Guest guest Posted October 18, 1999 Report Share Posted October 18, 1999 I sent this last week but it never appeared. Harsha ----Original Message----- Sarlo [sarlo] Thursday, October 14, 1999 5:43 PM NondualitySalon Re: [NondualitySalon] Re: I? "I may not know who i am but i can be sure of one thing, THAT I AM, so i just have to keep asking who i am (or where or why or wha for that matter)." The difficulty is that i am not sure and cannot be sure that i indeed am. My one sure point of reference is that i do not know. This "sure point of reference" may seem pretty insecure but what's wrong with it? I am bolstered in this safe port in the ontological storm by seeing everywhere people claiming to know, their knowing apparently being very attractive to seekers mired in the metaphysical swamps, who want some assurance about something, excuse the mixed metaphors. Their knowing could well be the truth, or at least their truth, so great!, but oftentimes it's not. Looked at from a different point of view, not knowing can be quite positive. It is wonder, awe, mystery. Not knowing is no impediment to acting decisively when that is needed. And the beauty: not knowing is easy and fun and you can do it in your spare time at home. Beautiful, Sarlo! Perhaps it is this fog of "unknowing" that one must intuit clearly and hold onto. It can bring the existential sorrow and universal tears to some. It can bring one to his/her knees as the ontological storms appear to rage on all sides. One has to learn to live with it, I believe, on some paths at least. Gradually and slowly and carefully and mindfully one travels this road which leads nowhere really, because where can any road go. Just to another destination. And then what? Where does one go then? But perhaps this metaphysical loneliness when carried to the extreme allows the surrender to take place. A weary and a tired traveler is ultimately left without a choice. Perhaps it is the preface to recognizing Grace and that Supreme Aloneness that is Whole and One, and THAT I AM. Harsha You are invited to the largest International a on the Internet /.cgi/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 1999 Report Share Posted October 18, 1999 Dear Harsha: Thank you so much for posting this and thanks to Sarlo for contributing the original....these words are greatly appreciated at this time. I'm going to also refer to a quote from your other posting. Ramana Maharshi states Ahimsa Param Dharma....."Nonviolence is the supreme religion" this quote with the fog of unknowing pretty much hits the target of my heart. This past Saturday I did something I've never done before.....I walked away from a group of people who were chanting before the chanting was finished. It was not done with any anger on my part but with an uncomfortable feeling of rudeness though I do not think anyone noticed. I along with my daughter had attended a series of Nava Raatri celebrations at this small temple here in the Catskill Mountains. Because of the temple's connection to Babaji I thought it would be more spiritual than religious. After hours of chanting a Shakti Mantra and watching everyone bathe statues in various substances it was 2:30 AM in the cold mountains. What I observed was almost a frenzy like state that just did not feel right to me and I left. The whole situation left me feeling discouraged and slightly guilty. This morning as I did my sadhana I did it with such an acute awareness of the fact that I know nothing except that for some reason I exist. So you can imagine what salve this posting was to me. Seeing the above quote from Ramana Maharshi brought home something that has been lodged in the back of my mind....this same temple has in it's yoga room two letters posted on it's walls regarding a teacher who left the group. A very good friend of mine is involved with this teacher so I read the posts....the words were violent in their context....I know nothing of the situation except that the posts were simply mean. Ramana Maharshi's words certainly speak volumes towards the 'knowing' of religions. To sum up this rather long and personal post. Thank you......I feel so much more positive towards this current phase of "knowing nothing". Pranams to the wisdom of Harsha. Namaste, Linda "I may not know who i am but i can be sure of one thing, THAT I AM, so i just have to keep asking who i am (or where or why or wha for that matter)." The difficulty is that i am not sure and cannot be sure that i indeed am. My one sure point of reference is that i do not know. This "sure point of reference" may seem pretty insecure but what's wrong with it? I am bolstered in this safe port in the ontological storm by seeing everywhere people claiming to know, their knowing apparently being very attractive to seekers mired in the metaphysical swamps, who want some assurance about something, excuse the mixed metaphors. Their knowing could well be the truth, or at least their truth, so great!, but oftentimes it's not. Looked at from a different point of view, not knowing can be quite positive. It is wonder, awe, mystery. Not knowing is no impediment to acting decisively when that is needed. And the beauty: not knowing is easy and fun and you can do it in your spare time at home. Beautiful, Sarlo! Perhaps it is this fog of "unknowing" that one must intuit clearly and hold onto. It can bring the existential sorrow and universal tears to some. It can bring one to his/her knees as the ontological storms appear to rage on all sides. One has to learn to live with it, I believe, on some paths at least. Gradually and slowly and carefully and mindfully one travels this road which leads nowhere really, because where can any road go. Just to another destination. And then what? Where does one go then? But perhaps this metaphysical loneliness when carried to the extreme allows the surrender to take place. A weary and a tired traveler is ultimately left without a choice. Perhaps it is the preface to recognizing Grace and that Supreme Aloneness that is Whole and One, and THAT I AM. Harsha You are invited to the largest International a on the Internet /.cgi/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 19, 1999 Report Share Posted October 19, 1999 Hello Harsha, >Beautiful, Sarlo! Perhaps it is this fog of "unknowing" that one must >intuit clearly and hold onto. It can bring the existential sorrow and >universal tears to some. It can bring one to his/her knees as the >ontological storms appear to rage on all sides. One has to learn to live >with it, I believe, on some paths at least. Gradually and slowly and >carefully and mindfully one travels this road which leads nowhere really, >because where can any road go. Just to another destination. And then >what? Where does one go then? But perhaps this metaphysical loneliness >when carried to the extreme allows the surrender to take place. A weary >and a tired traveler is ultimately left without a choice. Perhaps it is >the preface to recognizing Grace and that Supreme Aloneness that is Whole >and One, and THAT I AM. Beautiful! I thought at first that you were making a joke, because _The Cloud of Unknowing_ is a classic by a Christian mystic. Love, Dharma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 19, 1999 Report Share Posted October 19, 1999 At 03:54 AM 10/19/99 , Dharma wrote: Beautiful! >I thought at first that you were making a joke, because _The Cloud of >Unknowing_ is a classic by a Christian mystic. Yes and I love that work! --Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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