--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "hugheshugo" > <richardhughes103@> wrote: > > > > Thanks, I've put that in my favourites. I shall have a browse > > at my leisure. > > > > I always thought siddhi powers were an indication of approaching > > enlightenment or at least a sign you're on the right track > > obviously your teacher had worse things inside he had to deal with. > > As do we all.
No kidding. > > I consider my time with him a marvelous education. > When I first ran into him, he ran a remarkably "clean" > teaching and ogranization IMO. No hierarchies, low > tuitions, no bullying of students or requiring any > specific behavior of them towards him, and great > experiences and fun were had by all. > > But as time went by, I got to watch him believe more > and more of his own PR. Hierarchies developed in which > the more money you contributed, the "higher" you were. > His word became law, and if anyone questioned his > authority they were out the door and demonized forever. > And then the Valium happened. I hear that it was pre- > scribed for him originally because of an athletic > injury, but he got to like the "buzz" of it, and at > one point he was gulping handfuls of them before meet- > ing with his students or with other Buddhist teachers. > His behavior became erratic, his well-known sense of > humor started to fade, and he didn't appear to be > enjoying his life that much any more. Finally, being > a classic "I can handle it" kinda guy, he decided to > quit the Valium "cold turkey," even though every web- > site on the subject of Valium addiction says "DON'T > do this because of the high possibility of suicide." > Within a week he was dead, a suicide. > > Like I said, a real education. Marvelous experiences > that I will always treasure, both positive and negative. > I learned as much about what to do "wrong" as a spir- > itual teacher as I did about what to do "right" as a > spiritual teacher. > > When he was "on," I've never encountered a teacher > more gifted, and more able to convey both the intel- > lectual concepts behind advanced spiritual phenomena > *and* the experience of them. When he *wasn't* on, > he could be a real prick. Go figure. > > The Wikipedia article on Lenz is actually pretty > balanced. A little more pro right now than con (which > probably means that some Rama TBs have been active > lately...a "the neutrality of this article is under > dispute" notice has appeared since yesterday), but > on the whole I think it's a fairly good overview. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Lenz > He sounds like quite a character, especially concerning his attitude to women. Shame he killed himself, I don't know but, it sounds like he couldn't cope with the "fame". Or is it a case of 'the flame that burns twice as bright burns only half as long' I must hear some of his music though, could be right up my street.
