[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-29 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, emptybill [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:
snip
 However, I like it because it reinforces the recognition
 that these Sanskrit words (read Arabic for Houri) are 
 provisional terms, not necessarily fit yet to be 
 reified into English. 
 
 I understand how you, as an editor, might find this mode of 
 presentation to be contra-instinctual for a trained English
 reader. However, rather than just dismissing it, tell me why
 you might find it confusing or irritating.

Well, actually, I did. I said I didn't think it
was called for, i.e., there was no good reason
*for* doing it in an informal forum like this,
where whether these terms are fit yet to be
reified into English isn't at issue, and it made
the text more difficult to read.

As an editor, I think anything about the technical
details of a piece of writing that causes the
reader to go Huh? even for a split second
inhibits communication of the *content* of the
writing; it disturbs the flow and distracts the
reader's attention.

No biggie, and I really wasn't objecting to
your use of the hyphens so much as I was curious
to know why you were using them.




Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-29 Thread billy jim
Thanks for the input. 

authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  --- In 
FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, emptybill [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:
snip
 However, I like it because it reinforces the recognition
 that these Sanskrit words (read Arabic for Houri) are 
 provisional terms, not necessarily fit yet to be 
 reified into English. 
 
 I understand how you, as an editor, might find this mode of 
 presentation to be contra-instinctual for a trained English
 reader. However, rather than just dismissing it, tell me why
 you might find it confusing or irritating.

Well, actually, I did. I said I didn't think it
was called for, i.e., there was no good reason
*for* doing it in an informal forum like this,
where whether these terms are fit yet to be
reified into English isn't at issue, and it made
the text more difficult to read.

As an editor, I think anything about the technical
details of a piece of writing that causes the
reader to go Huh? even for a split second
inhibits communication of the *content* of the
writing; it disturbs the flow and distracts the
reader's attention.

No biggie, and I really wasn't objecting to
your use of the hyphens so much as I was curious
to know why you were using them.



 

   
-
Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
 Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. 

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-28 Thread Richard J. Williams
off_world_beings wrote:
 Bliss is entirely comfortable, as those who have 
 experienced it know. Total comfort is entirely 
 blissful, as those who can appreciate it to 
 the fullest know.
 
Tautology is mere rhetoric, the use of redundant 
language that adds no information whatsoever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautology



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-28 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, qntmpkt [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --Thanks, Offworld, btw one of my hobbies is getting a rise out 
of 
 people...it's a fun game; 

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a retard, since that is the 
games of the mentally deficient. I am sorry. (Great hobby you go 
there)

(people should have some signal on the internet to let people know 
they are mentally retarded . It would make for clearer interactions - 
compassion for the retard an' all that)


nevertheless this doesn't detract from my 
 claim of illogic in your chain of statements. I'll just mention one 
 item:, to quote:
 
 Being at home, therefore you are
 happy in this universe, which is your cherished home where you grew
 up as a species.
 
 I simply can't fathom how you arrived at therefore you are happy 
in 
 this universe, from being at home. Doesn't compute.


No, I realise now, why it won't compute under any efforts by your 
brain.

Makes sense now. Enjoy your day. Look three ways when crossing the 
road. Don't kick any dogs today, and keep your hands out of the 
toilet bowl. Ok bud...enjoy.

OffWorld



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-28 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Richard J. Williams 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 off_world_beings wrote:
  Bliss is entirely comfortable, as those who have 
  experienced it know. Total comfort is entirely 
  blissful, as those who can appreciate it to 
  the fullest know.
  
 Tautology is mere rhetoric, the use of redundant 
 language that adds no information whatsoever.
 
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautology

Lol, I'm afraid a quick jump into Wikipedia will not educate you on 
this topic willtex.

Take 3 weeks, come back when you understand tautology in LOGIC, which 
is not the same thing as RHETORIC.

OffWorld





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-28 Thread Richard J. Williams
  Tautology is mere rhetoric, the use of redundant 
  language that adds no information whatsoever.
  
 Lol, I'm afraid a quick jump into Wikipedia will not 
 educate you on this topic willtex.

off_world_beings wrote: 
 Take 3 weeks, come back when you understand tautology 
 in LOGIC, which is not the same thing as RHETORIC.

Tautology in logic is a statement of propositional logic 
which can be inferred from any proposition whatsoever.
Are we to infer that you used logic when you said that
qtmpkt and yagyax are Shempgurk under other guises. 

LOL!

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautology
 



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-28 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Richard J. Williams 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

   Tautology is mere rhetoric, the use of redundant 
   language that adds no information whatsoever.
   
  Lol, I'm afraid a quick jump into Wikipedia will not 
  educate you on this topic willtex.
 
 off_world_beings wrote: 
  Take 3 weeks, come back when you understand tautology 
  in LOGIC, which is not the same thing as RHETORIC.
 
 Tautology in logic is a statement of propositional logic 
 which can be inferred from any proposition whatsoever.

I asked you to study it for 3 weeks full-time, then come back when 
you have a proper understanding of it, and explain it in your own 
words. Go ahead now, we'll see you in 3 weeks.

 Are we to infer that you used logic when you said that
 qtmpkt and yagyax are Shempgurk under other guises. 

I employed fuzzy logic.

OffWorld




 
 LOL!
 
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautology
  





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, qntmpkt [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --There are some non-sequiturs in the paragraph below. It says you 
 are at home in that (the dynamic aspect of life). Then it 
says Being 
 at home, therefore you are happy.  Non-Sequitur. 


Not.
 Being at home  here means : Entirely comfortable and familiar and 
knowledgable about...happy therein.


 plenty of creatures at home but grossly unhappy.


That is called an irrational assumption right there. 


  Then it says Therefore life is bliss.  Doesn't follow at all!.


Yes it does, because 'happiness' is a shade, or a version, of bliss. 
They are not distinct, only layers of the same thing. 


 Last, it says all else is illusion. There's a problem here.  What 
 is the all else?? 


All your illusory experience that you think you are not completely 
comfortable, happy, and familiar with the universe to the point of 
rarified bliss. You are living in an illusory state, since you are a 
creature born, evolved in, and entirely made of, this wonderous 
ocean, that we call the cosmos. You are that. And you love it !...you 
just are living in another illusion for the fun of it.


This is shaping up to be a tautology.


The ultimate tautology is tight in all directions. Taut as a 
tightrope. 
Walk that rope, or Fall.  


 The conclusion  life is bliss may be true but it's not supported 
by  the supposed logic of the previous statements.


It is entirely. 
It is an unavoidable conclusion of the scintillating intellect

OffWorld


  
  
  Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
  existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - 
occurs.
  Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
  propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. 
 Therefore
  you are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are happy 
in 
 this
  universe, which is your cherished home where you grew up as a 
 species.
  Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
  universe. All else is illusion.
  
  Therefore, life is bliss. 
  All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.
  
  OffWorld
  
  
  
   
   Tom T:
   You have now *got* the Byron Katie system down pat. Her 
questions 
 lead
   one to the conclusion you are asking those here to come to. 
 Awesome!. 
  Tom
  
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread sinhlnx
---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: Life is Bliss 
because it's Bliss. First you said at home and then changed 
to Entirely comfortable; but that's the problem! You're changing 
the definitions to suit your purpose and wind up with a self-evident 
truth, a tautology, since Bliss isn't that much of a stretch 
from entirely comfortable.
 However, where in the world do you get the premise, entirely 
comfortable, where are those people, on the Pleides 
planets?cuz I sure don't see them on this planet!



 In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, qntmpkt qntmpkt@ wrote:
 
  --There are some non-sequiturs in the paragraph below. It 
says you 
  are at home in that (the dynamic aspect of life). Then it 
 says Being 
  at home, therefore you are happy.  Non-Sequitur. 
 
 
 Not.
  Being at home  here means : Entirely comfortable and familiar and 
 knowledgable about...happy therein.
 
 
  plenty of creatures at home but grossly unhappy.
 
 
 That is called an irrational assumption right there. 
 
 
   Then it says Therefore life is bliss.  Doesn't follow at 
all!.
 
 
 Yes it does, because 'happiness' is a shade, or a version, of 
bliss. 
 They are not distinct, only layers of the same thing. 
 
 
  Last, it says all else is illusion. There's a problem here.  
What 
  is the all else?? 
 
 
 All your illusory experience that you think you are not completely 
 comfortable, happy, and familiar with the universe to the point of 
 rarified bliss. You are living in an illusory state, since you are 
a 
 creature born, evolved in, and entirely made of, this wonderous 
 ocean, that we call the cosmos. You are that. And you love 
it !...you 
 just are living in another illusion for the fun of it.
 
 
 This is shaping up to be a tautology.
 
 
 The ultimate tautology is tight in all directions. Taut as a 
 tightrope. 
 Walk that rope, or Fall.  
 
 
  The conclusion  life is bliss may be true but it's not 
supported 
 by  the supposed logic of the previous statements.
 
 
 It is entirely. 
 It is an unavoidable conclusion of the scintillating intellect
 
 OffWorld
 
 
   
   
   Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
   existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - 
 occurs.
   Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
   propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. 
  Therefore
   you are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are happy 
 in 
  this
   universe, which is your cherished home where you grew up as a 
  species.
   Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
   universe. All else is illusion.
   
   Therefore, life is bliss. 
   All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.
   
   OffWorld
   
   
   

Tom T:
You have now *got* the Byron Katie system down pat. Her 
 questions 
  lead
one to the conclusion you are asking those here to come to. 
  Awesome!. 
   Tom
   
  
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sinhlnx [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 ---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: 

Thankyou.
(you seem to be under the delusion that a tautology is a bad thing in 
logic. It is actually the highest goal of logic. You're understanding 
of tautology needs some serious attention and time spent studying it. 
Come back when you have studied it for 3 weeks minimum, full time.)

Life is Bliss 
 because it's Bliss. 

Huh?

First you said at home and then changed 
 to Entirely comfortable; but that's the problem! 

No I am not. You are under the delusion that words are pure and 
perfect. Wrong.
Every word or phrase has within it multiple layers of INHERENT 
meaning. Anyone watching this thread with a scintillating intellect 
embedded in their jyotish chart, is baffled by your lack of ability 
to see the inherent meaning I gave, which is not contradictory to the 
more succinct meaning I gave.

You're changing 
 the definitions to suit your purpose and wind up with a self-
evident 
 truth,

You just don't have the experience in logic to see its obvious logic.

 a tautology, 

Yes. Thanks again. Tautology is the highest, most prized structure of 
logic. I used to teach this stuff.

since Bliss isn't that much of a stretch 
 from entirely comfortable.
  However, where in the world do you get the premise, entirely 
 comfortable, 


Bliss is entirely comfortable, as those who have experienced it know.

Total comfort is entirely blissful, as those who can appreciate it to 
the fullest know.


where are those people, on the Pleides 
 planets?cuz I sure don't see them on this planet!

Yes, this planet is in ignorance and self-delusion...as the masters 
have stated time and time again.

WAKE  UP ! ! !
The truth is out thereand it is bliss.

OffWorld


.



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread mathatbrahman
---Offworld, your premises simply don't lead to the conclusion Life 
is Bliss. So, you're saying one can conclude this from logic alone? 
Preposterous! There's no more weight to that conclusion from the 
shoddy premises you have presented that the conclusion Life is a 
bummer, then you die...which many intelligent logicians believe.
 Logic alone will not lead one to your conclusion, otherwise 
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle would have arrived at that. 


 In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sinhlnx sinhlnx@ wrote:
 
  ---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: 
 
 Thankyou.
 (you seem to be under the delusion that a tautology is a bad thing 
in 
 logic. It is actually the highest goal of logic. You're 
understanding 
 of tautology needs some serious attention and time spent studying 
it. 
 Come back when you have studied it for 3 weeks minimum, full time.)
 
