I And My Intent Are One - www.ezboard.com

>

SRF Walrus

Mt. Washington, Ca

Open discussions about SRF

SRF Walrus > Non-SRF Teachings and Ideals > I And My Intent Are One
	<< Prev Topic \| Next Topic >>

Author	Comment
Sacred Lovemaker Unregistered User (2/23/02 11:26 pm) Reply	I And My Intent Are One We've put a lot of attention these days in spiritual leaders who have fallen from public grace through the abuse of their authority and influence. Usually the first infractions to be targeted are their sexual mishaps. This is not only restricted to spiritual leaders. We have witnessed similar scandals among political leaders. Bill Clinton is such an example. The issue is never about whether sex is right or wrong, it is about the dissonance created between the image that person projects of their office versus their actual conduct. In the case of political leaders, we expect them to have a healthy sexual life, but it aggravates us to see our leaders use their position to obtain sexual favors rather than for solving the economic and social woes of the country. The integrity of a spiritual leader is even more on watch by the public. When a spiritual leader demands superhuman renunciations from his or her disciples and promotes themselves as the paragon of self control and virtue, and when they are not living up to the image they demand of others, we call that a breach of integrity. Sex is not the only way integrity is breached. When renunciants promote values of simplicity and then drive in fancy cars or live in expensive houses, this is a breach of integrity too. Integrity means one's professed aims and one's conduct are congruent. When a spiritual leader preaches compassion, mercy and forgiveness (forgiving seventy times seven!!), when his or her organization proffers such aims and ideals as "to overcome evil by good...cruelty by kindness" and then secretly wages expensive lawsuits against former members and alienates disciples who do not exactly fit the conventional mold, then that leader and his or her organization is seriously in breach of integrity. When the president of an organization calls you "Dear One" and then treats you like @#%$ through the organization, then integrity has been breached. When you are told to pray that your donations may serve help sincere truth seeking souls everywhere, and when that money is actually being used to help attorneys get richer and or being wasted on badly chosen projects, then integrity is being breached. Yesterday's New York Times declard that the General Accounting Office for the United States has filed a lawsuit against Vice President Dick Cheney to release papers as part of investigation into any influence Enron Corp may have had in formulating administration's energy policy. Our President and Vice President are trying to keep under wraps one of the biggest swindles in U.S. history. Our political leaders are voted into office based on our faith that they will protect us. And here they are actually stiffing us while they talk about patriotism. So sex is not the issue here. Integrity is. And integrity can be breached on many fronts. When promises are broken, when people are not being sincere, that's when integrity flies out the window. Paramahansa Yogananda wrapped himself in the ochre cloth of a monk. The party line according to his direct disciples is that one must renounce and heavily curb one's sexuality in order to gain God's favor. Those of us who have been serious seekers on this path have given up on many dreams and many desires. The thought that our guru may not have is extremely disturbing. I personally believe he was celibate. But let's suppose for a moment he wasn't. Then where's the trust? How do we ever put our faith in any authority again? And we have to deal with feelings of betrayal and maybe even a sense of loss as we contemplate opportunities to connect with others which we cast aside in the name of our religiosity. But is it because of sex? Suppose our guru was verifiably chaste but liked to gamble money and go on lavish junkets using the donations of his disciples all the while professing "plain living and high thinking." And so, year after year you live on your measly paycheck, barely getting by, and then find out your guru was living like Donald Trump. Would you become the high toned moralist in the pews waving your finger and crying out "Shame! Shame! Ramakrishna says that money is the root of all evil. Beware money, it will make many a fallen yogi!!" Well guess what my friends? That's exactly the case in the present leadership at Mt. Washington. All fallen yogis who slipped on dollar bills....never mind the sex.
Smoke Signals Unregistered User (2/24/02 1:41 pm) Reply	What are you really asking? Dear SL, I have read all of your postings, and all I can figure out is that you want others to believe as you do. Is that really your intent? People are giving you their own feelings, and that only makes you more angry. I think you should know that whether you stay or leave SRF, you will not lose Yogananda, and whether you have sex or not, you will not lose God or Yogananda. But we can't think like you. I personally believe that the great Swamis who have reached enlightenment did so through celibacy as I have written, but that only angers you. Perhaps, as written, you should check into the Tantric religions and see if there are enlightened people in them. In the mean time, don't worry about whether having sex or not having sex will get you to God. God is basically reached through a deep love for Him, whether you are having sex with a partner or not. The way you describe sex sounds very wonderful and healthy, and not at all degrading, and that is what it is all about. I hope that you will someday find a partner worthy of your love. In the mean time, make love to God.
Sacred Lovemaker Unregistered User (2/24/02 5:18 pm) Reply	To Smoke Signals Thank your for your best wishes. I feel very secure in my relationship with God and in my sexuality. I'm just trying to see if there are any others in SRF who see things the same way I do. My intention was never to debate the validity of my beliefs or convert others to them. I am only looking for people from my tribe. Granted we don't all mix well in SRF. So allow me to have a little corner for me and my friends on this message board. That's all I ask.

<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Email This To a Friend

Email This To a Friend
Topic Control Image

Topic Control Image

Click to receive email notification of replies

Click to stop receiving email notification of replies

jump to:

- SRF Walrus - Non-SRF Teachings and Ideals -

Powered By ezboard� Ver. 7.32
Copyright �1999-2005 ezboard, Inc.