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RevolMaster
USA
8 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 22 2007 : 5:09:10 PM
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| I find lesson 258 very interesting. I had always thought the goal of enlightenment was to break the death cycle, become immortal and practice dying? Lahiri Mahasaya said to practice and be ready for the coming astral journey of death. The state of nirvikalpa samadhi, where the heart stops and the blood stops flowing and the body pretty much dies,, you are then merged with the infinite correct? Full enlightenment is the ability to break the death cycle and become the infinte, able to come and go as you please then. If this is true, then divine ecstacy would only be a fruit of yoga, what exactly does combining emptyness and ecstacy do for that? Also, i have heard nothing of the taoist practice of forming the immortal embryo, Charles Luk talks of seeing falling flower petals from the skies right before liberation, so many things to ask, so few people who have been there. |
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2007 : 7:53:37 PM
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quote:
"Prepare yourself for the coming astral journey of death by daily riding in the balloon of God-perception. Through delusion you are perceiving yourself as a bundle of flesh and bones, which at best is a nest of troubles".
- Lahiri Mahasaya
The catepillar passes from the instar stage to the imago and is born anew with beautiful wings to aid its flight into the astral realm:
I thought that you would find this interesting:
quote:
"The caterpillars new cells are called 'imaginal cell.' They resonate at a different frequency. They are so totally different from the catepillar cells that his immune system thinks they are enemies...and gobbles them up--Chomp! Gulp! But these new imaginal cells continue to appear. More and more of them! Pretty soon, the caterpillar's immune system cannot destroy them fast enough. More and more of the imaginal cells survive. And then an amazing thing happens! The little tiny lonely imaginal cells start to clump together, into friendly little groups. They all resonate together at the same frequency, passing information from one to another. Then, after awhile, another amazing thing happens! The clumps of imaginal cells start to cluster together!.., A long string of clumping and clustering imaginal cell, all resonating at the same frequency, all passing information from one to another there inside the chrysalis."
"A wave of Good News travels throughout the system-- Lurches and heaves...but not yet a butterfly."
"Then at some point, the entire long string of imaginal cells suddenly realizes all together that it is Something Different from the caterpillar. Something New! Something Wonderfull!....and in that realization is the shout of the birth of the butterfly!"
Happy Birthday Butterfly!!!
"Since the butterfly now "knows" that it is a butterfly, the little tiny imaginal cells no longer have to do all those things individual cells must do. Now they are part of a mult-celled organism-- A FAMILY who can share the work."
"Each new butterfly cell can take on a different job.----There is something for everyone to do. And everyone is important. And each cell begins to do just that very thing it is most drawn to do. And every other cell encourages it to do just that."
http://www.community-intelligence.c...ence_of.html
I bolded the text above and believe that when we, as these spiritual cells, realize our true natures, will all collectively realize Oneness. Yogani discusses this here:
quote:
"Yogani: While a person may reach a condition of "Oneness," what we call "Unity" in AYP, this can be regarded as final enlightenment only by those sages who choose to rest on their laurels. Good for them. It is enlightenment in isolation.
No. There is much more. Enlightenment will not be complete until all of humanity (and the entire cosmos) is self-aware in Oneness. A seemingly impossible task, yes? Nevertheless, Oneness cannot truly be Oneness until all have been brought home to That. The urge for this is what drives sages forward. It is the power of divine love, and we see it in all who serve for the benefit of others.
The lonely sage who holds up his or her Oneness as separate from everyone else (contending that nothing else exists) is an incomplete being. Only in giving it all away for the benefit of others can the sage be said to be enlightened. It is only in pouring out divine love that the enlightenment process can continue, encompassing all that exists (apparently) in the field of duality.
This scenario of true enlightenment residing in sacrifice for others does not sit easily with most people, so it doesn't get much press. Who would choose that from an unenlightened point of view? It is directly opposed to our sense of self-preservation. Or is it? For the person who has achieved Oneness, doing for others is self-preservation, and comes naturally. This is why we hold Christ, Buddha and others who gave all they had for the spiritual progress of others as the highest measure of enlightenment. They are the gold standard.
Anyone who is moved from within to aid others on the path is manifesting Oneness. Much better to manifest Oneness than not. Stillness in action!
And where does it end? It never does. Therefore, real enlightenment is an unending continuum of outpouring divine love. It is not something we can take home and lock in the closet."
VIL
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Edited by - VIL on Mar 22 2007 8:02:43 PM |
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RevolMaster
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2007 : 9:13:58 PM
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| Vil, what a beautiful reply...thank you thank you thank you! I could not have asked for a better reply! |
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nandhi
USA
362 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 3:11:40 PM
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aum
just perfectly expressed vil!
what yogani says is profound!
aum |
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Maximus
India
187 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2007 : 3:34:32 PM
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Sorry for sounding like an idiot amongst all these wonderful posts but I have a question about "The lonely sage who holds up his or her Oneness as separate from everyone else (contending that nothing else exists) is an incomplete being. Only in giving it all away for the benefit of others can the sage be said to be enlightened"
What if the lonely sage does so thinking "God helps those who helps themselves" and that everyone has to move forward by themselves by their own spiritual desire, and there is little I can do? |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2007 : 4:18:53 PM
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Maximus said:quote:
What if the lonely sage does so thinking "God helps those who helps themselves" and that everyone has to move forward by themselves by their own spiritual desire, and there is little I can do?
Hi Maximus:
Here is the riddle: What do we do when our nervous system has been purified and opened to the point where we see others as expressions our own dear self?
This is the basis of "Do unto others..."
This is also why I say enlightenment is most identifiable in those who consistently serve for the benefit of others (moved in their own way). In them we can see that the loss of separation is real. Of course, it takes time to know this for sure about anyone, and even about ourselves. The best time to draw a conclusion is after the person is dead, and even then we could be wrong. But perceived spiritual condition doesn't matter one iota if good works are being done and everyone is barreling along by choice on their own road home. That is all that matters.
Your question assumes a separation. It may apply in that arena, but not for the enlightened (or on the way), who will increasingly see their own dear self in everyone else, and act accordingly.
Wasn't it Forrest Gump who said, "Enlightened is as enlightened does." Or am I misquoting him?
He actually said, "Stupid is as stupid does." Same difference. "Ye shall know each tree by its fruit."
Btw, it is absolutely true that "God helps those who help themselves." In fact, it is essential. The ongoing choice (devotion/bhakti) has to be there for anything to happen. As soon as it is, all of creation automatically runs to help. All of the masters and all the energy in the universe are waiting on the ones who are getting up and helping themselves. Yes, absolutely. No true sage is going to be ambivalent about that. Neither will most of the rest of us. We're all in it together...
It does not take years of daily deep meditation to feel this reality coming up in us. It can emerge pretty quickly, especially these days with inner silence stirring everywhere.
The guru is in you.
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Enlightenment and death cycles
