Anxiety

October 26, 2001

Dear all,the story told in the Bible of Jesus sleeping in that boat

during a storm, when the disciples got afraid and woke him up, and he

rebuked them, saying, "O ye of little faith" - that story reminded me

of an incident that was told by the late Meera Ma, one of the senior

disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda. It's a bit long, but I believe it

might throw some light on that biblical story.

Michael

-----------Many

years ago Meera Ma and another nun were sent by Yoganandaji from LA to

attend to some business in New York. When they were done, the Master

phoned and said, "You haven't had a vacation, and I know you need

rest and a little change. So don't just rush back; take your time. Go

to see Niagara Falls and Lake Erie and take the boat across the lake

at night. It's a beautiful ride, and you'll enjoy it. Then visit the

Black Forest and the Badlands, and come back through

Yellowstone."When the nuns inquired about the boat ride across Lake

Erie, they were told, "We are sold out, there is absolutely no

chance." Well, they drove there anyway, and Meera Ma walked up to the

boat ride attendant and asked, "Are you sure we cannot get on this

boat?" He said, "Nope, lady. At this time we're absolutely booked up

a week or two in advance." Just then somebody came and canceled his

reservation. So he said, "Okay, ladies, drive your car on."All night

long, Meera Ma sat outside watching the water and the moon and

thinking of God and of her Guru. At breakfast she wrote a little note

to Yoganandaji, saying how wonderful it was to be here, and mailed the

letter when they got off the boat in Detroit.At Yellowstone, when they

asked for a hotel room, they were told that none was available. But

again somebody canceled while they were standing there, and the clerk

said, "We have one room now, if you would like to take it." Well, the

room turned out to have a great picture window that overlooked the

Old Faithful geyser. Again Meera Ma sat up all night, watching the

geyser and the lights that played on the water.Next they drove into

Salt Lake City and spent the night there. It was terribly hot, but

nevertheless the next morning they started on a 740-mile trip through

the desert where the temperature reached 120 degrees. They drove in an

open convertible with nothing but a canvas top, but they somehow

survived by putting a big wet towel over the head, pinning it under

the chin, and leaving just eyes and nose uncovered. They had two

large thermos jugs filled with water, and when the heat got too

unbearable, they poured some water over their heads.They drove

without stopping, except to get gas and more water, all the way to

Los Angeles, and arrived there around ten o'clock at night. They went

right up to see the Master, and Meera Ma thought, "Oh, he's going to

be so glad to see us and to know we're back."But when they got to his

door he said, "You! What are you doing here?" Meera Ma said, "Well,

sir, we're back.""What do you mean, you're back? I told you to take

your time and enjoy it. How can you enjoy anything when you rush

through life?" Then Yoganandaji sent for the letter Meera Ma had

written on the boat. "Listen to this." The Master read the letter

aloud: "We're on the boat crossing Lake Erie. I'm homesick." (You

see, he was reading her thoughts between the lines.) "Everything so

far has been wonderful. I'm homesick."

Then he made his meaning plain. "You call yourself a disciple, and yet

feel homesick because you wanted to get back where my body is. Who do

you think opened your way across the lake? Who opened your way to

stay at Yellowstone? Who do you think was with you in the heat of the

car, looking after you all the way across the desert?"

Meera Ma answered, "Well, it was you, sir."

He said, "Then why did you pinpoint me to this little room at Mt.

Washington! Don't ever come to me in that consciousness again."

So that was what Meera Ma was getting for thinking that she was

pleasing her Guru by getting home early!

October 26, 2001

Mike & Friends,

In the story about the nuns and Yogananda Mike wrote:

Then he made his meaning plain. "You call yourself a disciple, and

yet feel homesick because you wanted to get back where my body is.

Who do you think opened your way across the lake? Who opened your way

to stay at Yellowstone? Who do you think was with you in the heat of

the car, looking after you all the way across the desert?"

>From this kind of story, of which their are many, 2 general forms of

interpretation tend to evolve. One is, as we see contemporaneously in

Ramesh Balsekar's peculiar form of fatalism, that all is pre-

determined by a greater mind, and hence, there is no individual will

that matters, or Two, that having taken Initiation and begun the last

leg of spiritual life, that Guru Maya has replaced Maya, and the

initiate is living out a surrendered life that is strewn with lessons

from a greater overmind, call it what you will.

