[FairfieldLife] Guru Dev - another old Hindi book discovered - श्रीशंकराचार्य- वाक्सुधा

2009-09-05 Thread Paul Mason
Back in 1947 a Hindi book was published called श्रीशंकराचार्य-वाक्सुधा 'Shri 
Shankaracharya Vaksudha', credited to Shri 108 Dandi Swami Adwaitanand 
Saraswati, compiled and edited by one Mahesh Prasad Ji (no doubt the name 
Maharishi was known by then). It is a slim volume of some 135 odd pages giving 
a profile of the life and teachings of Shankaracharya Swami Brahmanand 
Saraswati, later better known as Guru Dev. 
 
It seems it was this publication that formed the basis of the later Hindi 
biography entitled श्री ज्योतिष्पीठोद्धारक 'Shri Jyotishpeethoddharaka', 
published in 1965. It is said that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi claimed the work as 
his own, allegedly telling an assistant, Australian TM teacher Edna Linnel, ‘We 
shall see what they have done with it.’ 
 
Seemingly 'Shri Shankaracharya Vaksudha' is the work which Maharishi was 
referring to in 1968 when he said ‘I have written long ago, maybe twenty or 
thirty years ago, I wrote a book, a small cover, about two hundred pages, and 
that was in Hindi, account of Guru Dev. But in that description, hear what I 
said! Not the instances were cited, but the inferences drawn from the 
instances. Not the instances make history!’.
 
I have come by an original copy of this book, see:-
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Shri_Shankaracharya_Vaksudha.html



  

[FairfieldLife] Re: More on the incredible clips from the "Outnumbered" TV series

2009-08-09 Thread Paul Mason
There was an episode of 'Outnumbered' yesterday, I don't know whether or not 
you in the US can see the re-run showing on BBC iPlayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fq31t



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
>
> There was an episode of 'Outnumbered' yesterday, I don't know whether or not 
> you can see the re-run showing on BBC iPlayer
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fq31t
> 
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk"  wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> > >
> > > Are the clips a true representation of what 'Outnumbered' is like? Hugh 
> > > Dennis appears on comedy quiz programs quite a lot, and is part of a 
> > > generation of very funny gifted comedians here, there seems to be a glut 
> > > of them, we are very lucky. I came across 'Outnumbered' by chance and 
> > > found it to be totally gripping, but I can't define why. It isn't as 
> > > cerebral as Monty Python, Not the Nine O'clock News or any of the other 
> > > greats, but it has its own power to put our lives on parade. From what I 
> > > understand, the cast is left to improvise quite a lot, so perhaps that is 
> > > why the material feels so fresh?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Well, the kids are incredibly and if, indeed, the kids are ad-libbing, they 
> > are masters at it.  The little boy and little girl are perfect.  And it's 
> > their sincerity that does it; they aren't trying to be cutesy-wootsy or 
> > funny.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk"  wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I'll tell you what I love about the 3 clips I've seen so far.
> > > > 
> > > > Firstly, there's no laugh track which more often than not absolutely 
> > > > kills any comedy for me (and a laugh track is to be differentiated from 
> > > > the laughing from a live studio audience DURING the taping of a show).
> > > > 
> > > > Secondly, this is NOT slap-your-knee funny; it is situational funny, 
> > > > for lack of a better term. I much prefer this kind of comedy.  The best 
> > > > example of it that I know is the movie "Flirting with distaster" with 
> > > > Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette.
> > > > 
> > > > Thirdly, the kids who are the actors -- as well as the adults -- are 
> > > > not TRYING to play funny; they are reading and acting their lines quite 
> > > > sincerely and it is the situation itself and the script which is just 
> > > > incredibly hilarious.  There is an axiom in Hollywood that if you're an 
> > > > actor doing a comedy, you don't try and play funny; you do the lines 
> > > > and your role as seriously and sincerely as possible, the "funny" will 
> > > > automatically come.  And that's why I think this works.  In the 
> > > > "Awkward questions about Jesus" clip, everyone in it is doing that 
> > > > perfectly from the Vicar (who's wonderful) to all of the kids.
> > > > 
> > > > This is a gem of a series and I can't wait until it is available on DVD 
> > > > in the States!  Of course, the series could be shit and we are just 
> > > > seeing the absolute best of it...but somehow I doubt it.  Perhaps Paul 
> > > > Mason who is ensconced in Jolly Old England sees the series?  Could he 
> > > > please tell us whether the series is as good as the clips?
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, guyfawkes91  wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > 
> > > > > > No holds barred comedy.
> > > > > >
> > > > > OMG, OMG, OMG!! I can barely breath this is so funny
> > > > > 
> > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al3CCSEl-fM&NR=1
> > > > > 
> > > > > ".. if it goes to hell it can have cheese on toast" 
> > > > > 
> > > > > Followed by this one
> > > > > 
> > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZdXr--4QA&feature=related
> > > > > 
> > > > > "In sickness or in health. May the force be with you..because 
> > > > > you're worth it"
> > > > > 
> > > > > I think I'd die of laughter if I watched a whole show.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: More on the incredible clips from the "Outnumbered" TV series

2009-08-09 Thread Paul Mason
There was an episode of 'Outnumbered' yesterday, I don't know whether or not 
you can see the re-run showing on BBC iPlayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fq31t


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk"  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> >
> > Are the clips a true representation of what 'Outnumbered' is like? Hugh 
> > Dennis appears on comedy quiz programs quite a lot, and is part of a 
> > generation of very funny gifted comedians here, there seems to be a glut of 
> > them, we are very lucky. I came across 'Outnumbered' by chance and found it 
> > to be totally gripping, but I can't define why. It isn't as cerebral as 
> > Monty Python, Not the Nine O'clock News or any of the other greats, but it 
> > has its own power to put our lives on parade. From what I understand, the 
> > cast is left to improvise quite a lot, so perhaps that is why the material 
> > feels so fresh?
> 
> 
> 
> Well, the kids are incredibly and if, indeed, the kids are ad-libbing, they 
> are masters at it.  The little boy and little girl are perfect.  And it's 
> their sincerity that does it; they aren't trying to be cutesy-wootsy or funny.
> 
> 
> 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk"  wrote:
> > >
> > > I'll tell you what I love about the 3 clips I've seen so far.
> > > 
> > > Firstly, there's no laugh track which more often than not absolutely 
> > > kills any comedy for me (and a laugh track is to be differentiated from 
> > > the laughing from a live studio audience DURING the taping of a show).
> > > 
> > > Secondly, this is NOT slap-your-knee funny; it is situational funny, for 
> > > lack of a better term. I much prefer this kind of comedy.  The best 
> > > example of it that I know is the movie "Flirting with distaster" with Ben 
> > > Stiller and Patricia Arquette.
> > > 
> > > Thirdly, the kids who are the actors -- as well as the adults -- are not 
> > > TRYING to play funny; they are reading and acting their lines quite 
> > > sincerely and it is the situation itself and the script which is just 
> > > incredibly hilarious.  There is an axiom in Hollywood that if you're an 
> > > actor doing a comedy, you don't try and play funny; you do the lines and 
> > > your role as seriously and sincerely as possible, the "funny" will 
> > > automatically come.  And that's why I think this works.  In the "Awkward 
> > > questions about Jesus" clip, everyone in it is doing that perfectly from 
> > > the Vicar (who's wonderful) to all of the kids.
> > > 
> > > This is a gem of a series and I can't wait until it is available on DVD 
> > > in the States!  Of course, the series could be shit and we are just 
> > > seeing the absolute best of it...but somehow I doubt it.  Perhaps Paul 
> > > Mason who is ensconced in Jolly Old England sees the series?  Could he 
> > > please tell us whether the series is as good as the clips?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, guyfawkes91  wrote:
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > > > No holds barred comedy.
> > > > >
> > > > OMG, OMG, OMG!! I can barely breath this is so funny
> > > > 
> > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al3CCSEl-fM&NR=1
> > > > 
> > > > ".. if it goes to hell it can have cheese on toast" 
> > > > 
> > > > Followed by this one
> > > > 
> > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZdXr--4QA&feature=related
> > > > 
> > > > "In sickness or in health. May the force be with you..because 
> > > > you're worth it"
> > > > 
> > > > I think I'd die of laughter if I watched a whole show.
> > > >
> > >
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: More on the incredible clips from the "Outnumbered" TV series

2009-08-01 Thread Paul Mason
Are the clips a true representation of what 'Outnumbered' is like? Hugh Dennis 
appears on comedy quiz programs quite a lot, and is part of a generation of 
very funny gifted comedians here, there seems to be a glut of them, we are very 
lucky. I came across 'Outnumbered' by chance and found it to be totally 
gripping, but I can't define why. It isn't as cerebral as Monty Python, Not the 
Nine O'clock News or any of the other greats, but it has its own power to put 
our lives on parade. From what I understand, the cast is left to improvise 
quite a lot, so perhaps that is why the material feels so fresh?




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk"  wrote:
>
> I'll tell you what I love about the 3 clips I've seen so far.
> 
> Firstly, there's no laugh track which more often than not absolutely kills 
> any comedy for me (and a laugh track is to be differentiated from the 
> laughing from a live studio audience DURING the taping of a show).
> 
> Secondly, this is NOT slap-your-knee funny; it is situational funny, for lack 
> of a better term. I much prefer this kind of comedy.  The best example of it 
> that I know is the movie "Flirting with distaster" with Ben Stiller and 
> Patricia Arquette.
> 
> Thirdly, the kids who are the actors -- as well as the adults -- are not 
> TRYING to play funny; they are reading and acting their lines quite sincerely 
> and it is the situation itself and the script which is just incredibly 
> hilarious.  There is an axiom in Hollywood that if you're an actor doing a 
> comedy, you don't try and play funny; you do the lines and your role as 
> seriously and sincerely as possible, the "funny" will automatically come.  
> And that's why I think this works.  In the "Awkward questions about Jesus" 
> clip, everyone in it is doing that perfectly from the Vicar (who's wonderful) 
> to all of the kids.
> 
> This is a gem of a series and I can't wait until it is available on DVD in 
> the States!  Of course, the series could be shit and we are just seeing the 
> absolute best of it...but somehow I doubt it.  Perhaps Paul Mason who is 
> ensconced in Jolly Old England sees the series?  Could he please tell us 
> whether the series is as good as the clips?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, guyfawkes91  wrote:
> >
> > 
> > > No holds barred comedy.
> > >
> > OMG, OMG, OMG!! I can barely breath this is so funny
> > 
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al3CCSEl-fM&NR=1
> > 
> > ".. if it goes to hell it can have cheese on toast" 
> > 
> > Followed by this one
> > 
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZdXr--4QA&feature=related
> > 
> > "In sickness or in health. May the force be with you..because 
> > you're worth it"
> > 
> > I think I'd die of laughter if I watched a whole show.
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Which "Maharishi Flip-Flop Teaching" has the worst karma?

2009-08-01 Thread Paul Mason
Yes TurquoiseB, I would have to say A-um to that, for that is what happened. It 
was quite a mystery. I mean, it was Maharishi's whole thing that TM did not 
need any adjuncts, nothing extra to gain the benefits of any other system of 
practice or philosophy. Then it was a whole turnabout and it was time to sign 
up for walking through walls, materialising fruit and lift off. And most 
importantly, virtually the whole of the TM philosophy did a somersault.
So, necessarilly, those who indulge in Maharishi-speak find themselves not only 
frog-hopping on their butts but doing wierd contortions in their minds in order 
to defend his thinking. Not necessary when dealing with his original teachings, 
only necessary in order to deal with the 'other' Maharishi teaching.
Mind you I think his original philosophy was a bit far-fetched too, in that 
meditation is an end in itself, clarity of consciousness, it does not need to 
prove itself of benefit elsewhere. And it anything but proved that it does 
benefit anyone else but the practitioner, that it pure speculation. Personally, 
I find meditation cleans the windscreen of the mind, but beyond that, in 
practical terms I would not make any further claims for it.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  wrote:
>
> Recent talk of "needing a guru" here has reminded me 
> of a phenomenon that many TB TMers are either unaware
> of (because they started TM so much later than others
> here and thus missed the earlier teachings) or they
> have blotted out the earlier teachings from their minds 
> (because they don't want to deal with the fact that
> Maharishi completely reversed himself). 
> 
> I call this phenomenon the "Maharishi Flip-Flop." It's
> where Maharishi started his "career" as a spiritual
> teacher teaching one thing -- emphatically -- and then
> LATER "flip-flopped" and began teaching or doing 
> *exactly the opposite* of what he had said/taught before.
> 
> The most famous example of this, of course, is the siddhis.
> In courses throughout the late 60s, Maharishi was clear
> to the point of being emphatic that they were dangerous
> and should *not* be pursued by spiritual seekers. The whole
> "capture the fort" analogy was *invented* as a reply to
> students who asked about the siddhis and how to achieve
> them. MMY's teaching *at that time* was that it was safer
> to "capture the fort," and allow such siddhis to blossom
> on their own, if they did. He definitely *discouraged* 
> people from ever trying to achieve the siddhis. 
> 
> Of course, we all know how that turned out. And a number
> of us here probably now feel that his earlier teaching
> -- before the flip-flop -- was more correct.
> 
> But for me, the "Maharishi Flip-Flop" teaching that has
> had the most debilitating effect on students, and has 
> thus incurred the most negative karma, is the flip-flop 
> he made on "gurus" and whether one should rely on them 
> when it comes to advice on how to live one's life.
> 
> I remember Maharishi clearly addressing this issue in
> response to a question from the audience, the first time
> I ever saw him, in 1967. The person asked him for advice 
> on how to resolve a quandary or problem in his life. In 
> effect, the questioner was asking Maharishi to make the
> decision for him -- tell him what to do, give him the 
> "right" answer.
> 
> Maharishi categorically refused to do so, and explained why.
> He said, "If I tell you what to do...what decision to make
> ...what happens the *next* time you need to make a decision?
> You'll come running to me asking me to make it for you." 
> 
> He then went on to give a long talk on how the idea of 
> "gurus" telling their students what to do and how to live
> was a *mistake*, because "It makes the students weaker. 
> As they become dependent on the guru or teacher to make 
> decisions for them, they lose the ability to make decisions 
> themselves." At this point, as he always did, Maharishi 
> segued into a discussion of TM, and how theoretically it 
> would enable the student to become stronger and more able 
> to make his OWN decisions, and not need anyone to make 
> them for him.
> 
> Cut to only a few years later, and how Maharishi began to
> treat the meditators and TM teachers who had "signed on" to
> the TM movement. It was a complete and total flip-flop. He
> began to dictate what they should wear and not wear, what
> they should eat and not eat, what they should believe and
> not believe, and who they should hang around with and not
> hang around with. It is not unfair to say that on courses
> *every* aspect of a TM student's life was dictated to him;
> every minute of every day was *literally* "being told what
> to do," by the guru. And soon this "being told what to do" 
> began to creep over into the lives of the TM teachers when 
> they were *not* on courses as well.
> 
> And I think that most here have seen the debilitating 
> effects of coming to rely on Maharishi to tell them what
> to do. T

[FairfieldLife] Awkward Questions about Jesus

2009-07-31 Thread Paul Mason
An intro to 'Outnumbered'...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQak6ng0RXQ



[FairfieldLife] Re: Enjoy the Rose! - Indifference tothe thorns is Bliss!

2009-07-19 Thread Paul Mason
David

To follow my earlier post which dealt with Guru Dev and the subject of thorns, 
here is another to address your suggestion that I was dismissing the teaching 
of TM - I am not! You couldn't be further from the truth as I have practiced 
this form of meditation for nigh on forty years, only breaking the routine to 
experiment short-term with variants of the technique.

But I AM dismissing much of the philosophical 'teaching' associated with the 
teaching of TM. I would like to see meditation taught free of indoctrination 
about 'higher' states of consciousness, free of the drip-feeding of dubious 
scientific claims, and also stripped of the fanciful philosphies, especially 
those dealing with how to think. In my view these aspects of the 'teaching' 
tend to distort the process and result in a cult think, rather than happy, 
alert and well-motivated individuals.

Jai Guru Dev
Premanand Paul




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
>
> David, 
> 
> Well, Guru Dev speaks of thorns as a means to distinguish the Acacia from the 
> Mango, and he refers to the practice of spreading thorns to keep away monkeys 
> from crops. Further, he uses the Hindi word for thorns - "kantak" - in a 
> poetic sense when he mentions that:- 
> "Thug log saadh vesh apana kar sachche saadhuon ki bari raksha karte hain, 
> jaise gulab ke pushpon ko kantak raksha karte hain."
> 
> 'Thugs who dress in the clothes of hermits greatly protect true sadhus, in 
> the manner that thorns protect the rose.'
> (my own translation, from 'Guru Dev as Presented by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi' - 
> ISBN 978-0-9562228-2-4)
> 
> Guru Dev tended to call a thorn a thorn, so to speak. But a Guru offering an 
> analogy about thorns that wither away without one's giving any 
> attention... Please cite your source. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "David Palmer"  wrote:
> >
> > Dear Paul,
> > It is not by doubting the words of the Guru that one gains knowledge, but 
> > by trying to understand them, and by practicing the teaching. If you have 
> > doubts over the validity of a statement, then humbly question the teacher. 
> > Dismissing the whole teaching is not helpful.
> > The rose and its thorns is just a metaphor to convey the idea of duality, 
> > positive and negative, but even here we can see that the actual role of the 
> > thorns is to protect our beautiful rose, which means the thorns are also 
> > precious. Do you get the idea?
> > .
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Enjoy the Rose! - Indifference tothe thorns is Bliss!

2009-07-19 Thread Paul Mason
David, 

Well, Guru Dev speaks of thorns as a means to distinguish the Acacia from the 
Mango, and he refers to the practice of spreading thorns to keep away monkeys 
from crops. Further, he uses the Hindi word for thorns - "kantak" - in a poetic 
sense when he mentions that:- 
"Thug log saadh vesh apana kar sachche saadhuon ki bari raksha karte hain, 
jaise gulab ke pushpon ko kantak raksha karte hain."

'Thugs who dress in the clothes of hermits greatly protect true sadhus, in the 
manner that thorns protect the rose.'
(my own translation, from 'Guru Dev as Presented by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi' - 
ISBN 978-0-9562228-2-4)

Guru Dev tended to call a thorn a thorn, so to speak. But a Guru offering an 
analogy about thorns that wither away without one's giving any attention... 
Please cite your source. 





--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "David Palmer"  wrote:
>
> Dear Paul,
> It is not by doubting the words of the Guru that one gains knowledge, but by 
> trying to understand them, and by practicing the teaching. If you have doubts 
> over the validity of a statement, then humbly question the teacher. 
> Dismissing the whole teaching is not helpful.
> The rose and its thorns is just a metaphor to convey the idea of duality, 
> positive and negative, but even here we can see that the actual role of the 
> thorns is to protect our beautiful rose, which means the thorns are also 
> precious. Do you get the idea?
> .
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Enjoy the Rose! - Indifference tothe thorns is Bliss!

2009-07-18 Thread Paul Mason
'We forgive the thorns, and trust that they will wither without our attention.' 

This is such a good example of the potential disconnect between the experience 
of meditation and indoctrinated mumbo-jumbo that can sometimes associated with 
it.

