Today's Considerations
[In yesterday's post, Richard was describing the events of his second visit to the loft. To continue:]
"Maharaj talked of the space in the loft being the same as the space in the street outside, which i took to mean the consciousness of the individual was the same consciousness.
"What you have shared about 'Maharaj Mendum Menda,' which caused strong resonance, had me recalling an exchange with Maharaj during that visit." [To find the postings which Richard referenced, dealing with "Maharaj Mendum Menda," you may use the "Search This Blog" feature to the right. Richard continued:] "He was NOT happy with my question of whether abiding in consciousness would make my material life better. VERY not happy! Shouting again.
"i don't remember much of the answer, but he asked something like 'Did i think he was some wallah (seller) of false knowledge about a false self sold by those who wanted money and prestige from the ignorant who would be sold / told how to get that by meditating?'
"i was told that all of this would lead to suffering and misery. (While i sensed he was talking about my teacher at the time, i was so startled by his intensity, i don't remember exactly what was said, but he was NOT pleased by this question. i sensed that he knew i believed - and had a lot invested in - the fact that i had chosen the one and only path to enlightened bliss and material success!)
"Again, I wanted to disappear. He asked me who [what] i was eight days before conception. Again, the mind stopped. What followed were several days of going to see him, listening to the ceremony he performed to his teacher, scribbling notes when i could, trying to soak it all in.
"The last day, Maharaj told me to stay in the Self and i would not need him or any other teacher, that the Self was the only true teacher. While this time i at least had some better idea of what he meant than the first time i heard him, i was still so steeped in the paradigm of my teacher at the time, i could not make sense of much of it.
"Yet, i sensed that there was much power in what he said, even though i had little understanding. Thirty years later, those words still resonate, still bring stillness. At the time, i didn't realize the value of those words, the fact that i was hearing pure, unvarnished, no-punches-pulled Truth with a capital T.
"Your pointers, particularly those that talk about Maharaj's teachings about the mind, resonated. They reminded me very much of Maharaj's intensity and uncompromising teachings.
"I can only imagine how he would respond to recent, popular, 'now' teachings. Floyd, thanks so much for presenting the pointers and teachings without compromise."
---Richard
To be continued.
Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
