the same bottom line > I have now -- I don't know. I now read it, thanks for sharing. > What a long, strange trip it was. And I'm thank- > ful for every minute of it, positive or negative. > But strange it definitely was. There are very few people who really influence us in our lives. People who have touched our hearts and minds. They may have their weakness, they may have, what others consider to be 'fallen'. I don't have such judgment values. What you can see is, I am sure you do, what effect they had on our lives, how much we learned from them, and that is what I think that counts. There won't be that many for each of us, maybe just one or two. For example: some people here (not you) make a big story about the sexual (mis-)conduct of Maharishi. I remember something Shivananda wrote in this context, it amounts to the following: Somebody, who has fallen from his vows, at least had a determination and a desire which made him do these vows, while most people even don't consider such a life. For example Maharishi has established monastic groups, which allowed me to lead such a life, for which I will be always grateful. The experience I had, nobody can take away from me. Maybe he himself failed in that respect (or he simply explored experiences he needed to have), but he had imbibed in me the desire and lifestyle of Brahmacharya. Thats just an example, but I think thats more what counts. If Maharishi was a perfect Brahmacharya, sitting in a cave in Uttar Kashi, I would have never heard of him (or Guru Dev) and he wouldn't have inspired me. Which scenario do I prefer? The one that happened. If people make a fuss about such things, they cling to some ideal they have in their mind, and they haven't learned themselves. Why does one need to get inspired? Inspire others. In your own way and to your capacity.