David, in case you are really in any doubt about the harsh realities of 
thorns... thorns can be very, very painful and can even bring about infected 
injuries. And thorns don't just wither away, they lurk about waiting to do 
their thorny business. 





--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "davidpalmer108"  
wrote:
>
> 
> Thanks for your very friendly and encouraging responses to my first
> post.
> 
> 
> Someone said "Ignorance is Bliss", and it is such a beautiful point that
> he made that I must elaborate on it.(Everyone is the Guru deep down, and
> it is locating His message, reflected in the speech of this or that
> nervous system, that we must strive to do, to save us from being caught
> in unpleasantness):
> 
> 
> We should strive to enjoy the beauty of the roses, not focus on the
> thorns; we forgive the thorns, and trust that they will wither without
> our attention.
> 
> 
> Every thing in creation is relative and dual; everything has beauty from
> one angle, and not such from another. Even Maharishi and TM cannot
> escape this. Maharishi was just a man (albeit an exceptionally great one
> in all of history) and we cannot expect perfection from him, and also
> the Spiritual Regeneration Movement could never, because it is also
> relative, be perfect. But let us all enjoy the magnificence of the goals
> and achievements of Maharishi and TM, let us not dwell on the failings,
> it is unkind to those well-meaning souls who are striving for our
> benefit.
> 
> 
> Who could conceive of, and establish a Global Country of World Peace
> unifying the whole of humanity in Harmony? It is such a huge, wonderful
> vision. Let us all enjoy it together, and encourge it to grow!
> 
> 
> Jai Guru Dev
> David
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Narayana Kavach Mantra in TM Initiation Puja

2009-07-17 Thread Paul Mason
Remember the incident involving an intruder at George Harrison's home:-
'"I made the decision to shout back at him to distract him. I looked down and 
shouted Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna." 
The tactic did not work and the intruder advanced up the stairs.'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2000/nov/15/stevenmorris



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, bob_brigante  wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "min.pige"  wrote:
> > >
> > > yes please post and thanks!
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John"  wrote:
> > > >
> > > > To All:
> > > >
> > > > In my reading of the Shrimad Bhagavatam, I found a passage
> > > > relating to mantras for protection.  I found that the
> > > > Narayana Kavach is similar to the TM initiation puja.
> > > > If anyone is interested, I'll post it.
> >
> > **
> >
> > John, I am going to link to the translation I like, from the
> > Concise Srimad Bhagavatam:
> >
> > http://snipurl.com/nejba  [books_google_com]
> 
> Curious, I clicked on this excerpt and read it and found:
> 
> Visanipa said: "When confronted by danger a devotee
> should bathe, sit facing the north and recite the
> prayer sacred to Narayana. By the mystic process known
> as nyasa he should transmute his body into the holy name
> of the Lord. Contemplating the self as the supreme being
> endowed with power, knowledge, austerity and respledence,
> he should pray:
> 
> "May sri Hari protect me in all ways. May the divine fish
> protect me in water; the divine dward on land; the lord
> of colossal form in the air; lord Narasimha in the forest
> and in battle; the divine boar on the road; lord Rama on
> mountain peaks and other places. May Narayana protect me
> from violent actions..."
> 
> etc., ad nauseum
> 
> Now here's my question for John (jr_esq) and others who
> actually profess to believe that the "vedic literature" holds
> all the cosmic wisdom and knowledge in life, and that if
> we want to live a long, fruitful, and enlightened life we
> should do exactly what this "vedic literature" says:
> 
> Assume that you find yourself in danger. Assume
> further that the danger is in the form of an intruder
> in your house who is waving a knife and acting crazy.
> Are you going to follow the advice of the "scripture"
> above to protect yourself?
> 
> If so, might I suggest that you will be dead before you've
> had time to fill the bathtub, much less bathe and sit facing
> the north and chant this crap. The "divine fish" and the
> "divine dwarf" don't enter into it; they are non-starters in
> this game, no matter how long you pray to them. The other
> "gods" are going to be similarly absent.
> 
> You can go the "scriptural" route if you want. Me, I consider
> it rank superstition. I'd look around for the nearest Louisville
> Slugger and try my best to put the intruder's head over the
> fences.
> 
> There may be a time for enjoying fairy tales. When one is in
> danger does not strike me as one of those times.
> 
> Besides, fairy tales are not always what people think they are:
> 
> 
> :-)
>




[FairfieldLife] YouTube video - Guru Dev sings 'Shri Charpata Panjarika Stotram'

2009-07-10 Thread Paul Mason
Link to 'Shri Charpata Panjarika Stotram' ('Bhaja Govindam') sung by Guru Dev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbEDqdJSxoo&feature=channel_page



[FairfieldLife] Re: What happened to Michael Jackson?

2009-06-27 Thread Paul Mason
Richard
As far as I can gather Guru Dev seldom visited Jyotirmath, perhaps only twice 
during his tenure as Shankaracharya. His main ashram was in Benares (it is 
still there) & that ashram is dedicated to his guru and funded by a trust in 
Dandi Swami Krishanand's name.
Regarding his expenditures, all sources are agreed that he used some sort of 
divine purse, that he had some sort of siddhi that dealt with material funds. 
Yes, I know it seems very childish to believe such things are possible, but 
unless accounts of some trust are discovered, which show that Guru Dev was 
supported by benefactors' donations, I for one will continue to keep an open 
mind.
On the subject of controversy, I recently had a German initiator contact me to 
tell me how Maharishi declared to about seventy course participants on the 
Spiritual Guides Course in Rishikesh early 1970 that Guru Dev had been killed 
by rat poison administered repeatedly by the cook. And I had thought this was 
just a rumour created and circulated on AMT. Does anyone else at FFL remember 
Maharishi saying this?


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, WillyTex  wrote:
>
> > > > Wait a minute: How long will it take for Rick 
> > > > Archer, or for that fellow "Vaj" or that scumbag 
> > > > paulmason, to start claiming that none of these 
> > > > Saints actually were present on this occasion 
> > > > in Delhi, 1943?
> > > >
> > > About thirty-six minutes, Nabby. 
> > > 
> Nabby wrote:
> > I do not believe they sent cash as He did not allow 
> > such contributions; but flowers and fruits, chairs 
> > and tents; obviously.
> > 
> Have you ever heard of the Jyotirmath Trust Fund? What 
> do you think a Trust Fund does, Nabby? It takes 
> donations from wealthy patrons and puts it in the bank 
> in a 'trust fund' to be spent for worthy causes. Where
> do you think they got all the money to rebuild the
> Jyotirmath Ashram?
> 
> > > > > "Yes, I insist that Guru Dev attended, if not 
> > > > > organized, the Delhi Mahayagna in 1943, and 
> > > > > with the help of  Mr. Raj Varma and his nephew, 
> > > > > Bal Bramhacharya who also attended the event, 
> > > > > sitting right next to the Guru Dev." 
> > > > >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Swell cover of Voodoo Chile (slight return)?

2009-06-20 Thread Paul Mason
Card, I sent you a Sanskrit doodle of Jimi Hendrix by email, did you get it 
yet? ... Paul

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, cardemaister  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, WillyTex  wrote:
> >
> > cardemaister wrote:
> > > Swell cover of Voodoo Chile (slight return)?
> > 
> > Stevie Ray Vaughan - Voodoo Chile (Slight Return):
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSpbuFSr2o
> >
> 
> "Everybody" knows SRV's cover, but there obviously are
> people even in the UK, who can imitate Jimi reasonably well!
>




[FairfieldLife] Maharishi in Nepal in 1974

2009-06-11 Thread Paul Mason
Apparently, in 1973 Maharishi sent Hans Bruncken to Calcutta 1973 to teach SCI. 
But Hans found that the intelligencia there wanted to support communism and not 
their own tradition knowledge. 

In 1974 Hans and Charlotte moved to Katmandu where they again began teaching 
SCI and came into contact with the government. Whereupon Maharishi then asked 
the government to allow initiation of all the Nepalese people to which the 
government agreed. So, every day Hans talked to one of the ministers, and the 
King was also involved in this. It is claimed that because the king is a 
descendent from Lord Rama the Nepalese understood Maharishi's idea of making a 
`Rashta Cavach', an `umbrella for defence', to destroy communism in Asia and 
wherever.

For this reason, MMY wanted to establish a TV station at Swayambunath and 
distribute TVs in every village and have relay stations in the mountains and to 
that end he sent a plane filled with technical equipment and engineers. 

The idea of Mahishi was to celebrate the puja on TV with the pundits in the 
villages, and then Maharishi would tell the people how to meditate, because 
they all have their family mantras. The only thing was, 'to do it easily like 
it is done in TM'. 

But apparently, when the West German government heard about this, they forced 
the Nepalese government to stop the project. 

So the Prime Minister himself decided "to open the gates for Maharishi but that 
the door opener will not be seen!" MMY agreed and went there and during one 
week initiated 35,000 people in Ratna Park.

At Swayambunath the TV Station had been established and TV sets had been 
brought to all influential people, so they could see TV 24 hours a day. 
Nepalese artists stood in queues to present their songs etc. 

So the influential people were distracted from what was happening in Ratna 
Park. However, after one week groups came to disturb the whole thing, therefore 
Maharishi left and departed next day early in the morning with the plane. 
Maharishi said, `This thing has stopped the communism in Asia.' 

So is this an example of the phrase `The elephant has two kinds of teeth, one 
to show and one to eat.' apparently so popular with Maharishi?




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-05-12 Thread Paul Mason
It has been suggested/requested that I put up sample pages of the Guru Dev 
trilogy, so I have put together some pdfs which are available at the following 
links:-
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/upadesh.htm
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/GuruDevLifeStory.htm
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/AKtransrough.htm




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-05-10 Thread Paul Mason
Officially the books are not being published until June, but since they have 
been printed and people have been itchy to get hold of copies I have made some 
available through my website at http://www.paulmason.info/booksetc.html

With regard to over-the-counter sales of the Guru Dev books in Fairfield. Any 
bookshop will be able stock these Guru Dev books as the books have ISBN numbers 
and thus can therefore be ordered anywhere in the world. 

108 Discourses of Guru Dev:
The Life and Teachings of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati,
Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath (1941-53) - Volume I
ISBN: 978-0-9562228-0-0

The Biography of Guru Dev:
The Life and Teachings of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati,
Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath (1941-53) - Volume II
ISBN: 978-0-9562228-1-7

Guru Dev as presented by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: 
The Life and Teachings of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati,
Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath (1941-53) - Volume III
ISBN: 978-0-9562228-2-4

Jai Guru Dev



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "dhamiltony2k5"  wrote:
>
> Paul,
> 
> Can these Guru Dev books be made available for purchase at 21st Century 
> Bookstore in Fairfield?   Walk in and buy them?
> 
> 
> -D in FF
> 
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> >
> > Just a quick word about the posting costs on these books. I have elected to 
> > bear the costs, so they are Free of P&P.
> > The FREE postage offers savings to all, especially overseas customers,  as 
> > to send the Guru Dev books to the States costs about £5 per copy, & about 
> > £15 for the set of 3.
> > International Air Mail costs about £10 per book, £30 per set, as detailed 
> > in Royal Mail guide. I just posted some to the States today. 
> > http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400036&mediaId=400347
> > 
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex"  wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> > > >
> > > > You asked that I notify when the Guru Dev trilogy is available.
> > > > I had hoped to be able to also announce the release of the Guru Dev DVD 
> > > > I am preparing, but that will be some weeks yet.
> > > > However, anyone wanting copies of the books can go to:-
> > > > http://www.paulmason.info/booksetc.html
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex"  wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The three volumes of the Guru Dev trilogy will be available through 
> > > > > > the following:-
> > > > > > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/upadesh.htm
> > > > > > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/GuruDevLifeStory.htm
> > > > > > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/AKtransrough.htm
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > Paul, please give notice here when these volumes become available.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Thanks, Paul.
> > >
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-05-09 Thread Paul Mason
Just a quick word about the posting costs on these books. I have elected to 
bear the costs, so they are Free of P&P.
The FREE postage offers savings to all, especially overseas customers,  as to 
send the Guru Dev books to the States costs about £5 per copy, & about £15 for 
the set of 3.
International Air Mail costs about £10 per book, £30 per set, as detailed in 
Royal Mail guide. I just posted some to the States today. 
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400036&mediaId=400347


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex"  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> >
> > You asked that I notify when the Guru Dev trilogy is available.
> > I had hoped to be able to also announce the release of the Guru Dev DVD I 
> > am preparing, but that will be some weeks yet.
> > However, anyone wanting copies of the books can go to:-
> > http://www.paulmason.info/booksetc.html
> > 
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex"  wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> > > >
> > > > The three volumes of the Guru Dev trilogy will be available through the 
> > > > following:-
> > > > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/upadesh.htm
> > > > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/GuruDevLifeStory.htm
> > > > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/AKtransrough.htm
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Paul, please give notice here when these volumes become available.
> 
> 
> Thanks, Paul.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-05-08 Thread Paul Mason
You asked that I notify when the Guru Dev trilogy is available.
I had hoped to be able to also announce the release of the Guru Dev DVD I am 
preparing, but that will be some weeks yet.
However, anyone wanting copies of the books can go to:-
http://www.paulmason.info/booksetc.html


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex"  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> >
> > The three volumes of the Guru Dev trilogy will be available through the 
> > following:-
> > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/upadesh.htm
> > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/GuruDevLifeStory.htm
> > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/AKtransrough.htm
> 
> 
> Paul, please give notice here when these volumes become available.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-04-28 Thread Paul Mason
Hi, the books weigh a lot, on account of using heavy paper.

Does anyone have a passion for old guitars?

I just bought an old archtop made in Slovenia by a company called Melodija 
Mendes. I had to make a new nut and get a bridge together.
I just took a photo of it, displayed at:-
http://www.paulmason.info/paulmason/profile.htm

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex"  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
> >
> > The three volumes of the Guru Dev trilogy will be available through the 
> > following:-
> > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/upadesh.htm
> > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/GuruDevLifeStory.htm
> > http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/AKtransrough.htm
> 
> 
> Paul, please give notice here when these volumes become available.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-04-26 Thread Paul Mason
The three volumes of the Guru Dev trilogy will be available through the 
following:-
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/upadesh.htm
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/GuruDevLifeStory.htm
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/AKtransrough.htm



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  wrote:
>
> These translations have now been reviewed, revised, polished up and
> included in a book, the first of three illustrated volumes on Guru Dev
> soon to available via www.paulmason.info
> Currently working on an AV package to be available as a DVD/CD including
> onscreen translations of all available audio material of Guru Dev.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-04-26 Thread Paul Mason
These translations have now been reviewed, revised, polished up and
included in a book, the first of three illustrated volumes on Guru Dev
soon to available via www.paulmason.info
Currently working on an AV package to be available as a DVD/CD including
onscreen translations of all available audio material of Guru Dev.


[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev - Our happiness or unhappiness is OUR responsibility

2009-04-26 Thread Paul Mason


=
Posted through Grouply, the better way
to access your Yahoo Groups like this one.
http://www.grouply.com/?code=post


[FairfieldLife] Press Release - 'Beatles inspire ambitious translation project'

2009-03-30 Thread Paul Mason
pdf of Press Release available at:-
http://www.paulmason.info/PressRelease/



[FairfieldLife] Re: Paul Mc Cartney, & the TMO (P. Mason)

2009-01-29 Thread Paul Mason
JohnY - that's exactly what I meant!! 
I have seen the decline of the teaching TM and it directly correlates 
to the emergence of the aggressive World Planners and the 
introduction of TMsidhis. Before that people were given a pretty free 
hand to organise and teach. There were TM centres dotted all over the 
place. Nowadays there is no mention of TM whatsoever. The reason? 
Well the main reason is that many TM teachers are disenchanted with 
the TM organistion, and hearing of the aggressive protection of its 
trademarks, individual independent teachers are loathe for it to be 
known they are still teaching. 
So it appears that the TMO actually retards the teaching of TM!




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jyouells2000" 
 wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "amritasyaputra"
>  wrote:
> >
> > Like the cancer cell that kills the cell that has fed it, you 
wish 
> > all bad to the TM movement.
> > 
> > Why don't you start a "grass root organisation" for yourself and 
the 
> > like and let this TM Movement in peace? It would save you from 
all 
> > the hatred you are spreading in your brain and around yourself.
> > 
> > Shaas
> > 
> >
> 
> It's not hatred, it's sadness.
> 25 years of good will frittered away, leaving a fund raising 
> and real estate business as it's skeletal remains. The TMO doesn't 
> teach TM anymore, and hasn't for quite some time. Soon there won't
> be anyone left in the west to raise funds from  
> 
> JohnY
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> > 
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> >  wrote:
> > >
> > > TMO issues aside, I would love to hear Paul McCartney & Mike 
Love 
> > duet 
> > > on 'Back in the USSR' - also to hear Paul Horn blow some airy 
flute 
> > & 
> > > what about Ringo & Paul working together again, that would be 
nice.
> > > Someone compared the Paul concert to George's concert in 
England. 
> > If it 
> > > is a fraction as good, then it will be really very good. I 
attended 
> > > George's concert & it was rivetting - Ringo turned up for the 
> > encore 
> > > and it was a real pleasure to hear them play!!!
> > > 
> > > With regards to the TMO hopefully the TMO will collapse, 
very 
> > > quickly, and if it does, I predict this would put meditation 
back 
> > at 
> > > the grass roots level, where it belongs, out of the clutches of 
the 
> > > Lords and Ladies of the New Raj. Why I reckon there would be a 
lot 
> > more 
> > > interest in meditation if there weren't this queer organisation 
> > lurking 
> > > about, giving people the willies!
> > >
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Paul Mc Cartney, & the TMO

2009-01-28 Thread Paul Mason
TMO issues aside, I would love to hear Paul McCartney & Mike Love duet 
on 'Back in the USSR' - also to hear Paul Horn blow some airy flute & 
what about Ringo & Paul working together again, that would be nice.
Someone compared the Paul concert to George's concert in England. If it 
is a fraction as good, then it will be really very good. I attended 
George's concert & it was rivetting - Ringo turned up for the encore 
and it was a real pleasure to hear them play!!!

With regards to the TMO hopefully the TMO will collapse, very 
quickly, and if it does, I predict this would put meditation back at 
the grass roots level, where it belongs, out of the clutches of the 
Lords and Ladies of the New Raj. Why I reckon there would be a lot more 
interest in meditation if there weren't this queer organisation lurking 
about, giving people the willies!



