--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Very succinct summary. Thanks. > > I feel much the same -- both about the subject, and Maharishi's > teachings regarding Jesus' status and, consequently, his > consciousness. That simple and important 'revision' of Christianity > by Maharishi allowed him (IMO) to make his intitial inroads and > successes in the West*, or at least overcome intitial knee-jerk > dismissals from the Christian perspective until the positive effects > of the meditation itself overcame such suspicions. > > Yogananda had done that also, incorporating Jesus and his teachings > into the SRF (and by extension, Hinduism itself), but he did it on a > Christian-bhakti footing. Maharishi did it in a purely intellectual > way that made perfect, immediate sense, was at the same time very > respectful of Christianity and Jesus, but also implicitly > incorporated/subsumed Christianity into the meta-philosophy of TM and > Maharishi's brand/lineage of Advaita Vedanta. Really masterful teaching. > > Little bit harder position to maintain with the present semi-Sai Baba > Hindu veneer of the TMO. > > Thanks, again. > > ** > > *The actual technique might have had some influence on people's > acceptance of what Maharishi was teaching, too.
I've also found Muktananda's comments and observations about Jesus and suffering to be very profound...and almost identical to MMY's. At the risk of being reminded by a FFL participant, once again, that Muktananda was a pedophile rapist (as inevitably happens every time I bring his name up), I will, time willing, reproduce some excerpts from some of his books on the subject 'cause they're really wonderful. > > *** > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <shempmcgurk@> > wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "rule2148" <pbtown@> wrote: > > > > > > I don't think the Christian focus is on death so much as on what > > > that suffering and death accomplished. To put it in eastern > > terms, > > > Christ took on the karma of his followers and dissolved it for all > > > time. This act of absolution required great suffering and the > > > ultimate sacrifice to pay the price. For Maharishi to blithely > > say > > > that Jesus didn't suffer seems a bit odd considering he tells the > > > tale of Guru Dev suffering from disease as penance for the world's > > > karma. > > > > > > > > > > > > I've never heard MMY say that Guru Dev suffered from disease as > > penance for the world's karma. > > > > But even if he did, it wouldn't take away from his great > > pronouncements on Jesus and that Jesus did not suffer. I totally > > agree with the assessment that Christianity puts too much emphasis > > on the suffering of Jesus and that he did not suffer. > > > > As for the taking on of karma for all mankind: of course he did. And > > that's an experience that awaits all human beings. But it is an > > experience that occurs at the doorstep of the absolute. It's not > > something that you magically get by declaring "I accept Jesus Christ > > as my personal Lord and Savior". That's just a marketing ploy to > > get more members for your club; it has absolutely nothing -- zero, > > zippo -- to do with either Jesus Christ or the practise of > > Christianity. > > > > And bravo to MMY for saying what he did. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The idea that one's guru can suffer to take on the karma of > > > disciples is as old as the tradition TM comes from. The Christian > > > conversion experience is often discussed as a lifting off of a > > great > > > and heretofor unexperience weight as the load of karma is shifted > > > from the Christian to Christ. An Indian friend of mine who > > > converted from Hinduism to Christianity says that his discussions > > > with his family usually come to this point: As a Hindu you might > > > have to go through untold lifetimes to get rid of all your karma > > but > > > as a Christian it is gone in this lifetime. Thus, Christians > > honor > > > the act that frees them from the almost impossible task of > > removing > > > one's own bad karma. > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "rudra_joe" <rudra_joe@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Well, Maharishi as the display of the absolute on the relative > > is > > > pretty fascinating, and really isn't helpful with all lifes little > > > tediums. He doesn't have the skillful means for his yogasta kuru > > > karmani. After all, who cares really about how the self > > referencial > > > dynamics of the lime flavor prion binding virtual quarks spring > > into > > > duality at the planc scale, and all that rubbish. All that shit is > > > doing is giving the government ideas for warfare. Just wait til > > they > > > figure sound is the key and blow down shit with huge speakers, > > zero > > > point, yikes. Stay spiritual where morality is alligned with > > > development. I mean, as research fine, but not as a moral code. > > > Science is divorced from ethics in that a machine can be easily > > > turned on. By good or bad. But on the other hand, if you believe > > in > > > the Dark Lodge, ala Alice Bailey then it doesn't matter what the > > > means, the race is on. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: akasha_108 > > > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > > > Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 10:43 AM > > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Christians obsession with death > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Bob Brigante" > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, m2smart4u2000 > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > SNIP> > > > > > > Yeah I thought the whole point was that he came back from > > > the dead, > > > > > > or more specifically, ascended, so why keep him "in > > death", > > > so > > > > > > weird. They always want to say how "Christ died for our > > > sins" , I > > > > > > mean get over it, he ain't suffering now.The whole point > > of > > > dying > > > > > > seems lost... ie resurection, eternal life. That should be > > > the > > > > > > focus: ascension & eternal life > > > > > > > > > > ************ > > > > > > > > > > Maharishi has always rejected the notion of any suffering on > > > the part > > > > > of Jesus: "It's a pity that Christ is talked of in terms of > > > suffering. > > > > > those who count upon the suffering, it is a wrong > > > interpretation of the > > > > > life of Christ and the message of Christ.How could suffering > > > be > > > > > associated with the One who has been all joy, all bliss, who > > > claims all > > > > > that? It's only the misunderstanding of the life of Christ." > > > > > > > > > > Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Meditations of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, > > > pp. 123-124 > > > > > > > > The same little book that sings the glories of the caste > > system > > > and > > > > its inherent discrimnation and exploitation. > > > > > > > > The exposure that little book got was pretty cool though. It > > was > > > > showcased in point of purchase displays at the cash register > > at > > > many > > > > book stores in 1968. An impulse purchase item. Too bad it was > > > not a > > > > better collection of lectures. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > Or go to: > > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > > > > and click 'Join This Group!' > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! 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