tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post83108121498871826..comments2023-10-16T13:06:42.360+01:00Comments on Happiness of Being: The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi: Pure self-awareness is not nothingness but the only thing that actually existsMichael Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03460943269122289281noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-52456288943867236082017-08-05T18:35:40.285+01:002017-08-05T18:35:40.285+01:00t is not good to talk about Zen, because Zen is no...<i>t is not good to talk about Zen, because Zen is nothingness... If you talk about it, you are always lying, and if you don't talk about it, no one knows it is there. </i> Robert M. Pirsig<br />Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-88621777898047296342017-08-04T17:53:14.035+01:002017-08-04T17:53:14.035+01:00Roger, are you not just projecting your own issues...Roger, are you not just projecting your own issues into others?<br /><br />Anyway, you jump from topic to topic, ignoring my comments (like the last one) and then cry "religious superiority" or whatever your mind is occupied with....<br /><br />You accused me of being judgmental and missing with that the irony that your accusation is as judgmental as what you've perceived about me. And by the way, loving a pet is not superior (or to be applauded) to disregarding a pet - that's is just your confused judgmental mind which lectures about duality without noticing how much it is enthralled by it itself.<br /><br />Frankly, I don't get you and I have no clue about your motivation and what the heck you are doing on this blog? <br /><br />Are you the Don Quixote of spirituality who has begun a crusade in order to force anybody to "embrace" things according to Roger? I can point out a few windmills you can storm if necessary...... ;-). .https://www.blogger.com/profile/03243347924405863536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-69378073812519713522017-08-04T17:22:26.155+01:002017-08-04T17:22:26.155+01:00Hi Salazar,
Your passion is defining Atma Vichara...Hi Salazar,<br /><br />Your passion is defining Atma Vichara and advaita conceptually and then placing them in opposition to all other teachings. Then you defend your imagined position. Michael James does the same thing.<br /><br />This is a play of the ego: creating an imagined situation with two competing sides (atma vichara versus all others) then taking sides in order to experience for your self (lower case "self"!) the excitement and ego gratification of competition. With grand claims such as "my way is the ONLY way to enlightenment" this ego projection is very seductive.<br /><br />This is the same game as taking sides in things like: nationalism, racism, sexism, politics, getting emotional about your sports team etc.. But in this case the attachment may be harder to see. It's a "sattvic" attachment: more difficult to overcome.<br /><br />This game is so obsessive that you even take sides against other teachings of Bhagavan (Talks and the Death Experience etc) and you take positions against Nisargadatta Maharaj and Godman. It's Salazar against the Jnanis! Wow, now that's ego excitement.<br /><br />If you could actually practice Atma Vichara then over time your attention would move inward and away from this outward obsession with religious superiority. Your heart could potentially open embracing all.<br /><br />The big risk is that your mental concepts about Atma Vichara & advaita may be so narrow that they may actually prevent the experience of Self Attention. You see this in your earlier comments: you say you "struggle" with Atma Vichara... but your advaita preconceptions don't allow you to even believe in "progress" and you immediately cast judgment on all other techniques that might assist you.<br /><br /><i>When the <b>rejection of mental activities</b> becomes continuous and automatic, you will begin to have the experience of the Self.</i><br />Sri Annamalai<br /><br />Defense of Atma Vichara against all others, claiming it as the ONLY way to enlightenment, taking positions against even Bhagavan's other work are all certainly "mental activities".<br /><br />If the practice of Atma Vichara every moment was placed as the highest priority.... how could these thoughts of superiority even arise?<br /><br />Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-81451658251037114442017-08-04T02:28:33.480+01:002017-08-04T02:28:33.480+01:00What is your point?
