NOVEMBER 21, 2005
DIVERSITY OF GURUS, DIVINE RELATIONSHIPS

Primavera
Boticelli

Much has happened in the last few months concerning gurus and groups. I have pissed some off and they have pissed me off. What is going on? Can gurus get along together on the same group? Or does each guru have to maintain their own territory and growl at anyone who encroaches?

 

Personally, I believe in diversity of spiritual thought and I welcome fresh outlooks - personal experiences. Each person who has reached Enlightenment proceeded in their own way and by the economy of God, achieved perfection in a way unique to the individual. There is no absolute formula, to be followed to the letter, in terms of personal experience. One finds God in sixth-floor walkup in Brooklyn, one in a jail cell, another in a suburban house - then it's ashram, sacred grove or railroad station. Each male or female found their salvation with fear and trembling, desperate for God and nothing else, and each has a story to tell that we must hear.

 

However, in the telling of this tale there has to be some protocol and common sense.

 

You do not go to the Church of another pastor and declare in her pulpit,

 

'She is not enlightened, I am.....now hear me.'

 

You'll get the hook pretty fast. (This was done to me by O but I sorted it out pretty quick, and he apologized. Now we are starting over.).................

 

 

SWAMI X & ME

 

When I first approached Swami X, I did so with respect, and never faltered from it. I gave her all the due homage an enlightened guru should have. I interviewed her for months. I then gave her publicity on hundreds of groups and my valuable site. We had some hard times because I asked the strongest questions she had ever received, which made her really mad. But eventually, we made up and I wanted to start over, with her as the resident nondualist of a special group. What I am saying to you is that I respected Swami, recognized her as enlightened and told her so (without proof, I give others the benefit of the doubt) and set up a group where she was equal to or higher than me. I told everyone they HAD to respect her or they would be banned.

 

What was the outcome of all this? Swami X did not appreciate anything I did for her by way of love or respect. She felt (don't ask me why) that I owed her, and all was taken for granted. She banned me from two of her groups (one I could understand, but could she not have told me she had to and eased the shock?) but the other, no. She did the good deed of starting a new group just for me, but all that I posted was ripped apart thoroughly by criticism.

 

Swami X made the mistake of thinking that because I respected her, I was a potential devotee. That I would give up my valuable ministry in the way God was moving me, fall at her feet and make many changes in my ministry. (A friend of mine told me this was what she expected - that I come to her ashram, pay her, give up my ministry and obey her.) This was a lofty bit of presumption on her part. When I gave her an inch, she took a mile. The whole while that I loved Swami X, she tortured me with insults. Now some of this I took with a grain of salt, saying she is a tough guru, and it is good for my soul. But it went too far. She was treading not on my faults, but on the valuable Gifts God had given me, laughing at them and decrying my state in life, my perspective and spiritual understanding. I was in pain all the time. The last straw was she allowed (once again) for others to insult me (totally unfairly) on her own group (they were following her lead) and when I answered with my rebuttal, she nixed all the posts.

 

I let it rest and one day I awoke to realize I didn't love Swami any more. And then, I was free of her. No more pedestal for her, no more love, she could not hurt me any more. It feel so good to be free of the one hurting you!

 

Why she hurt me, I could only guess. Some sort of unconscious hate? Jealousy? Cattiness? Competition? Scorn? Who knows, it is over. Let her hate me in private, it cannot affect me any more. But what was the sorry result of the loss of this relationship?

 

 

'DIVINE RELATIONSHIP'

 

I believe in what Roberts Liardon calls, 'Divine Friendship.' That is to say, two souls who are anointed, get together, and both benefit. But the fact that I am ready for this does not mean that they are ready. Somehow, they want to compete. It's her or me, him or me. One of us has to dominate. I am thinking partnership, they are thinking competition.

 

I was booted off from posting on another group because the resident Devi said one guru was enough. So you don't have visiting Pastors?

 

I have been to many Churches where it is a privilege to hear a visiting Priest or Pastor. Sometimes it livens things up.

 

Can you imagine going to a nightclub once a month, and every time you go there it is the same singer or dancer? For months on end, you see the same person. That person might be wonderful, but it is the same person over and over. You wouldn't mind even seeing someone not as good, so long as they are different.

 

By the same token, can you imagine one tv station, and you can only see what is on that one station? Or just one person in your life day in and day out? Even husbands and wives who love each other need other companionship.

 

It is the same thing with gurus and groups. I welcome the idea of visitors, fully enlightened or not, who have something to teach. I myself want to learn also - of the Godly experiences of others. It does not mean my experience is faulty or diminished in any way. I have known love, you have known love. Can you share yours with me? That is my attitude.

 

The road to God is fraught with many things. It is love, pain, desperation, fear and hope, faith, confidence, and varieties of Light and darkness. These events happen in the skin and the atmosphere of an individual, completely different with each one. This is why ministers, gurus, realized souls can speak from the same platform and all shed light on God. They are all valuable, I wish to hear them all.

 

Now on the internet (as elsewhere), there has to be some protocol. If you go to the domain of someone else, you treat them with respect. If they do not want you there, you have to leave. It is their home. (I have never asked another guru to leave. Nor have I ever booted out an intelligent well meaning person off my group) I am one whose door is open to all good. But be mindful of RECIPROCITY. Do you expect to ask for a link from another domain and not reciprocate with one? Wouldn't that be rude? Now if you have a group, and you are visiting someone else 'preaching', should you not invite the owner of that group to your group? A case in point is O has a group. He talks about LOVE every time he visits my groups. Yes love. But where is the love that would invite me to your group? My door is open to you, is your door open to me? Shall I come to your enlightenment group and make myself available to the members of it? I will not make the mistake of going there and telling them you are not enlightened, I am, hear me. Now the shoe is on the other foot, how does it feel? Am I getting through, O?

 

The last word is that I welcome anyone who has enlightenment, realization, knowledge or spirituality to share this on my groups and I am grateful for it. All I ask is that you respect me as I respect you.

 

Much Love, GuruRasa

 

DISCUSSIONS ON

 

 

 

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