I tend to favor the latter, and many of our adamantly advaitist

readers favor the former. I'm quite sure that I'm right, that what

the dedicated disciple experiences in life is quite different than

that experienced by someone else, but I rest easy in the knowledge

that these things are more determined by type or "deep personality"

than reasoning, and that both positions are ultimately fruitful in

the same great game.

yours in the bonds(advaitically, despite all)

eric

, MikeSuesserott@t... wrote:

> Dear all,

>

> the story told in the Bible of Jesus sleeping in that boat during a

storm,

> when the disciples got afraid and woke him up, and he rebuked them,

saying,

> "O ye of little faith" - that story reminded me of an incident that

was told

> by the late Meera Ma, one of the senior disciples of Paramahansa

Yogananda.

> It's a bit long, but I believe it might throw some light on that

biblical

> story.

>

> Michael

> --

--------

> -

>

> Many years ago Meera Ma and another nun were sent by Yoganandaji

from LA to

> attend to some business in New York. When they were done, the

Master phoned

> and said, "You haven't had a vacation, and I know you need rest and

a little

> change. So don't just rush back; take your time. Go to see Niagara

Falls and

> Lake Erie and take the boat across the lake at night. It's a

beautiful ride,

> and you'll enjoy it. Then visit the Black Forest and the Badlands,

and come

> back through Yellowstone."

>

> When the nuns inquired about the boat ride across Lake Erie, they

were told,

> "We are sold out, there is absolutely no chance." Well, they drove

there

> anyway, and Meera Ma walked up to the boat ride attendant and

asked, "Are

> you sure we cannot get on this boat?" He said, "Nope, lady. At this

time

> we're absolutely booked up a week or two in advance." Just then

somebody

> came and canceled his reservation. So he said, "Okay, ladies, drive

your car

> on."

>

> All night long, Meera Ma sat outside watching the water and the

moon and

> thinking of God and of her Guru. At breakfast she wrote a little

note to

> Yoganandaji, saying how wonderful it was to be here, and mailed the

letter

> when they got off the boat in Detroit.

>

> At Yellowstone, when they asked for a hotel room, they were told

that none

> was available. But again somebody canceled while they were standing

there,

> and the clerk said, "We have one room now, if you would like to

take it."

> Well, the room turned out to have a great picture window that

overlooked the

> Old Faithful geyser. Again Meera Ma sat up all night, watching the

geyser

> and the lights that played on the water.

>

> Next they drove into Salt Lake City and spent the night there. It

was

> terribly hot, but nevertheless the next morning they started on a

740-mile

> trip through the desert where the temperature reached 120 degrees.

They

> drove in an open convertible with nothing but a canvas top, but

they somehow

> survived by putting a big wet towel over the head, pinning it under

the

> chin, and leaving just eyes and nose uncovered. They had two large

thermos

> jugs filled with water, and when the heat got too unbearable, they

poured

> some water over their heads.

>

> They drove without stopping, except to get gas and more water, all

the way

> to Los Angeles, and arrived there around ten o'clock at night. They

went

> right up to see the Master, and Meera Ma thought, "Oh, he's going

to be so

> glad to see us and to know we're back."

>

> But when they got to his door he said, "You! What are you doing

here?" Meera

> Ma said, "Well, sir, we're back."

>

> "What do you mean, you're back? I told you to take your time and

enjoy it.

> How can you enjoy anything when you rush through life?" Then

Yoganandaji

> sent for the letter Meera Ma had written on the boat. "Listen to

this." The

> Master read the letter aloud: "We're on the boat crossing Lake

Erie. I'm

> homesick." (You see, he was reading her thoughts between the lines.)

> "Everything so far has been wonderful. I'm homesick."

>

> Then he made his meaning plain. "You call yourself a disciple, and

yet feel

> homesick because you wanted to get back where my body is. Who do

you think

> opened your way across the lake? Who opened your way to stay at

Yellowstone?

> Who do you think was with you in the heat of the car, looking after

you all

> the way across the desert?"

>

> Meera Ma answered, "Well, it was you, sir."

>

> He said, "Then why did you pinpoint me to this little room at Mt.

