tariki Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Sign of the times or not, it always seem that time! I remember a few years back, the Maharishi of Transcendental Meditation fame (or was it infamy), was interviewed. He stood at the front of what could only be seen as a classroom, each desk occupied by a bright young thing in suit and tie, with nicely combed short hair......The Maharishi had it put to him that "back then, when he was an influence on the Beatles, his followers all wore large Afghan coats and sported long hair". He was asked "why the change?". "Ah" he said, with his rather large grin and cheeky chappy face, "result of knowledge!" So the transformation from all wearing Afghan coats and sporting long hair, to all wearing suits and sporting short hair, is "knowledge". This from one of "our" teachers, self proclaimed! For me, fundamentally it comes down to a deep capacity for self judgement. Without that, we will only ever project our darkness onto the outside world and all who live in it, seeking only to justify ourselves at the expense of genuine empathy with - and for - others. So a chance to quote again, from William Blake......."mutual forgiveness of each vice opens the gates of paradise". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenellYB Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Tariki, lol the Maharashi thing....yes, it is quite amazing how often mere superficial changes of appearance of things become st least for a time, a fad of some new 'knowledge' or 'insight' or 'growth/progress'.....this at any and all levels, from our personal lives to social trends. Thinking in that direction, I san see how that 'projection' can move in either direction...anyone projecting what is within themselves out and onto others and the world in general, but also how a similar process of "projection reflected" can cause someone to see themselves as 'changed' when it is actually their external environment that is different, and shining a different light upon them. The popular classroom "in group" /"out group" demonstration..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tariki Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Jenell, a long time ago it was pointed out by someone somewhere that more often than not a "spiritual path" turns out to be nothing more than flipping a switch from a secular materialism to a spiritual one. The same "self" is served by the various ingredients and really, not much changes at any radical level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenellYB Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 I would agree with that observation. The "change" in this context if one of merely one of reframing the same picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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