--- In [email protected], bob_brigante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "mainstream20016" > <mainstream20016@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], bob_brigante <no_reply@> > wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "mainstream20016" > > > <mainstream20016@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], bob_brigante <no_reply@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "mainstream20016" > > > > > <mainstream20016@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > >> > ************ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > When the court ruled against TM in public schools in NJ > > > (Malnak > > > > > > > case), that meant that TM could not be taught in the > public > > > > > schools > > > > > > > there whether the parents liked it or not. If a lawsuit > is > > > filed > > > > > > > against TM in the SF school, it's unlikely that the > regional > > > > > court > > > > > > > finding would be any different than it was in the 70s in > NJ, > > > so > > > > > it > > > > > > > would not matter whether the parents liked it or not. The > TMO > > > is > > > > > > > trying to be quiet about TM in this school, but sooner or > > > later, > > > > > > > somebody (and it can be any taxpayer in the state -- or > > > possibly > > > > > any > > > > > > > taxpayer in the local school district, I'm not sure about > who > > > the > > > > > law > > > > > > > gives standing to in this case) will file suit against TM > in > > > this > > > > > > > school, and it will just be a ton of bad publicity that > could > > > be > > > > > > > avoided by only dealing with private or charter schools > until > > > > > public > > > > > > > recognition of the benefits of TM is more established. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Science of Creative Intelligence, a 33-lesson course > > > covering > > > > > the nature of existence, > > > > > > the flow of intellegence, higher states of consciousness, > etc, > > > was > > > > > taught in the NJ schools. > > > > > > The SCI course is not part of the TM instruction today when > > > > > students learn TM. That > > > > > > difference is signficant. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ************** > > > > > > > > > > The Malnak decision cited three factors which influenced the > > > court to > > > > > declare that TM in public schools was in violation of > > > establishment > > > > > provisions: > > > > > > > > > > "A. Establishment Clause Issues > > > > > The Establishment Clause to the First Amendment prohibits > > > government > > > > > practices which advance a particular religion. Although the > > > courts > > > > > have found it difficult to define the term "religion," for > public > > > > > school First Amendment issues that term has included > affirmation > > > of a > > > > > belief in a supreme being and reading verses from the Bible. > > > (Malnak > > > > > v. Yogi 592 F.2d 197, 199 (3d. Cir. 1979).) > > > > > > > > > > The court in Malnak concluded that the Science of Creative > > > > > Intelligence- Transcendental Meditation was a religious > activity > > > in > > > > > the New Jersey public high schools in violation of the First > > > > > Amendment. The concurring opinion in that case stated that > the > > > record > > > > > revealed nothing other than an effort to propagate TM, SCI, > and > > > the > > > > > views of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. > > > > > > > > > > The concurring opinion in the Malnak case referenced three > > > factors to > > > > > consider in determining whether a particular belief system > > > > > constitutes a religion for purposes of the Establishment > Clause: > > > (1) > > > > > Does the belief system address fundamental questions, or > areas of > > > > > ultimate concern [e.g., theories of man's nature or his place > in > > > the > > > > > universe]? (2) Does the belief system proffer a comprehensive > > > > > systematic series of answers to these fundamental questions? > (3) > > > Are > > > > > there any practices that may be analogized to accepted > religions > > > > > [e.g., formal services, ceremonial functions, existence of > clergy > > > > > etc.]?" > > > > > > http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles/Gen_Couns_to_SD.html > > > > > > > > > > Presumably, not talking about SCI issues would remove or > minimize > > > > > objections based on factors (1) and (2), but the puja would > still > > > be > > > > > a problem, right? I can't see any higher court ultimately not > > > ruling > > > > > the same as they did in the NJ case, so I would like to see > the > > > TMO > > > > > stick with instruction in private schools, and enjoy the > > > publicity > > > > > from that. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Like a surgeon who scrubs for surgery outside of the surgical > > > suite, away from the > > > > patient, the TM teacher can prepare for teaching TM by > performing > > > the puja privately, in > > > > an adjoining room. Avoiding public schools is playing not to > lose, > > > instead of playing to > > > > win. It is time to win, by offering to teach TM in all > schools, > > > instead of cowering in fear of > > > > opposition. