--- In [email protected], "dhamiltony2k5" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Local paper, The Fairfield Ledger asks tough editorial questions: > "The larger question, though, is whether Amma's popularity in the > Fairfield meditating community is a symptom of problems with in the TM > movement itself."
Pictures of Karunamayi 2005 visit to Fairfield: http://www.karunamayi.org/News/2005-Fairfield-Photos.shtml Karunamayi's 2005 visit chronicled: http://www.karunamayi.org/News/2005-FairfieldSummary.shtml > > In a shift of editorial policy, there's quite an editorial questioning > the the health and policy of the TMO in Thursday's Ledger. Using the > Ammachi visit to contrast with the policy and airs of the TMO the > Ledger probes and makes some tough comparisons. > > <snips> "Amma's humanitarian efforts- < > - contrast just as sharply > with the TM movement's fundraising campaigns < > Faced with a choice > between an organization that builds homes for the poor and one that > builds palaces, it is no wonder many people would rather give their > money to the former." "If Maharishi's organization dropped some of > its airs, it would be less likely to lose followers to Amma or any > other guru." "The TM movement can crown all the kings and build all > the palaces it wants, but it could still learn a thing or two from a > humble Indian woman who travels around the world giving hugs." > > Thursday's Fairfield Ledger July 14, `05 > > > > --- In [email protected], "dhamiltony2k5" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Just as a question from someone who never lived in Fairfield, > > what is the "official" reaction of the TMO and the campus > > administration to TMers attending such events? I have heard > > rather conflicting stories over the years, about people having > > their "dome badges" lifted, etc., and even (here) about death > > threats to visiting teachers, and since I've never really > > spent any time there, don't know. If someone does, could they > > clear up the picture for me? Thanks in advance, > > > > Unc > > > > The TMO and the `Lady-saints' > > > > > > Their overt reaction (the TMO) has been a persistent coercively > > administrative one, which effectively has been reactionary, combative, > > adversarial and at times predator like. In total it has driven a lot > > of people away from supporting them. > > > > In effect the meditating movement has gone away from them (the TMO) > > mostly. On the one hand in the TMO they are down now to a few hundred > > true-believer types up there. On the other hand, in town here there > > may be a couple of thousand adult meditators left. The recent TMO > > teacher re-certification program effectively has again stripped away > > another number of true-believers from FF. > > > > While there are still possibly a couple thousand old-time adult > > meditators left here in the Fairfield/Jefferson County community the > > actual true-believer attending TMO types is really down to a very few > > hundred. There are very few people left associated with MUM as staff > > or faculty. Dome attendance is way down. The place is active and > > running still but with very few people left in it. > > > > What was noticeable this time with the Mother-saints coming through is > > that the effect of the `re-certification' TMO course was to relieve a > > lot of old-movement meditators/teachers of any responsibility to the > > TMO. A lot of Fairfield meditators came out to the meetings with both > > Karunnamayi and Ammachi. There were lots and lots of old-time > > meditators/TMO governors etc. at the meetings. A lot of people got > > darshan from the Mothers this time for the first time being free of > > the TMO. The meetings were really quite large for the meditating > > community, being like old-home week out with the saints. > > > > By contrast, I spoke yesterday with some folks who did not make it > > over to the meetings because they are still hostage to the TMO for the > > financial support they do need to send their kids to the Maharishi > > school. That urgency for some to be able to have their kids still > > attend the Maharishi School is still is a remaining bit of leverage > > that keeps people in line for the TMO. In listening to these folks, > > this administrative coercion over their inclinations also breeds quite > > a lot of resentment in these people for who it applies. > > > > Demographically, with our kids growing older and graduating out of > > here in recent years, quite a number of people have taken the > > opportunity to leave as this point arrives for them. The MSAE as a > > meditation-based alternative school has been a large draw and anchor > > to have brought people to live here. Certainly a good number of a > > couple thousand have chosen to remain living in FF after their kids > > graduate on and some other number of folks have moved to lives > > elsewhere after their kids have passed through the school. > > Particularly in the last few years there has been quite a departure of > > these folks. Certainly the administrative vindictiveness over the > > dome attendance policy has played a role in the departure and Diaspora > > of the old Fairfield meditating community. > > > > An un-accounted for effect of the recent TMO re-certification program > > is that it has released a lot of TMO-bound people from responsibility > > to MMY or the TMO. What was that Martin Luther King line? "Free, > > free at last"? There may have been 20,000 US governors trained at one > > time, but the TMO now evidently is down to a few hundred cultists left > > in the middle. > > > > In the end now, Fairfield as a place again where spiritual practice is > > done by a community. Fairfield has already re-made itself as these > > lady saints and others attend to the long-time meditating community > > that is here as it is. It really a very beautiful powerful spiritual > > place to live. > > > > JGD, > > > > -Doug > > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/56801 > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "dhamiltony2k5" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > The lady saints arrive, chronicling FFL: > > > > > > Every year now these are some of the best weeks to be in Fairfield, > > > while the lady saints are arriving. > > > > > > Karunnamayi arrived last night in Fairfield for a visit of several > > > days. Last night she sat with people who had gathered to welcome her > > > in a home and then the group migrated over to the Temple on W. > > > Burlington Street that a number of Fairfield meditators maintain for > > > their worship. Karunnamayi again sat with people there. > > > > > > Tonight (Monday) Karunnamayi has a public meeting with people down at > > > Roberts Memorial Hall just north of Keosauqua. > > > > > > > > > These are the special months to be here in Fairfield. The annual > > > visits of the lady saints has started again now. > > > > > > Both Ammachi on her national tour and Karunnamayi on her national tour > > > also come to Fairfield. Both like Fairfield especially for the unique > > > large community of old long-time meditators doing a long sadhana here. > > > Each lady saint carries her own `field effect' of darshan to give > > > freely on their national tours according to their own character. > > > However, coming to Fairfield they evidently both like to pool the good > > > powerful field effect that can be had with the large group of our long > > > time practicing meditator community here. > > > > > > They do get invited here to Fairfield by the meditating community. To > > > bring the Lady saints here there is a lot of concerted committee work > > > that goes on in the meditating community to sponsoring them here. > > > Each of these saints are great teachers with large spiritual gifts to > > > consul in their ways. They have been very formative for the > > > meditation practices of a lot of Fairfield meditators especially here > > > in the last years of the TMO and MMY. > > > > > > > > > Tuesday morning Karunnamayi sits with people individually for > > > blessings also down at Roberts Memorial Hall. > > > > > > Weds. She presides over a fire homa ceremony held up by Vedic City. > > > > > > Like with Ammachi's visits these meetings are always powerful with > > > Shakti and Atman Vidya to be a part of. The meetings are also great > > > fun to go to and see who all comes out of the FF wood work here and > > > see who all is still here in the meditating community. > > > > > > JGD, -D > > > > .. ... To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! 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