11-24-2012, 06:50 PM
If you look careful, many spiritual masters actually went through all three of phases. Bliss with God for Unity, magic is understanding of the Natural Laws and how to use them with positive intention, and the last is the use of those two together.
Wishing for powers only for the sake of using those powers for self-gain would be the way of black magic, and is the only scenario here where I think the concept of "STS" could be applied, if that, because even then...
"There is the story of Milarépa and Marpa. Marpa nearly worked Milarépa to death as part of the teaching he gave him. Milarépa had to build and dismantle houses over and over again before Marpa would give him any formal meditation instruction. Every time Milarépa completed a new house, he’d ask Marpa to view it. Milarépa fervently hoped each of the eight times he built a house that it would prove acceptable to Marpa – and that he’d finally obtain the teachings he needed so badly.
Marpa however, would simply rage at him: "Imbecile! It’s the wrong shape, wrong size, in the wrong place, facing the wrong direction! Pull it down and replace every stone just exactly where you found it!" Milarépa had to build those houses with his bare hands, without even the help of a yak or donkey to carry the stones, and after a while he was covered with sores where the stones had rubbed his back.
Now this will sound terrible to Western ears – but Milarépa had something terribly important to learn. Milarépa had committed multiple murders by the aid of the sorcery he had learned from a master of evil mantras. Milarépa had been a vengeful man. He had reasons for his vengefulness which are understandable – but the means of redress were terrible.
He had become the reverse of everything that is compassionate. He’d cultivated the worst motivation. He had left a trail of destruction behind him that was appalling. Marpa’s teaching therefore was to show Milarépa—entirely practically—that to act is infinitely easier than to undo an act.
Think about it. Try breaking an egg. Then try to reassemble the egg. Think how easily you may have had your confidence knocked in the past and exactly what it may have taken to build it up again. Think about the one harsh word that ruined the day—for you—or for somebody else. Think of the expression of an opinion that destroyed a friendship – or the refusal that has led to depression."
Wishing for powers only for the sake of using those powers for self-gain would be the way of black magic, and is the only scenario here where I think the concept of "STS" could be applied, if that, because even then...
"There is the story of Milarépa and Marpa. Marpa nearly worked Milarépa to death as part of the teaching he gave him. Milarépa had to build and dismantle houses over and over again before Marpa would give him any formal meditation instruction. Every time Milarépa completed a new house, he’d ask Marpa to view it. Milarépa fervently hoped each of the eight times he built a house that it would prove acceptable to Marpa – and that he’d finally obtain the teachings he needed so badly.
Marpa however, would simply rage at him: "Imbecile! It’s the wrong shape, wrong size, in the wrong place, facing the wrong direction! Pull it down and replace every stone just exactly where you found it!" Milarépa had to build those houses with his bare hands, without even the help of a yak or donkey to carry the stones, and after a while he was covered with sores where the stones had rubbed his back.
Now this will sound terrible to Western ears – but Milarépa had something terribly important to learn. Milarépa had committed multiple murders by the aid of the sorcery he had learned from a master of evil mantras. Milarépa had been a vengeful man. He had reasons for his vengefulness which are understandable – but the means of redress were terrible.
He had become the reverse of everything that is compassionate. He’d cultivated the worst motivation. He had left a trail of destruction behind him that was appalling. Marpa’s teaching therefore was to show Milarépa—entirely practically—that to act is infinitely easier than to undo an act.
Think about it. Try breaking an egg. Then try to reassemble the egg. Think how easily you may have had your confidence knocked in the past and exactly what it may have taken to build it up again. Think about the one harsh word that ruined the day—for you—or for somebody else. Think of the expression of an opinion that destroyed a friendship – or the refusal that has led to depression."