Theos-Talk Archives (March 2004 Message tt00065)

In a message dated 03/08/04 5:17:29 PM, stevestubbs@yahoo.com writes:

>--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, leonmaurer@a... wrote:
>
>> This is a straw man argument.
>
>Actually it is not an argument at all but a statement of part of how 
>Mindfulness is traditionally taught. You might want to reada good 
>book on the subject (it is called Vipassana in Pali, prnounced vih-
>PASH-nah) and then we can have a more sensible dscussion.

Well, since you didn't quote what I claimed to be a straw man -- which, in 
fact, was such an "argument," since what you stated followed as an implied 
refutation of what I previously said -- there's nothing more that I can say about 
it. (Except, what I said afterward to point out that your comparing 
mindfulness to awareness of my left ear was a complete non sequitur -- which I now see 
as simply a clever ploy to bolster a weak position on the nature and meaning of 
"mindfulness" -- as the Buddha used it, and as theosophists or occultists see 
it.) 

Also, to set the record straight -- after your not so subtle ad hominem 
innuendo that my discussion of the meaning of the word "mindfulness" was not a 
sensible one (Which I think is very funny, BTW)... I have been practicing as well 
as instructing in self and remote healing Vipassana meditation for over 25 
years -- having been taught in-person over a three year course by Swami Suresh 
Chander, former Guru-Ji of the Arya Samaj Mehr Ashram in Dharmasala, who wrote 
a definitive book on such healing practices before he left India. So, there's 
not much more you can discuss with me about the meaning of mindfulness, 
either as traditionally (or I would say, simplistically) taught and written about 
by "some" Buddhists who don't fully understand the deeper meanings of the 
esoteric teachings -- or as much more broadly interpreted by occultists, some 
theosophists and those Buddhist, Sufi and Hindu guru-healers who do. 

Incidentally, the teaching of "mindfulness" applies also, in varying degrees 
and application, to each of the seven yoga's that constitute the original 
Hindu system that fully underlies and is essential to apply in a thorough practice 
of Vipassana meditation techniques -- which, in essence, is a synthesis of 
them all. The Buddha certainly did not give up his yogic knowledge when he 
reformed Hinduism. Even the dictionary takes the word far beyond the mere 
awareness of ones left ear. [Ref: mind'ful adj. 1. Attentive; heedful: always 
mindful of family responsibilities. See note at careful. mind'ful'ly adv. 
mind'ful'ness n.]

While, I don't particularly disagree with any narrow exoteric Buddhist 
interpretation of mindfulness with respect to its application to a particular 
direction or motive for Vipassana meditative practice, I think the Buddha had a much 
broader concept of it in mind when he spoke of it in the Dammapada. In fact, 
Vipassana meditation is much deeper, and variable in its approaches, than 
most books on it would have us believe. I was taught several different versions 
of the Vipassana meditative practice and healing methods (designed for at 
least the three major personality types, with slight variations in between), And, 
the interpretation of "mindfulness" is different in each of them. 

Now that we have put that to rest, I would be happy to reasonably discuss any 
further topic with relation to theosophy you might care to bring up.
LHM