Guest guest Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 I was still in my secondary one when I got hold of the book ROOTS. I remembered how I shed tears after reading the book. The impact it has on me was tremendous. Watching the serial thereafter TV on is even more painful, but I watch them all… till the sequel: Roots the next generation. Images of people with chain around their neck, tied to the tree and whipped brutally, force separation of families, rape and slave auction. For those who do not know about this book, it is based on Alex Haley's best-selling novel about his African ancestors, Roots followed several generations in the lives of a slave family. The saga began with Kunta Kinte, a West African youth captured by slave raiders and shipped to America in the 1700s. Kunta received brutal treatment from his white masters and rebelled continually. An older Kunta married and his descendants carried the story after his death. Daughter Kizzy was raped by her master and bore a son, later named Chicken George. In the final episode, Kunta Kinte's great-grandson Tom joined the Union Army and gained emancipation. Like other slave related books that I have read including Uncle Tom Cabin, it has made me to look at myself, others around me and my relationship with them particularly with regards to race and religious differentiation. The whole experience has expanding my sense of history. As I sat and watch the serial program, I saw human beings each with character, and I saw each as victims of oppression. I saw images of a human being hunted down like some wild animals by another human being and thereafter hang on the tree, the dead body left there for others to see as a warning sign. What was their fault, for having this desire for freedom? In America, after the civil war, when the slaves are being told that they are free, many of them didn't want to be free. Question asked: why wouldn't they want to be free? It's the same with the birds, being caged for too long that they have become crippled and forgot how to fly. Even if you remove the cage, they will not fly. Why should they in the first place? They are accustomed of being feed. Even thought they may be treated badly, they are being looked after. Freedom brings forth a set of consequences. They have to fend for themselves, they have to work hard and be strong. Do they want to? It is easy to be a slave. Any form of dependence is slavery: Spiritually. Emotionally, Psychologically and Physically. Amongst these, spiritual slavery is the worst form of slavery. Somebody asked me once " are you a spiritual person? " " what is a spiritual person? " I asked him in return " does being spiritual means I must be spending my time prayer in my prayer room? Wearing yellow robe etc " He was silence. " Can I be doing cooking for my family and still be spiritual? " Personally I believe being spiritual and spiritualism is very personal. Its like the DNA of your soul. Spiritualism is who you are and what you are. It is your being and your individuality. Your spiritual growth is something intrinsic to your being. It does not come from outside nor it should be impose on you. It should unfold itself naturally. Many religious groups and spiritual master will say to you: " come to me.. only I have the capacity to help you to grow spiritually…. Only I have the key to your happiness. Only I have the knowledge to your spiritual growth " . The moment you surrender yourself to these groups and master, you are surrendering your freedom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 GOD the beloved loved you, they have said. We are part of this BELOVED and that we are being told that if only we do this and do that as expected of us,, we will be loved. If we don't follow then we will be punished. Hell and Heaven is there for us to make the choice. If we follow the direction of the BELOVED heaven will be for us, otherwise we will be burnt in hell. I term this spiritual hostage. How the BELOVED and the advocates of the BELOVED used our spiritualism to trap us in this illusion. The voice from our social conditioning warned us " you are not to question the BELOVED " Should we not? TO question means we are arrogant and ignorant? What is the different between spiritual adventures and spiritual slavery? Spiritual adventures is to empowers ourselves to expand our consciousness, allowing yourself to grow your individuality, and freedom without help from anybody. A spiritual master is to guide you towards your independence…..making you independent on them and not otherwise. Spiritual Slavery means that we follow a particular ideology, a particular teaching and a particular tradition word by word. We does not allow ourselves to expand our being even when the spiritual master have long dead, we are still trap in their influence. We the living has become the slave of the dead. I was reading about the Italian catacomb few days ago, looking at the gruesome pictures of the dead hanging on the wall , makes me want to look at my own self. How many of us is actually doing it unconsciously … hanging the picture of the dead spiritual master and hang it up against our wall of consciousness. Shouldn't not the dead be dead, their physical body to be return back to earth where it belong? What is the purpose of trying to preserve the dead body? We take pains in trying to maintain the body to its original… continuously injecting chemicals , body washed with vinegar, put back in their best clothes and thereafter hang up on the walls like a piece of artifact for others to see. As I looked at the pictures of the dead, it reminds me of spiritual slavery and becoming the slave of the dead. We spend a lot of time fearing the death, plunging ourselves into spiritualism as an escape route. We follow the dead masters vigorously thinking these masters have the answers to our fears. But do they? Is it not weird that we the living are being dominated by the dead? And