--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer
> <fairfieldlife@> wrote:
> > on 2/4/06 11:43 AM, TurquoiseB at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> > >
> > > Bingo. You have just nailed the fatal flaw in
> > > Maharishi's model. To believe it is true, you
> > > have to believe that before enlightenment, one
> > > has free will, and that afterwards one does not.
> > >
> > > What *changed* in the operating system of the
> > > universe between unenlightenment and enlighten-
> > > ment? Did karma stop working?
> > >
> > > If one has a choice as to how to act before real-
> > > ization of enlightenment, one has the same choice
> > > afterwards. Those who claim otherwise are in my
> > > opinion trying to avoid responsibility for their
> > > actions. They may be avoiding this responsibility
> > > because they are up to no good, or they may be
> > > avoiding this responsibility because they honestly
> > > believe that "God does everything," but it's the
> > > same bottom line. They wish their followers to
> > > cut them slack they would not extend to anyone else.
> >
> > I agree. The enlightened man driving his car makes the
> > decisions necessary to navigate successfully through
> > traffic and arrive at his destination. Why shouldn't
> > other decisions be just as volitional and just as
> > subject to dire consequences if they are made capriciously?
>
> Yup. My position on this is not really about Maharishi.
> It's just an observation I've come to after watching
> various spritual "scenes" for most of a lifetime. I
> really believe that the myth of the infallibility of
> the enlightened is one of the *worst* ideas in history,
> because of its ability to be abused.
>
> Teachers may start out very ethical, and trying their
> best to do things right, as they see "right." But over
> time, there is *immense* pressure from the students to
> assume the mantle of "infallibility." If the model
> taught to these students *reinforces* this belief in
> infallibility, sooner or later most teachers are going
> to fall back on it as an excuse to justify some unpopular
> decision that they have made or action they have performed.
> And then it all starts to do downhill from there.
>
> Personally, I really am in the camp of "before enlight-
> enment, chop wood and carry water; after enlightenment,
> chop wood and carry water." I don't believe that there
> is *any* fundamental change that takes place after
> realization, except on the level *of* realization.
I agree
> Same karma, same necessity to make judgements to the
> best of one's ability. snip
Or, to put this in the framework of some people's enlightenment type
experiences, sure
you chop wood and carry water both before and after the Big E. The only
difference is that
after the Big E comes the knowledge that everything is happening by itself, on
autopilot
and in that case 2. no one "does" anything "wrong" since it all happens
anyway and
choice is a total illusion. Therefore (and this BIG) 3. the Enlightened make
the same
"mistakes" and "right actions" as the unenlightened. Why would their behavior
improve if
you use this model? And...4 The Enlightened know that "they" don't make
mistakes, while
the rest of us not yet enlightened blame ourselves as we wrangle over doing the
moral
thing.
Maybe it is a question of how much sattva is there in the nervous system of any
person,
Enlightened or not? Of course, this means that MMY is not making any mistakes
either -
no matter how unkind or greedy the actions are - whew this is crazymaking stuff.
The upshot is that for the unenlightened, we just keep on trying, even if it is
an illusion
that we have control. And part of that illusion is that it usually feels
better to be around
nice, funny people, honest people, kind people. There are enlightened rascals
and
unenlightened saints. I think the perfection that we are all looking for,
living in a human
nervous system, is way beyond enlightenement -I don't know what name you call
it. Maybe
it only manifests in Sat Yuga. But for here and now, we just have to keep it
simple. I think
the TMO hurts people and is dishonest while the technique is a good one. I
would advise
anyone to stay away from involvement with the TMO where money or lifeplans are
involved.
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