Now what?

[empty2]

I just unsubscribed to AZ. I meant to just stop the emails but hit the
unsubscribe button 'by mistake'. So be it. The loonies seem to have
taken over that asylum.

So now what? Anyone here?

[Gary]

Yes, if here means vacationing in Disneyland.
What thoughts, or musings are arising with you?

[Mark Carpenter]

I think ole' Richard-ji and his inquisitiveness was for the most part
the engine that kept this place running. He is a great and humble
human being with a very good sense of humor. I am sure if and when he
gets better he will be back on here posting.

For my part I have recently been going back over the earlier threads
and learning a lot from the perspective of having this stuff settle in
over time but also having forgotten alot and being sucked into the
world pretty deeply several times.

This place started a great deal because of the Bob show and the
Parabrahman question. For my part I have come to the conclusion that
Ram was right. Having said that I don't think there has ever been a
better introductory teacher of Advaita than Bob and there would be no
hope of me understanding what Nisargadatta and his lineage were
talking about without him.

This place was/is certainly filled with a cast of characters...

Gary: the republican, Alan Watts buff.
Charlie: the bi-polar up in coming Advaita Guru, this guy I think gets
more done before breakfast than I probably do in 2 months. Last time I
checked he was indited on a cult watch list (seriously). He once said
he loved me in a tele-satsang and I responded in kind.
Steve: M.I.A. the kundalini expert cum UG exponenent. Once hilariously
called Charlie out for having too much stress around his eyes to be
enlightened.
Ram: Aka Rammed-ass some times rude traditionalist (actually for the
most part knew what he was talking about).
God-Zen: Is so close... to Beingness... and  Radiance... he can...
hardly talk.
Nathan: making videos in Thailand with his shirt off.
Richard: no matter how much he knew about Advaita he would try to
reconcile it to Christian theology.
Myself: overweight, white ex-Sufi/Muslim 

A, Dan and Roger I did not get to know very well as well as the newer
people. All at the end of the day, you are all super cool people.

I regret there never being a meetup. Perhaps if (God willing) if
Richard gets better it could still be possible.

[empty2]

Hi Gary,

>What thoughts, or musings are arising with you?

Nothing much really, I'm afraid.

But I'll stick to AN from now on, invisibly or not.

I share the rather poignant sentiments of Mark's post above,

...but better silence than the open slagfest and outright and totally
reprehensible prejudice being expressed elsewhere - in jest or not.

Call me an old-fashioned dualist, but I don't subscribe to the view
that 'enlightenment' justifies the abandonment of basic human values
and sense of common decency.

That said, my thanks and appreciation to you, Gary, and the good
friends on AN.

[Gary]

Mark's post reminded me of the intensity that existed with these
posts. I've not met up with Charlie since he moved a few years back,
but he has remained pretty much the same since knowing him in the
seventies.

I found my thoughts regarding Bob's starter Advaita to be rather
curious. I speak only for myself, but thoughts of an advanced
understanding have absolutely no driving force behind them. This
contrasts thirty years of real intensity regarding such things. It
now appears to me that all such things were expressions of ego
searching for security and meaning. Presently, I see without
meaning. I'm lost without any interest in finding myself, or
achieving the next level. Having said this, I also have found that
many of you suggest a more charming, attractive and beautiful sense of
things. All of these various perspectives fueled this site for a good
while. Richard did much to manage the site and restart it when it
went through many slow periods. I really miss his contribution and
have always found those here, including Richard, to be my friends and
teachers.

So, Mark.. where have you been and what sense of things resonates with
you?

[Mark Carpenter]

Empty said: "Call me an old-fashioned dualist, but I don't subscribe

to the view
that 'enlightenment' justifies the abandonment of basic human values
and sense of common decency."

I would agree with you, 99% of people's so called "Enlightenment" is
mostly just mental masturbation, grandstanding and power tripping. A
Jedi seeks not such things.

Gary said: "I've not met up with Charlie since he moved a few years

back, but he has remained pretty much the same since knowing him in
the seventies."

