Merle, We both are moderators...
New member's posts have to be sent to moderators to be approved which causes a delay but that approval period doesn't last very long. I've not had to approve any posts in the last week or so. The delays are most likely just because people post responses from different time zones on the other side of reality. When I post something it usually appears in my inbox almost immediately... Edgar On Sep 8, 2012, at 12:59 AM, Merle Lester wrote: > > > bill you are the moderator or edgar?..merle > > Everyone, > > I just wanted everyone to know that we have many members on this form from > all over the world. I live in Thailand. Merle lives in Australia and Anthony > lives in Singapore (I think). Most of you do live in the USA. > > The good part about all this is we get a GREAT cross-section of topics and > discussions. The bad part is some of the replies are delayed as Bill > complains about below. > > I don't know anyway to fix this. We'll just have to learn to live with it. > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], William Rintala <brintala@...> wrote: > > > > Merle: > > > > I'm not sure why you are asking that. One of my biggest problems with > > this > > email group is the time delay between posts and responses. > > > > My original question was :  "is madness a precursor to enlightenment?" > > > > To which Bill! responded : That depends on how you define 'madness'. > > > > So I needed the time to research the original scenerios that prompted my > > question. Rereading the sections of the book " Be Love Now" that told > > tales of > > these Hindu saints took me some time. The behavior seemed so bizarre that > > I > > felt if similar scenes were acted out here in the United States these > > people > > would have been heavily medicated. Epilepsy, Anorexia, > > Psychosis/Schizophrenia, > > Pica... . These people are revered as realized beings, of having done what > > we > > are speaking about, albeit, not in a Zen fashion. The author goes on to say > > that > > "Indians put up with such behavior within the context of divine madness, > > the > > unpredictable nature of someone beyond body consciousness.". > > > > > > > >  Bill > > > > > > > > > > Find what makes your heart sing…and do it! > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> > > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > Sent: Fri, September 7, 2012 6:01:18 PM > > Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: Be Love Now > > > >  > > > > > >  and killing people for a cause is not madness...????? merle > >  > > 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 sing…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 Dance > > > There Is" > > >to > > > > > > his most recent book "Be Love Now". His work "Be Here Now", 40 > > > years > > >ago, was > > > > > > my starting point on the journey that has lead me to this forum. > > > His new > > >book > > > > > > rehashes a lot of stuff that was in his earlier works. What's new is > > > the last > > > > > section where he presents the lives of several Hindu Saints. In each case > > > the > > > Saint displayed 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. It > > > seems, > > > however, that this crisis was essential for the Saint to become fully > > >realized. > > > > > > In reading about them I am reminded of the story of Eckhart Tolle's > > > biography > > > > > > where " For 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." Descriptions sound almost as if he > > > had had > > >a > > > > > > schizophrenic break. > > > > > > > > > My question to the Forum is "is madness a precursor to enlightenment?" > > > > > > Bill not Bill! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Find what makes your heart sing…and do it! > > > > > > > > > >
