> That Ruth can really lay it down, can't she Curtis? She's become my favorite writer > here....bumping you from the top peg wasn't easy brother!
I was a fan from her first posts here! I don't mind being "bumped' by her...er...well...you know what I mean! > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "ruthsimplicity" > > <ruthsimplicity@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, boyboy_8 <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > I too am no expert in the vagueries of mantra meanings. The > > > > > > point is that they are phrases...meaningless sounds whose > > > > > > meaning is known? > > > > > > > > > > (Semantically) meaningless sounds whose *effects* > > > > > are known. > > > > > > > > I'm not sure how anyone could know this Judy. I mean, we can probably > > > > rule out a history of trying a bunch of different sounds > > > > experimentally and watching some people have bad experiences or have > > > > harm come to them right? So we are really just dealing with a level > > > > of belief, tradition, and I suspect a bit of a marketing hype here > > > > aren't we? I say this because I don't understand how we could > > > > possibly know if using one mantra over another has any different > > > > effect. And I don't see anything in the Vedic literature that > > > > indicates an experimental attitude towards them. > > > > > > > > So mantra's "effects" are still an intangible for me. What effects? > > > > Compared to what? > > > > > > > > It seems as if the claim that the effects of the whole process of > > > > meditation is "known", but not the mantras on their own, especially > > > > when compared to using some other sound. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maybe the meaning is that they invoke an energy whose > > > > > > association is known and is found within Indian religious > > > > > > systems? > > > > > > > > > > Or within *all* religious systems, i.e., within > > > > > human experience. > > > > > > > > > The whole magic of the mantras doesn't ring true to me. To say they > > > "invoke an energy whose association is known" "within all religious > > > systems, i.e., within human experience" is a big leap to take. First > > > of all, why should India be blessed with this knowledge and no one > > > else? I have heard some say the knowledge was lost, but really, there > > > is no evidence for that other than the say so of some people. So, we > > > are back to taking things on faith. > > > > > > I just no longer am buying the idea that TM is the one with the > > > "right" mantras and by the way, not only are the TM mantras the right > > > mantras they are always the right mantras. And the only way you can > > > get them is to purchase them. > > > > > > WTF? Why did I ever believe that to be the case? I am suddenly amazed > > > at myself. > > > > > >
