Sheena shares a letter

Here's a letter from Sheena forwarded to me by someone I know who is in contact with her. Sheena was made aware of comments on this blog that said she has returned to the Dera, so she wanted to share the truth about this.

(The Dera is a term for the headquarters of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, a spiritual organization in India that Sheena used to be involved with. She wrote a book, "Memoirs of a Seeker," that describes her experiences with RSSB.)

Hello Brian.

Sorry I have not corresponded directly with you or got a chance to talk or meet. Perhaps someday…..thanks for your continuous understanding. Despite what your critics may say, I firmly believe you are honest with yourself and stand by your beliefs with conviction. A quality not most can boast to have.

Am responding to the queries from your readers (screen shots sent by a friend) urging me to clarify. This will be my last response, as what had to be said is in ‘Memoirs of a Seeker.’ Nothing more to add.

I am not in Dera Beas or any other ashram.

I did not confide in a Guru. Memoirs Page 172 “That made me uncomfortable….”

I do not have the capacity for strong negative emotions such as hatred. When things go wrong, my defence mechanism is to be indifferent.

I have on Page 215 mentioned my take on what would/might be in an ashram if things go awry, “The ashram is entangled….” 

I am not advocating what an individual should do. Each one is wise and mature enough to make their decisions. Some cling to faith in a Guru, some turn away, while others sit on the fence - it’s an individual’s choice, so find your own happiness in whichever way.

Memoirs of a Seeker was my journey, my experience and my learning – no regrets and no turning back. No need to open shut doors, am just looking ahead. I wasn’t expecting a perfect life as adversities are a part of living, so I am not stopping to fret over them, but prefer to deal with things positively.

I have found the beauty in life and peacefulness has enveloped me. Wish you all peace too!

Sheena

 

Comments

[seeker]

Thanks for the update Brian and Sheena. It takes courage to be honest in this world, and you both have that courage to speak against falsehood. Lots of Respect and Love from India.

[Osho Robbins]

LET GO.

easy to say.
Not so easy to enact.

Ultimately it’s our only lesson.

We arrive on earth empty handed.

We leave the same way - empty hands.

For 50 - 100 years we go through all this drama.

Me, mine. Our whole life is about building up these two.

Examples;
1. My family needs to be set up for life so they have enough money for many generations to come.

2. I need to make billions, not millions

3. I need to be loved and respected everywhere I go.

4. Nobody should question my authority. I must have the final word.

5. I am right

6. I am a good person.

Etc.

But, we are not here for that purpose. If we are, then one day soon we are going to be in a lot of suffering when these things leave us. At death these things cause nothing but pain. They can’t help us.

We came to learn to let go.

Let go and let god.

Or. Let go and let life play out it’s drama, and observe it.

L E T G O

Easy to say

[Osho Robbins]

Life has a way of teaching us the lessons we refuse to learn.

It teaches mildly first. Just a whisper.

Then the lessons get louder and louder.

Until we cannot avoid them.

Death is the final lesson.

I remember this story.

A man made a deal with god. He said make sure you sent me a letter before you call me back.
One day he died and complained to god that no letter was sent.
God laughed. “I sent so many”
First letter; your eyesight started failing, but you got glasses.
Second; your was unable to walk properly, but you got a walking stick
Third; your hearing failed and you bought a hearing aid.
After you ignored all the letters I just bought you here.

[Osho Robbins]

If I take my own journey:

I used to think that God was a person.

I knew all the details.

He lived in the fifth region called sach khand.

Later I learned he lived in a special part of sach khand called anani desh.

My purpose was to leave this body and go there to meet him,

And it was to be no ordinary meeting. Once you shake his hand, you become him.

As long as I had that idea, the spiritual journey was a selfish thing; something for ME to attain and achieve and get a medal for.

Many years later I met someone. He told me; no sach khand; no god; no attainment; no journey; no person to undertake the journey; no medals;
And the big one; No ME.

That’s the ultimate let go.

There is simply nothing left to hold on to.

Maybe that is the lesson here for all involved. Let go.
Easy to say, not so easy to enact.

Unless of course you cut at the root

And realise that there is and never was a YOU. So then who is playing all these games?

[Pema Tej]

There are many more controversial mystics than Baba-Ji aka Gurinder Singh Dhillon. Many so called satsangis wouldn't stand a chance with mystics such as Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh (aka Osho) and the likes. My feeling is that we project a certain expectation towards so called mystics (who are humans), and we build our expectations on those expectations/ideals.
Mystics are here to help us remember our true nature as human beings, simply being human, and are not here to feed our ideals and expectations. My feeling is that they are here to challenge our beliefs and personal views. But again, perhaps having beliefs and ideals are also part of being human. And perhaps, having those ideals and beliefs eventually shatter is certainly part of realizing our own human nature. The so called mystics are certainly as human as we are, if not more. So why have expectations that they are anything more than that?
Do these mystics build themselves up to seem less or more ordinary than other beings? (I don't know)

[Marko]

Quote Osho
I met someone

Me: who?

