Turq, what you write (below) resonates with me just as much as Edg's piece did. Thank you for writing it so well.
Marek ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I guess it's the day to take advantage of Off's > thread and write early obits. Cool. It's an > unseasonably warm night here, and I'm sitting > at an outdoor table in a bar called Nirvana > with a Margarita in one hand and a Suzie about > to be in the other. But until she arrives, it > seems an apropos time to write a little off- > the-cuff something about Maharishi. > > As much as I appreciate Edg's strongly-felt > emotional ties, Maharishi's death probably won't > hit me hard. That's not an insult; it's just > that I last saw him over thirty years ago, when > I walked away from the TM movement. That's a > long time ago. > > Edg's post got me thinking, and in my case I > think it really was the TM movement I walked > away from, not Maharishi per se. I had no big > disagreement with him or with anything he had > said or done; I just didn't fit in what the TM > movement had become, and was becoming more of > with every passing day. It was costing me too > much -- in money, in time, and in self respect -- > to continue to hang around in an environment > that was heading down a path I did not perceive > to be mine. > > So I split. And when I did, I really didn't miss > Maharishi personally all that much. I had my > share of face time with him, and enjoyed both > hearing him speak and being around him, watching > him do his thing, but somehow I never really > developed that guru-disciple thang. So I didn't > really miss him *as* a guru. And I didn't miss > the TM movement at all. > > I didn't give either much thought until, decades > later, I ran into alt.meditation.transcendental > on the Internet. I started my career as an Internet > Asshole there, many years ago, and found that I > actually enjoyed talking with TMers, whether they > were still in the TB camp or in the EX camp. One > of the great things that Maharishi did for us > was to give us a common language with which to > discuss spiritual matters. And, since we all know > and speak that language, it makes communication > somewhat easier. There's no need to "fill in the > back story" all the time like there is when talk- > ing with people who've been down a completely > different spiritual path. When we make in-jokes, > whether there on a.m.t. or here on FFL, most of > us tend to *get* those in-jokes. It's really fun > to bounce words around with a bunch of guys and > gals who, for the most part, can proudly wear > the Been There, Done That T-shirt with the photo > of Maharishi on it. > > If for that language alone, I'd be indebted to > the guy. But there was more, much more. The TM > technique itself, the experience of "long round- > ing," the experience of *teaching*, ferchrissakes. > And a lot of fun along the way. When it stopped > being as much fun as I was looking for, I split. > But up to that point there had been a lot of > fun and a lot of life-shaping moments, and I'm > thankful both for them and for the man who > provided the environment in which they happened. > > I don't really know what to think of Maharishi > The Person. I know all the less-than-positive > spin, and yet I really can wear the Been There, > Done That T-shirt for the positive spin, too. So > for me the jury is still out on Maharishi The > Person, and I'm comfortable with it being out > for the rest of my life. I really don't need to > have a fixed opinion about him one way or another. > > He was my first long-term spiritual teacher, and > tonight I feel like stepping up to the plate and > thanking him for being one, and for teaching me > a lot. Wherever he might be headed after this life > is done, I wish him well in his next one, whether > it be manifest or unmanifest. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > My father was born in 1917 too. He died last year, and his diet was > > typical crappola, only meditated for a couple years, had a lot of > > booze and cigarettes up to age 55, worked very hard all his life, and > > went to church every week for the last five years of his life. By > > most standards found in Fairfield about "eating right, exercise, rest, > > spirituality, right action, et al," he was way way down on the list of > > those you'd expect to live to 89 years old -- yet he lasted almost as > > long as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. > > > > So, where's the beef? Where's the physical immortality, where's > > Maharishi hovering, where's perfect health, where's worldwide success > > of the WORLD FUCKING PLAN? Except for the billion bucks he took off > > of us suckers, what has TM done for him?...and why didn't TM at least > > make us, say, even 10% as rich as Maharishi? Sigh, to even type these > > words flames my face crimson. > > > > All that said, I confess I'm struggling with his passing. As callous > > as I have been about him since I decided to follow the money after my > > personal disasters pulled rug after rug out from under my belief > > system, I have Maharishi to thank for doing whatever it took to get me > > from hippy hating the world to hopper hoping for happiness, and, gotta > > say it, hoping was bread and butter to me for decades. > > > > Maharishi's endearing manner -- he's so fucking sweet -- his fairly > > deep philosophical clarity, his ancient dogma, and my own delusions > > made for a nice package -- for awhile. I have Maharishi to thank for > > getting me into the "thinking hard" business. I have had and still > > have no end of delight having the eastern concepts get juggled in my > > mind, and who was there in 1971 to have gotten me into this? He had > > me at giggle. > > > > No matter my naivete being leveraged, no matter the opportunities > > lost, the money misused, and all that everyone in FF gives up to live > > there, at least for decades I thought I was spiritually "covered," and > > I was comforted by all this despite the daily miseries of ordinary > > life complexed by a cult lifestyle. > > > > Oh, I wouldn't do it again, but much that I take pride in simply would > > not be "in me" now without Maharishi's Cavalcade of Cure-alls coming > > to town. > > > > A big big part of me loves him still, and I cannot tell those feelings > > and thoughts to stop despite all the evidence of the abuse of the TMO. > > I'd toss Girish and Co. off a cliff, but no matter what, I gotta tell > > ya, I've got a profit from this whole fiasco. > > > > God bless Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. > > > > His death will be hard on me. > > > > Edg > > > > > > > > > > . --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 <no_reply@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > My info is that he has not, but will soon. > > > > > > > > > > "My work is done. My life has come to an end. Long live the > > > > > world in peace, happiness and freedom from suffering." > > > > > > > > > > -Maharishi, 11 january 2008 > > > > > > > > Did your sources include him hitting up the Rajas for some cash one > > > > last time for his "gift", monuments to himself? He is the most > > > > self-congratulatory dude I have ever seen. > > > > > > Hmm, yes, that must be why he asked that they be > > > built "in the name of Guru Dev." > > > > > > > I remember him in India saying : It was the most fortunate thing > > > > for all mankind...that I decided to come out. > > > > > > > > I know the whole enlightenment stick is supposed to be about > > > > cosmic ego, but isn't there a limit? > > > > > > Actually, in terms of what I've heard or read from > > > MMY, the "most fortunate thing" quote is the > > > exception rather than the rule. He's been almost > > > compulsive about giving credit for everything to > > > Guru Dev. > > > > > >