Can you make a point in your...What is your point? <br /><br />Can you make a point in your own words instead to hide behind quotes by Bhagavan you don't seem to grasp in its entirety?<br /><br />Before we explore anything else, why don't we focus on your statement that "who am I" denotes the search for an entity. I said that is utter nonsense! So, what is your answer to that? Care to elaborate how you came up with that notion?<br /><br />I am all ears................Purification of mind does NOT reflect on one’s outward behavior, a purified mind is no mind and any perceived behavior is illusionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03403745904820287115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-70977858429660521312017-08-04T01:42:56.200+01:002017-08-04T01:42:56.200+01:00Hi Salazar,
Please see below a portion of Sri Bha...Hi Salazar,<br /><br />Please see below a portion of Sri Bhagavan's teaching on Bhakti. There are 62 references to Bhakti in "Talks" perhaps you haven't had a chance to read them?<br /><br />Surely you must say that Bhagavan is in utter ignorance of Bhagavan's teaching?<br /><br />15th December, 1937: Talk 428. <i><br /><br />Sri Bhagavan has selected 10 stanzas from the famous work of Sri Sankara - Sivananda Lahari - describing devotion (bhakti):<br /><br />(1) What is bhakti?<br />Just as the ankola fruit falling from the tree rejoins it or a piece of iron is drawn to magnet, so also thoughts, after rising up, lose themselves in their original source. This is bhakti. The original source of thoughts is the feet of the Lord, Isvara. Love of His Feet forms bhakti.<br /><br />(2) Fruit of bhakti:<br />The thick cloud of bhakti, formed in the transcendental sky of the Lord’s Feet, pours down a rain of Bliss (ananda) and fills the lake of mind to over flowing. Only then the jiva, always transmigrating to no useful end, has his real purpose fulfilled.<br /><br />(3) Where to place bhakti?<br />Devotion to gods, who have themselves their origin and end, can result in fruits similarly with origin and end. In order to be in Bliss everlasting our devotion must be directed to its source, namely the Feet of the ever blissful Lord.<br /><br />(4) Bhakti is a matter only for experience and not for words:<br />How can Logic or other polemics be of real use? Can the ghatapatas (favourite examples of the logicians, meaning the pot and the cloth) save you in a crisis? Why then waste yourself thinking of them and on discussion? Stop exercising the vocal organs and giving them pain. Think of the Feet of the Lord and drink the nectar!<br /><br />(5) Immortality is the fruit of Devotion:<br />At the sight of him who in his heart has fixed the Lord’s Feet, Death is reminded of his bygone disastrous encounter with Markandeya and flees away.<br />All other gods worship only Siva, placing their crowned heads at His feet. Such involuntary worship is only natural to Siva.<br />Goddess Liberation, His consort, always remains part of Him.<br /><br />(6) If only Devotion be there - the conditions of the jiva cannot affect him.<br />However different the bodies, the mind alone is lost in the Lord’s Feet. Bliss over flows!<br /><br />(7) Devotion always unimpaired:<br />Wherever or however it be, only let the mind lose itself in the Supreme. It is Yoga! It is Bliss! Or the Yogi or the Bliss incarnate!<br /><br />(8) Karma Yoga also is Bhakti:<br />To worship God with flowers and other external objects is troublesome. Only lay the single ower, the heart, at the feet of Siva and remain at Peace. Not to know this simple thing and to wander about! How foolish! What misery!<br /><br />(9) This Karma Yoga puts an end to one’s samsara:<br />Whatever the order of life (asrama) of the devotee, only once thought of, Siva relieves the devotee of his load of samsara and takes it on Himself. <br /><br />(10) Devotion is Jnana:<br />The mind losing itself in Siva’s Feet is Devotion. Ignorance lost!<br />Knowledge! Liberation! </i>Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-84683271118770903052017-08-03T20:15:35.717+01:002017-08-03T20:15:35.717+01:00What is the point of most of your comments anyway?...What is the point of most of your comments anyway? They don't seem sincere at all for me. Why not conceding your utter ignorance of Bhagavan's teaching? Your previous comment is more than proof of that! . .https://www.blogger.com/profile/03243347924405863536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-10119259079109771592017-08-03T19:20:49.021+01:002017-08-03T19:20:49.021+01:00Hahaha, that is a good one! You have it backwards ...Hahaha, that is a good one! You have it backwards my friend. Bhagavan’s “who am I” or the synonym “who loves God” etc. is not the invitation to look for some entity. <br /><br />I am not so sure what you are up to but it seems almost you just enjoy making provoking comments and watching how people react. <br /><br />Barry Long’s comment about loving God etc. is duality, the subject Barry who loves the object God. Same with the other ones.<br /><br />There is only Self. <br />. .https://www.blogger.com/profile/03243347924405863536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-84140107971137573442017-08-03T19:03:46.098+01:002017-08-03T19:03:46.098+01:00Hi Salazar,
Regarding your comment:
