Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00915)

At 02:43 PM 1/29/97 -0500, you wrote:
>M K Ramadoss <ramadoss@eden.com> quoted Krishnamurti:
>
>> The guru who teaches you the method of independent thinking does not
>> exist. Do not say, "My particular guru teaches me that." That is an absurd
>> way of getting out of it. There is no method, no system; there is no guru
>> who can liberate you.
>
>I'm glad you have found Krishnamurti's words to be helpful, Doss. I don't
>criticize that, but I have to say that the above is misleading.
>
>There are many examples of ethical gurus who do teach their chelas independent
>thinking. They were strict in some of their chelas formative years, but
>respected their volition and trained them to be independent. To list a few,
>contemporary and historical: Sai Baba, Paramahansa Yogananda,
>Ramakrishna. Compared to the "fat gurus" who exploit people, they are vastly
>fewer in number. Today, I would say that one's chances of meeting an ethical
>guru are not far from zero. But that doesn't mean that one can't learn from
>from the ethical few. I find tremendous value in reading Yogananda, who
>certainly developed admirably under his guru, Yukteswar.
>
>No method or no system? One has to start somewhere. A method or system is not
>the end in itself, true. Yogic exercises have for thousands of years been the
>means to an end.  They can become "non-living", empty procedures if one does
>not unite with the "spirit" in them. But if one correctly follows a guru's
>teachings, he is not merely mechanically going through the motions. He is
>becoming aware of where they lead to, namely, one's own realization.
>
>My previously posted example of teaching someone tennis by showing him typical
>strokes, racket grips, follow through, etc., is a simple illustration. These
>steps get the student in touch with his body, with his natural
>inclinations. Most of us are not in touch with our "natural" inclinations.
>If we were, we wouldn't need instruction.
>
>In the same way that you offer structure to a child initially, you have to
>offer it to a person who has not united with his inner structure yet.
>

I understand your point of view.

I am yet to find a Guru who meets "my" requirements. I am very very cautious
because I do not want to fall victim of the famous dictum: 

        "blind leading the blind an both falling into the ditch."

MKR