Guest guest Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 The meaning of the often used Sanskrit/Hindi word "Namaste" is roughly meant to convey that "I bow to the light in you." This metaphor is acted out in many spiritual traditions by actually prostrating before the guru (putting head at his or her feet). I often prostrated before my own guru in reverence. True prostration to someone is spontaneous and not premeditated. And a genuine bowing certainly need not be physical. When the mind comes down to the Heart, that is the supreme bowing and leads to complete silence. Sri Ramana never asked for or ever encouraged people to bow or prostrate to him. Sometimes he was irritated by it. Required kneeling to someone, a guru or the group leader, when it is part of an institutionalized practice may be a subtle form of violence. I have seen many groups like that. Prostrating and kneeling to a guru can go beyond just spiritual bowing and may involve elements of power, debasement, and the notion that some are implicitly more equal (closer to God, etc.) than others. Group psychology can be very powerful and when used negatively can have harmful consequences. That is my observation after being in the "spiritual arena" for more than four decades. Probably people do what they consider to be best for themselves. Love to all Harsha ===== /join SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting./ps/sb/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 , Harsha <harshaimtm> wrote: > The meaning of the often used Sanskrit/Hindi word > "Namaste" is roughly meant to convey that "I bow to > the light in you." > > This metaphor is acted out in many spiritual > traditions by actually prostrating before the guru > (putting head at his or her feet). I often prostrated > before my own guru in reverence. > > True prostration to someone is spontaneous and not > premeditated. And a genuine bowing certainly need not > be physical. When the mind comes down to the Heart, > that is the supreme bowing and leads to complete > silence. > > Sri Ramana never asked for or ever encouraged people > to bow or prostrate to him. Sometimes he was irritated > by it. > > Required kneeling to someone, a guru or the group > leader, when it is part of an institutionalized > practice may be a subtle form of violence. I have seen > many groups like that. > > Prostrating and kneeling to a guru can go beyond just > spiritual bowing and may involve elements of power, > debasement, and the notion that some are implicitly > more equal (closer to God, etc.) than others. > > Group psychology can be very powerful and when used > negatively can have harmful consequences. That is my > observation after being in the "spiritual arena" for > more than four decades. > > Probably people do what they consider to be best for > themselves. > > Love to all > Harsha Namaste H et al, Yes I think it is better left to pop groups, and japanese businessmen.........ONS..Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 devi: last summer after not seeing my Guru for a year, i walked up to where he was standing with a group of people to say hello and just as i got there he dropped something and i got to bend down to pick it up..i felt as though he dropped it just so i could pick it up and so i could feel as if i bowed down to him, (i'm sure he knows that i like that)which i am moved to do. whether he was aware of my feelings or whether he did that on purpose i don't know....i am an american, but alot of my life i've wondered why because i've always felt like india was my home, that i had spent many lifetimes, i love the dress, the food, the Gods and Godesses, and touching the feet of the Guru... (by the way, babaji hardly lets an american do that, also he doens't let anyone touch him so that solves that problem..too) i think alot of us who are attracted to that indian teaching just have that sanskara, impression, conditining, from many lifetimes in that part of the world.. also,for example when yogananda wrote his book autobiograpy of a yogi he planted some very beautiful thoughts about guru-disciple relationship, as soon as i read that book my life became the search for the Guru...i was lucky and found a good one...it took me six years to reach him.. i'm very sad sometimes when i think of the abusive gurus around, i serioulsy don't understand it..(as with sai baba and adi da) thanks for the memeories and sorry if my thoughts seem disjointed, i don't have that natural ability (actually i think its a siddi) to have long thoughts..... namaste > The meaning of the often used Sanskrit/Hindi word > "Namaste" is roughly meant to convey that "I bow to > the light in you." > > This metaphor is acted out in many spiritual > traditions by actually prostrating before the guru > (putting head at his or her feet). I often prostrated > before my own guru in reverence. > > True prostration to someone is spontaneous and not > premeditated. And a genuine bowing certainly need not > be physical. When the mind comes down to the Heart, > that is the supreme bowing and leads to complete > silence. > > Sri Ramana never asked for or ever encouraged people > to bow or prostrate to him. Sometimes he was irritated > by it. > > Required kneeling to someone, a guru or the group > leader, when it is part of an institutionalized > practice may be a subtle form of violence. I have seen > many groups like that. > > Prostrating and kneeling to a guru can go beyond just > spiritual bowing and may involve elements of power, > debasement, and the notion that some are implicitly > more equal (closer to God, etc.) than others. > > Group psychology can be very powerful and when used > negatively can have harmful consequences. That