Richard and Hinduism

[Pranav]

Does anybody elso think that Richard is very very influenced by Hindu Philosophy. i.e rebirth, oneness etc. ?

[LL]

I replied to something like this on the old, new board that lasted about a week. I'll repeat it here, I find it hard to imagine that RB has been influenced by anything other than his own imagination and experience. As for rebirth, oneness etc. Many, many philosophies express these views. A lot of them are personal philosophies based on personal experience. Maybe its just me, but I just dont like "generalized" philosophies that people either accept or not; believe in or not. I like to use anything that rings true to me, no matter where it comes from.  Just 2
LL

[atulsabnis]

Agree with LL. Also depends on what is perceived as Hindu Philosophy. The more recent corrupt form of Hinduism, or the more uncontaminated stuff in the Upanishads and the Vedas. I believe Richard's philisophy stems more from his personal experiences. It is always possible to map one philosophy with another - and one experience with another. The Hindu philosopies are much too complex and abstract to bring it down to the lucid and simple levels like that of Richard Bach.

[flyboy1]

Hello there! As for Richard being influenced by any outside source, I don't think so. I remember his library, several hundred books, but primarily on aviation.

But back then, when he was my neighbor, he was more airplane, biplane, I should say, oriented. If any of you have ever read his aviation articles, you will see that he wrote from a very pragmatic view point. I remember flying with him one morning in a Cessna 150 and he took me through a dozen different things that could go wrong in an airplane and how I would react to them. It was very interesting and very realistic. He had me opening the doors to turn the plane as he clamped his size 14 flight boots on the rudder pedals. It worked.

It was later that he became more esoteric in his thinking. But I agree that he writes from his experiences. It just may appear that he has been influenced by other schools of thought. And then I could be all wet, too.

[[e-mail]]

I think that Richard was influenced by his early family religion of Christian Scientist. I am only guessing but the the CS view seems to be one of "world is illusion". The CS seem to be very straight laced, though, in other areas and as such Richard rebelled against part of their way of thinking.

Of course , like any other thought I have,
Everything I say could be wrong.

David

[soulmate]

Hi All.

I'm new here, but I already feel I'm with family.

Pranav,

I dont know whether Richard was influenced by Hindu philosophy, but I do believe that what he writes corresponds a great deal to what is dealt with in the Hindu Scriptures, esp. the concept of oneness.

I've always wondered though, whether Richard has read the Hindu Scriptures. A great deal of what he says is what I learnt when I started my study of the Hindu Philosophy. I know nothing, but all I have to aid me in the search for the truth is an undying urge to discover it, wherever I may find it. The TRUTH as the Upnishads call it.

I look forward to hearing more on this from u all.

Regards,
Me.

[guest]

I know nothing, but all I have to aid me in the search for the truth is an undying urge to discover it, wherever I may find it

TRUTH is always, and in all ways, visible and requires no discovering. The urge to discover it is sometimes enticing to the ever probing mind, bent on solving something...anything. It (the mind) sometimes finds a thing directly under its nose difficult to accept...there's nothing for it to do...so it will deny what is there and create a diversion...that is.... until it cannot...."Listen! This world? And everything in it? Illusions, Richard! Every bit of it illusions! Do you understand that?"

[soulmate]

...."Listen! This world? And everything in it? Illusions, Richard! Every bit of it illusions! Do you understand that?"

[glow=red,2,300]Every bit of it ... Illusions ![/glow]

But the IS... That is not an Illusion... The IS that was, is and will be... The IS that is the creator and the creation... That is the TRUTH I am in search of.

I feel like the student who has read his books over and over again, but when it is time to take the tests, finds that he is at a loss to apply all that he has learnt.

I find now, that the key is not knowing but realizing what u already know. I now know how Richard would have felt when he watched Donald Shimoda walk through the brick wall and followed him only to hit the wall hard.

Knowing is not realizing.

[Edina]

Welcome to the board soulmate!

To answer the original question, if you guys read Running From Safety, in its Introduction he writes:

"Passionate to discover reasons to be and themes to live by, I surveyed religions as a teenager, studied Aristotle and Descartes and Kant in night-school colleges while I was yet a line pilot in the Air Force."

I believe, he's referring to the Long Beach State College, but I'm not certain and could be wrong.

