Barney

[Guest guest]

Hi Vicki,

 

My little slice of New York is pretty good. How are

you? And where are you -- in Jerusalem?

 

Hmmm. Let me try to relate this conversation to

Bhagavan....

 

Shortly after the attack, one of New York City's

parks was converted into a sort of shrine. It began

when somebody placed a piece of twisted metal

(supposedly from the World Trade Center) next to

the big statue of George Washington (the father of

the U.S.). Then people began putting flowers and

candles around the piece of twisted metal.

 

By the time I saw the park, a week later, it

was festooned with flowers and candles and

peace symbols and American flags. It reminded

me of India, the way people put marigolds and

red powder on things. The twisted metal had

become a sort of holy object with white cloth and

wreaths on it, and it stood in a lake of candles and

flowers, and a group of approximately 400

people stood in a big ring staring at it.

 

I made my way to the inside of the ring of people

and kneeled down. I became conscious of the fact

that everybody was silent. Instead of looking at

the objects, I looked at the faces, and I saw that

many people had tears in their eyes and nobody was

talking. It was remarkable to see that many people

in a public place in a city and not a single one was

talking.

 

Then it occurred to me to make my mind silent and

see what was there. Like Annamalai Swami says

in David Godman's book "Final Talks":

 

"Question: What should be the right attitude when

one sits in the presence of jnani?"

 

"Annamalai Swami: Just keep quiet. Make contact

with the silence of the Self within. This is the way

of making contact with your Guru..."

 

I felt some enormous radiance in that sea of people.

Whatever was moving them, whatever they were

thinking or not thinking, they were like an ocean of

meditators, like a temple.

 

So I think these serious events drive some people

inward. They look for something profound, they

naturally look within. Sahaja self-inquiry!

 

Rob

 

 

 

 

 

-

"viorica weissman" <viorica

"RamanaMaharshi" <RamanaMaharshi>

Monday, September 24, 2001 4:44 PM

[RamanaMaharshi] Barney

 

 

> Hi Rob ,

>

> how is New York ? how are you ?

>

> you know, today i've remembered something from my first months in Israel ,

> in '88 , when I was attending a Hebrew language course as any newcomer;

> there was an American from New York in my class , Barney was his name.

> we lived in the same building and we used to walk and talk together all the

way

> home ; he was planning to buy an apartment and we were talking about

> a place in this country where he would like to buy an apartment ;

> he said , it would never be Tel Aviv or Haifa or Jerusalem ; I asked him 'why

,

> you came from such a big city and you want to live here in a small settlement,

> why not Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Haifa ?'

>

> he said in case of war or an attack , the big cities and their inhabitants

were

> the first to be exposed and in great danger .

> oh,my God,what kind of things are you thinking at ?, i said -

> so this is why you chose to live in the middle of the desert?

> it seemed to me so strange to think like this when planning where to buy

> a house on the face of the planet.

>

> then the Gulf War started and Tel Aviv and Haifa were hit by skuds.

> and i remembered Barney ; he was right , here it was , a case of attack and

lack

> of protection just because the target had to be a big human conglomerate.

> nevertheless we were protected even if we were living in another 'big' city,

> i suppose - because a skud could have hit Christian, Islam & Hebrew Holy

> places as well in this city ; that was my great relief at that time ,as a

human being

> knowing nothing of Self and Ramana Maharshi, and thinking that this life was

the only one

> and death was final; that was our great relief during the Gulf war when

running like crazy

> to put that gas mask on our faces and throwing histerically my two years old

son in a

> so called anti-gas protective plastic cube suitable for age two .

>

> then the attack on New York came ; and i used to laugh at Barney.

> i wish i could speak to him now , but i don't know where i could find him ;

> well , today i've been thinking of Barney and how i used to laugh at him;

>

> i know this is not about Ramana Maharshi's teaching ,

> but i suppose - he wants me to be where i am ,

>

> vicki.

>

>

>

>

>

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