> Washington! Don't ever come to me in that consciousness again."

>

> So that was what Meera Ma was getting for thinking that she was

pleasing her

> Guru by getting home early!

October 26, 2001

On 10/27/01 at 12:57 AM EBlackstead wrote:

ºMike & Friends,

º

ºIn the story about the nuns and Yogananda Mike wrote:

º

ºThen he made his meaning plain. "You call yourself a disciple, and

ºyet feel homesick because you wanted to get back where my body is.

ºWho do you think opened your way across the lake? Who opened your way

ºto stay at Yellowstone? Who do you think was with you in the heat of

ºthe car, looking after you all the way across the desert?"

º

º>From this kind of story, of which their are many, 2 general forms of

ºinterpretation tend to evolve. One is, as we see contemporaneously in

ºRamesh Balsekar's peculiar form of fatalism, that all is pre-

ºdetermined by a greater mind, and hence, there is no individual will

ºthat matters, or Two, that having taken Initiation and begun the last

ºleg of spiritual life, that Guru Maya has replaced Maya, and the

ºinitiate is living out a surrendered life that is strewn with lessons

ºfrom a greater overmind, call it what you will.

º

ºI tend to favor the latter, and many of our adamantly advaitist

ºreaders favor the former. I'm quite sure that I'm right, that what

ºthe dedicated disciple experiences in life is quite different than

ºthat experienced by someone else, but I rest easy in the knowledge

ºthat these things are more determined by type or "deep personality"

ºthan reasoning, and that both positions are ultimately fruitful in

ºthe same great game.

º

ºyours in the bonds(advaitically, despite all)

ºeric

How to find out which of those perspectives is correct - if any is at all?

Sit on a chair and raise a leg. Which one will you raise?

Is that determination, (God's, your, my) will, surrender, randomness?

The fundamental property of mass is inertia - whether that mass

is made up of gross matter or mental (conditioning).

Hence the image of the wheel of karma is most appropriate -

the spinning flywheel represents a lot of energy - the momentum of life.

Pulling the break softly, nothing seems to happen (the perspective

of fatalism), stepping on it will release a lot of energy (the perspective

of immediate and profound change due to unconditional surrender - even

awareness of Shakti as power).

These are the extremes between which the philosophers reside - a seeming

play of tendencies.

But when the wheel has stopped, what then?

Peace,

Jan

October 27, 2001

Jan & Friends,

Ah, Jan. That's the whole thing, isn't it?

yours in the bonds,

eric

, "jb" <kvy9@l...> wrote:

>

> On 10/27/01 at 12:57 AM EBlackstead@c... wrote:

>

> ºMike & Friends,

> º

> ºIn the story about the nuns and Yogananda Mike wrote:

> º

> ºThen he made his meaning plain. "You call yourself a disciple, and

> ºyet feel homesick because you wanted to get back where my body is.

> ºWho do you think opened your way across the lake? Who opened your

way

> ºto stay at Yellowstone? Who do you think was with you in the heat

of

> ºthe car, looking after you all the way across the desert?"

> º

> º>From this kind of story, of which their are many, 2 general forms

of

> ºinterpretation tend to evolve. One is, as we see contemporaneously

in

> ºRamesh Balsekar's peculiar form of fatalism, that all is pre-

> ºdetermined by a greater mind, and hence, there is no individual

will

> ºthat matters, or Two, that having taken Initiation and begun the

last

> ºleg of spiritual life, that Guru Maya has replaced Maya, and the

> ºinitiate is living out a surrendered life that is strewn with

lessons

> ºfrom a greater overmind, call it what you will.

> º

> ºI tend to favor the latter, and many of our adamantly advaitist

> ºreaders favor the former. I'm quite sure that I'm right, that what

> ºthe dedicated disciple experiences in life is quite different than

> ºthat experienced by someone else, but I rest easy in the knowledge

> ºthat these things are more determined by type or "deep

personality"

> ºthan reasoning, and that both positions are ultimately fruitful in

> ºthe same great game.

> º

> ºyours in the bonds(advaitically, despite all)

> ºeric

>

> How to find out which of those perspectives is correct - if any is

at all?

> Sit on a chair and raise a leg. Which one will you raise?

