Modern day spiritual Masters do exists....

Greetings.
I felt the need to post this thread mainly based on an earlier thread I posted about advice on a documentary I have plans to do. There were a few folks on there who entirely doubt that we have Spiritual Masters amongst us.

I wanted to offer two examples from personal experience (also of which I have witnesses who can corroborate my statements)

1. I met an Advaita Vedanta teacher (nonduality) a few years back who wrote a few books on the subject. I was quite new to nonduality at the time and it peaked my interest. This fellow was quite normal looking and no one would ever think anything of this average Joe.

I sat with the guy for a few hours questioning things, prodding philosophically, debating, etc. Well to make a long story short, the man virtually destroyed me intellectually and philosophically all based on Nonduality. It made me reexamine and question my entire Being and everything I thought I knew. Then came the experience...... it is rather difficult to put in words, but while sitting there and thinking over what was said ...... I disappeared..... Not physically but entirely there was no ME there was just this Infinite Vastness......

I was literally floored at the possibility that there really is no I ....it was wonder, it was awe, it was home, it was exactly what I had been looking for in the past decade of my life. This was entirely beyond anything explainable.

I looked over at the Master .....and there he was smiling ....he knew now that his sharp sword of wisdom cut through my illusions and revealed the Absolute Truth.

I told a friend about this master so he went to see him. Literally within 3 hours of discussion, my friend also experienced the state of No 'I' and it has changed us both fundamentally to our very cores for the rest of our lives!!!

________________________________
I heard of this woman in California who was a Spiritual Giant in her own right. That she was able to pull people into their hearts. So I went there with some friends and there was another handful of folks.

She guided us in Meditation and somehow..... I cant really explain it, but she was able to get a hold of my consciousness and pull me deep down into my inner depths and into the heart.....

.....Here in the heart .....it was again my meeting with No I....with this vastness of Infinity .....although this time the quality was that this Vastness was pure Infinite Love and I was literally Loved to ego death. There was no more I .......

......It was seen that there is a HUGE gateway in the heart which if one can find it .....releases one from the limits of the body, the mind, etc. This was also something I had been looking for all my life and now had the blueprint for the rest of my life on how to enter the Knigdom of Heaven that is within me.....

If you saw this woman ....you wouldn't think twice about her. Though the One thing in common of both of these Masters is that there is something very different about them compared to most others. A sort of grace when walking, talking, smiling, being .......they seem to exude Love and selflessness ....

Yes most folks ....like with Christ ......wouldn't give a rat's ass about them. It would require a sort of spiritual sensitivity to pick up on these differences between these two and others. Their presence alone seemed to result in changes of consciousness even as I apporached them with skepticism.

Anyway ....As a fellow contemporary Christian Mystic, I wanted to share that with you guys. I also hope to start a book and a documentary with some of these people and my own experiences that happened after Baptism.

They are out there, they are genuine, and there is Hope!!!!

I can honestly say they don't exist since i've never had any experiences like that. I have exactly as much proof as you do so what do we do now?

They are out there. They work on the inner, and on the outer. I cannot describe the amount of love that the masters give all people on this world. Never lose hope. The good fight is always being fought no matter how it may seem. The battles are many, and in the end one must let love win in themselves for it to be victorious in the world around us.

reply to post by dominicus


i think that documentary will be very interesting.

What though, do you define as a "spiritual master?" What is "spiritual?"

I would love to see one!
By the way, a great book is the Chronicles of Tao, about a modern day Taoist master who came from nobility in china, and came to america to help spread the Tao. Even if you dont believe in it, its a great story

reply to post by dominicus




I have only experienced what you described once while meditating. You actually described it well, although there is no good way to put it in words. The most profound feeling I got was that I had finally found where I belong or had gone home after a long absence. How I got to it is kinda fuzzy but it seemed as though I was shown the way and permitted to enter by someone. It seemed this person was angelic in nature. Well anyway I hope to experience it again.

