I understand that with the appearance of the temple some may wonder if I am a Hindu. I have spoken of cultural integrity so, so many times. But here it goes one more time.
I am a westerner. I have no intention of trying to become Indian or Hindu. I am what I am. A big part of my teaching is cultural integrity. Cultures should not blur together any more than colors in a painter’s arsenal should all be mixed into one heap. They must each keep their own integrity, yet they must learn to live in harmony with one and other. I know that if misunderstood, this sounds like segregation with all its prejudicial baggage, but it is not. There is a huge difference between cultural integrity and prejudice. Are the inclinations you feel within yourself those of cultural integrity or prejudice? This arena merits exploration.
I have a deep respect for the culture out of which Vedic knowledge was birthed and has been upheld. It is the portal through which we have been given access to the Knowledge of Natural Law (the Veda). The temple then is approached through that portal. It honors the integrity of that culture. That culture has provided the pipeline to, the conduit to, the technology of the Unified Field. Like physics or any other science, the Knowledge is universal. The Veda is universal. Sanskrit is not Indian, it is universal. However, our access to all that knowledge is via the Indian culture. That is not to say that everything Indian is Vedic. But our access to Vedic knowledge is certainly through that culture.
Can you uphold your own integrity while honoring another’s or not? In a nutshell, that is what cultural integrity is all about. It is what the world must learn to do. It is what we are creating a model of (for the world) at Mount Soma. As I have said, it will take about 3 years to put it all together here at Mount Soma. We must provide a space for each culture to rest comfortably within its own nature. This will take some time. It will require some patience. Completion of the Student Union next month will help a great deal. At that time, the Mountain View room in the Learning Center will become a cultural center for the temple.
Over the next few years, let’s take care to keep our eye on that ball and not get confused regarding our purpose, who we/you are, and cultural integrity.
Do you want peace on earth? Do you really? Then let’s start here and now and create it for the entire world.
Beautiful.
Jai Siva Shankar
Meant to say,
Jai Śiva Śaṅkara
Maharishi,
It is with a sincere and humble heart and a mind seeking further understanding that I provide the following thoughts… I think it would be very helpful for you to expand on your longer vision for Mount Soma.
I think sometimes people can not see the forest for the trees. And right now, as you know, the biggest tree is the temple. At present time the challenge is getting past the old mentality…
‘If you look like a duck, walk like a duck and you talk like a duck… you must be a duck.’
Of course that is not fair and it is a snap judgement but it is the mentality of the time… the primal consciousness… this is Kali Yuga.
I think that some of the answers reside in what this line actually means.
“We must provide a space for each culture to rest comfortably within its own nature.”
I have an idea of what I think this statement means but there is a lot of my conditioning in it.
Maybe a blog/article on how this will be done and what this will look like would be beneficial to the
students of the world. With the understanding (caveats) that this is a vision and that it’s manifestation in duality might end up quite different from the original idea.
My thoughts;
If Mount Soma is to be the world’s spiritual Disneyland then it will need “rides” like “It’s a Small World” that provide a space/place for each of the major cultures/philosophies of the world to rest within their own nature.
Maybe my thoughts are naive and somehow I have missed the true essence or point, so if that is the case I ask you to help me right my ship…
If you have never been on the ride enjoy this link…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGP-ckFH3ts&feature=related
Another great video of 5,000 year history of major human cultures/philosophies of the world
http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion.html
Hi Steve,
There is a lot to address in your email. Firstly, no history of religion can really be done until the essential nature of life and existence is understood. A valid history could only be written in that context. In fact, that could be the short answer to the general question about where Mount Soma is headed. And the long answer to that is the sum total of all my lectures, books, etc. Religion is not truth. Religion is composed of the various ways humanity congregates around Truth. Science is not Truth. Science is a means by which humanity attempts to grasp Truth. That is of course a very good thing.
Imagine being able to take a step back and see the big picture. All human endeavor, not just religion and science, revolve around a central core called “Truth.” In a nutshell, Mount Soma will bring forth that understanding in a way that honors human endeavor by holding it up to the light of a unifying understanding. Individually unique but unified as One.
It seems that the confusion, fear, doubt, mistrust, resistance, etc around all this that people seem to experience is in fact the very reason why my vision for Mount Soma is so necessary and so difficult for my explanations to be understood. Yet I do believe I am felt and on that level understood. My goal is simple. To assist humanity to live in peace and abundance in a manner that is supportive of every individual’s unique nature. Simple really. But I do understand it will require more explanation than can be provided in blogs. It is something that has in fact eluded humanity throughout the ages.
For it to be understood, I guess it will have to be created first. But there are those that understand it well enough to dedicate their lives to it. Count me in those ranks. It is not a road map. It is not clearly defined. We will, as I speak of in my lectures, feel our way and tack until we reach the summit.
I have heard of the great sage from India, Adi Shankara, as I pronounce it. Please forgive my ignorance, but what does Jai Śiva Śaṅkara actually mean ? I notice a lot of people just respond with that phrase and I’m not sure what that’s all about.
I have understood Jai Siva Sankara as all glory to, or praise, or victory of Lord Shiva the giver of Divine goodness, joy and happiness in all of life. We asked Pandit Prasad and he gave the following. (He is a real scholar and always when asked to translate it seems that the depth of meaning can not really be fully expressed in a translation. He can take hours to translate one line of Veda in an attempt to convey as much of the meaning as possible.)
Jai Siva Sankara is Sanskrit, the language of the Gods. There is no
direct translation to English.
Jai means Victory
Lord Shiva means light of the body
Shankara is a name of Shiva that is about giving good things
Together, this means Divine joy
It’s honoring the presence of Shiva inside another
Saying this can also act as a mantra that increases power with repetition
and gives benefits over time.
Marharshi, thank you that explanation.
Wow! So much in your reply, thank you. I had no idea that “Jai Śiva Śaṅkara” could act as a mantra.
I can’t help but want to underscore your point that “He can take hours to translate one line of Veda in an attempt to convey as much of the meaning as possible.” This statement alone speaks volumes and is very humbling…
For the moment, I am stunned with a solemn feeling of just how abbreviated my life has become…