 Life is Bliss 
  because it's Bliss. 
 
 Huh?
 
 First you said at home and then changed 
  to Entirely comfortable; but that's the problem! 
 
 No I am not. You are under the delusion that words are pure and 
 perfect. Wrong.
 Every word or phrase has within it multiple layers of INHERENT 
 meaning. Anyone watching this thread with a scintillating intellect 
 embedded in their jyotish chart, is baffled by your lack of ability 
 to see the inherent meaning I gave, which is not contradictory to 
the 
 more succinct meaning I gave.
 
 You're changing 
  the definitions to suit your purpose and wind up with a self-
 evident 
  truth,
 
 You just don't have the experience in logic to see its obvious 
logic.
 
  a tautology, 
 
 Yes. Thanks again. Tautology is the highest, most prized structure 
of 
 logic. I used to teach this stuff.
 
 since Bliss isn't that much of a stretch 
  from entirely comfortable.
   However, where in the world do you get the premise, entirely 
  comfortable, 
 
 
 Bliss is entirely comfortable, as those who have experienced it 
know.
 
 Total comfort is entirely blissful, as those who can appreciate it 
to 
 the fullest know.
 
 
 where are those people, on the Pleides 
  planets?cuz I sure don't see them on this planet!
 
 Yes, this planet is in ignorance and self-delusion...as the masters 
 have stated time and time again.
 
 WAKE  UP ! ! !
 The truth is out thereand it is bliss.
 
 OffWorld
 
 
 .





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mathatbrahman 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 ---Offworld, your premises simply don't lead to the 
conclusion Life 
 is Bliss. So, you're saying one can conclude this from logic 
alone? 

Absolutely.

 Preposterous! There's no more weight to that conclusion from the 
 shoddy premises you have presented that the conclusion Life is a 
 bummer, then you die...which many intelligent logicians believe.

These are inexperienced and illogical logicians you speak of. 
To say life is a bummer, and then you die is like a child saying 
I can't go to bed, there's a boogey man under the bed. 
I am being entirely descriptive here. Not sarcastic. The level of 
rational perception that comes up with such a thing, is weak, 
unfounded, and built on shifting sands.

  Logic alone will not lead one to your conclusion, otherwise 
 Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle would have arrived at that. 

They did.


Night night all. Sleep tight.

OffWorld


 

 
  In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
 wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sinhlnx sinhlnx@ wrote:
  
   ---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: 
  
  Thankyou.
  (you seem to be under the delusion that a tautology is a bad 
thing 
 in 
  logic. It is actually the highest goal of logic. You're 
 understanding 
  of tautology needs some serious attention and time spent studying 
 it. 
  Come back when you have studied it for 3 weeks minimum, full 
time.)
  
  Life is Bliss 
   because it's Bliss. 
  
  Huh?
  
  First you said at home and then changed 
   to Entirely comfortable; but that's the problem! 
  
  No I am not. You are under the delusion that words are pure and 
  perfect. Wrong.
  Every word or phrase has within it multiple layers of INHERENT 
  meaning. Anyone watching this thread with a scintillating 
intellect 
  embedded in their jyotish chart, is baffled by your lack of 
ability 
  to see the inherent meaning I gave, which is not contradictory to 
 the 
  more succinct meaning I gave.
  
  You're changing 
   the definitions to suit your purpose and wind up with a self-
  evident 
   truth,
  
  You just don't have the experience in logic to see its obvious 
 logic.
  
   a tautology, 
  
  Yes. Thanks again. Tautology is the highest, most prized 
structure 
 of 
  logic. I used to teach this stuff.
  
  since Bliss isn't that much of a stretch 
   from entirely comfortable.
However, where in the world do you get the premise, entirely 
   comfortable, 
  
  
  Bliss is entirely comfortable, as those who have experienced it 
 know.
  
  Total comfort is entirely blissful, as those who can appreciate 
it 
 to 
  the fullest know.
  
  
  where are those people, on the Pleides 
   planets?cuz I sure don't see them on this planet!
  
  Yes, this planet is in ignorance and self-delusion...as the 
masters 
  have stated time and time again.
  
  WAKE  UP ! ! !
  The truth is out thereand it is bliss.
  
  OffWorld
  
  
  .
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread yagyax
---Aristotle arrived at the conclusion that life is Bliss (he used 
the phrase Being-In-Itself) on the basis of his own experience, as 
does (who's the person you're speaking on behalf of, Byron Katie?)?
 But I keep up on modern philosophical topics, and haven't seen one 
statement from academic circles pointing to the notion that Life is 
Bliss.
 There's no more logical support for that conclusion than there is 
that the moon is made of green cheese. You keep on saying one can 
conclude that from logic, but your chain of premises is full of 
holes, like cheese..  


 In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mathatbrahman 
 mathatbrahman@ wrote:
 
  ---Offworld, your premises simply don't lead to the 
 conclusion Life 
  is Bliss. So, you're saying one can conclude this from logic 
 alone? 
 
 Absolutely.
 
  Preposterous! There's no more weight to that conclusion from the 
  shoddy premises you have presented that the conclusion Life is a 
  bummer, then you die...which many intelligent logicians 
believe.
 
 These are inexperienced and illogical logicians you speak of. 
 To say life is a bummer, and then you die is like a child saying 
 I can't go to bed, there's a boogey man under the bed. 
 I am being entirely descriptive here. Not sarcastic. The level of 
 rational perception that comes up with such a thing, is weak, 
 unfounded, and built on shifting sands.
 
   Logic alone will not lead one to your conclusion, otherwise 
  Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle would have arrived at that. 
 
 They did.
 
 
 Night night all. Sleep tight.
 
 OffWorld
 
 
  
 
  
   In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
  wrote:
  
   --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sinhlnx sinhlnx@ 
wrote:
   
---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: 
   
   Thankyou.
   (you seem to be under the delusion that a tautology is a bad 
 thing 
  in 
   logic. It is actually the highest goal of logic. You're 
  understanding 
   of tautology needs some serious attention and time spent 
studying 
  it. 
   Come back when you have studied it for 3 weeks minimum, full 
 time.)
   
   Life is Bliss 
because it's Bliss. 
   
   Huh?
   
   First you said at home and then changed 
to Entirely comfortable; but that's the problem! 
   
   No I am not. You are under the delusion that words are pure and 
   perfect. Wrong.
   Every word or phrase has within it multiple layers of INHERENT 
   meaning. Anyone watching this thread with a scintillating 
 intellect 
   embedded in their jyotish chart, is baffled by your lack of 
 ability 
   to see the inherent meaning I gave, which is not contradictory 
to 
  the 
   more succinct meaning I gave.
   
   You're changing 
the definitions to suit your purpose and wind up with a self-
   evident 
truth,
   
   You just don't have the experience in logic to see its obvious 
  logic.
   
a tautology, 
   
   Yes. Thanks again. Tautology is the highest, most prized 
 structure 
  of 
   logic. I used to teach this stuff.
   
   since Bliss isn't that much of a stretch 
from entirely comfortable.
 However, where in the world do you get the 
premise, entirely 
comfortable, 
   
   
   Bliss is entirely comfortable, as those who have experienced it 
  know.
   
   Total comfort is entirely blissful, as those who can appreciate 
 it 
  to 
   the fullest know.
   
   
   where are those people, on the Pleides 
planets?cuz I sure don't see them on this planet!
   
   Yes, this planet is in ignorance and self-delusion...as the 
 masters 
   have stated time and time again.
   
   WAKE  UP ! ! !
   The truth is out thereand it is bliss.
   
   OffWorld
   
   
   .
  
 





Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread Bronte Baxter
  Yagyax wrote:
   
  Aristotle arrived at the conclusion that life is Bliss (he used 
the phrase Being-In-Itself ) on the basis of his own experience, as 
does (who's the person you're speaking on behalf of, Byron Katie?)?
But I keep up on modern philosophical topics, and haven't seen one 
statement from academic circles pointing to the notion that Life is 
Bliss.
There's no more logical support for that conclusion than there is 
that the moon is made of green cheese. You keep on saying one can 
conclude that from logic, but your chain of premises is full of 
holes, like cheese.. 
   
   
  Bronte writes:
   
  Okay, I'm adding my two cents to this discussion. MMY was right: Life is 
Bliss, in is essential nature at least. Because what is life except an 
expression of the Infinite, which is a field of pure bliss (the one thing 
everyone in this forum agrees on, I expect)? If modern philosophers aren't 
saying the same, it's no doubt because they haven't experienced the 
transcendental side of their nature and therefore don't know the Bliss that is 
at the core of everything. 
   

   
-
Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, 
photos  more. 

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 ---Aristotle arrived at the conclusion that life is Bliss (he 
used 
 the phrase Being-In-Itself) on the basis of his own experience, 
as 
 does (who's the person you're speaking on behalf of, Byron Katie?)?


That's right, attack the man, not the argument, there's a good Neocon.


  But I keep up on modern philosophical topics, and haven't seen one 
 statement from academic circles pointing to the notion that Life 
is 
 Bliss.

Than you have not understood this modern and perfect argument below 
(written by me):


Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - occurs.
Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. 
Thereforeyou are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are 
happy in this universe, which is your cherished home where you grew 
up as a species.
Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
universe. All else is illusion.
Therefore, life is bliss.
All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.



  There's no more logical support for that conclusion than there is 
 that the moon is made of green cheese. You keep on saying one can 
 conclude that from logic, but your chain of premises is full of 
 holes, like cheese..  

And you have zero logic or rationale or ANY argument whatsoever 
behind anything you say, except to attack me. Pathetic little man you 
are.

OffWorld



 
 
  In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
 wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mathatbrahman 
  mathatbrahman@ wrote:
  
   ---Offworld, your premises simply don't lead to the 
  conclusion Life 
   is Bliss. So, you're saying one can conclude this from logic 
  alone? 
  
  Absolutely.
  
   Preposterous! There's no more weight to that conclusion from 
the 
   shoddy premises you have presented that the conclusion Life is 
a 
   bummer, then you die...which many intelligent logicians 
 believe.
  
  These are inexperienced and illogical logicians you speak of. 
  To say life is a bummer, and then you die is like a child 
saying 
  I can't go to bed, there's a boogey man under the bed. 
  I am being entirely descriptive here. Not sarcastic. The level of 
  rational perception that comes up with such a thing, is weak, 
  unfounded, and built on shifting sands.
  
Logic alone will not lead one to your conclusion, otherwise 
   Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle would have arrived at that. 
  
  They did.
  
  
  Night night all. Sleep tight.
  
  OffWorld
  
  
   
  
   
In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
   wrote:
   
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sinhlnx sinhlnx@ 
 wrote:

 ---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: 

Thankyou.
(you seem to be under the delusion that a tautology is a bad 
  thing 
   in 
logic. It is actually the highest goal of logic. You're 
   understanding 
of tautology needs some serious attention and time spent 
 studying 
   it. 
Come back when you have studied it for 3 weeks minimum, full 
  time.)

Life is Bliss 
 because it's Bliss. 

Huh?

First you said at home and then changed 
 to Entirely comfortable; but that's the problem! 

No I am not. You are under the delusion that words are pure 
and 
perfect. Wrong.
Every word or phrase has within it multiple layers of 
INHERENT 
meaning. Anyone watching this thread with a scintillating 
  intellect 
embedded in their jyotish chart, is baffled by your lack of 
  ability 
to see the inherent meaning I gave, which is not 
contradictory 
 to 
   the 
more succinct meaning I gave.

