Are there secret methods of enlightenment?

May 9, 2004

In the Self-Realization fellowship and in TM, "secret" methods and

techniques are given to students and they are asked not to share with

anyone.So the question arises, "Are there powerful secret techniques

of meditation and yoga that many people are not aware of and one can

only receive these methods from special gurus and organizations?"I

think one's perspective on this will differ depending on what goals

are considered important.If Self-Realization or God Consciousness is

the only goal, really and truly, then it could be argued that secrecy

of any kind has no relevance because no particular techniques or tools

have any relevance.One day, almost quarter of a century ago, I was

walking my teacher back to his house after a lecture. Often at that

time we were alone. I asked him, "Gurudev, tell me the great secret;

which is the best spiritual practice for attaining the highest

Samadhi. Is it Pranayama or Meditation or Upa Yoga (Yoga of

awareness). Gurudev said, "Don't ask me these type of questions." But

I persisted, because he was a great adept at pranayama and meditation.

So I must have thought he is a great teacher and certainly without

doubt I am a great student and my teacher knows it and so he will

answer. Finally my teacher said, "Dear Harshadeva, any spiritual

practice you carry to an extreme will take you to the final goal. He

was quiet for a minute and then said, "If you carry non-violence to

an extreme, then also you will become enlightened." "How can that be

Gurudeva," I asked. If that was true why would the yogis spend years

and years practicing meditation and pranayama." He smiled and said,

"Yes they spend years and years in solitude and don't bother anyone.

And no one bothers them. They develop amity and good will towards all

and become established in non-violence indirectly. That is the real

cause of their Samadhi."Love to allHarsha

May 10, 2004

It has been said "The 'Great Secret' is that there are no hidden

secrets; what is sought is already out in the open." This is also

true of SRF and TM.

The secrets are a ploy on the part of serious teachers to shepherd

the effects of some spiritual practices in the lives of the students.

I personally have witnessed the effects of "forcing Kundalini Energy"

in the unprepared. The results were devastating and in one case there

was real neurological damage.

Anyone who is a serious student can ferret out virtually all

techniques. A little development will result in telepathic abilities

and then the hidden techniques can be uncovered. Further how did

the "teacher" get the "secret" in the first place. If one person has

discovered such a thing, so can another.

Actually anything worthwhile is already in the public domain. The

tipoff to the phony teacher is the charging of high fees for a secret.

What is the 'great secret' of Advaita Vedanta? Anyone?

Oh yes, there is One! ;-D

, "Harsha" wrote:

> In the Self-Realization fellowship and in TM, "secret" methods and

> techniques are given to students and they are asked not to share

with

> anyone.

>

> So the question arises, "Are there powerful secret techniques of

meditation

> and yoga that many people are not aware of and one can only receive

these

> methods from special gurus and organizations?"

>

> I think one's perspective on this will differ depending on what

goals are

> considered important.

>

> If Self-Realization or God Consciousness is the only goal, really

and truly,

> then it could be argued that secrecy of any kind has no relevance

because no

> particular techniques or tools have any relevance.

>

> One day, almost quarter of a century ago, I was walking my teacher

back to

> his house after a lecture. Often at that time we were alone. I

asked him,

> "Gurudev, tell me the great secret; which is the best spiritual

practice for

> attaining the highest Samadhi. Is it Pranayama or Meditation or Upa

Yoga

> (Yoga of awareness). Gurudev said, "Don't ask me these type of

questions."

> But I persisted, because he was a great adept at pranayama and

meditation.

> So I must have thought he is a great teacher and certainly without

doubt I

> am a great student and my teacher knows it and so he will answer.

Finally my

> teacher said, "Dear Harshadeva, any spiritual practice you carry to

an

> extreme will take you to the final goal. He was quiet for a minute

and then

> said, "If you carry non-violence to an extreme, then also you will

become

> enlightened." "How can that be Gurudeva," I asked. If that was

true why

> would the yogis spend years and years practicing meditation and

pranayama."