that the living should depend on the dead and their promises? Do they really come to save us… or only to show us the guidance... there after we have to seek it ourselves? We must create our own path to our own salvation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I am sure your master taught u to be independent       !!! --- On Sun, 3/15/09, NMadasamy <nora wrote: NMadasamy <nora Re: Spiritual Slavery Sunday, March 15, 2009, 8:14 PM GOD the beloved loved you, they have said. We are part of this BELOVED and that we are being told that if only we do this and do that as expected of us,, we will be loved. If we don't follow then we will be punished. Hell and Heaven is there for us to make the choice. If we follow the direction of the BELOVED heaven will be for us, otherwise we will be burnt in hell. I term this spiritual hostage. How the BELOVED and the advocates of the BELOVED used our spiritualism to trap us in this illusion. The voice from our social conditioning warned us " you are not to question the BELOVED " Should we not? TO question means we are arrogant and ignorant? What is the different between spiritual adventures and spiritual slavery? Spiritual adventures is to empowers ourselves to expand our consciousness, allowing yourself to grow your individuality, and freedom without help from anybody. A spiritual master is to guide you towards your independence… ...making you independent on them and not otherwise. Spiritual Slavery means that we follow a particular ideology, a particular teaching and a particular tradition word by word. We does not allow ourselves to expand our being even when the spiritual master have long dead, we are still trap in their influence. We the living has become the slave of the dead. I was reading about the Italian catacomb few days ago, looking at the gruesome pictures of the dead hanging on the wall , makes me want to look at my own self. How many of us is actually doing it unconsciously … hanging the picture of the dead spiritual master and hang it up against our wall of consciousness. Shouldn't not the dead be dead, their physical body to be return back to earth where it belong? What is the purpose of trying to preserve the dead body? We take pains in trying to maintain the body to its original… continuously injecting chemicals , body washed with vinegar, put back in their best clothes and thereafter hang up on the walls like a piece of artifact for others to see. As I looked at the pictures of the dead, it reminds me of spiritual slavery and becoming the slave of the dead. We spend a lot of time fearing the death, plunging ourselves into spiritualism as an escape route. We follow the dead masters vigorously thinking these masters have the answers to our fears. But do they? Is it not weird that we the living are being dominated by the dead? And that the living should depend on the dead and their promises? Do they really come to save us… or only to show us the guidance... there after we have to seek it ourselves? We must create our own path to our own salvation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Does this ring the possibility of swaying away from " Belief " ? Can a common man be be a Jesus or a Buddha? Slavery, per se is Slavery, thats it! A transition phase in one's life which brings in a positive change towards his spiritual development is the " reality " . Shri Tulurvanavasini Prassanna! , sankara menon <kochu1tz wrote: > > I am sure your master taught u to be independent       !!! > > --- On Sun, 3/15/09, NMadasamy <nora wrote: > >> > GOD the beloved loved you, they have said. We are part of this BELOVED and that we are being told that if only we do this and do that as expected of us,, we will be loved. If we don't follow then we will be punished. Hell and Heaven is there for us to make the choice. If we follow the direction of the BELOVED heaven will be for us, otherwise we will be burnt in hell. I term this spiritual hostage. How the BELOVED and the advocates of the BELOVED used our spiritualism to trap us in this illusion. The voice from our social conditioning warned us " you are not to question the BELOVED " Should we not? TO question means we are arrogant and ignorant? > > What is the different between spiritual adventures and spiritual slavery? > > Spiritual adventures is to empowers ourselves to expand our consciousness, allowing yourself to grow your individuality, and freedom without help from anybody. A spiritual master is to guide you towards your independence… ...making you independent on them and not otherwise. > > Spiritual Slavery means that we follow a particular ideology, a particular teaching and a particular tradition word by word. [....] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 A common person CANNOT be Jesus or Buddha through any kind of Saadhana or spiritual practices. However, an evolved soul that has gone through learning and spiritual evolution / growth in multiple life times born as a common man WILL become Jesus or Buddha, that too only because of their INTENTIONAL birth for a SPECIFIC purpose. For them, being born as a common person is only a vehicle or a mode to achieve their INTENTION of birth. Why is this? Because in common man's eyes, we are only looking into earthly time period from birth to death. But the spiritual timeline is far beyond this cognitive logics. It even transcends the time/space units, and thus makes it difficult for us to recognize the REAL ESSENCE of those beings. It is said, that sometimes even they themselves don't recognize their INTENTIONAL BIRTH until later stage of their life. Still, we need to continue pursuing our Saadhanaa and Practices, only so that we can transcend time/space continuum through these practices in multipe birth cycles. At Mother's Lotus Feet, Shakti Thondan --- On Thu, 3/19/09, Kluber <vivekkvn wrote: Kluber <vivekkvn Re: Spiritual Slavery Does this ring the possibility of swaying away from " Belief " ? Can a common man be be a Jesus or a Buddha? Slavery, per se is Slavery, thats it! A transition phase in one's life which brings in a positive change towards his spiritual development is the " reality " . Shri Tulurvanavasini Prassanna! , sankara menon <kochu1tz@.. .