[FairfieldLife] Re: TM puja is religious, as are other elements of TM practice

2009-01-26 Thread Paul Mason
A useful online Sanskrit dictionary resource is at:-
http://spokensanskrit.de/

For the word 'puja' or 'puujaa' the following link is preset:-
http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?
script=HK&tinput=puujaa&country_ID=&trans=Translate&direction=AU




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj  wrote:
>
> 
> On Jan 25, 2009, at 10:40 PM, off_world_beings wrote:
> 
> > The word 'puja' either means 'preparing for purifying', or 'the  
> > birth (begining) of the purifying life' . That is its ACTUAL 
meaning.
> 
> 
> You might want to at least look at a Sanskrit dictionary next time  
> OffWorld. Just because the movement you're involved with 
disseminates  
> misinformation to it's adherents and many of them actually believe  
> what they're told, it doesn't typically work that way in the real 
world:
> 
> 1
> pUjA
> f. honour , worship , respect , reverence , veneration , homage to  
> superiors or adoration of the gods Gr2S. Mn. MBh. &c.
> 
> 
> BTW, that's  the complete Monier-Wiliams citation.
> 
> Wow, that does sound scientific! :-)))
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Maharishi's place and date-of-birth

2009-01-22 Thread Paul Mason
This passport is from June 1970 and in his 1973 passport he signs 
much the same. When he signed peoples books he didn't sign himself 
Maharishi, he actually wrote a form of 'Jaya Gurudeva' (but ommitting 
the tops of the letters). To date I have not seen a signature where 
he signed as Maharishi.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" 
 wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008  
wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
 
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > I have just put up a copy of the profile pages of one of 
Maharishi's 
> > > passports at:-
> > 
> > 
> > "paul mason", you are a very sick person.
> > 
> > Get professional help.
> 
> Yes Paul, you should not be exposing primary documents from
> Maharishi's life, the movement will tell you what you need to know 
and
> how you should feel about it.
> 
> This exchange is so revealing about how the movement views
> information.  It is dangerous and needs to be controlled.  If if 
can't
> be controlled then you need to demonize the person providing
> uncontrolled information.
> 
> I appreciate Paul's work.  It is the kind of research that the
> movement itself would be doing if it wasn't so busy trying to 
control
> the spin of everything in its teaching.  Through Paul's scholarship 
we
> get a more complete picture of the history of TM.  Very dangerous to
> the party line, I know!
> 
> Thank you Paul.  I really enjoyed reading that and seeing Bal
> Brahmachari Mahesh's passport.  I wonder what year he started 
signing
> it Maharishi?  Did he legally change his name?  His eyes are listed 
as
> "black" in color.  How goth is that!  Very EMO!
> 
> 
> 
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Maharishi's place and date-of-birth

2009-01-22 Thread Paul Mason
I have just put up a copy of the profile pages of one of Maharishi's 
passports at:-
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/introduction.htm#MMYpassport
I have also put up a copy of a note he wrote back in April 1955.



[FairfieldLife] Re: "If it's in Sanskrit it must be true" request

2009-01-19 Thread Paul Mason
Heyam Burstabubblam Anagatam
Avert the bubble that has not yet to burst.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter  
wrote:
>
> I had a very spacey friend on a course once who claimed he must be 
entering a higher state of consciousness because he was hearing 
sanskrit at times when certain people spoke to him. When I asked him 
what he heard, he repeated the stock phrases that all TMer's know. I 
had to burst his bubble, unfortunately, when I suggested that maybe 
they actually where repeating those particular well worn phrases and 
it had nothing to do with his consciousness. 
> 
> 
> --- On Mon, 1/19/09, raunchydog  wrote:
> 
> > From: raunchydog 
> > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: "If it's in Sanskrit it must be 
true" request
> > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Monday, January 19, 2009, 9:31 AM
> > Barry, Very funny pick up lines. Here's a few for the
> > women.
> > 
> > The most righteous pranam during a full moon doesn't
> > take a back seat
> > to your nice buns.
> > 
> > Your rasayana for the smell of sweat on a hot male body is
> > working on
> > my olfactory bulb.
> > 
> > Is that a lingum in your pocket or are you just feeling
> > blissful?
> > 
> > Slick abhayanga, Dude.
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB
> >  wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, cardemaister
> >  wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I guess almost everybody knows that 'parame
> > vyoman'
> > > > according to Maharishi means 'beyond
> > aakaasha'? 
> > > > I didn't know that before I listened to
> > > > 
> > > >
> > http://www.spiritualregeneration.org/audios/1959_Glow.mp3
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Mea culpa. Unlike Card and "almost
> > everybody" I 
> > > lack your familiarity with Sanskrit. However, 
> > > having noticed the reverence for Sanskrit that 
> > > many have, and the way that they automatically 
> > > assume that anything said in Sanskrit is not only 
> > > true but Truth of the highest order, and pretty 
> > > much synonymous with the word of God, I am hoping 
> > > that some of the Sanskrit scholars here can help me.
> > > 
> > > I am starting to meet more people around here who
> > > are or have been involved in Eastern spirituality.
> > > I have noticed that many of them *also* have the 
> > > same reverence for Sanskrit that TMers have, and 
> > > tend to assume that "If it's in Sanskrit, it
> > must 
> > > be true."
> > > 
> > > So, because my Spanish is still weak, my plan is
> > > to memorize a few phrases in Sanskrit that I can
> > > use when I meet these spiritually-minded seekers.
> > > I hope someone can provide me with translations
> > > of the following common phrases to help me out.
> > > If you do, I promise to memorize them faithfully
> > > and try to pronounce them correctly. Thanks in
> > > advance.
> > > 
> > > 1. "I know you've been told before that you
> > are
> > > beautiful, but I once vacationed in Brahmaloka
> > > and happened to see the goddess Lakshmi stepping 
> > > out of her bath, and you are *much* hotter than 
> > > she is."
> > > 
> > > 2. "Your aura is as pure as moonlight reflecting
> > > off a new snowfall in the high Himalayas. You have 
> > > great breasts, too."
> > > 
> > > 3. "I am not from here. I am a Hindu God in dis-
> > > guise, here to search for a woman to marry and
> > > take back with me to rule Brahmaloka by my side."
> > > 
> > > 4. "I do not wish to brag, but when Shiva saw
> > > my lingam he had to undergo several months of 
> > > intense psychiatric therapy to get his Self-
> > > confidence back."
> > > 
> > > 5. "None of those other goddesses meant a thing
> > > to me, baby. It's always been you...only
> > you."
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > To subscribe, send a message to:
> > fairfieldlife-subscr...@yahoogroups.com
> > 
> > Or go to: 
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/
> > and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links
> > 
> > 
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Point / Counterpoint

2009-01-19 Thread Paul Mason
what I want to know is if Donovan actually continued practising TM 
all those years or even a significant proportion of them. He was 
certainly very quiet about it if he did. I kept a very close eye on 
his career and have no recollection of him speaking up for TM during 
his 'Well Known Hasbeen' years.


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  wrote:
>
> Point: Donovan gets recognized with an award from
> the French for his body of work.
> 
> Counterpoint: The French have long been known for
> their inability to notice that the people they are
> giving awards to look a lot like the zombie of an
> Elizabethan fop.
> 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7836659.stm
> 
> Point: He mentions TM and David Lynch in the article.
> 
> Counterpoint: When the image of TM meditators being
> presented to the world is personified by Donovan 
> looking like he does in these photos and by David
> Lynch, my bet is that initiations are not exactly
> going to soar as a result.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Maharishi films

2009-01-18 Thread Paul Mason
The ashram Maharishi used for his course back then was south of 
Rishikesh, at a place called Ram Nagar. The ashram was established as 
Baba Kamliwala Panchayat Kshetra, founded by Baba Vishuddhananda (aka. 
Baba Kali Kamli Wale). Guru Dev was invited there and in April 1952 
stayed there at Atma Vigyan Bhavan staying in "Shri Shankaracharya 
Nivas" .
If anyone gets some up-to-date snapshots I would love to see them.

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "David Fiske"  
wrote:
>
> Yes I saw Devendra, Vernon Katz, Jerry J who has trouble downloading
> too, Ulla and Nikolaus Blucher (last letter received from the Prince
> in 2000) and the chap either from Denmark or Sweden. Paul Mason was
> very helpful and I got in, as was Rick. Theo Fehr who sent the
> original link  I had met in India (1969 I guess) along with his very
> first wife Francisca. Gives one deep nostalgia for the period when I
> was a simple believer.
> Does anyone know where the first course (1960) in Ram Nagar was? My
> half brother John Wills was on it and his son is going on a pilgrimage
> there to get closer to his Dad but they can't locate the ashram
> Maharishi rented for the course.
> love,
> David
>




[FairfieldLife] Connecting with Guru Dev (was 'abandoning thought')

2009-01-15 Thread Paul Mason
Interesting to note that apparently Maharishi was utterly convinced 
that one can receive benefit from the enlightened, even after their 
death, which to some extent accounts for his claim that he was guided 
by Guru Dev:-

"Now after leaving the body nothing remains in the Relative, just 
Absolute. Then how do we invoke and to whom? And if nobody is to be 
invoked, then what is the use?

Some such similar question I asked Guru Dev once, what happened was 
naturally people come to the ashram from all over india to pay 
respects to Guru Dev, once or twice a year according to their own 
convenience.

And when they would come they would narrate all sorts of stories, the 
child was sick or they had a law suit, all sorts of difficulties and 
then thinking of Guru Dev, that thing disappeared. 

And hearing all these things for a long time, one night I asked Guru 
Dev 'What is this?' These people don't even write to Guru Dev, Guru 
Dev doesn't know they are in difficulty on the surface of life and 
then how do they report they had a vision or some thought of Guru Dev 
and then from that time everything started to be smooth? 

If they wrote a letter and the difficulties came to the notice of 
Guru Dev and then they got out of their difficulty, I could 
understand it, but they don't write letters. they just have the 
devotion to Guru Dev and they have some thought of Guru Dev, 

And Guru Dev reply was 'It's the department of the Almighty and he 
does it' "

continued at:-
 http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/sources/text/MMY.htm



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues"
>  wrote:
> >
> > It underlines the point that enlightenment gives you wisdom.  
> > The story I was referring to was when Trotaka revealed his 
> > enlightenment to the others. Shankara was insisting that they 
> > all wait for him [Trotaka] and the others snickered that he 
> > didn't understand it anyway. He came in singing his "cognized" 
> ? Trotaka stakham sp? verses revealing his complete knowledge. 
> 
> Which, coincidentally, just happened to be 
> a sappy love song to his teacher, expressing
> his total devotion to him. THAT is what Maha-
> rishi was trying to put forth as the primary
> criterion of enlightenment.
> 
> > I memorized them on my TTC, it is a beautiful song. This is 
> > from a TTC tape on him.  His wisdom came from his enlightenment 
> > and he put all the smartypants guys to shame.  
> 
> And his enlightenment came from being slavishly
> devoted to his "master" and willing to do any-
> thing that this "master" said, without a moment's
> hesitation. 
> 
> Notice the trend here?
> 
> > His verses were so perfect that it blew them away with his 
> > mental ability gained not through pulling all-nighters, but 
> > by his devotion and enlightenment.  
> 
> And the "lesson" being clearly taught here was
> that the latter (enlightenment) came from the
> former (devotion). Trotaka didn't have to "crack
> the books" to get smart, all he had to do was
> do whatever he was told to do by his "master."
> 
> I'm just reiterating the point I made earlier,
> that Maharishi was trying to cultivate that
> sense of devotion to one's "master" that *he*
> considered "the highest" in his students by
> telling emotional "feel good" stories. This
> story is NOT about Trotaka's intellect; the
> intellect is presented as *secondary*, some-
> thing that happened *as the result* of total,
> unthinking bhakti. In fact, the development
> of the intellect in the other students is 
> what is being presented as "secondary." They 
> are being presented not as happening as Trotaka 
> because they were not as "sold out" to their 
> "master" as he was.
> 
> I'm not saying that this theory of enlighten-
> ment through devotion is unique, nor am I sug-
> gesting that it's not valid for some people,
> who are "made that way." What I am suggesting
> is that Maharishi, by telling this story over
> and over and over, was trying to establish it
> as *the* path for people who might NOT be
> "made that way." In my estimation he clearly
> saw total, unthinking devotion to one's
> "master" AS the "highest path," because *he*
> was "made that way," and he wanted to remake
> all of his students over to be like him. 
> 
> I am gracious enough to believe that in the
> beginning he did this because he really thought
> that *his* path -- the only one he was capable
> of because *he* was not a great intellect or 
> drawn to any of the other many viable paths to
> enlightenment -- was the best path to teach 
> others, "for their own good." But at the same 
> time, I think it is important to remember that 
> the "master" that Maharishi was teaching his 
> students the value of being slavishly devoted 
> to was HIM.
> 
> I believe that on one level Maharishi may have
> been trying to convince his students that bhakti
> and slavish devotion were good things because
> in his opinion they could lead to e

[FairfieldLife] Re: Question for Paul Mason

2009-01-14 Thread Paul Mason
Vaj, it is the fifth verse that is included in the puja and it is 
likely these five verses are all that survived the submersion, 
probably re-written with the help of the poet.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
 wrote:
>
> Vaj, 
> a Sanskrit Poet of Benares, an "Ashu Kavi" (spontaneous poet), Pt. 
Veni 
> Madava Sastri 'Shashtrartha Maharathi' wrote verses about Guru Deva 
in 
> about 1952. But, Guru Dev asked for them to be taken to the 
river. 'Tie 
> it down with a big stone, heavy, put it in the Ganges!'
> However, there still exist five verses of Sanskrit verse by this 
same 
> poet, dedicated to Guru Dev, the fourth of which Maharishi included 
in 
> the TM puja. These are to be found in Sanskrit and translated into 
> Hindi and English at:-
> http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/praarthanaa.htm
> Also posted there is a transcript of the story of the poet & the 
puja 
> as told by Maharishi on a course in Rishikesh 1969.
> 
> 
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj  wrote:
> >
> > You have posted on the textual pieces that make up the TM 
initiation  
> > puja. I'd also heard the story of the pundit-poet who composed a  
> > tribute to SBS, which on reading it, he asked MMY to throw away.
> > 
> > Are these two stories connected? i.e. is the TM puja connected 
to  
> > this same tribute?
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Question for Paul Mason

2009-01-14 Thread Paul Mason
Vaj, 
a Sanskrit Poet of Benares, an "Ashu Kavi" (spontaneous poet), Pt. Veni 
Madava Sastri 'Shashtrartha Maharathi' wrote verses about Guru Deva in 
about 1952. But, Guru Dev asked for them to be taken to the river. 'Tie 
it down with a big stone, heavy, put it in the Ganges!'
However, there still exist five verses of Sanskrit verse by this same 
poet, dedicated to Guru Dev, the fourth of which Maharishi included in 
the TM puja. These are to be found in Sanskrit and translated into 
Hindi and English at:-
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/praarthanaa.htm
Also posted there is a transcript of the story of the poet & the puja 
as told by Maharishi on a course in Rishikesh 1969.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj  wrote:
>
> You have posted on the textual pieces that make up the TM initiation  
> puja. I'd also heard the story of the pundit-poet who composed a  
> tribute to SBS, which on reading it, he asked MMY to throw away.
> 
> Are these two stories connected? i.e. is the TM puja connected to  
> this same tribute?
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: The dismantling of the TMO as we know it

2009-01-14 Thread Paul Mason
As to the provenance of the tapes that have surfaced on mp3, the very 
oldest of those of Maharishi, and one of the most revealing was 
actually discovered on a long overlooked cassette tucked away in 
someone's belongings. Parts of the tape were discovered to have been 
recorded back-to-front (!) but thanks to the wonders of modern 
technology it was flipped and now all can hear Maharishi letting the 
kittens out to scamper about. Ironically, in spite of the fact that 
the contents contradict his later statements it makes for possibly 
the best and most compelling intro talk I ever heard him give.




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > I remember the first tape recall that you mention, in the 
> > mid-1970's, prior to the release of the boxed tapes of Humboldt 
> > lectures. Is that right that the tapes were actually destroyed? 
> > If so that is gross. Interestingly, it would make the contents 
> > of the mp3 recordings which are now circulating via 
> > http://www.spiritualregeneration.org news 
> > even to people at TMO HQ, no wonder they are so popular.
> 
> The fact that these MP3s exist at all is IMO 
> due to the way that these "recalls" were handled.
> In the Regional Office we were clearly told to
> promise all the TM teachers that when they sent
> us the "recalled" tapes that they had paid for
> with their own money, they would be replaced 
> with new tapes as soon as they were released,
> or that they would be compensated for what they
> originally paid for them.
> 
> That never happened. So, "once bitten, twice shy."
> In the future when we sent out a "recall notice,"
> many of the TM teachers lied and said that they
> didn't own any of the "recalled" tapes. They kept
> them instead. That is almost certainly where many
> of these tapes on the site you speak of came from.
> 
> I've seen this same phenomenon in several different
> spiritual traditions since. It is *not* just TM-
> specific. But it seems to me to go hand in hand
> with the glorification of subjective experience 
> that one finds in enlightenment traditions. If you
> believe that your current state of consciousness
> somehow defines reality more than reality does, you 
> tend to believe that you can "reinvent" reality and
> change the past.
> 
> I saw Rama - Frederick Lenz try to do this and get
> nailed for it on the TV show Dateline. He claimed
> to be a successful businessman whose money came
> from his software businesses. The reporter did a
> few minutes of research and proved that the claim 
> was not true. He then asked Rama on camera to name 
> a few of the "Fortune 500 companies" that he claimed 
> were using his software products. He couldn't think
> of a single name. Some "CEO," eh?  :-)
> 
> To some extent I associate this belief that you can
> "reinvent history" with Narcissistic Personality
> Disorder, and I associate some aspects of that dis-
> order with popular spiritual teachers. They exist
> in a "cocoon" of Yes Men, in which literally every-
> thing they say is accepted at face value *for no
> other reason than that they said it*. Spend a few
> years in an environment like this, and you'd start
> to believe that you really *can* "reinvent history."
> You do it every day, and your followers fall for it.
> 
> Personally, I think that a more honest approach,
> if one were a spiritual teacher, would be to preserve
> and make available *everything* one said along the
> way. Even the mistakes. *Especially* the mistakes.
> 
> Yeah, I know that this would invalidate the dogma
> that the enlightened are "perfect" and can't *make*
> mistakes, but I don't believe that anyway. And to
> get caught trying to practice "revisionist history"
> over the mistakes only compounds them.
> 
> 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  
wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "guyfawkes91" 

> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > It could be that someone might have sufficient intelligence 
> > > > to realize that the good bits of Maharishi's message can only 
> > > > be saved from being dragged down with the collapse of 
Vlodrop's 
> > > > authority by copying the tape library as widely as possible. 
> > > > It could be that the extremist faction will do everything in 
> > > > their power to stop that happening, even unto burning the 
> > > > master tapes. Pe

[FairfieldLife] Re: The dismantling of the TMO as we know it

2009-01-14 Thread Paul Mason
I remember the first tape recall that you mention, in the mid-1970's,
prior to the release of the boxed tapes of Humboldt lectures. Is that
right that the tapes were actually destroyed? If so that is gross.
Interestingly, it would make the contents of the mp3 recordings which
are now circulating via http://www.spiritualregeneration.org news 
even to people at TMO HQ, no wonder they are so popular.

