Guest guest Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 You find oil by digging one deep hole, not many shallow ones. That is the way to the hidden treasure that lies beneath the dirt. Pranams, Surya - neilrasmussen Friday, October 28, 2005 12:37 PM Intesting Situation Namaste to all!I have found myself in an interesting situation over the years. I would like to hear other's thoughts and insights about it.I have had the great good fortune to meet with and learn from many wonderful spiritual traditions. I've spent time with Shree Maa and Swamiji. I've spent time with the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. I've spent time with Saiva Siddhanta Church. I've spent time with the Vedanta Society. I've spent time with Swami Prakashanand Saraswati and the International Society of Divine Love. I've spent time with Chinese Buddhists. I've spent time with Jodo Shinshu, Nichiren, Zen and Nyingma Buddhists. I've spent time with Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Christians. I've briefly looked into Taoism.So obviously I am "searching." Ok...now what has been getting to me is this: I have been so fortunate to access all these wonderful traditions and sanghas and families of people...but I still find myself traveling around from tradition to tradition and not ever settling down and making myself at home and become intimate with one tradition. When I first came to Devi Mandir when I was 19, it seemed ok to be on a journey of discovery, but know I'm 36, I feel that I'm still dabbling and am too much of a dilettante.On one hand, I believe that I should make a commitment to one tradition and one teacher and dive deeply into that practice. On the other hand, (I always feel like I should have as many hands as Durga Ma...) I feel that each tradition and each form of God has unique gifts and a unique perspective and that by only focusing on one, I would be cheating myself out of a beautiful tapestry of experiences.On one hand, I feel that by always change my practice from one form of God to another, I will never become intimate with any of the forms. On the other hand, I feel that I should relax and enjoy my unique universal vision and do what I can do to promote harmony and understanding between different religions.*sigh* I apologize for sounding so neurotic and caught up in the surface mind. I would be very interested to hear if others have had similar experiences and how they settled on one tradition or how they were able to integrate and create something universal and unique.Thanks for your thoughts, time and input.Neil in San Francisco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 Namaste Neil in San Francisco, perhaps by following Mother's thread through the labyrinth, you'll come closer and closer to the center. Perhaps you'll find yourself in a different position, enriched with a different perspective, than all those years ago, now you're back at the Devi Mandir again, with love, Henny , "neilrasmussen" <neilrasmussen@y. ...> wrote: > > Namaste to all! > > I have found myself in an interesting situation over the years. I > would like to hear other's thoughts and insights about it. > > I have had the great good fortune to meet with and learn from many > wonderful spiritual traditions. I've spent time with Shree Maa and > Swamiji. I've spent time with the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. I've > spent time with Saiva Siddhanta Church. I've spent time with the > Vedanta Society. I've spent time with Swami Prakashanand Saraswati > and the International Society of Divine Love. > > I've spent time with Chinese Buddhists. I've spent time with Jodo > Shinshu, Nichiren, Zen and Nyingma Buddhists. I've spent time with > Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Christians. I've briefly > looked into Taoism. > > So obviously I am "searching." Ok...now what has been getting to me > is this: I have been so fortunate to access all these wonderful > traditions and sanghas and families of people...but I still find > myself traveling around from tradition to tradition and not ever > settling down and making myself at home and become intimate with one > tradition. When I first came to Devi Mandir when I was 19, it seemed > ok to be on a journey of discovery, but know I'm 36, I feel that I'm > still dabbling and am too much of a dilettante. > > On one hand, I believe that I should make a commitment to one > tradition and one teacher and dive deeply into that practice. On the > other hand, (I always feel like I should have as many hands as Durga > Ma...) I feel that each tradition and each form of God has unique > gifts and a unique perspective and that by only focusing on one, I > would be cheating myself out of a beautiful tapestry of experiences. > > On one hand, I feel that by always change my practice from one form > of God to another, I will never become intimate with any of the > forms. > > On the other hand, I feel that I should relax and enjoy my unique > universal vision and do what I can do to promote harmony and > understanding between different religions. > > *sigh* I apologize for sounding so neurotic and caught up in the > surface mind. I would be very interested to hear if others have had > similar experiences and how they settled on one tradition or how they > were able to integrate and create something universal and unique. > > Thanks for your thoughts, time and input. > > Neil in San Francisco > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 That you have taken this step seems to suggest that you want to settle. Ramakrishna embraced all religions but from reading various books on his life, this came about after becoming One with Mother and his understanding of the different religions was almost instantaneous. May the Divine guide you to what your soul seeks. Kalia FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 hi neil my experience is that one cannot know what is best for someone else. but here is what i think and learned. we are at a place in geography and history where there is a lot of movement of information. if you have a big mind it is very likely you will want to make use of what your can. in my opinion this is not something to feel at all bad about. it might be your nature. it might lead to some very broad and deep understanding. you can also go through phases of deep contemplation or practice in what appears to be one tradition. then later in a different tradition, you utilize what you learned elsewhere. personally i avoid the quick and easy answers. maybe the really successful wild catters dig many deep holes. who knows. i am constantly amazed by what humans can do. that's up to you 100%. what is important is your earnest and intense desire and willingness to learn and DO. pure desire makes the mind go deep. you find what you need most and go for it. 1,000 blessings of all kinds. love to all steve , "neilrasmussen" <neilrasmussen> wrote: > > Namaste to all! > > I have found myself in an interesting situation over the years. I > would like to hear other's thoughts and insights about it. > > I have had the great good fortune to meet with and learn from many > wonderful spiritual traditions. I've spent time with Shree Maa and > Swamiji. I've spent time with the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. I've > spent time with Saiva Siddhanta Church. I've spent time with the > Vedanta Society. I've spent time with Swami Prakashanand Saraswati > and the International Society of Divine Love. > > I've spent time with Chinese Buddhists. I've spent time with Jodo > Shinshu, Nichiren, Zen and Nyingma Buddhists. I've spent time with > Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Christians. I've briefly > looked into Taoism. > > So obviously I am "searching." Ok...now what has been getting to me > is this: I have been so fortunate to access all these wonderful > traditions and sanghas and families of people...but I still find > myself traveling around from tradition to tradition and not ever > settling down and making myself at home and become intimate with one > tradition. When I first came to Devi Mandir when I was 19, it seemed > ok to be on a journey of discovery, but know I'm 36, I feel that I'm > still dabbling and am too much of a dilettante. > > On one hand, I believe that I should make a commitment to one > tradition and one teacher and dive deeply into that practice. On the > other hand, (I always feel like I should have as many hands as Durga > Ma...) I feel that each tradition and each form of God has unique > gifts and a unique perspective and that by only focusing on one, I > would be cheating myself out of a beautiful tapestry of experiences. > > On one hand, I feel that by always change my practice from one form > of God to another, I will never become intimate with any of the > forms. > > On the other hand, I feel that I should relax and enjoy my unique > universal vision and do what I can do to promote harmony and > understanding between different religions. > > *sigh* I apologize for sounding so neurotic and caught up in the > surface mind. I would be very interested to hear if others have had > similar experiences and how they settled on one tradition or how they > were able to integrate and create something universal and unique. > > Thanks for your thoughts, time and input. > > Neil in San Francisco > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2005 Report Share Posted November 1, 2005 Namaste to All Thanks for the thoughtful, loving and generous replys to my post. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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