f. maiello/Scientifically sound and Spiritual Diets

[Guest guest]

At 08:59 PM 5/20/99 -0400, you wrote:

>"f. maiello" <egodust

 

<snip>

>however, such are cautioned to be critical diversions

>on the path to Self-realization. therefore siddhis

>are discouraged. incidentally, for this reason, the

>practice of raja yoga without corresponding bhakti

>and/or jnanayog, can even be relatively dangerous--

>not unlike the potential [and usually premature]

>religious experiences resulting from the ingestion

>of psychotropic drugs like LSD or mescalin.

 

An interesting thing to consider, but generally raja yoga is not a pure

yoga, so I don't think too many are "endangered." Most people I know

combine it with one or more other yogas. I see myself sometimes focusing

mainly on raja with some jnana, sometimes mostly jnana with some raja

"thrown in." (almost never bhakta, it is not strongly in my nature). In

any case, it's notable that Swami Vivekananda recommended the quickest and

easiest path to be raja combined with jnana on at least one occasion. He

has stated that bhakti is very easy, but "time consuming." With this I

would agree. Pure bhakta without anything else can extend over several

lifetimes.

 

 

 

-----

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[Guest guest]

Tim Gerchmez wrote:

>

>

>

> An interesting thing to consider, but generally raja yoga is not a pure

> yoga, so I don't think too many are "endangered." Most people I know

> combine it with one or more other yogas. I see myself sometimes focusing

> mainly on raja with some jnana, sometimes mostly jnana with some raja

> "thrown in." (almost never bhakta, it is not strongly in my nature). In

> any case, it's notable that Swami Vivekananda recommended the quickest and

> easiest path to be raja combined with jnana on at least one occasion. He

> has stated that bhakti is very easy, but "time consuming." With this I

> would agree. Pure bhakta without anything else can extend over several

> lifetimes.

>

 

concur, with one caveat...

 

BTW, Vivekananda was also widely regarded as an external

jnanayogin and an internal bhakta, whereas Ramakrishna

was considered the opposite in both senses.

 

consider:

 

bhakti is the heart

jnana is the head

 

the heart without the head or

bhakti without jnana breeds

fanaticism and prejudice

the head without the heart or

jnana without bhakti breeds

solipsism and indifference

 

the one needs the other

the way is the middle way

 

 

namaste

[Guest guest]

At 08:47 AM 5/22/99 -0400, you wrote:

>"f. maiello" <egodust

>concur, with one caveat...

>

>BTW, Vivekananda was also widely regarded as an external

>jnanayogin and an internal bhakta, whereas Ramakrishna

>was considered the opposite in both senses.

 

Interesting... I can find the exact quote where Vivekananda recommended

jnana combined with raja to be the "ideal" path. I don't know why he

didn't include bhakta with this, but the quote is in "Living at the

Source," and I'm not sure what context it was originally made in, and to

whom it was said.

 

I agree that the heart is an important element as well, and I don't find it

impossible to feel devotion directly to the Atman within (self loving

Self). Since I am currently "going it alone" without a human guru (this

may change in the future, wherever Grace leads me), bhakta is not easy to

find at this time.

 

Ultimately, "the path walks me." There is no "I" here to be in control.

What is, is... and whatever will be, will be.

 

Hari OM,

 

Tim

 

-----

Visit The Core of the WWW at:

http://www.eskimo.com/~fewtch/ND/index.html

Music, Poetry, Writings on Nondual Spiritual Topics.

 

Tim's Windows and DOS Shareware/Freeware is at:

http://www.eskimo.com/~fewtch/shareware.html