Reply below: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, a_non_moose_ff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, a_non_moose_ff <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavismarek@> > > wrote: > > > > > > Comment below: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, a_non_moose_ff <no_reply@> > wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavismarek@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Vak is Ma Saraswati. Maharishi said to whisper Vak into the > > newborn's > > > > > ear three times so that the person would be reminded of where > > they had > > > > > just come from and thereby re-orient them towards the > Transcendent. > > > > > As I remember it, he wasn't commenting about an Indian custom but > > > > > precribing a specific action at a specific juncture. > > > > > > > > > > > > I strongly disagree that he was prescribing a technique to use. > > > > Were you on that course? (Mallorca spring 71) . As I recall it was > > > > not given as a "technique" -- it was a comment on an ancient > practice. > > > > As I said, on a later course, he definately said it was not a > > > > "technique". I heard both comments live. > > > > > > > > > A few years later, I was on a course where someone asked M about > > "the > > > > > baby technique" -- what to whisper in a new born's ear. M was > > > > > "furious". Going on and on about there is no baby technique > and what > > > > > he had said about a practice in ancient India was not a > technique to > > > > > use .... and how could people be so stupid .." paraphrasing > > > > > > > > > > > > > I followed his > > > > > instructions > > > > > > > > You received specific personal instructions from him? Did he or you > > > > do a puja? I can't remember any specific techniques he ever gave > when > > > > a puja was not done. He even had us do a puja for a breathing > > > > technique we gave to initial flying block students. > > > > > > > **END** > > > > > > I was on the Mallorca/Fiuggi course. > > > I was in Fuiggi also, for rounding. I was thinking about another > instance of M's displearure at misinterpretation of "instructions" -- > I think it was at that course. Perhaps it was another. > > We were in long rounding and someone passed up a note with a question > about bathing. They said a "teacher" had told them not to bath right > after asanas or mediating so "when can we bath, since we are doing > asanas or meditating all the time?" M. "hit the roof", "furious", > paraphrasing -- "what teacher is telling you this?!!!!! I didn't give > such instructions. Who is giving instructions counter to mine. You are > rounding all the time. Of course you will be bathing sometimes after > TM or asanas. Who told you not to do this???? " > > The "misunderstanding" came from the asnas booklet, I think, which > said to bath before asanas. To me, it pointed out the problem of > extrapolating some comment to other contexts. My sense is this is > what happened with the Vak comments. People heard directly, others > heard 2nd or 3rd hand, and "extrapoloated" this was something to be > done to all newborns. From the follwo up lecture I heard, it was > clear to me, M did not intend this, and did not give specific > directions to use this as a technique. > > I am curious, do you remember him specifically saying "You should all > do this ...". Or did you extrapolate that from him citing a practice > -- in a general reference? > > If it was a "technique" to be practiced, why didn't he specifically > give TM teachers instructions on how to do, and create "baby" > initiations, to supplement the formal "childrens" technique all > teachers were taught. It seems odd to me he would not do the above if > he intended it as a formal technique. > **END**
Two things: there was no intention on my part to dispute your own recollections of what you heard Maharishi say. We may both be accurate in our memories; Maharishi wasn't always consistent. And two, you might be correct, and I may have taken what I heard as instructions that he may not necessarily have meant as such. He certainly did not say that "you should all do this" or any other similar reference. And I did not take what he said as a "technique" in the sense that you refer: as some sort of adjunct or precursor to TM, part of the formal teaching of meditation. However, I *did* take it as a specific directive and acted appropriately. I never spoke about it (till now) except with my (then) spouse who had also similarly heard and understood what Maharishi said on the issue. I never taught it. I just followed it. I'm glad that I did. 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/