Originally posted by kro32
I can honestly say they don't exist since i've never had any experiences like that. I have exactly as much proof as you do so what do we do now?

I can honestly say that the president does not exist, as does everyone else Ive never met.


^thats not sound logic, my friend

No idea is invincible though. ATS is a perfect example of that.

With enough wit applied in the right place chinks in the armor of correctness will appear over time.

You just have to prod it with more questions, riddles if you will.

There is no impassable wall. There is always a way around it, or there may be holes in it.

Be weary not to allow yourself to be too overly impressed with a clever human.

I am not a follower of the "Spiritual Master" dogma as a result. I don't believe anyone is a master.
That is why I point out the flaws inherent within the perfection you propose.

reply to post by kro32

I can honestly say they don't exist since i've never had any experiences like that. I have exactly as much proof as you do so what do we do now?

Have you gone within, have you tried, have you sought, have you let go? Those are key questions.

Other than that, I have about a half dozen folks whom I personally know whose skepticism has imprisoned them to the possibility of such Mystical realities. Not saying that's u, just saying......
_______________________________________
In reply to Sinohptik:

What though, do you define as a "spiritual master?" What is "spiritual?"

A Master ? Someone who has at least mastered some form/path/blueprint of reaching higher/different levels of consciousness, God, Infinity, otherness......

What is Spiritual? That's a tuff question...... semantics is a beeyatch.....

I know one thing for sure. Having once been an Atheist, then Agnostic, .....then undergoing a multitude of awakenings and experiences over the last 10 years ....there is definitely a spiritual side to life .....more real, more dear, more true than the everyday normal limits with which we all live our lives.....

reply to post by dominicus


The most comprehensive list of living and past masters and gurus can be found here:

Sarlo's Guru Ratings Service

Don't be put off by the title, the site is a veritable feast of spiritual masters from all teachings, including Zen, Tibetan Buddhists, Other Buddhists, Sufis, Yogis, Gnostic/Scientific types, Nondualists, Indian, Hindu, Sikhs, Earth Medicine, aboriginals, pagans and the like; Quasi-Christian, including ACIM types; Channels/New Age, and so forth and so on...

This should be an invaluable reference for you with your documentary.

"Spiritual Master" is a type of oxymoron. A combination of contradictory terms.

"Spiritual" can be defined in so many ways, I can just go ahead and define it as "Everything".

And "Master" is someone who has control of something.

Humans do not have control over anything, it's an illusion.

So a simple generalized definition of "Spiritual Master" could translate to "One who controls everything".
And this doesn't make any logical sense.

Therefore I conclude based on my off the wall reasoning, that "spiritual master" is a meaningless and over-hyped term that doesn't actually mean anything but everyone will apply their own personal meanings to it.

Originally posted by dominicus
reply to post by kro32

 

I can honestly say they don't exist since i've never had any experiences like that. I have exactly as much proof as you do so what do we do now?

Have you gone within, have you tried, have you sought, have you let go? Those are key questions.

Other than that, I have about a half dozen folks whom I personally know whose skepticism has imprisoned them to the possibility of such Mystical realities. Not saying that's u, just saying......
_______________________________________
In reply to Sinohptik:

What though, do you define as a "spiritual master?" What is "spiritual?"

A Master ? Someone who has at least mastered some form/path/blueprint of reaching higher/different levels of consciousness, God, Infinity, otherness......

What is Spiritual? That's a tuff question...... semantics is a beeyatch.....

I know one thing for sure. Having once been an Atheist, then Agnostic, .....then undergoing a multitude of awakenings and experiences over the last 10 years ....there is definitely a spiritual side to life .....more real, more dear, more true than the everyday normal limits with which we all live our lives.....

Don't forget the dark side. Just like anything else you must understand everything as a whole to see the big picture. Balance. Too much light can be as damaging as too much darkness. That is why I steer away from new age fluff. Just a suggestion.

reply to post by dominicus


It's nice to see someone else who understand about Teacher and teachers.

