One of Pundit's Comments Rescued

Below are the comments from one of the posts that Pundit was concerned were lost -- with a question for Sudarsha. Still looking for the others. I note that my implied question to Pundit went unanswered as well.

14 Comments

Anonymous said...
It is ironic that those dissing Maharishi have a cosmic joke played on them by using the name 'Mahesh', which is another name for Shiva, a far greater compliment than referring to Maharishi as Maharishi...

"Adi Sankara interprets the name Shiva meaning "One who purifies everyone by the utterance of His name" or "the Pure One". The name Shiva is the Holiest of Holy names. The Good Lord is beyond and unaffected by the three gunas (characteristics) of Prakrti (matter/nature) namely Satva, Rajas, and Tamas.

Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:25:00 PM


Gina said...
Mahesh is his given name.

Maharishi is a title, meaning "great sage", that he bestowed upon himself.

Gina

Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:29:00 PM


Anonymous said...
The Cosmos is laughing!

Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:48:00 PM


Anonymous said...
When it comes to MMY, the cosmos and a hell of a lot of human beings, including many who practice TM, are laughing so hard they're throwing up!

Sunday, February 18, 2007 10:44:00 AM


Anonymous said...
really? Ew, how unpleasant for you...balance is what is needed.

Sunday, February 18, 2007 11:15:00 AM


Anonymous said...
Balance is needed...Thanks for the sage advice. Maybe someone should have given that to Shuvender Sem...Oh yeah, they did!

Sunday, February 18, 2007 3:21:00 PM


Anonymous said...
"The World Is as You Are. It's a common experience: One morning you wake up as tired as when you went to sleep. The day moves slowly; complications arise; problems seem to be overwhelming. You feel worried, relationships suffer. But the next morning, after a good night rest, you feel fresh and alert. The circumstances of the previous day may remain the same, but your evaluation of them differs dramatically. You are more relaxed, yet more energetic, more productive. Relationships are smoother, more harmonious. Why the difference? Basically, it's because the world is as you are."
-Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Sunday, February 18, 2007 10:54:00 PM



Punditster said...
Did you realize anything or ever think about this?

Yeah, Sudarsha, I just realized that for two years you posted to Usenet, making all kinds of TM status claims, yet you never once mentioned anything about the Maharishi and his secret private sex life. What's up with that and why didn't you mention it before? From what I've read, you spent months alone with Mahesh in his room at TTC.

"I spent a long time with Maharishi..."
http://tinyurl.com/3b9by5

Sunday, February 18, 2007 11:11:00 PM


Vaj said...
It's interesting, the instruction for "feel the body" actually has some parallels in the yogic tradition of the Shankaracharya tradition, but it appears (as with many things in the TM tradition) it was watered down and distorted.

In Sri Vidya there are a series of practices where one progressively relaxes the body by feeling the body with the awareness in a sequence. It's great because it prevents one from having adverse reactions like unstressing. It is extremely relaxing. Unstressing largely is due to insufficient relaxation of certain parts of the body and they send out warning signals that tension still exists.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 7:34:00 AM



John M. Knapp, LMSW said...
Vaj,

I believe this is the practice called Yoga Nidra. It's an important practice in many lineages in India. Interested readers can find CDs and other aids to doing Yoga Nidra by using Google. The Wikipedia also has an article on the practice.

J.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 10:22:00 AM


Vaj said...
Hi John:

I believe this is the practice called Yoga Nidra. It's an important practice in many lineages in India. Interested readers can find CDs and other aids to doing Yoga Nidra by using Google. The Wikipedia also has an article on the practice.

Yoganidra is yogic sleep. In the version taught by the oral tradition of Gaudapada (Shankara's grandmaster), they teach the actual technique of yoganidra and the savayatra, a 61-point exercise, which is a kind "body survey" (lit. "corpse journey") based on the Sri Yantra as the body. It's useful in assuring total relaxation.

-V.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 5:04:00 PM



John M. Knapp, LMSW said...
Vaj,

Thanks for setting me straight. Any chance you have access to the 61-point survey, or can point readers here to it?

J.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 9:36:00 PM


Pundit said...
In Sri Vidya there are a series of practices where one progressively relaxes the body by feeling the body with the awareness in a sequence.

The meditation technique in Sri Vidya is transcendental meditation. There are at least three TM bija mantras listed in the Soundaryalahari composed by Shankaracharya, the founder of the Shankara Order of Dasanami Swamis.

Sri Vidya is Knowledge of the Absolute. The TM technique comes directly from the tantric practices of the Sri Vidya.

Swami Brahmanand Saraswati was a desciple of Swami Krishnanand Saraswati of Sringeri. All the Shankara adherents practice a meditation that is transcendental.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 10:41:00 PM



John M. Knapp, LMSW said...
Pundit,

Thanks for your post. But your understanding differs significantly from mine. Perhaps you can point me in a direction where I can learn more about your views?

The Buddha is not generally considered a "yogin" as far as I know. The Suttas report that he studied with various teachers who taught him various "jhanas", Pali for "dhyans", but the Buddha explicitly rejects all the teachings he learned from them, declaring himself enlightened only by his own efforts. It would seem that there were "yogins" before him -- but he broke with their tradition.

Patanjali is not in the Shankaraya tradition, as far as I know. Although I don't claim to be an expert. I remember when the Maharishi first began teaching the sidhis, that there was consternation among some TM teachers with an esoteric bent, not only because he seemed to be rejecting his principle of "capture the fort," but also because Patanjali was outside of our tradition. Patanjali was definitely not a Buddhist. So it would seem that your feeling that his teachings are Buddhist inspired, because they flow from Patanjali, may be mistaken on two counts.

If my understanding is wrong, which seems likely because I am only lightly read in these traditions, please steer me straight!

J.

Thursday, February 22, 2007 9:42:00 AM