caravanserai

I’m proud to say I was thrown out of the cubs for almost accidently gassing a cub mistress.

Yes indeed…And Baden Powell organised Scouts into small groups, ‘patrols’ of 6 or so members, perhaps realising teenagers’ liking for being part of a ‘gang’?!

Could this be a solution to inner city rioters’ problems?!
(Only joking)

Cheerful Chappie yes, that Dalai Lama….
They used to tell us when I was a Boy Scout all those years ago “To smile and whistle under all difficulties”
– cheerfulness is just a sort of self discipline really.
Not a bad discipline to have, but enlightenment?

Keep ‘em coming, Lokesh!

He can’t be too smart if he is a prime minister.

“(Btw, wisest thing I’ve heard recently is that there’s really nothing else going on than ‘the spiritual life’ in this existence…Everyone, bar no one, is in the same boat…No one’s ‘special’…)”

Yep, that David Cameron’s smarter than the average prime minister….

To clarify, by ‘not being unhappy’ I include being ‘run’ by thoughts and emotions, the ups as well as the downs, ie the whole ‘dualistic’ baggage.

IE I’m not advocating some sort of ‘TM number’ (perish the thought!).

If I were asked what were my religious views I’d probably answer somewhere between a Buddhist and a Pagan. There was a very simple and uncomplicated vibe around Poonjaji in Lucknow. I entered a silent space where it really came home to me that there is no need to sweat the big stuff. I did [...]

Isn’t ‘the goal’ of it all to simply not be unhappy, not to be subject to aberrant thoughts, moods, emotional ups and downs and so on? Meaning NEVER, EVER to be in thrall to all that stuff… Simply to ‘Be Life’ – clear space, nothing arising… Big job!!.. (Btw, wisest thing I’ve heard recently is [...]

Thanks Lokesh. I suppose I would say in my defence that Osho himself spoke a fat book called “Beyond Enlightenment” in as I recall 1986 – just a year after the Ranch denoument, which must have given him some thought about the “enlightenment” tag, and to somehow undermine it. I see enlightenment as a Buddhist [...]

While on the general topic of ‘dodgy’ beliefs and practices etc., I’d like to put forward Channelling, Numerology and now – after many years of being a ‘believer’ – Homeopathy.

I await a veritable deluge of responses and will give a few of my own later….

Yes, you’re never alone with synchronicity…

Parmartha, you say, ‘assuming that concept has validity’. I don’t really think that enlightenment is a concept, an abstract idea. There is no doubt that it is an absolute reality. Afterall, the life of Buddha is well documented and he was without doubt enlightened, and said that we all carry the potential for enlightenment within [...]

What Osho himself actually thought of the Celebration days could be said to be revealed by this splendid anecdote I just read from Santosh Toby: “OK, here’s a little story y’all might enjoy. Near the end, the JG girls got their panties all atwist because during one talk the Infallible Master had mistakenly referred to [...]

I found an old diary note from 1984 – Mahaparinirvana day, Sept 8th – supposed to mean a celebration for all neo sannyasins who have left their body, enlightened or unenlightened. Not sure if that is the meaning still given? The Indian sannyasins still keep up these celebrations, maybe one of them could enlighten me [...]

I think that we often want to strengthen our beliefs in such things as synchronicity becasue it helps us believe that there is something going on behind the scenes.

On reflection, I’ll have to say that yes, in my experience and from what I’ve heard about others’ I guess I still tend to be open to accept synchronicity is valid – but not to the extent taken on board in ‘certain circles’.