Reincarnation (was: God Bless America)

[Guest guest]

Dear Dharma,

 

one additional reason why we should not try to remember our past

incarnations was also pointed out by Yoganandaji, a reason that might not be

obvious at first. It seems that in the course of our past lives we have also

committed countless errors, some of them of a very serious nature, such that

every soul has so many skeletons in his or her closet that if we knew them

all the feeling of guilt would be overwhelming for us - more than an

ordinary mortal could bear.

 

So it may actually be a good thing that when we die we drink that draught of

the river Lethe, and get a new beginning in our next life.

 

Warmly,

 

Michael

 

 

-----Ursprungliche Nachricht-----

Von: Dharma [deva]

Gesendet: Thursday, November 29, 2001 10:28

An:

Betreff: Re: Reincarnation (was: God Bless America)

 

 

Hi Michael,

>Even as a very young child I had always felt a

great longing for rocky peaks and snow-capped mountains, and as you are

saying, "a few fragments were recalled" of a past beyond this life. Though I

know a little more fully now, rather than speak of myself let me relate a

story that was told in my presence by one monk, Brother Anandamoy, who was a

direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.

 

Brother had been with Yoganandaji for only a few month when he had this

experience during his practice of Kriya. (Kriya Yoga, as you may know, is

the meditation technique taught by Yoganandaji.) So one day while doing his

Kriya, this monk accidentally discovered the technique of viewing his own

past incarnations. While still engrossed in the experience, and enjoying it

thoroughly, he was suddenly interrupted by a call from outside. "Master

wants to see you immediately!" In Brother's words, "being the embodiment of

ignorance" he hurried straight to Yoganandaji to give him the glad tidings,

fully expecting a good dose of praise for his exploit. But even before he

could utter a word, Yoganandaji said sternly, "I don't want you to look at

your past incarnations. Do not identify yourself with the past masquerades

of your soul."

 

Wonderful story! The memories that have come to me have mostly been

triggered by someone I knew before or a place very like a place I

lived, etc. But I believe that the reason I remembered those lives

is because they're the ones that have the most to do with the present

life. Those memories explain some things to me about this life - in

a few cases the reason for unreasonable fears.

 

Other than that, I see no reason to try to remember. We could sit

around for years remembering other lives instead of living this one!!

)

 

I think many memories are just under the surface though, and we can

recognize them in those things that come so easily to us, or the

countries or periods that are so fascinating.

 

Love,

Dharma

 

 

/join

 

 

 

 

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

perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside

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

the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of Awareness.

Awareness does not come and go but is always Present. It is Home. Home is

where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal

Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously

arising from within into It Self. Welcome all to a.

 

 

 

Your use of is subject to

[Guest guest]

It's simple Mike, the phrase

"as thyself" describes in

what way one can "love thy

neighbor." If you cannot

love yourself, the way you

relate to your neighbor will

not be loving and the sage

advice becomes moot.

 

On Thu, 29 Nov 2001 22:38:30 +0100 MikeSuesserott writes:

> Dear Bruce,

>

> sorry, but being a bear of very little brain, I don't quite

> understand what

> you mean. Could you elaborate a bit?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Michael

>

>

> -----Ursprungliche Nachricht-----

> Von: Bruce Morgen [editor]

> Gesendet: Thursday, November 29, 2001 20:50

> An:

> Betreff: Re: AW: Reincarnation (was: God Bless

> America)

>

>

> Not quite, Mike. Without actual

> self-love (as contrasted with

> narcissism or conceit), the

> wisdom of loving "thy neighbor

> as thyself" is essentially

> meaningless and moot.

>

> On Thu, 29 Nov 2001 21:39:53 +0100 MikeSuesserott

> writes:

> > Dear Jan,

> >

> > rugged individualist that you are, I take it you must have been a

> > very unusual child! Were you difficult to handle? :-)

> >

> > It seems that all great teachers emphasized, and also expressed

> in

> > their own

> > lives, that caring and sharing aspect you mention. "Thou shalt

> love

> > the Lord

> > thy God with all thy heart, ..., and thy neighbor as thyself."

> Sort

> > of sums it all up, doesn't it?

> >

> > Take care,

> >

> > Michael

> >

> >

> > -----Ursprungliche Nachricht-----

> > Von: jb [kvy9]

> > Gesendet: Thursday, November 29, 2001 01:49

> > An:

> > Betreff: Re: Reincarnation (was: God Bless

> > America)

> >

> >

> > Dear Mike,

> >

> > Thanks for the enjoyable story - and it sure rings a bell.

> > I had my share of "not being born a blank" too and it was

> > about what in this era would be impossible: a technically

> > highly advanced society with a simple lifestyle - living in

> > tents, enjoying outdoor life when off-duty. Hence the love for

> > that - and the Canaries are ideal for it.

> > Humans however are social creatures - they will be unhappy,

> > unless serving their brethren (caring an sharing). In that respect

> > i'm reminded by a story on Aurobindo, who shut himself up in a

> > closed room for abt 20 years and (hence? advised to "realize",

> > functioning in society. Another pointer came from communism:

> > workers who did hard, physical work would earn more than doctors

> > or engineers. That didn't cause a shortage of academics though...

> >

> > Peace,

> > Jan

> >

> >

> > On 11/28/01 at 5:58 PM MikeSuesserott wrote:

> >

> > :Dear Jan,

> > :

> > :let me take this opportunity to thank you for your great

> > photographs and

> > :haikus that I enjoy a lot. My favorite is titled, "Alone?", and

> > shows a

> > :mountain goat on a hill top. Even as a very young child I had

> > always felt a

> > :great longing for rocky peaks and snow-capped mountains, and as

> you

> > are

> > :saying, "a few fragments were recalled" of a past beyond this

> life.

> > Though

> > :I

> > :know a little more fully now, rather than speak of myself let me

> > relate a

> > :story that was told in my presence by one monk, Brother

> Anandamoy,

> > who was

> > :a

> > :direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.

> > :

> > :Brother had been with Yoganandaji for only a few month when he

> had

> > this

> > :experience during his practice of Kriya. (Kriya Yoga, as you may

> > know, is

> > :the meditation technique taught by Yoganandaji.) So one day

> while

> > doing his

> > :Kriya, this monk accidentally discovered the technique of

> viewing

> > his own

> > :past incarnations. While still engrossed in the experience, and

> > enjoying it

> > :thoroughly, he was suddenly interrupted by a call from outside.

> > "Master

> > :wants to see you immediately!" In Brother's words, "being the

> > embodiment of

> > :ignorance" he hurried straight to Yoganandaji to give him the

> glad

> > tidings,

> > :fully expecting a good dose of praise for his exploit. But even

> > before he

> > :could utter a word, Yoganandaji said sternly, "I don't want you

> to

> > look at

> > :your past incarnations. Do not identify yourself with the past

> > masquerades

> > :of your soul."

> > :

> > :Take care,

> > :

> > :Michael

> > :

______________

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