Opinion below: **
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > On Sep 13, 2007, at 1:49 PM, boo_lives wrote: > > > There is no evidence that GD choose MMY to be his successor - tmers > > believe that based on what MMY has said not anything objective. > > There's a huge decades long controversy over who GD's official jyotir > > math successor was, where there is some record, and there's no record > > at all regarding MMY. GD did not give MMY tm mantras - as has been > > documented MMY started teaching TM in india with the mantra raam given > > to everyone, later changed to bij mantras, and changed the criteria > > for selecting bij mantras at least a couple times. The deathbed story > > is believed by tmers and makes a great dramatic story. You can > > believe whatever you want, as long as you understand you're using your > > own spiritual movement's beliefs/stories/myths to support your > > argument, which doesn't have much weight on those who aren't a part of > > it. Every guru with a marketing orientation has a story about how he > > is the official successor/reincarnation of/avatar of/ etc. of some > > prior esteemed guru. Anti-tm people from GD's ashram have their own > > stories about how GD warned the ashram about MMY's ambition and to > > keep him on the business side and out of the teaching side of the > > ashram, and how MMY fooled with the will, etc. That's their stories - > > they have the same objective weight as TM TB stories. > > > > MMY certainly has been successful in drawing in people to meditation > > and in raising money. Still a pretty large group in ffld doing his > > thing. I don't know if that says anything about GD or what he would > > think about it. > > > > I don't know much about GD from non TM sources. He appears to have > > practiced a tradition called shri vidya. My personal opinion is that > > GD's true lineage is being upheld by someone trained and selected > > while GD was in the forest, not while in his public formal role as a > > religious ashram leader. > > > Nice, brief objective synopsis. > **end** Boo_lives' synopsis makes sense to me, too, though it doesn't change my opinion re either Guru Dev or Maharishi. It seems that the major players in the controversies after Guru Dev's death, both as to the successor to the throne at Jyotir Math, as well as his "official" teachings became disciples of Guru Dev after his installation as Shankaracharya. That includes Maharishi (who took initiation before Guru Dev was Shankaracharya but didn't join the ashram until afterwards), Swaroopananda, and Shantanand. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's relationship with Maharishi and their respective teachings seems to parallel Maharishi's relationship with Guru Dev. By Raj Varma's account (certainly biased but not necessarily incorrect in this matter) Maharishi exhibited noticeable spiritual progress around Guru Dev and was obviously a favored, or even a favorite disciple. Sri Sri, both before and during his time with Maharishi, similarly seemed to be something of a spiritual prodigy. But both took whatever they got from their gurus and branched out in a somewhat different direction, technique-wise. Sri Sri still accords Maharishi respect and devotion, from what I understand, and Maharishi has always credited Guru Dev for everything. Close followers of Maharishi decry Sri Sri's approach in the same way that some other followers of Guru Dev castigate Maharishi. Most everyone here on FFL has gotten something from their involvement and time with Maharishi and have utilized it in a way that seems beneficial to them; even if they now disavow Maharishi and his teachings, they use it (to one degree or another) as a way of defining where and why they are in the life situation they presently occupy. I agree that Guru Dev is something like Santa Claus for adults. I love Santa Claus, too. Every year in the western world that image and personality is renewed by and in the sense of giving and sharing that we recognize in xmas gifting. That's fine with me. Merry Xmas Marek
