Looks like I've got some reading to do, emptybill. Thanks for the sources. Why can't everyone just agree with me: My theory is so damn reasonable and commonsensical. No?
No, I knew I was in for it in posting that response to what, all things considered, *is* a beautiful prayer. (If I had seen in the mid-seventies, I would have memorized it right then and there.) --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" <emptybill@...> wrote: > > > Robin > > You theological knowledge appears quite restricted, as do your > evaluations. > > > Haven't you ever read St. Dionysius Areopagite? > > What about the Skemmata of Evagius? St. Maximus the Confessor? St. > Gregory Palamas? St. Symeon the New Theologian? > > > Only thing left to you is hope? > > > Maybe you'd be happier proclaiming the rapture with the > premillinnialists. > > . > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, maskedzebra <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > Like it. But Padre Pio, I have looked at his life closely. He is a > problematic character for me. If you try to get mystical experiences > after the Allied Bombing of Mt Cassino, those experiences will be > ambiguous at best. Padre Pio, I'm afraid, contrary to the judgment of > the Church (the post Vatican II Church), was no saint. > > > > And he would not have been designated as such were the Holy Ghost > still guarding the life and integrity of the Church. > > > > Some inward violence in the man. God rest his soul. > > > > Appreciate the art in both cases. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Yifu" yifuxero@ wrote: > > > > > > right, supernatural Catholocism is dead. Padre Pio may be the last > Christian Saint, in the Traditional sense. He died in 1968. > > > > http://www.startlingart.com/Viewer.asp?ImageSource=history&FileName=Radi\ > o_City_Poster_1980 > > > > > > Long live the Luminous Jellyfish! > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, maskedzebra <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Re: Beautiful Prayer > > > > > > > > This prayer demonstrates the utter sincerity of the person who > composed it. As > > > > well it demonstrates the extreme beauty and power of the > experiential context of > > > > TM and the TM-Sidhis program. And there is the real sense of a > prayer being > > > > addressed to a Personal God, not just the Absolute (or, as > Maharishi calls it in > > > > The Science of Being and The Art of Living: the Impersonal God). > > > > > > > > In my estimation there could not be a more apt and relevant > prayer. The only > > > > question that comes in is: does the bliss of TM and the TM-Sidhis > program > > > > constitute the same bliss that St Teresa of Avila experienced when > her heart was > > > > pierced with love. I have come to the strange and unprovable > conclusion that, > > > > while TM and the TM-Sidhis program can produce plenty of the > ecstasy and sense > > > > of inner gratitude that is implied by the person who created this > prayer, that > > > > ecstasy and gratitude comes about from a very different and > ultimately alien > > > > source than what engendered this experience inside St Teresa. > > > > > > > > Her experience is no longer available to us (since the death of > the supernatural > > > > reality of the Roman Catholic Church), and so, anything which > would provide some > > > > imitation of that experience (such as TM and the TM-Sidhis > program) must > > > > perforce not be essentially supernatural. It must be something > else. (Even > > > > though we are convinced, as I certainly was, it *is* the same.] > > > > > > > > My prayer became quite the opposite of this: as in: Save me from > my experience > > > > of Unity Consciousness. And: Let me be entirely free of all the > effects of > > > > having done TM and TM-Sidhis program. > > > > > > > > The answer to my prayer is being slowly, painfully granted to me. > > > > > > > > But again: this prayer (below) is one of the best things to come > out of TM. > > > > > > > > And all that I can said against it is nugatory. > > > > > > > > The prayer as I read it, then, only goes to show that, in our > lifetime at least, > > > > there has never been anything as convincing and powerful as TM and > the TM-Sidhis > > > > program. I defy one person to tell me that, comparatively, they > have received a > > > > spiritual experience from some other tradition than Maharishi's > which exceeded > > > > their TM experience in terms of its depth and subtlety. > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "johnt" > <johnlasher20002000@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Doesn't sound like anything different than TM with a prayer > before it. Centering prayer though outwardly similar and probably with > aspects from TM is an entirely different approach. > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" <emptybill@> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > This sounds like the contemplative prayer technique used > > > > > > in Centering Prayer. This technique works but it is prayer > > > > > > based - i.e. offering up the field of experience to God. > > > > > > > > > > > > Hard core Catholic fideists ("This Rock" magazine) call > > > > > > Centering Prayer a TM sibling and straightforward Hinduism. > > > > > > They consequently condemn it and TM. > > > > > > > > > > > > Read it and weep. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "johnt" > <johnlasher20002000@> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I came across this prayer which the author says before their > program. > > > > > > Kind of puts things in a different perspective for me. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear God > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Please accept my practice of the TM and TM-Sidhis program, > as an > > > > > > expression of my intention and willingness to come before you > just as I > > > > > > am, without thoughts, feelings, images or other distractions > which could > > > > > > impede my awareness of your presence. Please guide me into a > state of > > > > > > openness to your presence and action within me. Let my > practice > > > > > > integrate the state of openness into my daily thoughts and > actions, so > > > > > > that I may be in a state of prayer continuously. Thank you for > your > > > > > > blessings. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
