|
|
Post by zendancer on Sept 7, 2009 10:02:03 GMT -5
Divinity: Ramana Maharshi was an Indian sage who died about fifty years ago. He had a huge influence upon people all over the world. His story is very unusual. He was an ordinary soccer-loving teen-ager who, at the age of sixteen, suddenly reflected upon his own death. He went to his room, lay down on the floor, died (so to speak) and then woke up. AAR, he had a strange experience that made him realize that who he was beneath the facade of a personal identity. Shortly thereafter, he ran away from home, rode a train to the holy mountain of Arunachula, found a local temple, sat down, started meditating, and fell into a deep samadhi. Local people brought him food and began to recognize him as a kind of saint. He stayed in samadhi so long that his body became stuck to the ground and he ended up somewhat crippled as a result. He remained totally silent for more than seven years, but even after he came out of samadhi, he didn't speak. His family heard about him and his mother eventually moved to the mountain. People would come to see him and simply by sitting in his presence find that their problems were resolved. As time went by, he began to give short teachings, but they all boiled down to, "Question who you are." He advised self-inquiry as the fastest way to wake up. Later, he mellowed a bit and advised people who couldn't directly apprehend the truth through inquiry to meditate. He never left Arunachula and a huge ashram grew up around him where he attracted thousands of followers. Gandhi was a contemporary of his and Gandhi often told government officials to go sit with Ramana to help clear their minds. There are all kinds of miraculous stories associated with his life and teachings. One of his students who became enlightened was Poonjaji, who later helped the American teacher, Gangaji, wake up. He had many other enlightened disciples as well. This is a short simplified version of his life, and I would suggest you read one of the many books about him, particularly "The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi." Like the Buddha, he could sometimes wake people up just by silently looking at them. His ashram still exists and he has millions of people around the world who regard him as a saint.
|
|
|
|
Post by vacant on Sept 7, 2009 10:28:04 GMT -5
Great validation! Thank you ZenD. Good to cast away doubt or hesitation.
|
|
|
|
Post by thecoolone68 on Sept 7, 2009 23:56:51 GMT -5
I'm starting a non-profit human development organization called
The Children of One. A member will be a person with an open
mind and who is seeking to recreate his or herself anew. One
who is seeking the greatest version of the greatest vision they
have about themselves mentallay, spiritually, physically,
emotionally and professionally. Diversity and transparency will
be a main theme. My goal is to create a beautiful utopian
landmark where one can come and be totally healthy and totally
happy. If there is anyone out there interested in joining me on
this journey just let me know, I am open minded and open to any
suggestions and conversations
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter on Sept 8, 2009 4:10:24 GMT -5
Hi thecoolone, welcome to the board.
Is that like "The Cool One"?
What's your plan for this organisation - have you got any sort of route or objective mapped out?
Is your first task to gather a following?
What do you see this landmark consisting of - will it be a physical place, if so, where?
What are your influences? Have you had much contact with other personal development organisations, and if so, which ones?
Kind Regards,
Peter
|
|
|
|
Post by lightmystic on Sept 8, 2009 14:35:44 GMT -5
Very well described. That was the process for me as well.... Vacant: "Is this a genuine inner call or a tricky ego fooling me....?" That's a good koan, but I'll save you the time of solving it. Don;t second guess yourself. As one of my favorite Zen Masters used to say, "Only go straight, 100%, don;t know!" In other words, trust however it is you are being called, and go into the unknown like a warrior. If you're called to read Nisargadatta, just do it. If you're called to meditate, just do it. If you're called to stand on your head, just do it. LOL. In this way you'll develop trust in the intuitive intelligence of your body. The more often you act without reflection in response to an inner call, the easier it will be to act like that in the future. After a while, you'll stop second-guessing what's happening and you'll become psychologically unified. You'll be able to confidently stand in your truth regardless of what anyone else thinks. Keep in mind the Nike commercial---just do it! |
|
|
|
Post by souley on Sept 8, 2009 14:50:30 GMT -5
Now right there I think is an important question: is this a genuine inner call or a tricky ego fooling my judgment to take me away from practices that DO bring some results which this tricky ego doesn't welcome? In other words, am I making excuses in order to keep the ignorant dream going? See what I mean? Do you feel upset, bitter, resentful, judgemental, fear of getting sick, lack of meaning, moodswings, or any other kind of egoistic resistance-to-life patterns at any time? I know I do. There is always a lot of theoretical talk about what is ego trick and genuine and stuff like that. But one good way of going about it is to really see the *** mess that you really are. And eventually you will question who is it really that believes there is someone who needs to be sorted out. I think Tolle is very clear on this, but he is brutal.. I'm surprised he is so popular  Not really a reply to your post, and I know