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "guyfawkes91" 
> wrote:
> >
> > It could be that someone might have sufficient intelligence 
> > to realize that the good bits of Maharishi's message can only 
> > be saved from being dragged down with the collapse of Vlodrop's 
> > authority by copying the tape library as widely as possible. 
> > It could be that the extremist faction will do everything in 
> > their power to stop that happening, even unto burning the 
> > master tapes. People do go mad you know.
> 
> Just for the record, this has already happened
> many times, but with Maharishi's approval, and
> at his direction.
> 
> In the Western Regional Office, I was in charge
> of the tapes to be sent out to centers for resi-
> dence courses and advanced lectures. Periodically,
> we would get a message from International Staff
> that one of them was being "recalled." When that
> happened, we had to call all the centers and try
> to get them to send us any copies they had of 
> these tapes, even if they had purchased them and
> not borrowed them from us. We were told to promise
> them that the tapes would be replaced with a new
> one in time. (Suffice it to say that never happened.)
> 
> When all the copies of the tapes were sent back
> to Switzerland, I have it on good authority (the
> Regional Coordinator I worked for watching it 
> happen) that the master tapes were destroyed.
> 
> The thing they were trying to perform "revisionist 
> history" on at the time fell into two categories.
> The first was tapes on which Maharishi said some-
> thing that could be construed to suggest that TM
> was a religion. (The court cases were still going
> on at this time and they didn't want any of these
> tapes subpoenaed.)
> 
> The second, interestingly enough given recent 
> threads on FFL, was any tapes on which Maharishi
> promised enlightenment as a result of doing TM,
> and within a fixed, promised period of time.
> After the "5-8 year" period had clearly expired
> with no one being enlightened, Maharishi's and
> the TMO's first impulse was to make it appear as
> if the "5-8 year" claim was never made. 
> 
> I heard that a similar "recall" was made of tapes
> distributed during the early days of the TM-siddhi
> program (during and prior to the first few courses)
> that promised explicitly that people would learn
> to levitate. I was on my TM-siddhi course at the
> time, however, and didn't see this one first-hand.
> The others I did.
> 
> This is just presented as history, to show that
> your scenario is not unlikely in the least. The
> precedent for it was set by Maharishi himself 
> during his lifetime.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: The dismantling of the TMO as we know it

2009-01-14 Thread Paul Mason
I remember the first tape recall that you mention, in the mid-1970's, 
prior to the release of the boxed tape of Humboldt lectures. Is that 
right that the tapes were actually destroyed? If so that is gross. 
Interestingly, it would make the contents of the mp3 recordings which 
are now circulating via www.spirualregeneration.org news even to 
people at TMO HQ, no wonder they are popular.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "guyfawkes91" 
> wrote:
> >
> > It could be that someone might have sufficient intelligence 
> > to realize that the good bits of Maharishi's message can only 
> > be saved from being dragged down with the collapse of Vlodrop's 
> > authority by copying the tape library as widely as possible. 
> > It could be that the extremist faction will do everything in 
> > their power to stop that happening, even unto burning the 
> > master tapes. People do go mad you know.
> 
> Just for the record, this has already happened
> many times, but with Maharishi's approval, and
> at his direction.
> 
> In the Western Regional Office, I was in charge
> of the tapes to be sent out to centers for resi-
> dence courses and advanced lectures. Periodically,
> we would get a message from International Staff
> that one of them was being "recalled." When that
> happened, we had to call all the centers and try
> to get them to send us any copies they had of 
> these tapes, even if they had purchased them and
> not borrowed them from us. We were told to promise
> them that the tapes would be replaced with a new
> one in time. (Suffice it to say that never happened.)
> 
> When all the copies of the tapes were sent back
> to Switzerland, I have it on good authority (the
> Regional Coordinator I worked for watching it 
> happen) that the master tapes were destroyed.
> 
> The thing they were trying to perform "revisionist 
> history" on at the time fell into two categories.
> The first was tapes on which Maharishi said some-
> thing that could be construed to suggest that TM
> was a religion. (The court cases were still going
> on at this time and they didn't want any of these
> tapes subpoenaed.)
> 
> The second, interestingly enough given recent 
> threads on FFL, was any tapes on which Maharishi
> promised enlightenment as a result of doing TM,
> and within a fixed, promised period of time.
> After the "5-8 year" period had clearly expired
> with no one being enlightened, Maharishi's and
> the TMO's first impulse was to make it appear as
> if the "5-8 year" claim was never made. 
> 
> I heard that a similar "recall" was made of tapes
> distributed during the early days of the TM-siddhi
> program (during and prior to the first few courses)
> that promised explicitly that people would learn
> to levitate. I was on my TM-siddhi course at the
> time, however, and didn't see this one first-hand.
> The others I did.
> 
> This is just presented as history, to show that
> your scenario is not unlikely in the least. The
> precedent for it was set by Maharishi himself 
> during his lifetime.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: MMY's Interpretation of the Rig Veda

2009-01-13 Thread Paul Mason
Allegedly, in 2006 journalists were offered backsheesh flights etc to
go interview Maharishi at Vlodrop, but there were few takers for the 
King's Shilling, in fact I recall only two newpaper columnists 
popping over at that time and it not known whether they were press-
ganged.




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj  wrote:
>
> 
> On Jan 13, 2009, at 12:09 PM, Richard J. Williams wrote:
> 
> > Vaj wrote:
> >> That was one of  MMY's great suits, he
> >> could hunt down and find the best gurus,
> >> pandits and vaidyas...
> >>
> > Maybe it was the pundits that 'hunt down'
> > the Marshy, Vaj - Dr. Dwivedi, Dr. Triguna,
> > Dr. Balaraj Maharishi, Pandit Hariprasad
> > Chaurasia, Debu Chaudhuri, and Pandit
> > Shivkumar Sharma, among others.
> >
> > If so, they must have been VERY impressed
> > with the TM program.
> 
> 
>   Most were involved for the money MMY paid, some actually had  
> intellectual property stolen by MMY and I doubt few would have  
> anything to do with him before his death. MMY had to pay for those  
> who visited him according to Eastern Philosophy Prof. Dana Sawyer 
and  
> that feeling was the prevailing one among Indian notables.
> 
> Think of them as "paid consultants"-- that's the impression I get  
> from those familiar. Sad but true.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: MMY's Interpretation of the Rig Veda

2009-01-13 Thread Paul Mason
Allegedly, in 2006 journalists were offered backsheesh flights etc to 
go interview Maharishi at Vlodrop, but there were few takers, in fact 
I recall only two writers who accepted the King's Shilling.


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj  wrote:
>
> 
> On Jan 13, 2009, at 12:09 PM, Richard J. Williams wrote:
> 
> > Vaj wrote:
> >> That was one of  MMY's great suits, he
> >> could hunt down and find the best gurus,
> >> pandits and vaidyas...
> >>
> > Maybe it was the pundits that 'hunt down'
> > the Marshy, Vaj - Dr. Dwivedi, Dr. Triguna,
> > Dr. Balaraj Maharishi, Pandit Hariprasad
> > Chaurasia, Debu Chaudhuri, and Pandit
> > Shivkumar Sharma, among others.
> >
> > If so, they must have been VERY impressed
> > with the TM program.
> 
> 
>   Most were involved for the money MMY paid, some actually had  
> intellectual property stolen by MMY and I doubt few would have  
> anything to do with him before his death. MMY had to pay for those  
> who visited him according to Eastern Philosophy Prof. Dana Sawyer 
and  
> that feeling was the prevailing one among Indian notables.
> 
> Think of them as "paid consultants"-- that's the impression I get  
> from those familiar. Sad but true.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: MMY's Interpretation of the Rig Veda

2009-01-13 Thread Paul Mason
Does pandit Hari P actually extol TM publicly?
He played his flute at a local church a few months back. Image that, 
this great superstar coming to St Ives Cornwall 


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" 
 wrote:
>
> Vaj wrote:
> > That was one of  MMY's great suits, he 
> > could hunt down and find the best gurus, 
> > pandits and vaidyas...
> >
> Maybe it was the pundits that 'hunt down' 
> the Marshy, Vaj - Dr. Dwivedi, Dr. Triguna, 
> Dr. Balaraj Maharishi, Pandit Hariprasad 
> Chaurasia, Debu Chaudhuri, and Pandit 
> Shivkumar Sharma, among others. 
> 
> If so, they must have been VERY impressed 
> with the TM program.
> 
> Apparently all these pundits are vey avid 
> TMers in their TM practice. Some of them 
> really are 'the best gurus, pandits and 
> vaidyas'. 
> 
> This it it, this is the one:
> 
> 'Flying Beyond'
> by Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia 
> 
> Maharishi Gandharva Veda:
> http://www.gandharva.nl/
> 
> Read more:
> 
> Subject: Flying Beyond
> Author: Willytex
> Newsgroups: alt.meditation.transcendental
> Date: Mon, Mar 8 2004
> http://tinyurl.com/8bu9xe
> 
> Subject: Chaurasia
> Author: Willytex
> Newsgroups: alt.meditation.transcendental
> Date: Mon, Mar 8 2004
> http://tinyurl.com/94sfgw
> 
> Subject: Call of the Valley
> Author: Willytex
> Newsgroups: alt.meditation.transcendental
> Date: Fri, Jun 3 2005
> http://tinyurl.com/6w9sef
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Charlie Lutes' explanation on why people are gay

2008-12-24 Thread Paul Mason
Homophobia... isn't that the fear of getting caught using your 
imagination in a way that could get you branded odd? 



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex"  wrote:
>
> 
> 
> In my years of working for Charlie he was occasionally asked why
> people are gay. And while Charlie was a bit of a homophobe himself, 
he
> made it clear that the soul is without gender and incarnates into 
the
> world of polarities via either a male or female body. 
> 
> He also added that in order to fathom the range of human experience
> and to learn the 'lessons of life' as he put it, the soul often
> changes the gender of the body it uses for this to happen. 
> 
> He made it clear that when this change happens, the person who was
> previously, for example, a man, may now have the body of a woman but
> can and often does retain the desires of the man they were - and
> vice-versa. ---
> 
> This isn't something limited to the views of Charlie. That the soul 
is
> without gender is a common understanding. And that the soul 
incarnates
> into bodies of both genders is also commonly understood. {Even the
> Hindu gods are found in the literature to have occasionally changed
> gender.]
> 
> That people retain their desires from a previous gender is no
> surprise, and neither is it a 'sin' worthy of death as Billy G and
> other homophobic bigots are eager to proclaim.
> ---
> 
> "You have taken on the human form to gain Divine Mind through
> knowledge and experience in the field of combined opposites."
> 
> ~~  Charlie Lutes
>




[FairfieldLife] Jai Guru Dev

2008-12-14 Thread Paul Mason
It is extremely odd that anyone should misunderstand my motives for
researching and publishing on TM, Maharishi and Guru Dev.

So here is an explanation, of sorts.

It is really very simple. I was/am interested in the claim that this
method of meditation is a viable alternative to recreational drugs
(including alcohol) and that it can elevate one's level of
consciousness.

In 1970 I went to visit Maharishi in Rishikesh after hitch-hiking from
England. Andreas Muller suggested I learn transcendental meditation,
Bevan Morris gave me an explanatory talk about it, and I got initiated
the next day.
I got benefits from my periods of meditation, and one of the first I
noticed was the increased confidence to express a point of view. After
returning to the west I continued practicing meditation and looked into
the teachings and lifestory of Maharishi. After being commissioned to
write his biography by Element Books I wrote what I believed to be an
unbiased and factual account of his life and teachings.

It was then that I realised that the movement saw me as a threat when
they tried to get the book withdrawn.

A few years back I put together a website and have since fulfilled a
longterm desire to translate the extant published teachings and
lifestory of Guru Dev (although as yet I have not tidied up the work and
published in book form).

>From time to time, sharing material on newsgroups I have been asked my
opinion of Maharishi, TM etc and have given my responses. Under pressure
from character attacks I have even blistered somewhat.
So what?

Apparently, at some time I wrote that I thought that Maharishi was a
confidence trickster. Well, hearing this I thought about it again, and I
still think he was. However, that does not mean that I think his
teachings were all bad or that meditation is not worthwhile. I still
find it very stimulating to get my head around his lectures, especially
the early ones, but I don't believe he knew what he was talking about
some of the time, but that never stopped him talking.

I practice transcendental meditation to this day (I have only
occasionally taken time off the practice in order to experiment - is
that a bad thing? Maharishi was always experimenting with people to see
what worked, what did not).
It seems to me that had I been more polarised, showing support and
admiration for the movement I could have sold millions of books or had I
been polarised against the movement I would have sold even more, but the
fact that I remain relatively neutral and just watch the river flow
means that the only people who read my material are those that are
genuinely interested.

जय गुरुदेव
jay gurudeva



[FairfieldLife] Re: Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism' - Maharishi 1957

2008-12-14 Thread Paul Mason
Thanks for sorting out the link...


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard M"  wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism'
> > 
> > Address of His Holiness Maharishi Bal Brahmachari Mahesh Yogi
delivered
> > at the 15th Session of the World Vegetarian Congress held at Madras
> > on 30 -11-1957
> > 
> > My own Self as Representatives of East and West:
> > 
> > We are here today to find a solution for a complicated problem of
> > existence, confronting the whole humanity on the civilised world - the
> > problem of safety of life, of love, protection, peace and
happiness: not
> > only of individuals but of the whole creation and of nature too.
All the
> > creatures are sprung from God. Man is probably the polished son of
God.
> > And so unto him the great responsibility. Man must be sensible
enough to
> > look to the protection of life on earth, the precious property of the
> > Great Father.
> > 
> > Vegetarianism is a direct means to this, is the claim of this World
> > Vegetarian Congress. True it is. Accepted that Vegetarianism leads man
> > for all Good. Accepting all values of Vegetarianism, the question
arises
> > how we are going to establish it. How are we going to change the
> > 'Killing world' of today into a non-killing world of tomorrow? How are
> > we going to change the spirit of killing, the spirit of
aggression, the
> > spirit of violence into the spirit of kindness and love - overflowing
> > love for the whole creation? How are we going to change hardness and
> > cruelty of heart to softness and overflowing love for everybody?
..
> > 
> > Full transcript at:-
> 
>
<../../../../../message/%20http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetariani\
> > sm_Torch_Divine.htm>
> >
> 
> That link seems screwed Paul? S/b:
> 
> http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Torch_Divine.htm
>




[FairfieldLife] Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism' - Maharishi 1957

2008-12-14 Thread Paul Mason

Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism'

Address of His Holiness Maharishi Bal Brahmachari Mahesh Yogi delivered
at the 15th Session of the World Vegetarian Congress held at Madras
on 30 -11-1957

My own Self as Representatives of East and West:

We are here today to find a solution for a complicated problem of
existence, confronting the whole humanity on the civilised world - the
problem of safety of life, of love, protection, peace and happiness: not
only of individuals but of the whole creation and of nature too. All the
creatures are sprung from God. Man is probably the polished son of God.
And so unto him the great responsibility. Man must be sensible enough to
look to the protection of life on earth, the precious property of the
Great Father.

Vegetarianism is a direct means to this, is the claim of this World
Vegetarian Congress. True it is. Accepted that Vegetarianism leads man
for all Good. Accepting all values of Vegetarianism, the question arises
how we are going to establish it. How are we going to change the
'Killing world' of today into a non-killing world of tomorrow? How are
we going to change the spirit of killing, the spirit of aggression, the
spirit of violence into the spirit of kindness and love - overflowing
love for the whole creation? How are we going to change hardness and
cruelty of heart to softness and overflowing love for everybody? ..

Full transcript at:-
  http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Torch_Divine.htm
<../../../../../message/%20http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetariani\
sm_Torch_Divine.htm>



[FairfieldLife] Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism' - Maharishi 1957

2008-12-14 Thread Paul Mason

Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism'

Address of His Holiness Maharishi Bal Brahmachari Mahesh Yogi delivered
at the 15th Session of the World Vegetarian Congress held at Madras
on 30 -11-1957

My own Self as Representatives of East and West:

We are here today to find a solution for a complicated problem of
existence, confronting the whole humanity on the civilised world - the
problem of safety of life, of love, protection, peace and happiness: not
only of individuals but of the whole creation and of nature too. All the
creatures are sprung from God. Man is probably the polished son of God.
And so unto him the great responsibility. Man must be sensible enough to
look to the protection of life on earth, the precious property of the
Great Father.

Vegetarianism is a direct means to this, is the claim of this World
Vegetarian Congress. True it is. Accepted that Vegetarianism leads man
for all Good. Accepting all values of Vegetarianism, the question arises
how we are going to establish it. How are we going to change the
'Killing world' of today into a non-killing world of tomorrow? How are
we going to change the spirit of killing, the spirit of aggression, the
spirit of violence into the spirit of kindness and love - overflowing
love for the whole creation? How are we going to change hardness and
cruelty of heart to softness and overflowing love for everybody? ..

Full transcript at:-
 
<../../../message/%20http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Tor\
ch_Divine.htm> 
 
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Torch_Divine.htm
<../../../message/%20http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Tor\
ch_Divine.htm>   


[FairfieldLife] Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism' - Maharishi 1957

2008-12-14 Thread Paul Mason
Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism'

Address of His Holiness Maharishi Bal Brahmachari Mahesh Yogi delivered
at the 15th Session of the World Vegetarian Congress held at Madras
on 30 -11-1957

My own Self as Representatives of East and West:

We are here today to find a solution for a complicated problem of
existence, confronting the whole humanity on the civilised world - the
problem of safety of life, of love, protection, peace and happiness: not
only of individuals but of the whole creation and of nature too. All the
creatures are sprung from God. Man is probably the polished son of God.
And so unto him the great responsibility. Man must be sensible enough to
look to the protection of life on earth, the precious property of the
Great Father.

Vegetarianism is a direct means to this, is the claim of this World
Vegetarian Congress. True it is. Accepted that Vegetarianism leads man
for all Good. Accepting all values of Vegetarianism, the question arises
how we are going to establish it. How are we going to change the
'Killing world' of today into a non-killing world of tomorrow? How are
we going to change the spirit of killing, the spirit of aggression, the
spirit of violence into the spirit of kindness and love - overflowing
love for the whole creation? How are we going to change hardness and
cruelty of heart to softness and overflowing love for everybody? ..

Full transcript at:-
  http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Torch_Divine.htm
<%20http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Torch_Divine.htm> 


[FairfieldLife] Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism' - Maharishi 1957

2008-12-14 Thread Paul Mason
Vegetarianism and All Isms Through Spiritual 'Ism'

Address of His Holiness Maharishi Bal Brahmachari Mahesh Yogi delivered
at the 15th Session of the World Vegetarian Congress held at Madras
on 30 -11-1957

My own Self as Representatives of East and West:

We are here today to find a solution for a complicated problem of
existence, confronting the whole humanity on the civilised world - the
problem of safety of life, of love, protection, peace and happiness: not
only of individuals but of the whole creation and of nature too. All the
creatures are sprung from God. Man is probably the polished son of God.
And so unto him the great responsibility. Man must be sensible enough to
look to the protection of life on earth, the precious property of the
Great Father.

Vegetarianism is a direct means to this, is the claim of this World
Vegetarian Congress. True it is. Accepted that Vegetarianism leads man
for all Good. Accepting all values of Vegetarianism, the question arises
how we are going to establish it. How are we going to change the
'killing world' of today into a non-killing world of tomorrow? How are
we going to change the spirit of killing, the spirit of aggression, the
spirit of violence into the spirit of kindness and love - overflowing
love for the whole creation? How are we going to change hardness and
cruelty of heart to softness and overflowing love for everybody? ..

Full transcript at:-
  http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Vegetarianism_Torch_Divine.htm


[FairfieldLife] Re: Maharishi: 'Which god you like?' - USA 1959

2008-12-14 Thread Paul Mason
Offworld, I don't have a problem with what Maharishi said about
selection of mantras, I merely put the recording up because I thought
it would interest FFL'ers and because it also illustrated the link
between TM and religion, which for me is not a problem. That was the
issue, that the TM movement is still trying to convince itself of the
lack of such a connection. For me that is a bit like saying that water
is not wet.




