--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Dean Goodman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> [That trust is also often called "homage", or even "devotion" or > "surrender" - and the path that encompasses this openness of heart > is called "bhakti". Once Self-realization is ripening, this open- > ness of heart in devotion is essential in order to expand out and > meet and imbibe your god/goddess. - MDG] > > > BHAGAVAD GITA ON HOMAGE, REPEATED INQUIRY, AND SERVICE > > For example, in the Bhagavad Gita, 4:34, Lord Krishna says: > > "Through homage, repeated inquiry, and service, > the men of knowledge who have experienced Reality > will teach you knowledge." > > Maharishi's commentary says: > > "By 'homage' is meant submission or surrender." > > The commentary says that surrender to the teacher (ultimately to the > Truth that the teacher is a reflector of), is the prerequisite for > asking questions (repeated inquiry, or curiosity). After devotion, > the questions are true seekings for deeper understanding. There is > no hint of any intention to diminish the teacher or test the teacher > or argue with the teacher or improve the teacher - no hint of any in- > tention to doubt the teacher or the Truth. There is no intention to > play the game "I'm more OK, based on making you less OK". The teacher > has already been accepted fully as a conduit of Truth, and the inten- > tion of the inquiry is to make everyone "more and more OK, more and > more infinite/vast/divine." > > Then the heart of the teacher opens wide, any and all questions are > welcome and appropriate, and deep knowledge flows in response to > them. This acceptance of the teacher is actually a surrender to the > unbounded Truth; it invites the unbounded to shine forth through the > teacher. This trust or surrender means that the individual has > "gotten out of the way" to some extent, has dropped their ego-defend- > ing patterns, has dropped their guard. > > Before trust, before devotion, the questions are not really from a > surrendered place. The questioner has not accepted the teacher as a > teacher, the questioner has not accepted the limitations of his/her > own relative ego/intellect, and therefore there is not that open flow > of knowledge. In the questions there may be some lack of respect for > the teacher, some implication that the teacher is not competent, some > belittling or depreciation of the teacher. The teacher's heart is > not opened by this, the recipient's guard is not put down, and the > flow of Truth is not profound. > > We all know from everyday experience that questions (curiosity) gener- > ally can have two very distinct purposes, even in mundane conversation: > > 1. To actually gain understanding, as sincere inquiries; to create > love/togetherness/unity by going deeper into knowledge; to open > the conduit for richer flow of knowledge. > > 2. To hide something behind the smokescreen of a question: > a. To hide our criticism/anger, to avoid making a directly critical > statement. > b. To hide that we're trying to control or dominate someone - to > hide that we're trying to manipulate someone or trying to engage > someone in a game. > c. To create doubt/division/fear. > > In this case, questions are actually deceptions, a kind of passive/ > aggressive behavior. Rather than saying what we feel in direct > statements, we hide behind questions. If challenged, if our true > but hidden feelings or motives are noticed, we can always say "I > didn't mean any criticism - I was just wondering...". Often it is > apparent to observers, and to the recipient of the "question", that > we were NOT "just wondering". The question has an obvious edge to > it, or it asks for an answer that we already know or could figure > out, or it is pretty blatantly a manipulation, or it just leaves > the recipient feeling odd, as though they've been tricked or mess- > ed with. > > Although not so easy to say in words, the difference in how it feels > to receive these two different kinds of questions (inquiries) is > energetically obvious to most of us. Sincere questions, without > hidden emotional agendas or motives, evoke an open flow of knowledge, > evoke more unity and deepening, and don't leave a strange aftertaste. > > The nature of a person's speech (and writing), especially their style > of spiritual inquiry and discussion (as on this list), is very reveal- > ing about the condition of their heart and mind. They reveal so clear- > ly whether they are swimming in the sea of doubt and cynicism and ego- > defense, or whether they've found the life-preserver of surrender and > simplicity and concern for others. > > > Namaste, > > Michael > **** Also a complementary perspective to Goodman's view: Bhagavad Gita, 4:34, Lord Krishna says: "Through homage, repeated inquiry, and service, the men of knowledge who have experienced Reality will teach you reality." My dictionary translates homage to mean respect, reverence, and not surrender. And I understand the quotation in a way that also the teacher should show homage to the student, give his advice after repeated inquiry, and do service to others. Through wrongly understood devotion many difficult questions and doubts can get suppressed and the inner process becomes partial or distorted. Experience shows that the suppressed issues tend to get acted out elsewhere in a less constructive ways in the student's and teacher's lives. And I think the teacher should be tested, or at least his behavior, and the structure of his organization observed very accurately. And if doubts arise during this scrutinizing one should feel free to express them. It is a good sign if you get honest answers. Maybe your doubts were just misunderstandings. I think a teacher should be accepted as he is, as one expression of Truth (as we all are), who has some knowledge we don't. And this doesn't mean he should be seen as a god, who doesn't make mistakes. Although I think that also God makes mistakes and learns through and from them. It is vitally important to respect someone one has accepted as one's teacher. But it is as important that the teacher respects the student as one embodiment of truth and as such he is accepted by the teacher as he is. I'm a Freemason. When we initiate a new apprentice, it means that after strict scrutiny we have fully accepted him/her as he/she is, and judged him/her capable of becoming a Master Mason. The time as an apprentice means for the student learning to accept him/herself as he/she is through observing that he/she is fully accepted by us. Simultaneously his/her role is to with open mind and heart to observe the functioning of the lodge. He/she has no right to speak in the lodge. That way negative critical attitude towards something new you know very little about is discouraged. Later as Master Masons we can freely discuss any problems we perceive in the functioning of our organization. One can work through and heal one's problems and weaknesses only after one has recognized them and fully accepted them. Therefore it is important that the teacher accepts the student fully as he is with all his faults. And the teacher who has not accepted his own weaknesses cannot do this. But then again a teacher who has accepted himself with his weaknesses and defects usually doesn't need to hide them from others and create himself a facade (dream) of being perfect. A guru, who has not realized this, expects his students to see him as perfect, because he is trying in that way to make his dream of being perfect to be true. Irmeli ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/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/
