Followup questions, just because something's still kicking around in my mind with regard to this subject...
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > You are basically correct. I never got the "hit" from > > > the puja that some have said they experienced. What I > > > did experience has, since leaving the TM movement, had > > > occasion to be measured against subsequent experiences. > > > As a result, I don't really rank the experiences I had > > > when performing puja 'way up there in the list of exper- > > > iences I've had during this incarnation. That's not > > > a putdown or anything; it's just the truth. > > > > My experience varied. Doing one puja, the effect can be sweet but > > mild. But I had the opportunity to sometimes teach when people > > were line up around the block and at 9pm, people were still > > waiting. So when doing sometimes 60+ pujas in a weekend, the > > impact is quite pronounced, sublime, silent. A question -- was there ever, or often, a feeling of "spaciness" involved for you after having performed the puja this many times? By "spaciness" I mean a feeling of not being grounded, perhaps of being "not quite there." Not *unpleasant*, just sorta spaced out? If so, did you ever experience this same thing when having yagyas performed? > > But I was using puja as a possible common ground of experience > > that > > relates to the yagya experience . Regardless of whther you got a > > "hit", you felt something -- you know the "thing" I am talking > > about, I think. The difference may be magnitude. > > I believe that the difference is qualitative, not > quantitative. More on this after the next paragraph. > > > Cool again. Just as a question, do you feel there was a > > > subjective difference in the experience of being in the > > > same room when the yagya was being performed and your > > > subjective experience of the yagyas performed remotely? > > > > Yes. > > In person, the yagyas left a puja-like feel of stillness and that > > "blue smoke of divinity" thing -- I can't describe it much more > > than that. Your metaphor here is why I'm asking these questions, especially the use of the word "smoke." For me, in retrospect, I do see a *qualitative* difference between the kinds of experiences I used to have with the puja or with pundits chanting in the few times I saw them do so in Maharishi's presence, and other experiences that I associate with being in the presence of samadhi or nirvana. To some extent, this distinction is the same thing I was talking about when we were talking a few days ago about Maharishi's darshan. What I experienced in his presence was very *qualitatively* different than what I've exper- ienced around other teachers who, as far as I can tell, never did anything to "give" darshan -- they just slipped into samadhi and we in the audience felt what we felt. Similarly, I associate my subjective experience of the puja and of pundits chanting with experiences that I'd have to categorize as being "astral" -- belonging to the relative, even if it's a more refined aspect of the relative than we're used to. As opposed to experiences that I'd categorize more as transcendent -- having not a whit of relative-ness about them...no attributes, no qualities whatsoever, not even a *hint* of the relative about them, totally absolute. There is a subjective sense of "smoke" associated with the "astral" experiences for me, and often, afterwards, a sense of spaciness or ungroundedness. On the contrary, after one of the "absolute" or "nirvana" experiences, my subjective experience is of total clarity, not a bit of spaciness, a higher degree of focus and being able to focus than ever. Given my predilections, I prefer the latter experience. I'm just wondering whether any of this strikes a reson- ance with you, and your experiences with the puja and/or yagyas. Thanks in advance, Unc ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/