To Mahamuni and Kalika and All about Marijuana

[Guest guest]

Mahamuni wrote:

 

>> Also I think their might be a difference between astral plane experiences

and true

>> "spiritual" experiences.

 

 

 

 

And Kalika wrote:

 

>> Yes, many shamans use it but many shamans also move beyond it, no

>> longer need it or recommend it.

 

Dear Mahamuni, Kalika and All ~ in my experience, astral plane experiences

are different, but they are a "spiritual experience." Just as in Hinduism,

there are various types of practices such as meditation, puja, japa, etc., with

each carrying it's own unique spiritual experience so the same exists in

shamanism and in other extant native cultures which remain close to their primal

teachings.

 

Just as shamans move beyond the use of marijuana (and actually more often

the use of other plants such as peyote and jimson weed), so mahatmas don't feel

bound by "the rules." And shamans, interestingly use other "aids," which are

similar to practices in other spirituality belief systems. For a shaman, the

drum or the didjerido becomes the "horse" that carries them to spiritual

realms. Similarly, bhajans and kirtan can induce a state of ecstasy and

oneness.

 

Amma has said this many times, that a true mahatma is beyond the notion of

dualities such as right and wrong as well as beyond the need for spiritual

practices, but they do them to be an example for their devotees, who might

become confused with this higher awareness if it is not accompanied by spiritual

experiences such as meditation, which naturally open one's awareness to these

truths.

 

Most of these "horses" are simply aids that may initially help us to open

our awareness to the point where we are ready for more profound experiences as

well as for more profound spiritual work. Amma calls this "selfless service."

In shamanism, the shaman plays many roles ~ healer, trickster, journeyer (to

bring back knowledge which will be of service to his/her community. The same

may be true for Native American culture, where the Medicine Man plays this

role for his tribe and where young men (usually) go on vision quests, where

being alone in nature, abstaining from food, etc. have the same aspect of

opening the "gates of perception." Similarly, in India when spiritual aspirants

go

into the forest or into caves to perform "tapas," they may also be going

without food for long periods of time and performing other austerities that

affect the physical body.

 

I am not advocating any of these practices, because in the culture they take

place in, they occur within a well-developed and accepted context (except

when, of course, the one running off to perform austerities in the forest, like

Karunamayi, is from a wealthy family, and then the family may try to prevent

the person from this path. I recall reading a story in one of my Amma books

of a young man from a rich family who had come to the ashram. His parents were

quite dismayed and bent on preventing him from beginning a spiritual path,

so Amma sent him far away, to work on his own, until his family gave up or in,

and then She sent for him to return to the ashram.

 

Jai all the teachers throughout time ~ Linda