This IStruly very inspiring and the people needing to learn the most from it are MMY & the TMO! Here is a parallel of how MMY himself started off before his innocence became corrupted by Western money - offering TM for free, a university for free etc and how Nature Support just kept on growing. By contrast Nature Support for the TMO has been non-existant for some decades now. The more exploitative the Movement, the less of it is about. This story is more impressive than anything that has happened in Fairfield..
--- In [email protected], bbrigante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Maharishi_Mahesh_Yogi/message/1604 > > A few weeks ago, Dr. Taddy Blecher visited his favorite place: > Jefferson County, Iowa. > > Voted South Africa's best speaker, Taddy has met with presidents > (like Bill Clinton) of many countries, and inspired a large donation > to his school from finance guru Suze Orman. > > A leading business magazine: "Blecher is 35, going on 15. He is > animated and entertaining, and in an interview, is more interested > in helping his interviewer to improve his or her life than talking > about himself. > "Journalists describe Blecher as a grown-up Harry Potter, because he > seems to live an enchanted life. > > "Blecher exudes positive energy and childlike innocence, but under > that exterior lies one of the most intelligent minds the world has > ever seen." > > Taddy's talk (here condensed) at M.S.A.E....moved many to tears: > > South Africa, 1995: Infighting, crime are rampant. The Rand is > falling. The stock market is nowhere. Intelligentsia rent rather > than own -- so they can exit quickly. Everyone talks of emigrating > to Australia, America... > > Dr. Taddy Blecher will move to Iowa. Everything's packed. Two > weeks before Taddy's exit, Maharishi calls South Africa, says "no > TMers should leave this nation." Maharishi feels South Africa faces > a real disaster, and needs to form a superradiance group. > > That night, sleepless in Soweto, Taddy decides to stay. He joins > two Transcendental Meditation teachers in non-profit "C.I.D.A." > (teaches the T. M. program to the poor). > > His parents: "Are you nuts? We spent all this money to get you four > degrees, and you're throwing it away!" > > Taddy goes to Alexandra. Twenty people live in one house. > Cardboard shacks. No shoes or adequate clothing. > > He visits the shockingly run-down, chaotic schools. One depressed > headmaster learns what TM is, says: "Are you crazy? Nobody in our > school does anything anyway, and you want to institutionalize it! > You want to build it into the timetable that they do nothing. I'm > not doing that in MY school." > > This headmaster eventually learns TM himself...in an attempt to end > terrible headaches. He loves it, as do his teachers who learn TM > also. > > Soon, nine thousand students learn TM. The whole area changes. > Pass rates go up by 25% in the TM schools. (TM is the only new > element.) In control schools (12,000 students) pass rates drop one > percent. > > Suicides stop completely. (One school had eight recent suicides.) > Vandalism, violence deeply drop. > > After the students learn, it is "night and day, the change in this > place." > > Alexandra had been highly stressed. The world's most dangerous road > was in Alexandra. No sane people traveled London Road. > > To keep himself safe, Taddy bought an outlandishly purple car. > > Taddy: "After a few years teaching TM, we drove around the > township. The love, the positivity... London Road completely lost > its reputation. Crime fell over eighty percent. No one knew why. > > "South Africa won the All-Africa Games, and put them in Alexandra. > Unthinkable, until there was all this coherence. > > "This had been an area even police avoided. Until WE went in. > After we taught TM there for two years, the police felt safe, so > police were everywhere. > > "In the beginning -- no police. When you needed them, you could > find none. Two years later, police are everywhere...talking about > how they made the township safe -- they 'brought down crime.' We > were like 'Yeah, sure.' > > "We would not make that mistake again. Before we started our city > university, we told the mayor what would happen in his city. Now, > every time we see him, we say, 'we told you so.' > > "We taught nine thousand kids. They came out of grade twelve...so > pumped up. But, unable to afford to go to University, they ended up > not getting good jobs. > > "Unemployment is forty percent in South Africa. Apartheid > structured this by taking math out of schools. Millions of blacks > had no math, no science. This 'education' was cruel." > > Taddy and four friends decided to create South Africa's first FREE > university. Knowing nothing of how to start a university, they > talked to professors at other universities, who said you need mucho > money. > > "Fifty CEOs of companies slammed their doors on us. It was the most > insane idea they had ever heard. We had no books, no computers, no > teachers, no buildings. > > "An old saying: 'Just begin to weave, and God will provide