--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltabl...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchydog@> wrote: > > <I bought a bunch of saris and that is all I wore, and still I felt out of > place.> > > <Snip> > > <He did not fit into our culture and he never asked anyone to fit into his.> > > The reason you wore a sari was because of his expressed desire to the ladies > on that course. He shaped every nuance of our lives on that course. There > was no aspect of our lives that that he didn't comment on, and we reacted to > immediately. > > Maharishi not only asked us to fit into Indian culture, he required it. > Every single thing he wanted was carried out by all of us down to what we > ate, what we wore, what we did every second of every day in India. > > For you to say he never asked anyone to fit into his culture as an insider, > to a bunch of us who were there living and dying by every statement and > announcement from the guy each day of that course is shocking to read. I am > reminded not only about what a complete control freak the guy was, but how > willing we are were to fall on our own sword for him rather than let the > world know what absolute control he had over our lives. > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "geezerfreak" <geezerfreak@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchydog@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Post of the month, maybe of the year. Comment below. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks. You are probably the only one arising from the rabble of FFLife > > > > who thinks so. But I'll take the compliment. > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchydog@> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > TM cannot exist without the TMO. Warts and all, it > > > > > > is the only organization capable of teaching TM so > > > > > > that it remains TM, a simple mental technique, > > > > > > rather than some watered down version that loses its > > > > > > effectiveness. Maharishi's great gift to the world > > > > > > was a systematic way to allow the mind to transcend. > > > > > > > > > > > > IMO the foundation of Maharishi's worldwide TMO is > > > > > > secure enough to endure leadership foibles and > > > > > > growing pains just as it always has. It will always > > > > > > have detractors, saints, dummies and TM teachers off > > > > > > the reservation who will teach, who knows what. > > > > > > Regardless, the TMO is the only reliable glue that > > > > > > can hold the teaching of TM together in perpetuity > > > > > > or at least for a very long time. > > > > > <snip> > > > > > > > > > > The argument can certainly be made that the TMO > > > > > shouldn't be a crusading, messianic organization, > > > > > but that's how its founder saw it from the very > > > > > beginning, and there isn't really anything that > > > > > can be done about it now; it isn't going to change > > > > > in that regard. > > > > > > > > I don't believe Maharishi thought of the TMO as a crusading, messianic > > > > organization. Certainly, these are loaded words meant to malign. But, > > > > no. In the early days, it was more like, he had a bunch of unkempt > > > > hippies on TTC who needed direction, structure, discipline and routine, > > > > if he hoped to hone their ability to teach with any requisite > > > > precision. Undoubtedly, discipline and routine will evoke rigidity and > > > > extremism in extremist personalities, (usually Fascists or Communists) > > > > but so what. Organizations must remain organized or disband. < > > > > > > Did you ever spend a lot of time around Maharishi, Raunch? I'm not asking > > > whether you were in the audience at TTC (come to think of it, were you > > > ever trained as a teacher?) or an SCI course or something.....but did you > > > ever work closely with MMY? > > > > > > I was always amused when I would get back in the states and hear > > > meditators complaining about TMO weirdness. It was always "if Maharishi > > > only knew what was going on, he would fix all of this!" I'd chuckle and > > > be a good little soldier and keep my mouth shut but the truth, as Rick or > > > Barry or basically anyone here who ever worked with MMY knows, is that > > > Maharishi was in on EVERYTHING that went down. He was the ultimate > > > control freak. > > > > > > So you can blame "extremism" on extremist personalities but you better > > > include Maharishi as the MOST extreme since he was basically at the heart > > > of everything that went on. > > > > > > The rajas....the ridiculous costumes, every bit of weirdness emanating > > > out of Vlodrop for years was not the work of a few extreme personalities. > > > It was the work of one extreme personality. The underlings just execute > > > the will of the master. > > > > > > Maharishi as the leader and full architect of a crusading, messianic > > > organization? You better believe it! > > > > > > > Just as Judy says, this point is arguable. I was on the PAC Pal Vedic Atom. > > We spent four months with Maharishi in India 1980-81 and saw him just about > > every day, morning and evening. Images and events about that experience > > remain clearly engraved in memory. Talk about culture shock. India...there > > is no place like it on earth, so strange and beautiful. Straight away, I > > felt out of place wearing western clothes. I bought a bunch of saris and > > that is all I wore, and still I felt out of place. It was like wearing > > clothes that belonged to someone else. I felt clumsy and awkward. I > > constantly stepped or tripped on the hem or had difficulty with the end > > piece that was supposed to remain gracefully draped over my shoulder. My > > incredibly delicate shoulder drapery often found its way into my food. Try > > as I may I could never have fit into an Indian culture in a million years. > > > > Maharishi is a product of his culture and he was true to it. We could not > > have expected anything otherwise. He did not fit into our culture and he > > never asked anyone to fit into his. Whether he wanted to weigh Tony in gold > > or have men wearing golden tiaras and tutus, it doesn't matter one whit in > > the larger scheme of things. The only thing he ever wanted from us as > > teachers was to teach TM as he instructed through the TMO. The TMO is not a > > messianic organization. Rather, it is a product of Maharishi's good sense > > and planning, interleaved and inseparable from his unique culture. > > > Well put Curtis. Raunch's comments are so out of touch with the reality of what happened that I just throw my hands up and move on, putting a mental check mark of "cultwhipped" in the Raunch column. There's no reasoning with folk this far gone IMO but I give you huge credit for your amazing patience and ability to attempt reason when the chances of understanding are nil.
I wanna be like you when I grow up.
