I will respond simply by saying that I accept your thoughts and the spirit in which they are given.
--- In [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "at_man_and_brahman" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > snip > > > > > Was a bias of L.B.'s revealed in his > > interpretation of what I said to mean > > that I sided with hardcore protectionists > > in Fairfield? > > > > Then, we all have biases, or at least > > the "remains" thereof. > > &&&&&&&& > > The semantic loading in your choice of words in those posts indicated an > emotional > "charge" on your part. In my experience, this only comes from identification > with a > localized point of view. > > In a recent post, you acknowledged that you used to feel that way (hardcore protectionist) > when involved locally and that some trace of that may have turned up in your > opinions on > the subject (the "remains" thereof). If you intend to maintain that you have > been neutral in > your positions on this topic, you have a difficult case to make, based on > what you have > actually left in the archives. > > I have attachments and aversions of my own, based on my 35 years > inside/outside the > movement, so I have some appreciation that these can persist long beyond our conscious > perception of them. > > In another recent post, you acknowledged that you have been away from FF for > twenty > years. I am only saying, as one who has been here during those twenty years, > that the only > explanation I can find for your contentiousness on the issue of "guru turf > wars" is that you > don't realize the extent to which you are still speaking for the TMO. > > The rest of society just doesn't see the issue the way you have presented it. > This is not > how gurus relate to each other, for the most part, in India, for example. It > is not what they > prescribe for their disciples/devotees. It is only found in the presence of > "the one true > path" or "the greatest guru of all the ages". > > My thinking about this forum is that it is a colloquium, an opportunity for > peers to > converse as equals whether they agree on all points or not. When someone > takes the > position that some of the members are "squatters", or that their gurus are > not as > legitimate as someone else's, the quality of discourse here inevitably > suffers. > > If unavoidable differences of opinion exist regarding gurus and/or teachings, > then this is a > matter for legitimate discussion. Let the debate be on the merits of the > evidence or the > reasoning, not on the level of unsupported assertions. > > Many people have questioned the "agenda" of FairfieldLife; specifically, some > have claimed > that it is intentionally anti-TM. I have not seen this, regardless of the > fact that many who > post here have "issues" with the movement and a few plainly despise it. It > seems to me, > rather, that what some people find objectionable is that very lack of > affiliation, based on > their feeling that the TMO is the only legitimate organization for all of us, > regardless of > how we may feel about that. > > The fact that your posts questioned the legitimacy of the presence of > "others" in Fairfield > suggested to me that you were "in that camp". Since it is pretty rare to find > someone NOT > in that camp who would see any problem with spiritual diversity, I am still > at a loss to see > it otherwise. Your logic in responding�"I have no problem with supply and > demand as > long as a certain segment of the demand side is ignored or prohibited"�really > doesn't > help your assertion that you are free of your old TM biases, either. > > That's the basis of my taking you to task for your comments about Amma and > others. I > look forward to your response, should you feel inclined. > > 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/