"Now I've finished my course in twenty philosophies, I thought, history's brightest stars, and every one has failed.... Their answers worked for them, but their daily life was on a different moon from mine."

In my opinion, he could have read about Hinduism along the way, but even in this "Introduction" his conclusion is that no one has the answers for him, except one! Himself.

Just like you soulmate, he was seaching for the so called "Truth", but it's nowhere outside of you, nor anyone has the answers for you, only you.

[Michael Cloyd]

Have any of you read Richard's new series on the Flying Ferrets? What lessons lie there?

[Edina]

To get an idea of those books, I suggest you to visit:

www.richardbach.com

www.simonsays.com/author.cfm?isbn=0743227530

Same place, where you can read and listen to some excerpts and reviews.
I haven't read any of them entirely, but am planning to and looking forward to discuss them on here. Cheers!

[cyberstain]

Richard Bach was a student and friend of Jane Roberts who channeled Seth. He attended her lectures and was also said to be an aspect ( twin soul ) of her.

All of the ideas were already present in her books. You create your own reality,( YCYOR ) parallel dimensions, reincarnation, etc.

Richard Bachs talent was to take these concepts and use them in an interesting story.

[James Bach]

I had several conversations with Dad about that, because I found inspiration in some Hindu ideas and stories. I told him about some parallels between his ideas and the Bhagavad Gita.

He has read almost nothing about Hinduism and he is nervous about any organized religion, since organized religions promote limitations and constraints that he would rather choose for himself. He says flying is his religion.

For those of you who consider yourself true fans of Richard's work, you should know that he has a very STRONG aversion to the concept of a guru. He doesn't want to be anyone's guru. He thinks each of us is really our own guru. He has ideas and he shares them, but he wants no followers, as such. Fellow travellers, yes, but not followers. If you really *get* Richard's stuff, then you know you don't need him, even though you might find his books worth reading and considering.

A big reason he doesn't post here, I suspect, is that he's worried about being mistaken for a guru.

-- James

[Grave]

Guest-James said:

A big reason he doesn't post here, I suspect, is that he's worried about being mistaken for a guru.

James

Part - 1
Hi James,
Though he is your father and that you know him the best, I doubt that this idea could refrain him from posting. Sometimes, even sharing awareness start to seem like an illusion created for self.

It is like one realizes that learning, growing, sharing and searching for answers is nothing but illusion too. And when one is convinced that he/she is playing a role, he/she would stop discussing or would refrain from creating illusion of knowledge or answering the questions that one might want to believe no further.

For what you say if is true: I recall, I wrote a post to Dwayne(A Dear/Active member here) that I don't follow him, its like recalling with a brighter classmate.

Being first among equals, or when ultimate objective is “ONE”, it does not matter that one could fear of being mistaken as “Guru”<br>
There is One guru, the mind, each one of us have an access to this universal guru, some think about it, some write about it, some start religions about it, some follow and some accept the fact that mind is the guru. Everyone who has truly understood even fraction of what Richard has tried to tell, will not follow.
Everyone here, keeps a thought “everything could be wrong” And so we play
Also, one would to fear being mistaken as a “Guru”, also hints that one has pre-assumed “I have all/more answers, but I must be humble”. If someone doesn’t want to become a Guru, then no one can make him, and the ones who still want to, would have to obey him when he says “Don’t treat me as Guru”

There isn’t any noticeable problem like this that I think a soul like him is unable to find a solution for.

Why he doesn’t visit could be just because he doesn’t wish to (for now)

Grave (Solving the role of “My own”)

Now, to talk about Hinduism:
The ideas can not be termed as influenced when they are understood from experience of mind.


And if you(Richard) fear of creating something by mistake (like religion) aren't you already manifesting it in your mind this way?
Also please guide me to the meaning of "Mistake" assuming that you are writing "illusions" Right now.

General thoughts:
About religions:

Hinduism says God is one.
Christianity says there is one "Lord"
Moslem culture believes in one "Allah- the one)
And so many other religions, too.

Do we know why? Because that is the truth.

And Talking about Truth, is not religion, nor influenced by any.

For ("I" is not religious because it has no one to worship, I am "I", if I talk about "I", I talk about awareness of self, not religions)

Grave (Speaking while you judge)

[Grave]

Actually there is not part -II when I come to think of it, I've said what I wanted to

Grave(Back to Silence)