Power corrupts - Even spiritual leaders & enthusiasts

[9th]

9th, i can have an opinion, i can move things, i and others can verify it with a ruler imperically. Both physically, emotionally and spiritually i can interact with others and verify it physically. The 3 are inseparable and so any changes in one level can be measured in another level. The physical is the most familiar to us all and so serves as the easiest and best medium for us to verify in.

 

Thats an interesting answer

[Jetsun]

Also, did Gurdjieff mention if or how he validated his ability to put an elephant to sleep or kill a yack from far away?

He doesn't go into specifics but basically he trained his powers of concentration to an incredibly high level. But the crucial gist of this particular passage is that in his own path of development Gurdjieff realised that such powers don't help at all in the higher more important aims of his life of self realisation and self rememberance, so as such that realisation represented a great failure for him and went on to make an oath not to use those powers again.

 

Osho clarifies it in this way that there are two paths to take in spirituality, those in which we narrow and focus the attention which creates great power in the ability to focus the life force into a concentrated point, and the second which is the religious to widen the attention until it has no limits or barriers. The first brings power, the second brings peace and unity. The first can corrupt a person more easily as a person can deludedly claim ownership of the power they are focusing.

[z00se]

Mmm jetsun you've said what these two famous people think but what do you think? You've made 2000 odd posts you're no newbie.

 

Someone who claims to have put an elephant to sleep with his mind is obviously going to come across some skeptics and should therefore include some verification details.

 

In my opinion Gurdjieff made a silly mistake, he should have gone back in time 20 years, rescued a spiritual Pamela Anderson and her 2 spiritual triplets from a spiritual dungeon and then got as much spiritual sex for payback as he could bare.

 

if u made some realisations in the spiritual why wouldn't you say that instead of leading people to believe things in error. It makes you lose credability for the sake of initial attention.

 

in my opinion religion is the stronger more powerful path, if you can adjust the circumstances and use th power of god to do what you want, one gust of wind can kill 100 yacks if there all standing on the edge of a cliff looking at the food below. However the wise man uses both paths.

 

why should you listen to osho any more than you listen to me? Or more importantly listen to yourself?

[Jetsun]

Mmm jetsun you've said what these two famous people think but what do you think? You've made 2000 odd posts you're no newbie. Someone who claims to have put an elephant to sleep with his mind is obviously going to come across some skeptics and should therefore include some verification details. In my opinion Gurdjieff made a silly mistake, he should have gone back in time 20 years, rescued a spiritual Pamela Anderson and her 2 spiritual triplets from a spiritual dungeon and then got as much spiritual sex for payback as he could bare. if u made some realisations in the spiritual why wouldn't you say that instead of leading people to believe things in error. It makes you lose credability for the sake of initial attention. in my opinion religion is the stronger more powerful path, if you can adjust the circumstances and use th power of god to do what you want, one gust of wind can kill 100 yacks if there all standing on the edge of a cliff looking at the food below. However the wise man uses both paths. why should you listen to osho any more than you listen to me? Or more importantly listen to yourself?

 

What do I think? well I think power always has the strong temptation and potential to corrupt but it depends on the individual. Power is intimately related to powerlessness, so only if one has completely accepted powerlessness as part of their human experience and be prepared to experience it again can they deal with power effectively, otherwise they will likely abuse their power to try to avoid ever having such experiences again. The problem being that those that crave power are usually those who most want to avoid powerlessness so they are the least qualified to have it.

[z00se]

Hmmm yes. Perhaps even corruption draws power towards it.