I believe he said "We are against it" (not to say that he did not also say your quote).
I've read both, meaning the the same but "against" perhaps wittier ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> wrote : You are right, Seerdope, that's how I remember it, and as you say, it was a very clever and witty answer. Typical of MMY. He had a great sense of humor and loved to play with words. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <seerdope@...> wrote : I believe he said "We are against it" (not to say that he did not also say your quote). Being "against it" to me is far richer in meaning, funnier, and to me characterizes his style of communication. He spoke with different levels of meaning, with double (and triple) entendre (not sexual in instances that I heard). His quip was funny, decoupling his words from esoteria suitable for their focus on modern educated audiences, yet still conveying (what I believe) he meant. Being against it means he was promoting a method (in his mind) that made reincarnation unnecessary. If asked if he believed in the existance any curable disease, a witty doctor might say the same. This is instructive (to me) -- a message that his, and any teacher's words need to be carefully parsed, not over generalized, viewed in its specific context and for what audience, don't assume its the full teach or truth being conveyed, and most importantly, loosen up, let your sense of humor blossom (more). His is I believe the traditional view that the seeds of reincarnation (the vast mountain of karma -- both the small chunk bitten off in this life (prarabdha karma) as well as the remainder of the huge yet to be dealt with (sanchita karma) are burned by the fires of knowledge (from Gita). (And personally I do not count anything M said as authoritative. Nor that of (much) of any teacher or source of knowledge (or words). But for me, he did provide some useful starting points for personal investigation and validation.) Quick aside: paraphrasing an early day's conversation: M: we all have a mountain of karma. CLutes (apparently believing he was quite far along on the path): "M, do I have a mountain of karma?" M: "You Charlie have more like a huge mountain range." What are the fires of knowledge? A number of possibilities, not necessarily mutually exclusive: understanding and knowledge, transcending, kundalini rising and burning all latent samskaras in the chakras, culminating in the blooming of the crown chakra, grace of a fully realized teacher, grace of the divine other stuff And does "no reincarnation" mean no more individuality after the body drops? (And my position is at least sympathetic with uber atheist Sam Harris who said in a funny quip, at a conference on death ( or something) with speakers across a full spectrum of views, paraphrasing "The key thing is we will all dance around the question and weave greatly nuanced and intricate answers, but the bottom line is none of us know what really happens when the physical body dies." Reincarnation in human form does not preclude continuation of inner evolution in many astral and causal planes (Autobio of Yogi has good discussion of this). And is Moksha / Liberation (that is, all Sanchita Karma (the whole range, the big enchilada) is burned / roasted) the same as "enlightenment"? I suggest Liberation is the ultimate real thing, with a clear criteria. Enlightenment, at what ever stage, not so much. That is not to discount the freedom and contentment of any such stages and states.
