Page 208 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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202 Mystic pathways through the bible
satisfy the mass mentality, but rather to be true to the deeper Self.
It is often seen that a saintly person is respected by others as a symbol of virtue only as long as his actions agree with their limited understanding and lesser values. But when one advances on the path of Truth, respect is often replaced by animosity, insults, and resistance. This can be clearly seen in the life of Buddha.
On the path to attaining Nirvana, Buddha adopted a very severe method that he thought would help bring about Self-realization. Because of his extreme austerity he had attracted a group of seven disciples who decided to join him. These new disciples saw how this once wealthy prince now lived in such a ragged state within the forest, enduring the heat and cold, and possessing nothing. They thought, “Here is a man who had everything and has renounced it all. We should follow him.”
As time went by, Buddha suffered from extreme weakness due to fasting, causing him to remain unconscious for several days. During this time his disciples thought, “How wonderful, he is in samadhi!” And they were all eagerly expecting him to become Buddha the Enlightened, hoping they would receive the rst blessings from the realized Sage. In the meantime, they eagerly went to the village and begged to receive plenty of food to