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Date: Tues, Nov 17, 1998 at 20:10:40 (EST)
From: Evidence (3)
Email: None
To: Nigel, Jim, JW, TD
Subject: Carl 'Bongo' Beringer
Message:
Meet Carl Beringer (aka. Nigel), 'The Conscious
Anaesthetist'.
There was some weird editing here. For one thing, the
carefully chosen American spellings (thanks Joe) were all
changed back to English ones in a bewildering act of
cultural chauvinism.
But more serious is the way that, towards the end, they have
made cuts and amendments that totally distort Carl's
message. Carl is Mr 'Knowledge Ultra-Lite' who likes the
gift but doesn't perceive it as anything special or unique.
He sees Maharaji as a mere mortal. But is he allowed to say
so?
(As usual, bold red capitals = cut)
**************************************************
My name is Carl Beringer and this is my third attempt at
writing down my 'real life'. The trouble is I have read some
fascinating life stories here and, by comparison, I don't
feel I've done very much to talk about. I'm somewhat younger
than many of the contributors here, so was never involved in
any of that sixties stuff, the rock festivals or anti-war
politics. I never smoked pot and never followed any hippie
trail to the east. In fact, from the outside, my life must
look about as boring as it possibly could.
I had a fairly happy, secure childhood. I did well enough in
high school and had a comfortable ride through college,
though I was never what you would call a high-achiever
academically. I had no particular ambitions in life, but
since college I have worked as an anesthetist in a local
hospital. It is a job I enjoy and feel to be worthwhile. I
am married with two wonderful kids and, in fact, I would be
pretty dumb to complain about anything that life has brought
my way.
Although Presbyterians, my folks were never really
church-goers, and I was certainly never interested in
anything you might call religion (and I'm still not).
However, there was always something that seemed to be
missing in my life, something I could never quite put my
finger on. I remember getting a small promotion - this was
back in the late '80s - and the bigger paycheck didn't seem
to do for me what I had expected it to. It seemed to make me
LESS rather than more happy with my life. In fact, I started
feeling this constant anxiety that life was somehow slipping
away and I wasn't really experiencing it. Someone else was
living it, not ME. My way of coping was by eating, and
eating way too much than is good for anyone. It was becoming
a real [MEDICAL]
problem, and people at work had started to make comments.
They were well-meaning, of course, but their remarks were
always painful to listen to, and I realised something had to
change.
Around the same time, whether by fate or coincidence, I met
my wife-to- be. It was a quiet day in the hospital and I was
sitting in the hallway eating my lunch because I was on
call. [WE GOT TALKING AND I WAS
TELLING HER ABOUT MY WORK. I HAD ALREADY NOTICED]
[She introduced
herself as someone new at the hospital and I
noticed] something about her that I really
responded to, and it wasn't any of the usual stuff guys like
about a woman. She didn't mention Maharaji on that occasion,
but on our first date at restaurant, she suddenly said,
'Carl, you seem to know all there is to know about making
people unconsciousness, but do you really know what it is
[LIKE] to be
CONSCIOUS?'
This seemed like a crazy question, but, as I soon
discovered, this is probably the most important question a
person can ask you. In a way, it is the question that
Maharaji asked me, before showing me that I DIDN'T know what
it was like to be conscious. But I do now! And believe me,
there are more subtle shades of consciousness than being
merely awake or asleep.
The most remarkable thing about listening to Maharaji speak
is the way that however different you are from everyone else
listening, somehow Maharaji's words seem to be addressed
directly to YOU, and you alone. I can see that his
understanding both of Knowledge and of what the rest of us
need to understand in order to experience it is something
special. I have heard some great speakers in my time, like
Ronald Reagan, for example, and Maharaji has to be right up
there among them. [IT ALSO
HELPED ME A LOT TO SEE THAT MAHARAJI'S CONSPICUOUS WEIGHT
PROBLEM JUST ISN'T AN ISSUE FOR HIM. THAT ALONE WAS QUITE
EMPOWERING FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, AND I QUIT WORRYING ABOUT MY
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.]
[BUT I'M NOT SO MUCH OF A FOOL TO IMAGINE THAT KNOWLEDGE
IS REALLY SO DIFFERENT THAN THE EXPERIENCES THAT MEDITATORS
OF OTHER MYSTICAL AND SACRED TRADITIONS MUST
EXPERIENCE.] And from what I have learned of
the workings of the nervous system, Maharaji only shown me
something I kind of always knew, namely, that it is
important to relax and detach yourself from the crazy rush
of modern living and go inside to find peace within whenever
you get the chance. A kind of natural anesthesia, I suppose
you could call it, but being awake at the same time.
For some people, Knowledge seems to have spiritual side that
I sort of react to a little - but not in any bad way.
Maharaji told me to slow down, and I did.
[MY CHOLESTEROL COUNT IS
RIGHT DOWN NOWADAYS.]
[And he showed me a
way too do it.] Maharaji taught me to chill
out, hang loose. I am
[SO] grateful to
Maharaji for giving me that chance.
[MAY EVERYBODY ELSE BE SO
LUCKY, WHICHEVER PATH THEY CHOOSE TO GET THEM THERE. I AM
SURE IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHO YOU FOLLOW - IF ANYONE -
BUT FOR ME IT HAPPENED TO BE MAHARAJI WHO GAVE THE
GIFT.] My Dad says it's just some kind of
self-hypnosis you could find in a book,
[AND I THINK HE'S PROBABLY
RIGHT. BUT WHO CARES?]
[But Maharaji showed me how
to and it's wonderful.]
I started out by saying how ordinary my life must look, but,
thanks a great deal to to Maharaji, it doesn't FEEL
ordinary. In case anyone's still reading this, I'll finish
now by saying that 'ornery ol' me' is enjoying life very
much indeed.
Regards,
CJ Beringer
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