Please help...

Placing spiritual phenomena on a pedestal and fixating on the semantics of spiritual terminology are both great examples of mechanisms that the ego uses to perpetuate itself.

Shaktipat = energetic transference. Casual = oops, I forgot that THIS is the moment of enlightenment.

Travis

 

Hare Krishna !

From Radareyes...


No, I don't remember, because you're presumably referencing events associated with the spiritual lineage that you're affiliated with and for some reason assuming that they're common knowledge.
.............


Dear Radareyes,

I am really sorry. I understand, I made a basic mistake there.

My intention of saying everything was just this: If stepping into the spiritual path with or without initiation by a teacher, is Class-I then Shaktipat is a subject taught in Class-XII or in College/Universities.

I respect and like your firm belief in whatever you say or think and wish you all the best.

Love,

Kumar.

 

Well if there were no ego there would be no sense of separate individuals, and shaktipat would be irrelevant. Who would give and who would receive?

I don't quite know what you mean by 'placing spiritual phenomena on a pedestal' - do you mean we should regard spiritual phenomena as on a par with mundane phenomena?

As for terminology, western culture has really only a very poor terminology. In India things were worked out in much greater depth. If you then say it doesn't have any real relevance, you're just going to get confused. And also, if it's not important, why argue about terms such as shaktipat, diska etc?

On the topic of Ramakrishna, he is perhaps the most famed and certainly one of the greatest masters of modern times. Most 'Hindus' would accept this I think. His teachings are absolutely part of the basis of the whole of modern Hinduism.

 

I'd say that it is possible to receive energy from a higher source, but that isn't going to get us to realization. Each one has to have their own relation to the divine, and teachers, gurus, even avatars can only help on the way.

No one is going to give enlightenment just like that.

And you're right that it can only come when one is ready - otherwise the power and grace would crush and destroy.
It's not just a matter of being able to receive enrgy, but to hold it in stability.

 

No one.

I mean that "mundane phenomena" are illusory. ALL is Spirit.

I didn't say spiritual terminology isn't important or that it doesn't have any real relevance. I said that fixation upon spiritual terminology is a mechanism that the ego employs in order to perpetuate itself.

Travis

 

There's no need for an apology, Kumar -- no harm done.

And one of my intentions for responding was to challenge some of the hierarchal conceptions of spirituality that comprise your belief system.

Thank you.

Travis

 

Hare Krishna!

From Travis.....

And one of my intentions for responding was to challenge some of the hierarchal conceptions of spirituality that comprise your belief system.

Dear Travis,

My young friend, as I earlier told you, I respect your views. I have walked for longer period of time on this earth than you and with the experiences gathered, I can only tell you that on true spiritual plane there is nothing like 'hierarchial conceptions' or 'belief system'. As knowledge trickles in, everything converges into one consciousness...Divine Consciousness. All paths merge into one.

For advancement in the spiritual realm it is always better to do something than doing nothing. But let it be any path, step jumping is a dangerous thing. It may lead to confusion, frustration and loss of faith.

With love and best wishes,

Kumar.

 

Hare Krishna!

From BBB...

I'd say that it is possible to receive energy from a higher source, but that isn't going to get us to realization. Each one has to have their own relation to the divine, and teachers, gurus, even avatars can only help on the way.

No one is going to give enlightenment just like that.

And you're right that it can only come when one is ready - otherwise the power and grace would crush and destroy.
It's not just a matter of being able to receive enrgy, but to hold it in stability.
....................

Dear Andrew,

Thanks for your beautiful posts. You are ansolutely right, as usual. I agree with all that you have said.

Love,

Kumar.

 

I'm not putting it on a pedastal, I just know how intense it can be and it doesn't seem most congruent to understanding to let one particular word fall under every category we could think of.
As for semantics, most of the time it's a trivial endevour, but in a lot of contexts can actually be important. I mean, it's why we have words in the first place isn't it? To avoid confusion and enable better understanding through communication with each other. Considering the topic, maybe some "semantics" need to be cleared up before we can move on to the deeper aspects of what we are discussing. You couldn't learn how to build a house if you didn't know any of the words in the house-building semantic field.
I'm simply saying that the word should be reserved for more mutual, spiritual, and dare I say, life-altering experiences. If I looked lovingly into the eyes of a cashier at walmart, she would probably think I was a loon and completely forget about me 10 minutes later.

 

Then why are you espousing both?

Indeed.

On the contrary -- advancement in the spiritual realm is always a product of doing nothing.

Danger is an illusion of the separative identity. If one's spiritual pursuits are motivated by a desire to avoid it, one has strayed from the path.

Travis

 

Yes, you are.

Whoever said it should fall under every category we can think of? I said it is a form of energetic transference.

This is all nothing more than a series of rationalizations for lapsing into an egoic defense mechanism.

That would be the classic definition of Shaktipat, as I specified in the first portion of my initial response to you.

When I look anybody in the eye, I do it with love. Whether or not they choose to receive that love and in turn allow it to uplift their consciousness is entirely up to them, and has no bearing on the nature of the energy being transmitted.

Travis

 

A form of energetic transference, or every form of energetic transference. Which is it?

Yet your definition doesn't seem to match up with your subsequent examples.

This is why I tried to get you to clarify on who was capable to receive Shaktipat. It can't really be considered energetic transference if nothing is being received or getting through to someone. And we agreed, that Shaktipat is a mutual experience.

 

A form of energetic transference.

Just find a way to incorporate "receptive mentality" into any of my examples. That should take care of any discrepencies that you may have noticed.

We did indeed.

Travis

 

Then what relevance could shaktipat possibly have?

 

To awaken one's awareness to the reality of Spirit.

Travis

 

But if everything is spirit, what is there to awaken?

 

My dear - every day we do not renew the battle is a day lost to the enemy. I think William Blake said something like that...

You are as usual too kind.
But you are also 100% correct when you say 'practice practice practice'.

 

The aspect of Spirit that persists in identifying exclusively with its fragmented state.

Travis

 

Fragmentation is only an idea held in the imperfect lower mind.
The Divine Individuality however, is Reality.

Love.

 

Ideas do not exist inherently in a "lower" or "higher" mind. They are infused with the consciousness from which they arise.

No words can accurately reflect reality.

Not when you said it.

Travis