Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tl00042)

At 06:28 PM 10/3/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>"Therefore, Ananda, be ye lamps unto yourselves, be ye a 
>refuge to yourselves. Betake yourselves to no external 
>refuge. Hold fast to the Truth as a lamp; hold fast to 
>the Truth as a refuge; look not for a refuge in
>anyone beside yourselves. And those, Ananda, who either 
>now or after I am dead shall be a lamp unto themselves, 
>shall betake themselves to no external refuge, but holding 
>fast to the Truth as their lamp, and holding
>fast to the Truth as their refuge, shall not look 
>for refuge to anyone beside themselves- it is they who 
>shall reach the topmost Height."
>                              		
>				Buddha
>KEITH PRICE:  I couldn't help but think of the "HERMIT" tarot card, carrying 
>his lamp - alone - holding the truth close and searching for those to share 
>his light.
>But perhaps this isn't the only spiritual path.  Some may be doing the best 
>they can with cards such as the TOWER, MOON and even the DEVIL,
>
>We have all the archetypes within us, in the world and in our dreams.  This is 
>the essence of Gnosticism for me, carried into the modern world most famously 
>by C. G. Jung.  I can't remember his exact quotation, but Jung had two 
>specific comments on theosophists, neither very flattering.  He seemed to view 
>them as people who applied Eastern wisdom like beauty lotion.  They didn't so 
>much storm Eastern temples, as bask in the exoticism of the symbols of all 
>religions as one would take a Theosophical bubble bath. He saw theosophist as 
>dillettantes who never grew into any tradition, but were in a constant 
>adolescent "search".  Does any of this ring true?  Well yes, for me I have 
>tried Zen until I realized you eventually  one had to accept all the OUTTER 
>trappings like celebrating Budda (at least for most, Alan Watts is an obvious 
>exception, but he died of alcoholism, not a pretty ending for one who touched 
>so many and crashed at the end).  With Sufism, the Mohamed thing turned me off 
>. . . and on and on.  Perhaps Budda was right, the lamp is inside and 
>organizations offer support, but demand loyalty at some point, even if they 
>are far from perfect.  Only in meditation, have a come to find any peace amid 
>the marketplace.

  It is not only loyalty. The seek to control -- generally thru fear or some
"reward" now or hereafter at a future date. Of course many find it easy and
comfortable in such an environment.

.....r@e

>
>K Paul Johnson's remarks on India pretty much confirm what I've heard.  A land 
>of extremes for the Westerner.  I think it would open one's eyes to any 
>"idealization" of the East one might have.  I still would like to go 
>sometimes! 
>Namaste
>Keith Price
>

I hope you will find an opportunity to go to the East.

r@e