--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchydog@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > What was uncomfortable for you about making eye contact, > > Share? > > When I was in India with the Vedic Atom, there was a troop of baboons that > roamed freely at the walled boundary of a large park. After lunch we often > walked to the park from the nearby Indian Express Building where we met for > rounding and Maharishi's lectures. One day I made the mistake of making eye > contact with a large male baboon. He charged at me. I turned tail and ran > like hell. > > Eye contact is an intimacy that could feel like a threatening invasion of > personal space for people as well as baboons. Prolonged eye contact is > usually reserved for a lover for the purpose of bonding and intimacy. > Intense, prolonged eye contact with people you may not know very well in a > workshop seems like an artificial intimacy that could be uncomfortable for > some folks. Apparently, it challenges a person's tolerance for intimacy, but > then, that's probably the purpose of the gazing exercise. As long as it's not > with a baboon, gazing would be just fine by me.
I've never done this, but as I try to imagine it, it doesn't seem as if it would be uncomfortable. Maybe it would in reality. If it *isn't* uncomfortable--if it's not challenging for a person--I wonder what they would gain from it. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > > > Silently making eye contact and I do remember the word shakitpat being > > > used a few times. In the beginning only teachers and mentors gazed with > > > others. Now everyone gazes with everyone. Since I didn't like it, I'm > > > probably not the best to describe its benefits. > > > > > > How is shaktipat given in your tradition? > > > > > > > > > guy at the gas station=Buddha At the Gas Pump? > > > > > > Impressed? Most recently I have been impressed by Dr. Nader because he > > > seems brilliant AND compassionate AND down to earth. He is leading a > > > very human life with a wife and children and a medical practice. > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Bhairitu <noozguru@> > > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 2:38 PM > > > Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Saniel Bonder in Fairfield visits > > > > > > > > >  > > > What is "the gazing"? I've been taught to give shaktipat by my tantra > > > guru but it doesn't involve any "gazing." Sometimes I wonder if these > > > people had any authentic teacher or just some charlatan from India. > > > There are probably more than a few Indians in the US who have learned > > > tantra and some are astrologers and others are quiet maybe helping > > > someone if they ask. And then there is the guy at the gas station who > > > decided to call himself a Swami for some extra money. > > > > > > It's a good thing to spend a few months testing a teacher and boning up > > > on the field through books such as Dr. Robert Svoboda's excellent > > > trilogy (on what it is like to be a westerner learning from an authentic > > > tantric). > > > > > > I would also be interested in what kind of things "impress" people? > > > > > > On 10/16/2012 10:55 AM, Share Long wrote: > > > > laughing because different strokes, etc. I rarely liked the gazing. > > > > OTOH, I wasn't comfortable attending and NOT participating in gazing. > > > > And they don't like people coming late to avoid the gazing... > > > > > > > > > > > > WDM gave me a steady spiritual family when I first left campus. I'll > > > > always be grateful for that. Even so, I was never looking for another > > > > theory of consciounsess, etc. so I didn't mind their lack of that. And > > > > I do think the whole mutuality angle is an important one that very few > > > > others discuss. > > > > > > > > > > > > Didn't go last night but am busting with curiosity about it (-: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: Alex Stanley <j_alexander_stanley@> > > > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 12:49 PM > > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Saniel Bonder in Fairfield visits > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <feste37@> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> And it cost $20 too. I see Bonder as a guy with a few ideas, which > > > >> may or may not be helpful to some people. > > > > Waking Down is a small, niche path that is certainly not for everyone. > > > > > > > >> I have heard him twice, and can't say I have been overwhelmingly > > > >> impressed. > > > > I wasn't at all impressed the first time I went to see him and Linda at > > > > the FF library, about 10 years ago. But, on his next trip to FF, he was > > > > here with Pascal Salesses, a WD teacher who had just moved to FF, and I > > > > felt a connection with her. I'm grateful that Saniel started WD, but > > > > I've always connected better with some of the other teachers. And, I > > > > can't even begin to get through his books. For me, the WD experience > > > > had nothing to do with ideas; it was all about the gazing. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
