--Question below: did I stray from TM while (during the period) Muktananda dug his fingers into my eyeballs, giving me Shaktipat? Ans: Nope...not straying, just continuing my overall research into various Gurus. I've always practiced TM since 1967 but wanted to confirm if there was anything else of value (in addition to TM, not replacing it), through my own experience. Is there? Yes: Buddhism but I'm still in the investigative stage and not quite ready to make any "pronouncements". Also, chanting the Gayatri mantra is of value. I got initiated into Eckankar in 1970, also Guru Maharaji gave me the "Knowledge" in 1970. In 1976 I was initiated by Thakur Singh, Darshan Singh, and Charan Singh, and Madhusadandasji.; and I met Muktananda in that year; (seeing him every day for several months in 1980). In 1982, the Kriya Yoga Guru Swami Satyeswarananda Giri initiated me. All of the foregoing was simply part of my ongoing research. Also, I've received intensive training in Fundamentalist Christianity, Hare Krishna philosophy;, Mormonism, and was baptized as a Mormon in 1981. I took refuge from 3 Buddhist teachers: Hsuan Hua (1976), somewhat later Sogyal Rinpoche, and Kalu Rinpoche. I worked at SIMS as a paid employee from 1970 - 1973 but got fired as a result of talking about various other Paths to people there...in L.A. But basically for the last 25 years, I've been closely observing people at work,who are not on the Spiritual path; since during that time among the many hundreds of people I've worked with, only 3 were "New Agers". One was into Sant Mat, one was into astrology, and another practiced Hatha Yoga. The rest are basically into Happy Hour and shopping at the Home Depot on weekends. However, I might add that there is a certain consistent percentage of co-workers - mainly Black females; who regularly go to their respective Evangelical Churches , sometimes 3X per week. Impressive!...if one is into Fundamentalism. My ambition (among other things), is to find out what makes "ordinary" people -i.e. not on the Spiritual path - tick in terms of their reluctance to practice any type of Spiritual Sadhana. For the most part, I blame myself for not coming up with something demonstrable to offer them. Any talk of "pure Consciousness" only meets with a blank stare. Perhaps a dazzing display of Sidhis would turn such people on. What do you think? Nityananda in his early career was known to manifest various items out of thin air, walk on water, and even stop a train in its tracks.
- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rory Goff" <rorygoff@> > wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "qntmpkt" <qntmpkt@> wrote: > > > > > > ---Yea...Swami Muktananda - it appears from available evidence > that > > > he was quite adept at molesting underage Daughters of his > disciples. > > > > Yes, so I've heard. Still a nice insight, and I appreciate Shemp's > > posting it. > > > > > Looks like a mismatch between speech and action! > > > > Yes, that might really bother me if I were expecting any particular > > action/speech from him :-) > > > > > He initiated me into "Shaktipat" in 1980. (dug his fingers into > my > > > eyeballs and a brilliant image of himself appeared in my visual > > > field). > > > > Interesting! Were you a steady TM-er at the time? If so, how did > you > > justify "straying"? Among many other Master-flavors, I used > > to "channel" his shaktipat-energies in 1982 or so. BAM! Very > dynamic, > > but I quit tuning into his channel when I found my heart was > feeling > > pained and strained afterward from the excess voltage running > through > > it :-) > > > > I have always found the following photograph of Muktananda's master, > Nityananda, most remarkable. Of all the saints' photographs I have > seen over the years, this one has the most profound effect upon me: > > http://www.nityanandainstitute.org/images/jpg/nit_teaching.jpg >