Greetings Ramji and Sundari!
I think of you often even if I have not written, so now I am finally doing so. Things are basically fine here, although I miss foreign travel. Ram, I never got to read your reasons for taking the covid shot. I looked for the article but couldn’t find it. I don’t know what your current views are, but I hope you will think twice about continuing to get the booster since there seems to many deaths and adverse effects resulting that one does not hear about on mainstream media since so much is censored. I will never take the jab even if it means never traveling overseas again.
I have given up on trying to share info and educate people, however, because most of my old friends aren’t interested or aware and it just brings lack of peace for us both. My big lesson has been to truly accept others as they are and not want them to be different as well as accepting myself. With my opinionated self, that has been a challenge, but I am slowly learning and this is what life is all about.
How are you doing? I hope well!! Will you be going to Trout Lake this year? Anyway, I still dream of coming to Spain and having the trip my friend and I planned 3 years ago. Would be lovely to see you again at some point!!
Ramji, please know that I think of you fondly and am so grateful for the time we spent together and for your teachings. I am so happy that you have found such a lovely partner in Sundari. The psychic who made the prediction about the latter part of your life sure was right!
Take care, enjoy good health!
Love and hugs, Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Lovely to hear from you! Everything here is great. Sundari is in Bali visiting her daughter and grandkids. I’ve been really busy as ShiningWorld is shining ever more brightly, what with my weekly class, the writing, etc. We finally have legal status as a non-profit tax-exempt charity by God’s grace! I recently did four well-attended seminars in England, Belgium, Amsterdam and Berlin and now I’m girding my loins for the trip to the States next week.
I’m glad to hear that you finally discovered that “educating” people as to your opinions is counterproductive. Basically people only care about their own opinions and those opinions of others that coincide with theirs. But forget others, opinions are usually an attempt to mask self-doubt; it’s just not comfortable keeping the company of one’s own doubtful mind.
The wining formula is to offer the logic that shows what’s right with the world, Kathy. Without doubt life, like a loving Mother, gives us measured doses of joy and sorrow to purify our hearts and bring us in harmony with all life and the Creator. It has our backs. It’s none of my business but where’s the gratitude, Kathy! You have absolutely great karma. You are fortunate in every way, born into a good family, blessed with beauty, education and wealth and yet you deny yourself peace on account of some irrational fear. It doesn’t make sense. Perhaps you are ready to read the essay entitled Self-Inquiry, Knowledge Bubbles, Echo Chambers and ConSpirituality. If you go to the satsang section of the website and enter the title in the search function, you will find it.
What you believe doesn’t matter to me, but your happiness does because I love you. When I saw that the vaccine works, I got my shots and boosters to protect myself and others. It’s just common sense dharma. I don’t have beliefs. I know certain things and the things that I don’t know I leave to God’s all-knowing benign self. Of course you’re entitled to think whatever you want, but it’s pretty silly to cling to beliefs and opinions that keep them from experiencing the ever-full and complete love that they are…even for a moment.
When you make it to Spain, hopefully sooner rather than later, you must come for a visit! We have a lovely place with guest quarters in an old olive mill, swimming pool, etc.
Much love,
Ramji
P.S. Quite a few people who say they are committed to Self inquiry conveniently avoid putting cherished beliefs under the microscope. Here’s an email from a sincere inquirer, an anti-vaxxer who had the integrity to actually look into his belief, which brought some other hidden samskaras to light and moved him into the God realm, which is the stepping stone to freedom.
A Big Old Blind Spot
“What I wanted to bring up with you was something fortuitous which happened this week. I was researching cognitive biases for a project I was working on and during a break I was listening to the one of the Panchadasi talks from 2015. In it you mention you wrote about them in Essence of Enlightenment. So I read that and then lots of things online, especially Daniel Kahneman’s book on them. And a big old blind spot came into focus for me.
“I’d put off having the vaccine since it was first rolled out here over a year ago and had used all sorts of rationalisations for it – anecdotal evidence of averse reactions in friends, scepticism at mRNA technology, concerns about being a heart patient, waiting for a more ‘traditional’ vaccine… etc. but the fact is I was scared and I could see it clearly.
The cause was a samskara which manifested as a deep distrust in the fact that this is a benevolent creation and that Isvara has my back. There was also a deep distrust of myself and the idea my own judgement was flawed (because of the root ignorance thought “I am small/inadequate/weak/sinful etc.” and a fear of humiliation that would result from putting my trust in Isvara and later finding it to be misplaced.
After considering the facts and evidence I dealt with my feelings, gave them to God and yesterday I had my first dose of the vaccine. All the emotions from that samskara have been coming up thick and fast but I’m so grateful for not only being looked after magnificently by Isvara this whole lifetime the distrust has been playing out, not only for the people in the medical profession who have put so much time and energy and love into creating these vaccines and countless other products and practices which make my life comfortable and liveable, but also for the fact that this came to light for me. It was not pleasant but I am so happy to have seen more ignorance and to have the knowledge to discriminate.
In looking into this samskara I noticed I have a similar distrust and fear response come up when it comes to giving money to people on the street. I do often give but I am scared of being ‘idiotically compassionate’, giving inappropriately/for the wrong reasons and also of being taken for a ride by someone or looking foolish. There is also a fear of scarcity – that if I give too much I may later need it and regret it. I am feeling some shame coming up writing this because there is still the desire to ‘be a good person’ or better still, ‘to look good’, which I know is a waste of time but I’d rather be honest and feel uncomfortable and resolve it than not mention it. I can’t seem to be objective about this one. Do you have any thoughts about it?
As always thanks to you and the SW team for all you do. So grateful to have been blessed with the gift of knowledge and looking forward to seeing you in September.”
