"Cultic attachment"

[Guest guest]

Ramana Sarma wrote:

 

Sri Shawn wrote

 

>>"I share your fondness for the Maharshi but do not

>>wish to see a

>>gleeful unthinking cultic attatchment to him as a

>>person, that is

>>al"

 

>This is something I did not understand. I think it is

>very difficult to

>separte the person from his teachings. Any kind of

>attachment to Ramana

>cannot be considered as " gleeful etc etc." One who

>came into his fold

>cannot but paas through intense phses of devotion to

>his personality

>although while practicing atmavichara no importance

>is given to His form.

>When tears flow when you think of him or when you

>look at his photograph or

>when you come across anything that is related to

>Ramana - i wonder what

>feelings or actions could be considered as " gleeful

>etc etc." Such

>notions arise only when one tries to retain little

>ego without complete

>surrender.

 

Both these points of view seem equally important, but

not necessarily mutually contradictory. I think it is

incumbent on those firmly attached to a belief

enshrining or centred on a 'personality' to respect

that others, having newly heard of it, will want to

evaluate it free from all encumbrances.

Such encumbrances as the concretions of thought and

devotion, and their expression in material form.

Nothing could be more evocative, nor more silly, than

the removal of St. Francis of Assissi's reed hut from

the countryside, and its replacement in the vast

basilica there. Does love have to take the form of

glorifying buildings around the Teachers who teach

that all places are the same? Or personalities round

those who teach the personality to be non-existent,

and the observed form to be personal to the viewer?

I appreciate that the motivation for 'cult-building'

is usually pure devotion; yet there remains a niggling

doubt whether sometimes it substitutes for a

reluctance to listen to and put into action the

teachings which the Master extols as above all form,

in fact above even devotion itself. An easier way out.

Which may appease conscience, but certainly is seldom

of help (and often a hindrance) to other sadakis.

 

Nasrudin

 

 

 

 

 

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