Raman Maharishi

To deny it would be...

Transcendence is nothing more than an illusion..
The Self is simply

Karen Sanchez19 said:The idea of transcendence is just an illusion..

Actually, the Self is what's truly transcendent.

What exactly does the Self transcend?
If you strip away everything else, the Self simply vanishes. There is nothing left but pure subjectivity—no object for the Self to transcend. And if that were the case, the Self would just end up being another subject itself.😉

Karen Sanchez19 said:What exactly does the Self transcend?

Thoughts.

Karen Sanchez19 said:So, could you actually explain what the point of mantra chanting even is??

Assuming there even *is* a point.

Look, chanting is designed to usher you into a specific state—one of profound relaxation.
As for all the "technical" minutiae—go ask a professional who actually specializes in this stuff.

And those experiences you gain over time through meditation? Those deeply personal, intimate moments? They aren't something you can just put into words—nor should you try. I’ve already written as much as I possibly could about it before, and frankly, I have no desire to repeat myself.

What I *can* tell you is what my "goal" was back when I was 16 or 17 years old.
It was simply finding a way to maintain—and actually build—some semblance of inner peace during a time when I felt like I was undergoing these massive, jarring growth spurts, all while dealing with an environment that felt... well, turbulent.
Turbulent for me... specifically.😁

Mislima

Thoughts exist within the Self; everything resides within the Self...
so there's no such thing as indigestion within the Self.🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Karen Sanchez19 said:Thoughts exist within the Self; everything resides within the Self...

If what you're saying were true, it would imply that reaching nirvikalpa samadhi is actually impossible. Sure, everything is in the Self, but the Self isn't contained in anything else. You really ought to look into Parsifal's teachings on the ONE.

Well, what now?

Everything resides within the Self, yet the Self resides within nothing.

Of course the Self isn't "in" anything. If the Self is the only thing that actually exists, what possible container could there be to hold it? It’s a circular argument, really.
Self=absolute consciousness

Karen Sanchez19 said:Of course the Self isn't "in" anything, because the Self is all there is. What could there possibly be outside of it for it to exist within?

Just some food for thought.
😁 😁 😁

🙄 😁

The concept and its linguistic label both reside within the mind.

Karen Sanchez19 said:The concept and its linguistic label are nothing more than mental constructs.

So, forget about concepts or labels—there isn't even really such a thing as a "thought." What actually exists is pure, absolute consciousness, which sits far beyond any logic, reasoning, or dualistic contradictions!
🙂
Enough of this nonsense!
MUUUUUUUUU
😁 😁 😁

Thoughts and concepts are merely expressive forms of absolute consciousness

Karen Sanchez19 said:Thoughts and concepts are merely expressive forms of absolute consciousness.

I’m right there with you. But think about this: what happens when the thoughts aren't there? When everything finally goes quiet and settles down? Where do all those "expressive forms" actually go?

Vriti🙂

Karen Sanchez19 said:You know why I don't like TM? Because it isn't exactly cheap.

Especially when you have to pay several hundred bucks just to be handed a mantra. 🙂 🙂

Think about it like going to a nightclub—you pay for the cover charge and your drinks, right?
That’s how you help the club stay afloat for a while longer, making sure the owner can cover the electricity bill, the DJ's fee, and everything else.
The truth is, I agree that TM is overpriced for beginners... but then again, you have tons of people who practice for two or three months and then just quit. In India, for instance, with some other traditional systems, you actually have to prove yourself to a teacher to show how much you care about them and their teachings... people spend years there, serving as apprentices, scrubbing floors at a monastery, or just patiently waiting for the teacher to call on them to learn a technique... here in the States, we basically achieve that through our wallets.
It doesn't make sense to just drop such a massive amount of cash all at once... you could probably save a hundred dollars a month for two years, or maybe two hundred a month for a year... what matters is proving to the teacher that you're persistent, and then you get the mantra.
Another thing is that TM teachers don't have "day jobs." Maharishi told them they have to be one hundred percent dedicated to the teaching calling and shouldn't be working elsewhere... those are massive overhead costs just for teacher salaries, and there are at least 20 to 30 of them in the US.
Then you've got the TM centers, of which there are about 22, and they all have to pay rent to the city... do you realize how high those costs are?
Yes, TM is expensive, but in return, you get access to weekly group meditations, the right to attend three-day residential retreats held every few months where you can learn a first set of Hatha Yoga for free, plus access to vegetarian cooking classes and Vedic architecture courses. You also have the right to buy Ayurvedic supplements, which are incredibly useful, and Gandharva music CDs—music designed to be played during Hatha Yoga or other activities like studying.
Not to mention, you'll find a whole crowd of people within the organization who will likely become lifelong friends, and maybe you'll even find a spouse to start a family with—kids you'll raise in the spirit of Transcendental Meditation from day one. When enough practitioners do that, you end up with a tradition that can last for hundreds of years.

