Wow! So many good points and interesting observations by our AM,
Palyati, and Abhinabha. I agree with the AM, that people do find a
'middle path' for themselves after they have left. It does happen
that the 'spitwad shooters' do eventually decide that its best to move
on. As the AM said, 'The great thing about banging your head against
a stone wall is that it feels so good when you stop!' and I'm sure
that the intensity of their fanaticism eventually grows tiring. There
are many spiritual seekers whose parents or loved ones do not agree
with the lifestyle of the spiritual seekers, but many of them over
time simply learn to accept.
It is important, I believe, not to stoop to their level. If we do,
we are simply trying to fight fire with fire. If you punch somebody,
they will punch back harder. The minds problems cannot be solved by
the mind, likewise, we must approach the problems in humanity and the
problems within ourselves with a 'higher force'. Finding ways to
manifest this 'higher force' in a way that is accepted by society is
always challenging. Fighting with people who are hostile gives them
added joy and strength.
Fanaticism comes from a mind that is habitually obsessive. Such a
mind is perfect in the ways of attachment. If one cultivates
detachment through the practice of genuine love, devotion, and
suurender, there is no reason why such a mind cannot be transformed
over time. If one is truly devoted to the heart, then you come to see
that the mind is not the truest reality. The way love manifests
itself is not fanaticism, it is service.
Often the mind of a fanatic does not learn from ones own
spiritual experiences, but through the words and teachings of another.
They will hear or read certain words from a book such as the bible or
the Gita, and because they do not understand the higher reality behind
those words, they use their mind to create a reason. Now, when the
mind fails to create a reason, or the reason does not satisfy the
complex webwork that is the mind, it goes into black and white mode.
It either is or it isn't true. Because it was written in the
holiest of books, it must be true. Where does one draw the line? That
all depends on our receptivity. How much capacity do we have to see
eye to eye with the highest spiritual truths, devouring all the nectar
of the sages?
We must do according to our receptivity. I always say this:
there is a fine line between self-transcendence and self-destruction.
Just like a runner who overtrains my the smallest amount will get an
injury, we'll hurt ourselves spiritually if we do more than we can
handle. If we try to live according to the higher truths all the time
in every way, we'll see how dificult it is. But in order to find our
threshold, sometimes we need to bump our head against it a few times.
Wow! So many good points and interesting observations by our AM,
Palyati, and Abhinabha. I agree with the AM, that people do find a
'middle path' for themselves after they have left. It does happen
that the 'spitwad shooters' do eventually decide that its best to move
on. As the AM said, 'The great thing about banging your head against
a stone wall is that it feels so good when you stop!' and I'm sure
that the intensity of their fanaticism eventually grows tiring. There
are many spiritual seekers whose parents or loved ones do not agree
with the lifestyle of the spiritual seekers, but many of them over
time simply learn to accept.
It is important, I believe, not to stoop to their level. If we do,
we are simply trying to fight fire with fire. If you punch somebody,
they will punch back harder. The minds problems cannot be solved by
the mind, likewise, we must approach the problems in humanity and the
problems within ourselves with a 'higher force'. Finding ways to
manifest this 'higher force' in a way that is accepted by society is
always challenging. Fighting with people who are hostile gives them
added joy and strength.
Fanaticism comes from a mind that is habitually obsessive. Such a
mind is perfect in the ways of attachment. If one cultivates
detachment through the practice of genuine love, devotion, and
suurender, there is no reason why such a mind cannot be transformed
over time. If one is truly devoted to the heart, then you come to see
that the mind is not the truest reality. The way love manifests
itself is not fanaticism, it is service.
Often the mind of a fanatic does not learn from ones own
spiritual experiences, but through the words and teachings of another.
They will hear or read certain words from a book such as the bible or
the Gita, and because they do not understand the higher reality behind
those words, they use their mind to create a reason. Now, when the
mind fails to create a reason, or the reason does not satisfy the
complex webwork that is the mind, it goes into black and white mode.
It either is or it isn't true. Because it was written in the
holiest of books, it must be true. Where does one draw the line? That
all depends on our receptivity. How much capacity do we have to see
eye to eye with the highest spiritual truths, devouring all the nectar
of the sages?
We must do according to our receptivity. I always say this:
there is a fine line between self-transcendence and self-destruction.
Just like a runner who overtrains my the smallest amount will get an
injury, we'll hurt ourselves spiritually if we do more than we can
handle. If we try to live according to the higher truths all the time
in every way, we'll see how dificult it is. But in order to find our
threshold, sometimes we need to bump our head against it a few times.
Sorry I wrote so much, I need an editor.
Viddyut SF