Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 Hi, I'm new to this list. I'm short of time right now, so by way of introduction here is my AOL profile. There's an address for a slide show about my life if you are interested in learning more. Yes, I'm a music freak! I've been seeing Amma for a long time, since the early 90s, but believe it or not this year (in Chicago and at Devi Bhava in Fairfield Iowa) was the first year I went up for Amma's personal blessing. I'm trying to write about it now and will post that later if it comes together. Jai Ma, Jai Gauranga--- om-=-- Nick Member: Nick's slide show: bc/soulquest7 Location: Madison, Wi Also love: INDIA, San Francisco, Provincetown MA, Chicago; Fairfield, Iowa. Favorite theologians/activists: Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, Julia Butterfly Hill, Gandhi, Ammachi, Chaitanya, Matthew Fox, Bayard Rustin, Ram Dass, Neem Karoli Baba, Lisa Simpson Sex: Male Marital Status: Gay; LTR-oriented Hobbies: Ahimsa & nonviolent religions; Jainism; gay & lesbian rights; folk art of India & Mexico; vegetarian; Beatles, Incredible String Band, Donovan, Meg Christian, Laura Nyro, Dougie MacLean, Daevid Allen & Gong, Moody Blues, Phil Ochs, Romanovsky & Phillips Computers: Degree: B.A. in World Religions; Path: Yoga of Love, Chanting, Meditation. Peter Gabriel & Genesis; Indian music: devotional & classical Interests: engaged Buddhism, liberal Christianity & Judaism; New Age, Passion: Religious mystics Hometown HomePage: <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/soulquest7/">http://hometown.aol.com/soulquest7/ </A> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 In a message dated 7/22/2002 11:01:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time, kenna writes: > <<I hear you're coming to our satsang this evening, by Amma's grace>> Only if I can find a way there. Is there a bus I can take? Jim told me one, but I think I forgot it. --om-- Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 In a message dated 7/22/2002 11:37:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time, rick writes: > .<< Sometime if you > feel like it, please tell us why you waited a decade to get personal > darshan. I¹m curious.>> > I'm not sure if I have enough self-understanding to answer that question. I may say one reason, but that may be a psychological defense from giving the REAL reason. Is it just shyness and not liking being "onstage"? I've been around gurus for 26 years, and was never initiated into a tradition. I think that says a lot right there. I think I'm a very independent person, very objective in the way I analyze religion. I loved studying religion in college (because critical thinking skills were applauded, not discouraged), but I also liked to practice religion in my daily life. I also saw so much scandal in religion that I was afraid my spirituality would actually be harmed by becoming fed up with temple politics. Still, I've always gone to temples and went to hear lectures. I guess I'm also just an old hippie spiritualist-- I think love is the important thing, not conformity. Religious institutions usually involve a kind of "group think" that I'm never very good at. Hope that explains it. -=-= hari om-== Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 In a message dated 7/22/2002 12:27:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time, rick writes: > <<Yup. Good explanation. As you¹re familiar with Fairfield, you¹re probably > aware that we¹ve got some ³group think² problems around here lately. Guess > we always had, but you don¹t see it clearly until you step back from it a > bit. Regarding gurus, someone told me Amma said that one of her most > difficult tasks is in winning the trust of people who have been burned or > disillusioned by other gurus. ³Once burned, twice shy² I guess.>> > Yes, Amma's absolutely right. It's very difficult for gurus in the 1990s and beyond. In the 60s and 70s everyone was quite naive about it all, and we've all learned to be wary. I don't think it's any surprise that these wise women have really grabbed all our attention-- their motherly love and practical compassion is quite an antedote (or perhaps a "balance" is a more appropriate word) for the more ideological/abstract thinking male gurus of the 60s/70s. (Am I being sexist here? Just look at it as a big fat generalization.) I only spent a few days in Fairfield, Iowa, aka Veda-land (I loved it), but I was immediately aware of this tension between the "orthodox" and the more liberal TM practitioners. But having studied the history of world religions, nothing surprises me. I met one woman who was afriad to go see Ammachi in Fairfield for fear of being banned from meditating in Fairfield's TM-owned Golden Dome. I told her that I've always believed that divinity was in every cell of creation, so its always struck me as bizarre that anyone would try to confine it to a sect! Jai Ma-- =-== om---= Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 In a message dated 7/22/2002 2:02:15 PM Pacific Daylight Time, rick writes: > <<She has reason to be afraid. I got kicked out of the dome for going to see > Ammachi. Had been going regularly for 20 years or so. But it really wasn¹t a > big deal. As you say, Divinity is everywhere, including my little meditation > room at home. Sounds like Amma will be coming to Fairfield each year. I¹ll > post the announcement if/when I hear it¹s official>> Do they ban people from anything else? They can't keep you find doing