The ultimate yogi is the one who is described as child-like, with nothing to prove, full of joy, caring and emanating trust and love. This sounds like we were, when we used to be kids. Somewhere along the way, the adult need to have a purpose and a goal got thrust on us, and we have carried the burden of this since.
I was thinking how the eastern philosophy originally was like that: the leaders of such strains of thought led, by example. We have the absolutely fabulous Bodhidharma
(who not many in India, as usual know, was from the South of India) after setting up the Shaolin style of philosophy and fighting skills, got on to a bullock, and gave his treatises to the man at the gate of the city, and rode off into the horizon. The same is true of Adi Shankaracharya who, after preaching Advaita and setting up maths // institutions in the four directions of this country, disappeared without a trace. It was too powerful an example for the rest of us to follow.
It is interesting to see how when new age gurus try to rekindle our interest in these ideas, they actually ending up adding a "purpose' to such things. The whole eastern idea is to do everything completely and move on. It means the journey is the destination. You can all see the travesty here, which unfortunately everybody is pushing down our throats. The path is not leading anywhere, in eastern thought. It is where you find yourself. But unfortunately now they have made this path lead someplace, so many people start seeing imaginary goalposts, they have targets, they have experiences that assure them that they have reached some important spot in their path. They also believe their path is more special than others (ha ha, the competitiveness reasserts itself). To have a purpose on the path, makes you a spiritual materialist.
It is now so entrenched that we are beginning to have to have a purpose in everything we do. I believe part of the problem of the world lies in this terrible need to infuse purpose in everything. Some things have purpose, some don't. Once you make a habit of putting a purpose into everything, it becomes a terrible need in itself.
The urgent need in today's world is to bring something of the child back into our lives. This will defuse
* violence
* depression
* aggression
*wars
We have to shake off this unnatural need to have a purpose. Be pure. But this idea is not accessible, like it was earlier.
We have no real leaders today who can communicate this idea as a matter of transmission. Most leaders today are regurgitating old ideas but are themselves so full of purpose and ambition, arthat they have set up empires attracting followers with equally exalted goals.
The need for today is to have a part of our lives where we are childlike, with no purpose.
When a large swathe of humanity has this joyful space within, we would create a different world, with less strife, more giving.
The fear of the void, makes us put stuff and purpose into it.
To understand it, you have to be fearless.
This quote of Bodhidharma: If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both.
It is a trick, to see a purpose in all things.
I was thinking how the eastern philosophy originally was like that: the leaders of such strains of thought led, by example. We have the absolutely fabulous Bodhidharma
It is interesting to see how when new age gurus try to rekindle our interest in these ideas, they actually ending up adding a "purpose' to such things. The whole eastern idea is to do everything completely and move on. It means the journey is the destination. You can all see the travesty here, which unfortunately everybody is pushing down our throats. The path is not leading anywhere, in eastern thought. It is where you find yourself. But unfortunately now they have made this path lead someplace, so many people start seeing imaginary goalposts, they have targets, they have experiences that assure them that they have reached some important spot in their path. They also believe their path is more special than others (ha ha, the competitiveness reasserts itself). To have a purpose on the path, makes you a spiritual materialist.
BE childlike, in your practice,
The urgent need in today's world is to bring something of the child back into our lives. This will defuse
* violence
* depression
* aggression
*wars
We have to shake off this unnatural need to have a purpose. Be pure. But this idea is not accessible, like it was earlier.
We have no real leaders today who can communicate this idea as a matter of transmission. Most leaders today are regurgitating old ideas but are themselves so full of purpose and ambition, arthat they have set up empires attracting followers with equally exalted goals.
The need for today is to have a part of our lives where we are childlike, with no purpose.
When a large swathe of humanity has this joyful space within, we would create a different world, with less strife, more giving.
The fear of the void, makes us put stuff and purpose into it.
To understand it, you have to be fearless.
This quote of Bodhidharma: If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both.
It is a trick, to see a purpose in all things.
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