--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "hugheshugo" > <richardhughes103@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, gullible fool <fflmod@> > > wrote: > > > > > > I know only one of them, because he's from my area. , > > > Believe it or not, he has a Harvard law degree. > > > > > > "You come in here with a skullful of mush...I train > > > your mind." What would be the TMO version of this > > > line? > > > > How about "we turn your mind into a skull full of mush and > > give you a crown to show the job is finished" > > > > I can't bear to be in the same room as the Maharishi channel > > anymore in case someone I know sees me and thinks I approve. > > > > Some might think that's an overreaction but I'm hardly alone. > > Here's a funny story; On one of the last residential courses > > in England a couple who had just learned to meditate turned > > up for their first taste of rounding, they sat down to dinner > > and had apparently had a nice time talking to the rest of the > > CP's. Then they met the teacher running the course who > > explained what they were going to be doing, gave them there > > program etc. After that they sat down to the first meeting > > of the weekend where upon the teacher put on a tape of King > > Tony espousing his infinite wisdoms at which point the new > > couple looked at each other, stood up, walked out of the > > room, packed their bags and left, never to be seen again. > > > > How does the TMO get it so wrong? And without even realising > > that most people think the "raja" concept absurdly cultish. > > Are they on a mission to alienate all but the most devout? > > I honestly think it's a factor of "not getting > out much." > > Seriously. You've got a movement that used to > *preach* "Meditate a few minutes morning and > evening and then engage in vigorous activity" > and "TM is for householders, not recluses." > But then what did they do, in all the inner > circles of that movement? They started living > like recluses. > > Think about it. The people who become Rajas, > what are their lifestyles like? Do they ever > even *talk* to someone who doesn't do TM, > except to hit them up for money? Do they ever > get out and about in the towns they live in? > And, most important, do they ever interact with > normal people in the world, and get some feed- > back from them that *their* lifestyle is any- > thing *but* normal? > > I don't think they do. I would imagine that > there are a few genuinely inspired Rajas who, > as Jim suggests, are in it for the karma yoga, > and who get out and interact in the world in > an attempt to try to help that world. But I > would also guess that there really are only > a handful of them. > > The rest strike me as poseurs who are in it > to impress the people around them. ALL of the > people around them do TM, and basically worship > Maharishi, and so these guys want to get some > "proximity worship" going towards themselves > by being able to dress up in funny costumes > and say, "Hey...aren't we special...we gave > a million bucks to our teacher. Look upon us > with awe, ye peasants." Or something like that. > > Rajas were after my time in the TM movement, > but I saw plenty of their predecessors during > the time I was there. I'm sorry, Jim, but my > experience was that for every truly inspired > karma yogi there were 30 poseurs who were in > it to be perceived as big fish in a small pond. > > Why they do such stupid stuff and turn off so > many people is that they haven't been *out* > of that small pond in years, possibly decades. > All they *know* is the small pond. And so these > antics and these costumes don't seem strange > to them; they actually think they're normal. > > My theory about spiritual teaching is that the > day you lose touch with the "common people" > you are theoretically trying to help, on that > day you are no longer helping them. You're > helping yourself. >
You're right, of course. I guess every group that becomes isolated from the everyday world turns a bit weird, throw soemone who is considered to "speak with the voice of nature" into the mix and it's a recipe for... well we know the rest. In my time in the TMO I worked with the chap who is now the Euro- raja, he is a really nice guy, very devoted and not at all trying to be a "big fish" I'm happy to say. I had a lot of respect for him, and still do as it goes, he's doing what he wants. I admire people who devote their lives to their favourite cause. I just think it's all gone wrong, did you read the Belgium declaration Shemp posted? That's the group I joined, but I doubt it was ever actually like that.