is my > observation after being in the "spiritual arena" for > more than four decades. > > Probably people do what they consider to be best for > themselves. > > Love to all > Harsha > > > ===== > /join > > > > > > > > > > SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! > http://webhosting./ps/sb/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Thanks Devi. It is nice to have such a wonderful connection with your teacher as you do. You are right about being attracted to Indian things due to previous incarnations. Sri Ramana referred to Major Chadwick (Sadhu Arunachala) as "one of us" and in the context indicated that he had been connected to them in previous lives. I have known other people Western born who are unusually attracted to Indian things. Of course most Indians are very much attracted to Western things, highly materialistic, and only superficially interested in deep spirituality. So it is certainly not a one way street! :-). That's how these things go. Love to all Harsha --- devianandi <devi wrote: > devi: last summer after not seeing my Guru for a > year, i walked up to > where he was standing with a group of people to say > hello and just as > i got there he dropped something and i got to bend > down to pick it > up..i felt as though he dropped it just so i could > pick it up and so > i could feel as if i bowed down to him, (i'm sure he > knows that i > like that)which i am moved to do. whether he was > aware of my feelings > or whether he did that on purpose i don't know....i > am an american, > but alot of my life i've wondered why because i've > always felt like > india was my home, that i had spent many lifetimes, > i love the dress, > the food, the Gods and Godesses, and touching the > feet of the Guru... > (by the way, babaji hardly lets an american do that, > also he doens't > let anyone touch him so that solves that > problem..too) i think alot > of us who are attracted to that indian teaching just > have that > sanskara, impression, conditining, from many > lifetimes in that part > of the world.. > > > > also,for example when yogananda wrote his book > autobiograpy of a yogi > he planted some very beautiful thoughts about > guru-disciple > relationship, as soon as i read that book my life > became the search > for the Guru...i was lucky and found a good one...it > took me six > years to reach him.. > > i'm very sad sometimes when i think of the abusive > gurus around, i > serioulsy don't understand it..(as with sai baba and > adi da) > > thanks for the memeories > and sorry if my thoughts seem disjointed, i don't > have that natural > ability (actually i think its a siddi) to have long > thoughts..... > > namaste > ===== /join SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting./ps/sb/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 > Thanks Devi. It is nice to have such a wonderful > connection with your teacher as you do. devi: yes it is, my love for him runs very deep and he is so pure..i think he must be the kindest man on the planet.. > > You are right about being attracted to Indian things > due to previous incarnations. > > Sri Ramana referred to Major Chadwick (Sadhu > Arunachala) as "one of us" and in the context > indicated that he had been connected to them in > previous lives. devi: oh really! i'll have to remember that littlel piece of trivia the next time i run into a ramana devotee who doens't think re- incarnation is possible... > > I have known other people Western born who are > unusually attracted to Indian things. > > Of course most Indians are very much attracted to > Western things, highly materialistic, and only > superficially interested in deep spirituality. > > So it is certainly not a one way street! :-). > > That's how these things go. > > Love to all > Harsha devi: by the way harshaji, the last time you announced that you were going on a trip i was moved to find a good picture of ganesh for you to make sure there were no obstacles in your way but got caught up in all the beautiful sites and by the time i picked a good one, you probably had already left...i may not post for a long time in here but i'm always around..you have a loveley group smiles devi babaji left last saturday to go to india, when he's in this country i know where he is and what hes doing most of the time..i know when he gives satsang and can picture him sitting there and i know when he gets there and when he leaves and i know his room at home where he probably spend alot of his time and i know his work schedule and his teaching scheduale and when he eats and when he has tea...and when he gets up in the morning and when he goes to sleep...smiles...i know him better than my own family. it's funny, but yet, i've only seen him a handfull of times in the past 20 years.. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 , Harsha <harshaimtm> wrote: > The meaning of the often used Sanskrit/Hindi word > "Namaste" is roughly meant to convey that "I bow to > the light in you." > > This metaphor is acted out in many spiritual > traditions by actually prostrating before the guru > (putting head at his or her feet). I often prostrated > before my own guru in reverence. > > True prostration to someone is spontaneous and not > premeditated. And a genuine bowing certainly need not > be physical. When the mind comes down to the Heart, > that is the supreme bowing and leads to complete > silence. > > Sri Ramana never asked for or ever encouraged people > to bow or prostrate to him. Sometimes he was irritated > by it. > > Required kneeling to someone, a guru or the group > leader, when it is part of an institutionalized > practice may be a subtle form of violence. I have seen > many groups like