Comment below:
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, coshlnx [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
re: previous post asking about the new Advaitins and if there's
anything negative that can be said about them. I call them Neo-
Advaitins.
Most are non-progressivists in the traditions of Ramana Maharshi and
Nisargadatta Maharaj. HWL Poonja, a disciple of RM, has spawned a
sizeable brood of these creatures. There are numerous links to other
Neo-Advaitins such as Gangaji, Ramesh Balsekar, etc.
HWL Poonja's message is that you should give up all techniques and
just BE! As you might expect, he doesn't approve of TM, since TM is
accompanied by a progressivist orientation (which I agree with);
which arises in the context of talking about the physiological
counterpart to Enlightenment. That is, culturing the nervous system
is the physical unstressing counterpart to linear evolution. Year
1,2,3...of practicing TM brings on a greater accumulation of benefits
of a progressive nature: more global awareness, less stress, etc;
and, although it's quite possible for somebody to become Enlightened
immediately in the presence of somebody like Ramana Maharshi (as HWL
Poonja was apparently, according to his own testimony), it's
statistically unlikely.
An alternative explanation for the anti-technique viewpoints of the
Neo-Advaitins is simply that they are total dunces when it comes to
the technology of evolution .
Two questions are important here: (at least)
1. What is the result of following such a Guru (as any of the Neo-
Advaitins). Do they turn you on spiritually speaking? If so, how and
what are some concrete results.
2. Are there factual errors in their statements?
3. Does the worldview of reality presented by such persons as Ramesh
Balsekar mesh with your own conceptions/observations on reality?
I recommend that you read The Euphoric Nihilism of Ramesh Balsekar -
by Chris Parish, and editor at What is enlightenment Magazine.
You can find it at
http://www.tinyurl.com/74qbj
Other article on Ramesh Balsekar (a typical Neo-Advaitin) may be
found at
http://www.tinyurl.com/a22qt and
http://www.tinyurl.com/au8kv
This should give you an idea of what the Neo-Advaitins are all
about!...
**END**
Thanks for the recommendations. I am not personally interested in
other gurus or teachings per se; or to the small extent I am,
certainly not enough (at least at this time) to follow through on a
comparative study of lineages and heretical and semi-heretical
offshoots of same.
What I was relating was my own feelings regarding what I'd learn from
stumbling across Nisargadatta, whose teachings I find both resonant
with and wholly in concordance with what I'd understood from
Maharishi's earlier teachings when his emphasis was on
self-realization through meditation and transcendence.
One's path, even within an established lineage, is one's own and for
those of us in the west with our mutts' dharma the trajectory of our
search can appear pretty erratic. That's certainly been my
experience. However, I'm always reminded of something I remember
Maharishi saying, I believe at Humboldt in '71, that if one's
intention is to go to Boston, then even if one doesn't know where
Boston is and even if one heads off in the opposite direction,
nevertheless one is completely on the path to Boston. The intention
rules. Even more so with the path to the Self, yes?
As regards the tricks and manipulations of the ego, as Vaj has made
the cautionary note, you can only be earnest in your intention and
deal with all the pitfalls that come your way as they happen or as you
become aware of them beforehand and take steps to avoid them. We're
all just doing the best we can by the light we're given and to the
degree that it illuminates our actions and provides for insight.
This forum has provided a lot of light and a lot of insight. I've
certainly appreciated most everyone's comments and posts.
Thanks.
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