[s*]

Brain
I am glad that you expose all the stuff here,because I love truth also!
Altough it is not easy for lots of people..
It is nessesary to know what it is all about .
Not easy because people,me too, are were dependened on someone who we do not know in fact.
That was my complain for a longer time,we love somebody we do not know anything about.

[Appreciative Reader]

Quote Sheena: “This will be my last response”

Fair enough. Not everyone has — or needs to have — either the time or the inclination to waste their energy in delving into the thoughts and views, et cetera, of other people, random people they happen to encounter or read about online. That some of us choose to do it sometimes is no reason why everyone must feel compelled to return the compliment.

“I am not in Dera Beas or any other ashram.”

Squarely answered.

Of course, an ipse dixit declaration, no matter how “square”, isn’t exactly evidence. On the other hand, we would do well to be guided by Hitchen’s Razor here: What is asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence. Since Neha’s report was not really evidenced, therefore Sheena’s bare assertion ought to suffice in response.

In any case, we have no reason to doubt Sheena’s word, none at all, and common courtesy demands that we take her words at face value, absent any concrete reason not to. This letter of Sheena’s should, indeed, put this storm-in-a-teacup about her Dera visit to rest.

“I do not have the capacity for strong negative emotions such as hatred. When things go wrong, my defence mechanism is to be indifferent.”

That’s very curious! And of course, very admirable too!

That’s a wonderful stance to have, generally speaking. Most of us aspire to something like that, by rationally thinking about this and concluding that that is what is wise, and then we clumsily and not every effectively try to follow this kind of dictum in our lives as best we can. That you seem able to do this by default, as it were, is very admirable indeed!

You’ve said you don’t wish to comment here any more, and indeed for all I know may not even end up reading this comment of mine, but in case you are willing and able to respond, then I’m curious about something: Does this incapacity for strong emotions relate only to negative ones, or to all emotions generally? If the latter, then no further comment from me, it is what it is; but if the former, then is this very admirable trait something you’ve schooled yourself into, or did it simply come naturally to you?

Neha, if you’re reading this, I’m afraid it’s you who now owe us an explanation.

“Owe us”, of course, only in a manner of speaking. As with Sheena — and indeed as with each and every one of us who comments here — whether or not you wish to engage with this and to comment here is entirely your prerogative, yours alone.

Nevertheless, given that you are the one who ‘reported’ this allegation here, and set loose the subsequent flurry of speculation and comment, therefore it would be nice if you could check back at your end, and try to trace back the chain of gossip to whatever lengths you can, and see if you can tell us where it was this piece of disinformation actually originated. (And it is perfectly fine to mask all names if/when you report this to us, in the interests of online anonymity, and simply speak of “someone at Beas”, or “some functionary”, or some such.)

What I’m trying to get at is this: Was this piece of rumor actually an official (if clumsy) damage control exercise by the powers that be at RSSB, like Brian seems to think? That answer, if you are able to provide it, some of us would be interested in.

[Osho Robbins]

@Marko

"Who" is kind of irrelevant. How will a name help?

It was my first enlightenment guru. I still meet him from time to time. He runs a charity and gives accommodation to homeless people in India.

[Marko]

A name will change for me so i can take a look at this guys teachings .🙏

[Osho Robbins]

Marko
He is not a famous guru. Has no followers. Just talks to anyone who happens to come.

He says anyone who preaches as a guru is still in delusion

[Neha]

@Appreciative Reader
I already apologised . But yes the people who told me she is back still say she is . In an email to brian i even told the name of the person and where that info is from ( ofcourse i wanted it discreer( . Before i read her book i had heard her name and incident related to her which were exactly how she defined in the book . Alittle less descriptive ofcourse so that made me be sure of whatever she wrote in the book too and also people who had told me things way before the book was released and the source was the same this time , infact multiple people. I never claimed to have met her myself . And i am sorry if false news came from me or i was shocked enough by the fact that i wrote it in a comment . Because it was from more than one person i assumed it to be true . I apologised before too and i am doing it again . I am sorry . Nothing i wrote was planned or with a motive . I know for 100 pc sheenas boom was true . I had heard of a lot of things beforehand too so i wasnt against her at all . It was an honest mistake .

