Comments on: Book Recommendations: Getting Oriented

By: M.Neagle

M.Neagle — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:48:32 +0000

I also was at Ram Dass’ farewell. Ellafern/Mataji is still with us. She has written/published a memoir, books of poetry, and now resides in an assisted living center in Thunder Bay Ontario. After Ram Dass’s good-bye party prior to his return to India to see is Guru, Ellafern was doing Yoga on the beach in Kennebunkport that summer. A group formed-later known as the ‘I Am Ashram’. They stayed in Branford, CT that winter and later went to Fla- next to Sperryville, VA, on to London, Ont.; Toronto and finally settled in Thunder Bay, Ont., on a square mile of land they purchased. Eventually, the ashram broke up, but those involved still connect, and occ. have reunions in Thunder Bay. This movement grew directly out of the spirit and energy of Ram Dass, I feel.

By: Eta

Eta — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:46:15 +0000

Bright Blessings! I came across your information while “surfing” and wanted to share with you. I too was at Ram Dass’ in New Hampshire. My husband, baby girl and I had been camping on his dad’s estate that summer. We were part of Hilda Charlton’s group from NYC. I clearly remember standing alone while I watched a group of people leaving the structure that Ram Dass held darshan in. One person in particular, a slim, tanned woman with extremely long hair wearing a beautiful blue caftan came walking toward me. She seemed to be floating. She was like an angel! I stood transfixed. As she came closer to me, an incredible, overwhelming emotion began forming in my heart. I had never felt that way before. I began crying - not sad, not happy, but an incredible outpouring of healing tears. She approached me, embraced me and held me as the tears streamed down my face. No words were ever exchanged but I felt lighter, cleansed and healed when we parted. I traveled to Kennebunkport Beach a few times after that meeting. I remember bringing Ellafern to a university for her to give a talk. At the time she was living with some people in a lovely house in Kennebunkport Beach. We sat on an outside deck as she blessed my unborn baby son. I’m going to do some research on Ellafern. Is she still with us? Are you in touch with her? It would be really nice to know. Thank you for allowing me to relive one of the most important parts of my spiritual life.

Eta
Phoenix, AZ

By: vincent

vincent — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:14:15 +0000

Thank you for sharing

My thirst for knowing more about God started at a very young age. Like you was my mum Catholic. Growing up and attending a catholic primary and secondary school intensified my quest. Within me grew questions which neither my mum, my relatives, the priests nor reading the bible could answer satisfactory.
I seriously started searching for the meaning/reasons of all existence. This took me to explore the philosophy and teachings of Theosophy, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism…. Many pieces of my puzzle have since then fallen into place.
Six years ago, I met a guy here in Scotland, who introduced me to Maharaji’s Knowledge/message of peace. Everything Maharaji (Prem Rawat) says in his speeches makes sense. And yes, what I have been looking for is within me
I discovered recently the Gnostic Radio, which lectures have opened more doors to my better understanding of the bible, the book of genesis, the kabbalah….
I am very grateful to all these teachings.
I have read books by Mme Blavatsky, Annie Besant, Rudolf Steiner, Dalai Lama, John O’Donohue, Deepak Chopra. Krishnamurti…. and I read the Bhagavad-Gita from time to time.
I like the poems by Kabir, Rumi and others. I find many Sufi poems very profound. My favorite poem so far is “My dear Soul” by Rumi.
Yes, I am grateful to life, grateful to my journey and grateful to have discovered this site,
Thank you so much, Ivan

vincent - Scotland

By: Richasu Young

Richasu Young — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:08:20 +0000

Thank you Ivan,

I will check these books out.

My spiritual journey began at 14 in 1972. A childhood Nanny came to visit us in Maine and it was a major turning point for me. She began teaching Yoga on the beach that soon became singing Hare Krishna and other Hindu spiritual song. Her name was Ellafern Poindexter, who that summer became Mataji. I meet Baba Ram Dass in New Hampshire that summer.

That Fall, a book was given to me by a family friends who ran a new age book store in Kennebunkport. It was Eckankar: Keys to Secret Worlds. After reading it I became a member of Eckankar via mailorder discourses with my Mother’s blessings. The person who gave me the book, my Mother, or any family member every joined Eckankar. I was a member until December of 2000.

During my time in Eckankar I explored Taoism and Chinese herbology, Eastern teachings relating to the Chakras, Native American and indigenous teachings, Sufi, and many more. Always looking for for that golden thread that holds all spiritual teachings together. The core truths that are hidden within lost to literal interpretations of the words and a lack of personal experience with the divine.

That core for me is unconditional love. That each of of is an internal past of God. Just as drops of water can not be separated from the ocean from which it came, we can not be separate from God. Soul is the golden drop in the ocean of God. So, we are God and God is us. We in the human body are living expressions of God; the living truth. So, it is our personal relationship with God that is important. This takes place in the Heart. The heart is far more than an organ that pumps blood through our body. It is our divine center. The place of sacred marriage between God/divine and Mother Earth. In Chinese medicine and Taoism humankind is between heaven and earth.

The Divine Love flows into the body through the crown chakra, down through the chakras, the feet into the earth. The energies of the earth flow up through our feet, up our legs into the root chakra, up the central core and out the crown returning to God. The heart is in the middle. Three chakras above and three below. Is relational to the trinity of divine. The Heart is the perceptual center of the body. So, living from the Heart in the key to our relationship not only with the divine but the earth too. All things are divine.

Thank you for you poetry emails

Blessings,

Richasu

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:40:07 +0000

Thank you for sharing this.
I’ve had a similar experience with being bewildered by religion and I’m always curious as to other people’s experiences with this Tabooed subject.
Sadly, I wasn’t so fortunate as to have parents who didn’t believe in the absolute necessity of organized religion.
(I could never figure out why it was so necessary for me to get on the Sunday School bus while they stayed home . . .)
Anyway, I would suggest adding the following books to your list:
~The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion, by Mircea Eliade
~Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality, by Paul Tillich
and (people may scoff at this, but it is an excellent probe into morals, ethics, and taboos)
~Erotism, by Georges Bataille

Thanks again for the post!

~Lee

By: Sid Parham

Sid Parham — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:34:07 +0000

My own searching similar, but having been raised an Episcopalean I was very influenced by Alan Watts–I’m hap to start a curious student off with THE BOOK which I think is a great introduction–Lao Tzu is at the moment the center of my spiritual practice–even if he doesn’t perscribe one.

By: Charles Wildbank

Charles Wildbank — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:15:03 +0000

Have you read Osho’s BOOK OF SECRETS?
It is an amazing (and large) book containing his talks on over 112 meditation techniques, mentioning numerous references to tantra, where both ends of duality are inclusive in life.
I highly recommend it as it is so freeing. Great for reading chapter per day upon waking or retiring. Very relaxing and insightful. Eloquent!