Guest guest Posted March 31, 2001 Report Share Posted March 31, 2001 Brahmacharya is one of several essential conditions for Self-Realization Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2001 Report Share Posted March 31, 2001 Do you know this from experience? <br>Have you Self-Realized? <br>Are you saying no Buddhists, Muslims, Christians or other spiritual persuasions have ever "Self Realized" because they did not have the good fortune to follow the teachings you (I assume) follow??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2001 Report Share Posted March 31, 2001 The mystics, the Self-Realized, of all of the religions that you mention followed the same essential conditions, including Brahmacharya, in order to attain Self-Realization. They may have called those conditions by different names but they recognized that the conditions are the same.<br><br>There is little difference between reading the works of Christian mystics from say the 1500's and 1600's, including their descriptions of the conditions that they considered to be essential for Self-Realization, and reading the works of a Hindu or Jewish or Muslim mystic.<br><br>You might want to start with works by Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross or Saint Augustine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 1, 2001 Report Share Posted April 1, 2001 I've been familiar with the mystics you mentioned for some time. I agree, their written rendering of the experience of union contains similarities which seem to transcend religious labels---isms. <br>However, I'm referring to the path(s) to awakening, not descriptions of the process of awakening. Look at the Buddha's eightfold path (the fourth noble truth), nowhere is celibacy mentioned---all schools of Buddhism agree on the Four Noble Truths. <br>Also, by making such an unequivocal statement (Self realization not possible without celibacy), you discount many modern masters as phony or unawakened---Suzuki Roshi, Sasaki Roshi, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, J Krishnamurti and so forth....There are scores of Tibetan Masters who had families, or simply lovers. Pattabhi Jois?? His teacher, Krishnamacharya, was a married householder who advocated family life.<br>I am also not attacking the practice of celibacy for spiritual purposes, I'm well aware of its power. <br>I just don't believe enlightenment, self realization, whatever you call it, is subject to such rigid conditions you propose, history does not seem to bear this out.<br><br>Namaste<br>PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.