[Neha]

And no ,nobody asked me to post it . U might not believe it thats your choice but i was really curious and i am a struggling believer . So a hope was raised in me that may be she found her way back and something attracted her to be back to the place . I guess i got excited that i will have a reason to hold on to hope on this path . And i wrote it ,just i thought someone would give some info or some insight on why she is back . I know i created a mess and i am guilty of it and a lot embarrassed . Sorry for wasting all of your time . And apology to brian too .

[seeker]

@Neha thanks for the clarification. I guess we are all sailing in the same boat. I am on this path since childhood and also was an active sewadar in Langar, but then something happened and a new rule came that only initiates are allowed to do sewa and can get a badge. I was not comfortable with this. Why would Babaji make this rule? Then there were many things which shattered my faith on the path. Later I got introduced to Baba Faqir Chand and he clearly mentions that whatever you see within is created by your own mind including the radiant form of your master. He says that almost all of them do not state this truth to their disciples as it will create a havoc. This means that masters are unknowing unlike what we think.

[Appreciative Reader]

Dear Neha,

Please don’t apologize! My intention was not to elicit an apology from you, or to make you uncomfortable!

In any case, this isn’t my blog, it is Brian’s. All I am is a regular reader and commenter here, just like you. As long as Brian has no issues with the comments being posted here, it is not my place to raise objections (or at least, while I can raise objections, I have no right or power to enforce them). And nor, I assure you, do I have any problem at all with that comment of yours, quite apart from whether or no I have a right to express or enforce any objection. Please do not feel you have any reason to feel contrite.

And let me clarify: I at any rate am not accusing you of being an RSSB stooge. For one thing, if you were, I could hardly expect you to admit that so readily, could I? (Kidding! :--) But no, I never meant to imply that you personally might be colluding with RSSB officialdom.)

Given what transpired here, I was wondering if you can trace back that rumor that you reported here, and present an opinion, one way or the other, on whether this rumor actually originated with the RSSB panjandrums (as Brian seems to think), or whether this is a random piece of purposeless gossip. That is all.

Speaking of which: you still haven’t answered my question, you know. Without going into any kind of personal details either about yourself or about your sources or about Sheena, can you present an opinion on that, on whether the people who told you this (or the people who told your sources this) might have been instigated by RSSB officials? (And it is perfectly fine if you don’t know and are not able to find out. “I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer.)

With my good wishes,
Appreciative Reader.

[Neha]

@Appreciative Reader
I dont know is actually the answer . This weekend is the last satsang in the feb schedule in beas so people who have told me are kind of busy dont give much of an explanation i will try and find it out next week . I am more eager to .

[Osho Robbins]

@pema tej

Osho used to make it very clear that he is no messiah, no Christ, just an ordinary man.

Enlightenment is ordinary. It means there is only the ONE. So how can "I" be special when there is no "me".

Gsd doesnt ask people to worship him. Rather he asks people to consider him on the same level.

He even said the word is " complete " not "perfect" for pura guru

[La Madrugada]

@seeker
Later I got introduced to Baba Faqir Chand and he clearly mentions that whatever you see within is created by your own mind including the radiant form of your master. He says that almost all of them do not state this truth to their disciples as it will create a havoc. This means that masters are unknowing unlike what we think.

Hi seeker,

C.G Jung discovered these creations of our own mind during the years 1913-16. and called his method -active imagination-.

Joan Chodorow, Ph.D, is an analyst member of the C.G.Jung Institute of San Francisco. She offered for the first time a collection of Jung's writings on active imagination and published:

"Jung on Active Imagination"
ISBN 0-691-01576-7

[seeker]

@LaMadrugada thanks for the details, I will definitely read the book.

[Guru]

Where is Sheena?

[Jen]

Hi guru,

Don't know if you have read this on the Church of the Churchless - August 21, 2018 -

Sheena's "Memoirs of a Seeker" throws light on Gurinder Singh Dhillon

................................

Sheena talking to a young woman: "I advised, 'The onus is on the girl to make the adjustments initially, with the passage of time the equation changes...'

At this point Guruji asked aloud, 'What are both of you talking about?'

When he spoke, everyone turned in our direction.

The girl replied with a smile, 'Sheena Aunty says when a girl gets married; the onus is on her to make the adjustments first...'

Guruji turned to me, raising his voice 'After sleeping around with so many men, who are you to advise her on marriage?'

Pin-drop silence. Fifty pairs of eyes were on me."
................................

This part from Sheena's book made me wonder, was her book simply an excuse to have revenge? Also, what proof do we have that this is what actually happened.