--- 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. >
Seems to me if you take pot luck with who your gazing partner is, and you don't resonate with that particular person, it would push the boundaries of one's comfort zone more than gazing with someone you know and like. If a person gets to gaze with everyone in the group, then it might be an opportunity to observe how one responds to different people.