> Is that determination, (God's, your, my) will, surrender,

randomness?

>

> The fundamental property of mass is inertia - whether that mass

> is made up of gross matter or mental (conditioning).

> Hence the image of the wheel of karma is most appropriate -

> the spinning flywheel represents a lot of energy - the momentum of

life.

> Pulling the break softly, nothing seems to happen (the perspective

> of fatalism), stepping on it will release a lot of energy (the

perspective

> of immediate and profound change due to unconditional surrender -

even

> awareness of Shakti as power).

> These are the extremes between which the philosophers reside - a

seeming

> play of tendencies.

> But when the wheel has stopped, what then?

>

> Peace,

> Jan

October 27, 2001

On 10/27/01 at 6:36 AM EBlackstead wrote:

ºJan & Friends,

º

ºAh, Jan. That's the whole thing, isn't it?

º

ºyours in the bonds,

ºeric

Extremes often give rise to insight - Nature uses

a simple algorithm with infinite variations instead of an infinite

set of different algorithms.. Observing that, the "ultimate simplicity"

effortlessly shines by itself.

Peace,

Jan

º

º, "jb" <kvy9@l...> wrote:

º>

º> On 10/27/01 at 12:57 AM EBlackstead@c... wrote:

º>

º> ºMike & Friends,

º> º

º> ºIn the story about the nuns and Yogananda Mike wrote:

º> º

º> ºThen he made his meaning plain. "You call yourself a disciple, and

º> ºyet feel homesick because you wanted to get back where my body is.

º> ºWho do you think opened your way across the lake? Who opened your

ºway

º> ºto stay at Yellowstone? Who do you think was with you in the heat

ºof

º> ºthe car, looking after you all the way across the desert?"

º> º

º> º>From this kind of story, of which their are many, 2 general forms

ºof

º> ºinterpretation tend to evolve. One is, as we see contemporaneously

ºin

º> ºRamesh Balsekar's peculiar form of fatalism, that all is pre-

º> ºdetermined by a greater mind, and hence, there is no individual

ºwill

º> ºthat matters, or Two, that having taken Initiation and begun the

ºlast

º> ºleg of spiritual life, that Guru Maya has replaced Maya, and the

º> ºinitiate is living out a surrendered life that is strewn with

ºlessons

º> ºfrom a greater overmind, call it what you will.

º> º

º> ºI tend to favor the latter, and many of our adamantly advaitist

º> ºreaders favor the former. I'm quite sure that I'm right, that what

º> ºthe dedicated disciple experiences in life is quite different than

º> ºthat experienced by someone else, but I rest easy in the knowledge

º> ºthat these things are more determined by type or "deep

ºpersonality"

º> ºthan reasoning, and that both positions are ultimately fruitful in

º> ºthe same great game.

º> º

º> ºyours in the bonds(advaitically, despite all)

º> ºeric

º>

º> How to find out which of those perspectives is correct - if any is

ºat all?

º> Sit on a chair and raise a leg. Which one will you raise?

º> Is that determination, (God's, your, my) will, surrender,

ºrandomness?

º>

º> The fundamental property of mass is inertia - whether that mass

º> is made up of gross matter or mental (conditioning).

º> Hence the image of the wheel of karma is most appropriate -

º> the spinning flywheel represents a lot of energy - the momentum of

ºlife.

º> Pulling the break softly, nothing seems to happen (the perspective

º> of fatalism), stepping on it will release a lot of energy (the

ºperspective

º> of immediate and profound change due to unconditional surrender -

ºeven

º> awareness of Shakti as power).

º> These are the extremes between which the philosophers reside - a

ºseeming

º> play of tendencies.

º> But when the wheel has stopped, what then?

º>

º> Peace,

º> Jan

º

º/join

º

ºAll paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights,

ºperceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and

ºsubside back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not

ºdifferent than the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the

ºnature of Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is always Present.

ºIt is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the

ºFinality of Eternal Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of

ºSelf-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from within into It Self. Welcome

ºall to a.

º

ºYour use of is subject to

October 27, 2001

Nicely stated... 'predestiny' and 'free will' are but ideas, topics

to ponder or debate. Debating/pondering these opposites is simply a

continuation of the same spinning wheel... whether the spinning is

predetermined or not, who cares?

