Harsha's 1001 Enlightenment Stories

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GCWein1111 wrote:

> In a message dated 5/11/00 2:46:31 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> hluthar writes:

>

> <<

> The king said, "Sublime teachings my foot. This is all a bunch of B.S. Why

> is your noble teaching not an illusion along with everything else. You are

> all total idiots! Please be on top of the cliff Sunday morning and I can pay

> my respects to you and your group in a formal sort of way."

>

> Well, the guru and his followers ran away and never showed up on Sunday on

> top of the local mountain. They applied for visas in foreign lands based on

> religious persecution. Those visas were granted and they continued to spread

> their noble and sublime teachings in other lands.

>

> From Harsha's Book of Enlightenment - 1001 stories.

> >>

>

> Ha ha ha ha .... l loved this story, Harsha. So that's how so many of

> these phony lndian teachers got over here???? ))))

> love,

> jerrysan

>

 

Thanks for appreciating the humor Jerrysan Rinpoche. I was just making the story

up more or less. I am not cynical about gurus, just realistic. Being an ordinary

person, I understand that human beings at times exhibit weaknesses of different

types at different times. Most gurus are no exception to this rule.

 

India is truly a land of spiritual geniuses. Its history and epics are steeped

in mysticism. It is a place where Yoga and Tantra have developed as sciences and

art forms. India's spiritual gifts to the world are undeniable and overwhelming.

Genuine spirituality and those who make religion a profession have always

existed side by side in India. This is true of other cultures and countries as

well. Just as spirituality is not the exclusive domain of any particular

religion or tradition, phoniness seems to be quite universal as well. To a large

extent, what is phony and what is genuine

seems to be in the eye of the beholder.

 

You have attained lofty heights Sri Jerrysan Rinpoche. Your standards are high

as they should be. I believe your compassion must be even greater. Perhaps Jimmy

Swagart's public confessions brought tears to your eyes and when he asked for

forgiveness, you really did without giving it a second thought! Same thing with

Jimmy and Tammy faye Baker. Hey, temptation happens! When Oral Roberts went up

to the top floor of his school and started fasting, perhaps you were all choked

up. When he asked people to send his organization money or God would call him

home, perhaps you looked in your

wallet to see what could be spared.

 

Like you Sri Jerrysan, I have seen many gurus "fall" over the years. Sometimes

the masters weep and ask their followers for forgiveness as well. That kind of

stuff does not bother me as it has been part of the landscape for thousands of

years. Even genuine yogis make mistakes or give into temptation because they are

human. This is the cyclical nature of life. There is many a slip before the cup

touches the lip! Today's phony is tomorrow's Sage! One never knows.

 

Love

Harsha