Re: James Swartz—What is the Truth?
Date: May 11, 2019 08:38PM
Hello Everyone,
I've been pointed to your forum by an existing member. I appreciate this is a closed forum, however i'm going to share what I feel comfortable with as and when. I got my own reasons guys.
I've intimate knowledge about the topical subject matter, though some things that have been broached I won't talk about just yet. I'm talking with the author of Heathers book. And I am looking to reach out in phone call with someone of note also. Before I even share specific to me material.
I appreciate this may be a little frustrating to some. But my comfortability is important. If, however, questions are put to me in regards to the first hand experience (and independent evidence) i will try my best to answer. but If I say i cant answer please accept that. I wont have any (however well meaning) mind verbage used on me. I'm really adept at this.
Thankyou for understanding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Did JS learn under Swami Chinmayananda? And was he allowed to teach?
Yes, it does seem that he did learn under Swami Chinmayananda. And I do have to be careful what way I express this (as i have my own guidelines that I am bound by), but just because he sat as Swami Chinmayanada's feet does not mean necessarily what he purports.
Accordingly to JS, he was close to SC (Swami Chinamayananda) because he carried his oxygen bottle. My opinion is that sounds nice and cozy, but so what? (to use his own phrasing).
Swami Chinmayananda was important as he brought Vedanta down from the mountains. However, Swami Chinmayananda still taught the way it was up there. And it took around 8 years to complete the training.
According to scripture, a guru should be both srotriya and brahaminsta. That is, the teacher should be versed in scripture, and also have attained moksha. If I can phrase such a thing, for this point.
So, okay. The first question is did he have permission to teach? There is an initiation that is cultural. It has actually not got much to do with jnanam. Assimilated knowledge. But it does acknowledge one as a disciple of the guru. And the Guru/Shishya (Guru/Student) relationship is the parampara (lineage).
However, any student in manana (svravana, manana, nididhyasana, then moksha) can teach, and in fact is encouraged to do so. Though this is supervised. I have to say there can be expections. Though my point is what did he have authority to teach?
So, if we turn to the whole deal. A teacher is supposed to have moksha, that is, supposed to have negated the need for moksha since they are Brahman and always knew, so never needed moksha, nor wanted it. This is paradoxical. The teacher has to have that jnanam (knowledge) assimilated, in order to lead another to their assimilation.
So, was JS enlightened? It is hard to know if someone is to be totally honest, and one has to set aside opinions in this. If we are talking Vedanta, we talk Vedanta, and scripture says it is hard to know. however, it also says only Jnani know the mind of Jnani (so called enlightened people).
I personally dont believe he was. And I will explain why....
Swami Dayananda was Swami Chinmayananda main student. There from the start of the mission really. Swami Dayananda had most of the responsibility and was even gave the responsibility of taking over after Swami Chinamayananda died. This was how important Swami Chinmayananda viewed Swami Dayananda. Lets not forget, he was a swami also. completing the full training.
However, Swami Dayananda is on record as saying he was sitting in front of Swami Chinmayananda for ten years, ahd was expected to just sit there and 'get it'.
This is a difference in approach between mystic and non-mystic vedanta. Which I wont go into now. It boiles down to experience and knowledge. and what the order of sadhana is.
Anyhow, Swami Dayananda was not there for two years, oh no. Swami Dayananda was there for ten years, main student, and he did not have moksha! He was about to give up and sell his books when he found out what was wrong. And I dont wish to elaborate on that vedanta teaching here please. Cant see the relveance for this topic.
So, Swami Dayananda changed some things, and he git what he sought really quickly. within two years.
JS did not have this opportunity.
This next bit ties into the question of the fall out between Swami Dayananda and Chinmayanda.
Swami Dayananda saw that changes could be made, but he didnt have the freedom too. Not until Swami Dayananda went on his own to US. There he created the ashram in Saylorsburg, Penn. With no overall control from Swami Chinmayananda. By the time Sc found out, it was too late to do anything.
Swami Dayananda systematized the 8 years training to 2 1/2 years. then it became 3 years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JS also went to Swami Dayananda to train. However, Swami Dayananda threw him out after only two weeks. The story is that JS wanted to record the classes, and SD said no. and he went ahead anyhow. However, SD classes were being recorded often so I dont know if this was the real reason.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the salient question is, why did JS leave SC? Why did SD throw him out? And why did he NOT go back to SC to complete the training?
There must be some reason....
(I cannot verify this...but....there are indications....)
So, once upon a time JS was in the Chinmaya mission. He saw this fellow student that he liked. Next thing they are bumpy bumpy. Which is forbidden. Though what is expected, JS has said himself he was a ladies man.
Sadly, JS then spurned the female, and she was quite upset. This caused a lot of issues in the mission. and is a possible reason JS was thrown out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, here we have a superstar guru, who never completed training with two important guru's. leading one to think what is he teaching?
I have a view on that also. My view is exact. I cant explain why, but I know what I know. that's not ego, its fact.
JS has included things in what he teaches that are not the way of traditional vedanta, his version, as it is his version, is modern vedanta at best. He puts everyone down, and by implication elevates himself.
He also posts students praising him, om his site. that is a no-no. the teacher take themselves out of it, and is merely a mouthpiece for scripture. ~a genuine teacher will not accept praise, or even judegments. they dont mind either way. A genuine teacher is okay about being open to any seeming not so great things. This is very important. And I give a nod to the person above who spoke of integrity.
The genuine teacher is genuine cause they understand the way maya works. that no-one is above emotional pain nor distresss. This means tha even enlightened people still have shit happening. The only difference according to vedanta is that it is ok to be sad and cry, but it doesnt change you as Brahman. It is admittedly hard to understand how jnani can have two seeming oppostite views at the same time, yet this is how it works. And enlightenment is seeing there is not opposites. there is only advaita.
My pooint is that there is nothing for the teacher to hide nor be ashamed of. Within reason. By this i mean being a teacher in no way permits one to mess with others. However, being a teacher should enable one to ADMIT what they are doing. Being humble, being human is a sign of assimilated knowledge. And Swami Dayananda taught enlightenemnt in a way that de mystified. it.
Moksha, englightenemnt is for humans because once the person sees some crap come up, they are then able to use the assimuilated knowledge to deal with it right away. That is how it works.
So if someone way really enlightenend, why would they hide from it? Why not own up. and sort it out there and then? Jnani, enlightened people do this. They dont do it for 'them', as they arte Brahman. they do it out of compassion for everyone else.
Why does JS teach what he does? He focuses in specific vedanta teachings, more than others. The ones he focuses on actually keep the students tied into samsara. that is, keeps the students needing him.
A tradtional vedanta teacher shares the knowledge and the person is then self satisifed. independant. Then they clear off. not needing any authority. Not in sunnmy jims world. Adter all, HE IS A MAHATMA! As he exclaiomed to one teacher he spurned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have more to say on the formating of their SW teachings. however, I must take care not to reveal to much. I have certain things I need to be aware of.
I hope this has been of some help. I'll keep an eye on here and will talk when I can. Though I am not sure where infiltrators are, haha. These guys are very. very sneaky. ;).
Thankso for having me here, and nice place, I am gonna quickly explore.
Earthquake
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2019 08:52PM by earthquake.