>> Who i...Hi Salazar,<br />Regarding your comment:<br />>> Who is grateful? Who is in constant communion? Who loves God? WHO LOVES?????<br /><br />You are proposing a separation, a duality: you believe that there is some entity experiencing gratitude, communion, love... and that we should search for that entity.<br /><br />Searching is not necessary, there is no entity, only love.<br />Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-89060558694569218642017-08-03T18:55:37.815+01:002017-08-03T18:55:37.815+01:00Thanks Salazar
We are blessed Bhagavan has come in...Thanks Salazar<br />We are blessed Bhagavan has come in to our lives and his teaching resonates with us.<br />Best wishes.<br />H Hectornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-73519642636672831272017-08-03T18:49:07.361+01:002017-08-03T18:49:07.361+01:00Hector, from what I read you are just doing fine. ...Hector, from what I read you are just doing fine. Of course I cannot know that for sure but then I don't know how well I am doing either ;-)<br /><br />Is everybody sincere who comes to this blog? I am less optimistic than you are but you might be right, who knows?. .https://www.blogger.com/profile/03243347924405863536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-84246971168170640642017-08-03T17:51:36.342+01:002017-08-03T17:51:36.342+01:00Hi Roger
Thanks for posting that from Barry Long ...Hi Roger <br />Thanks for posting that from Barry Long about gratitude it was great to read, <br />Take care. <br />H <br />Hectornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-14557421712568695532017-08-03T17:44:56.589+01:002017-08-03T17:44:56.589+01:00Hi Salazar
Thanks for your message.
I think anyon...Hi Salazar <br />Thanks for your message.<br />I think anyone who visits a blog like this is genuinely looking for the truth we are all in the same boat even if we don't agree on everything 100%. It's good to be here.<br /><br />You said: <br /><br />[So instead to fall for the ambiguities of duality I find it much better to surrender to one’s personal happenings and, step by step, recognize that there is no one who makes a decision or is a “bad” or “good” person. That can be quite liberating and is a source of peace.]<br /><br />I must admit this is great advice and I am sorry to say I am unable at present to do this. I will try but the mind is strong and I am not that spiritually mature. <br /><br />[Please don’t misunderstand me, it is always correct to help and support those people who happen to be in your vicinity, but to expand that in order to “improve” the world would be rather misguided.]<br /><br />I agree with you 100% Salazar, I don't personally go out to improve the world or save the world but if something or someone needs help that appears in my field of awareness I will do my best to help. <br /><br />[However, in the other extreme, you could kill another person and if you do that without the slightest identification with that act there are no karmic repercussions. Of course I do not suggest trying out that one ;-)]<br /><br />lol!! This reminds me of the Drukpa Kunley the Madman of the Dragon Lineage! <br />"The Saint of 5,000 Women" Now he didn't kill anyone I think? But he did seem to act spontaneously without the slightest identification with the act or maybe not? Again I am not that ripe or mature !! And I am certainly no Casanova lol!!<br /><br />With regards intensity of vichara I may of used the wrong word in all fairness.<br />I mean for example when I lie in bed at night with less outwardly distractions I find I can turn my attention back on to myself more effectively than say if I was receiving change from a cashier in my local supermarket. So my level of practise is not constant throughout the day there are times when I can turn within more deeply compared to other times. But my intent is to keep my attention on myself as much and as deeply as I can. <br /><br />Again I think the more spiritually ripe and mature one becomes this difference will reduce and reduce until there is a more constant relentless deep inward attention all the time. If your practise is more on these lines I take my hat off to you but I am not at that place yet I am afraid to say. <br /><br />Thanks Salazar very helpful.<br />H <br /><br />Hectornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-7841269033882715772017-08-03T17:42:09.748+01:002017-08-03T17:42:09.748+01:00Who is grateful? Who is in constant communion? Who...Who is grateful? Who is in constant communion? Who loves God? WHO LOVES?????<br /><br />All these activities are samsara. . .https://www.blogger.com/profile/03243347924405863536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-79433308947792515312017-08-03T17:01:19.126+01:002017-08-03T17:01:19.126+01:00The most important thing in your life, and my life...<i>The most important thing in your life, and my life, is to give thanks for what you have - as often as you are reminded to. I’m talking about giving thanks, not to anyone or anything in particular, but for what you are, what you have.<br /><br />That may seem difficult … The self doesn’t really know what I’m talking about. The self wants excitement, wants to get something. But I’m talking about acknowledging the good without getting anything - because you already have it.<br /><br />What are you thanking? What are you grateful to? It seems to be nothing. You can call it ‘God’. But what’s God? Nobody knows. What it is, doesn’t matter. The fact is: I am grateful for what I have. That’s the simplicity of it.