Tattva-viveka
Divine revelation or mental speculation?
Jason - April 22, 2005 4:32 am
I was wondering....
I recently had to attend a religious ceremony outside of my faith for my class, and so I went to this other students "church" to observe. I was told it was a gnostic church, so I thought it would be based on the gnostic gospels/early Christian mystics. Instead, I ended up at a bizarre assembly of people who follow the teachings of the psychic Sylvia Browne (as seen on many talk shows).
They base their entire pseudo-philosophy on her books, from which come her revelations from the "other side". She speaks with the deceased for insights into the spiritual world.
It has to be the most unusual thing I've ever experienced.
How do we delineate between "revealed teachings" that our sages/saints have had, versus how this lady (and many others) are claiming to aquire their "knowledge".
Where and how do we draw the line between divine revelations and mental speculations?
YS,
Jason
Gauravani Dasa - April 22, 2005 12:33 pm
Thats a good question. I had friends who would sometimes argue about the same subject, but as far as my understanding goes, as long as an "idea" or "revelation" is supported by guru, sadhu and sastra then that is all the support it needs.
As far as your specific experience goes, that does sound kind of scary. Communication and influence by ghosts is not something I would personaly consider spiritual or even helpful.
I guess you have to judge by the result. I like how Guru Maharaja describes real spiritual practuce as "ego-effacing." As much as this occurs when applying the knowledge/teaching, then that much it must be spiritual. Otherwise, whats the use?
Jason - April 22, 2005 3:33 pm
I agree, even coming from a Christian home, the ghost and spirit world wasn't communicated with for any answers to life's mysteries. This particular group often uses the slogan, "...take what you want and leave the rest." I'm not into "pick and chose" philosophies. I don't think that's what God has in mind when he wants us to practice our faith with "unflinching devotion".
Her "revelations" are backed by her concept of guru (which they call spirit guides), but they do not reference any texts whatsoever. Their religion seems to start and end with whatever Sylvia brings back from the other side. It seems so odd.
I spoke with their priest and explained my feelings and mentioned that by their logic, I could claim to talk with the other side and convince people that by meditating on their bellybuttons they would realize that God is a pink buffalo that lives in Golden Gate park.
I kid you not, the priest said, "What's wrong with that? If that's what helps you, then go for it. We don't reject anything that's favorable to a person's spiritual life."
Citta Hari Dasa - April 22, 2005 5:12 pm
It is this sort of pseudo-spiritual pap that can really boil my blood. People are being cheated by misguided people who have no idea that what they are teaching has no basis in reality whatsoever. Scary indeed, and sad to see that spiritual seekers are all too often so inept at critically evaluating what's in the marketplace that such utter trash can look good to them. And what's really ironic is that when someone like Guru Maharaja comes along with the real substance-- the teachings of Mahaprabhu--sometimes people think that their communion with ghosts and whatnot are on an equal level, if not superior! Ugh!
Fred nailed it: if a concept or teaching is congruent with a lineage that is itself in alignment with the sastra, then we can be reasonably sure that it's for real. Otherwise, as Jason found out from their 'priest', one's imagination can easily be taken to be spiritual. Guru Maharaja has said that "We are to be saved from our imagination."
The priest's statement shows just how little people really know about what real spirituality is. This is of course why Srila Prabhupada stressed that for preaching to the general public the first and most important idea to convey is the difference between the body and the soul, matter and spirit. Otherwise anything that is other than gross matter can be (and often is, sadly) taken to be spiritual. Welcome to Kali-yuga!
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - April 22, 2005 11:48 pm
It is this sort of pseudo-spiritual pap that can really boil my blood.
Visual feed: Citta Hari dug up his tomahawk and hunting pink buffalo in Golden Gate park 
Robertnewman - April 23, 2005 3:17 pm
And what's really ironic is that when someone like Guru Maharaja comes along with the real substance-- the teachings of Mahaprabhu--sometimes people think that their communion with ghosts and whatnot are on an equal level, if not superior! Ugh!
I don't find it ironic, but perfectly natural, even if painful to contemplate. One requires a certain adhikara to appreciate the difference between the teachings of Mahaprabhu and the various New Age spiritisms. Krishna consciousness is not for everybody. Even kanishtha adhikara is rare.
Citta Hari Dasa - April 23, 2005 4:40 pm
Even kanishtha adhikara is rare.
Indeed it is!