Neat. I'd love to see Paris some day and just revel in the beauty of the architecture...
Yes, please post if you find it. As far as Maharishi goes, I can't judge the guy (there but for the grace of God...) and his mantra has worked superbly over the years. It is too bad things worked out/didn't work out as they did. On the other hand that seems pretty typical for the times we live in. Enjoy your coffee and croissant... Jim --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I had a similar (but not exactly the same) set of insights > not long ago, Jim, while sitting at one of my favorite cafes > here in Paris. I'll try to find it and post it here. It's > fascinating that such things must be "in the air" right now, > and are being picked up on by people who cared (and still > care, despite everything) for Maharishi. > > Unc > > --- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > After thinking over the last day about where Maharishi went wrong, > I > > have reached the following conclusions: > > > > He starts out as a naive Indian student and seeker. By naive I mean > he > > knows very little about the West, or the rest of the world outside > > India. I suspect too that he was probably kind of a geek as a > > householder, physics student and all... > > > > He is fortunate through his seeking to find Brahmananda Saraswati, > and > > commences his study with him. He also decides he will be a celibate > > monk, etc. Through his association with Guru Dev, he derives a > clear > > understanding of Reality, and finds he can speak about it clearly > too. > > > > I think what was going on here was a couple of things: Maharishi > comes > > from India where Hinduism and the knowledge of the Veda are > relatively > > commonplace. When I think about his early exposition of his > teaching, > > there is not a lot of content, just some mantras and their proper > use, > > derived from his closeness to Guru Dev. > > > > Profound knowledge to be sure, though something which could be > derived > > relatively quickly with the proper guidance, if one is already > > operating within a supportive cultural context for such knowledge. > > Combine this with his ability to speak well, and possessing a > > charismatic personality, and who emerges? Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. > > > > Then as he spreads his message and the knowledge of the mantras, > > absorbed by him from Guru Dev, he enjoys enormous success. The > success > > is due to him having a systematic and practical technique to back > up > > his speaking. However, he remains a naive monk from India. He also > has > > the ambition to enlighten the world. Given his experience up til > then, > > and 'cooking' in Guru Dev's presence for years, it seems a > reasonable > > ambition. > > > > As he becomes more and more successful, beyond his wildest dreams I > am > > sure, he begins to see that those around him are granting him > > unlimited power over them. He now begins to equate the rudimentary > > knowledge that he has perfected, the teaching of TM mantras, with > > himself. He also sees that to ever admit that he is less than > perfect > > will possibly jeopardize his teaching amongst his followers, and > > consequently his ambition to enlighten the world. > > > > Here we come to the good part: So now, Maharishi finds himself in a > > position where he has a lot of power, unfulfilled desires, and > little > > knowledge about the West. A potentially explosive combo for sure. > > > > He begins to act out his unfulfilled desires for sex and hobnobbing > > with the rich and powerful; pretty common desires in the world. At > the > > same time, he is aware from the feedback he has received that he is > > seen as a realized Master (and he is probably pretty high on > himself > > at this point too...). > > > > This sets up the key quandry for Maharishi: > > If he acts on his desires and is open about it, he will disappoint > the > > vision of himself that his followers, and he himself, has of > himself, > > Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the celibate monk. If he doesn't act on his > > desires, this 'guru' business just isn't all that much fun, is it? > > > > So he makes his fatal mistake: He will act on his desires for sex > and > > hobnobbing with the rich, only he won't admit it to his public, and > > possibly not to himself as time goes on... > > > > And it works for awhile, however unbeknownst to Maharishi, Guru Dev > > has planted a time bomb of sorts associated with this type of > > deception. > > > > Unlike a businessman or politician who indulges in the abuse of > power, > > the sins of a meditator, including Maharishi, will come to light > more > > quickly with far more devastating consequences, for the simple > reason > > that the use of the TM mantra leads to an irrevocable expansion of > > awareness. And what you are aware of, you are accountable for. > > > > This expansion of awareness in Maharishi and those around him meant > > that on a subtle feeling level he was literally broadcasting his > > hidden desires, while at the same time attempting to keep them > quiet > > on the surface. > > > > Like the wife of a husband who is cheating on her, those around > > Maharishi knew on a subtle level something was wrong, but their > > infatuation with 'the monk from India' illusion kept them from > seeing > > it clearly, and calling him on it. > > > > This then led to the dyfunction common in such situations. The > impact > > on Maharishi's organization was devestating, especially so because > of > > the ongoing expansion of awareness experienced by the group. There > is > > obviously no way to support the very selective expansion of > awareness; > > it leads to warping of the mind. > > > > As all of us here can attest, with our ongoing meditations, > awareness > > expands 360 degrees, not selectively as we may wish it to. > > > > To make a long story short, this was the undoing of Maharishi. > > Although he has continued to grow and change, he has never been > able > > to put the genie back in the bottle. His organization, mirroring > his > > need for deception has become necessarily deformed from what it > might > > have been, similar to an inflating balloon which is being stepped > on. > > > > The purity of the teaching remains. TM can still be taught > effectively > > by all the teachers who would do so. However, Maharishi's ambitions > > have been curtailed by Guru Dev because he abused his power. > > > > Jai Guru Dev, > > > > Jim > > > > --- In [email protected], Rick Archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > <snip> Around 1990 one of the big donors once sat in a room with me > > > chatting and very seriously told me that Maharishi had > > > told him something like the more money you have, the > > > more evolved you are. > > > > > > So Maharishi feeds these people this kind of thing all > > > the time. > > > > > > I just sat there dazed....I mean how do you answer > > > something like that. He sure was in his own puffed up world... 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! 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