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Post by siftingtothetruth on Apr 12, 2019 15:01:45 GMT -5
It's scholarly and entitled: "Non-Traditional Modern Advaita Gurus in the West and Their Traditional Modern Advaita Critics" by Phillip Charles Lucas. ABSTRACT: The Modern Advaita movement has undergone a split between two factions: one remains committed to a more traditional articulation of Advaita Vedanta, and the other has departed in significant ways from this traditional spiritual system. Over the past fifteen years, the Traditional Modern Advaita (TMA) faction has launched sustained and wide-ranging criticism of Non-Traditional Modern Advaita (NTMA) teachers and teachings. This article identifies the main themes of TMA criticisms and interprets their significance using insights from the social sciences and history of religions. I suggest that some reconfiguring of the Advaita tradition is necessary as it expands in transnational directions, since the structures of intelligibility from one culture to another are rarely congruent. Indeed, adaptation, accommodation and reconfiguration are normal and natural processes for religious traditions expanding beyond their indigenous cultural matrices. In the end, the significant questions for Advaita missionaries to the West may be how much accommodation is prudent, how rapidly reconfiguration should take place, and what adaptations are necessary for their spiritual methodology not only to survive but also thrive in new cultural settings.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2019 10:29:26 GMT -5
It's scholarly and entitled: "Non-Traditional Modern Advaita Gurus in the West and Their Traditional Modern Advaita Critics" by Phillip Charles Lucas. ABSTRACT: The Modern Advaita movement has undergone a split between two factions: one remains committed to a more traditional articulation of Advaita Vedanta, and the other has departed in significant ways from this traditional spiritual system. Over the past fifteen years, the Traditional Modern Advaita (TMA) faction has launched sustained and wide-ranging criticism of Non-Traditional Modern Advaita (NTMA) teachers and teachings. This article identifies the main themes of TMA criticisms and interprets their significance using insights from the social sciences and history of religions. I suggest that some reconfiguring of the Advaita tradition is necessary as it expands in transnational directions, since the structures of intelligibility from one culture to another are rarely congruent. Indeed, adaptation, accommodation and reconfiguration are normal and natural processes for religious traditions expanding beyond their indigenous cultural matrices. In the end, the significant questions for Advaita missionaries to the West may be how much accommodation is prudent, how rapidly reconfiguration should take place, and what adaptations are necessary for their spiritual methodology not only to survive but also thrive in new cultural settings. I see both sides of this debate. In fact, my sensei was excommunicted by the Zen heiarchy for his radical views. He was Japanese, but recognized Zen practice had to adapt to the new culture. He was a stickler for hard practice, but thought the notion of dharma transmission antiquated and no longer useful. Though I think overall it's relatively easy for Soto to be "transplanted." I can see problems with socalled neo-advata, when Unmani argues that "practice" gives one the notion that unpleasant things can be removed by it, it is obvious she has little experiene. This is one of the first notions, or expectations that falls away. If you're stressed and hope to relieve stress with your meditation practice, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you're set up with that false notion, the stress is likely to amplify. This is why many people quit prematurely. But I have a difficult time with East versus West distinctions. After all, we've all evolved from the same group of hominids in Africa. Our languages have similar roots. In my view this is a false distinction. There is no such thing and though I have respect for scripture, whose to say new writings might not be equally revered. I'm with Jesus on this one. Ultimately, the "fruit" will tell if the tree is good.
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Post by satchitananda on Apr 13, 2019 11:01:04 GMT -5
If you're stressed and hope to relieve stress with your meditation practice, you'll be sorely disappointed. Really? That's what's a calmer mind would tend to do and I would say the evidence points to the contrary.
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Post by zendancer on Apr 13, 2019 11:30:59 GMT -5
If you're stressed and hope to relieve stress with your meditation practice, you'll be sorely disappointed. Really? That's what's a calmer mind would tend to do and I would say the evidence points to the contrary. I agree. I started meditating to attain some peace of mind, and the results were rather striking in a short period of time. Dan Harris, the news anchor, wrote a book titled "10% Happier, How I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without losing my edge, and found self-help that actually works." I can think of dozens of other meditators who have had the same sort of experience--not to mention all of the many insights (including SR) that may occur as a result of becoming internally silent.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2019 11:42:42 GMT -5
If you're stressed and hope to relieve stress with your meditation practice, you'll be sorely disappointed. Really? That's what's a calmer mind would tend to do and I would say the evidence points to the contrary. My experience is that over the long haul you're likely to be less stressed, but if you're stressed now and expect immediate relef, you'll be disappointed. It's not like turning on the tap.
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Post by satchitananda on Apr 13, 2019 11:54:00 GMT -5
Really? That's what's a calmer mind would tend to do and I would say the evidence points to the contrary. My experience is that over the long haul you're likely to be less stressed, but if you're stressed now and expect immediate relef, you'll be disappointed. It's not like turning on the tap. Yes that's a fair point. It does take time to mature and of course it affects different people differently. Have you found that too much effort can have a detrimental effect on that calmness.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2019 11:56:02 GMT -5
Really? That's what's a calmer mind would tend to do and I would say the evidence points to the contrary. I agree. I started meditating to attain some peace of mind, and the results were rather striking in a short period of time. Dan Harris, the news anchor, wrote a book titled "10% Happier, How I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without losing my edge, and found self-help that actually works." I can think of dozens of other meditators who have had the same sort of experience--not to mention all of the many insights (including SR) that may occur as a result of becoming internally silent. No doubt meditation quiets the mind. My statement about it wasn't clear maybe. If you tell a beginner who is experiencing a stressful situation that if he goes and meditates, it'll go away. You're setting them up to fail. They will not be immediately gratified. There's no such thing in the world of meditation. No wonder Rinzai people are crazy. No EXPECTATIONS. No DELUSIONS.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2019 12:02:15 GMT -5
My experience is that over the long haul you're likely to be less stressed, but if you're stressed now and expect immediate relef, you'll be disappointed. It's not like turning on the tap. Yes that's a fair point. It does take time to mature and of course it affects different people differently. Have you found that too much effort can have a detrimental effect on that calmness. Yes. There was a time I was meditating fours a day. Two one hour sessions in the morning and two in the evening. All it did is send me to the chiropractor after a few months. It was a competitive sport for me at this point.
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