<br /><br />There is no more important thing in your spiritual endeavour than this. For it is the love of God. And there is nothing greater than the realisation: I love it, whatever it is. I am grateful that I am able to love it. I love loving it. And I don’t know what it is! <br /><br /> My constant communion is gratitude. It’s a one-way deal from me to ‘That’. I have so much. I am blessed with so much. What about you? </i> Barry LongRogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-81602900842310263952017-08-03T16:54:47.944+01:002017-08-03T16:54:47.944+01:00Hector, from your comments I can see that you are ...Hector, from your comments I can see that you are a sincere guy who is genuinely looking for the truth. Now I don’t think that it does matter if you do vichara with a high level of intensity or not in order to realize that you don’t have to follow a “moral code”. So instead to fall for the ambiguities of duality I find it much better to surrender to one’s personal happenings and, step by step, recognize that there is no one who makes a decision or is a “bad” or “good” person. That can be quite liberating and is a source of peace.<br /><br />Please don’t misunderstand me, it is always correct to help and support those people who happen to be in your vicinity, but to expand that in order to “improve” the world would be rather misguided. <br /><br />However, in the other extreme, you could kill another person and if you do that without the slightest identification with that act there are no karmic repercussions. Of course I do not suggest trying out that one ;-)<br /><br />Re. paragraph 19, you are correct – for some reason I overlooked that sentence, mind in action ;-)<br /><br />People talk about “intensity” with their vichara. I do not know what they mean, it is for me mostly a very relaxed event; “intensity” is something the mind makes up with its usual propensity to judge everything. What or who would be “intense”? Being has no attributes of any kind.<br /><br />I suggest striking the term intensity from the mind ;-)<br /><br />. .https://www.blogger.com/profile/03243347924405863536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-26925882964913356082017-08-03T16:09:03.117+01:002017-08-03T16:09:03.117+01:00Hi Salazar
Thanks for your message.
You say that ...Hi Salazar<br />Thanks for your message.<br /><br />You say that sentence I quoted:<br /><br />[All that one gives to others one is giving only to oneself.]<br /><br />Is not from paragraph 19 of Nan Yar? and may be wildly paraphrased.<br /><br />But it is in the paragraph 19 you included in your comment? I quickly double checked because I posted that from memory and it is in paragraph 19 of the Nan Yar? PDF on Michael's Website. So I am not quite sure what you mean? There might be a different translation that has it phrased differently I am not quite sure on this.<br /><br />Salazar I agree with what you say about Vichara and karma in your comment and thank you for your advice.<br /><br />But speaking from my own personal experience and practise I am unable to practise vichara at a high level of intensity all of the time. So the times when my practise is of a lower intensity and I am interacting with the world and others I do personally find the advice Bhagavan gave in the last two sentences of paragraph 19 of Nan Yar? below to be very helpful.<br /><br />[All that one gives to others one is giving only to oneself. If [everyone] knew this truth, who indeed would refrain from giving?]<br /><br />But that is just my take on it of course and appreciate you may not agree with me.<br />Thanks <br />H <br /><br />Hectornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-13004937731334963462017-08-03T14:50:03.213+01:002017-08-03T14:50:03.213+01:00Hector, that comment is not from paragraph 19, it ...Hector, that comment is not from paragraph 19, it may be wildly paraphrased. Furthermore instead to "try" it is far more better to simply do vichara and let play out your karma to be either a "do-gooder" or to be selfish or whatever your karma has in store for you.<br /><br />Remember, you may use your "free will" to "try" certain things but they will only happen if that aligns with your karma. So instead to try just 'be' without worrying about "others".<br /><br />Paragraph 19: <br /><br />There are not two [classes of] minds, namely a good [class of] mind and a bad [class of] mind. Only vasanas [impulsions or latent desires] are of two kinds, namely subha [good or agreeable] and asubha [bad or disagreeable]. When [a person's] mind is under the sway of subha-vasanas [agreeable impulsions] it is said to be a good mind, and when it is under the sway of asubhavasanas [disagreeable impulsions] a bad mind. However bad other people may appear to be, disliking them is not proper [or appropriate]. Likes and dislikes are both fit [for us] to dislike [or to renounce]. It is not proper [for us] to let [our] mind [dwell] much on worldly matters. It is not proper [for us] to enter in the affairs of other people [an idiomatic way of saying that we should mind our own business and not interfere in other people's affairs]. All that one gives to others one is giving only to oneself. If [everyone] knew this truth, who indeed would refrain from giving?Purification of mind does NOT reflect on one’s outward behavior, a purified mind is no mind and any perceived behavior is illusionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03403745904820287115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-89010130235930931492017-08-03T10:02:38.915+01:002017-08-03T10:02:38.915+01:00Hi Roger