The first ones are people you can pick out in a crowd for their clothing and words used... The Image.

The second you cannot pick in a crowd unless you see them shine for you.. so you know you have to talk with them.

The second one will easily show you how to reach the Teacher Within You, after which you will have no further need of them.

The first kind of Teacher will have you spend money doing lots of things, they will have you become a Follower and accept the Beliefs they offer as part of the Edifice.

Thank you for sharing with us today.

Originally posted by illuminatitanimulli
Don't forget the dark side. Just like anything else you must understand everything as a whole to see the big picture. Balance. Too much light can be as damaging as too much darkness. That is why I steer away from new age fluff. Just a suggestion.

The Darkside is not an Absence of Light.. it is Souls CHOOSING to be apart from the Light. But they have Light within them that they try to hide from the experienced observer. To assist them is to Love them Unconditionally as a way to begin their healing back into Light.

When you Light anything up, it remains that way for some time. It's not like an electrical switch..on/off only.

And, interestingly enough these 'negative entities' actually help us Feel and then move through our own Fears of them... so they can't be that "bad" once you see them for what they are.

Originally posted by dominicus
A Master ? Someone who has at least mastered some form/path/blueprint of reaching higher/different levels of consciousness, God, Infinity, otherness......

i am not so sure there are "higher" levels of consciousness, simply levels that were already there, just not in ones own free will perspective. i am pretty sure i understand the context you are putting forward, nonetheless. Why do you think you have more to learn from some, than others?

What is Spiritual? That's a tuff question...... semantics is a beeyatch.....

I know one thing for sure. Having once been an Atheist, then Agnostic, .....then undergoing a multitude of awakenings and experiences over the last 10 years ....there is definitely a spiritual side to life .....more real, more dear, more true than the everyday normal limits with which we all live our lives.....

Dont worry about trying to fit it into something which others will understand, how do you personally understand it? i am not asking for personal clarification, just trying to learn how another perspective sees the same thing, so i enjoy honesty and depth. i do not like to call anything spirituality specifically, as i do not personally see where such a thing would end or begin, but recognize its merit as a generally understood term. However, every iteration has its own context of what it means to them, and the only way to know is ask!

reply to post by muzzleflash

Therefore I conclude based on my off the wall reasoning, that "spiritual master" is a meaningless and over-hyped term that doesn't actually mean anything but everyone will apply their own personal meanings to it.

...and yet using the same system of logic and reason that you made for your point, which you voice as if its absolute and a virtual checkmate, I can give you the counter move....

You have car trouble, you go to a master mechanic.
You have tooth trouble, you go to a master of dentistry
You have health issues, you go to a master of medicine
etc etc etc etc

And just like with the examples above, if you want to experience or know directly things of a Spiritual Nature (i.e. your own soul, God, higher states of consciousness, etc ... you go to a Spiritual Master.

Now unless you are a master of Logic and reason, it would be impossible and against my own life and Being to ever be able to agree with your premise, having myself experienced directly these mystical things and having offered a counter point

I like the idea of meeting someone who's dedication is so profound you will be changed just by being in their presence. I can sometimes be that person, even if it's only to create a more positive vibration.

I have to agree that these people are imperfect, as you and I are, and can only be as such, so there isn't a path to heaven to be found in another human - or even if there is, just as Christ claims to be, you have a long hard road ahead of you when faced with such perfection.

That said, life's too short not to take spirituality seriously and you will always get back what you put in.

Originally posted by Tayesin
reply to post by dominicus

 

It's nice to see someone else who understand about Teacher and teachers.

The first ones are people you can pick out in a crowd for their clothing and words used... The Image.

The second you cannot pick in a crowd unless you see them shine for you.. so you know you have to talk with them.

The second one will easily show you how to reach the Teacher Within You, after which you will have no further need of them.

The first kind of Teacher will have you spend money doing lots of things, they will have you become a Follower and accept the Beliefs they offer as part of the Edifice.