You're changing 
 the definitions to suit your purpose and wind up with a 
self-
evident 
 truth,

You just don't have the experience in logic to see its 
obvious 
   logic.

 a tautology, 

Yes. Thanks again. Tautology is the highest, most prized 
  structure 
   of 
logic. I used to teach this stuff.

since Bliss isn't that much of a stretch 
 from entirely comfortable.
  However, where in the world do you get the 
 premise, entirely 
 comfortable, 


Bliss is entirely comfortable, as those who have experienced 
it 
   know.

Total comfort is entirely blissful, as those who can 
appreciate 
  it 
   to 
the fullest know.


where are those people, on the Pleides 
 planets?cuz I sure don't see them on this planet!

Yes, this planet is in ignorance and self-delusion...as the 
  masters 
have stated time and time again.

WAKE  UP ! ! !
The truth is out thereand it is bliss.

OffWorld


.
   
  
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread off_world_beings
Ha ha yagyax can't remoteley engage in rational sentences except to 
say:  that is wrong, that is bullshit, you don't know what you 
are talking about, or pure baloney

Truly the most pathetic excuses for ignorance I have ever seen.

You and GW Bush should write a book together on how to avoid reason, 
by resorting to childish rhetoric..

Not one single sentance you have uttered has any reasoning or 
rationale whatsoever...only insults. 

I have 6 foot rope you can borrow. Should do the trick, and no-one 
will notice you have passed on.

OffWorld



--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --Below - pure baloney, sounds like Maharishi-talk, not even 
worth 
 commenting on; count me out of this discussion from now on.  I have 
 some serious TV watching to do.:
  to quote, utter gobbledegook:...
 
  
 Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
 existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - occurs.
 Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
 propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism.
 Thereforeyou are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are
 happy in this universe, which is your cherished home where you grew
 up as a species.
 Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
 universe. All else is illusion.
 Therefore, life is bliss.
 All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 - In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
 wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax yagyax@ wrote:
  
   ---Aristotle arrived at the conclusion that life is Bliss (he 
  used 
   the phrase Being-In-Itself) on the basis of his own 
experience, 
  as 
   does (who's the person you're speaking on behalf of, Byron 
 Katie?)?
  
  
  That's right, attack the man, not the argument, there's a good 
 Neocon.
  
  
But I keep up on modern philosophical topics, and haven't seen 
 one 
   statement from academic circles pointing to the notion 
that Life 
  is 
   Bliss.
  
  Than you have not understood this modern and perfect argument 
below 
  (written by me):
  
  
  Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
  existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - 
occurs.
  Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
  propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. 
  Thereforeyou are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you 
are 
  happy in this universe, which is your cherished home where you 
grew 
  up as a species.
  Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
  universe. All else is illusion.
  Therefore, life is bliss.
  All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.
  
  
  
There's no more logical support for that conclusion than there 
 is 
   that the moon is made of green cheese. You keep on saying one 
can 
   conclude that from logic, but your chain of premises is full of 
   holes, like cheese..  
  
  And you have zero logic or rationale or ANY argument whatsoever 
  behind anything you say, except to attack me. Pathetic little man 
 you 
  are.
  
  OffWorld
  
  
  
   
   
In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
   wrote:
   
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mathatbrahman 
mathatbrahman@ wrote:

 ---Offworld, your premises simply don't lead to the 
conclusion Life 
 is Bliss. So, you're saying one can conclude this from 
logic 
alone? 

Absolutely.

 Preposterous! There's no more weight to that conclusion 
from 
  the 
 shoddy premises you have presented that the 
conclusion Life 
 is 
  a 
 bummer, then you die...which many intelligent logicians 
   believe.

These are inexperienced and illogical logicians you speak 
of. 
To say life is a bummer, and then you die is like a child 
  saying 
I can't go to bed, there's a boogey man under the bed. 
I am being entirely descriptive here. Not sarcastic. The 
level 
 of 
rational perception that comes up with such a thing, is weak, 
unfounded, and built on shifting sands.

  Logic alone will not lead one to your conclusion, 
otherwise 
 Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle would have arrived at that. 


They did.


Night night all. Sleep tight.

OffWorld


 

 
  In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings 
 no_reply@ 
 wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sinhlnx 
sinhlnx@ 
   wrote:
  
   ---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: 
  
  Thankyou.
  (you seem to be under the delusion that a tautology is a 
 bad 
thing 
 in 
  logic. It is actually the highest goal of logic. You're 
 understanding 
  of tautology needs some serious attention and time spent 
   studying 
 it. 
  Come back when you have studied it for 3 weeks minimum, 
 full 
time.)
  
  

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread off_world_beings
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 ---Thanks, Bronte!...precisely what I said. Those that say Life is 
 Bliss have arrived at that conclusion through direct experience. One 
 would have difficulty arriving at that conclusion through logic 
alone.

You are entirely wrong and self-deluded about that.

OffWorld




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread qntmpkt
--I agree with Yagyax on this.  There is no serious attempt to 
connect the premise statements to the final conclusion; and thus the 
logic is seriously deficient. Grade, F.


- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax yagyax@ wrote:
 
  ---Thanks, Bronte!...precisely what I said. Those that say Life 
is 
  Bliss have arrived at that conclusion through direct experience. 
One 
  would have difficulty arriving at that conclusion through logic 
 alone.
 
 You are entirely wrong and self-deluded about that.
 
 OffWorld





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread yagyax
---Thanks, Bronte!...precisely what I said. Those that say Life is 
Bliss have arrived at that conclusion through direct experience. One 
would have difficulty arriving at that conclusion through logic alone.
 Invariably, such logical arguments tend to be on the same level of 
flawed discourse as some well known arguments in favor of the 
existence of God going back to Blaise Pascal and in the 20-th 
century, C.S. Lewis.  A quick google search will turn up serious 
flaws in such arguments.  The logic behind Life is Bliss  turns out 
to be likewise deficient.
  If this boils down to a popularity contest, life is a bummer, then 
you die would win by a long shot. The people maintaining that 
position are no more or less deficient in logic than the Life is 
Bliss group. In the end, direct experience blows the logic away.
 PS: google logical arguments for the existence of God.


 In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bronte Baxter [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

   Yagyax wrote:

   Aristotle arrived at the conclusion that life is Bliss (he used 
 the phrase Being-In-Itself ) on the basis of his own experience, 
as 
 does (who's the person you're speaking on behalf of, Byron Katie?)?
 But I keep up on modern philosophical topics, and haven't seen one 
 statement from academic circles pointing to the notion that Life 
is 
 Bliss.
 There's no more logical support for that conclusion than there is 
 that the moon is made of green cheese. You keep on saying one can 
 conclude that from logic, but your chain of premises is full of 
 holes, like cheese.. 


   Bronte writes:

   Okay, I'm adding my two cents to this discussion. MMY was right: 
Life is Bliss, in is essential nature at least. Because what is life 
except an expression of the Infinite, which is a field of pure bliss 
(the one thing everyone in this forum agrees on, I expect)? If modern 
philosophers aren't saying the same, it's no doubt because they 
haven't experienced the transcendental side of their nature and 
therefore don't know the Bliss that is at the core of everything. 

 

 -
 Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: 
mail, news, photos  more.





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread yagyax
--Below - pure baloney, sounds like Maharishi-talk, not even worth 
commenting on; count me out of this discussion from now on.  I have 
some serious TV watching to do.:
 to quote, utter gobbledegook:...

 
Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - occurs.
Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism.
Thereforeyou are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are
happy in this universe, which is your cherished home where you grew
up as a species.
Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
universe. All else is illusion.
Therefore, life is bliss.
All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.











- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax yagyax@ wrote:
 
  ---Aristotle arrived at the conclusion that life is Bliss (he 
 used 
  the phrase Being-In-Itself) on the basis of his own experience, 
 as 
  does (who's the person you're speaking on behalf of, Byron 
Katie?)?
 
 
 That's right, attack the man, not the argument, there's a good 
Neocon.
 
 
   But I keep up on modern philosophical topics, and haven't seen 
one 
  statement from academic circles pointing to the notion that Life 
 is 
  Bliss.
 
 Than you have not understood this modern and perfect argument below 
 (written by me):
 
 
 Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
 existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - occurs.
 Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
 propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. 
 Thereforeyou are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are 
 happy in this universe, which is your cherished home where you grew 
 up as a species.
 Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
 universe. All else is illusion.
 Therefore, life is bliss.
 All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.
 
 
 
   There's no more logical support for that conclusion than there 
is 
  that the moon is made of green cheese. You keep on saying one can 
  conclude that from logic, but your chain of premises is full of 
  holes, like cheese..  
 
 And you have zero logic or rationale or ANY argument whatsoever 
 behind anything you say, except to attack me. Pathetic little man 
you 
 are.
 
 OffWorld
 
 
 
  
  
   In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
  wrote:
  
   --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mathatbrahman 
   mathatbrahman@ wrote:
   
---Offworld, your premises simply don't lead to the 
   conclusion Life 
is Bliss. So, you're saying one can conclude this from logic 
   alone? 
   
   Absolutely.
   
Preposterous! There's no more weight to that conclusion from 
 the 
shoddy premises you have presented that the conclusion Life 
is 
 a 
bummer, then you die...which many intelligent logicians 
  believe.
   
   These are inexperienced and illogical logicians you speak of. 
   To say life is a bummer, and then you die is like a child 
 saying 
   I can't go to bed, there's a boogey man under the bed. 
   I am being entirely descriptive here. Not sarcastic. The level 
of 
   rational perception that comes up with such a thing, is weak, 
   unfounded, and built on shifting sands.
   
 Logic alone will not lead one to your conclusion, otherwise 
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle would have arrived at that. 
   
   They did.
   
   
   Night night all. Sleep tight.
   
   OffWorld
   
   

   

 In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings 
no_reply@ 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sinhlnx sinhlnx@ 
  wrote:
 
  ---Off_world, your arguments amount to a tautology: 
 
 Thankyou.
 (you seem to be under the delusion that a tautology is a 
bad 
   thing 
in 
 logic. It is actually the highest goal of logic. You're 
understanding 
 of tautology needs some serious attention and time spent 
  studying 
it. 
 Come back when you have studied it for 3 weeks minimum, 
full 
   time.)
 
 Life is Bliss 
  because it's Bliss. 
 
 Huh?
 
 First you said at home and then changed 
  to Entirely comfortable; but that's the problem! 
 
 No I am not. You are under the delusion that words are pure 
 and 
 perfect. Wrong.
 Every word or phrase has within it multiple layers of 
 INHERENT 
 meaning. Anyone watching this thread with a scintillating 
   intellect 
 embedded in their jyotish chart, is baffled by your lack of 
   ability 
 to see the inherent meaning I gave, which is not 
 contradictory 
  to 
the 
 more succinct meaning I gave.
 
 You're changing 
  the definitions to suit your purpose and wind up with a 
 self-
 evident 
  truth,
 
 You just don't have the experience in 

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread off_world_beings

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, qntmpkt [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --I agree with Yagyax on this.  There is no serious attempt to 
 connect the premise statements to the final conclusion; and thus 
the 
 logic is seriously deficient. Grade, F.


Lol, you still don't have a clue what a tautology is do you.

You wouldn't even get into the class, never mind earn a grade.

You're a joke, and seriously zero logic, nor one rational sentence 
from you whatsover. Truly pathetic. How can you say there is no 
serious attempt, when you have offered nothing whatsoever. Your guts 
are churning with guilt at the emptyness of your soul. You can 
actually feel that right now can't you. It is eating you and you 
cannot stop it. I am sorry for your fate, but you brought it upon 
yourself little man.

