Dan/vision

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/14/1999 6:45:35 PM Atlantic Standard Time,

berkowd writes:

 

<< Dan: Here is my vision statement.

 

A Vision is needed because --

Nonduality is freedom, not license.

 

Freedom is responsibility, not avoidance of compassion.

 

Thus:

Defecating in a public reservoir is not an expression of nondual truth.

 

For thousands of years, there have been teachers of truth and those

who use true teachings for their own ends.

Those who distort truth are noted for "using the talk" to

"walk their own walk" and reach their own goals.

Teachers are noted for "talking the talk" in service to the Way.

 

Yes, wolves may come wearing the clothing of sheep:

It is nonsense to think that no one can be set back, no one

can be harmed. The nondual No One *is not* a 007 license

to harm others and claim this is done in the name of love

or to "play a game". The human potential for awareness is real,

and therefore the possibility for interfering with

or distracting that potential is also real.

One doesn't enter a temple, yell obscentities at those who are

meditating, and then tell them this is a word game to help

them realize truth. One doesn't crash a bulldozer into

a temple and then say this teaches the equality of all things.

One doesn't throw a match on a gasoline spill under a car

in order to show one's state of freedom.

Awareness is appreciation of the context

of the person, not ignorance of it.

 

"By their fruits ye shall know them"

This is the value of Time: it allows fruits to grow and be shown.

Please observe the fruits of the seeds you sow.

Ignoring what you see is not a path to nondual truth.

 

-- with love and compassion for all of our growing pains --

 

Dan

>>

 

Thank you Dan for speaking beautifully and eloquently. For that we bow to

you. You said that "Freedom is responsibility, not avoidance of compassion.

Thus: Defecating in a public reservoir is not an expression of nondual

truth."

 

Those are strong words Dan but they need to be said. There is much to reflect

on your whole post. Spiritual novices (for lack of a better term) often

confuse nondual awareness with acting "wild and crazy." It is sometimes even

claimed that nutty, rude, or obnoxious behavior on part of people is proof of

their enlightenment since they are not attached to the behavior. Over more

than three decades of being in the spiritual scene, I have seen quite a bit.

There are some real gems out there Dan and you are one of them.

 

With love

Harsha

[Guest guest]

Dear Harsha and Dan:

 

Strong words....yes....but words that need to said and understood. In the

time I've spent on this planet this lifetime I have seen great amounts of

abuse in the name of spirituality. It started with the nuns trying to beat

and scare young children into loving God and turning countless numbers away

from any belief in spiritual love. It ended with my belief that I had

found a higher form of spirituality in the world of yoga to discover that

detachment and nondual beliefs often led to ego centric words and actions

from teachers that had devastating effects on students. To say that one

should use the 'tools' and get over it is just not enough and certain

students are simply not ready to move forward on their own. We must

continue to remind others that compassion is necessary on the road of

non-duality.

 

Thank you bringing this important subject up to our attention.

 

Namaste,

Linda

 

 

 

<< Dan: Here is my vision statement.

> A Vision is needed because --

> Nonduality is freedom, not license.

>Freedom is responsibility, not avoidance of compassion.

>Thus:

>Defecating in a public reservoir is not an expression of nondual truth.

>For thousands of years, there have been teachers of truth and those

>who use true teachings for their own ends.

>Those who distort truth are noted for "using the talk" to

>"walk their own walk" and reach their own goals.

>Teachers are noted for "talking the talk" in service to the Way.

>Yes, wolves may come wearing the clothing of sheep:

>It is nonsense to think that no one can be set back, no one

>can be harmed. The nondual No One *is not* a 007 license

>to harm others and claim this is done in the name of love

>or to "play a game". The human potential for awareness is real,

>and therefore the possibility for interfering with

>or distracting that potential is also real.

>One doesn't enter a temple, yell obscentities at those who are

>meditating, and then tell them this is a word game to help

>them realize truth. One doesn't crash a bulldozer into

>a temple and then say this teaches the equality of all things.

>One doesn't throw a match on a gasoline spill under a car

>in order to show one's state of freedom.

>Awareness is appreciation of the context

>of the person, not ignorance of it.

> "By their fruits ye shall know them"

> This is the value of Time: it allows fruits to grow and be shown.

>Please observe the fruits of the seeds you sow.

>Ignoring what you see is not a path to nondual truth.

 

-- with love and compassion for all of our growing pains --

 

Dan

>>

>Thank you Dan for speaking beautifully and eloquently. For that we bow to

>you. You said that "Freedom is responsibility, not avoidance of

compassion.

>Thus: Defecating in a public reservoir is not an expression of nondual

>truth."

>Those are strong words Dan but they need to be said. There is much to

reflect

>on your whole post. Spiritual novices (for lack of a better term) often

>confuse nondual awareness with acting "wild and crazy." It is sometimes

even

>claimed that nutty, rude, or obnoxious behavior on part of people is proof

of

>their enlightenment since they are not attached to the behavior. Over more

>than three decades of being in the spiritual scene, I have seen quite a

bit.

>There are some real gems out there Dan and you are one of them.

 

With love

Harsha

 

All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights,

perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside

back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not different than

the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of Awareness.

Awareness does not come and go but is always Present. It is Home. Home is

where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal

Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously

arising from within into It Self. Welcome all to a.

[Guest guest]

At 10:05 AM 11/15/99 -0500, Linda Callanan wrote:

>"Linda Callanan" <shastra

>

>Dear Harsha and Dan:

>

>Strong words....yes....but words that need to said and understood. In the

>time I've spent on this planet this lifetime I have seen great amounts of

>abuse in the name of spirituality. It started with the nuns trying to beat

>and scare young children into loving God and turning countless numbers away

>from any belief in spiritual love. It ended with my belief that I had

>found a higher form of spirituality in the world of yoga to discover that

>detachment and nondual beliefs often led to ego centric words and actions

>from teachers that had devastating effects on students. To say that one

>should use the 'tools' and get over it is just not enough and certain

>students are simply not ready to move forward on their own. We must

>continue to remind others that compassion is necessary on the road of

>non-duality.

>

>Thank you bringing this important subject up to our attention.

 

 

And thank you, Linda, for this beautiful and essential reminder -

compassion is required at every step, in teaching and learning. Compassion

is never misplaced, and sometimes it is all that a student can digest,

because of some of the things you point out. For those who have not had to

experience various kinds of abuse, it can be exceedingly hard to understand

its devastating effects.

 

--Greg