Thank you for sharing with us today.

Originally posted by illuminatitanimulli
Don't forget the dark side. Just like anything else you must understand everything as a whole to see the big picture. Balance. Too much light can be as damaging as too much darkness. That is why I steer away from new age fluff. Just a suggestion.

The Darkside is not an Absence of Light.. it is Souls CHOOSING to be apart from the Light. But they have Light within them that they try to hide from the experienced observer. To assist them is to Love them Unconditionally as a way to begin their healing back into Light.

When you Light anything up, it remains that way for some time. It's not like an electrical switch..on/off only.

And, interestingly enough these 'negative entities' actually help us Feel and then move through our own Fears of them... so they can't be that "bad" once you see them for what they are.

edit on 25-4-2011 by Tayesin because: To add a reply

Thank you for adding that. I believe the same. I'm just a bit jittery at times about expressing myself in this nature online. I prefer to in person.

There are no such things as "Spiritual Masters".

Spirituality isn't something that is mastered.
It is something you experience, something you feel, something you live.
It is the act of "being", not the act if "achieving".

Spirit itself isn't something that has rank.
It is not an hierarchy delineated by "titles".
It is simply what you are, who you are.

"Master" is a term of superiority one applies to oneself to place themselves above others, to oppress the will of others. Anyone or anything that claims itself as or is lauded as by others without protest, places itself above others solely for the purpose of controlling others.

They are no more or less superior to you than you are to them. Being more spirituality in tune with yourself doesn't make you better than, it merely makes you different.

reply to post by dethduck

There are no such things as "Spiritual Masters".

Please do prove this. Otherwise, see my reply to muzzleflash (i.e. if my car is broken I go to a master mechnic respecting is skills and having a knowledge that he knows more than me in that area) That doesn't mean that a mechanic is better than me or that he oppresses me.

Spirituality isn't something that is mastered.

If that is so, then why do we have atheism and agnosticism? For the half of my life there was nothing spiritual about it.

Spirit itself isn't something that has rank.
It is not an hierarchy delineated by "titles".
It is simply what you are, who you are.

Again then please explain why many dont experience themselves as Spirit or as Spiritual.

"Master" is a term of superiority one applies to oneself to place themselves above others, to oppress the will of others. Anyone or anything that claims itself as or is lauded as by others without protest, places itself above others solely for the purpose of controlling others.

If you are a master craftsman, master archer, master of spirituality, etc ......then I respect that about you and now that I can learn from you to also master that art.

The term "Master" is subjective. To you, it has taken on a meaning of superiority, oppression, and control.

To me it means someone who has mastered something and knows this subject like the back of their hand. I have met many masters of different things in my life and have never not One time come across any of the meaning that you give the term.

Specifically when it comes to Spirituality, a Spiritual Master understands Ego, Greed, Oppression as the exact antithesis of these things that you claim about the term. The Spiritual Masters I have come across in my life would take a bullet for a stranger or give their last boul of food to somebody who is hungrier.

They are no more or less superior to you than you are to them. Being more spirituality in tune with yourself doesn't make you better than, it merely makes you different.

I never said anything about being better than.....

You can be in tune with yourself all you want, but I'd rather speak with and learn from those who have Mastered the realms of consciousness and the Paths to permanent Union with God ....where there is no you.

reply to post by dominicus

Please do prove this. Otherwise, see my reply to muzzleflash (i.e. if my car is broken I go to a master mechnic respecting is skills and having a knowledge that he knows more than me in that area) That doesn't mean that a mechanic is better than me or that he oppresses me.

I think that you two are arguing over semantics. I accept both premises because I view the word "master" as a mark of dedication. Just like the word God has no meaning and any technical protocol is against the aim of spirituality.

I hope you are not saying these people are superior in any way, even spiritually because we are all connected and alive through the same force and most importantly we have an equal ability to love, which is the only thing that matters.