I agree, speaking in modernese was surely his intent, as once the vijanamaya kosa is more developed than or excelled to dominate the lower kosas, only escalated levels of universality, love and scientific processes remain prominent though every thought, word and deed.
This and the fact that he was taking the TM mission to a large part of the world which is infused with Abahamic religiosity -- a spectrum of religion that has been responsible for a huge volume of the world's bigoted sectarian predation for thousands of years -- a more mature, more adult disposition, such as "scientific", became imperative to capture the frame of mind of new prospects to reach inside their inner adult to deal with this sublime process in the manner appropriate for the homo sapien species instead of the baboonery associated with Abrahamic religious history. Oooga Moooga! Who was Abraham? *Find Out Here*: http://Abraham-WhoWasHe.resolve.at/<http://abraham-whowashe.resolve.at/> On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 2:34 PM, BillyG. <wg...@yahoo.com> wrote: > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradh...@...> wrote: > > > > The late great Sanskrit translator and yogi Sir John Woodroffe > > probably had access to more insight to traditional Hindu religious > > practices AND the Christian religious practices of his British > > homeland than almost anyone since. He noted there really wasn't a huge > > difference between Hindu religious practices like the TM puja and TM > > and Roman Catholicism. One is the Cult of Shakti and Shakta, the other > > is a cult of the Virgin Mary and Jesus/the Father. In fact he details > > their religious (not "scientific" or non-sectarian) sameness: > > > > "amongst Christians, the Catholic Church, like Hinduism, has a full > > and potent Sadhana in its sacraments > > (Samskara), temple (Church), private worship (Puja, Upasana) with > > Upacara "bell, light and > > incense" (Ghanta, Dipa, Dhupa), Images or Pratima (hence it has been > > called idolatrous), devotional rites > > such as Novenas and the like (Vrata), the threefold "Angelus" at morn, > > noon and evening (Samdhya), > > rosary (Japa), the wearing of Kavacas (Scapulars, Medals, Agnus Dei), > > pilgrimage (Tirtha), fasting, > > abstinence and mortification (Tapas), monastic renunciation > > (Samnyasa), meditation (Dhyana), ending > > in the union of mystical theology (Samadhi) and so forth. There are > > other smaller details such for > > instance as Shanti-abhisheka (Asperges) into which I need not enter > > here. I may, however, mention the > > Spiritual Director who occupies the place of the Guru; the worship > > (Hyperdulia) of the Virgin-Mother > > which made Svami Vivekananda call the Italian Catholics, Shaktas; and > > the use of wine (Madya) and > > bread (corresponding to Mudra) in the Eucharist or Communion Service. > > Whilst, however, the Blessed > > Virgin evokes devotion as warm as that which is here paid to Devi, she > > is not Devi for she is not God but > > a creature selected as the vehicle of His incarnation (Avatara). In > > the Eucharist the bread and wine are > > the body and blood of Christ appearing under the form or "accidents" > > of those material substances; so > > also Tara is Dravamayi, that is, the "Saviour in liquid form". > > (Mahanirvana Tantra xi. 105-107.) In the > > Catholic Church (though the early practice was otherwise) the laity no > > longer take wine but bread only, > > the officiating priest consuming both. Whilst however the outward > > forms in this case are similar, the > > inner meaning is different. Those however who contend that eating and > > drinking are inconsistent with > > the "dignity" of worship may be reminded of Tertullian's saying that > > Christ instituted His great > > sacrament at a meal. These notions are those of the dualist with all > > his distinctions. For the Advaitin > > every function and act may be made a Yajña. Agape or "Love Feasts," a > > kind of Cakra, were held in > > early times, and discontinued as orthodox practice, on account of > > abuses to which they led; though they > > are said still to exist in some of the smaller Christian sects of the > > day. There are other points of ritual > > which are peculiar to the Tantra Shastra and of which there is no > > counterpart in the Catholic ritual such > > as Nyasa and Yantra. Mantra exists in the form of prayer and as > > formulae of consecration, but otherwise > > the subject is conceived of differently here. There are certain > > gestures (Mudra) made in the ritual, as > > when consecrating, blessing, and so forth, but they are not so > > numerous or prominent as they are here. I > > may some day more fully develop these interesting analogies, but what > > I have said is for the present > > sufficient to establish the numerous similarities which exist between > > the Catholic and Indian Tantrik > > ritual. Because of these facts the "reformed" Christian sects have > > charged the Catholic Church with > > "Paganism". It is in fact the inheritor of very ancient practices but > > is not necessarily the worse for that. > > The Hindu finds his Sadhana in the Tantras of the Agama in forms which > > his race has evolved. In the > > abstract there is no reason why his race should not modify these forms > > of Sadhana or evolve new ones. > > But the point is that it must have some form of Sadhana. Any system to > > be fruitful must experiment to > > gain experience. It is because of its powerful sacraments and > > disciplines that in the West the Catholic > > Church has survived to this day, holding firm upon its "Rock" amid the > > dissolving sects, born of what is > > called the "Reform". It is likely to exist when these, as presently > > existing sects, will have disappeared. > > All things survive by virtue of the truth in them. The particular > > truth to which I here refer is that a faith > > cannot be maintained by mere hymn-singing and pious addresses. For > > this reason too Hinduism has > > survived." > > > > Sir John Woodroffe, Shakta and Shakti. > > > > Let's look at which of the explicitly religious Hindu elements are > > found in TM which are beyond denial: > > > > Samskaras (going thru initiation ritual with various ritualized > > substances) > > Temple (Puja room) > > Puja, Upasana (puja and it's performance) > > Dipa, Dhupa (Incense, camphor) > > Pratima (picture of Guru Dev) > > Vrata (invocation of Holy Tradition) > > Japa (learn to repeat mantra mentally) > > Tapas (rounding) > > Samnyasa (THP and MD) > > Dhyana (Meditation) > > Shanti-abhisheka (empowerment of mantra) > > Guru (Guru Dev is bowed to) > > > > etc. > > > > Clearly religious AND sharing religious elements with other religions > > as well--Roman Catholicism in this case. It also has great similarity > > to western forms of paganism like Wicca or Voudoun. > > If they (tmorg) just called it what it is, a *Religious Science*, we > could all just move on!! The reason MMY distanced himself from > Religion was because of the deplorable state it's in today, ("shrouded > in the garb of mysticism" MMY). > > That and he wanted to speak in the language of the times, thereby > emphasizing science. I believe his intentions were noble. But the time > for being 'clever' is over, you know the old saying: > > "Oh what a tangled web we weave, > When first we practice to deceive!" Sir Walter Scott > > > ------------------------------------ > > To subscribe, send a message to: > fairfieldlife-subscr...@yahoogroups.com > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >