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings 
wrote:
>
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> , nablusoss1008 
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> , "Paul Mason" 
> > wrote:
> >
> > Of all the lowly creatures that post on FFL Paul Mason is the perhaps
> > the lowliest, utterly devoted as he is to make a cheap little dollar.
> 
> Mr. paul Mason, and Mr Nablusoss.
> What did Maharishi say wrong in this explanation?
> Honestly, I actually do not see what is wrong with any of it. Can
> someone explain this to me? The quoted statement makes perfect sense.
> Nature is very natural, mantras are good, but the MOST important thing
> is the 'correct angle' and let go...as Maharishi used to say. The
> 'correct angle' did not mean the 'perfect mantra', it only meant the
> 'path of least resistance', and that is in the technique, not the sound
> given, but the system for applying it.
> 
> I honestly don't see why Paul Mason or Nablussos has a problem with what
> was quoted of Maharishi by Paul Mason here?
> 
> Please explain.
> 
> OffWorld
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Maharishi: 'Which god you like?' - USA 1959

2008-12-13 Thread Paul Mason
Nablusoss, you recently recirculated a piece of my research in full,
the 1952 speech of Maharishi announcing Guru Dev's arrival in Delhi,
which I turned up some years back. You quoted it in full (even using
my own typewritten format, as used on my website, but without any
acknowledgement). 
Be careful what you quote, for you just might find that it is material
I have mined. And where does that leave you, aiding and abetting me in
spreading my research?







--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" 
wrote:
>
> Nablusoss1008, I disagree with your point of view, here.  In my
> opinion, Paul is a fine man whose research and writing has been of
> inestimable value in understanding both Maharishi and Guru Dev.  His
> criticism of Maharishi is neither mean-spirited nor without
> foundation.  Furthermore, regardless of any critiques he may have
> leveled against Maharishi, it's my understanding that he maintains
> both respect and admiration for him and his mission.
> 
> **
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008  wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
> > wrote:
> > 
> > Of all the lowly creatures that post on FFL Paul Mason is the perhaps 
> > the lowliest, utterly devoted as he is to make a cheap little dollar.
> > 
> > This fool, not understanding what he does to himself, will
contiune to 
> > ruin whatever good fortune he built up during countless incarnations.
> > 
> > Now he has taken on a battle against The Masters of Wisdom.
> > 
> > Please pray for this lost soul.
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Maharishi: 'Which god you like?' - USA 1959

2008-12-13 Thread Paul Mason
Questioner - Maharishi, how may a person find, you know, which of the,
of the, the five materials [elements?] are predominant in them?

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - They, they have their method of, uh, oh, from
the tendencies they know, from the, from the cut of the face they
know. From the tendency. From the tendency.

Q - Do you take that into consideration when you give the person a mantra?

M M Y - I don't go into all these vibrations, botherations. I ask him
"Which god you like?" He says "Shiva" - Okay, Shiva! [Maharishi
laughs, very loudly] Where is the time to go into complications and
all that? Ask him "What he like?" and that is it. [more laughter, the
laughter now sounding strained] And somebody comes, "Oh my, I don't
have any liking for anybody", then I trace behind, And then, "When you
were young?" and "Which temple you were going more?" and "What your
father was worshipping?" and then he comes round. [Maharishi resumes
the laughter]

Q - How would you apply this to the westerners?

M M Y - Oh here we don't go into these minute details. [more strained
laughter] We get the mantra direct and that does all good for him.
[yet more laughter] In to.. not into so much details. 

To listen to this use the following link:
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/sources/mp3s/Maharishi1959USA.mp3




[FairfieldLife] Re: David OJ: Attorney's Letter re TM & Religion

2008-12-13 Thread Paul Mason
Of all the words that might well be applied to Maharishi's teachings, 
the words religious, cultic, Hindu, are probably the most apt.
Maharishi was initially very open about the fact that TM had 
everything to do with gods and that selection of the mantra was 
solely based on which god you liked. It's true, I have a recording of 
him saying just this.
He was telling this to westerners in the USA in 1959. So what changed?
It seems that Maharishi eventually discovered that westerners were 
largely giving up on religion, in fact for many the word religion was 
fast becoming a dirty word. 
I guess it is possible that those in charge of PR at TM HQ do not 
know the history of the movement. So they come up with their 'look we 
can prove it is not a religion!' stance.
Like the shift from casual clothes to cult-like business suits, 
discredit them and their verbose attempts to deny TM's religious 
connections only serve to make them look untrustworthy.
For centuries people have been settling down with their 'guru mantra' 
and 'meditating' - letting go of the mantra and 'transcending'.







--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" 
 wrote:
>
> Although the meditation itself is not (or at least doesn't *have* 
to 
> be done as) a religious practice, the puja certainly is and every 
> initiator is schooled and tested on exactly what the Sanskrit words 
> mean and what internal feelings those words are supposed to evoke 
in 
> the initiator.  To say that the teacher may not know what they mean 
> is not just disingenuous, it's a lie.
> 
> And the puja unquestionably deals with and articulates a point of 
> view regarding the "ultimate truth".  The initiator may not 
> ultimately subscribe to the teachings contained in the puja, but we 
> were all mightily encouraged to adopt and conform to those 
teachings 
> and most, if not all my initiator colleagues did, and without 
> question.  If anything, we were eager to be taught what it "really" 
> meant and what was the real truth behind what it was we were 
> initiating people into.
> 
> It seems absurd to me that movement apologists continue dancing 
> around the issue.  Who cares?  For myself, I'm happy to have been a 
> devoted member of a hindu cult; I'm happy to continue to subscribe 
to 
> some of the tenets, though not as fervently or dogmatically as in 
the 
> past; but pujas and yagyas and all day meditation programs at one 
end 
> of the spectrum are certainly religious, even if twice daily 
> meditation at the other end of the spectrum may not be.
> 
> **
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer"  wrote:
> >
> > -Original Message-
> > From: David Orme-Johnson [mailto:davi...@] 
> > Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 3:40 PM
> > To: David Orme-Johnson
> > Subject: Attorney's Letter re TM & Religion
> > 
> > Dear Colleagues,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > I have just posted on wwwTruthAboutTM.com a profound letter by a 
> leading
> > attorney on the question of whether the TM program is a religion. 
He
> > considers the issue from the perspective of the legal definition 
of
> > "religion", and concludes that the TM program is not a religion. 
> Citing
> > legal precedents, he argues that allowing TM practice in schools 
> during
> > quiet time does not conflict with the Establishment Clause of the 
> First
> > Amendment. 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > All the best,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > David
> > 
> > -
> > 
> > Individual Effects
> > 
> > The Issue: Is the Transcendental Meditation program a religion? 
> > 
> > Carter Phillips Letter Re the Constitutionality of the TM Program 
in
> > Public Schools.
> > 
> 
 ex
> > .cfm#Phillips_letter#Phillips_letter>  
> > 
> > --
--
> 
> > --
--
> ---
> > 
> > April 9, 2007
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Re:  Transcendental Meditation Program in Public 
Schools
> > Constitutional
> > 
> > To Whom It May Concern:
> > 
> > We have been asked to respond to concerns that the Transcendental
> > Meditation ("TM") Program, implemented in public schools, may 
> violate
> > the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United 
States
> > Constitution. The Establishment Clause generally forecloses school
> > sanctioned religious activity. Because the TM program is not a 
> religious
> > activity, the Establishment Clause does not preclude its use in 
> public
> > schools. Even if the TM program were deemed to be a religious 
> activity,
> > as long as it is implemented as part of a "Quiet Time" program, 
its
> > practice in the public schools still would not violate the First
> > Amendment.
> > 
> > BACKGROUND
> > 
> > The TM Program in public schools voluntarily instructs students 
in 
> the
> > beneficial Transcendental Meditation technique that they can 
> practice

[FairfieldLife] Re: Sorry Rick but maybe I had something to do with FFL going pearshaped

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
Do you practice TM? I doubt it. You and the other trouble makers just 
like blah-blah-blah blah-blah-blah. I'd be surprised if you found 
time to practice meditation. Certainly, you like to appear as if you 
are well informed and that you have some connection with Guru Dev, 
but really is it more than blah-blah-blah?




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jim_flanegin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend"  
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj  wrote:
> > 
> > > I second that, moderating is needed by someone otherwise this
> > > list is down the tubes. Really, that was likely their goal all
> > > along. One of them even said she'd do this till she died. That
> > > doesn't sound much different from an Islamic terrorist. The
> > > list has been destroyed by insurgents, quite literally.
> > 
> > Wait, wait, wait.  *TMers* are supposed to be the
> > paranoid ones on this forum.
> > 
> > Jeez, talk about feeling threatened.  It's understandable
> > that folks who've enjoyed playing around in an echo
> > chamber for some time would get their noses out of joint
> > when some new voices come along that don't quite blend in
> > and may even challenge the comfortable echoes.
> > 
> > But to call them *terrorists*??
> > 
> > And Vaj has now joined Barry in developing some kind
> > of phobia about identifying me by name.
> > 
> > He also, perhaps needless to say, grossly misrepresents
> > something I said.
> > 
> > And no, none of us came here with the intention of
> > sending this forum down the tubes.
> >
> Looks like the tide has turned against those who as you say have 
> enjoyed FFL as a free dumping ground on all things TM...perhaps 
they 
> must now open their wallets to those over at TM Free Blog- a 
> symbiotic match if I ever saw one.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Misrepresention by twisting the truth

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
Perhaps you really don't get it, so I'll explain just the once. 
Terrorism, the unpleasant combative, thrusting, in-your-face attitudes 
drive polite civil debaters away. That is what it is for, it is not 
about encouraging debate but about posturing and misrepresenting until 
you find the 'opponent' has exited in disgust.
This was the MO used at AMT and it is now the MO used at FFL. 

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Mr. Magoo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> 
> snip>
> > but I do 
> > care that free-speech is jeopardised by the behaviour of the few.
>   
> 
> You know, I have never heard a sillier comment. I'm not sure I even
> understand it...free speech is a threat to free speech?, someone
> please help me out here!
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Misrepresention by twisting the truth

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
I don't consider Judy Stein as a critic, merely as a nuisance. Her 
criticism of my biography, which is what I'm known for, was based on 
erroneous hearsay. She has never engaged me honestly in debate in a bid 
for truth, just timewasting in order to try and catch me out. There is 
always the assumption driving her that there is a hidden aggenda to 
uncover, some motive behind what one is saying that she will discover.
Sad really, as she 'seems' interested in the philosphy of SCI, but 
perhaps she is worried that someone will disabuse her of her illusions 
about its correctness or completeness.




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
> wrote:
> >
> > Rick, if I were to single out one person who has brought this
> > forum into disrepute it would be Judy Stein. But you know that.
> > She has done it to AMT, which is something of a wasteland. Do
> > you want FFL to go the same way?
> 
> (Oddly enough, I just happen to be one of Paul's
> major critics.)
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Misrepresention by twisting the truth

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
Of course there are others who do their level best to make FFL unfit 
for debate, but they are followers, they seldom start the ball rolling. 
But importantly, Vaj got the analogy right, its about preserving the 
barrel of apples by shedding the few.

TM is a solitary practice, a practice which gives no specific evidence 
of its practice.

Who is to say that Judith Stein or Nabulus practice TM and that I do 
not. I don't care whether or not people practice TM or not, but I do 
care that free-speech is jeopardised by the behaviour of the few.
 

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> Rick, if I were to single out one person who has brought this forum 
> into disrepute it would be Judy Stein. But you know that.
> She has done it to AMT, which is something of a wasteland. Do you 
want 
> FFL to go the same way?
>




[FairfieldLife] Misrepresention by twisting the truth

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
Rick, if I were to single out one person who has brought this forum 
into disrepute it would be Judy Stein. But you know that.
She has done it to AMT, which is something of a wasteland. Do you want 
FFL to go the same way?



[FairfieldLife] Re: Sorry Rick but maybe I had something to do with FFL going pearshaped

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
I went to a party held by some devotees of a spiritual path, I was 
surprised that they were all sitting around smoking spliffs and 
getting into drink too. I was even more surprised when one of the 
kids came and sat on my head. It was hard for the stoned party goers 
to realise how much the kids needed a bit of attention and parenting, 
as their philosphy was live and let live. 
Mmmm, by the way, did I mention it was the kid's birthday party?






--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 
> On Mar 17, 2007, at 7:22 PM, Rick Archer wrote:
> 
> >
> > I second that, moderating is needed by someone otherwise this 
list  
> > is down the tubes. Really, that was likely their goal all along.  
> > One of them even said she'd do this till she died. That doesn't  
> > sound much different from an Islamic terrorist. The list has 
been  
> > destroyed by insurgents, quite literally.
> >
> >
> > How would you suggest it be moderated? If someone volunteered to 
do  
> > it, what criteria would they follow? How would they be objective?
> I seem to remember New Morn came up with some nice ideas that 
seemed  
> worth implementing. IIRC it was something like first time you're  
> banned for posting a couple of days and then each time thereafter,  
> longer. It seems to me there would have to be a limit, a "three  
> strikes and you're out" kinda thing. I really don't think it would 
be  
> hard to implement because it really is a case of 'a couple of bad  
> apples spoiling the whole bunch'.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Sorry Rick but maybe I had something to do with FFL going pearshaped

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
FFL was pleasant because for the most part the people wanted it like 
that. (Although I did get an email on the side who was trying to poison 
my mind about Richard. I found it odd at the time. It was the only sign 
I say that TM forums could be unpleasant. Now who sent that...? He 
posted at AMT too, in those days. Bob someone or other I believe.)

Vaj, I think you are right, the basic motivation of the 'insurgents' 
seems combative, bombastic. It is almost always confrontational and 
looking for a fight. There is an inbuilt assumption that one is 
spoiling for a fight. It doesn't even seem to occur to them that there 
might be anything to be gained from an exchange of information and 
opinions, without resorting to unpleasantness.

I saw the way Richard was ragged on AMT, but largely it was undeserved, 
he was just looking for answers. It seemed to me he wasn't getting them 
on TM forums. But why rag him?

I have travelled widely in the Islamic world and NEVER come up against 
the fundamentalists. They get on underground trains whilst decent 
people are going off to work, all shades of human skin, all kinds of 
humanity, and let off bombs. The fundamentalist doesn't have regard for 
others. The TM-terrorist has no regard for others either. Perhaps it is 
the Maharishi's fault, with his 'damn democracy' and his 'scorpion 
nation', he is encouraging rabid behaviour in his shock troops.

So perhaps Maharishi was once a saint and then he lost it, but there is 
no reason for everyone to lose it! Please turn over a new leaf everyone 
and at least be polite to one another.





--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 
> On Mar 17, 2007, at 6:54 PM, Peter wrote:
> 
> > I agree with you. Many, not all though, of the AMT
> > people have "ruined" FFL. Other than my joking posts,
> > I rarely post anymore.
> 
> 
> I second that, moderating is needed by someone otherwise this list 
is  
> down the tubes. Really, that was likely their goal all along. One of  
> them even said she'd do this till she died. That doesn't sound much  
> different from an Islamic terrorist. The list has been destroyed by  
> insurgents, quite literally.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Why some people 'hate' MMY......

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
Perhaps people who are determined to write poison pen letters such as 
the one you wrote earlier ought first to consider writing under your 
given name. It appears so cowardly otherwise.


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Mr. Magoo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig"  wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 

> wrote:
> > >
> > > I have had (friendly) emails on the side from quite a few of 
the 
> > > posters here, and it is disturbing to see some of you 
post 'hate'
> mail 
> > > against critics of Maharishi. Actually, it is quite possible to 
be 
> > > critical of someone without hating him. But anyway, I suspect 
you are 
> > > in good company as Maharishi has never been good at dealing 
with 
> > > criticism, so I guess he deserves to be represented by you and
> your ilk.
> > > 
> > > 
> > >  
> > 
> > What is an ilk?
> 
> Yeah..it sounds a little hateful to me!
>




[FairfieldLife] Sorry Rick but maybe I had something to do with FFL going pearshaped

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
When I first came to FFL it was because I wished to contact Richard 
Williams (because he seemed the most prominent voice of those looking 
for answers about Maharishi). Well, I was politely pointed in the 
direction of AMT. But whilst here I noticed it was a pretty orderly 
restrained sort of a gentleman's club sort of atmosphere, with some 
well-reasoned and polite debate going on. I was glad I had found FFL. 
They marshalled their arguments with information that they had worked 
hard to find. I cite L B Shriver in particular, not because I agreed 
with his viewpoint, but he actually bothered to research before he put 
forward his thoughts.

Well, at Google AMT I attempted to level with those who had unfairly 
criticised my bio, only to find the criticism was founded on ignorance, 
the critic had not actually read the book, and someone else just 
assumed they knew what they were talking about, so more uninformed 
criticism! 

That was my introduction to TM forums. After a time I mentioned FFL at 
AMT and Uncle Tantra (Turquoise) migrated to FFL and it seemed that 
things at FFL were thereby improved, not that they needed to really. 
However, something else happened, there was a change in the ethos, for 
the worse. This might have been the time that certain other individuals 
turned up too, but it soon turned into what AMT had been, a playground 
without any supervision. That would have been fine of course if things 
had stayed playful.

Interestingly, the deterioration in the standard of debates where the 
postings are now usually reduced to personal insults, racism, the use 
of hate vocabulary 'evil','wicked', 'rakshasa' 'dog' etc etc. has meant 
that there is no longer any real point in contributing. 






[FairfieldLife] Re: Why some people 'hate' MMY......

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
Hi Richard
The thing is that quoting facts is better than heresay. My bio of 
Maharishi many, many verbatim quotes that even many TM teachers had 
not heard before. However, because there is a lot of frustrated 
individuals who have yet to offer any original research, they resort 
to personal attacks. I have read your research on Sri Vidhya & the 
early history of the movement etc and it interests me. But none of 
the posters who are so prone to vitriolic outbursts have produced any 
research at all, just billowing hot-air, and sometimes polluted at 
that. 

That I produce wodges of quotes from Maharishi, Guru Dev, Satyanand, 
& Charlie Lutes seems to be of no value to these so-called defenders 
of Maharishi and TM. They seem to think they will earn their laurels 
by being anti-Paul Mason? Whatever! But at the end of the day, they 
know they have contributed nothing worthwhile for their cause.

So, it is sour grapes, and those who really have something to 
contribute to the story are happy to exchange cordial emails with me. 

Jay Gurudev



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Paul Mason wrote:
> > I have had (friendly) emails on the side from quite 
> > a few of the posters here, and it is disturbing to 
> > see some of you post 'hate' mail against critics of 
> > Maharishi. Actually, it is quite possible to be 
> > critical of someone without hating him. But anyway, 
> > I suspect you are in good company as Maharishi has 
> > never been good at dealing with criticism, so I guess 
> > he deserves to be represented by you and your ilk.
> >
> One informer here called me crazy, another called me nuts, Paul. 
Judy
> lied and said I lived under a bridge. Can you believe that? They
> really hate me, Paul, but I like your book and I don't care what 
they
> say about you. Barry has a nice thread about what these TMers really
> believe.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Why some people 'hate' MMY......