Stop wasting my time with your strawman arguments and irrational 
statements.

OffWorld


 
 - In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
 wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax yagyax@ wrote:
  
   ---Thanks, Bronte!...precisely what I said. Those that say Life 
 is 
   Bliss have arrived at that conclusion through direct 
experience. 
 One 
   would have difficulty arriving at that conclusion through logic 
  alone.
  
  You are entirely wrong and self-deluded about that.
  
  OffWorld
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-27 Thread qntmpkt
--Thanks, Offworld, btw one of my hobbies is getting a rise out of 
people...it's a fun game; nevertheless this doesn't detract from my 
claim of illogic in your chain of statements. I'll just mention one 
item:, to quote:

Being at home, therefore you are
happy in this universe, which is your cherished home where you grew
up as a species.

I simply can't fathom how you arrived at therefore you are happy in 
this universe, from being at home. Doesn't compute. End of story.




- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 
 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, qntmpkt qntmpkt@ wrote:
 
  --I agree with Yagyax on this.  There is no serious attempt to 
  connect the premise statements to the final conclusion; and thus 
 the 
  logic is seriously deficient. Grade, F.
 
 
 Lol, you still don't have a clue what a tautology is do you.
 
 You wouldn't even get into the class, never mind earn a grade.
 
 You're a joke, and seriously zero logic, nor one rational sentence 
 from you whatsover. Truly pathetic. How can you say there is no 
 serious attempt, when you have offered nothing whatsoever. Your 
guts 
 are churning with guilt at the emptyness of your soul. You can 
 actually feel that right now can't you. It is eating you and you 
 cannot stop it. I am sorry for your fate, but you brought it upon 
 yourself little man.
 
 Stop wasting my time with your strawman arguments and irrational 
 statements.
 
 OffWorld
 
 
  
  - In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings no_reply@ 
  wrote:
  
   --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yagyax yagyax@ wrote:
   
---Thanks, Bronte!...precisely what I said. Those that say 
Life 
  is 
Bliss have arrived at that conclusion through direct 
 experience. 
  One 
would have difficulty arriving at that conclusion through 
logic 
   alone.
   
   You are entirely wrong and self-deluded about that.
   
   OffWorld
  
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-26 Thread off_world_beings
--- In 
FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, tomandcindytraynoratfairfieldlis 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Barry writes in his summary:
 So have a go at it, eh? And if you are able to come
 up with some statement -- any statement -- that is
 true for all beings, in all periods of time, in all
 contexts, and when viewed from all states of consciousness, 
 *then* come back and tell me how accurate
 you believe the words of the supposedly enlightened
 are when describing what it's like. I'll wait.


Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of 
existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - occurs. 
Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and 
propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. Therefore 
you are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are happy in this 
universe, which is your cherished home where you grew up as a species. 
Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this 
universe. All else is illusion.

Therefore, life is bliss. All else is self-illusion. Untrue.

OffWorld



 
 Tom T:
 You have now *got* the Byron Katie system down pat. Her questions lead
 one to the conclusion you are asking those here to come to. Awesome!. 
Tom





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-26 Thread off_world_beings
--- In 
FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, tomandcindytraynoratfairfieldlis 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Barry writes in his summary:
 So have a go at it, eh? And if you are able to come
 up with some statement -- any statement -- that is
 true for all beings, in all periods of time, in all
 contexts, and when viewed from all states of consciousness, 
 *then* come back and tell me how accurate
 you believe the words of the supposedly enlightened
 are when describing what it's like. I'll wait.


Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - occurs.
Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. Therefore
you are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are happy in this
universe, which is your cherished home where you grew up as a species.
Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
universe. All else is illusion.

Therefore, life is bliss. 
All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.

OffWorld



 
 Tom T:
 You have now *got* the Byron Katie system down pat. Her questions lead
 one to the conclusion you are asking those here to come to. Awesome!. 
Tom





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-26 Thread qntmpkt
--There are some non-sequiturs in the paragraph below. It says you 
are at home in that (the dynamic aspect of life). Then it says Being 
at home, therefore you are happy.  Non-Sequitur. There are 
plenty of creatures at home but grossly unhappy.
 Then it says Therefore life is bliss.  Doesn't follow at all!.
Last, it says all else is illusion. There's a problem here.  What 
is the all else?? This is shaping up to be a tautology.
The conclusion  life is bliss may be true but it's not supported by 
the supposed logic of the previous statements.
 
 
 Existence exists, therefore interaction of the full potential of
 existence - its opposite potentials of point and infinity - occurs.
 Therefore activity occurs, therefore dynamism flourishes and
 propogates. You are that existence and its inherent dynamism. 
Therefore
 you are at home in that. Being at home, therefore you are happy in 
this
 universe, which is your cherished home where you grew up as a 
species.
 Therefore life is bliss, because you are always at home in this
 universe. All else is illusion.
 
 Therefore, life is bliss. 
 All else is self-illusion, ie.untrue.
 
 OffWorld
 
 
 
  
  Tom T:
  You have now *got* the Byron Katie system down pat. Her questions 
lead
  one to the conclusion you are asking those here to come to. 
Awesome!. 
 Tom
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-25 Thread cardemaister
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, cardemaister [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajranatha@ wrote:
 
  
  
  Because of this somewhat elitist POV, numerous schools and 
numerous  
  realizers did view Shankara as a fanatic of demon. The dvaita 
 master  
  Madhava called Shankara a deceitful demon who had perverted 
the  
  teachings of the Brahma-sutra to lead souls astray.
 
 
 Is it perchance so, that dvaitins perceive tattvamasi like
 tattvam asi and advaitins like tat tvam asi?
 

No, it ain't. According to Wiki, dvaitins read tattvamasi
in _chaandogya_  6.8.7:

sa ya eshho.aNimaitadaatmyamida\m+ sarvaM tatsatya\m+ sa
aatmaa ***tattvamasi*** shvetaketo iti bhuuya eva maa 
bhagavaanviGYaapayatviti tathaa somyeti hovaacha || 6\.8\.7||

like ... sa aatmaa + atattvamasi shvetaketo...

Huccome? Well, that seems to require the DN text being
written like aatmaatattvamasi. If it's written like
aatmaa tattvamasi, it's obviously impossible to interpret 
that to contain atattvamasi.

I wonder how them stoopid dvaitins explain away the other
famous mahaavaakyas, like ayamaatmaa brahma, ahaM brahmaasmi,
sarvaM khalvidaM brahma.  :o



 sa ya eshho.aNimaitadaatmyamida\m+ sarvaM tatsatya\m+ sa
 aatmaa ***tattvamasi*** shvetaketo iti bhuuya eva maa 
 bhagavaanviGYaapayatviti tathaa somyeti hovaacha || 6\.8\.7||





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-25 Thread emptybill
Sorry to take so long to reply. It's just a result of my job and the 
fifty women that I slavishly serve - they made me not do it - 
whatever that means. 

Card is right about why I hyphenate these plural loan words. I first 
saw this particular usage in Trevor Leggett's translation of 
Shankara's commentary on the Yoga Sutras. I have not yet found an 
American scholar doing the same. However, I like it because it 
reinforces the recognition that these Sanskrit words (read Arabic 
for Houri) are provisional terms, not necessarily fit yet to be 
reified into English. 

I understand how you, as an editor, might find this mode of 
presentation to be contra-instinctual for a trained English reader. 
However, rather than just dismissing it, tell me why you might find 
it confusing or irritating. 

emptybill 

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, cardemaister no_reply@ 
 wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ 
  wrote:
  
   --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim emptybill@ 
 wrote:
   snip
  The Houri-s sound so much better.
   
   OK, I can't stand it any longer.
   
   With plural nouns, why do you put a hyphen between the
   word and the s?
  
  
  I'm not at all sure, but in my understanding he
  does it if he thinks a word is not a genuine
  loan word from another language into English,
  but a word of another language used amongst English
  text.
 
 Aha! I'm sure you're right.
 
  For instance, if you consider the word
  'siddhi' a loan word from Sanskrit to English, it's
  OK to write the plural as 'siddhis', but the Sanskrit
  (nominative) plural would actually be the rather awkward
   'siddhayaH' as in 
  
  te samaadhaav upasargaa(,) vyutthaane siddhayaH.
  
  But if you don't think it's a loan word (yet),
  it seems to me quite cool to write the plural
  like 'siddhi-s'. That's probably not a convention
  accepted by native English grammarians, though.
 
 In typeset material, such a word would be set in
 italics, but the s would be set in roman. If all
 you've got is roman characters, though, I suppose
 the hyphen is a reasonable way to indicate the s
 isn't the foreign plural form.
 
 However, in an informal context such as this, I'm
 not sure it's really justified; it makes the
 material harder to read, and there's no important
 purpose served by it.
 
 
 
 
  
  For instance the Finnish word 'sauna' is, AFAIK, nowadays
  a genuine English word borrowed from Finnish, so
  it's OK to write the plural like 'saunas', but
  the Finnish (nominative) plural would be 'saunat'.
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-24 Thread cardemaister
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim emptybill@ wrote:
 snip
The Houri-s sound so much better.
 
 OK, I can't stand it any longer.
 
 With plural nouns, why do you put a hyphen between the
 word and the s?


I'm not at all sure, but in my understanding he
does it if he thinks a word is not a genuine
loan word from another language into English,
but a word of another language used amongst English
text. For instance, if you consider the word
'siddhi' a loan word from Sanskrit to English, it's
OK to write the plural as 'siddhis', but the Sanskrit
(nominative) plural would actually be the rather awkward
 'siddhayaH' as in 

te samaadhaav upasargaa(,) vyutthaane siddhayaH.

But if you don't think it's a loan word (yet),
it seems to me quite cool to write the plural
like 'siddhi-s'. That's probably not a convention
accepted by native English grammarians, though.

For instance the Finnish word 'sauna' is, AFAIK, nowadays
a genuine English word borrowed from Finnish, so
it's OK to write the plural like 'saunas', but
the Finnish (nominative) plural would be 'saunat'.



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-24 Thread nablusoss1008
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, jim_flanegin [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ 
wrote:
  
   Ain't it awful? You work so hard trying to
   confuse me, and you're never successful.
  
  For the record, the very *definition* of
  paranoia.
 
 Spaeking of paranoia, I read one of my best jokes ever on Friday: 
 I was walking home yesterday when this guy hammering on his roof 
 called me a paranoid little freak. In morse code.:-)
 
Hehe :-)
I know I'm paranoid, but I don't understand that to be a good 
enough reason for people to stalk me !




Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-24 Thread Vaj


On Sep 23, 2007, at 7:43 PM, billy jim wrote:


OK Vaj, I'm going to enter the fray here.

The way this conversation is preceding you’re going to get tired  
soon from the suffocating squeeze of the pythoness. (I actually  
mean this as a complement to Judy.) Then the conversation will  
attenuate into a final pair of mutual - “the pox on your house,  
dear”. This is not only boring - it is unilluminating. And, being a  
fool’s fool, I only exist for the dazzling radiance that others of  
real worth, like you and Judy, can shine on my miserable bug-like  
existence.


Help me out here, Vaj - illuminate me. I’ve heard this argument  
from you before and I never could decide which sutra-s of Patanjali  
you are directing our attention toward - above all because I’m  
overwhelmed by your ocean-like compassion to save us from our  
slavish adulation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (And who is this Mr.  
Varma who you keep talking about?)


So … let me try to restate your referenced argument in simplified  
form – one that even a fecal larvae like me can understand:


TM practitioners, particularly brain-washed TM teachers, falsely  
identify their direct, unmediated experiences of utter difference  
between pure-consciousness (purusha) and the intellect (buddhi- 
sattva) as kaivalya (aloneness of pure consciousness).


