Each man's death diminishes me, for i am involved in mankind.

[Guest guest]

shriadishakti , " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org> wrote:

>

> So how are we SYs supposed to confront this terrible tragedy? Just

> try to understand that far more people perish daily that all the

> victims of the recent tsunami. If we are oblivious and immune to

> all this daily death and destruction around us why so much sudden

> compassion? What about so many millions of children living hellish

> lives daily all over the world? Why can't we feel their daily

> pain, hunger and hardship? Why have we become so compassionate

> almost overnight?

>

 

Sri_Chinmoy_Information

" bannedfromgroup " <no_reply >

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 17:48:47 -0000

[sri_Chinmoy_Information] No man is an island

 

 

When I became a disciple, I was taught to mistrust those outside the

group. We disciples were " chosen children " and above the rest of

humanity. Even the laws of Karma could be changed by our great and

powerful Guru and he could save us from calamities just because we

were in his boat.

 

A real turning point in my life came when I spent one holiday - I

think it was Thanksgiving day - visiting a " fringe " disciple in

Mahopac, Westchester. He lad a lovely wife and son. The wife was not

a disciple and I came with the intention of convincing her to become

one. There was a picnic at a park and hundreds of people came. At

one point there was a sing-along.

 

As a good disciple I tried hard to protect myself from the hostile

forces in these ordinary people. They did not pray and meditate like

me. They did no have the protection of a great Guru, an Avatar.

There was no telling what bad Karma I could pick up from them. The

only way I wanted to connect with them was by converting them to my

path. I was not interested in them, their lives, their thoughts or

their feelings.

 

Something strange happened during that sing-along. Something in me

opened up and I saw God in those people. God was in the smiles and

faces and body of everyone around me. I realized that for me God

was not in books or philosophies or abstract thoughts and theories

but in every human being. For the rest of the day I did not feel

like talking about Sri Chinmoy or meditation or giving anyone advise

on anything. I wanted to listen and feel the hearts of everyone

there and just be a part of regular community event. No one there

claimed to know the answers or have any special powers. They did not

even talk about spiritual things. They played with their children

and drank beer and had smiles on their faces and laughed.

 

I now feel " God " is in everyone and life is precious. There is no

philosophy or religion that can explain love or human compassion or

put a value to any life and deem it more worthy than any other life.

Humanity has a great loss and we are all loosers today. I am

reminded of this great poem by John Donne.

 

 

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manner of thine own

Or of thine friend's were.

Each man's death diminishes me,

For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls,

It tolls for thee.

[Guest guest]

Hi

 

Very wise words! I have both come across " disciples " of various

sects whose sole aim in talking to you would seem to be so that they

can " convert " you to their own belief system. I had one friend whom

I introduced to Sahaj Yoga when he was at a very low point in his

life and it seemed to do him a lot of good. Then I left! At first he

would meet up with me and bleat on endlessly about " Mother " totally

ignoring what I was trying to say, I assume, expecting to bring me

back to SY in this way! All to no avail! Then a few months later he

came to see me saying he had been asked to stop attending meetings

as he was giving out negative vibes or something that might " infect "

the others! I must say, he did have some mental instability and

depression (this is why I got him to come in the first place - he

just needed more human contact and for people to take some interest

in him - he's actually a very intelligent person and I believe he is

a lot " better " now). He could be very hard work, asking hundreds of

questions all the time - perhaps the group leader just couldn't cope

with him anymore, I don't know!

 

Next thing he was back to see me again, telling me all about how

his " guru " now was " Babaji " whom he just went on and on and on

about, " lending " me books on him, talking over me when I tried to

say anything, until I thought I might get " infected " too (only

joking!) and tended to give him a very wide birth. But I have known

lots of other people like this - it is like they have

been " programmed " or something and their sole aim in life is to

replicate this programme/meme onto others. I suppose this works in

all kind of ways and I often think I have become " infected " with

the " Stop the War " virus, thinking in this case, if I don't spread

it to as many people as I can, the world will explode in 2012! It

would seem a very " worthy " message to spread. But it is only

recently that I have " heard myself " doing this, have realised it is

not working and is causing me a lot of problems with some people and

also upsetting me, so I have stopped doing this - on a personal

level at least!

 

As for " Seeing everyone as God " How truely wonderful if one can do

this! I have had some " funny " connections with Sri Ramakrishna (it

was almost like I " met " him once!) and I know he used to say " See

everyone as God - there goes God as an idiot (!) or a thief " etc) I

have tried this myself but the only time I ever managed this was in

New York in June 2001 (on a short break) when suddenly EVERYONE

seemed so nice and kind and lovely. I went to the trouble of phoning

the Ramakrishna Centre there and asked if I could come and visit,

but a well spoken man answered the phone and told me they

were " closed " for the Summer!