pancha-karma routines, etc, can they? I mean, what if you read a book from a non-TM source? Do people have to be afraid of what they buy at Revelations bookstore? It sounds like an absurd example, but what's the difference really? How far can you go in enforcing ideological purity? Maybe people should start wearing "Banned in the Vedic U.S.A." t-shirts! -==- Jai Ramakrishna and the all-pervading Divine Mother -== Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 Namah Shivaya dear Nick. Welcome to our list. I hear you're coming to our satsang this evening, by Amma's grace. How nice to have another member from Madison in this wonderful cybersatsang. Jai Ma! kenna/premarupa Aum Amriteshvaryai Namah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 Hey Nick, Welcome. Plenty of kindred spirits on this list. I like your list of heroes, musicians, etc. Julia Butterfly Hill just got arrested for some environmental protest in Costa Rica. Hopefully she¹s out now. I saw her speak in Iowa City. Great lady. I enjoyed your pictures. Sometime if you feel like it, please tell us why you waited a decade to get personal darshan. I¹m curious. Rick Archer -- > Hi, I'm new to this list. I'm short of time right now, so by way of > introduction here is my AOL profile. There's an address for a slide show > about my life if you are interested in learning more. Yes, I'm a music > freak! I've been seeing Amma for a long time, since the early 90s, but > believe it or not this year (in Chicago and at Devi Bhava in Fairfield Iowa) > was the first year I went up for Amma's personal blessing. I'm trying to > write about it now and will post that later if it comes together. Jai Ma, > Jai Gauranga--- om-=-- Nick > > Member: Nick's slide show: bc/soulquest7 > Location: Madison, Wi Also love: INDIA, San Francisco, Provincetown MA, > Chicago; Fairfield, Iowa. Favorite theologians/activists: Ma Jaya Sati > Bhagavati, Julia Butterfly Hill, Gandhi, Ammachi, Chaitanya, Matthew Fox, > Bayard Rustin, Ram Dass, Neem Karoli Baba, Lisa Simpson > Sex: Male > Marital Status: Gay; LTR-oriented > Hobbies: Ahimsa & nonviolent religions; Jainism; gay & lesbian rights; > folk art of India & Mexico; vegetarian; Beatles, Incredible String Band, > Donovan, Meg Christian, Laura Nyro, Dougie MacLean, Daevid Allen & Gong, > Moody Blues, Phil Ochs, Romanovsky & Phillips > Computers: Degree: B.A. in World Religions; Path: Yoga of Love, Chanting, > Meditation. Peter Gabriel & Genesis; Indian music: devotional & classical > Interests: engaged Buddhism, liberal Christianity & Judaism; New Age, > Passion: Religious mystics > Hometown HomePage: <A > HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/soulquest7/">http://hometown.aol.com/soulquest7/ > </A> > > > > > > > Sponsor > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > Terms of Service > <> . > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 Yup. Good explanation. As you¹re familiar with Fairfield, you¹re probably aware that we¹ve got some ³group think² problems around here lately. Guess we always had, but you don¹t see it clearly until you step back from it a bit. Regarding gurus, someone told me Amma said that one of her most difficult tasks is in winning the trust of people who have been burned or disillusioned by other gurus. ³Once burned, twice shy² I guess. > In a message dated 7/22/2002 11:37:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time, > rick writes: > > >> > .<< Sometime if you >> > feel like it, please tell us why you waited a decade to get personal >> > darshan. I¹m curious.>> >> > > I'm not sure if I have enough self-understanding to answer that question. I > may say one reason, but that may be a psychological defense from giving the > REAL reason. Is it just shyness and not liking being "onstage"? I've been > around gurus for 26 years, and was never initiated into a tradition. I think > that says a lot right there. I think I'm a very independent person, very > objective in the way I analyze religion. I loved studying religion in > college (because critical thinking skills were applauded, not discouraged), > but I also liked to practice religion in my daily life. I also saw so much > scandal in religion that I was afraid my spirituality would actually be > harmed by becoming fed up with temple politics. Still, I've always gone to > temples and went to hear lectures. > I guess I'm also just an old hippie spiritualist-- I think love is the > important thing, not conformity. Religious institutions usually involve a > kind of "group think" that I'm never very good at. Hope that explains it. > -=-= hari om-== Nick > > > > > > > Sponsor > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > Terms of Service > <> . > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 > I met one woman who was afriad to go see > Ammachi in Fairfield for fear of being banned from meditating in Fairfield's > TM-owned Golden Dome. I told her that I've always believed that divinity was > in every cell of creation, so its always struck me as bizarre that anyone > would try to confine it to a sect! Jai Ma-- =-== om---= Nick > She has reason to be afraid. I got kicked out of the dome for going to see Ammachi. Had been going regularly for 20 years or so. But it really wasn¹t a big deal. As you say, Divinity is everywhere, including my little meditation room at home. Sounds like Amma will be coming to Fairfield each year. I¹ll post the announcement if/when I hear it¹s official. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.