[AdvaitaToZen] I arose / dropping all methods

[Guest guest]

On Mar 30, 2006, at 2:20 PM, Sarlo wrote:

 

> At 01:19 PM 3/30/06, Greg wrote:

>

> > > clyde:  Yes, I think so.  I was not " talking about Guidelines " ,

> but

> > > dropping all methods.

> >

> >===If it's a falling away, that's one thing.  But if it is a

> dropping,

> >then it's usually still a method.  This dropping-all-methods method

> >might work for some people, but definitely not all.  I talk to a lot

> >of people who were inspired in some way or other to drop all methods.

> >They find themselves doing the dropping thing over and over again,

> >alternating with wondering why it hasn't worked as advertised.

> >Another one of those descriptive/prescriptive anomalies, and it keeps

> >them as unhappy and stuck as ever (while reciting " there's no one to

> >be stuck. " )

> >

> >In nondual-land, if you look at it like a reporter for a nondual

> trade

> >journal or insider's newspaper, you can see that the

> no-one-here-to-do-

> >anything and the drop-all-methods teachings are beginning to wear a

> >bit thin.  The winds are changing - more teachers and

> >students/seekers/whatever seem to be more ready to embrace

> traditional

> >methods while seeing that they aren't really methods.

> >

> >A friend in England is writing a big book on advaita vedanta, and

> part

> >of his presentation is a critique of the no-one-here,

> drop-all-methods

> >teaching.  I take this as part of the shifting winds....

>

> Great! Thanks for the " inside track " view. This belongs over on GR as

> well,

> i will take the liberty, with a bow . . .

>

> Sarlo

>

 

Yes, I think, Greg, is right. This return to " doing something "

has been happening for a while now, with some Advaita

expounders. I can understand the skepticism with the

word method, which implies a tested systematic procedure

guarantee to achieve a goal. I can also understand the

prejudice against the word practice which implies endless

repetition. But to say, that 'doing nothing' is all it's needed

is ridiculous. There are 6 billion people doing/not doing

exactly that without adding any spark of wisdom, joy.

peace, or even wonderment to their lives.

 

Sure, OK, we were born with it, and we still have, but

something happened in our way to the forum. Some-

thing called ' nurturing.' It is the same as if a lawyer

on her way to catch the train downtown, was splattered

with mud by a speeding car. Now she is covered with dirt

from head to foot, and she can't even see out of her glasses.

Now, she can unwisely say, under all this dirt, I'm still

a lawyer and keep going to court, or she can go back

home an take a shower. Do we call taking a shower

when dirty a method?

 

Let's say that things need to be conjured, that we use

certain incantations everyday to get feelings. Listening

to music, reading, watching a sunset, making love are

incantations we use often to feel certain ways. So in

the same way, our Original Nature needs to be conjured to

become evident. No rubbing the bottle, no genii.

 

Pete

 

 

 

>