--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter Sutphen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It just seemed to be an awful lot of chatter about > something that is quite simple. It was in serious > jest. Be still (ala Ramana Maharishi) >
Chatter? Oh dear, now I am insulted :). Peter baby, that's what this group is all about, talking it out. Running to "no-self" everytime the complexity level goes up is no solution. This is the realm of personality and my personality feeds on figuring out the way things work. One end of the spectrum is silent me-less knowing and the other end is dynamic intellectual interaction which I would say is part of the process of self discovering Self. You know the analogy put forth by Akasha the other day about how the individual conductor is madly conducting while the symphony cannot even see him and plays its music regardless of the individuals efforts is usefull to get the attention off of self importance and merge with the whole but it is an incomplete picture. We are left with the question of why does God need to do anything at all? God does not need to do anything but we as individuals do, and we are created in the image of God. God needs to do through us, we are God expressing itself, we are God getting confused in the diversity of creation. It's a personal universe. Isn't this demonstrated in the inner exercise that you described earlier, where one focuses on I as the trailmarker that leads one to the grand "I", I unbounded, ego exploded to an all encompassing status not some selfless automaton of creation just spinning its 1000 monkey story off into infinity. One more thing; that "be still" comment...I take that as very condenscending. Of course maybe that's just me. Rick Carlstrom > --- Rick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter Sutphen > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > (snipped it) > > > > > Rick, you need to visit Ramana Maharishi. > > > > > > > > > Peter, I am beginning to think that you do not > > understand what I am > > talking about. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first > > time...maybe you > > need to visit Ramana Maharishi... > > > > > > 1879 Tiruchuzli - Tiruvannamalai 1950 > > Born in the outskirts of Madura, South India, > > Venkatraman Aiyer > > studied at the town's American high school. He later > > confided to his > > followers: "I have read nothing. My knowledge is > > limited to what I > > learned before the age of 14 . . . All my studying > > was done in > > former existences and I have had enough of it." At > > the age of 17 he > > was sitting peacefully in his room when suddenly he > > was overwhelmed > > by the terrifying experience of his own death. He > > then 'contemplated' the divine source of his being, > > the immortal "I" > > as opposed to the temporary and changeable 'Me'. > > > > > > A Death Experienced > > "It was in 1896, about 6 weeks before I left Madurai > > for good (to go > > to Tiruvannamalai - Arunachala for good) that this > > great change in > > my life took place. I was sitting alone in a room on > > the first floor > > of my uncle's house. I seldom had any sickness and > > on that day there > > was nothing wrong with my health but a sudden > > violent fear of death > > overtook me. There was nothing in my state of health > > to account for > > it nor was there any urge in me to find out whether > > there was any > > account for the fear. I just felt I was going to die > > and began > > thinking what to do about it. It did not occur to me > > to consult a > > doctor or any elders or friends. I felt I had to > > solve the problem > > myself then and there. > > > > > > The shock of the fear of death drove my mind inwards > > and I said to > > myself mentally, without actually framing the words: > > "Now death has > > come; what does it mean? What is that called dying? > > This body dies." > > And at once I dramatised the occurrence of death. I > > lay with my > > limbs stretched out still as though rigor mortis has > > set in, and > > imitated a corpse so as to give greater reality to > > the enquiry. I > > held my breath and kept my lips tightly closed so > > that no sound > > could escape, and that neither the word "I" nor any > > word could be > > uttered. "Well then," I said to myself, this body is > > dead. It will > > be carried stiff to the burning ground and there > > burn and reduced to > > ashes. But with the death of the body, am I dead? Is > > the body I? It > > is silent and inert, but I feel the full force of my > > personality and > > even the voice of I within me, apart from it. So I > > am the Spirit > > transcending the body. The body dies but the spirit > > transcending it > > cannot be touched by death. That means I am the > > deathless Spirit. > > All this was not dull thought; it flashed through me > > vividly as > > living truths which I perceived directly almost > > without thought > > process. "I" was something real, the only real thing > > about my > > present state, and all the conscious activity > > connected with the > > body was centered on that "I". From that moment > > onwards, the "I" or > > Self focussed attention on itself by a powerful > > fascination. Fear of > > death vanished once and for all. The ego was lost in > > the flood of > > Self awareness. Absorption continued in the Self > > continued unbroken > > from that time. Other thought might come and go like > > the various > > notes of music, but the "I" continued like the > > fundamental sruti > > [that which is heard] note which underlies and > > blends with all other > > notes. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Or go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > > and click 'Join This Group!' > > Yahoo! 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