What do you think? How else did Christianity spread and become a centuries-old tradition?

Exclusive scoop via Reddit...



Raman Maharishi is feeding Karen Sanchez19 some wisdom...

So, when you hit up a club, what’s the deal? Is it just a matter of coughing up cash for the cover charge and then paying through the nose for a drink?

It makes zero sense to just drop that kind of massive sum of cash all at once. It’s reckless. You could just set aside a hundred bucks every month for two years, or maybe even two hundred a month for a year. It's about the discipline. The teacher needs to see that you actually have the grit to stick with it. Once you prove that persistence, then—and only then—will you be granted the mantra.

No matter how much you try to justify it, the money mantra remains.🙂

I’m all for this principle... let everyone contribute whatever they can afford and judge based on what they feel is necessary.🙏

Karen Sanchez19 said:No matter how much you try to justify it, the money mantra is still...🙂

I’m all for this principle... let everyone pay whatever they feel like and what they think is fair.🙏

I’m always genuinely impressed when someone responds in a way that sounds exactly like my own internal software would have put it.🙏

Karen Sanchez19, I truly admire you.🙏

Seriously, what are you feeding your brain that caused your neurons to reprogram your software to such a meta-neuro-synchro-turbo advanced level?

It's like your body underwent a second derivation and you just became a galactic being—

you are essentially a walking Laplace transform.😛

****

By the way,

I used to love visiting those esoteric festivals out in the Midwest.

For instance, the prices for divination there are absolutely insane (around $15 for a quick 10-minute express consultation, basically just one question).

A buddy of mine (who actually attended your session too, regarding his skills!) told me he made about $150 in pure profit over just two days at an occult fair by doing palm readings, even though he isn't even an expert at it.

He even went as far as admitting he was mostly just improvising through it.

"So, aren't you worried about any karma implications?" I asked him.

"Oh, heavens no," he replied. "I don't force them. These girls—that's what he calls his clients—they come to me because they need it, so I just provide it."

*****

I only saw it happen once with one guy (I can't recall his name),

HE USED THE I CHING FOR DIVINATION

but following the rule:

LET EVERYONE PAY WHATEVER THEY FEEL AND THINK IS RIGHT.

I found out later that this same guy (he’s from Chicago) had actually been a guest on a major network talk show during a segment about fortune telling.

But this whole "suggested donation" approach? It’s a dangerous game. If you push people too hard on how much they should fork over, you might just end up putting the teacher right in the crosshairs of a feeding frenzy.

Or maybe not. I mean, if someone is actually satisfied with what they're paying, they'll open their wallet wide. Just look at the healthcare system here in the States. Before any major surgery, there's always that little envelope sliding across the table to the doctor.
It’s an open secret; some doctors thrive on those under-the-table envelopes way more than they care about the actual patients.

Yeah, well, one more thing: if a teacher's entire existence is tied to the almighty dollar... I highly doubt they'll be much of a teacher.

Someone was saying on here a while back that if some "master of spiritual skills" can't even figure out how to function in this material world... they've got absolutely no business claiming they can handle the next one.
And honestly? They hit the nail right on the head.