Bill, I agree with your conclusion, but what's your point? I do remember some discussion on madness vis-a-vis 'enlightenment', but what specifically are you implying here? That 'enlightened' people would be considered mad by 'normal' society?
...Bill! --- In [email protected], William Rintala <brintala@...> wrote: > > Madness: > > Anandamayi Ma - would be found rolling around on the floor of her kitchen > while > the food she was preparing burned. For a long time she only ate 9 grains of > rice > a day. > > Ramana Maharshi - became so oblivious of his body the he didn't wash, his > hair > grew matted, his finger nails curled over and he only ate if someone put food > in > his hands. > > Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa - became obsessed with the Godess Kali and would > not > eat or sleep. He had a vision that took over his normal waking > consciousness. > Uncertain whether he was living in a hallucination. He felt burning > sensations > all over his body and his health began to fail. > > > Bhagawan Nityananda - was seen following a cow and as the cow defecated he > would > catch the poop and eat it. > > I'm just saying that these behaviors would get you locked up or > hospitalized here in the States. > >  Bill > > > > > Find what makes your heart singâ¦and do it! > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Bill! <BillSmart@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Wed, September 5, 2012 10:16:42 PM > Subject: [Zen] Re: Be Love Now > >  > Bill, > > That depends on how you define 'madness'. > > Severing your attachment to logic/reason/rationality is a precursor to > experiencing Buddha Nature, and I think it is also a requirement. > > ...and that's what I've been saying for the past 30 or so posts! > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], William Rintala <brintala@> wrote: > > > > I've read, all that I have been able to find, everything written by Ram > > Dass > > (born, Richard Alpert), from "Be Here Now" through "The Only DanceàThere > > Is" > >to > > > > his most recent book "Be Love Now".àHis workà"Be Here Now", 40 years > >ago,àwas > > > > my starting pointàon the journey that has lead me to this forum.àHis > > new > >book > > > > rehashes a lot of stuff that was in his earlier works. What's new isàthe > > last > > > section where he presents the lives of several Hindu Saints. In each case > > the > > Saintàdisplayed behavior that I think would get most of us locked up in > > a > >padded > > > > cell or admitted to an ICU and put on heavy doses of medications.àIt > > seems, > > however, that this crisis was essential for the Saint to becomeàfully > >realized.à> > > > In reading about them I am remindedàof the story ofàEckhart Tolle's > > biography > > > > where "àFor the best part of two years in the early 1980s a man in his > > mid-30s > > > > would sit on a park bench in Russell Square, central London, and in a state > > of > > > deep bliss watch the world go by."àDescriptions sound almost as if he > > had had > >a > > > > schizophrenic break.à> > > > > > My question to the Forum is "is madness a precursor to enlightenment?" > > > > Bill not Bill! > > > > > > > > > > Find what makes your heart singââ¬Â¦and do it! > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