However, kaivalya is described by Patanjali (Pada II.25) as the  
disappearance of ignorance (avidya) and the consequent ceasing of  
the correlation (samyoga) between the seer and the seen.


The experiences of TM’er are NOT kaivalya but rather are transient  
flashes of viveka-khyati, or the “vision-of-discernment” between  
purusha and prakriti.


So, Vaj, is this an accurate description of your argument against  
TM claims vis-à-vis Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras?


No, not quite, we were referring to some old comments of Tom.



Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-24 Thread Vaj


On Sep 23, 2007, at 7:18 PM, TurquoiseB wrote:


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Ain't it awful? You work so hard trying to
 confuse me, and you're never successful.

For the record, the very *definition* of
paranoia.



Unless of course she was confused to begin with...

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-24 Thread cardemaister
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 
 Because of this somewhat elitist POV, numerous schools and numerous  
 realizers did view Shankara as a fanatic of demon. The dvaita 
master  
 Madhava called Shankara a deceitful demon who had perverted the  
 teachings of the Brahma-sutra to lead souls astray.


Is it perchance so, that dvaitins perceive tattvamasi like
tattvam asi and advaitins like tat tvam asi?

sa ya eshho.aNimaitadaatmyamida\m+ sarvaM tatsatya\m+ sa
aatmaa ***tattvamasi*** shvetaketo iti bhuuya eva maa 
bhagavaanviGYaapayatviti tathaa somyeti hovaacha || 6\.8\.7||




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-24 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, cardemaister [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ 
 wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim emptybill@ 
wrote:
  snip
 The Houri-s sound so much better.
  
  OK, I can't stand it any longer.
  
  With plural nouns, why do you put a hyphen between the
  word and the s?
 
 
 I'm not at all sure, but in my understanding he
 does it if he thinks a word is not a genuine
 loan word from another language into English,
 but a word of another language used amongst English
 text.

Aha! I'm sure you're right.

 For instance, if you consider the word
 'siddhi' a loan word from Sanskrit to English, it's
 OK to write the plural as 'siddhis', but the Sanskrit
 (nominative) plural would actually be the rather awkward
  'siddhayaH' as in 
 
 te samaadhaav upasargaa(,) vyutthaane siddhayaH.
 
 But if you don't think it's a loan word (yet),
 it seems to me quite cool to write the plural
 like 'siddhi-s'. That's probably not a convention
 accepted by native English grammarians, though.

In typeset material, such a word would be set in
italics, but the s would be set in roman. If all
you've got is roman characters, though, I suppose
the hyphen is a reasonable way to indicate the s
isn't the foreign plural form.

However, in an informal context such as this, I'm
not sure it's really justified; it makes the
material harder to read, and there's no important
purpose served by it.




 
 For instance the Finnish word 'sauna' is, AFAIK, nowadays
 a genuine English word borrowed from Finnish, so
 it's OK to write the plural like 'saunas', but
 the Finnish (nominative) plural would be 'saunat'.





Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread Vaj


On Sep 22, 2007, at 5:25 PM, authfriend wrote:


Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
said words became enlightenment through the
discrimination of the intellect, when the
translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.



But, it's important to point out, that the translation Tom is using  
is extremely misleading. What the verse he quoted is referring to is  
known technically in the yoga-darshana of Patanjali as viveka- 
khyati. While viveka-khyati IS an important stage (bhumi) on the  
Path of realization a la Patanjali, it is emphatically not final  
realization in that system.


He has perpetuated this falsehood numerous times on this list,  
despite this fact being brought to his attention.

Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread Vaj


On Sep 22, 2007, at 6:29 PM, emptybill wrote:


Very accurate description of just how the culture of Vedanta was in
Shankara's day. Quite dispassionate reporting too.

Congradulations to you. We rarely see these kinds of simple, unleaved
observations here of FFL. I find it refreshing. Even Vaj should be
able to agree - and I'm not sure if I've seen that yet.


Well, I think if we accept the Mahesh Varma map of awakening and  
stories we were told, and rely on that alone, we'd find it easy to  
accept Judy's post, at least in part. However, being familiar with  
the Patanjali system, as applied in the Shankaracharya tradition, I  
could not agree with a number of falsehoods.


I've already commented on a couple of these in other posts.



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread jim_flanegin
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 On Sep 22, 2007, at 6:29 PM, emptybill wrote:
 
  Very accurate description of just how the culture of Vedanta was 
in
  Shankara's day. Quite dispassionate reporting too.
 
  Congradulations to you. We rarely see these kinds of simple, 
unleaved
  observations here of FFL. I find it refreshing. Even Vaj should 
be
  able to agree - and I'm not sure if I've seen that yet.
 
 Well, I think if we accept the Mahesh Varma map of awakening and  
 stories we were told, and rely on that alone, we'd find it easy 
to  
 accept Judy's post, at least in part. However, being familiar 
with  
 the Patanjali system, as applied in the Shankaracharya tradition, 
I  
 could not agree with a number of falsehoods.
 
 I've already commented on a couple of these in other posts.

the Mahesh Varma map of awakening? What map? When you are awake, 
you are awake, and when you are asleep you are asleep. Mahesh or 
whatever we call him has never said any differently. There is no 
map, per se.:-)



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 
 On Sep 22, 2007, at 5:25 PM, authfriend wrote:
 
  Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
  said words became enlightenment through the
  discrimination of the intellect, when the
  translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.
 
 But, it's important to point out, that the translation Tom
 is using is extremely misleading. What the verse he quoted
 is referring to is known technically in the yoga-darshana of 
 Patanjali as viveka-khyati. While viveka-khyati IS an
 important stage (bhumi) on the Path of realization a la
 Patanjali, it is emphatically not final realization in that
 system.

Hm, I don't recall Tom saying anything in this
instance about its being final realization. He
was making a different point.

In any case, you appear to be mistaken, given
that the term used in the sutra Tom was quoting
is kaivalya, final liberation.

 He has perpetuated this falsehood numerous times on this list,  
 despite this fact being brought to his attention.

Perhaps he simply didn't bother to point out
your error.




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 On Sep 22, 2007, at 6:29 PM, emptybill wrote:
 
  Very accurate description of just how the culture of Vedanta
  was in Shankara's day. Quite dispassionate reporting too.
 
  Congradulations to you. We rarely see these kinds of simple,
  unleaved observations here of FFL. I find it refreshing. Even
  Vaj should be able to agree - and I'm not sure if I've seen
  that yet.
 
 Well, I think if we accept the Mahesh Varma map of awakening and  
 stories we were told, and rely on that alone, we'd find it easy to  
 accept Judy's post, at least in part.

Perhaps you should actually read the post you're
commenting on. As it happens, it had nothing to do
with MMY's map of awakening, nor did it depend
on any TM stories.

 However, being familiar with  
 the Patanjali system, as applied in the Shankaracharya tradition,
 I could not agree with a number of falsehoods.
 
 I've already commented on a couple of these in other posts.

You pointed out one falsehood, about which it
appears you were mistaken.

Please take the time now to point out all the other
falsehoods in my post with which you could not agree,
so we can determine whether these are errors as well.




Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread Vaj


On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:15 PM, authfriend wrote:


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 On Sep 22, 2007, at 5:25 PM, authfriend wrote:

  Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
  said words became enlightenment through the
  discrimination of the intellect, when the
  translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.

 But, it's important to point out, that the translation Tom
 is using is extremely misleading. What the verse he quoted
 is referring to is known technically in the yoga-darshana of
 Patanjali as viveka-khyati. While viveka-khyati IS an
 important stage (bhumi) on the Path of realization a la
 Patanjali, it is emphatically not final realization in that
 system.

Hm, I don't recall Tom saying anything in this
instance about its being final realization. He
was making a different point.


Final realization in the context of yoga-darshana in TM-jargon is  
CC and the style of final enlightenment of yoga-darshana. Viveka- 
khyati is not that, nor is it enlightenment, it's a bhumi (a  
stage). This is also why sutras such as the YS requires a lineal  
realizer to explain it. This also is why it is not unusual to see   
TMer's express false views.




In any case, you appear to be mistaken, given
that the term used in the sutra Tom was quoting
is kaivalya, final liberation.

 He has perpetuated this falsehood numerous times on this list,
 despite this fact being brought to his attention.

Perhaps he simply didn't bother to point out
your error.


He's always welcome to try. 

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:15 PM, authfriend wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajranatha@ wrote:
  
   On Sep 22, 2007, at 5:25 PM, authfriend wrote:
  
Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
said words became enlightenment through the
discrimination of the intellect, when the
translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.
  
   But, it's important to point out, that the translation Tom
   is using is extremely misleading. What the verse he quoted
   is referring to is known technically in the yoga-darshana of
   Patanjali as viveka-khyati. While viveka-khyati IS an
   important stage (bhumi) on the Path of realization a la
   Patanjali, it is emphatically not final realization in that
   system.
 
  Hm, I don't recall Tom saying anything in this
  instance about its being final realization. He
  was making a different point.
 
 Final realization in the context of yoga-darshana in TM-jargon is  
 CC and the style of final enlightenment of yoga-darshana. 
 Viveka-khyati is not that, nor is it enlightenment, it's a bhumi 
 (a stage). This is also why sutras such as the YS requires a 
 lineal realizer to explain it. This also is why it is not unusual
 to see TMer's express false views.

This is just a string of non sequiturs, Vaj.
Tom didn't say anything about viveka-khyati
either.

Nothing you've said has any relevance to what
Tom said or what I said. It's just your usual
attempt at misdirection to get in another slam
at MMY.

Plus which, I rather doubt you're a lineal
realizer, so by your own criterion, you aren't
in a position to explain the Yoga Sutras.

  In any case, you appear to be mistaken, given
  that the term used in the sutra Tom was quoting
  is kaivalya, final liberation.
 
   He has perpetuated this falsehood numerous times on this list,
   despite this fact being brought to his attention.
 
  Perhaps he simply didn't bother to point out
  your error.
 
 He's always welcome to try.

Translation: Ooops!




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread jim_flanegin
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:15 PM, authfriend wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajranatha@ wrote:
  
   On Sep 22, 2007, at 5:25 PM, authfriend wrote:
  
Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
said words became enlightenment through the
discrimination of the intellect, when the
translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.
  
   But, it's important to point out, that the translation Tom
   is using is extremely misleading. What the verse he quoted
   is referring to is known technically in the yoga-darshana of
   Patanjali as viveka-khyati. While viveka-khyati IS an
   important stage (bhumi) on the Path of realization a la
   Patanjali, it is emphatically not final realization in that
   system.
 
  Hm, I don't recall Tom saying anything in this
  instance about its being final realization. He
  was making a different point.
 
 Final realization in the context of yoga-darshana in TM-jargon is  
 CC and the style of final enlightenment of yoga-darshana. 
Viveka- 
 khyati is not that, nor is it enlightenment, it's a bhumi (a  
 stage). This is also why sutras such as the YS requires a lineal  
 realizer to explain it. This also is why it is not unusual to 
see   
 TMer's express false views.
 
Brahman is the end result, or the beginning of actual Self 
Realization, nor have I heard any differently from Maharishi. You 
have misinterpreted the TM message. I have heard TMers consistently 
correct about this. You appear to be trolling here, Vaj.:-)



[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread jim_flanegin
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajranatha@ wrote:
 
  On Sep 22, 2007, at 6:29 PM, emptybill wrote:
  
   Very accurate description of just how the culture of Vedanta
   was in Shankara's day. Quite dispassionate reporting too.
  