> He smiled and said, "Yes they spend years and years in solitude and

don't

> bother anyone. And no one bothers them. They develop amity and good

will

> towards all and become established in non-violence indirectly. That

is the

> real cause of their Samadhi."

>

> Love to all

> Harsha

May 10, 2004

Hello John,

I am hold new, or new old, here,

when you say:

John Logan

I personally have witnessed the effects of "forcing Kundalini Energy"

in the unprepared. The results were devastating and in one case there

was real neurological damage.

I say:

It is always nice to hear and learn from the experience of others.

Would you like to share more on this experience?

Thank you for your time,

Antoine

Makes me think of this Hexagram in the I Ching:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/antoine.carre/iching/i36.htm

May 10, 2004

Yum!

Love, Mark

, "John Logan"

<johnrloganis> wrote:

> It has been said "The 'Great Secret' is that there are no hidden

> secrets; what is sought is already out in the open." This is also

> true of SRF and TM.

>

> The secrets are a ploy on the part of serious teachers to shepherd

> the effects of some spiritual practices in the lives of the

students.

> I personally have witnessed the effects of "forcing Kundalini

Energy"

> in the unprepared. The results were devastating and in one case

there

> was real neurological damage.

>

> Anyone who is a serious student can ferret out virtually all

> techniques. A little development will result in telepathic

abilities

> and then the hidden techniques can be uncovered. Further how did

> the "teacher" get the "secret" in the first place. If one person

has

> discovered such a thing, so can another.

>

> Actually anything worthwhile is already in the public domain. The

> tipoff to the phony teacher is the charging of high fees for a

secret.

>

> What is the 'great secret' of Advaita Vedanta? Anyone?

>

> Oh yes, there is One! ;-D

>

> , "Harsha"

wrote:

> > In the Self-Realization fellowship and in TM, "secret" methods

and

> > techniques are given to students and they are asked not to share

> with

> > anyone.

> >

> > So the question arises, "Are there powerful secret techniques of

> meditation

> > and yoga that many people are not aware of and one can only

receive

> these

> > methods from special gurus and organizations?"

> >

> > I think one's perspective on this will differ depending on what

> goals are

> > considered important.

> >

> > If Self-Realization or God Consciousness is the only goal,

really

> and truly,

> > then it could be argued that secrecy of any kind has no

relevance

> because no

> > particular techniques or tools have any relevance.

> >

> > One day, almost quarter of a century ago, I was walking my

teacher

> back to

> > his house after a lecture. Often at that time we were alone. I

> asked him,

> > "Gurudev, tell me the great secret; which is the best spiritual

> practice for

> > attaining the highest Samadhi. Is it Pranayama or Meditation or

Upa

> Yoga

> > (Yoga of awareness). Gurudev said, "Don't ask me these type of

> questions."

> > But I persisted, because he was a great adept at pranayama and

> meditation.

> > So I must have thought he is a great teacher and certainly

without

> doubt I

> > am a great student and my teacher knows it and so he will

answer.

> Finally my

> > teacher said, "Dear Harshadeva, any spiritual practice you carry

to

> an

> > extreme will take you to the final goal. He was quiet for a

minute

> and then

> > said, "If you carry non-violence to an extreme, then also you

will

> become

> > enlightened." "How can that be Gurudeva," I asked. If that was

> true why

> > would the yogis spend years and years practicing meditation and

> pranayama."

> > He smiled and said, "Yes they spend years and years in solitude

and

> don't

> > bother anyone. And no one bothers them. They develop amity and

good

> will

> > towards all and become established in non-violence indirectly.

That

> is the

> > real cause of their Samadhi."

> >

> > Love to all

> > Harsha

May 10, 2004

Dear John:

You are a voice of experience and spiritual maturity.

Forcing Kundalini energy, through breath control, or other methods is risky.

Many of the secret methods in fact have to with the stimulation of the

optic nerves and the nervous system and thereby the Kundalini in some

way.

Like you say, the very best methods are in the public domain. We give them out every day.