Guest guest Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Hi Alice, Thanks for this. I knew about the conference, but had no idea that you attended or spoke! Fantastic! Also, what a treat to be able to cast the horoscope of Muktananda!Thanks for this thanksgiving treat! Joe The terrorist attacks are bringing back memories of the week I spent at the Oberoi Hotel in 1981 attending and speaking at the International Transpersonal Assoc Conference org by Stan Grof! It was even then a gorgeous, palatial hotel, with a huge conf room and a subterranean shopping mall and a large swimming pool. The speakers featured Mother , Fritjof Capra, Rupert Sheldrake, Bede Griffiths, K Pribram, and a host of other distinguished speakers, incl Karan Singh and, of course, Stan himself! People came fr all over the world and you never knew who u might meet at the brkfast table or the bar. The Dalai Lama had to cancel bec hr fell ill. I was not a plenary speaker then, but Bede Griffiths attended my talk on the Astrological Ages n was so intrigued, we ended up having a long discussion side by side in the bar! He was a beautiful monk w/white hair n beard b gentle British voice. He spoke of his ashram in India where he reconciled Hinduism n Christianity. Sheldrake spent time there and I can certainly see why! After the conf, I went w/Grof to Ganeshpuri n spent a magical week at the ashram of Muktananda, who asked me to do his chart! N that's another story. How blessed n grateful I am to have spent some time in the presence of these wonderful souls!! As most of u know, I grew up in hotels, so I sure know a good one and both the Oberoi n the Taj Mahal are superb. They are on a par w/the Plaza n Waldorf Astoria, n Ritz in NYC or the V in Paris. I had dinner in the Chinese Rest at the Taj n today fished out the ivory plastic chopsticks fr my kitch drawer wh I had kept. Mother T was tiny on the podium and radiated power. She was a Virgo n V rules mice, so there was something like a holy mouse ab her appearance. As she was leaving, I happened to be almost next to her. There was a grp of Buddhist nuns lined up, incl a few Caucasian [white] women. I was somewhat surprised when Mother T stopped n scolded them for becoming Buddhist! She really lit into them! I had always assumed she was inter-faith........When her autobiog came out n it seems that she went through a terrible dark night of the soul n doubt, I longed to quote Jesus to her to comfort her: You shall know the tree by its fruits. And the fruits of her life were so beautiful and filled with courage and compassion! Since then, I think many Christians, including Pope JP II, n praps Benedict, as well are reaching out to peop of other faiths. Christ said himself In my house are many mansions. Speaking of which, I cannot resist enclosing these wise words of Akhetia wh I rec today. He is a Hindu n a frnd of Greg Rieke's. It is just beautiful! From Kansas City Star of November 15, 2008. What aspect of your faith do you find most difficult to explain? Underlying principles Arvind Khetia, engineer and a Hindu: To an outsider, Hinduism may look complex and confusing. However, it is a rational religion based on the spiritual philosophy of the Vedas. Hinduism's spiritual wisdom, known as Vedanta, is given in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita. Vedanta maintains that the material life cannot be sustained for long without a spiritual foundation. Therefore, the emphasis of these spiritual teachings is to transform one's inner life by being fearless, unselfish and nonviolent. It interprets God and religion in universal terms and teaches religious tolerance. It affirms that the fulfillment of the spiritual goal is not in believing certain doctrine or dogma, but in realizing the divine presence within all of existence. Thus, Vedanta explains that the spiritual unity behind this apparent diversity is the basis of universal ethics and morality that are essential for spiritual life. Swami Vivekananda has affirmed that "a time must come when everyone will be as intensely practical in the scientific world as in the spiritual, and then that harmony of oneness will pervade the whole world." Each spiritual tradition has its way of expressing its spiritual philosophy. It is sometimes difficult to explain these underlying spiritual principles to those who are brought up in an environment of exclusivity of their own faith. Therefore, to appreciate this underlying spiritual unity among us all requires an open, inclusive and spiritual mind. -------------- We are celeb T'day tomorrow, wh made it possible to eamble on w/all of u dear frnds! love ao Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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