--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I just realized that this whole discussion of a > "false" guru is nonsense. Of what purpose are all > these criteria? Are these to be used to select a guru? > No, not as they are written. They are simply an > attempt by a mind to position itself in relationship > to a narrative it likes regarding gurus.
Bingo. Well put. There are, however, similar lists compiled by those who study spiritual movements/cults that are more or less empirically based, and they may actually have some value (although even these can be biased). They have an > ideal guru in mind and compare and judge every flesh > and blood guru to this one. It's really nonsense and > no practical function. Just mind fluff (very sticky > indeed!). The only way to see if a guru is of value is > to involve yourself in their teaching for an honest > amount of time. If it works for you, great, if it > doesn't, move on. Buddha didn't disparage the teachers > he studied with and found inadequate to his > enlightenment. He just moved on. These teachers had a > value for other people, not for him. MMY has had great > value for many people. Many people still gain value > from him. Many have moved on. It is what it is. To > lock yourself into a conceptual model of a "perfect" > guru is just silliness. Like wishing for the "perfect" > mate or mother or father. A sign of psychological > immaturity, isn't it? > > --- authfriend <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > <snip> > > > For #4, clearly M. gives an intro path and then > > talks on big "E" > > > but never gives the full path, esp. regarding the > > finer techniques > > > for realization, which are simply missing. > > > > Unless the techniques he teaches are in themselves a > > full path, of course. > > > > <snip> > > > #6 does not really apply in the sense conveyed but > > should be > > > adjusted to the situation at hand. Put it this > > way, M. has > > > an "entourage". Who are the entourage and how does > > one get to be in > > > the group of sees him? Who are those who get > > satsang and is this a > > > traditional satsang or a westernized version? > > > > > > #7 In this case perhaps translated 'does the guru > > give satsang in > > > a way which is foreign to the culture'. If one > > considers satsang > > > as free or by donation in traditional Indian > > culture are those who > > > are granted satsang with M. made to pay (either > > with money or > > > their complete lives)? In other words, has he > > distorted the manner > > > in which students come to see and "hang" with > > their teacher? > > > Clearly this is "yes" as most people never get to > > ever meet M. in > > > person, let alone talk to him. Those who do, pay a > > price. > > > > Clearly it would be impossible for most TMers to > > meet > > and hang with MMY in the manner that's traditional > > in > > Indian culture. > > > > Part of the problem with evaluating MMY according to > > the > > standard criteria is that he is not a standard guru > > (isn't a guru at all, for that matter, except in the > > most > > generic sense of the term). For many of the > > criteria, > > it's apples and oranges. > > > > > #8 The recent description in a book with excepts > > posted here gives > > > the following description: > > > > > > "One late night, after the guests had gone and our > > work was > > > finished, we relaxed with Maharishi in his > > spacious and silky suite > > > inside the old monastery." and the place itself is > > described as an > > > "impenetriable fortress". > > > > > > Not your typical monks digs... > > > > The description ain't all that recent. From what > > I've read, > > he doesn't live in the monastery building any > > longer; he has > > his own Stapathyavedically correct quarters that > > were built > > for him. But even a "spacious and silky suite" > > doesn't really > > amount to "opulence," nor does "impenetrability." > > > > No, not your typical monk's digs, but then how many > > typical monks run global corporations, and could > > they > > even do so in typical monk's digs? ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Ever feel sad or cry for no reason at all? Depression. Narrated by Kate Hudson. http://us.click.yahoo.com/YbEMxA/ubOLAA/d1hLAA/0NYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
