http://www.ex-cult.org/Groups/Rama/rama-appendix-1.html
On May 16, 2005, at 10:48 AM, off_world_beings wrote: > Who is this Rama guy? Was he an Indian or a Westerner. What did he > look like? > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter Sutphen > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Thanks for the response Unc. I've enjoyed reading >> about your experiences with him. Quite amazing stuff. >> -Peter >> >> --- TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>>> You may have missed out. I worked with a >>> spiritual >>>>> teacher who took his students to Disneyland >>> often. >>>>> http://ramalila.net/RoadTripMind/rtm13.html >>>> >>>> Unc, how have you "come to terms (if that's the >>> right >>>> term)" with your powerful experiences with Rama >>> and >>>> his rather bizarre death and less than >>> "enlightened" >>>> behavior at times? >>>> -Peter >>> >>> In two words, "Shit happens." >>> >>> I had already left his study a couple of years >>> before >>> he died, and thus wasn't as affected by it as a lot >>> of >>> folks who hung in there to the end. I don't really >>> know >>> anything about the "whys" of it all; it's a koan. I >>> spent >>> some time pondered it in one of the stories I wrote, >>> at: >>> http://ramalila.net/RoadTripMind/rtm53.html >>> >>> As I suggested in a recent post, for many reasons I >>> do >>> not believe in the idea that the enlightened are >>> perfect >>> and don't make mistakes. I don't think they're any >>> different than anyone else, except on the level of >>> subjec- >>> tive realization. So I have no tendency to suggest >>> that >>> odd or questionable behavior means that someone >>> wasn't >>> enlightened. All it suggests to me is that they >>> indulge >>> in odd or questionable behavior. So did many >>> teachers >>> whom history regards as enlightened. Big deal. >>> >>> I'm also not a person who is terribly impressed by >>> the >>> ability to perform siddhis, and wasn't when I met >>> the Rama >>> guy. I got to see and experience some neat stuff, >>> and >>> enjoyed it, but I did not then and do not now make >>> any >>> link between being able to, say, levitate and turn >>> invisible >>> and do fascinating things with light and that >>> person's state >>> of consciousness. The main thing that impressed me >>> about >>> the guy was his ability to meditate. When you sat >>> with him >>> in the early days, it was just silence -- pure >>> samadhi. It >>> was *impossible* to have a thought. All the other >>> stuff >>> was bells and whistles, IMO. >>> >>> To be honest, not all of his students felt as I did. >>> They >>> definitely consider the enlightened perfect by >>> definition, >>> so his suicide fucked with their heads Big-Time. If >>> you >>> believe that your teacher is enlightened and that >>> the enlight- >>> ened are by definition perfect, then you have to >>> jump through >>> a lot of mental hoops to justify suicide. I'm not >>> much in >>> touch with them, so I can't tell you how they've >>> come to >>> terms with things. >>> >>> For me, it was a wild and wacky Mister Toad ride >>> that I shall >>> always be thankful for but don't spend a lot of time >>> missing >>> or even thinking about. Right here and now is too >>> wild and >>> wacky and wonderful to leave much time for that. >>> >>> Unc >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> To subscribe, send a message to: >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> Or go to: >>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ >>> and click 'Join This Group!' >>> Yahoo! Groups Links >>> >>> >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> >> __________________________________ >> Yahoo! Mail Mobile >> Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. >> http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!' > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