that. > > Prostrating and kneeling to a guru can go beyond just > spiritual bowing and may involve elements of power, > debasement, and the notion that some are implicitly > more equal (closer to God, etc.) than others. > > Group psychology can be very powerful and when used > negatively can have harmful consequences. That is my > observation after being in the "spiritual arena" for > more than four decades. > > Probably people do what they consider to be best for > themselves. > > Love to all > Harsha > > http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8107/sats3.html Why are the feet worshipped ? What are feet ? Feet is foundation on which we are built. Therefore, when we touch someone's feet we are bowing to their foundation i.e their Self. When I touch the feet of any sanyas, I say 'give me vaigraya.' But how is vaigraya cultivated ? Shankara says 'By meditating on the Self, vaigraya is gained.' But vaigraya is not given. By washing our feet before entering a temple, we ask that the (ego) dust on our feet may be washed away. Vaigraya is left when the dust is removed. What do the two feet signify ? Gods and Goddesses, in general, have several hands, several heads but only two feet. Two feet signifies 'Tvam' and 'tat'. By surrendering to the feet, we realize tat tvam asi because there is no difference between the two feet. May Lord Shiva-Shakti pull us to Him so that we lose our "individuality" and become one with That. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 Dear Harsha thank you for your posting the following part is what touches me the most and what I accept fully and try to remember it thruout day and night life is so fullfilled if living accordingly every distractions leads only to suffering in many ways at least in my humble experience how great it is to learn so much by Ramana isnt the "discussions" about other "sages" like Tolle so futile because if you found "it" you keep being silent or? what wonders me soooo much everywhere we do live in such an import phase of history the end of a cycle is near and can be felt and so few take this matter up no discussion about this w h y ? being afraid of facing it? awaiting your really esteemed answer michael bindel in tuscany .. When the mind comes down to the Heart, that is the supreme bowing and leads to complete silence. Protect your PC - Click here for McAfee.com VirusScan Online Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 we do live in such an import phase of history the end of a cycle is near and can be felt and so few take this matter up no discussion about this w h y ? being afraid of facing it? awaiting your really esteemed answer michael bindel in tuscany Dear Michael at one point in time I was really looking forward to "The Golden Age" looking at earthquake/volcanic activity every day loking for signs of earth changes evidence that yes! the Golden Age accenscion, what ever, was starting to happen and then I realised that I was not really appreciating the moment and was wasting my time. If it dosnt get any better than this thats ok. John Lennon said " Life is what happens when you are doing somthing else." I do agree that something unusual is happening though. A lot of my friends are suffering cycles which include extreme fatigue. One theory being that the DNA is being altered from 2 strand to 10/12 or that light workers are going out in their sleep to lift the vibration of Mother Earth and its residents, hence the tiredness. Take your pick. As a therapist I feel that the healing process is now more powerfull than ever and more rapid. I can also feel energy moving around this form from time to time especially if I do Chi Gong.Dont know if this conversation fits the remit of the Sat- Sang and if not I appologise. However virtually all religions forecast an event similar to that outlined in Revelations in the Bible. Regards Chris .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 Dear Chris thanks for your answer If it possible for you have a look at BIBLE CODE specially part 2 Which form of therapy you are using? I noted an ever increasing resistance to be ready for real changes in the clients world. All the best to you Michael Bindel >"AnneChris" > > >Re: Re: On the nature of bowing >Wed, 4 Feb 2004 07:18:38 -0000 > > > we do live in such an import phase of history the end of a cycle is near and can be felt and so few take this matter up > no discussion about this > w h y ? > being afraid of facing it? > > awaiting your really esteemed answer > > michael bindel in tuscany > > Dear Michael > > at one point in time I was really looking forward to "The Golden Age" looking at earthquake/volcanic activity every day loking for signs of earth changes evidence that yes! the Golden Age accenscion, what ever, was starting to happen and then I realised that I was not really appreciating the moment and was wasting my time. > > If it dosnt get any better than this thats ok. > > John Lennon said " Life is what happens when you are doing somthing else." > > I do agree that something unusual is happening though. > > A lot of my friends are suffering cycles which include extreme fatigue. > > One theory being that the DNA is being altered from 2 strand to 10/12 > > or that light workers are going out in their sleep to lift the vibration of Mother Earth and its residents, hence the tiredness. Take your pick. > > As a therapist I feel that the healing process is now more powerfull than ever and more rapid. I can also feel energy moving around this form from time to time especially if I do Chi Gong. > Dont know if this conversation fits the remit of the Sat- Sang and if not I appologise. > > However virtually all religions forecast an event similar to that outlined in Revelations in the Bible. > > Regards Chris > > . STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 Dear Chris thanks for your answer If it possible for you have a look at BIBLE CODE specially part 2 Have glanced through a friends copy but not done it justice. Which form of therapy you are using? Bi-aura Michael see www.bi-aura.com practioners Scotland Chris Hughes I noted an ever increasing resistance to be ready for real changes in the clients world. Some are some are not All the best to you and to you Chris Michael Bindel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 , "AnneChris" <am009a8716@b...