To add to my thoughts on Charlie too, I really think he is a very
intelligent and amazing guy (same goes for all the people I listed,
they ALL at times came up with great insights), the guy writes a book
in about a week where as my life is a complete mess mainly do to
laziness and procrastination. Most people at his age did not even know
how to use a computer and he is producing a load of content,
interviewing people ect. I may still have the mp3 of him, you (Gary)
and Paco somewhere.

"I found my thoughts regarding Bob's starter Advaita to be rather
curious"

I don't mean in the sense of "when are you going to grow up and
practice REAL advaita?" but John did sum up the teaching as realizing
what I am and what I am not. What I am in the final understanding has
no attributes like awareness and no identification with I. I Don't
have experiential knowledge of this but it makes sense after a lot of
deliberation and reading other people in the lineage. Bob's stuff is
more than enough to chew on for 99% of people to begin with and it de-
mystifies enlightenment. I remember reading 'I Am That' long before
Bob and doing dumb shite like repeating I Am over and over, hoping to
get zapped, with no clue what most of it was about or how to proceed. 

>It now appears to me that all such things were expressions of ego searching for security and meaning.

I have the opposite experience, I am convinced there is a God or
Sadguru that does guide and teach you if you open up to it and have
the right asperation. People think how the hell do I get God to grant
this grace? Well, first off God is yourself and as such doesn't have
any reason to withhold from you, we however run in the opposite
direction into illusion. The Sadguru is available to us in the medium
of his real Saints. This may be a hokey but there it is.

"So, Mark.. where have you been and what sense of things resonates
with you?"

I have been pretty much dealing with life, watching a lot of TV and
other stuff. Right now I am rereading Ranjit Maharaj's books and
Siddharameshwar's Master Key. For me reading Ranjit is like getting
hit with a hammer every few paragraphs. I shows you exactly were you
are deficient and wrong headed. I can completely sympathize with
anyone who does not want to aquire another book and it may not
resonate with someone else the same way.

When I was really off track for awhile I watched some Mooji youtube
vids and like him a lot, it helped reorient me again. I think you can
tell when you are on the right track when someone you have satsang
with, either from a book or vid or whatever, gives a sense of peace to
your heart for a bit.

Have a great day guys.

[Gary]

Thanks Mark...

I can't really disagree with you in any material way. Manifestation
appears to be what you want it to be. If you wish to define things in
terms of God and attribute God with qualities then so be it. What
really is the difference between "shit happens" and god makes "shit
happen"? This is all part of the play, which includes me, as an
individual entity and my chewing on Bob, Charlie, Mooji and
Spongebob's expressions. Sitting in front of the TV, or at the feet
of your master are just different seeming aspects of life celebrating
itself, or gods will..whatever. The individual entity evaporates in
the moment, in the spaces between Bob's words. Nothing to get.
Getting is once again just a celebration of life by the
individual..being lived by god..nature..maya.. Seeking enlightement,
or perfection of the individual ..maya. Catch 22 was a wonderful
book.

[empty2]

Mark said, "I would agree with you, 99% of people's so called

"Enlightenment" is
mostly just mental masturbation, grandstanding and power tripping. A
Jedi seeks not such things."

Reminds me of:

"If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to
everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in
the expert's mind there are few."
Zen master Shunryu Suzuki

....also of course:

"Men say they know many things;
But lo! They have taken wings, -
The arts and sciences
And a thousand appliances, -
The wind that blows
Is all that anybody knows."

Henry David Thoreau

[Rodger]

I miss Richard,too.

A couple of things stand out for me...

Gary's being lost with no interest in finding myself and,'The wind
that blows is all that anybody knows'.

[godszen]

Gary wrote:
> Getting is once again just a celebration of life by the

> individual..being lived by god......

through Him
with Him
in Him

[godszen]

empty2 wrote:
> I just unsubscribed to AZ. I meant to just stop the emails but hit the
> unsubscribe button 'by mistake'. So be it. The loonies seem to have
> taken over that asylum.

I know everything

[empty2]

On Jun 24, 3:47 am, godszen <gods...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I know everything

In which case, Godszen, there's no need to tell you anything.

:)

[godszen]

:-)