> wrote: > > I am sure your master taught u to be independent !!! > > --- On Sun, 3/15/09, NMadasamy <nora wrote: > >> > [....] > What is the different between spiritual adventures and spiritual slavery? > > Spiritual adventures is to empowers ourselves to expand our consciousness, allowing yourself to grow your individuality, and freedom without help from anybody. A spiritual master is to guide you towards your independence… ...making you independent on them and not otherwise. > > Spiritual Slavery means that we follow a particular ideology, a > particular teaching and a particular tradition word by word. [....] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 , " Kluber " <vivekkvn wrote: > > Does this ring the possibility of swaying away from " Belief " ? Slavery, per se is Slavery, thats it! But what is Belief? We are all some how or other in a way slaves ... voluntarily or unvoluntarily... the difference is that some slave strive towards freedom.... towards creating our own path. The problem being a slave is that we may get ourselves trap.... not wanting to strive to be our own. We become a cripple....we have magnificient memory for facts about our spiritual path, and proudly present ourselves as the walking encyclopedia of which becomes natural to us because we have cease altogether to have a creative mind, but only to ape, to repeat, to duplicate, to reproduce what is being feed to us. We become to absorp, obsess and have nothing to create but only acquire importance by absorbing and reproducing the work of others. We have become but a sponge, not a fresh spring. Ou r mind have become so crippled....like the Slave even though you remove the chain from their neck or legs, they refuse to move ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 söndagen den 15 mars 2009 skrev NMadasamy: > What is the different between spiritual adventures and spiritual slavery? We are slaves to our material bodies, slaves to maya. When the body is hungry, we eat, when the body is tired, we sleep, when the body is horny, we have sex. We go around our lifes and follow the slave master, in the form of the body. And we don't even know it. Maybe we find a religious teacher who says - I have freed myself from the slavery of the body, I can teach you how to free yourself too. Then maybe we say - I enjoy the cosy slavery of the body, since it is not so bad, sometimes it gives me rewards for my hard work, and that is nice. The guru says - there is another kind of existence, where there is no slavery, where there is freedom. And we say - go away, you religious fanatic. To free ourselves from he slavery of maya, requires some effort. it requires hard work, and a guru who himself is free, can help us with that. We might have to forcibly break the shakles that chain us, we might have to leave all that we know, in the slaveholders yard, and we have to have faith that through that hardship, we will reach a better existence. It is a spiritual adventure. But of course, if the guru is not free himself, if he is just a talker, a cheater, he become yet another slave master in a kind of spiritual slavery, which is not spiritual at all. -- Prisni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 " Belief " is an expanse in it self. Many a topic has been discussed on this. If by mere " Belief " a bhakta is shaken from his slumber sleep and walks the path of spiritualism, then what wrong it is? Does not this " Belief " help in a way towards his self development which in later stage blossom into his own path? vivek (AT) (DOT) com, " NMadasamy " <nora wrote: > > , " Kluber " <vivekkvn@> wrote: > > > > Does this ring the possibility of swaying away from " Belief " ? Slavery, per se is Slavery, thats it! > > But what is Belief? We are all some how or other in a way slaves ... voluntarily or unvoluntarily... the difference is that some slave strive towards freedom.... towards creating our own path. The problem being a slave is that we may get ourselves trap.... not wanting to strive to be our own. We become a cripple....we have magnificient memory for facts about our spiritual path, and proudly present ourselves as the walking encyclopedia of which becomes natural to us because we have cease altogether to have a creative mind, but only to ape, to repeat, to duplicate, to reproduce what is being feed to us. We become to absorp, obsess and have nothing to create but only acquire importance by absorbing and reproducing the work of others. We have become but a sponge, not a fresh spring. Ou r mind have become so crippled....like the Slave even though you remove the chain from their neck or legs, they refuse to move ahead. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 " Kluber " <vivekkvn wrote: > Many a topic has been discussed on this. I see no harm in us discussing it in this group. Anybody have any problem with this? > > Does not this " Belief " help in a way towards his self development which in later stage blossom into his own path? > > vivek Nobody is saying you're wrong.......but when you accept this belief without questioning....which leads to blind faith and eventually to spiritual slavery. For belief to expand...one needs to question. Doubt is good because from doubts you yearn to seek for the answers....its the same as expanding yourself... like the tree, in order for the tree to grow .. the tree must create new leaves and new direction....we should be like the trees...in order for us to grow and expand we must be able to stretch ourselves out.....go beyond the boundaries that " no man have ever been before " . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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