--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jim_flanegin" <jflanegi@> > wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> > wrote: > > > > > > > > Was in a rush before; want to add a couple things: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > <snip> > > > > > *Without a doubt*, these people's enlightenment was > > > > > self-evident to them. There was no question in their > > > > > minds that it existed. But did it? > > > > > > > > I have no idea. Do you? > > > > > > Not a clue. > > > > > > > > I'm just sayin' that there is a big "red flag" > > > > > raised for me when someone believes one of their > > > > > "stories" so completely > > > > > > > > And Jim was just sayin' that the nature of > > > > enlightenment is such that it falls outside the > > > > category of "stories," something of which you're > > > > apparently not aware. > > > > > > And I *understand* that some people believe this. > > > I do not. Neither do spiritual traditions such > > > as the Tibetan one Vaj mentioned. > > > > > > I am a strong believer in enlightenment, and I > > > believe that the experience of it should be under > > > exactly the same scrutiny and subject to the same > > > analysis as any other experience, if not more. It > > > isn't "exempt." > > > > > What basis do you have for believing that Rory and I see it any > > other way? Is it because of what Vaj said? And why do you believe > > Vaj more than you believe either of us? > > What's particularly interesting is that Vaj > claimed the test for enlightenment was whether > the person could do certain siddhis. > > Barry, of course, has always insisted that the > ability to do siddhis doesn't have anything to > do with enlightenment. > > So if he's going by what Vaj says in this case, > I guess it's just another one of those > contradictions that show how spiritually > advanced he is.
How did Self-Realization come to be associated with the ability to perform spiritual parlor tricks and feats of esoteric duality?