the > thread.' > > "You don't have any thread. You just have a desire deep inside your > heart. You have a feeling in every cell of your body: this is what > you have to do. So you just start. Just out of nothing... > > "We wrote to 350 schools. After two weeks, we had five students who > wanted to go to this imaginary university that did not exist. > > "Soon we had ten, twenty, forty applications. We used my old > company's fax machine (we didn't have our own). Eventually four > thousand students applied...to a university which did not exist." > > People phoned to ask, "Where IS this university?" > > "Phone us in a week, and we'll tell you at which building we will > register your child." > > "Because Monitor's logo was on the envelope, some thought Monitor (a > consulting firm) was the university. > > "Some days I saw outside Monitor...security guards holding back > forty or more people. Desperate to get in, to take their children > to this university. Security said, 'Go away.' The parents: 'Your > university is so BEAUTIFUL!'" > > "This is not a university! It is a consulting firm!" > > The parents said, "Please take my child." They just didn't want to > hear... > > Taddy spent many sleepless nights. "Two weeks before school was to > begin, we got a building downtown. It was terribly dark inside -- > awful. On the fifth floor, we found four hundred chairs. So we > invited 350 students. > > "At our inauguration, we had no idea what we were doing. We > introduced the students to the five of us, the management. Then we > wanted them to meet the faculty. > > "The five of us stepped back, then forward. So they met their > teachers for statistics, math, H.R. management, finance, I.T. We > each taught five subjects, which we didn't really know. Every > night, we sweated until late, learning these subjects to teach the > students the next day. > > "By day two, we had lost more students in one day (100) than any > university in history. But the 250 that remained were amazing. > > "We talked of consciousness-based education. And why all the other > universities, with such huge buildings, etc. -- didn't matter. This > was the really great university. It didn't matter that we had no > library, computers -- those things are peripheral. > > "To teach about computers, we made 250 photocopies of a computer > keyboard. We taught every student to type on a piece of paper. For > three years in a row, we taught students to type on a piece of > paper. > > "We created things out of nothing. We had no textbooks, so we used > magazines. Using donated financial magazines, we learned > investments, finance, English, stock markets. This was their only > textbook so students really appreciated it. > > "There was so much energy in our school, you cannot imagine. The > feeling -- I never felt anything like it. All these students -- no > nothing. No library. All these students coming every day to to > university -- and so happy. Just meditating every day, studying > S.C.I. We did Total Knowledge and Perfect Man." > > These kids came from deep rural areas, squatter camps. In every > case, they were the first in their family that had ever been to > university. In South Africa, 97% of adults never go to college. > > "This was the chance of a lifetime. Their village depended on > them. We brought one student from every village. We wanted to > bring knowledge back to every village -- consciousness knowledge, > entrepreneurship knowledge... > > "There was so much suffering in these villages. But now our > graduates go back to teach their village...how to create businesses, > farm, manage money... > > "If you're poor in South Africa, you pay 300% to 600% interest per > year. If you get a one Rand loan, you have to pay six Rand back. > This leads to a lot of woman abuse, child abuse, suicides... So we > sent out this army of people to teach. > > "Investec Bank visited us, and could not believe what they saw. > Students singing, holding hands. The place was dark. They decided > to give us their old building -- they had moved out of the city (to > the suburbs). No one wanted to live in this crime-filled, decaying > city. > > "We encouraged them to move. We gave bank managers tours of the > wonderful suburbs. We were given four buildings in two years. One > building we didn't need, so we sold it. > > "Moving into our Investec building, the students were beside > themselves. It had marble, imported cherry wood. (Three years ago, > I visited M.I.T. I truly felt bad for all these kids at M.I.T. > Where's the marble? Where's the fountains? They don't have what > our students have.) > > "We got American companies to donate FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS of > books. One thousand copies of every book we wanted -- every finance > textbook. > > "But these weighed many tons. How to get them to South Africa? We > learned South African export ships...return empty. We were allowed > to fill these. > > "We now have 300,000 books. Our business library is better than > most universities. > > "The five of us teaching was not ideal. How could