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carnivore
November 2009 
Carnivores, Herbivores & Omnivores.
Posted on Aug 30th, 2006
by 
Ian Gardner
Ian Gardner
It is a normal and natural tendency for a spiritual teacher, or the followers of a particular teacher or teaching, to feel or claim that theirs is the truest truth and, therefore, make its instruction exclusive. From the point of view of teaching, this exclusivity is understandable, even necessary, as to do otherwise would create confusion in the 'classroom'. However, it is best to include in the instruction that the pupil has the freedom of seeking elsewhere because the truth comes in different packages and all paths lead to the top of the mountain.
The fact is that, irrespective of the path taken, enlightenment remains the same - it cannot be otherwise; the path itself is merely the means to the end.
Take the analogy of animals. There are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores yet, despite their varied diet, they each grow well, mature and die and, on death, return to that from which they came.
So, should we be a carnivore, a herbivore or an omnivore? We can choose any one or all.
The fact is that, irrespective of the path taken, enlightenment remains the same - it cannot be otherwise; the path itself is merely the means to the end.
Take the analogy of animals. There are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores yet, despite their varied diet, they each grow well, mature and die and, on death, return to that from which they came.
So, should we be a carnivore, a herbivore or an omnivore? We can choose any one or all.
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True! Ramakrishna used to say: “everybody thinks his watch has the right time!”
As usual, words of wisdom from Ramakrishna. But also from you because, although he said it, what he said has been recognised as the truth by you.
Apparently, once, at the start of a talk he was giving he looked at the faces looking up at him hopefully and said, “What I want to know is why you keep coming back?”
I wonder how many there caught the magnitude of that rhetorical question?
A correction: In the comment above I have attributed a quote to Ramakrishna. This is incorrect as the quote was by Krishnamurthi.
and an addition:
With reference to this quote here is an extract from The Milk Is White:
Some people keep on zipping around one circle without making the jump upwards and we see this in someone who is always on the run from one talk to another, one meeting to another, covering the same ground again and again without making any headway; but this does not matter as there is plenty of time and upward movement is inevitable in the course of time.[1] For some of these people it is more of a social whirl than a constructive search and they should not be condemned for this as that is where they are at the time. When the time is right for them they will move on. For others it may be that they are only on an intellectual search that is only a process of fact gathering even though they may think that they are actively learning.
[1] Terms of time and space are used in this book to facilitate communication without confusion but time and space do not exist in reality because all is one.
from zero, achilles is the tortoise. zero / enso is at once before and beyond space / time. a point without radius and a circumference beyond measure. we have been told that the kingdom of heaven is to be found within. you couldn't imagine many following these directions by even cursory assessment of the attendees in said social whirl. that's why we call it practice. peace.