Theos-Talk Archives (April 1995 Message tl00139)

I like the topic heading: Re: Mmmmeeeeeeee (Big ego trip! - not
really, just joking :)

Actually, I am please we have found some areas of agreement.

Jerry Schueler <76400.1474@compuserve.com> writes:

> Agreed.  Modern theosophists need to find new techniques that will
> work in our modern world.  Jnana Yoga is probably a good start
> since most of us like to read and study.

Yes, but its not dry study.  It's really grokking the ideas and
principles.  This can take you right to Plato's world of the
archetypes, and probably beyond.

  The favorite of the TSs

> is Karma Yoga (good deeds), but this technique is the slowest of
> all, and most of the hard work doesn't pay off until somewhere in
> a future life, which helps us now not at all.  Actually, Karma
> Yoga with the right attitude (i.e., not seeking any reward) is a
> lot harder than it looks.

I try to apply this to my work.  Very imperfectly.  But even a
small effort makes a difference to ones peace of mind, in
comparison to colleagues who don't.  They are constantly
harrassed and disappointed when things don't go as plans.  I try
to do the work impersonally and then let the results take care of
themselves.  It certainly reduces the worry, although sometimes
its hard to do.

> Thats great.  I tried Hatha Yoga and failed miserably.  I could
> never do a full lotus, even in my young and flexible days.

I used to be able to do it, but am out of practice a bit now.
Just do what you can.  The important thing is to keep trying _as
you are now_.  Don't compare yourself with others.  (You know all
this intellectually.) Any way, you might be doing much better
than them in other ways.  E.g.  I bet those yogis know zip about
Enochia ;-)

> subscribed to Joga Journal for years, but am reduced to jealous
> drooling over the pictures of yogis far more dexterious than I
> have ever been.  I daresay that making a pretzel of oneself is a
> good start along the spiritual journey, but alas, I had to skip
> over it entirely, as I found myself to be quite incompatible with
> the exercises.  They are reported to be great for your health, if
> you can do them.

Get a good teacher.  I could hardly be described as a pretzel -
more like a donut, perhaps :-) (ever since baking donuts in that
Zen centre...), but I can still attempt the postures.  And they
do have a lot of health benefits if done under the proper
supervision.

> spiritual Path, is quite beyond me to say).  Jung taught that the
> West is extroverted while the East is introverted, and the two
> types are mutual exclusive.  However, we must remember that he was
> speaking in generalities (or averages) and so individual people
> can cross, and have crossed, over successfully.

I have the greatest respect for Jung.  But he wrote for his time,
as does any one.  And a lot of Western mindsets can be found in
the East now, and vice versa.  I don't always agree with this
distinctions between male and female, either, as a lot of this is
socially conditioned.

> that HPB and her Masters "modified" esoteric Buddhism and Vedanta
> just a little to make it more palatable to us in the West.

Yep, could be right there.

> without distinction as to what direction it came from. (Anyway,
> I'm from New Zealand, and the tradtional European distinctions of
> east/west etc don't hold down under.)>
>
> Aha!  Well, no wonder.  Actually, your eclectic attitude is
> exemplary, and one that we should all follow.

Goody :-)

ASTREA