2007-03-17 Thread Paul Mason
I have had (friendly) emails on the side from quite a few of the 
posters here, and it is disturbing to see some of you post 'hate' mail 
against critics of Maharishi. Actually, it is quite possible to be 
critical of someone without hating him. But anyway, I suspect you are 
in good company as Maharishi has never been good at dealing with 
criticism, so I guess he deserves to be represented by you and your ilk.


 


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Mr. Magoo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Mainly because he robbed them of their ignorance, and you know the old
> saying, "Ignorance is Bliss". Some of these folks were 'happy' in the
> comfort of their ego-instigated desires and ambitions (sankalpas), and
> along comes
> MMY and steals all that 'peace' away by the application of the
> ointment of knowledge!!
> 
> This isn't what they had bargained for at all...and NOW, well now, NO
> peace. Once the light has dawned the darkness and shadows (wickedness)
> struggle to hold on, and hence the dilemma. What happened to the
> peace, energy and happiness MMY promised; now I'm miserable in the
> awareness of my own wickedness, NO, NO, NO, I won't give in, I will
> fight!!  So now you now how TMfree-blog got started:-)
> 
> P.S. Like MMY use to say, "When the majestic Elephant walks thru the
> village, the dogs start barking".
>




[FairfieldLife] Maharishi tells how he instituted a fee to learn meditation

2007-03-15 Thread Paul Mason
http://tmfree.blogspot.com/2007/03/maharishi-tells-how-he-instituted-
fee.html
http://tmfree.blogspot.com/index.html



[FairfieldLife] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi & The Beatles: The Movie

2007-03-11 Thread Paul Mason
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi & The Beatles: The Movie 
http://tmfree.blogspot.com/2007/03/indian-film-director-mira-nair-is-
to.html



[FairfieldLife] Re: FFL used to be such an intelligent reasonable sort of group....

2007-02-28 Thread Paul Mason
Learning TM forces TM initiates into an unenviable situation - either 
carry-on regardless and get 'checked' from time-to-time or shell out 
lots of dosh and join in the courses that are held in the hope of 
getting better info about the meditation.
I attended SCI tape meetings and they were just dull, I attended TM 
retreats/advances, and they were just like nursery school for TM 
initiates, run by initiates who had few of the answers but who for 
the most part just enjoyed being in-charge.
So, I tend to suspect you are right, a lone TM-er could get strung-
out. In fact I know someone who did and he tried to top himself 
several times. So, he was 'unstressing' and that this was some kinda 
retribution for sending out a photocopy of the so-so secret mantras 
to one of the governors. Apparently it made her quite upset to see 
the list on the paper.
He was such a sweet guy, he thought the world of MMY and his 
meditation... There were just some questions that bugged him and no-
one had any answers for him. So they ended up demonising him.
I think he was a victim of the mass-production system. 
I can't imagine that he ever intended any upset to anyone.

Steve Jeffery, love you man!

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 
> On Feb 28, 2007, at 8:21 AM, Paul Mason wrote:
> 
> > Many years ago I heard an expression, 'If I could find an open 
mind  
> > I'd
> > get some sin and drop it in'.
> > I was horrified, I have never had any use for concepts such as 
sin or
> > evil. However, over the years I have met the occasional person who
> > seemed to be suffering from mental illness, and on occasion heard 
such
> > suffering connected with the devil and being evil. I never took 
such
> > comments seriously. That is until I read the poison penned 
letters  
> > of a
> > couple of respondents on FFL and I ended the day pondering as to
> > whether I had encountered pure evil.
> > Is it actually possible that they are practising TM? I don't 
think so.
> 
> 
> Some people DO develop meditational disorders Paul and these do  
> manifest in a variety of ways. They actually are more common in 
mass  
> meditation methods like TM because there is no individualized 
methods  
> given to correct problems before or after they arise. These 
disorders  
> are often exacerbated by situations where people are told to 
continue  
> meditating rather than applying an antidote or where purification 
is  
> skipped.
> 
> It is a very sad thing to see. Physical abuse, even broken ones, 
heal  
> slowly over time. Internal abuse can be even more insidious and be  
> much longer lasting.
>




[FairfieldLife] TM-Terrorists or just sad cases?

2007-02-28 Thread Paul Mason
Many years ago I heard an expression;
'If I could find an open mind I'd get some sin and drop it in'.

I was horrified, I have never had any use for concepts such as 'sin' 
or 'evil'. However, over the years I met several people who seemed to 
be suffering from mental illness, and heard such mental ill health 
connected with the devil. I never took such comments seriously. Yet 
more recently I have heard terrorists being branded 'evil', but still I 
resisted the term. That is until I read the poison penned letters of a 
couple of respondents addressed to me at FFL. I ended the day feeling 
that I had encountered pure evil. It was a feeling not a thought. I 
could feel the poison, it endured for most of the night. It was clearly 
not light that they had showered me with!!

These posters and others of their ilk, who pose as supporters of 
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi yet post malevolent attacks on others, is it 
really possible that they actually practice TM? No, I don't think so.



[FairfieldLife] FFL used to be such an intelligent reasonable sort of group....

2007-02-28 Thread Paul Mason
Many years ago I heard an expression, 'If I could find an open mind I'd 
get some sin and drop it in'.
I was horrified, I have never had any use for concepts such as sin or 
evil. However, over the years I have met the occasional person who 
seemed to be suffering from mental illness, and on occasion heard such 
suffering connected with the devil and being evil. I never took such 
comments seriously. That is until I read the poison penned letters of a 
couple of respondents on FFL and I ended the day pondering as to 
whether I had encountered pure evil.
Is it actually possible that they are practising TM? I don't think so.




[FairfieldLife] Re: Just for the record - Paul Mason is not anti-TM or anti-MMY

2007-02-27 Thread Paul Mason
Q. Okay, just what does one do if a complete stranger starts launching 
verbal attacks on you?
A. One can use it as an opportunity to practice tolerance in the face 
of intoleration I suppose. FFL seems to be full of such opportunities 
these days, despite it being against the guidelines of such groups.






--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "peterklutz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > Quotes from the characters created by playrights are often wrongly 
> > attributed to the writer himself/herself. Although the question and 
> > answer was intended to be provocative it was not intended serve as 
a 
> > guide to my opinions of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
> 
> Who do you think you are fooling?
> 
> Grow a spine.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Just for the record - Paul Mason is not anti-TM or anti-MMY

2007-02-27 Thread Paul Mason
Confronted with the prospect of millions of people saying no to the 
religious sounding meditation that he was teaching, one can see why 
he might be tempted to tinker some.
Whether the work he put in (and he has put a lot a lot of work in) 
really worked out, must be a personal evaluation. Meditation, for all 
the hype about changing the world, is fundamentally about sitting 
down, resting and getting a bit more cosmic. No meter or statistic is 
going to answer the question satisfactorilly, only individuals.
As for self-promoting, I don't suppose there can be any real doubt 
that he has lapped up the adulation and praise, hugely. But in his 
defence he has deflected a good deal of the adoration towards his 
deceased master, and that is wise.
Personally, I wouldn't say that modest was one of his middle names, 
but then who cares? 
You either enjoying meditating or not.
That is the bottom line. 



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Mr. Magoo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > Quotes from the characters created by playrights are often 
wrongly 
> > attributed to the writer himself/herself. Although the question 
and 
> > answer was intended to be provocative it was not intended serve 
as a 
> > guide to my opinions of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
> > 
> > But I concede, on reflection, that some might see the remarks 
> > otherwise. So, I have taken this opportunity to ammend the online 
> > text of this Q&A, to change the line in question, to bring it 
more 
> > into synch with my own opinion:
> > 
> > Q. In conclusion then, isn't it true to say that the Maharishi is 
> > nothing other than an opportunistic, self-promoting maverick who, 
> > though probably well-meaning, wilfully misleads his supporters 
and 
> > anyone else who has the time, the inclination and the money to 
listen 
> > to him?
> 
> 
> The real question, if your conclusion is right, then is,...why, and 
do
> the ends justify the means.  I think with MMY perhaps so. The only
> thing I would take issue with you is 'self-promoting', perhaps you
> should use that with a capital 'S' as in Self(God) promoting, isn't
> that closer to his real character?
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Just for the record - Paul Mason is not anti-TM or anti-MMY

2007-02-27 Thread Paul Mason
Quotes from the characters created by playrights are often wrongly 
attributed to the writer himself/herself. Although the question and 
answer was intended to be provocative it was not intended serve as a 
guide to my opinions of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

But I concede, on reflection, that some might see the remarks 
otherwise. So, I have taken this opportunity to ammend the online 
text of this Q&A, to change the line in question, to bring it more 
into synch with my own opinion:

Q. In conclusion then, isn't it true to say that the Maharishi is 
nothing other than an opportunistic, self-promoting maverick who, 
though probably well-meaning, wilfully misleads his supporters and 
anyone else who has the time, the inclination and the money to listen 
to him?


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
>  wrote:
> >
> >  Q. Isn't it true to say that the Maharishi is nothing other than 
> an 
> > opportunistic?
> >  A. Yup
> >  Q. self-promoting 
> >  A. Yup
> >  Q. maverick, 
> >  A. Yup
> >  Q. who wilfully misleads his supporters 
> >  A. Yup
> >  Q. and anyone else who has the time, the inclination and the 
money 
> > to listen to him?
> >  A. Yup
> >  Q. Some say the TM method is a good one, some say not?
> >  A. Yup
> > Although I believe that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has used deceptive 
> > means to spread the teaching of transcendental meditation, I am 
> > confident that his motives have been well intended. 
> > 
> > Although I have voiced criticism of Maharishi, it should not be 
> > construed that I believe him to have just been in it for the 
money 
> or 
> > the fame.
> 
> Suggested rewrite:
> 
> "Isn't it true to say that the Maharishi isn't in
> it just for the fame or money, but is nothing other
> than an opportunistic, self-promoting, well-
> intentioned maverick, who with the best of motives 
> wilfully misleads his supporters and anyone else who
> has the time, the inclination and the money to listen
> to him?"
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Just for the record - Paul Mason is not anti-TM or anti-MMY

2007-02-27 Thread Paul Mason
 Q. Isn't it true to say that the Maharishi is nothing other than an 
opportunistic?
 A. Yup
 Q. self-promoting 
 A. Yup
 Q. maverick, 
 A. Yup
 Q. who wilfully misleads his supporters 
 A. Yup
 Q. and anyone else who has the time, the inclination and the money 
to listen to him?
 A. Yup
 Q. Some say the TM method is a good one, some say not?
 A. Yup
Although I believe that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has used deceptive 
means to spread the teaching of transcendental meditation, I am 
confident that his motives have been well intended. 

Although I have voiced criticism of Maharishi, it should not be 
construed that I believe him to have just been in it for the money or 
the fame.

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
> wrote:
> >
> > Although I believe that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has used deceptive 
> means 
> > to spread the teaching of transcendental meditation, I am 
confident 
> > that his motives have been well intended. Although I have voiced 
> > criticism of Maharishi, it should not be construed that I believe 
> > him to have just been in it for the money or the fame.
> 
> From a post by Paul Mason on TMFree:
> 
> Q. In conclusion then, isn't it true to say that the Maharishi is 
> nothing other than an opportunistic, self-promoting maverick, who 
> wilfully misleads his supporters and anyone else who has the time, 
the 
> inclination and the money to listen to him?
> 
> A. Some say the TM method is a good one, some say not.
>




[FairfieldLife] Just for the record - Paul Mason is not anti-TM or anti-MMY

2007-02-27 Thread Paul Mason
Although I believe that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has used deceptive means 
to spread the teaching of transcendental meditation, I am confident 
that his motives have been well intended. Although I have voiced 
criticism of Maharishi, it should not be construed that I believe him 
to have just been in it for the money or the fame.

This statement should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the man 
or his teachings. Just that I believe him to have intended well by his 
actions. I do not regret learning TM nor practicing it for well over 
three decades.

As it happens I was originally prompted to write his biography as a 
showcase for some his wonderfully original thinking, it was only after 
the first few chapters I came to question some of his methods of 
spreading his beliefs.






[FairfieldLife] Re: the fate of trash like Paul Mason

2007-02-25 Thread Paul Mason
Hi fellow FFLers

I have recently had troubles connecting to the internet, a problem 
that the ISP acknowledges is their responsibility. I mention this 
because I have only just picked up on this curious strand trashing me.

Why is it that those talking heads who try to trash me, never ever 
come up with any souceable useful information to gainsay any of my 
research or propositions? You just use me as the fall guy to give 
vent to your fury which might be more appropriately directed to 
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Shame on you!!!

Ironically, it is you who wish to appear as supporters, protectors 
and advocates of TM, that seem to disprove just about ALL the claims 
MMY made for his meditation. 

Is it true that none of you are meditators and that you are hirelings 
of some fundamentalist anti-MMY, anti-TM organisation in the pay of 
the CIA?

Jay Gurudev



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "nablusos108" 
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, bob_brigante  
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "nablusos108" 
 
> > > > wrote:
> > > > I have no strong opinion on Heaven or Hell. Perhaps those 
> > > > states of Bliss and Tamas excist, perhaps not. But if Hell 
> > > > excists I think this Paul Mason fellow is a strong candidate 
> > > > for a prolonged stay in one of those premises. I mean, 
> > > > spreading slander about an outstanding Saint for money ??  
> > > > It's like a plea for a stay in an unpleasant place. IMO. 
> > > > To be subdued and treated by Tamas for a long period 
> > > > of time at least is a guarantee for not having to deal 
> > > > with this lowlife fellow in our next incarnation.
> > > 
> > > ***
> > > 
> > > Yeah, Mason is a jerk, but jerks/demons are part of creation, 
> > > and in fact, creation COULD NOT EXIST without demons. Why? 
> > > Because the jig would be up if life were too sattvic 
> > > (transparent) -- it would be trying to play hide-and-so-seek 
> > > with no trees to hide behind. So although the dull-witted and 
> > > demonic level is dominant now, and will naturally be reduced 
> > > in the natural course of time, there will always be some 
> > > demonic activity, even in the Sat Yuga.  
> > > 
> > > From Vasistha's Yoga p. 201 http://tinyurl.com/6xndt :
> > > 
> > > "This seemingly unending world-appearance is sustained by 
impure 
> > > (rajasa) and dull (tamasa) beings, even as a superstructure is 
> > > sustained by pillars. But it is playfully and easily abandoned 
> > > by those who are of a pure nature, even as the slough is 
> > > effortlessly abandoned by a snake."
> > 
> > Very interesting comment. You are absolutely correct. One 
> > should try to ignore/accept demonic forces represented by 
> > beings like Paul Mason as a part of nature. But it is not easy...
> 
> Please reread the comments above in the light of
> what I just wrote to Tom T. 
> 
> The speakers are two long-time TMers who consider
> themselves On The Program and sane. They believe
> strongly in Maharishi and TM. And they have NO
> PROBLEM with going onto a public forum and calmly
> discussing their belief that Paul, who did nothing
> more than write a few things they don't like is a 
> DEMON, and in league with demonic forces.
> 
> THAT, not the simple, easily-learned technique of
> Transcendental Meditation, is unfortunately the 
> legacy of Maharishi and the TM movement. What 
> started (at least in the minds of the early TM
> teachers) as a noble, well-intentioned attempt to
> make the benefits of meditation available to as
> many people as possible at a reasonable cost has
> degenerated over the years into the proponents
> of Maharishi's teachings calmly declaring someone
> a DEMON because he doesn't agree with what they
> believe.
> 
> THAT is a more than a little scary in my opinion.
> 
> What's equally scary is the people who regularly
> react to those who write things that disagree with
> what they believe by attempting, seemingly ration-
> ally, to discredit the writer. These people are on
> a seemingly never-ending campaign to portray the
> more well-spoken critics of TM as 1) having hidden
> motives, 2) being untrustworthy, 3) "lying" when
> they express simple *opinion*, and other similar
> things. To me, both sets of people represent the
> same cult phenomenon, just to different degrees.
> 
> And to be honest, the latter are more dangerous.
> They attempt to HIDE their systematic demonization. 
> At least Bob, Nablusos, and Frank Lotz are honest 
> about it.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Separating Fact From Fiction

2007-02-18 Thread Paul Mason
Turquoise,
I thought I'd pop back to get a rain check on my posting yesterday 
and the first post I saw was yours. The odd thing is that I haven't 
really said anything at http://tmfree.blogspot.com/ that should upset 
anyone. After three and a half decades of research on the topic, I 
just distilled a few points, that must be common knowledge to those 
posting on FFL. Surely? 
I was surprised anyone responded to it actually.
As for the idea of me being damaged. Well I can only use Maharishi's 
excellent analogy, that one's vision is determined by the tint of the 
glasses one wears. If I am being perceived as damaged, then perhaps 
they need to refresh their outlook.
The Maharishi and the movement have had ample time and opportunity to 
put me right about any information I might have got askew. In fact I 
wrote an open letter addressed to the man himself, asking that he do 
just that. Since I already had a friendship with Bevan Morris, it 
would have been so easy for him to clear up any misconceptions and 
these could have been included in the revised edition.
Hey ho,
Paul




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > Peter, 
> > 
> > you are asking why I continue speak out about MMY and his 
teachings.
> > 
> > The answer is remarkably simple. 
> > 
> > Having learned TM I decided to practice it come-what-may, for at 
> > least ten years, to see how it measured up to its claims. I 
decided 
> > to let the time run longer, and longer, and longer. (In fact I 
even 
> > vowed to continue its practise even if MMY disavowed the 
teaching.)
> > 
> > I put the together 'The Maharishi: The Man Who Gave 
Transcendental 
> > Meditation to the World', and as Vaj rightly says, it is the only 
> > objective biography of the man and his teaching extant. But I 
didn't 
> > stop researching the Maharishi, TM and his master, I kept up the 
> > project for much longer, and I have shared much of the Guru Dev 
> > translation work free-of-charge on my website 
> > http://www.paulmason.info/ .
> > 
> > I kept practising the TM technique more many more years after the 
> > publication.
> > But after more than three and a half decades it struck me it was 
> > about time I actually decided it was time to come to some sort of 
> > verdict, about TM and about MMY. 
> > 
> > Since I am recognised as an authority on the subject (at least by 
> > those honest enough to admit it) I thought I'd share my verdict. 
I 
> > posted this on TM-Free Blog a few days ago. But afterwards I 
> > realised that there must still be great many people who still 
don't 
> > even have the basic points.
> > 
> > I notice you don't attempt to correct me on any point raised in 
the 
> > blog. That is interesting, very interesting
> > 
> > Finally, the suggestion that I get on and attend to my own life. 
> > Well, as it happens, I most certainly do (which is the main 
reason I 
> > seldom log on to the TM forums. But, as it happens I consider 
that 
> > sharing the enormous amount of research on the MMY is a part of 
> > attending to my life. 
> > 
> > It would be all too convenient for those who just want to hear 
sweet 
> > truths if I were to be quiet.
> > 
> > You have your views on MMY, I have never once tried to silence 
you 
> > or anyone else on the subject. I have never suggested that you go 
> > and attend to your life.
> > 
> > It seems the truth has got you just a tad mad at me, just a tad. 
But 
> > as another responent pointed out to someone else, don't shoot the 
> > messenger or in your case encourage the messenger to turn his 
> > attention to something else. It sounds just a bit like that bit 
in 
> > the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy and Toto were told to ignore 'the 
Man 
> > Behind The Curtain'.
> > 
> > Paul 
> > 
> > PS To the so-called supports of the Maharishi and of TM, on FFL, 
> > don't convince me much, you seem to spend an inordinate amount of 
> > time and energy sparring and being unpleasant to one another, and 
to 
> > those you perceive as threats. Is that what practising TM impels 
you 
> > to do? It never did that to me, that's for sure.
> 
> Nice statement, Paul.
> 
> What we saw in the last couple of days, in reaction to
> the things you've posted, is a far greater condemnation
> of Maharishi than anything you could have written about
> him.
> 
> Most of the responses here on Fairfield Life to what 
> you wrote had a

[FairfieldLife] Re: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Separating Fact From Fiction

2007-02-17 Thread Paul Mason
Peter, 

you are asking why I continue speak out about MMY and his teachings.

