--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <authfriend@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchydog@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Alex Stanley" <j_alexander_stanley@> > > wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- 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. > > > > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/55423 > > > > > > "There are some traditions that explain this phenomenon > > > in terms of "recognition." You sit in the presence of > > > someone who is "firing on more cylinders" than you are. > > > They are "higher," or in a more advanced state of con- > > > sciousness. More aspects of their being have "woken up." > > > And in that person's presence, you find that similar > > > aspects of YOUR being "wake up."" > > > > > > In WD, gazing isn't about being a challenge. It's spoken of in terms of > > > transmission, but IMO, it's exactly what Barry refers to in that post. > > > It's an opportunity bring yourself into spiritual alignment with the > > > teacher by simply being present with each other in a very powerful way. > > > > Thanks for the explanation, Alex. I was just guessing what WD "gazing" is > > all about based on my experience with people and a baboon...so what do I > > know? > > FWIW, Share says "everybody does it with everybody" now; it's > not just teacher-and-student.
Peer gazing, as they call it, was just beginning to be done when I stopped going to WD sittings. And, IIRC, here in FF, it was only being done at one of the teacher's sittings. I don't know how much peer gazing is done these days because I drifted away from WD a few years ago.