   Congradulations to you. We rarely see these kinds of simple,
   unleaved observations here of FFL. I find it refreshing. Even
   Vaj should be able to agree - and I'm not sure if I've seen
   that yet.
  
  Well, I think if we accept the Mahesh Varma map of awakening 
and  
  stories we were told, and rely on that alone, we'd find it easy 
to  
  accept Judy's post, at least in part.
 
 Perhaps you should actually read the post you're
 commenting on. As it happens, it had nothing to do
 with MMY's map of awakening, nor did it depend
 on any TM stories.
 
  However, being familiar with  
  the Patanjali system, as applied in the Shankaracharya tradition,
  I could not agree with a number of falsehoods.
  
  I've already commented on a couple of these in other posts.
 
 You pointed out one falsehood, about which it
 appears you were mistaken.
 
 Please take the time now to point out all the other
 falsehoods in my post with which you could not agree,
 so we can determine whether these are errors as well.

It took me a minute, but Vaj has slipped into his troll guise 
again.:-)



Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread Vaj


On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:40 PM, authfriend wrote:


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


 On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:15 PM, authfriend wrote:

  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajranatha@ wrote:
  
   On Sep 22, 2007, at 5:25 PM, authfriend wrote:
  
Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
said words became enlightenment through the
discrimination of the intellect, when the
translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.
  
   But, it's important to point out, that the translation Tom
   is using is extremely misleading. What the verse he quoted
   is referring to is known technically in the yoga-darshana of
   Patanjali as viveka-khyati. While viveka-khyati IS an
   important stage (bhumi) on the Path of realization a la
   Patanjali, it is emphatically not final realization in that
   system.
 
  Hm, I don't recall Tom saying anything in this
  instance about its being final realization. He
  was making a different point.

 Final realization in the context of yoga-darshana in TM-jargon is
 CC and the style of final enlightenment of yoga-darshana.
 Viveka-khyati is not that, nor is it enlightenment, it's a bhumi
 (a stage). This is also why sutras such as the YS requires a
 lineal realizer to explain it. This also is why it is not unusual
 to see TMer's express false views.

This is just a string of non sequiturs, Vaj.
Tom didn't say anything about viveka-khyati
either.


Actually not. The verse Tom quoted refers to viveka-khyati my dear.



Nothing you've said has any relevance to what
Tom said or what I said. It's just your usual
attempt at misdirection to get in another slam
at MMY.


No my dear, it's an attempt to clarify from an extremely misleading  
statement.


Sorry, I guess you missed that.



Plus which, I rather doubt you're a lineal
realizer, so by your own criterion, you aren't
in a position to explain the Yoga Sutras.


Well it does help to be trained correctly. ;-)



  In any case, you appear to be mistaken, given
  that the term used in the sutra Tom was quoting
  is kaivalya, final liberation.
 
   He has perpetuated this falsehood numerous times on this list,
   despite this fact being brought to his attention.
 
  Perhaps he simply didn't bother to point out
  your error.

 He's always welcome to try.

Translation: Ooops!


Actual translation: bring it on Tom!




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:40 PM, authfriend wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajranatha@ wrote:
  
  
   On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:15 PM, authfriend wrote:
  
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajranatha@ wrote:

 On Sep 22, 2007, at 5:25 PM, authfriend wrote:

  Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
  said words became enlightenment through the
  discrimination of the intellect, when the
  translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.

 But, it's important to point out, that the translation Tom
 is using is extremely misleading. What the verse he quoted
 is referring to is known technically in the yoga-darshana of
 Patanjali as viveka-khyati. While viveka-khyati IS an
 important stage (bhumi) on the Path of realization a la
 Patanjali, it is emphatically not final realization in that
 system.
   
Hm, I don't recall Tom saying anything in this
instance about its being final realization. He
was making a different point.
  
   Final realization in the context of yoga-darshana in TM-jargon 
is
   CC and the style of final enlightenment of yoga-darshana.
   Viveka-khyati is not that, nor is it enlightenment, it's a 
bhumi
   (a stage). This is also why sutras such as the YS requires a
   lineal realizer to explain it. This also is why it is not 
unusual
   to see TMer's express false views.
 
  This is just a string of non sequiturs, Vaj.
  Tom didn't say anything about viveka-khyati
  either.
 
 Actually not. The verse Tom quoted refers to viveka-khyati my dear.

Please review my previous posts, poopsie. The
sutra Tom quoted refers to kaivalya, final
liberation.

  Nothing you've said has any relevance to what
  Tom said or what I said. It's just your usual
  attempt at misdirection to get in another slam
  at MMY.
 
 No my dear, it's an attempt to clarify from an extremely 
 misleading statement.

No, Vaj.  No, it's not. Everything you've said in
this thread has been an attempt to obfuscate.




Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread Vaj


On Sep 23, 2007, at 2:20 PM, authfriend wrote:


 Actually not. The verse Tom quoted refers to viveka-khyati my dear.

Please review my previous posts, poopsie. The
sutra Tom quoted refers to kaivalya, final
liberation.


Ah, I see where you are confused! Yes it does use that word Judy...in  
regards to pada 3. The YS has 4 padas though Judy. You must've missed  
the context. Oops!


Don't they still teach editors about context or I am just old-fashioned?

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 On Sep 23, 2007, at 2:20 PM, authfriend wrote:
 
   Actually not. The verse Tom quoted refers to viveka-khyati my dear.
 
  Please review my previous posts, poopsie. The
  sutra Tom quoted refers to kaivalya, final
  liberation.
 
 Ah, I see where you are confused! Yes it does use that word Judy...in  
 regards to pada 3. The YS has 4 padas though Judy. You must've missed  
 the context. Oops!

Uh, no, no confusion here, Vaj.

Ain't it awful? You work so hard trying to
confuse me, and you're never successful.

 Don't they still teach editors about context or I am just old-
fashioned?

(Actually, you don't have to be an editor
to know about the importance of context.)

An understanding of context is particularly
helpful when someone is engaging in
obfuscation by invoking irrelevant context.




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread TurquoiseB
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Ain't it awful? You work so hard trying to
 confuse me, and you're never successful.

For the record, the very *definition* of
paranoia.





Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread billy jim

  OK Vaj, I'm going to enter the fray here. 
   
  The way this conversation is preceding you’re going to get tired soon from 
the suffocating squeeze of the pythoness. (I actually mean this as a complement 
to Judy.) Then the conversation will attenuate into a final pair of mutual - 
“the pox on your house, dear”. This is not only boring - it is unilluminating. 
And, being a fool’s fool, I only exist for the dazzling radiance that others of 
real worth, like you and Judy, can shine on my miserable bug-like existence. 
   
  Help me out here, Vaj - illuminate me. I’ve heard this argument from you 
before and I never could decide which sutra-s of Patanjali you are directing 
our attention toward - above all because I’m overwhelmed by your ocean-like 
compassion to save us from our slavish adulation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (And 
who is this Mr. Varma who you keep talking about?)
   
  So … let me try to restate your referenced argument in simplified form – one 
that even a fecal larvae like me can understand: 
   
  TM practitioners, particularly brain-washed TM teachers, falsely identify 
their direct, unmediated experiences of utter difference between 
pure-consciousness (purusha) and the intellect (buddhi-sattva) as kaivalya 
(aloneness of pure consciousness).
   
  However, kaivalya is described by Patanjali (Pada II.25) as the disappearance 
of ignorance (avidya) and the consequent ceasing of the correlation (samyoga) 
between the seer and the seen.
   
  The experiences of TM’er are NOT kaivalya but rather are transient flashes of 
viveka-khyati, or the “vision-of-discernment” between purusha and prakriti. 
   
  So, Vaj, is this an accurate description of your argument against TM claims 
vis-à-vis Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras? 
   
  If so then please help me out by pointing which of Patanjali’s sutras you are 
referencing as positive proof that TM’ers misidentify the “vision of 
discernment” with the “Aloneness of seeing” (Kaivalya). 
   
  If not, then also help me out by restating your argument so you can correct 
my misunderstanding. Please do so in a form that likewise tags your references 
to each of the relevant Sutra-s of my good friend, Maharishi Patanjali … and 
please don’t call him Mr. Naga. 
   
   
  The shit-eating worm
  Emptybill
   
  snip snip
 whatever whatever


   
-
Don't let your dream ride pass you by.Make it a reality with Yahoo! Autos. 

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread sinhlnx
--- Thanks, billy jim!  During my first 6 weeks in the Army long ago 
they used to call us maggots.
 Let me get this straight: are you saying that Vaj is saying that 
MMY's TM can only facilitate people getting into CC, and not Unity? 
Is that a concise summary?


In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
   OK Vaj, I'm going to enter the fray here. 

   The way this conversation is preceding you're going to get tired 
soon from the suffocating squeeze of the pythoness. (I actually mean 
this as a complement to Judy.) Then the conversation will attenuate 
into a final pair of mutual - the pox on your house, dear. This is 
not only boring - it is unilluminating. And, being a fool's fool, I 
only exist for the dazzling radiance that others of real worth, like 
you and Judy, can shine on my miserable bug-like existence. 

   Help me out here, Vaj - illuminate me. I've heard this argument 
from you before and I never could decide which sutra-s of Patanjali 
you are directing our attention toward - above all because I'm 
overwhelmed by your ocean-like compassion to save us from our slavish 
adulation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (And who is this Mr. Varma who 
you keep talking about?)

   So … let me try to restate your referenced argument in simplified 
form – one that even a fecal larvae like me can understand: 

   TM practitioners, particularly brain-washed TM teachers, falsely 
identify their direct, unmediated experiences of utter difference 
between pure-consciousness (purusha) and the intellect (buddhi-
sattva) as kaivalya (aloneness of pure consciousness).

   However, kaivalya is described by Patanjali (Pada II.25) as the 
disappearance of ignorance (avidya) and the consequent ceasing of the 
correlation (samyoga) between the seer and the seen.

   The experiences of TM'er are NOT kaivalya but rather are 
transient flashes of viveka-khyati, or the vision-of-discernment 
between purusha and prakriti. 

   So, Vaj, is this an accurate description of your argument against 
TM claims vis-à-vis Patanjali's Yoga Sutras? 

   If so then please help me out by pointing which of Patanjali's 
sutras you are referencing as positive proof that TM'ers misidentify 
the vision of discernment with the Aloneness of seeing 
(Kaivalya). 

   If not, then also help me out by restating your argument so you 
can correct my misunderstanding. Please do so in a form that likewise 
tags your references to each of the relevant Sutra-s of my good 
friend, Maharishi Patanjali … and please don't call him Mr. Naga. 


   The shit-eating worm
   Emptybill

   snip snip
  whatever whatever
 
 

 -
 Don't let your dream ride pass you by.Make it a reality with 
Yahoo! Autos.





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote:
 
  Ain't it awful? You work so hard trying to
  confuse me, and you're never successful.
 
 For the record, the very *definition* of
 paranoia.

Hard to get more off-target than that, Barry.
Have some coffee, see if it clears your mind
a bit.




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
snip
   So … let me try to restate your referenced argument in simplified 
form – one that even a fecal larvae like me can understand:

FWIW, Vaj's argument is with Tom and with 
Shearer's translation of the Yoga Sutras, not
with anything in my original post (the one you
liked); Vaj completely missed the *context* of
Tom's post (which I had quoted in my post). His
slam at the many falsehoods that were 
supposedly in my post was pure obfuscation, as
was his subsequent argument.

(The sutra in question is the last one in
chapter 3 of the Yoga Sutras.)




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread jim_flanegin
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote:
 
  Ain't it awful? You work so hard trying to
  confuse me, and you're never successful.
 