For me that quote from Nan Yar paragrap...Hi Roger <br /><br />For me that quote from Nan Yar paragraph 19: "All that one gives to others one is giving only to oneself." is very helpful and I do try but I am not ashamed to admit I constantly fail. <br /><br />Thank you for your thoughts and insights on gratitude, very interesting. <br /><br />Yes I do believe being grateful can be very helpful especially for all the teachers that manifest in our life to help us. I do try to be grateful as best as I can but again I often fail miserably too in this regard I am afraid to say.<br /><br />For example I am not grateful when I wake up from deep sleep I wish I could remain there. But I am grateful I am being shown by Bhagavan and other teachers how to accomplish that very thing.<br /><br />I hope everything is going well for you Roger.<br />H <br />Hectornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-16342748083327904162017-08-03T04:18:39.211+01:002017-08-03T04:18:39.211+01:00Hi Venkat,
Thanks. So if I understand you: from t...Hi Venkat,<br /><br />Thanks. So if I understand you: from the Atma Vicara perspective, Jnana Yoga is preparation to do Atma Vichara.<br /><br />I like the summary of Jnana Yoga on wikipedia which includes qualifications and practices: Sravana, Manana, nididhyasana.<br /><br />I was intrigued earlier, you mentioned sringeri math. I imagine their conception of Jnana Yoga fits the Jnana Yoga / Advaita model and claims Jnana yoga to be the "only final path".Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-21283358473565335462017-08-02T03:23:09.310+01:002017-08-02T03:23:09.310+01:00Salazar,
Your comment about Nisargadatta is resolv...Salazar,<br />Your comment about Nisargadatta is resolved by remembering that there is no individual. We are indeed all just chemicals / atoms / energy / consciousness. Therefore to give a concept that in this dream some subset of "pure"chemicals gets liberated whilst others don't is as good or defunct an explanation as any other.<br /><br />I few really understood and accepted that there is no "I', then the issue of an unfortunate one dying before liberation just doesn't arise.<br /><br /><br />Roger<br /><br />Jnana yoga is, as you know, simply the path of knowledge. Which means using your mind to take you to the limit, beyond which there is no mind. Atma vichara then is the fundamental approach, since it questions the root of all experience, which is the I-thought. In advaita, jnana yoga is the only final path to liberation - everything else is important but preparatory. It is the only final path because the illusion is due to the erroneous I-thought and only knowledge, logically, can remove that error. But that knowledge is not just intellectual knowledge. You need to feel it with conviction, such that your day-to-day life exemplifies the understanding that there is no separate "I", that you are nothing and you are everything, so that naturally, i.e. without premeditated effort, there is no preference or aversion.venkatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-1924554027645651412017-08-01T17:21:52.811+01:002017-08-01T17:21:52.811+01:00Hi Venkat,
Thanks for your earlier comments on Sam...Hi Venkat,<br />Thanks for your earlier comments on Samadhi. I think differently about it but I appreciate your comments none-the-less as they are thought provoking. I am simply contemplating the issue. I am reading "Be as you are" which has a whole chapter on samadhi, as well as "Talks" (both available as online pdf) I found blog posts of Michael's here about it (which differ with Talks). The most interesting thing is to consider my moment by moment practice. Where is the state or level of my current attention with regard to the classical descriptions?<br /><br />BTW: Venkat, I still would like to know what you consider to be the classical definition of Jnana Yoga is. I am persistent if nothing else.<br /><br /><i>"When one has so intensified the power of dhyana (attention) as to be able to reject the external part of perception and remain meditating only on the internal part, the meaning, that state is called Samadhi." Vivekananda.</i><br /><br />Hector, you said: "<i>So I am forever grateful to Ed for being the stepping stone".</i><br />This reminds me of your earlier quote:<br />Nan Yar paragraph 19: <i>"All that one gives to others one is giving only to oneself."</i><br /><br />"grateful" is non-attachment in action. I've heard that an attitude of gratefulness for everything is a high level spiritual practice. Gratitude is freeing.<br /><br />Salazar, you say:<br /><i>Muzika will probably incarnate as a cat in his next life due to his extreme attachment to them. </i> etc...<br /><br />Are you placing judgment on Muzika's love for cats calling it "extreme attachment"? If there were attachment there (and sure there probably is) how is it that you can judge that the "attachment" component as being greater than the service and love component? You suggest that his funds would be better spent on starving children in Somalia or India... This is a judgment? Who are we to judge how Muzika should donate and what or who he should serve? Meow!<br /><br />Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-39004886682050624792017-08-01T16:59:04.027+01:002017-08-01T16:59:04.027+01:00Hi Salazar.
