Thanks Bruce for sharing your spiritual encounters. The following quote from Shri Bhagvad Gita (also commentary available by Shri Parma Hansa) is relevant for the Direct Connection:
>>> Those who know Me (the Source) as the One that underlies all the elements, as the one that underlies all the forms of Gods/Messengers, and as the One that sustains all the sacrifices, will, with steadfast mind, know Me even in the hour of death<<<<
The direct connection in simple words is the state of being connected with the indwelling spirit or inner power of the Real-Self and the Supreme Power that sustains the entire universe. Any one (ie. Guru or teacher or facilitator) who helps in establishing this connection is the right teacher. Otherwise there is a possibility of just being lost in the intermediate himself/herself.
Just sharing my experiential awareness in this area.
Love and Best Wishes.......Ram ---
On Thu, Nov 5, 2009, in msg269143, Bruce Schuman wrote ---
As I was listening to the U2 concert recorded at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles on Sunday October 26, I smiled to hear the old song -- at about minute 33:00, if you want to find it -- "I still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". I think it was originally created by the band "Dire Straits".
http://www.youtube.com/u2official#p/u/
I had to laugh. That song has been out there for many many years -- and so often over these years, I have thought to myself -- "Yes, that's me - after all this seeking, I still haven't found what I'm looking for..."
But what I want to say right now -- is that by some miracle, and by some extreme persistence -- I think I can say that I HAVE found what I'm looking for -- and have been looking for all this time...
This last week or two or three, or the last few months -- have been a period of extreme persistence and spiritual effort. I drove my car 11,000 miles. I drove all the way to Deadhorse -- Prudhoe Bay, the north end of the Alaska Pipeline. I went all over the place in western Canada. And most of this time, I was in a state of "fasting and prayer". I came home skinny as a stick, went through some struggles, bought this big powerful new computer -- and went back to "fasting and prayer". I followed through on my "Running Eagle" promise (4-day water fast). I will no doubt be doing all of this again.
But what I can say -- is that the primary discoveries in all of this are more or less two things --
- My body seems to be some kind of special instrument for doing this particular kind of work. I seem to be a natural-born axial integrator tuned to the HUM.
- And secondly, and the point of this message, I have again tapped into and connected with the classical source of empowerment for spiritual work at this level -- which is, in simple classical terms, the chain of transmission through the hierarchy of gurus.
What I am discovering -- is that by maintaining absolute allegiance to and through this chain of transmission -- my life, my body and experience become empowered. The "infinite current" is released to humanity -- whether people know this or not -- through this chain of transmission. You can be a Christian -- it still works this way. Jesus is your guru, and the energy is released through your relationship with Jesus.
This is simple, direct, open, and powerful. It's not complex or hard to do. It simply takes trust, "obedience", faithful behavior, and doing the right thing at all times. Do "the wrong thing" -- and the chain of transmission can be broken -- and you will find yourself "on your own". No fun, if your life is dedicated to the flow of the divine current.
More or less, the chain of connection looks like this, as individual human beings are connected through their soul-centers to the divine center, as embodied in some guru or teacher.
For me, right now, this connection is maintained through my relationship with Paramahansa Yogananda. This picture is on my desktop, and always close-by. Eye-to-eye contact is maintained through this picture, and through that eye-contact, deep and powerful spiritual vistas can open.
My feeling right now is -- as long as I maintain the stability of this connection, by honoring its principles and "law" -- the infinite voltage will continue to be released through me and the work I am doing here.
This infinite voltage is the energy of the HUM -- the HUM that we are now beginning to unfold as the axial principle through which spirituality and global civilization can be harmonically integrated across this planet.
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