 For the record, the very *definition* of
 paranoia.

Spaeking of paranoia, I read one of my best jokes ever on Friday: 
I was walking home yesterday when this guy hammering on his roof 
called me a paranoid little freak. In morse code.:-)



Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread billy jim
I'm not sure that I should reply to you. You must be a devil since Sin is the 
better part of your name - and don't tell me its Sine. I think it's a sign. 
   
  As far as Vaj is concerned, I wouldn't want to speak for him since he is the 
author of his own arguments. I'm actually waiting for this clarification 
myself. 
   
  And by the way - I take great pride in my lowly origins, even lower than the 
ordinary maggot you reference in your comment. As a former shit-eating larvae, 
I do in fact claim a super-rapid ascent through the evolutionary strata of 
complex organisms. I have done extensive past-life research into my odious 
prior incarnations and have found the startling truth.
   
  Starting from my introduction into the earth realm as a fecal larvae, I 
transformed into an extremely large and irritating fly, able to viciously bite 
large sweat-emitting mammals. This lead to my rather rapid demise from a 
vigorous fly-swat. Next incarnation - grain-devouring rodent, soon dispelled by 
suffocating poison, terribly painful but quickly liberating. After that I 
launched deeper into the mammalian realm as a boar, enabling me to recognize 
and somehow choose to identify as a predator rather than helpless prey.
   
  Next came a wonderfully deceptive incarnation as a jackal - the key 
incarnation that caused me to become human. As I remember it, I was tearing out 
the entrails of a large mammal we had felled. The animal wasn't dead yet and 
when it looked up in shock, horror and agony at me eating it while still alive, 
I looked into its eyes and saw myself - not literally but rather another 
desperately entombed intelligence, just like myself, the jackal. This caused 
me to suddenly generate the genuine idea oh, its just like me, and this in 
spite of the fact that the other animal looked nothing like me. 
   
  That was it - birth of an idea unbound by particularity and able to 
appreciate something authentically generalized and universal. In other words, I 
recognized a universal - the defining characteristic of human nature 
according to Socrates of Athens.
   
  After this pivotal event, I took a quick series of human incarnations, lowly 
and serf-like at first but later more confident and assertive. From plebeian to 
patrician was just a couple of incarnations and then wham, I was reborn into 
20th century Europe and then here into the new world.
   
  Now my jyotish chart shows that I'll be reborn into the deva realm after 
death, obviously because I still can't tell the difference between purusha and 
the three guna-s. However, I don't feel bad because I figure I'll see everybody 
else here on FFL in that land of bliss, except Vaj, since we've all been 
deceived by Mahesh except him.
   
  So aren't you really impressed at my rapid evolution? Maybe I should try and 
get promoted to a local, divinized logos like the Mormons claim (they say it is 
the next step). Maybe it would even beat twenty dark-eyed virgins. Hmm
   
  Emptybill's a goin' higher
   
  heh,heh  
   
   
  sinhlnx [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  Recent Activity

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  .

 Thanks, billy jim! During my first 6 weeks in the Army long ago 
they used to call us maggots.

 

   
-
 Check out  the hottest 2008 models today at Yahoo! Autos.

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread qntmpkt
--Maybe you were a Conqueror Worm, a genuine evolutionary hero.

But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!–it writhes!–with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out–out are the lights–out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, Man,
And its hero the Conqueror Worm.

r 




- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 I'm not sure that I should reply to you. You must be a devil since 
Sin is the better part of your name - and don't tell me its Sine. I 
think it's a sign. 

   As far as Vaj is concerned, I wouldn't want to speak for him 
since he is the author of his own arguments. I'm actually waiting for 
this clarification myself. 

   And by the way - I take great pride in my lowly origins, even 
lower than the ordinary maggot you reference in your comment. As a 
former shit-eating larvae, I do in fact claim a super-rapid ascent 
through the evolutionary strata of complex organisms. I have done 
extensive past-life research into my odious prior incarnations and 
have found the startling truth.

   Starting from my introduction into the earth realm as a fecal 
larvae, I transformed into an extremely large and irritating fly, 
able to viciously bite large sweat-emitting mammals. This lead to my 
rather rapid demise from a vigorous fly-swat. Next incarnation - 
grain-devouring rodent, soon dispelled by suffocating poison, 
terribly painful but quickly liberating. After that I launched deeper 
into the mammalian realm as a boar, enabling me to recognize and 
somehow choose to identify as a predator rather than helpless prey.

   Next came a wonderfully deceptive incarnation as a jackal - the 
key incarnation that caused me to become human. As I remember it, I 
was tearing out the entrails of a large mammal we had felled. The 
animal wasn't dead yet and when it looked up in shock, horror and 
agony at me eating it while still alive, I looked into its eyes and 
saw myself - not literally but rather another desperately entombed 
intelligence, just like myself, the jackal. This caused me to 
suddenly generate the genuine idea oh, its just like me, and this 
in spite of the fact that the other animal looked nothing like me. 

   That was it - birth of an idea unbound by particularity and able 
to appreciate something authentically generalized and universal. In 
other words, I recognized a universal - the defining characteristic 
of human nature according to Socrates of Athens.

   After this pivotal event, I took a quick series of human 
incarnations, lowly and serf-like at first but later more confident 
and assertive. From plebeian to patrician was just a couple of 
incarnations and then wham, I was reborn into 20th century Europe and 
then here into the new world.

   Now my jyotish chart shows that I'll be reborn into the deva 
realm after death, obviously because I still can't tell the 
difference between purusha and the three guna-s. However, I don't 
feel bad because I figure I'll see everybody else here on FFL in that 
land of bliss, except Vaj, since we've all been deceived by Mahesh 
except him.

   So aren't you really impressed at my rapid evolution? Maybe I 
should try and get promoted to a local, divinized logos like the 
Mormons claim (they say it is the next step). Maybe it would even 
beat twenty dark-eyed virgins. Hmm

   Emptybill's a goin' higher

   heh,heh  


   sinhlnx [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
   Recent Activity
 
   3
   New Members
   
   1
   New Files
 
 Visit Your Group 
   Ads on Yahoo!
   Learn more now.
   Reach customers
   searching for you.
 
 Special K Challenge
   on Yahoo! Groups
   Find shape-up
   tips and tools.
 
 HDTV Support
   The official Samsung
   Y! Group for HDTVs
   and devices.
 
 
 
   .
 
  Thanks, billy jim! During my first 6 weeks in the Army long ago 
 they used to call us maggots.
 
  
 

 -
  Check out  the hottest 2008 models today at Yahoo! Autos.





Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread billy jim
Hmm. the r at the end must be for rishi. What else could explain such 
insights?
   
  I have to admit I'm hoping life in deva-land beats moping around feeling bad 
for humans. 
   
  Angels ... mere sexless, boring slaves of yhvh - who needs them?
  The Houri-s sound so much better.
   
  
qntmpkt [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  --Maybe you were a Conqueror Worm, a genuine evolutionary hero.

But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!–it writhes!–with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out–out are the lights–out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, Man,
And its hero the Conqueror Worm.

r 

- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 I'm not sure that I should reply to you. You must be a devil since 
Sin is the better part of your name - and don't tell me its Sine. I 
think it's a sign. 
 
 As far as Vaj is concerned, I wouldn't want to speak for him 
since he is the author of his own arguments. I'm actually waiting for 
this clarification myself. 
 
 And by the way - I take great pride in my lowly origins, even 
lower than the ordinary maggot you reference in your comment. As a 
former shit-eating larvae, I do in fact claim a super-rapid ascent 
through the evolutionary strata of complex organisms. I have done 
extensive past-life research into my odious prior incarnations and 
have found the startling truth.
 
 Starting from my introduction into the earth realm as a fecal 
larvae, I transformed into an extremely large and irritating fly, 
able to viciously bite large sweat-emitting mammals. This lead to my 
rather rapid demise from a vigorous fly-swat. Next incarnation - 
grain-devouring rodent, soon dispelled by suffocating poison, 
terribly painful but quickly liberating. After that I launched deeper 
into the mammalian realm as a boar, enabling me to recognize and 
somehow choose to identify as a predator rather than helpless prey.
 
 Next came a wonderfully deceptive incarnation as a jackal - the 
key incarnation that caused me to become human. As I remember it, I 
was tearing out the entrails of a large mammal we had felled. The 
animal wasn't dead yet and when it looked up in shock, horror and 
agony at me eating it while still alive, I looked into its eyes and 
saw myself - not literally but rather another desperately entombed 
intelligence, just like myself, the jackal. This caused me to 
suddenly generate the genuine idea oh, its just like me, and this 
in spite of the fact that the other animal looked nothing like me. 
 
 That was it - birth of an idea unbound by particularity and able 
to appreciate something authentically generalized and universal. In 
other words, I recognized a universal - the defining characteristic 
of human nature according to Socrates of Athens.
 
 After this pivotal event, I took a quick series of human 
incarnations, lowly and serf-like at first but later more confident 
and assertive. From plebeian to patrician was just a couple of 
incarnations and then wham, I was reborn into 20th century Europe and 
then here into the new world.
 
 Now my jyotish chart shows that I'll be reborn into the deva 
realm after death, obviously because I still can't tell the 
difference between purusha and the three guna-s. However, I don't 
feel bad because I figure I'll see everybody else here on FFL in that 
land of bliss, except Vaj, since we've all been deceived by Mahesh 
except him.
 
 So aren't you really impressed at my rapid evolution? Maybe I 
should try and get promoted to a local, divinized logos like the 
Mormons claim (they say it is the next step). Maybe it would even 
beat twenty dark-eyed virgins. Hmm
 
 Emptybill's a goin' higher
 
 heh,heh 
 
 
 sinhlnx [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 Recent Activity
 
 3
 New Members
 
 1
 New Files
 
 Visit Your Group 
 Ads on Yahoo!
 Learn more now.
 Reach customers
 searching for you.
 
 Special K Challenge
 on Yahoo! Groups
 Find shape-up
 tips and tools.
 
 HDTV Support
 The official Samsung
 Y! Group for HDTVs
 and devices.
 
 
 
 .
 
 Thanks, billy jim! During my first 6 weeks in the Army long ago 
 they used to call us maggots.
 
 
 
 
 -
 Check out the hottest 2008 models today at Yahoo! Autos.




 

   
-
 Check out  the hottest 2008 models today at Yahoo! Autos.

[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-23 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, billy jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
snip
   The Houri-s sound so much better.

OK, I can't stand it any longer.

With plural nouns, why do you put a hyphen between the
word and the s?






[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-22 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:
snip 
 I think that what may be going on is that a number
 of people who paid their dues in the TM movement
 don't realize how heavily they have been influenced
 by Patanjali and his hangups. He may have *been*
 enlightened. But he was also a Class A religious
 fanatic. Given the politics of his day, he lobbied
 heavily to prove Hinduism superior to any other
 competing religions, and also to prove his
 particular sect of it superior to all others. He
 traveled around challenging others to verbal duels
 to prove such things.

Uh, no. You mean Shankara, of course, not
Patanjali.

In any case, a penchant for debate about the
validity of Advaita Vedanta hardly justifies
labeling Shankara as a religious fanatic.
Such a label is a function of modern Western
culture in which the nature and role of
religion are very different from what they
were in Shankara's culture: essentially, 
religion *was* the culture, not a subset of
it. There was no such thing as not being
religious.

Moreover, there was no clear distinction
between religion and philosophy, or
metaphysics.

