Post to Kriya Message Board Defending Norman Paulsen

Post to Kriya Message Board defending Norman Paulsen:

I met Norman a few times. He seemed humble and on the level, as far as it went. I received some very specific help and useful insight by visiting him. He helped me spiritually in key ways.

My take on whatever flaws in behavior Norman had, is that we ALL have flaws in behavior. This is normal and to be expected. It's sort of like, big deal. As Yukteswar said (paraphrased) something like, there are many "dark shames" in the endless corridors of our past incarnations. (See ABY for exact quote.) This is a baseline condition of being on the path.

It seems like we've all done some really bad stuff along the line. Yep, you've apparently been a murder, molester, and a drug addict, or something along those lines.

I suggest processing all that repetitive stuff as quickly as possible and letting it go, and get on with building devotion and intense focus on the Divine. In the broad sense, you've seen one sin, you've seen them all. Let them go, and get going. Some saint said something like, "Be like the wise ant who finds the grain of sugar in the pile of sand."

If Kriyananda's telling is accurate, Yogananda said Paulsen had fallen into delusion for the first time in many incarnations. With that, he may well have fallen into a quagmire of confusing fantasy for reality, and drug use, and whatever else. Possibly, he hooked into astral hells and a lot of what he said was accurate reporting from astral dungeons. Who knows?

Bottom line, I think he was a good guy going through a bad stretch just like all of us have experienced. My attitude is to forgive him, find the value in what he was, and get on with the building of devotion and clarity. He's reaping whatever he sowed, regardless of what we do or don't do. The courts of karma are most certainly hearing his case.

Namaste.
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