Simplify Faith ?

[Guest guest]

Well the extreme right has SPW, and here goes the

extreme left. Faith in the system and the guru? I say

doubt and doubt and doubt some more, and not just for

the heck of it, but with reason and purpose.Not in

order to destroy but to build trust and uncover

satya.Explore all apects of the practice, no one and nothing is

immune or sancrosanct, until truly your mind and heart

concur.One of the two is not enough.There is no hallowed

ground offered to us for free, we have to (initially)

struggle for it , until we reach the state of grace and

acceptance that is oneness.We have to rediscover everything

for ourselves, the guru is just showing the way but

we have to walk it.The Buddha said not to take his

word as axiomatic truth but to investigate for

ourselves and find the truth again.Faith yes.Blind faith?

NO.It is the job of the student to doubt with

intelligence and constructively - not to accept everything

that's out there, just because Mr. So and So said

it.<br><br>Are there people on this club who have no faith in

Ashtanga yoga or in the Guru? I say stick around.Be our

conscience,ask stupid questions or devious and tricky ones and

let's all try to find the answers.Everyone has to

uncover the truth for himself and there is nothing that

is exempt from this scrutiny.<br><br>Do people think

it is easy to doubt? I say it is far easier to

categorically declare that whatever guruji teaches, that's

IT.Those are the poor students who use faith as a crutch,

just to put an end to further inquiry and to rest

their logic and emotion.To avoid dealing with subjects

that are controversial,"confusing, contradictory" (by

missy_pinky) and ultimately troubling.Faith resides in the

darkest heart of confusion and self doubt.That's how the

faithful disciples are forged,travelling through their

personal hell they reach peace and equanimity.The rest

just spend their lifetimes playing it safe and easy,

regurgitating some guru/system like the good automatons that

they are.<br><br><br>To the people that understand

(faith) and have faith, doubt is the welcome and

anticipated event that leads to balance.

[Guest guest]

I've heard it said that there are no bad gurus,

just immature students. Which is to say that you can

learn something even from a corrupt guru. But you have

to learn the difference. So thank goodness KPJ is

still growing and developing? And that we're not all

worshipping Jimmy Swaggart.

[Guest guest]

Well said Javra.<br><br>God did not make up

Astanga yoga, and therefore by definition we should not

follow Guruji's path with blind faith.<br><br>All this

squabbling about which yoga teachers actually have Guruji's

blessing just creates negative energy. Leaves me

drained.<br><br>The negative comments here really mystify me. No else

knows what somebody is really thinking, or why they're

doing it.<br><br>I know for myself, that the idea of

writing a book to make money is ludicrous. Any reasonably

well paid person will make more per hour doing what

they do then writing a book, unless you happen to be

exceptionally lucky / talented and your book becomes

outrageously popular.<br><br>Few authors actually make good

money from writing books. It is much more often a

labour of love.<br><br>Liz