Furthermore, debate of the kind in which
Shankara engaged was a *tradition* in that
culture, much as debate is a tradition in
Buddhism and Judaism, among many others. To
call Shankara a religious fanatic because
he engaged in debate about the superiority
of Advaita Vedanta is like calling candidates
for office in the West political fanatics
because they engage in debates about the
superiority of their policies.

 In my opinion, that is one of the major reasons that
 TMers tend to believe that the descriptions they have 
 been given of higher states of consciousness are 
 accurate, or that such descriptions *can* be accurate.
 TM springs very much from the Patanjali tradition, 

TM springs from (i.e., MMY's teaching is 
based on) both Patanjali and Shankara, the
former in terms of practice and experiences
of consciousness, the latter in terms of
metaphysics.

 with its hangups about being best, and about having
 every word that the teacher utters be believed as
 gospel, and as if it represents truth.

Naah. Shankara couldn't have engaged in
debate, obviously, without *opponents* from
other metaphysical traditions who were trying
to prove *their* tradition represented truth,
and whose followers believed every word their
teachers spoke was gospel.

That's what adherents of most philosophies
or metaphysical systems or religions *do*.
TM's insistence on the correctness of its
metaphysics could have come from any one of
the systems whose validity Shankara challenged,
and many others besides.

Bottom line: There's no unique linkage
between TM's tendency toward dogmatism and
Shankara's penchant for debate.

 I honestly believe that NO words attempting to 
 describe enlightenment are true. The most that they
 can *ever* be is someone trying to give a rough
 approximation of an impression of what it's all
 about. The map is *not* the territory. The words
 used to describe enlightenment are *not* enlight-
 enment.

I don't believe anyone here suggested they
were. That's a pretty, uh, elementary principle,
after all (and, incidentally, a principle
Shankara was very insistent on).

Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
said words became enlightenment through the
discrimination of the intellect, when the
translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.

That's a quote from Patanjali, of course, not
Shankara. However, Shankara's most famous work
(at least in the West) is titled The Crest
Jewel of Discrimination.




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-22 Thread TurquoiseB
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ 
 wrote:
 snip 
  I think that what may be going on is that a number
  of people who paid their dues in the TM movement
  don't realize how heavily they have been influenced
  by Patanjali and his hangups. He may have *been*
  enlightened. But he was also a Class A religious
  fanatic. Given the politics of his day, he lobbied
  heavily to prove Hinduism superior to any other
  competing religions, and also to prove his
  particular sect of it superior to all others. He
  traveled around challenging others to verbal duels
  to prove such things.
 
 Uh, no. You mean Shankara, of course, not
 Patanjali.

Indeed I did. Thank you for the correction.

 In any case, a penchant for debate about the
 validity of Advaita Vedanta hardly justifies
 labeling Shankara as a religious fanatic.

You say tomato, I say tomato...





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-22 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote:
 
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ 
  wrote:
  snip 
   I think that what may be going on is that a number
   of people who paid their dues in the TM movement
   don't realize how heavily they have been influenced
   by Patanjali and his hangups. He may have *been*
   enlightened. But he was also a Class A religious
   fanatic. Given the politics of his day, he lobbied
   heavily to prove Hinduism superior to any other
   competing religions, and also to prove his
   particular sect of it superior to all others. He
   traveled around challenging others to verbal duels
   to prove such things.
  
  Uh, no. You mean Shankara, of course, not
  Patanjali.
 
 Indeed I did. Thank you for the correction.
 
  In any case, a penchant for debate about the
  validity of Advaita Vedanta hardly justifies
  labeling Shankara as a religious fanatic.
 
 You say tomato, I say tomato...

You say tomato, I say kiwi fruit.

As I pointed out, given the culture of Shankara's
day, it's like calling candidates for public office
in the West political fanatics because they're
constantly debating about policy. Makes no sense,
in other words.




[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-22 Thread emptybill
Hey Judy,

Very accurate description of just how the culture of Vedanta was in 
Shankara's day. Quite dispassionate reporting too.

Congradulations to you. We rarely see these kinds of simple, unleaved 
observations here of FFL. I find it refreshing. Even Vaj should be 
able to agree - and I'm not sure if I've seen that yet.

Good job. Hope more folks around here can pick up on it.

Emptybill  


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 Uh, no. You mean Shankara, of course, not
 Patanjali.
 
 In any case, a penchant for debate about the
 validity of Advaita Vedanta hardly justifies
 labeling Shankara as a religious fanatic.
 Such a label is a function of modern Western
 culture in which the nature and role of
 religion are very different from what they
 were in Shankara's culture: essentially, 
 religion *was* the culture, not a subset of
 it. There was no such thing as not being
 religious.
 
 Moreover, there was no clear distinction
 between religion and philosophy, or
 metaphysics.
 
 Furthermore, debate of the kind in which
 Shankara engaged was a *tradition* in that
 culture, much as debate is a tradition in
 Buddhism and Judaism, among many others. To
 call Shankara a religious fanatic because
 he engaged in debate about the superiority
 of Advaita Vedanta is like calling candidates
 for office in the West political fanatics
 because they engage in debates about the
 superiority of their policies.
 
 
 TM springs from (i.e., MMY's teaching is 
 based on) both Patanjali and Shankara, the
 former in terms of practice and experiences
 of consciousness, the latter in terms of
 metaphysics.
 
 Naah. Shankara couldn't have engaged in
 debate, obviously, without *opponents* from
 other metaphysical traditions who were trying
 to prove *their* tradition represented truth,
 and whose followers believed every word their
 teachers spoke was gospel.
 
 That's what adherents of most philosophies
 or metaphysical systems or religions *do*.
 TM's insistence on the correctness of its
 metaphysics could have come from any one of
 the systems whose validity Shankara challenged,
 and many others besides.
 
 Bottom line: There's no unique linkage
 between TM's tendency toward dogmatism and
 Shankara's penchant for debate.
 
 
 I don't believe anyone here suggested they
 were. That's a pretty, uh, elementary principle,
 after all (and, incidentally, a principle
 Shankara was very insistent on).
 
 Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
 said words became enlightenment through the
 discrimination of the intellect, when the
 translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.
 
 That's a quote from Patanjali, of course, not
 Shankara. However, Shankara's most famous work
 (at least in the West) is titled The Crest
 Jewel of Discrimination.





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-22 Thread Marek Reavis
Good observation.  I found Judy's analysis very helpful.  Thanks.

**

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, emptybill [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Hey Judy,
 
 Very accurate description of just how the culture of Vedanta was in 
 Shankara's day. Quite dispassionate reporting too.
 
 Congradulations to you. We rarely see these kinds of simple, unleaved 
 observations here of FFL. I find it refreshing. Even Vaj should be 
 able to agree - and I'm not sure if I've seen that yet.
 
 Good job. Hope more folks around here can pick up on it.
 
 Emptybill  
 
 
 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote:
 
  
  Uh, no. You mean Shankara, of course, not
  Patanjali.
  
  In any case, a penchant for debate about the
  validity of Advaita Vedanta hardly justifies
  labeling Shankara as a religious fanatic.
  Such a label is a function of modern Western
  culture in which the nature and role of
  religion are very different from what they
  were in Shankara's culture: essentially, 
  religion *was* the culture, not a subset of
  it. There was no such thing as not being
  religious.
  
  Moreover, there was no clear distinction
  between religion and philosophy, or
  metaphysics.
  
  Furthermore, debate of the kind in which
  Shankara engaged was a *tradition* in that
  culture, much as debate is a tradition in
  Buddhism and Judaism, among many others. To
  call Shankara a religious fanatic because
  he engaged in debate about the superiority
  of Advaita Vedanta is like calling candidates
  for office in the West political fanatics
  because they engage in debates about the
  superiority of their policies.
  
  
  TM springs from (i.e., MMY's teaching is 
  based on) both Patanjali and Shankara, the
  former in terms of practice and experiences
  of consciousness, the latter in terms of
  metaphysics.
  
  Naah. Shankara couldn't have engaged in
  debate, obviously, without *opponents* from
  other metaphysical traditions who were trying
  to prove *their* tradition represented truth,
  and whose followers believed every word their
  teachers spoke was gospel.
  
  That's what adherents of most philosophies
  or metaphysical systems or religions *do*.
  TM's insistence on the correctness of its
  metaphysics could have come from any one of
  the systems whose validity Shankara challenged,
  and many others besides.
  
  Bottom line: There's no unique linkage
  between TM's tendency toward dogmatism and
  Shankara's penchant for debate.
  
  
  I don't believe anyone here suggested they
  were. That's a pretty, uh, elementary principle,
  after all (and, incidentally, a principle
  Shankara was very insistent on).
  
  Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
  said words became enlightenment through the
  discrimination of the intellect, when the
  translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.
  
  That's a quote from Patanjali, of course, not
  Shankara. However, Shankara's most famous work
  (at least in the West) is titled The Crest
  Jewel of Discrimination.
 





[FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge -- say something true

2007-09-22 Thread authfriend
Thanks, Marek and emptybill, for your kind comments.


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Marek Reavis 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Good observation.  I found Judy's analysis very helpful.  Thanks.
 
 **
 
 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, emptybill emptybill@ 
wrote:
 
  Hey Judy,
  
  Very accurate description of just how the culture of Vedanta was 
in 
  Shankara's day. Quite dispassionate reporting too.
  
  Congradulations to you. We rarely see these kinds of simple, 
unleaved 
  observations here of FFL. I find it refreshing. Even Vaj should 
be 
  able to agree - and I'm not sure if I've seen that yet.
  
  Good job. Hope more folks around here can pick up on it.
  
  Emptybill  
  
  
  --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ 
wrote:
  
   
   Uh, no. You mean Shankara, of course, not
   Patanjali.
   
   In any case, a penchant for debate about the
   validity of Advaita Vedanta hardly justifies
   labeling Shankara as a religious fanatic.
   Such a label is a function of modern Western
   culture in which the nature and role of
   religion are very different from what they
   were in Shankara's culture: essentially, 
   religion *was* the culture, not a subset of
   it. There was no such thing as not being
   religious.
   
   Moreover, there was no clear distinction
   between religion and philosophy, or
   metaphysics.
   
   Furthermore, debate of the kind in which
   Shankara engaged was a *tradition* in that
   culture, much as debate is a tradition in
   Buddhism and Judaism, among many others. To
   call Shankara a religious fanatic because
   he engaged in debate about the superiority
   of Advaita Vedanta is like calling candidates
   for office in the West political fanatics
   because they engage in debates about the
   superiority of their policies.
   
   
   TM springs from (i.e., MMY's teaching is 
   based on) both Patanjali and Shankara, the
   former in terms of practice and experiences
   of consciousness, the latter in terms of
   metaphysics.
   
   Naah. Shankara couldn't have engaged in
   debate, obviously, without *opponents* from
   other metaphysical traditions who were trying
   to prove *their* tradition represented truth,
   and whose followers believed every word their
   teachers spoke was gospel.
   
   That's what adherents of most philosophies
   or metaphysical systems or religions *do*.
   TM's insistence on the correctness of its
   metaphysics could have come from any one of
   the systems whose validity Shankara challenged,
   and many others besides.
   
   Bottom line: There's no unique linkage
   between TM's tendency toward dogmatism and
   Shankara's penchant for debate.
   
   
   I don't believe anyone here suggested they
   were. That's a pretty, uh, elementary principle,
   after all (and, incidentally, a principle
   Shankara was very insistent on).
   
   Tom didn't say enlightenment became words, he
   said words became enlightenment through the
   discrimination of the intellect, when the
   translucent intellect is as clear as the Self.
   
   That's a quote from Patanjali, of course, not
   Shankara. However, Shankara's most famous work
   (at least in the West) is titled The Crest
   Jewel of Discrimination.