Bill, How is the Facebook group doing? Compared to this one?
Edgar On Sep 8, 2012, at 1:35 AM, Bill! wrote: > Merle, > > Edgar and I are Co-Moderators. A guy named Al is the 'Owner' of the Yahoo! > Zen Forum. He doesn't participate here much now and basically handed it all > over to Edgar and me. > > Al and I also have created and Co-Moderate the Zen Forum on Facebook. > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> 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! > > > > > > > > > > >
