--- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], "L B Shriver" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > [...] > > > > Nevertheless, I think that the greatest source of outrage against movement > > excesses is > the > > pain of waking from a murky slumber, induced by a sleeping potion heavily > > laced with > > denial. In my own case, for example, there were certain assumptions about > > the nature of > > the organization that I clung to far beyond any evidence for their > > usefulness. I would > > guess that the broadest general category of such misimpressions has to do > > with the cult > > nature of the TMO. To deny that it is a cult is to place oneself outside > > the domain of > > mainstream rationality. Once it is acknowledged to be a cult, however, it > > can be allowed > > that some of its policies may in fact be reasonable, given that context. > > However, almost > no > > assertion of irrationality can be dismissed out of hand. It must be > > considered on the > basis > > of the evidence. > > TM isn't a cult. TM is a meditation "practice."
@@@@@@@@ I did not assert that TM is a cult, neither in this message nor any other that I am aware of. I was referring specifically and explicity to the organization. @@@@@@@@ > > > > > This is often difficult to do from a distance. To live in Fairfield, > > however, is to have > access > > to a great number of disturbing reports which would normally not circulate > > outside of > > Jefferson County. Some of them turn out to be false and unfounded, but on > > the whole > they > > paint a picture that resembles a giant version of those plastic tokens that > > look like one > > thing when looked at one way, and something entirely different when looked > > at from a > > different angle. > > In other words, you've got a distorted view of the TMO by being TOO close to > it. @@@@@@@@ Both kinds of distortion are common, and I have been subject to each at different times. @@@@@@@@ > > > > > Personally, I feel that the "purity of the teaching" as I have understood > > it has already > been > > lost. There is very little there left preserving, and that which is worthy > > of preserving can > > best be saved outside the context of the organization. > > > > So which branch of Christianity has done the best at preserving the oral > tradition? @@@@@@@@ I am not discussing Christianity here, so I will not bother responding to this question. @@@@@@@@ > > The TMO has been set up specifically to preserve its oral tradition. That is > NOT the case > for ANY major branch of the Christian religion, and it shows, IMHO. > > Whether or not the TMO approach will work for any length of time remains to > be seen. > What we CAN be sure of is that most, if not all, other approaches have not > seemed to > work. > > Look at Benson's Relaxation Response, based on numerous interviews with > TMers. Look at > Chopra's own meditation technique, and how he presents it to people. We can > see the > results of the telephone effect immediately (within a generation of > second-handness). > > Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's techniques, useful or not, aren't deemed central to > his organization, > as far as I can tell, because his charitable works are the only pretty much > the only thing > discussed here. @@@@@@@@ Your penchant for straw man arguments could take up a lot of band width at this rate. @@@@@@@@ > > MMY has always been consistent in his representation of what he believes is > important, > and I find it amusing that people criticize him for building an organization > specifically > designed to preserve that which he deems most important. @@@@@@@@ Surely you jest! Maharishi has changed his game plan more times than I can recall, as has been observed time and again in this forum. At the most obvious level, what has become of the priority to have large numbers of ordinary people meditating, or large numbers of Sidhas flying together, etc, etc.? 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/