we get GREAT > lecturers? > > "Might South Africa's top accounting firm....VOLUNTEER to teach? > They put an ad in their Pretoria and Johannesburg offices. Within > hours, 250 accountants signed up. Suddenly our accounting faculty > was tops in the country. > > "Operations management was taught by another top firm. Strategy was > taught by Monitor. These guys charge $2,000 per hour, but teach at > our university for free. > > "We talked to Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Cisco... We are now the > only university in all of Africa where you can become a S.A.P. > professional. > > "No universities can afford S.A.P. (It costs 320,000 Rand to become > an S.A.P. professional.) We are the only university that can afford > S.A.P., because we get it free. > > "Five years later, we have five buildings. Another six buildings > were donated, but we gave them back. We have 1400 computers. > > "We now have a foundation college, where students come and live. > All the college's tutors are our graduates. > > "At our first graduation, we had a thousand parents and family > members. Our students had taught 500,000 people around South Africa > how to build businesses, etc. -- now they were graduating. > > "Most parents/grandparents knew no English. They held our hands and > cried. Their children now worked at Big-Three automakers, big > banks, etc., earning huge salaries. > > "These parents earn maybe 300 Rand a month. Their child now earned > 12,000 a month. We calculated: For every Rand that goes to our > education, 200 Rand goes to poor South Africans. > > "These kids came in unemployed. Nobody believed in them. They were > down and out. We gave them this education, and they became > enlightened, bright citizens with wonderful jobs. > > "A Big-Three automaker gave four students a shot at a one-year > contract. If they didn't do well, they would be out. After a year, > the firm gave all four...full-time jobs, permanent contracts. Three > got company cars. > > "We didn't teach auditing, but one student joined the automaker's > auditing department. He got promoted three levels. > > "In their first year in jobs, these students earned four times the > entire cost of their four-year education. Over the forty years of > their working lives, they will earn two hundred times what it cost > to educate them. > > "Our first graduation was so touching -- I almost cried. I saw a > thousand faces of parents whose lives were changed by our > education. Their whole villages were changed. > > "In the middle of graduation, the students couldn't contain > themselves anymore; they all got up to sing. We danced and sang for > fifteen minutes in the middle of graduation -- on prime time TV. > This had never happened at a South Africa graduation. > > "'Last year we miraculously got our full accreditation. You have no > idea how hard it was. Especially for people who knew nothing about > running a university. We just made it up as we went along. We came > up with two hundred new ideas as we went along. > > "Now everyone loves our ideas: students running the whole campus; > the ways we teach; the ways we use technology. We've got > educational innovations, financing innovations, access > innovations... > > "We won the award for the most innovative organization in the whole > country. A huge, prestigious award. Seven hundred companies > compete every year: giant telecoms, cell phone companies, I.T. > companies. It has never NOT been won by an I.T. company. We were > the first. > > "Nelson Mandela heard of this, so we got to see him again. He > absolutely loves what we are doing. He was so excited. We won > multiple other awards. > > "Six years ago, South Africa had 1200 higher-education > institutions. After they introduced the new accreditation process, > 800 universities closed. Only 400 continued. Of these, only ninety > got accredited. Only five got accredited for undergraduate business > degree -- we were one of them. > > "To get accredited took four long years, slaving away, eighteen > hours a day, seven days a week. Now our university is a household > name in South Africa, especially in poor areas. > > "This is South Africa's only free university. The government does > not understand how we have done it. No one understands how we have > done it. > > "Our kids are doing brilliantly. Many visitors come in, spend time > with our students, and start crying. They can't believe it. > > "All our 1350 kids have learned TM. Hundreds are sidhas. Every day > we have a powerful group program. You feel it when you enter the > building. > > "It's not been easy. We are in downtown Johannesburg -- not ideal. > Anyone and everyone comes to tell us: they like TM, they don't like > TM. They like this, they don't like that. Donors have pulled out. > Donors have come back in. > > "This is what it's like to do Maharishi's work. It's not easy. > Nobody shakes your hand every day. Donors threaten to pull out. > But you keep on, and keep on. And keep on. > > "Really this just arose from the mud. Our students come from > nothing. If you meet them, you