I spent a summer once living directly across from Mt. Athos where my sister has a summer home, and could feel the silence. I'd have loved to visit them, but, of course, that would have been impossible. They don't even allow female animals on their island.
But again, you cannot assume that what's made public is all there is in the Western monastic tradition. There are several stories of levitation (not hopping--levitation) in that tradition. Christ is the membrane over the Absolute. Don't quote me. It's only one way to see the reality. Mind, too, that I am fairly convinced that the man, Jesus, ever existed, at least not as told in the stories. One of the popes early on remarked, "The myth of Jesus has certainly been useful." I'd agree on a number of counts. --- endlessrainintoapapercup <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I read a wonderful book once, The > Mountain of Silence, about the monks > on Mt. Athos. So much bliss and purity > and miracle stories that reminded me > of the delightful tales of Himalayan > yogis..bilocating, levitating, manifesting. > And such joyful innocence and > compassion, like that of Tibetan > monks. The eastern church has a > much more mystical tradition than > the west...one that takes the disciple > into deep union with Christ. The > proof is always in the pudding, and > Christian monastic traditions have > made lots of good pudding through > the years. I think that every mystic > and seeker of enlightenment in any > tradition reaches a point where they > have to "rediscover" the path, whether > or not the lineages remain intact. No > one can carry us to God. We cross > that final stretch alone, in faith, and > by virtue of our complete and > unwavering desire/attention. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela > Mailander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > You are making at least eight unwarranted > assumptions: > > > > 1. Maharishi saw nothing inferior about the > technique > > I'd been practicing for twenty-five years by the > time > > I talked to him--on the contrary--"Verry good, > verry > > good" was his constant refrain to my account. > > > > 2. Just because a technique is monastic doesn't > mean > > it's useless. If a monastic order persists, and > they > > have for more than a thousand years, then you > cannot > > assume that they are useless or that there is no > > succession of oral transmission--again on the > > contrary. Monasticism is certainly a good way to > > preserve "the purity of the teaching." They are, > > PERHAPS, not so useful in creating a 1% effect. > But > > whether a time is right for such an effect is > another > > question. > > > > 3. Just because you see no evidence in the bios of > > saints of this succession doesn't mean that there > > isn't one. > > > > 4. Just because enlightened individuals belonging > to > > some monastic tradition aren't famous doesn't mean > > that the monasteries aren't crawling with them. > > Remember, too, that a monastery is not just an > order > > of a brotherhood or a sisterhood. A monk or a nun > > don't necessarily belong to a monastic order. If > they > > belong to some teaching order or nursing order > etc., > > they are not monastics. Monastic means "on a > path." > > Why these paths are kept secret is a very > interesting > > question. > > > > 5. I'm not so convinced by the authenticity of > > stigmatics, especially since it was revealed > recently > > that Padre Pio used acid to create his wounds and > keep > > them fresh. > > > > 6. My own friendship with Sister Angela (yup--she > was > > Angela, too) has absolutely convinced me that > there > > are ongoing traditions of what we're pleased to > call > > "masters" these days. I guess I'd have to call > Sister > > Angela a mistress. She'd get a good laugh out of > > that. > > > > 7. You cannot assume that published "spiritual > > exercises" are what's practiced in monasteries. > > > > 8. A concentration technique is not for > beginners, > > but after you've got the mind under control, there > are > > all kinds of techniques that would be > > counterproductive for beginners. > > > > > > --- holobuda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > ---Thanks, I've read all of the bios of Saints > > > available from the Tan > > > Publishing books. The Saints come forth > > > independently of each other > > > (seemingly); and I see no everpresent, ongoing > > > disciplic succession. > > > If you take any of the traditional Saints, you > will > > > find no > > > noteworthy physically embodied Teacher (aside > from > > > Jesus) - except in > > > some rare instances in which one Saint follows > > > another. Also, > > > various Saints seem to be attracted to > one-another > > > as in the example > > > of St. Francis and St. Clair. > > > However, the Saints you mention are very few > and > > > far between - > > > Meister Eickhart and Hildegard von Bingen and > these > > > two in particular > > > are famous as well in the non-religious > literature > > > of mysticism. > > > Again, such mystics (in contrast to the > tradition > > > Stigmatists for > > > example) are few in number and pop up rarely in > the > > > span of hundreds > > > of years. > > > The dearth in numbers of such exemplary Mystics > > > bolsters my > > > viewpoint that they arise as Flowers in a field, > > > independently of one- > > > another and there is no "secret" ongoing > Tradition > > > of Self-Realized > > > Saints in the Christian tradition. Indeed, the > > > methods used by such > > > Mystics are recorded in their own words. > > > But even if there are such secret techniques, > if > > > they are truly > > > secret then they're useless!. If they're > available, > > > then they are > > > still probably inferior to TM, and thus useless > > > again. > > > In regard to the many years of meditation you > > > practiced before > > > starting TM, consider the benefit of starting > from > > > day 1 with TM and > > > bypassing the inferior techniques. Thus, no > need > > > for any techniques > > > from the Mystical saints such as Hildegard, the > > > Meister; or the > > > traditional Catholic Saints who have recorded > their > > > Spiritual > > > exercises. > > > You are probably aware of various books such as > > > "The Spiritual > > > Exercises of St....(so and so). I've read these > and > > > discarded them > > > as counterproductive, frequently involving some > type > > > of hard > > > conentration. > > > If you have gained some benefit from the > > > "exercises" of the Meister > > > or Hindegard, great. > > > > > > In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela > Mailander > > > <mailander111@> wrote: > > > > > > > > The monastic tradition keeps coming up with > great > > > > "saints" who have a clue. Hildegard von > Bingen, > > > for > > > > instance, but there's a whole slew. Where do > they > > > > come from? Some commentators say that > mysticism > > > is > > > > "sui generis," but then what were these people > === message truncated === Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
