Spiritual Portal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYyPDwT1c2c

Started out as a teenager interested in Zen and Buddhism. The koan approach didn't click with me at the time. What about you? Shared a lot of hours with buddhists and at buddhist meditations. i enjoyed the Tonglen of-- Pema Chodron

Any how the koan method did make sense to me after being in the presense of a Master--years later-- to help me crack and open it.

Jitendra

"Who am I?" is a koan. I guess what strikes me these days is the common themes that I find between different traditions. All of the different traditions seem more like cultural wrapping paper.

Some of us are drawn to certain traditions and gurus for various reasons. As an example; as a teen ager in high school i spent years learning hatha yoga. l practiced so much that i did so at gym classes. While other students practiced traditional sports i was an anomaly to the gym teacher and a wierdo to many students. Yet i had a confidence in myself and what i was doing.

Later on i was attracted to meditation techniques that included a physical regimine. Yogananda created the energization spiritual exercises and Amma created the iam technique which both have physical exercises with a spiritual intent and are usually done before meditating.

As far as i know for example ; Marharshi Ramana and for instance ;Transcendetal Meditation do not include a physical routine and therefore are quite different in this sense. Many people do not look for a physical routine from a Master. They often find it elsewhere and come to recieve a meditation technique only. This one primary difference i see. Yet there are also others. Each according to his or her temperment and background.

Ramana said there could be no mass instruction. Actually, I believe it was Yogananda or Richard Wright whom he said this to. I hold it as one of my fundamental beliefs. There is no one path that can suit everyone. Even people who follow the same Guru will have slight variations and needs as each nervous system is calibrated a little differently due to a combination of pre-natal (genetic) and post-natal (environmental) influences. Traditions are only cultural containers to preserve and pass on esoteric wisdom throughout the ages. How much this works is a matter for debate. Ultimately Yoga, with its various branches, does a good job of subsuming all of these variations - it's unique distinction. That magic of yoga is that you can find it everywhere, although not by name, in every corner of the world, because its branches reach so far.





 

This man says that zazen is nothing more than sitting with a straight spine. He doesn't mention breath watching or any other mental activity, only posture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsFlrdXVFgo

As far as i know these type of people, at this state of consciousness they have reached, do not argue and take difference with one another. Actually i have seen it. So i choose to follow their example and respect your beliefs.

i remember Brother Turiyananda saying to me Paramahansa Yogananda had said that China would invade us by submarines and i asked. Brother Bhaktananda if he had heard it. He said that he had never heard the Master  saying that and then he reiterated that he had not.

When i later told this to Turiyananda he immedaitely showed humility and said. "If Brother Bhaktananda told you that...you listen to him...he is the highest monk on the hill."

With this in mind; i doubt that Yogananda would have contradicted Ramana Maharshi if he had said it to the Master. But ofcourse neither of us were there to know.

i also remember the case of a fundamentalist Christian trying to convert Paramahansa Yogananda. To every thing he said he only repled; "You may be right." until the man evetually left the monastery.