--- In [email protected], "boo_lives" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I apologize trin. for going off on the word. I agree completely with > most of what you say, and I personally don't care much for the > conservative formalisms of hinduism or any other religion. In general > I feel devotion not status is what is important.
Oh, thanks, yes I agree. > > The one area I think I disagree - and I'm just recently appreciating > this point - is that the head of lineage usually does make clear > through external means who the successor is in terms of the living > head of the lineage. This does not mean that the head of lineage > can't bestow grace and enlightenment or whatever to lots of disciples > no matter what their rank, but I'm learning that is a big deal who > gets the transmission to take over as head of the lineage and this > usually does involve the external trappings. > > So I think MMY can say whatever he wants in terms of being a good > disciple of GD who inspired him to do what he does, but I don't think > MMY represents any kind of traditional lineage. Actually I also agree on this. He certainly doesn't represent the Dasanami Order of his Guru, and I don't think he actually claims to do so. The word 'Vedic Tradition' is actually a very broad term, and together with others I wrote on the german Wikipedia on it. Its more like a generic term pointing to the origin of teaching in my view, and it is used by different groups. Basically every group tries to base itself into the ancient traditions, and is related to it somehow. So the Shankaracharya tradition absorbed a lot of teachings from the Tantra, but it sees the Tantra (Agamas) as an elaboration on the Veda or Upanishads. Every group in Hinduism does this. Compare it to the flow of a river, it is not steady, and changes every moment. MMY may be guilty of giving the impression hat there is only one Vedic tradition and that its a kind of linear thing, but he never stated that he is the successor of Guru Dev. For him of course Guru Dev is the reference point, and for all his disciples this is so as well. Thereore they think they are the lineage, but does he ever say so? I don't think. But there is of course somehow the implication, that he is doing the important work. The words that he uses most in this context is: 'with the blessings of Guru Dev' >
