--- In [email protected], "ruthsimplicity" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: <snip> > I suppose I could speak more precisely as you clearly value > precision.
I think it's particularly important in this context. > The TMO back in the early 70s when I learned TM, certainly > implied that the mantras were special secrets. There was no > google to find out otherwise. To be more precise, you bought > the technique which included your mantra. You listened to some > lectures with lots of charts, brought the flowers and the > hankie, looked at a mysterious picture and heard words in a > language you did not understand and in a few minutes were taught > how to meditate. You were told not to say your > mantra out loud or to tell it to anyone. It was special. This last is pretty standard with mantra meditation techniques. > Now the technique is sold for a significant amount of money, > essentially elitist which violates my western democratic > sensibilities. I also cannot separate the high charges from the > mysteries of "where does the money go?" Nobody likes the money situation. But it doesn't have anything to do with the theory of the TM technique. > As far as "the knowledge" being lost, I have heard a number > of TM'ers say that knowledge of TM was once available > throughout the world but was lost. Certainly, the specific > mantras were not used in the western world during recorded > history nor is there evidence of use of a TM type technique > in the western world. I'm not sure that's true, actually. On the other hand, I'm not sure "throughout the world" is true either. And if these people meant to imply that TM *per se* was available, that's just wrong. The idea that knowledge of *effortless transcending* was widely available throughout the ancient world seems to me to be plausible. <snip> > However, I do think the effortless idea is cool. Anyone aware > of any other meditation systems that use such a technique? There are plenty of people who will *claim* there are other techniques that are effortless in the same way as TM, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, the claims simply don't hold up. We've had a lot of debates here about that point. Even though I > think it is cool, that does not mean the technique is best for me. > > How appealing to the modern western world! TM is effortless, not > religious, scientific and at the end you still are one with God. > > (As a courtesy to the TBs, I removed my sarcasm that was inserted > here. For some reason, I am rapidly losing my openmindedness) I have to say (well, no, I don't have to, but I'm gonna), your thinking on these issues seems to me much less clear and objective than it has been in discussions on other topics. (And no, it's not just because we don't agree. I'm just getting a sense of muddledness. Apparently I'm a minority of one on that point, though.)
