Gangaji

[steve]

Hi, why no review of Gangaji, or Baba Hari Dass?

[Peter]

Hi Steve

Well Shawn is a busy guy, so maybe he hasn't got around to it yet or maybe he just hasn't heard of them. Did you read this page about the teacher ratings? www.spiritualteachers.org/ratings_explanation.htm

On that page he says he welcomes suggestions for new teacher to review. It's only one guy doing it and he works on lots of other projects at the same time. Even Hyper Celebrity New Age Media-Darling Eckhart Tolle only got a review recently so more obscure teachers will presumably have to wait their turn! The other members of this discussion board have no editorial input.

Gangaji looks interesting, was there anything particularly profound you've found in her writings that you could quote, or have you seen her speak in person? I did my usual thing with a Wikipedia search
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangaji

But in this case it was the discussion page I found more interesting than the main article!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Gangaji

Claims of lack of neutrality and conflict of interest.

Cheers, and Happy New Year All!
Peter

[carla jo wilson]

Jan 3, 2009 22:34:43 GMT -5 steven said:

Hi, why no review of Gangaji, or Baba Hari Dass?[/Aquote]Another "teacher" talking to minds only yet insisting all rid themselves of that which only they are. Mind cannot go beyond itself when that's all there is to work with. Its like asking someone to bake a cake using a washing machine. It simply can;t be done. awakening is a natural and spontaneous process of evolution which cannot be attained through any technique.

[valleyvintner]

The comment posted by Guest Carla Jo is fortunately mistaken. Awakening certainly is natural and spontaneous and can very demonstrably be induced by any number of techniques. The likeliest reason for this is the brain's neuroplasticity, so newly discovered and yet so profoundly relevant to the concerns of this board. It takes about five weeks for the brain to form new cognitive pathways and about six months to grow new neurons to enable them permanently. These time periods fit strikingly into the time scale, for example, of serious Zen practice in the traditional temple environment.

[Kramer]

Ya, I must agree. While it is a valid argument that awakening is a "next stage" in the evolution of humans, this step isn't spontaneous like those that preceded it, at least in my own opinion. This is the first time in the history of humanity that our next evolved form is a chosen and voluntary process. Crazy side note: C.S. Lewis predicts this occurence in "Mere Christianity" almost 50 years ago. Since then, Eckhart Tole has talked about "evolving" spiritually, along with Miguel Angel Ruiz. I'm not sure on the science behind it... But I'm of the opinion that "awakening" is a voluntary (albeit difficult) act.