--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@...> wrote: > > X -- nice, very nice. I'm a fan. > > Wouldn't change a word of yers below. > > Edg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofKppDgS9Jg
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Xenophaneros Anartaxius" <anartaxius@> > wrote: > > > > I suppose I ought respond to a few of these comments. Perhaps Xeno has > > taken leave of his senses. > > > > > awoelflebater wrotes: > > > > > So Xeno writes the other day to Judy: > > > > > "I feel Barry is more spiritually advanced than Robin" > > > > > This alone made my head spin. But just, for example, take a look at > > > Robin's commentary to Emily after she took his quiz yesterday (post > > > 317866) and explain to me how you could possibly argue for this point > > > Xeno. What exactly is your definition of spiritual? Maybe it is something > > > I don't want to aspire to or can view as a positive thing if that is your > > > assessment. If spirituality has anything whatsoever to the quality of > > > heart, openness, willingness to understand, desire to be transformed by > > > truth and life, sensitivity to other living creatures then, dear Xeno, I > > > think you have miscalculated badly - your assertion has missed the mark. > > > > > Emily wrote: > > > I found that an interesting statement, to say the least. > > > > > raunchydog wrote: > > > I'd missed this one, Em. What a hoot! > > > > > Ravi wrote: > > > > > > ...I think Xeno, the frozen, immobile, sitting duck with his neo-advaita > > > platitudes, the one who used to serve as a target practice for me to whup > > > his ass any time, at my will, at my fancy, has finally stepped up the > > > ante to fill the huge, gaping, void left by His Holiness... > > > > > ...This cold, heartless one has been brutally stung by my ambushes. And > > > this ultimately is a victory for me!!! > > > > (Your ambushes, Ravi are particularly inept and unfocused and largely > > self-congratulatory. But then that is Ravi!) > > > > > ...Glory to Xeno - the Maitreya of Morons !!! > > > > > salyavin808 wrote: > > > I guess it boils down to that most curious trait that makes people in the > > > TMO (and perhaps other groups) ascribe enlightenment to people simply > > > because they like them. > > > > First of all, I said 'I thought', meaning that is my opinion; I did not > > ascribe enlightenment either to Robin or Barry. I said 'more spiritually > > advanced'. That implies some relative difference in what I consider a > > person's understanding of spirituality, but it does not imply what that > > value of advancement is, other than I thought there was a difference. It > > does not imply how much the degree of separation is either. Emily was kind > > enough to quote a few comments I made as reasons for the choice I made. > > > > It is based more on a feeling than anything else. If I had to trust someone > > to watch my back, I would pick Barry over Robin. Fewer blades, and were one > > to fly, Barry would be up front about it. I do not trust Robin. For > > whatever problems, shortcomings, and curmudgeonly gripes Barry may have, he > > is far more direct than Robin, Barry is calculating in many ways, to my > > mind, but Robin is cunning, and that is danger. Further Robin has a history > > that is less than savoury in his interactions with people. I do not know > > Barry's, but based on the interactions here, my guess with normal people > > (that is, not us), he is a regular guy, maybe a little crusty, but > > essentially normal. Here on FFL, our IDs (the monsters of the ID) are not > > so restrained. Robin's does not appear to have been much restrained. People > > who have the experience of slipping into unity or Brahman, to use that > > term, seldom take and run with it. They are taken aback by it. It stuns > > them. They sometimes think they have gone nuts, and are unsure, especially > > if unprepared for the astonishing shift in awareness. > > > > Robin, to my mind, and remember I am saying 'to my mind', I might be wrong > > in this - is deeply attached to both himself as a person (ego), and to a > > particular brand of theology, not sure exactly what, it seems kind of > > Catholic, but with the Robin twist. Barry has basically flown the coop here > > regarding ideology, but he is still practicing some form of meditation. > > Barry's ability to make fun of all the holy holies of spiritual life has a > > certain insight into spiritual puffery and ostentation. He has taken me on > > for this. But what that means is a lot of spiritual baggage has fallen off > > from him. This does not mean enlightenment. This does not mean he is a > > shining example of spirituality. Nobody here even agrees what a shining > > example of spirituality is. Robin is preloaded with plan, and eventually > > attempts to move one along that planned path. Barry does not care, but if > > he gets you right, as he does sometimes, you move, but not according to > > some preplanned path, he tries to get you to see your inanities and > > peculiarities of belief. This is the difference between being sucked into > > some kind of theology and experiencing spiritual spiritual growth. > > Spiritual growth destroys your crap; it is not ultimately a respecter of > > what you believe, because what you believe is just an idea in the mind > > about what is real. Beliefs have a tenuous relationship with reality. You > > cannot get rid of them all, but pruning is always in order. Barry takes pot > > shots at you. Robin tries to suffocate you in his grasp. What Robin does > > does not feel liberating in any way. It has some semblance to what some > > teachers of 'reality' do, but the end result is different. > > > > The reason I feel Barry is 'advanced' over Robin is I think there is less > > obstruction in his mind as to what reality might really be, and thus, given > > the right conditions, be more likely to slip into an enlightened > > realisation. Robin of course says he already was, but it was a lie, and he > > destroyed it, but now has another version of reality. If it had been real, > > there is nothing he could have done to get rid of it, because it is not > > something you can acquire in the first place. Robin has definitely had some > > profound mystical experiences, and he is very into the metaphysical. But > > this is not to my mind really related to spiritual growth. Enlightenment is > > not a special state of holiness, it does not make you lord and master over > > others. It makes one realise what a total idiot one has been in its > > pursuit. But the pursuit's 'goal', if consummated finally settles one down, > > the mystery of life has a curious resolution without the intrigue, or even > > the trials of life being sapped away. So the pointless pursuit is felt to > > have been worthwhile. And then one can be just an ordinary person. Robin > > does not want to be an ordinary person, he wants to be in some highest > > state of personal ontology in relation to a metaphysical super being, and > > make sure that you know that is the case, and that for you that is not the > > case. > > > > Barry is pretty much a normal sort of person from what I can tell, in spite > > of his pointed attacks on spiritual pomposity which can be perhaps a bit > > over biting at times and his ongoing taunting of Judy and her supporters. > > But his attack mode, if we characterise his writing style here, is also not > > the mindless ad hominems of Ravi, or the fiendish snares of Robin's > > overtures. > > > > Now Judy does not really talk about spirituality as such, so there is not > > much way to even attempt such an evaluation of her - she is our editor. > > However I can say I think I have learned more from interacting with Judy > > than with Robin. I do find her annoying sometimes, but the first question I > > think I should ask myself in such a situation is why do I feel that way? > > Being peeved at someone has two loci - one's self and the other person. > > >
