LBS, please summarise and minimilize your point for short attention span people like me....thanks.
--- In [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Any discussion of a spiritual group should include, somewhere near the beginning, the > obligatory disclaimers about Kali Yuga. > > Don't get me wrong:�I am not lobbying for a fundamentalist interpretation of HIndu > cosmology. Just the same: we live in a materialistic, corrupt age and we shouldn't be > surprised to find corruption and materialism ANYWHERE. > > Still, such allegations are disappointing, whether true or untrue. They are disappointing if > true because we expected better from the organization (and by association, the guru), and > they are disappointing if false because it is discouraging to consider the motivations of > those who post. > > Let me just address two aspects of the allegations brought up so far. > > Regarding the "hijacking" of Amma's movement by the Hindu fundamentalists (RSS, BJP, > etc): > > The marriage of religion and politics seldom works out well in any modern culture. It is an > unholy alliance, and co-dependant to boot. It is always about power; it is usually driven by > the politicians, because power is such a natural part of their working life. But the religions > want the power as well; they feel that they deserve it because, after all, they are the > representatives of the One True God. Historically, religion seems to suffer more in the > downside than the politicians, but there will always be exceptions. > > It's difficult for TM people and other New Agers to see Hindus as fundamentalists; we are > more accustomed to thinking of them as spiritually advanced. And besides, many of us > adhere to fundamentalist beliefs ourselves. Nevertheless, the Hindutva movement in India > is quite powerful, and a good deal of blood has been shed there as a result of its activities. > > On the other hand, I have met intelligent, good hearted Sannyasins who think the BJP and > RSS are the Good Guys. That is to say, among the religious, many favor them. > > It is not surprising, therefore, to hear that they have a presence in Amma's movement. > Indian politicians are constantly seeking to expand their power base; India's parliamentary > and electoral systems necessitate aggressive cultivation of "vote banks". Since Amma has > such a large reputation, it is a no-brainer to conclude that political implications abound. > > This is an unfortunate thing for Amma's movement, to whatever extent it is true. At some > point there will be a change in the political climate, and the blowback will be painful. > > However, I would like to make one other point about the politics. My perception is that > Amma is not about politics. That it could have wormed its way into her organization is > understandable, perhaps inevitable, but I don't hear Amma herself preaching the values of > Hindutva. Her message is much more universal, and that is what I see people responding > to in her presence. > > Now the second thorny issue: possible misrepresentation of "charitable" activities. I think > that many among us find this to be the more difficult and painful allegation to deal with. > Old-time TMers, for example, typically got disgusted with TMO commercialism years ago > (if not decades), and have been comfortable, if not gleeful, in making the comparison > between the two organizations (or cults, if we are really going straight up here). The loss > of moral superiority is a bitter pill to swallow. > > Based on previous experience, it is predictable that most of what has been alleged here > will be denied by some and rationalized by others. Parts of it may also turn out to be > bullshit, pure and simple. Some will claim that Amma didn't know about it, others will say, > "Are you nuts? She knew about EVERYTHING that happened in her movement!" We have > heard all this before. > > Frankly, the only part that surprised me personally was the misrepresentation of the > charitable activities, which I now accept as a possibility but not as a proven thing. This will > shake out for awhile and eventually I will decide for myself what I think the truth of it is. > > I'm sure that many of you will have noted a certain irony in the situation. This chat group, > viewed by many TM faithful as anti-TM in nature, is now seeing criticisms raised against a > group that many in the TM fold regard as the TMO's biggest local competitor. Perhaps that > accounts for the slight aroma of "Gotcha!" that permeates some of the posts. > > I think we have to accept that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. While I > find these allegations disappointing (notice that I don't call them "disclosures" because I > don't think we have enough info here to reach sweeping conclusions), I think that in the > big picture it is better to have the discussion than not to have it. > > L B S To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