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *********** > > > > > > Are TM teachers in public schools actually doing this, > preperforming > > > the puja out of sight of the initiate? [maybe this is how they > did it > > > in Pakistan and other Islamic countries] If that is the case, > then > > > clearly the TMO might stand a chance in court. However, there is > no > > > evidence that this out-of-sight puja is a practice that is in > effect > > > in school-TM instruction. > > > > > > Your remark about playing to win/lose is careless. The TMO > suffered a > > > huge hit of bad publicity from Malnak and from the recent Terra > Linda > > > High School debacle. Rather than breaking the movement on the > hard > > > rocks of ignorance, it's better to follow the path of least > > > resistance and gain valuable publicity by teaching TM only in > private > > > schools, where issues of taxpayer support do not arise. When this > is > > > successful, it will become clear in the court of public opinion > that > > > TM is useful, instead of trying to overcome opposition in the > courts > > > of law. Parents want the best for their children, and they should > be > > > demanding TM instruction for their kids, instead of the TMO doing > a > > > stealth campaign in ghetto schools. Let kids at private schools > do > > > TM, and when this is successful and well-known, parents > everywhere > > > will want TM for their kids, whether it's part of the school day > or > > > not. > > > > > > Doing things that drag the TMO into court, like TM in public > schools, > > > only brings up the whole idiotic religion-or-not issue, an issue > that > > > it would be smarter to avoid completely. Let kids and parents > enjoy > > > TM in private school settings, and then practical people > everywhere > > > who don't give a damn whether TM is a religion or not can bring > it > > > into their family. > > > > > > > > > > The idea I submitted of puja performance out of sight was a > suggestion- I don't know the > > specifics of current instruction in schools. > > There are no active litigation proceedings. In the recent Marin > county experience, the > > program offer was withdrawn before implementation, rather force the > program in an > > inhospitable environment. > > > > The religion or not question always has to be addressed, public or > private school, as MMY > > is a Hindu monk. Avoiding the public schools as a policy > automatically raises red flags, > > and invites more intense scrutiny by all, private and public, so I > assert that by avoiding > > public schools, the progress of reaching all students, public and > private, will be delayed. > > > > The genius of TM is its effectiveness as a generic technique that > does not require belief of > > any sort. By placing the puja outside the direct participation of > the student, and by > > refraining from SCI instruction, TM can be taught as a non- > religious technique. It would be > > wise for the TMO to license a separate organization to teach TM in > the manner taught > > prior to the Siddhis program, an organization that values the > secular aspects of TM. > > > > > ************ > > Most people are practical, and practical people who see something of > value for their life in TM will start it whether somebody wants to > call it a religion or not. So it's ridiculous to say that the TMO > needs to convince people that TM is not a religion -- it's an issue > that can be, and is ignored when the TMO sticks to private schools. > > Really, TM in the West is just about completely irrelevant to the > transition to Satyuga. It's India alone that can be the basis of this > transition, so whether so a few students or others here in the USA or > elsewhere outside of India start TM does not matter. It was only > necessary to light a few candles outside of India in order to create > the precursor conditions for the Vedic culture of India to move the > world into Satyuga, and that prelim work has been accomplished. The > real transition to Satyuga will be implemented through TMO activities > in India: > > "India is the only country which can assume a parental role for every > country of the world with this knowledge of the Veda, with this total > knowledge of Natural Law, the Will of God. And everything is possible > under the protective nature of the Will of God, invincible God." (MMY > press conference 26 June 2002) > > "As Indian national consciousness rises in coherence -- which is the > basis of invincibility for the nation then world consciousness will > rise in coherence which is the basis of permanent world peace...One > sun rises, but its innumerable rays spread light everywhere...So it's > natural for the influence of coherence to spread from India to the > whole world." (MMY press conference 13Apr2005) > > Bob Brigante > http://geocities.com/bbrigante >
TM instruction rates in the West are abysmal. Not coincidently, the TMO became consistently increasingly overtly religious, beginning with the Siddhis program in the mid 1970s, and continuing until today. Virtually no one is starting TM today, despite the broad and deep acceptance of meditation in popular culture. Benson's Relaxation Response books and seminars were a double-edged sword to the TMO: Benson and the RR acknowledged the effectiveness of meditation and increased acceptance of meditation broadly, yet the Relaxation Response Technique, as a competitor to TM, became a 'No-brainer' choice over TM when RR claimed to be equally effective as TM at the same historical time that the TMO became overtly religious through the Siddhi program. Yes, most people are practical, and their practicality has been abundantly displayed over the past thirty-two years of not choosing to learn TM - largely, I contend, on the basis of not wanting to become Hindus in order to gain the benefits of meditation. The private school community is at least as concerned as the public school community regarding the religious aspects of any program. Therefore, the TMO would not avoid, and cannot ignore, the thorny issue of religiousity of TM were it to focus its presentations to the private school community exclusively. Regarding the reassurance that SatYug is nigh at hand, through the inevitability and necessity of India's role to bring all good to all of us - Great ! Wonderful ! I look forward to cathcing the rays of a global bath of beneficent light. Yet, as a practicality, it would be a good thing, and wise, to have a direct hand in raising one's consciousness. So I advocate for wide-spread individual TM practice in the West, yet that cannot happen if TMO remains an overtly religious organization. TM has, and can again, be taught honestly and effectively as a secular technique. As the last thirty-two years has shown, unless TM is taught as a secular technique, it's impact will be nill, notwithstanding the coming glories of SatYug.