> wrote: > > we do live in such an import phase of history the end of a cycle is near and can be felt and so few take this matter up > no discussion about this > w h y ? > being afraid of facing it? > > awaiting your really esteemed answer > > michael bindel in tuscany > > Dear Michael > > at one point in time I was really looking forward to "The Golden Age" looking at earthquake/volcanic activity every day loking for signs of earth changes evidence that yes! the Golden Age accenscion, what ever, was starting to happen and then I realised that I was not really appreciating the moment and was wasting my time. > > If it dosnt get any better than this thats ok. > > John Lennon said " Life is what happens when you are doing somthing else." > > I do agree that something unusual is happening though. > > A lot of my friends are suffering cycles which include extreme fatigue. > > One theory being that the DNA is being altered from 2 strand to 10/12 > > or that light workers are going out in their sleep to lift the vibration of Mother Earth and its residents, hence the tiredness. Take your pick. > > As a therapist I feel that the healing process is now more powerfull than ever and more rapid. I can also feel energy moving around this form from time to time especially if I do Chi Gong. > Dont know if this conversation fits the remit of the Sat- Sang and if not I appologise. > > However virtually all religions forecast an event similar to that outlined in Revelations in the Bible. > > Regards Chris Namaste, There will always be seekers and materialists. However earth changes are periodic in fact constant. I find Edgar Cayce the most interesting without an axe to grind, although as per normal with seers his dates are not completely accurate. The test for earth changes re Cayce will be his prophecy that Vesuvius will become active, and then Pele on Martinique, three months later the West Coast/California will inundated as far in as Utah. Vesusvius has just become active again I believe. Then what does the Hopi/Maya 23rd, December 2012 mean? Or is it just a date. These things are interesting but to Whom are they a concern?....ONS..Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 to Whom are they a concern?.... ONS.. thanks Tony for this remark of course only for the "Ego" but stubborn silly foolish naive michael bindel is still wondering why so few of us "humans" are so careless not to count two and two..... we are really blessed today to see all the signs so clear but why do they not want to look.... sorry for disturbing our Satsangh with such stupid ego bubbles michael bindel tuscany >"Tony OClery" > >To: > Re: On the nature of bowing >Wed, 04 Feb 2004 16:28:27 -0000 > >--- In , "AnneChris" >wrote: > > > > we do live in such an import phase of history the end of a cycle >is near and can be felt and so few take this matter up > > no discussion about this > > w h y ? > > being afraid of facing it? > > > > awaiting your really esteemed answer > > > > michael bindel in tuscany > > > > Dear Michael > > > > at one point in time I was really looking forward to "The >Golden Age" looking at earthquake/volcanic activity every day loking >for signs of earth changes evidence that yes! the Golden Age >accenscion, what ever, was starting to happen and then I realised >that I was not really appreciating the moment and was wasting my >time. > > > > If it dosnt get any better than this thats ok. > > > > John Lennon said " Life is what happens when you are doing >somthing else." > > > > I do agree that something unusual is happening though. > > > > A lot of my friends are suffering cycles which include extreme >fatigue. > > > > One theory being that the DNA is being altered from 2 strand to >10/12 > > > > or that light workers are going out in their sleep to lift the >vibration of Mother Earth and its residents, hence the tiredness. >Take your pick. > > > > As a therapist I feel that the healing process is now more >powerfull than ever and more rapid. I can also feel energy moving >around this form from time to time especially if I do Chi Gong. > > Dont know if this conversation fits the remit of the Sat- Sang >and if not I appologise. > > > > However virtually all religions forecast an event similar to >that outlined in Revelations in the Bible. > > > > Regards Chris > >Namaste, > >There will always be seekers and materialists. However earth changes >are periodic in fact constant. I find Edgar Cayce the most >interesting without an axe to grind, although as per normal with >seers his dates are not completely accurate. The test for earth >changes re Cayce will be his prophecy that Vesuvius will become >active, and then Pele on Martinique, three months later the West >Coast/California will inundated as far in as Utah. Vesusvius has >just become active again I believe. >Then what does the Hopi/Maya 23rd, December 2012 mean? Or is it just >a date. These things are interesting but to Whom are they a >concern?....ONS..Tony. > > > STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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