Balsekar seems to present 'predestiny' as a sort of counter to the

idea of 'free will', but the result could only be continued spinning

of the same perpetual wheel (as if 'black' could be more valid

than 'white')... the endless play of opposites. These ideas are

artificially created problems. The mind seeks answers to questions

it creates, which generates yet more questions and so on.

Countering one extreme with another is the same as walking in order

to stand still... why not just stand still? If that doesn't seem

possible, then Judi's "end of rope" applies... 'burning out' the

cycle will be necessary -- and will happen if the questioning is

sincere enough. Often that requires a lot of suffering, especially

if "thick skinned."

Light,

Tim

, "jb" <kvy9@l...> wrote:

> How to find out which of those perspectives is correct - if any is

> at all? Sit on a chair and raise a leg. Which one will you raise?

> Is that determination, (God's, your, my) will, surrender,

> randomness?

>

> The fundamental property of mass is inertia - whether that mass

> is made up of gross matter or mental (conditioning).

> Hence the image of the wheel of karma is most appropriate -

> the spinning flywheel represents a lot of energy - the momentum of

> life. Pulling the break softly, nothing seems to happen (the

> perspective of fatalism), stepping on it will release a lot of

> energy (the perspective of immediate and profound change due to

> unconditional surrender - even awareness of Shakti as power).

> These are the extremes between which the philosophers reside - a

> seeming play of tendencies.

> But when the wheel has stopped, what then?

>

> Peace,

> Jan

October 27, 2001

On 10/27/01 at 3:05 PM Omkara wrote:

ºNicely stated... 'predestiny' and 'free will' are but ideas, topics

ºto ponder or debate. Debating/pondering these opposites is simply a

ºcontinuation of the same spinning wheel... whether the spinning is

ºpredetermined or not, who cares?

Exactly - mass set in motion will continue to move, irrespective of anything...

As mass = energy, motion isn't predetermined but a property.

And the question "is the notion of free will predetermined too?"

is a good laugh.

º

ºBalsekar seems to present 'predestiny' as a sort of counter to the

ºidea of 'free will', but the result could only be continued spinning

ºof the same perpetual wheel (as if 'black' could be more valid

ºthan 'white')... the endless play of opposites. These ideas are

ºartificially created problems. The mind seeks answers to questions

ºit creates, which generates yet more questions and so on.

Yes, presenting ideas like "predestined" and "free will" could suggest

that one is "right", the other "wrong" and adhering the "right" will

bring enlightenment "closer". This of course could be labeled as BS...

º

ºCountering one extreme with another is the same as walking in order

ºto stand still... why not just stand still? If that doesn't seem

ºpossible, then Judi's "end of rope" applies... 'burning out' the

ºcycle will be necessary -- and will happen if the questioning is

ºsincere enough. Often that requires a lot of suffering, especially

ºif "thick skinned."

On a larger scale, a wheel is represented by a planet revolving around

a star. Continuous repetition of movement is what gives rise to the notion

of time - when truly "aware", nothing repeats So yes, only when the movement

of mind grinds to a halt, "insight" happens. And it will be obvious, that won't

be a "spontaneous" happening - at times, painful. What keeps the mind spinning

too is the fuel supplied as "food for thought" and "spiritual entertainment" -

hence "at the end of the rope" isn't a pleasant condition.

Peace,

Jan

º

ºLight,

º

ºTim

º

º, "jb" <kvy9@l...> wrote:

º> How to find out which of those perspectives is correct - if any is

º> at all? Sit on a chair and raise a leg. Which one will you raise?

º> Is that determination, (God's, your, my) will, surrender,

º> randomness?

º>

º> The fundamental property of mass is inertia - whether that mass

º> is made up of gross matter or mental (conditioning).

º> Hence the image of the wheel of karma is most appropriate -

º> the spinning flywheel represents a lot of energy - the momentum of

º> life. Pulling the break softly, nothing seems to happen (the

º> perspective of fatalism), stepping on it will release a lot of

º> energy (the perspective of immediate and profound change due to

º> unconditional surrender - even awareness of Shakti as power).

º> These are the extremes between which the philosophers reside - a

º> seeming play of tendencies.