Sorry if my post came across the way ...Hi Salazar.<br /><br />Sorry if my post came across the way it may of seemed. But with Ed's name being brought up I just wanted to post to quickly express my appreciation for him for leading me to Robert adams, Nisargadatta and Bhagavan. <br /><br />I haven't visited his site for a very long time as like I said I found what he said to be confusing. So I would never class him as a teacher personally. For me he was a priceless stepping stone and am grateful to him.<br /><br />However I think you make some very good points Salazar and agree with what you say actually. <br /><br />Everyone is entitle to their opinion of him of course.<br /><br />Cheers <br />H <br />Hectornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-85748377305348990092017-08-01T16:44:15.549+01:002017-08-01T16:44:15.549+01:00Hector, I sent an email to my friend who was into ...Hector, I sent an email to my friend who was into Muzika for a while and mentioned your comment about how he provides food and medical care for feral cats. <br /><br />He answered that this is true and he’s spent an excess of US-$ 10,000 on medical care just for his own cats. Well, if I would live in a poor country like Somalia or even India I’d find it rather strange that somebody spends an enormous amount of money on cats while that same money could save the lives of many starving kids who are also in need of medical care.<br /><br />He also said that Muzika mentioned that he’d donated a total of about $ 20,000 to Robert Adams in the nineties. However he only mentioned that in context that a student is supposed to donate money to his teacher and then he revealed that he’s in need for money. My friend was rather disgusted by that. <br /><br />I told him to forget about that guy and just move on. <br /><br />This whole thing is actually quite amusing, Muzika will probably incarnate as a cat in his next life due to his extreme attachment to them. I remember a story by Bhagavan where a devotee became so infatuated with a deer that he actually was reborn as a deer…..<br /><br /><br /><br />. .https://www.blogger.com/profile/03243347924405863536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-79230735728704322902017-08-01T14:50:30.323+01:002017-08-01T14:50:30.323+01:00Hector, I don't have any ill will re. Muzika, ...Hector, I don't have any ill will re. Muzika, however to pose as a Self-realized master is rather delusional. And, IMO, he's conning all these gullible souls who are attending his "sat-sangs". <br /><br />But why should he be different than Gangaji, Mooji, and the rest of impostors who pretend to be enlightened? Maybe that's just a phase certain jivas have to go through?<br /><br />And I don't want to go into the swamp of deranged "spiritual" teachers who have abused their students, quite amazing how often that has happened.Purification of mind does NOT reflect on one’s outward behavior, a purified mind is no mind and any perceived behavior is illusionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03403745904820287115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-30886089269172410882017-08-01T10:55:03.871+01:002017-08-01T10:55:03.871+01:00I came across Ed Muzika many years ago and what he...I came across Ed Muzika many years ago and what he said / taught didn't really help me or make much sense in my personal opinion. However it was through Ed I found Robert Adams, Nisargadatta & Bhagavan. Robert and all his audio recordings have proved most helpful to me over the years and Nisargadatta's teaching makes so much sense to me I must say. However Bhagavan's teaching if I am understanding it correcty makes the most sense and is the most elegantly simple and logical teaching I have come across on my own spirtual journey. <br /><br />This is only my opinion and this is why I am here. <br /><br />So I am forever grateful to Ed for being the stepping stone to them and for all the work he does providing food and medical care for the feral cats in Los Angeles.<br /><br />I wish him nothing but the best.<br /><br />H <br />Hectornoreply@blogger.com