I go on and on about this but sorting out the resistances, has really proven extremely effective for me. WHY do you feel that a situation that already IS, should have been any different? Is it not a totally insane thing to do, how could anything that already has happened ever be different? It is silly impossible. What is causing this unneccessary resistance? Small things, big things, bus being late, work sucks. It is pure suffering.. And they are just habits, as LM, anonji and zendancer have been discussing lately, and it needs to be seen for the stupid thing that it really is, so that it can just go away over time. An intellectual pseudo-world where it is believed that resistance to what already is, can change anything. For me this happens constantly, every day. It is just there, waiting for you to use it as a tool. Suffering is the way we learn when we don't want to learn. |
|
|
|
Post by vacant on Sept 9, 2009 11:39:39 GMT -5
Well yes, occasionally probably all of the above, but I am relieved to say that I tend to take those afflictions less and less seriously. As I was saying above I try to apply advise I get from the writings of sages and great support from this board, and first recognize resistances for what they are, and if possible just drop them and drop them and drop them some more. I can get into stages where I feel a bit zombiefied, but not bad, and feel some sort of freeing process. Of course there are some days when thoughts and emotions get particularly sticky, bummer type days, but I know I just have to roll with the punches and not identify, then things get clearer (perhaps only the next day)
Funny you should say that because my point is that I don't really, and my "practice" is very much about relaxing into seeing and appreciating that all is just fine as it is -through steering clear of resistances– My blindness to it is the only thing not fine and only exists in my delusion. So we might be saying the same thing in different words.
Thanks Souley.
|
|
|
|
Post by souley on Sept 10, 2009 14:39:31 GMT -5
I just got the urge to write that, probably because of my own issues, and the annoyance I get about all of them. And the total idiocy of being annoyed about being annoyed! And I love how you say that you return to seeing because that is exactly what I do. When it gets really rough (my work tends to create really pressured situations), I try to just create some clear space for the real to shine through. The trust in that just grows and grows, and it is just beautiful to see:)
You say thanks to me, and all I feel is an enormous gratitude towards you. It may have something to do with our process, but I don't know and really don't have an interest to know either! Like someNOTHING said, and I readily picked up: Waahoooo!
|
|
|
|
Post by divinity on Sept 11, 2009 16:47:44 GMT -5
Zendancer... thanks for the quick bio. I am amazed I never heard of him!
That's the way with the truly ascended... people flock to them. They never have to do anything but BE.
|
|
|
|
Post by divinity on Sept 11, 2009 20:38:17 GMT -5
Actually I just googled him and then recognized him from a Nisargadatta site. I think he was Nisargadatta's inspiration?
|
|
|
|
Post by freedom1 on Sept 20, 2009 19:20:39 GMT -5
Is it to realize that being fed doesn't make us happy for very long?
|
|
|
|
Post by divinity on Sept 20, 2009 20:50:20 GMT -5
Do you mean that conforming to the beliefs and dogma of others is like eating Chinese food and right away you're hungry again?
|
|
|
|
Post by freedom1 on Sept 20, 2009 21:40:12 GMT -5
That's a good point. I was thinking along the lines of when we are born into this world we are love in perfection. The first time we get hungry we cry and become dependent on the one that feeds us. Is it at this point that love begins to be obscured, or the ego or thought is created?
|
|
|
|
Post by lightmystic on Sept 21, 2009 10:16:59 GMT -5
I would like to suggest, based on my experience, that we have never been anything other than love in perfection. We just got confused. I find that these beliefs in separate individuality actually go lifetimes and lifetimes, which is why they are so ingrained and difficult to see through. Alot of the difficulty is also the threat of death that not being a separate person can seem to imply. Obviously, these things run much deeper than an intellectual level, so we are talking about a deep, gut/visceral emotional level at the core of our being. It's on THAT level that these misconceptions get formed and we blindly believe them so intently that it's very very difficult to stop and actually see what's been going on this whole time. Do you see what I'm saying? That's a good point. I was thinking along the lines of when we are born into this world we are love in perfection. The first time we get hungry we cry and become dependent on the one that feeds us. Is it at this point that love begins to be obscured, or the ego or thought is created? |
|
|
|
Post by freedom1 on Sept 21, 2009 13:56:14 GMT -5
Agreed that we are love in perfection and it is a matter of confusion, just didn't say it that well. It seems we come it to this world without confusion, and the confusion then obscures the awareness of the love we are. My real question is does the confusion begin the first time we become hungry? Is the confusion we experience from the fact that the ego expects love to flow in before flowing out rather than simply flowing out, unconditionally? From different sources there is much ado about fasting, eat the bread of life and you will not be hungry, the apple in the Garden of Eden, etc. Does hunger create the ego which creates the illusion that love must flow in?
|
|