can't imagine that they have > achieved what they achieved. > > "When they come in, English is their fourth or fifth language. > They're so shy. They know no one. > > "They have heard their whole lives they are nobody. So we get them > into every competition we can think of. Every day we tell > them: 'Man is made in the image of God. You are the greatest people > that ever walked the earth.' > > "We had some $10 bikes donated. In big races, people ride $1,000 or > $10,000 bikes. One of our students got a map and a light...and > (without our knowledge) bicycled 300 miles to compete in a race. > > "He got lost, and was exhausted when the 100 kilometer race > STARTED. He finished in the top ten, of seven thousand > competitors. With a $10 bike. He had no money for lodging, so he > immediately bicycled, day and night -- his big trophy tucked in his > shirt -- the 300 miles home. > > "In 2004, a Microsoft competition sought the top person on earth in > Microsoft Word and Excel. Forty-seven of our students competed in > this, against thousands of top students from other South African > universities. > > "Our students scored highest in the whole country, in both Word and > Excel. These students had never touched a computer. They had > learned only on a piece of paper. Microsoft flew them to France, > where a little girl of ours came in third in all of Europe. > > "The Dalai Lama visited us. We put a thousand students in front of > him, sidhas in front. He was to stay forty minutes. After ten > minutes he told his helpers, 'Cancel my other appointments. I am > not leaving.' > > "He stayed three hours. At the end he held my arm and said, 'These > students are so BRIGHT.' > > "He had never seen children like this. We told him about TM and > Maharishi's programs. He said this was his favorite thing in South > Africa. > > "Now the Dalai Lama himself personally sponsors a student to come to > CIDA. The Dalai Lama told us a black friend...had said 'black > people can never be as intelligent as whites.' He had come to know > that, and given up trying." > > The Dalai Lama said, "You are absolutely wrong." To prove it, the > Dalai Lama is sponsoring this man's son to go to CIDA. The Dalai > Lama insisted on paying the full fees for this boy. > > 2003: Taddy got a call: "Oprah is coming to visit you." > Taddy: "Oprah who?" > > "Oprah Winfrey came with a entourage. We put her upstairs with ten > young sidhas. After an hour, I walked in. Oprah was shining, > excited. She had never heard young people talk like this. She kept > saying, 'But how could you know that?' > > "They told her: 'We all do Transcendental Meditation.' Oprah: 'TM? > That is so fantastic.' From that moment on, that's all Oprah spoke > about. She loves TM. > > "She talked to giant groups of students. All she talked about was > how she meditates every day. We don't know if she does TM. She > went on and on about meditation. > > "She wanted to fund us because we have meditation. She gave us $1.3 > million to build a ladies residence. > > "2004: Oprah turned fifty. Her staff said her favorite thing in the > last few years was our little university. Her staff's birthday > present: checks for $4,000 and $10,000, to sponsor students in > Oprah's name to come to our university. > > "We don't have fighting in South Africa anymore. It's gone. > > "All these people emigrating -- they are all coming back. Our stock > exchange is at an all-time high. The Rand has doubled in strength. > An unprecedented number of businesses are starting. Business > confidence is at an all-time high. People are so positive and they > don't know why. > > "In a newspaper article, a Parliament minister challenged the > police: 'I don't believe you have reduced crime by 70%. I know > crime has fallen, but you have not done anything different as a > police force. There must be something else going on.' > > "One of our buildings was valued at half a million Rand three years > ago. We just sold it for 6.3 million Rand. > > "Occupancy rates have increased. They were decreasing for twelve > years." > > "CIDA students were chosen to judge the African version of 'The > Apprentice' TV show. > > "The government of one province volunteered to donate land to CIDA, > so desperate are they to educate their youth. > > "Will this model work in America? I don't know. But we could find > something. Certainly it's possible. We just have to desire it > enough, and it will come. > > "Don't fear failure. If anyone has had failure, it is us. We made > so many mistakes. So many things went wrong. But all the time we > just have this invincible support of natural law. > > "Every day you just have to be in the Self. Just tap into what > Nature's telling you, and what ideas come up. Because every day > there are ideas. > > "Every time our backs were against the wall -- which was often -- we > just went inwards. Eureka! An idea comes. > > "That's what you can do as well. That's really how you do it. It's > very simple." 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! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
