Just one proviso, I don't think entertaining the possibility of having taken the Boddhisattva vow need feed ones ego. I think, over the millennia, millions of souls, many of whom were not necessarily that advanced, took those vows out a simple desire to be of service and, perhaps, for more than a few of us, it may explain a bit of our current "predicament." On Oct 25, 2011, at 9:06 PM, seventhray1 wrote:
> > Yea, that's all interesting. I think I am in the second camp that you speak > of. Okay, I just looked up Boddhisatva vow. Really, I am reluctant to buy > into that because I am afraid it would feed my ego. But I can't help but > come to the conclusion that we did, at some time, make a committment to > making a positive contribution to others. And thankfully I think it is > generally done anonymously, and with no recognition. One of my favorite > stories in this regard is Thom Hartmann's mentor Herr Muller in "The Last > Rays of Ancient Sunlight" (I believe). Thom relates that Herr Muller was in > the "in between" period and in a large room with other "advanced" souls. > > Some luminary asked for voluteers to "go back" to help with problems on > earth. The luminary said there would be no penalty for not volunteering. > Herr Muller volunteered and in the next instant he was being spanked on his > backside as he was taking his first breath on being born again. Thom tells > if better of course, but somehow that story resonated with me. > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Mark Landau <m@...> wrote: > > > > Yes, I agree, and also feel that many are linked but have not fully > > consciously perceived or accepted it. But, simultaneously, many seem to > > have been but have now been "liberated" from that connection and are quite > > glad of it, feeling much lighter, freer, clearer, etc., that we no longer > > need to be carrying such a weight for the collective. One the one hand, I > > would love for that to happen to me. On the other, I also feel that if, in > > some small way I am still somehow helping, that I will willingly continue, > > even unto death. This all gets mixed up for me with the Boddhisattva vow, > > which I think, at some point or other, I must have made. > > > > On Oct 25, 2011, at 6:07 PM, seventhray1 wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Mark Landau <m@...> wrote: > > > the world which I somehow still seem to be inextricably linked to (one, > > > on some experiential level, with the collective). > > > > > > I think many of us feel this way. Of course you can open yourself to some > > > subtle ridicule here, but I have felt this way, I think pretty much all > > > my life. > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Oct 24, 2011, at 9:44 PM, seventhray1 wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mark, > > > > > > > > > > I can relate to how you feel in many ways. One thing I have noticed > > > > > is that financial worries can really put a crimper on things. I mean > > > > > you may be healthy. You may have some degree of refined awareness. > > > > > You may generally have a good dispostion. But when you have to > > > > > confront financial issues, it can bring you down. > > > > > > > > > > But let me also say, my daughter is reading Julies Caesar for her > > > > > ninth grade lit class and we are having fun comparing notes. But I > > > > > can't help but notice the cadence and flavor of Shakespere's* writing > > > > > with your own. > > > > > > > > > > (*okay, whoever the real author was) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Mark Landau <m@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Why thank you, Ravi. You do surprise me. So many emails, so much > > > > > > mind-stuff, so little life force/time seemingly left in/to me. > > > > > > Maybe that will change. Maybe I'll finally free myself of these > > > > > > would-be rakshasa parasites (and/or my very own debilitating > > > > > > conditioning/ego-mind) and learn to revel in (FF)L again. I really > > > > > > do seem to feel like Grey's "Despair" character all too much of the > > > > > > time. (Sorry for the maudlin self-pity. Though there is a bit of > > > > > > that here, just, also, trying to tell it like it is.) Part of me > > > > > > thinks I need to refind my deep discipline and do an intense "cave > > > > > > experience," working on all aspects of my being again (let's call > > > > > > it some kind of neo-rounding), or, perhaps, throw myself into > > > > > > sacred activism, a la Andrew Harvey. But also, I can't help but > > > > > > directly feel the something rotten in the state of the world/me/the > > > > > > world's pain right down to the roots of my soul and the totality of > > > > > > my viscera. It almost always seems to have been that way, and still > > > > > > is, for me, though maybe I continually romanticize and > > > > > > self-perpetuate this as well. Hmm, wonder why I'm > > > > > > dumping/wallowing/spilling my guts like this in this public forum > > > > > > at this time in my/world history. Ah self-indulgence, > > > > > > self-centeredness, the me generation--might some of us be beyond > > > > > > inclusion? Will our rebirth ever really happen? > > > > > > > > > > > > On Oct 23, 2011, at 11:30 PM, Ravi Yogi wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Please just stay... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Mark Landau <m@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > LOL... I actually might give it a few more days, or even more. > > > > > > > > No promises on this one. Some good things have been coming > > > > > > > > through lately. I loved that Eisenstein article. A good friend > > > > > > > > tried to get me to go see him when he was here in Santa Fe, but > > > > > > > > I wasn't able to at the time, due to that job I finally got > > > > > > > > myself fired from. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Oct 23, 2011, at 9:31 PM, seventhray1 wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hey Mark, I like your posting here, but didn't you forget to > > > > > > > > > tell us when you'd be unsubscribing again. Like we're down to > > > > > > > > > one day, and 32 minutes. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Mark Landau <m@...> > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hey Robin, > > > > > > > > > > Have you read this? > > > > > > > > > > I thought it might interest you. > > > > > > > > > > http://www.realitysandwich.com/Alex_Grey_Mind_Parasites > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps others, as well. > > > > > > > > > > Sorry if it's already been posted here, I haven't been > > > > > > > > > > keeping up. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