The answer is remarkably simple. 

Having learned TM I decided to practice it come-what-may, for at 
least ten years, to see how it measured up to its claims. I decided 
to let the time run longer, and longer, and longer. (In fact I even 
vowed to continue its practise even if MMY disavowed the teaching.)

I put the together 'The Maharishi: The Man Who Gave Transcendental 
Meditation to the World', and as Vaj rightly says, it is the only 
objective biography of the man and his teaching extant. But I didn't 
stop researching the Maharishi, TM and his master, I kept up the 
project for much longer, and I have shared much of the Guru Dev 
translation work free-of-charge on my website 
http://www.paulmason.info/ .

I kept practising the TM technique more many more years after the 
publication.
But after more than three and a half decades it struck me it was 
about time I actually decided it was time to come to some sort of 
verdict, about TM and about MMY. 

Since I am recognised as an authority on the subject (at least by 
those honest enough to admit it) I thought I'd share my verdict. I 
posted this on TM-Free Blog a few days ago. But afterwards I realised 
that there must still be great many people who still don't even have 
the basic points.

I notice you don't attempt to correct me on any point raised in the 
blog. That is interesting, very interesting

Finally, the suggestion that I get on and attend to my own life. 
Well, as it happens, I most certainly do (which is the main reason I 
seldom log on to the TM forums. But, as it happens I consider that 
sharing the enormous amount of research on the MMY is a part of 
attending to my life. 

It would be all too convenient for those who just want to hear sweet 
truths if I were to be quiet.

You have your views on MMY, I have never once tried to silence you or 
anyone else on the subject. I have never suggested that you go and 
attend to your life.

It seems the truth has got you just a tad mad at me, just a tad. But 
as another responent pointed out to someone else, don't shoot the 
messenger or in your case encourage the messenger to turn his 
attention to something else. It sounds just a bit like that bit in 
the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy and Toto were told to ignore 'the Man 
Behind The Curtain'.

Paul 

PS To the so-called supports of the Maharishi and of TM, on FFL, 
don't convince me much, you seem to spend an inordinate amount of 
time and energy sparring and being unpleasant to one another, and to 
those you perceive as threats. Is that what practising TM impels you 
to do? It never did that to me, that's for sure.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> I "love" the question and answer format. Paul, you
> don't know jack sh*t about the relationship between
> MMY and SBS. Why don't you just attend to your own
> life instead of this crusade to discredit, expose,
> diminish MMY. He's doing just fine on his own doing
> such a thing!
> 
> 
> --- Paul Mason <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> > Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Separating Fact From Fiction
> > http://tmfree.blogspot.com/
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > To subscribe, send a message to:
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > 
> > Or go to: 
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/
> > and click 'Join This Group!' 
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > 
> > 
> > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
__
__
> Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate 
> in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A.
> http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545367
>




[FairfieldLife] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Separating Fact From Fiction

2007-02-17 Thread Paul Mason
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Separating Fact From Fiction
http://tmfree.blogspot.com/




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'

2007-02-13 Thread Paul Mason
For all we know Mahesh was a perfectly adequate secretary.


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
> wrote:
> >
> > Despite the fact that I come from a society without a guru 
> > tradition, I can spot the difference between a spiritual guru
> > and a confidence trickster, in my opinion Maharishi Mahesh
> > Yogi is the latter.
> 
> Doesn't speak so highly of Guru Dev that he
> couldn't tell the difference, does it, Paul?
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'

2007-02-13 Thread Paul Mason
Despite the fact that I come from a society without a guru tradition, 
I can spot the difference between a spiritual guru and a confidence 
trickster, in my opinion Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is the latter.

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
wrote:
> >
> > 'He combines in himself the knowledge of the Self with the 
mysterious 
> > powers - the siddhis arising out of yogic perfection and hard 
penances, 
> > which he has undergone throughout his life.' - Brahmachari 
Mahesh, 
> > October 1952.
> > 
> > Note in particular the words 'yogic perfection'.
> > 
> 
> Are you saying that MMY is less perfect than gurudev? How would you 
know?
> 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig"  wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
 
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'
> > > > translated into English
> > > > http://tmfree.blogspot.com/
> > > >
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Though MMY will never admit it, he surpassed his Master many 
decades 
> > ago.
> > >
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'

2007-02-13 Thread Paul Mason
Ho.
Lawson English posting on google group AMT tells us, referring to 
Guru Dev:

'Like I said on FFL: MMY, though he will never acknowledge the fact, 
surpassed his Master many decades ago.' 
'And I know insider stories that you don't know and couldn't know 
unless you have Indian friends with family connections to the SBS 
succession story.'

Paul Mason says: Which you are going to share? Put up or shut Lawson. 
 
Lawson: Nope. I'm just going to claim special knowledge and laugh.

Paul Mason: Then Lawson, you are a coward as well as a fool! 
Interestingly, you are the first and only person I know of who has 
every attempted to cast aspertions on the reputation of Guru Dev. In 
your bid to champion his student Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, you dishonour 
his guru? You have my utter contempt and scorn 1. for being a coward 
2. being so dishonourable. 



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
wrote:
> >
> > Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'
> > translated into English
> > http://tmfree.blogspot.com/
> >
> 
> 
> Though MMY will never admit it, he surpassed his Master many 
decades ago.
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'

2007-02-13 Thread Paul Mason
You assert that MMY has surpassed Guru Dev. I point out that even 
fifty years ago MMY perceived Guru Dev to have 'yogic perfection'. 
Why should he have changed his mind? 
And why change the subject? It is not my opinion that is in 
contention it is yours.


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
wrote:
> >
> > 'He combines in himself the knowledge of the Self with the 
mysterious 
> > powers - the siddhis arising out of yogic perfection and hard 
penances, 
> > which he has undergone throughout his life.' - Brahmachari 
Mahesh, 
> > October 1952.
> > 
> > Note in particular the words 'yogic perfection'.
> > 
> 
> Are you saying that MMY is less perfect than gurudev? How would you 
know?
> 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig"  wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
 
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'
> > > > translated into English
> > > > http://tmfree.blogspot.com/
> > > >
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Though MMY will never admit it, he surpassed his Master many 
decades 
> > ago.
> > >
> >
>




[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'

2007-02-13 Thread Paul Mason
'He combines in himself the knowledge of the Self with the mysterious 
powers - the siddhis arising out of yogic perfection and hard penances, 
which he has undergone throughout his life.' - Brahmachari Mahesh, 
October 1952.

Note in particular the words 'yogic perfection'.





--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
wrote:
> >
> > Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'
> > translated into English
> > http://tmfree.blogspot.com/
> >
> 
> 
> Though MMY will never admit it, he surpassed his Master many decades 
ago.
>




[FairfieldLife] Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'

2007-02-13 Thread Paul Mason
Guru Dev (Maharishi's guru) speaks on 'siddhis'
translated into English
http://tmfree.blogspot.com/



[FairfieldLife] TM-Free; 'TM, gods & siddhis'

2007-02-07 Thread Paul Mason
Today I posted a short blog on TM-Free. 
A respondent doubted my interpretation of Guru Dev's teachings on 
siddhis so I went back to the text of his satsang, and I re-read the 
relevant section, about enlisting the help of the deity of the mantra & 
that siddhis can also come from Yakshas, Bhutas, Pretas and Pishachas.. 
You might be interested to check it out
http://tmfree.blogspot.com/2007/02/tm-gods-siddhis.html



[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev quotations on Japa meditation

2006-09-14 Thread Paul Mason
I have been instructed in japa technique by Dandi Swami Narayanand 
Saraswati, a direct disciple of Guru Dev. He practises japa silently, 
(however, by lip reading it is not difficult to ascertain the mantra 
he is using).

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> So Japa is not necessarily synonymous with transcendental 
meditation 
> I gather?  It seems to be ORAL repetition of a mantra, but not 
> necessarily chanting as do the Hare Krishnas?
> 
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
>  wrote:
> >
> > Basically, japa is the repetition of a mantra, and dhyaana is the 
> act 
> > of contemplation. 
> > Best thing to do is quote the dictionary, then you have something 
> > more reliable than hearsay.
> > 
> > jaapa n.mas. same as japa, a rosary for counting Mantras. 
> > 
> > japa n.mas. the silent repetition of a Mantra, muttering of 
> prayers, 
> > adoration, worshipping -tapa devotion, worship.
> > 
> > dhyaana n.mas. consideration, meditation, contemplation, 
> reflection, 
> > thought, self-communication, heed, imagination, attention, 
musing, 
> > reverie, study;
> > 
> > 
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" 
 
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Please clarify:
> > > 
> > > What is Japa and how does it differ from:
> > > 
> > > - meditation
> > > 
> > > - Transcendental Meditation
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
>  
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > After translating the Guru Dev's quotations on Japa Yoga, I 
> have 
> > put 
> > > > some of the most relevant quotes together as a file which can 
> be 
> > > double-
> > > > side printed. It is in the 'files' section of FFL named:- 
> > > > GuruDevjapameditation.pdf 
> > > > Over the last week or so I have been using his technique, and 
> > find 
> > > it 
> > > > feels very comfortable to practise.
> > > >
> > >
> >
>






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[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev quotations on Japa meditation

2006-09-14 Thread Paul Mason
Basically, japa is the repetition of a mantra, and dhyaana is the act 
of contemplation. 
Best thing to do is quote the dictionary, then you have something 
more reliable than hearsay.

jaapa n.mas. same as japa, a rosary for counting Mantras. 

japa n.mas. the silent repetition of a Mantra, muttering of prayers, 
adoration, worshipping -tapa devotion, worship.

dhyaana n.mas. consideration, meditation, contemplation, reflection, 
thought, self-communication, heed, imagination, attention, musing, 
reverie, study;


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> Please clarify:
> 
> What is Japa and how does it differ from:
> 
> - meditation
> 
> - Transcendental Meditation
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason"  
> wrote:
> >
> > After translating the Guru Dev's quotations on Japa Yoga, I have 
put 
> > some of the most relevant quotes together as a file which can be 
> double-
> > side printed. It is in the 'files' section of FFL named:- 
> > GuruDevjapameditation.pdf 
> > Over the last week or so I have been using his technique, and 
find 
> it 
> > feels very comfortable to practise.
> >
>







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[FairfieldLife] Guru Dev quotations on Japa meditation

2006-09-14 Thread Paul Mason
After translating the Guru Dev's quotations on Japa Yoga, I have put 
some of the most relevant quotes together as a file which can be double-
side printed. It is in the 'files' section of FFL named:- 
GuruDevjapameditation.pdf 
Over the last week or so I have been using his technique, and find it 
feels very comfortable to practise.






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[FairfieldLife] Come

2006-09-11 Thread Paul Mason
I received this email today, it appears genuine, anyone else received 
a copy?

Hello,

Some of you I have had little contact with lately and I do not know 
if 
any 
of you are still practicing TM. This is an all call to come to 
Fairfield to 
practice and fly in the domes. The course is free with at least one 
month to 
go or more; and now the sidhis are free for a limited time, to anyone 
who 
has the practicing knowledge of TM. In fact, the TM organization is 
now 
willing to pay people to come and participate in group programs in 
the 
domes 
here in Fairfield. Spread the word. Bevan said today,"...the money is 
here 
but the people are not."

I know many who, after being away from TM and Fairfield for as much 
as 
25 
years, are moving back to be here to take advantage of this little 
pearl in 
the middle of the universe.

I hear Maharishi's voice and hear how he is trying any way he knows, 
still, 
to raise the numbers in the dome (about 1,000 daily now) to help the 
world 
become a peaceful place for us to live and to maintain peace.

There will be 1,000 homes built in Vedic City for those on a regular 
program, made of a marble composite. Beautiful, affordable. No 
trailers. The 
land is being readied and the construction site is very busy.

If you can, please come to program. Experiences are growing rapidly 
of 
fulfillment 24/7 in many. It is what many of you have been waiting 
for 
or 
have even forgotten about after all these years. The goal is in reach 
for 
you more than ever. The whole atmosphere in Fairfield is transforming 
to an 
even more incredible place to be right now. Remember talk of the 
domino 
effect? I believe it's happening.

Come.

With appreciation,
Mary







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[FairfieldLife] Surely MMY would not deliberately deceive the English?

2006-09-05 Thread Paul Mason
On 29th September 1967 'The Frost Programme' included an interview with 
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at London Airport. During the chat the topic of 
mantras came up. His answer would give the listener the idea that the 
TM movement used a palette of 'thousands' of mantras, which, if it were 
not true, would amount to false advertising. 

Frost - Is that the same sound that you give to each person?
MMY - No, each person gets different but we don't have as many sounds 
as we have men in the world. So they are grouped together.
Frost - How many sounds are there?
MMY - Oh there are lots of sounds.
Frost - I mean hundreds or thousands or ...?
MMY - You could say thousands.








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[FairfieldLife] Re: "I am everywhere, I am omnipresent"

2006-09-05 Thread Paul Mason
The ashram in Benares (Varanasi) pre-dates the 'Brahmanivas' ashram in
Alopi Bag, Allahabad, by about fifteen years. Guru Dev was not offered
the property in Allahabad until about 1950.

'At sunrise on the first of April 1941, a small delegation of selected
people headed by Swami Gyanandji Maharaj arrived at his Ashram. This
Ashram, known as Brahmnivas at Sidhigiribagh, Maharaj Shri had
constructed five years earlier in memory of his Guru in whose name he
had also formed the Shri 1008 Swami Krishnanand Saraswati Trust.'
- 'The Whole Thing The Real Thing' - Prem Pasricha's transcreation of
Rameshwar Tiwari's Hindi biography of Guru Dev.

'In Varanasi, Maharaj Shri got an Ashram built in Siddhagiri Bagh,
Chhotigaivi. Moreover, a Sanskrit College was established in the 
memory
of his Sad Guru Dev where students receive free education upto 
Acharya.
The Ashram is a three storeyed building, where fifty families can be
accomodated.
These two buildings are under the management of Shri Krishnanand
Saraswati Trust.'
- p72 'Strange Facts about a Great Saint' - Raj Varma

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, t3rinity <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > 'Swami' Sattyanand speaks on Guru Dev:-
> > 
> > 'When in 1953 Guru Dev left this mortal frame and attained 
nirvana I 
> > was at Banares, another place of pilgrimage for Hindus, and at 
that 
> > moment I was staying in the ashram of Guru Dev. 
> 
> Was there an Ashram of Guru Dev in Benares? I know there was one 
main
> Ashram in Allahabad. Great story, thanks
>






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[FairfieldLife] Re: "I am everywhere, I am omnipresent"

2006-09-05 Thread Paul Mason
The ashram in Benares (Varanasi) pre-dates the 'Brahmanivas' ashram in 
Alopi Bag, Allahabad, by about fifteen years. Guru Dev was not offered 
the property in Allahabad until about 1950.
 
'At sunrise on the first of April 1941, a small delegation of selected 
people headed by Swami Gyanandji Maharaj arrived at his Ashram. This 
Ashram, known as Brahmnivas at Sidhigiribagh, Maharaj Shri had 
constructed five years earlier in memory of his Guru in whose name he 
had also formed the Shri 1008 Swami Krishnanand Saraswati Trust.'
 - 'The Whole Thing The Real Thing' - Prem Pasricha's transcreation of 
Rameshwar Tiwari's Hindi biography of Guru Dev.

'In Varanasi, Maharaj Shri got an Ashram built in Siddhagiri Bagh, 
Chhotigaivi. Moreover, a Sanskrit College was established in the memory 
of his Sad Guru Dev where students receive free education upto Acharya. 
The Ashram is a three storeyed building, where fifty families can be 
accomodated.
These two buildings are under the management of Shri Krishanand 
Saraswati Trust.' 
 - p72 'Strange Facts about a Great Saint' - Raj Varma




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, t3rinity <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > 'Swami' Sattyanand speaks on Guru Dev:-
> > 
> > 'When in 1953 Guru Dev left this mortal frame and attained nirvana 
I 
> > was at Banares, another place of pilgrimage for Hindus, and at that 
> > moment I was staying in the ashram of Guru Dev. 
> 
> Was there an Ashram of Guru Dev in Benares? I know there was one main
> Ashram in Allahabad. Great story, thanks
>







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[FairfieldLife] Re: "I am everywhere, I am omnipresent"

2006-09-05 Thread Paul Mason
Link to Satyanand page
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Satyanand.htm

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 'Swami' Sattyanand speaks on Guru Dev:-
> 
> 'When in 1953 Guru Dev left this mortal frame and attained nirvana 
I 
> was at Banares, another place of pilgrimage for Hindus, and at that 
> moment I was staying in the ashram of Guru Dev. Everybody knew that 
I 
> am very attached to Guru Dev and devoted to Guru Dev, and then news 
> came to Benares that Guru Dev has attained nirvana. I was sitting 
> somewhere with a group of my friends and the news was relayed 
there. 
> When my friends heard that Guru Dev was no more they were very 
> anxious about me and when they conveyed that news, they were rather 
> alert to appraise whatever reaction is and what happened I simply, 
> when I heard that news I became very sad, very sorry and I just 
kept 
> my head on the table before me. And all of them were very anxious 
> what will become of me. But soon after, while I was very morose, 
> sorrow, sad, entire world was empty for me and I did not understand 
> what to do without Guru Dev, just a half a minute or two seconds 
> after a flash came and it appeared to me that Guru Dev was scolding 
> me; 
> "What a fool you are! You have been with me for all these many 
months 
> and years, and you heard my discourses too. Is it a moment of 
feeling 
> sorry? Why should you be sorry today? And you think that I am gone, 
> where am I gone? Till now whenever you wanted to meet me you had, 
you 
> had to come to the place where I was, and today when I have 
attained 
> nirvana, I am everywhere, I am omnipresent. Where have I gone? Very 
> foolish for you to mourn on this occasion. I am with you, here, 
> there, everywhere. Why should you be sorry?" 
> And the moment this flash came my face became very brilliant, I 
> became very cheerful. And when I raised my head, my friends who 
were 
> standing there very anxious and held in suspense, they were upset 
to 
> see my brilliant and cheerful face. And then they said, "What has 
> happened to you?" I said, "No you can't understand, nothing has 
> happened to me, I am alright, now let me go back to the ashram and 
> make the necessary arrangements".'
>







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[FairfieldLife] "I am everywhere, I am omnipresent"

2006-09-05 Thread Paul Mason
'Swami' Sattyanand speaks on Guru Dev:-

'When in 1953 Guru Dev left this mortal frame and attained nirvana I 
was at Banares, another place of pilgrimage for Hindus, and at that 
moment I was staying in the ashram of Guru Dev. Everybody knew that I 
am very attached to Guru Dev and devoted to Guru Dev, and then news 
came to Benares that Guru Dev has attained nirvana. I was sitting 
somewhere with a group of my friends and the news was relayed there. 
When my friends heard that Guru Dev was no more they were very 
anxious about me and when they conveyed that news, they were rather 
alert to appraise whatever reaction is and what happened I simply, 
when I heard that news I became very sad, very sorry and I just kept 
my head on the table before me. And all of them were very anxious 
what will become of me. But soon after, while I was very morose, 
sorrow, sad, entire world was empty for me and I did not understand 
what to do without Guru Dev, just a half a minute or two seconds 
after a flash came and it appeared to me that Guru Dev was scolding 
me; 
"What a fool you are! You have been with me for all these many months 
and years, and you heard my discourses too. Is it a moment of feeling 
sorry? Why should you be sorry today? And you think that I am gone, 
where am I gone? Till now whenever you wanted to meet me you had, you 
had to come to the place where I was, and today when I have attained 
nirvana, I am everywhere, I am omnipresent. Where have I gone? Very 
foolish for you to mourn on this occasion. I am with you, here, 
there, everywhere. Why should you be sorry?" 
And the moment this flash came my face became very brilliant, I 
became very cheerful. And when I raised my head, my friends who were 
standing there very anxious and held in suspense, they were upset to 
see my brilliant and cheerful face. And then they said, "What has 
happened to you?" I said, "No you can't understand, nothing has 
happened to me, I am alright, now let me go back to the ashram and 
make the necessary arrangements".'





