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Paramatman - Jill Bolte Taylor's Stroke of Insight

Submitted by rchurch on Mon, 22/06/2009 - 22:22

I came to this video, via David Icke's site, naturally :), about a woman describing her experience during a stroke, which the student of Eastern Scriptures, the Gita and the Upanishads, will readily recognise as descriptions of the Self.

What I find so striking is the way her words paraphrase a lot of the verses from these texts. Her words and the expressions she uses are virtually from those texts, and one can only say that if the ancient writers chose those words then it is only in those words their experiences could be expressed.

Eastern scriptures come across as so repititive, as though the writers lack the ability to express themselves with more verve and style, but her words strongly suggest that their passion for what they experience is so great, and they have no way but to express themselves in the way the do.

It is inspiring to see that in the 21st century, a person with a decidedly material, deterministic, physical view of reality and human consciousness, with no apparent interest in Western religion or Eastern mysticism and not in any way a practitioner of Eastern mental disciplines can have such an experience out of the blue and express it so positively and eloquently.

I am yet to see any of videos of any gurus or cult leaders express their spiritual experiences in this manner. To see someone from outside the Eastern mysticism mainstream and in some senses even antithetical to it confirm and affirm its teachings is very inspiring and motivating.

I could write chapters on this video, and will probably do so bringing out page by page where here words reflect those of the Gita and Upanishads.

Here are some the verses her words bring to mind, with the times she makes them.

Take note and enjoy.

Katha Upanishad - Chapter 2 7 - 9

 It is but few who learn about the Self
 Fewer still dedicate their lives to its
 Realization. Wonderful is the one
 Who speaks about the Self. Rare are they
 Who make it the supreme goal in their lives.
 Blessed are they who, through an illumined
 Teacher, attain to Self-realization.

 The truth of the Self cannot come through one
 Who has not realized that he is the Self.
 The intellect cannot reveal the Self,
 Beyond its duality of subject
 And object. Those who see themselves in all
 And all in them help others through spiritual
 Osmosis to realize the Self themselves.

 This awakening you have known comes not
 Through logic and scholarship, but from
 Close association with a realized teacher,
 Wise are you, Nachiketa, because you
 Seek the self eternal, May we have more
 Seekers like you.

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