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[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev on changing gurus

2006-09-05 Thread Paul Mason
'bhakta' - adj. divided into parts, separate, devoted, engrossed, 
attentive, attached, cooked, pious; n.mas. a votary, a devout person, 
a worshipper, a follower.

Incidentally, I ommitted to mention that connecting my own database 
dictionary of Hindi & Sanskrit words, I then use a specially evolved 
program to connect to MSaccess. The program is called 'HandiHindi 
Gizmo (TM)'. If this program were developed it could greatly assist 
translaters, and eventually might even be able to offer up some basic 
MT (machine translation). If, maybe, etc but as LB mentioned there is 
more than science to translation.




--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> Re: Guru Dev on changing gurus
> 
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig"  wrote:
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning  
wrote:
> > [...]
> > > And the translation refers to the one who was going to the guru 
as a
> > > "guru-bhakt" at least TM teacher / gov. We do, or have, 
followed a
> > > teacher/guru.
> > >
> >
> > Bhakti means love/worship/etc. Many TM teachers, and most
> meditators/sidhas, are NOT in a
> > guru-bhkti relationship with MMY, or so I believe.
> >
> > Unless, of course, the term "bhakti" changes radically when added 
to
> "guru" which doesn't
> > seem likely.
> 
> I was going by Paul's translation of guru-bhak, "follower". Paul 
what
> was your reasoning/ basis for saying "followeer" and not "devotee".
> 
> It occured to me that a full-on bhakti relation might be implied. 
And
> it also occurred me that, in an "indian 1940's context", many if not
> most of the regular householder folk, flocking to see SBS once or
> twice a year, would be considered guru-bhaks, 
followers,even "devotees".
> 
> Even, and perhaps specifically, the cooks, carpenters, shopkeepers,
> policmen etc who saw him infrequently, and many who never had a
> personal audience with him. They may have done guru puja to him 
every
> morning. They may have fully prostrated themselves on the ground
> before him. Thats a "devotee" in my book. Yet not a 24/7 staffer.
> 
> I would look to translators, interpretors, cultural historians, and 
80
> year old hindus for clarification. Until then, you will have your
> read of it, I will have mine.
>







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[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev on changing gurus

2006-09-04 Thread Paul Mason
and re-inforce rather than
combat and destroy those of the other. We cannot avoid the sight of
conflicting economic, political, religious, artistic and other
ideological doctrines and the consequent fear and feeling of
helplessness, We need a teacher who can teach us how to get out of
the crisis in valuation in this realm of conflict, who can teach us
how to avert the danger of spiritual paralysis facing us.

His Holiness Sri Jagatguru Shankaracharya, having gained the
freedom to be alone, did also fully realize the means of escaping
from loneliness. In these days of doubts and difficulties if we can
at all safely turn our eyes for guidance to any one it should be to
this superman the overpowering influence of whose genius appears
indeed in the light of divine inspiration, the superman who has
succeeded in ridding himself of any ambition for power.

Saintly guidance from a seer like Sri Jagatguru alone can ensure
an abiding peace.'


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" 
> wrote:
> >
> > 'Bhagavad' is the word used in the text (I just double-checked). 
But 
> > of course the transcriber could have misheard or indeed the 
> > typesetter might have mispelled the word. But either way, 
Bhagavan or 
> > Bhagavad, same really, means 'Lord' or 'God' or 'OMnipotent One'.
> > 
> > I wouldn't describe myself as 'fluent', no, but on the other hand 
I 
> > do check every single word and the words I don't know I look up 
in 
> > one of my dictionaries, I use four different Hindi dictionaries 
> > (Allied, Oxford, National & Bhargava's), and a M-W 
Sanskrit 'slab'. 
> > Any new definitions get added to a database, which enables me, 
with 
> > the help of MSaccess, to offer text and get a list of all 
available 
> > words related to the current translation. This can be really 
useful 
> > when Guru Dev uses obscure terms which he sometimes does. 
> > 
> > Although it would be preferable to be really fluent, the downside 
of 
> > a fluent speaker is that they are unlikely to look up commonly 
used 
> > words & as a consequence can miss an obscure meaning. 
> 
> Thanks. I laud yours and others, such as LB's, efforts.  Its 
valuable
> to me. The more I read, some pretty fundamental quetions arise. See
> adjacent posts.  
> 
> However, my sense of your process,and that of LB's editing of his 
copy
> of the material (its the same "source" -- hindi manuscript -- for 
both
> of you,correct?), is that while its thorough and meticulous, it may 
be
> subject to the "poetry" effect of Bly and ? mentioned in posts a few
> days ago regarding arabic / sufi poetry. 
> 
> That is, do you you have a sense of what SBS "must" have meant, and
> the 2-20 meanings in the dictionary for each word are chosen to jibe
> with that "must be" area of meaning? What if your feeling is wrong? 
> Then again, translators not having that "must be" feeling may 
produce
> "disasters". 
> 
> And what about idioms, yogi slang :), and regional meanings of the
> words? If one is either not fluent in hindi, and/or not intimately
> current on the syntax and venacular of yogis and swamis 1920-1950, 
can
> some meanings be missed?
> 
> These are simply observations/ questions. Not criticisms of your 
efforts. 
>  
> 
> > However, if  
> > anyone knows anyone who can help on this project I would be very 
> > happy to hear from them. 
> 
> I have a "virtual" foundation (that is, it is still an intent, a 
> bubble (of bliss)) at this point, but it is making progress, 
sprouting
> nicely. My intent, among other things, is to support research like
> this, and work others do on swami / dundee traditions. And other 
things. 
> 
> Perhaps the virtual bubble blooms, perhaps not. Its a personal 
intent,
> but not so much in my hands. If it appeals to you, mentally, or on
> paper, articulate what you need, the costs, duration, and intended
> "work product". Perhaps your "pull" will make my "push" flow into
> manifest form. 
> 
> By the way, Dana Sawyer, who has posted here a bit via Rick, is 
fluent
> in Hindi, is a professor of Asian Studies, and having interviewed
> hndreds of swamis and sadhus, must have a feel for their 
idioms/slang
> etc. He may be a great resource for your work. Rick could probably
> facilitate intros.
>






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[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev on changing gurus

2006-09-04 Thread Paul Mason
Hi, I am already acquainted with Dana Sawyer, thanks. He sent me a 
very interesting essay to read on his meetings around Rishikesh. I 
liked his no-nonsense style and his humour, I hope he gets around to 
publishing such stuff. As for his being fluent in Hindi, I wonder if 
this is correct? 

With regard to the source material. The few quotations I have offered 
lately are from 'Shri Shankaracharya UpadeshAmrita'. Last year(?) or 
the year before (?) I have read other translations of 'Shri 
Shankaracharya UpadeshAmrita' so yes, I am confident that I know what 
Guru Dev is saying. But I look forward to seeing more translations, 
as it will be interesting to compare, I am not in competition with 
anyone.

I translated 'Amrit Kana', the book of quotations compiled by MMY, 
and published just after Guru Dev's meeting with Sarvepalli 
Radhakrishnan in December 1950. As yet though, I have ommitted to 
complete my translation of the introduction (by MMY), which is 
largely written in praise of Guru Dev, a quote from katha-upanishad, 
a tale from the Puranas (as I recall), and a description of the 
meeting with Radhakrishnan. Actually there was a speech in English 
too. I posted it before on the internet but why not put it out again?

One of Radhakrishnan's associates, I think it was American Paul 
Schilp, had this to say about Guru Dev:-

   'To-day we are here to do homage to his Holiness, Shri Jagatguru 
Shankaracharya Ananta Sri Vibhusita Swami Brahmananda Saraswati of 
Jyotirmath, Badarikasram - the Superman, the seer, the sage, who is 
one of the few rare individuals amongst the billions of the citizens 
of the world, whom we would unhesitatingly choose if and when we 
would be called upon to describe the spiritual and cultural capital 
of our nation, if and when the world would feel the need of evoking 
the part our nation can play in it, who is beyond any controversy, 
one of the rare few who have contributed and can still contribute 
something to universal peaceful progress, who have risen by their 
talent and genius above their fellow countrymen, above their 
fellowmen of the world and have thus gained a place for themselves at 
the head of humanity, at the extreme spearhead of civilization.
 
   Standing here at a time when everywhere in the world everybody 
feels not a little bewildered at an immense increase in the sense of 
human power, we can hardly exaggerate the necessity of teachers like 
his Holiness the Jagatguru.

   You will pardon me if I venture; at this assemblage of eminent 
philosophers, to refer to an aspect of our Hindu Philosophy which 
seems for the time being, to be too much belittled by the power-
intoxicated world.
   Our Vedic philosophers   
 
   The civilized world today is indeed in an age of spiritual chaos, 
intellectual doubt and political decadence. Civilized man today no 
doubt has acquired immense scientific and mechanical resources, but 
seems hopelessly to lack the wisdom to apply them to the best 
advantage. This is way we witness a growing sense of frustration 
seizing every mind almost everywhere. The whole world seems to be 
suffering from an epidemic of hysteria.   
 
   We do not know which way the truth lies. Perhaps even here it will 
be true to say that every truth, however true in itself, yet taken 
apart from others, becomes only a snare. In reality, perhaps, each is 
one thread of a complex weft, and no thread can be taken apart from 
the weft. But this much seems to be certain that there is this 
paralysing fear and alarm almost everywhere in the world-everywhere 
even the most powerful mind have not succeeded in escaping it 
altogether. Everywhere humanity is beginning to feel that we are 
being betrayed by what is false within, - we are almost giving way to 
find ourselves spiritually paralysed.
 
   This indeed is a deadly malady. The patient here must first of all 
be brought to see that he is sick and to want to get well and to do 
of himself what is needed to get well. Perhaps something is away both 
with the heart and the brain.
 
   The world needs philosopher-teachers like His Holiness Shri 
Jagatguru Shankaracharya who can reveal the world of values and can 
make us realize that, that is the real world. The world badly needs 
guidance to a creed of values and ideals. The world needs a teacher 
who can dispel our fears and can remove all sense of frustration or 
least in so far as it is only an internal malady.
 
   We need a teacher who has succeeded in gaining for himself freedom 
to be along, who does not require any power, who can cure both heart 
and Brain. We are in an age in which the meeting of the traditionally 
alien cultures of the Orient and the Occident has become inevitable. 
We need a teacher with sufficient gift of intellectual imagination 
and divine inspiration who can help the smooth working of this 
meeting, the working out of this meeting in such a way th

[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev on changing gurus

2006-09-04 Thread Paul Mason
'Bhagavad' is the word used in the text (I just double-checked). But 
of course the transcriber could have misheard or indeed the 
typesetter might have mispelled the word. But either way, Bhagavan or 
Bhagavad, same really, means 'Lord' or 'God' or 'OMnipotent One'.

I wouldn't describe myself as 'fluent', no, but on the other hand I 
do check every single word and the words I don't know I look up in 
one of my dictionaries, I use four different Hindi dictionaries 
(Allied, Oxford, National & Bhargava's), and a M-W Sanskrit 'slab'. 
Any new definitions get added to a database, which enables me, with 
the help of MSaccess, to offer text and get a list of all available 
words related to the current translation. This can be really useful 
when Guru Dev uses obscure terms which he sometimes does. 

Although it would be preferable to be really fluent, the downside of 
a fluent speaker is that they are unlikely to look up commonly used 
words & as a consequence can miss an obscure meaning. However, if 
anyone knows anyone who can help on this project I would be very 
happy to hear from them. I first came by two books of writings in 
1975 (at Jyotir Math), got them both translated in India, (and an 
awful mess that turned out to be).

Incidentally, has anyone tried the Guru Dev meditation technique, as 
outlined in the satsang a few days ago. I would be interested to hear 
of any observations.






--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, gerbal88  wrote:
> > In Seelisberg, Mahesh quipped *if your guru isn't giving you what 
you 
> > want, get a different guru* -- I'm sure I've mentioned this 
before. 
> 
> That appears consistent with the SBS quote "The guru is gone to for
> [ones own] happiness. Up until when bhagavad (God, Vishnu, Shiva) is
> gained, up until then you can  go and change guru."
> 
> If one teacher has not provided what one needs, has not made one
> happy, has not brought one Bhagavad (note to Paul and LB, its not
> Bhagavan?),  then one legitimately seeks a new teacher.
> 
> What is "puzzling" is, refering to Ricks point, if one has a new
> teacher, why do theywant / seek / insist on being admitted back 
into the 
> fold /practices/ "ashram"/aka domes of their former teacher?
>







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[FairfieldLife] The man in the painting speaks!

2006-09-04 Thread Paul Mason
For those who wonder what significance Guru Dev has for them, that is 
for them to figure, after all each and every one of them had their 
fruit, flowers & handkerchief (& money?) offered to his portrait.






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[FairfieldLife] Re: Interpreting Guru Dev

2006-09-04 Thread Paul Mason
The only interpreting that should be done on Guru Dev is in the 
choice of word to use for translating a Hindi or Sanskrit word. So 
the word 'parivartana' is interpreted as 'change' or 'transfer'.
So it is unlikely that he meant 'interchange' or 'mutability' 
or 'reduction'. However he used the English word 'class' so I would 
interpret that he probably meant 'class', but I guess we could argue.

Dictionary definition:-
parivartana - n.mas. reversal alternation, reciprication, 
transference, commutation, reduction, transmission, variation, turn, 
mutability, modulation, mutation, shift, interchange, transposition, 
change, revolution;
 

'Some people say that having taken a guru you should not make 
another. But this doctrine is not of the shaastra, this is [just] 
mind's imagination. The guru is gone to for happiness. Up until when 
bhagavad (God, Vishnu, Shiva) is gained, up until then you can go and 
change guru. So then we haven't seen any guru-bhakt (follower) always 
studying in the same 'class' of a guru out of fear. Actually it is 
natural to transfer 'class' and to transfer guru. It is not 
disrespectful to the former guru, actually the guru's dignity/respect 
has been done, but you will go beyond that study if you get the 
disciplineship of new gurus.'
[exerpt of 'Shri Shankaracharya UpadeshAmrita' kaNa 69 of 108]
translation - Paul Mason © 2006

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jim_flanegin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> I just want to make one point regarding the the discussion on 
> interpreting Guru Dev. Why interpret at all? It is like 
interpreting 
> the sun. I think sometimes we can get so intellectually caught up 
in 
> experiences that we become nearly blind to the experience itself. 
Live 
> it for what it is. If there is a need to interpret it, that already 
> removes us from the experience. Just live it, like the pervasive 
> warmth of the sun.
>






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[FairfieldLife] Guru Dev on changing gurus

2006-09-04 Thread Paul Mason
'Some people say that having taken a guru you should not make another. 
But this doctrine is not of the shaastra, this is [just] mind's 
imagination. The guru is gone to for [ones own] happiness. Up until 
when bhagavad (God, Vishnu, Shiva) is gained, up until then you can go 
and change guru. So then we haven't seen any guru-bhakt (follower) 
always studying in the same 'class' of a guru out of fear. Actually it 
is natural to transfer 'class' and to transfer guru. It is not 
disrespectful to the former guru, actually the guru's dignity/respect 
has been done, but you will go beyond that study if you get the 
discipline of new gurus.'
[exerpt of 'Shri Shankaracharya UpadeshAmrita' kaNa 69 of 108]
translation - Paul Mason © 2006
http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/upadesh.htm#changeguru







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[FairfieldLife] Re: Interpreting Guru Dev

2006-09-04 Thread Paul Mason
Intriguing to find out how long it took Guru Dev to deliver the 'Shri 
Shankaracharya UpadeshAmrit' satsangs.
I put my transcripts of the recordings of his satsangs into MSword to 
check the word count & calculated his wpm, checked the word count of 
the SSUA satsangs, & got a figure of about 4hr20mins.



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "L B Shriver" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> I  have just finished reading New Morning's post on Innocence 
(112511). Highly perceptive 
> regarding the nature of many of the exchanges here on FFL, and the 
underlying 
> psychology. I would like to add a few thoughts about interpreting 
the words of Guru Dev, 
> which are now becoming available for all to read.
> 
> I have not gone back to examine all the threads based on Paul's 
release of selected 
> discourses, but I have looked into a few and it seems as though 
they are launching at least 
> as many debates as they are settling.
> 
> The 108 pieces of darshan in the Upadesh Amrit collection represent 
only a fragment of 
> Guru Dev's public discourses. Strung together, they would amount to 
a couple of hours, at 
> most. Nevertheless, I believe they represent the wholeness of his 
teaching, and represent 
> it accurately.
> 
> On the other hand, the words in this collection are from his public 
discourses, not from his 
> private talks with close disciples. To the best of my knowledge, no 
material of the second 
> type exists, although we cannot rule out that possibility 
altogether.
> 
> It has previously been pointed out that Brahmanandaji's teachings 
were somewhat 
> conditioned by historical and cultural conditions of his time and 
place. As New Morning 
> has pointed out in a different context, perhaps we could all 
benefit by considering the 
> limitations we bring to interpreting them.
> 
> Also, with regard to those who feel especially close or intimate 
relationship with 
> Brahmanandaji in this lifetime, I would offer one small suggestion: 
We have seen so many 
> examples wherein the guru whispers one thing into the ear of the 
disciple at his right 
> hand, and something entirely different to the disciple at his left. 
Would it have been 
> different with Guru Dev? Do we know for sure, one way or the other? 
If we are confident 
> that Guru Dev speaks to us directly, that is fine, but we should 
keep in mind: This is what 
> he says to me. What he says to another is none of my business.
> 
> L B S
>






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