Bob: It's all summed up in that deceptively profound reference:"I see a lot more of a Bruins Canadian in you then Vancouver Canuck." You hiding your light under a bushel by any chance? I never thought of the hockey metaphor, but you sure made it work there. The very acutest perception.
I am, however, going to ask you to slow down on the tour preparations. That's a pretty big move for this willed introvert (once exuberant performer). But if you can guarantee the cash up front, I might consider it. But in the meantime let me do a Novena on it, and then pay for a Yagya to be down by the sages in India. I'll put in a fast and some silence while I'm at it. And, I promise you, DO MY PROGRAM. I've getting a little nervous that well before the week is out, I will find myself approaching twelve o'clock (50 posts), and therefore will leave many of my dear readers frustratedand imperilled by their ignorance. (Yes, you are right: this means I WILL continue to post. Reason? It's that CurtisDeltaBlues fellaif he weren't on this blog I never even would have begun to postlet alone be persuaded to stay with it for a while longer. I like that guy, even though I only know him from his postsand his music via video.) But, who knows why? you have decided to put the welcome mat out for me, and believe me, I appreciate it. I can keep my stiletto in my pocket (only used for defensive purposes of course) when writing to you. No tricky stick-handlingor hard body-checks. Yeah, that Maharishi guy, he was SOMETHING ELSE. No one yet has defined him in terms of how he appears in eternity (you know, at the level of the actual: where things get DONE in creation)like what kind of greeting he got when he went through his dying. No doubt about it, the shrewdest, most hardball, brilliant (in more than an intellectual sense), slyly egotistical, beautiful, seductive human being for two thousand years. And more stage presence than anyone other than Jesus. But for all this, not a good man, I think. Not, then, loved by God (wherever he is, whatever he's doing). But so far, it seems, my life has pretty much been all about himand then getting the hate on for him. The best proof of God it seems to me (in this era at least: since we were born) is the very fact of the existence of someone like Maharishi, for, like no one else couldor ever did since Christhe made you feel: "This is It!"he gave me (and you I must believe)at least in the beginningthe best version of what could be the TRUTHmeasured by EXPERIENCEthat was possible. Once he went down (sort of disgracing himself at the end: becoming slightly mad and touched) then there was no one. All of us former initiators are living in the negative or ambivalent (or for some, positive) legacy of Maharishi. We can't help it. It sets us apart from the rest of humanity. A different form I guess of the mark of the beast. To try on another metaphor. About that Turq guy, i am sure he'll put me on my guard soon enough, but given your tacit warning, I think he must be doing a rope-a-dope, because but so far at least, I don't get the feeling he is about to surprise me with a fast uppercut. No blows landed so far. But, based upon your implicit estimation of him, I'll be watching for the knock-out punch. You know I feel almost a kind of addiction posting on this blog, similar to the way I felt when I was swept up in the Movement and seeking enlightenment. I think there's some trace of the Maharishi context hanging around here, and when you have to defend yourself with some concentrated passion on this blog, you dig into a morphed versionthe twilight version?of that old context (which I lived and breathed for almost twenty years). By the way: Hold back the press release. Because before you know it it could read: Lion Eats Zebra. Wait until that can't be true. The predators on this blog, they think they smell bloodI want to keep snarling enough that they keep their distanceexcept the ones who are not trying to hunt me down. Now I have indulged myself enough here, Bob, with all the metaphors. I have no idea of the future, but believe me, posting on this blog has been like nothing I have ever known. For the time being I will cling to the notion that all the rounding has (like MMY promised it might) made me INVINCIBLE. Thanks, Bob. Excuse the license I have taken with all the metaphors and the attitude. I am, when all is said and done, only interested in finding out everything there is to find outand all my Creator would have me find outbefore I have to go through the death experience. I hope I haven't alienated you with all this unasked for persiflage. Thanks, Bob Price. MZ --- In [email protected], Bob Price <bobpriced@...> wrote: > > MZ, > > Thanks you for your heart felt post. One of the many things I love about > Canadians is that they are so damned polite, even when they high stick when > they > take into the boards. Gordie Howe comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, I think > you're just getting warmed up. I see a lot more of a Bruins Canadian in you > then > Vancouver Canuck. Unfortunately you may find more rioters than players on > FFL. > > I fully understand your shyness at this stage of our negotiations, lets think > of > it as pre-season, pre-offer, warm ups. But I do want to mention one thing for > the welfare of the other FFL posters. Please don't take too long a breather > cause heaven forbid Ravi may go back on his meds and from previous experience > that can get messy. > > I'll have to get back to you on any questions for me in your last post. You > know > what its like being our age, when these young bloggers lap you your only hope > is > to pretend you're ahead although that just encourages them to go faster. > > I just wanted to give you a heads up that I'm working on the press release > for > your World Tour. The many experienced initiators on FFL know what value the > Rish > put on a decent press release. Could mean the difference between moving 10 to > 20 > mantras. One of the many many things I was impressed with the Rish, besides > higher states of consciousness, was his ability to always always keep his eye > on > the ball. An example was his ability to spot and nurture journalists and PR > talent, Helen Olson, Eileen Leroy and Joyce Collin-Smith are just a few that > come to mind. If anyone's interested I highly recommend p128 of "Call No Man > Master" for a small snap shot of the Rish being vulnerable. I'm not > sentimental > but it moved me. > > I'm thinking the Met on the upper east side for our kick off? If cash flow is > tight with your present circumstances, I could spring for the chopper. I > always > thought that was a brilliant touch on your part knowing the Rish's weakness > for > helicopters. > > I'm playing around with some headlines for the press release, nothing firm > yet. What do you think of : > > "Do zebra's need to be masked, surviving the privileges of Unity > Consciousness." > > I for one think it would be a real loss if you stay away to long. I think > Turq > would hate to admit it but you've upped his game somewhat. > > Warm regards > > > > ________________________________ > From: maskedzebra <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Mon, June 27, 2011 8:56:56 AM > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: another question for MZ, and maybe William of > Occam > > > Dear Bob Price, > > My intention is to do justice to what you have said, and how you have > entertained us with your recent posts. But having just been (perhaps > imprudently) drawn into hand-to-hand combat with Ravi, I think it wise that I > take a 'time-out', just to collect myself and become disengaged from perhaps > too > self-righteously arguing on behalf of my sincerity and my version of the > truth. > > Not to mention this vague business of reality itself containing a form of > intelligence which can act on its own behalf (through a created being) in > adjudicating the extent of realness and intrinsic appropriateness of any > given > action. (In this case, Ravi's smash-up of my post from yesterday, a > childbirth > of sortsâ"out of the suffering and confusion of my past: the birth took > place in > the very writing of that postâ"in essence I said everything I could ever > want to > say on this blog.) > > Then Ravi tried to kill my child. > > Melodrama there? I am sure there will be bloggers who will say so. And by > cracky, they could be right. > > But to return to the business at hand: > > Go ahead with the tour plans. I'm up for it for sure. The idea of recreating > myself as the DE-enlightened manâ"and putting on a kind of anti-hero > performanceâ"well, that just whets my appetiteâ"for the fame, the glory, > and the > adulation I once enjoyed as the enlightened boy from Canada. In this case I > can > play against what i did before, and yetâ"according to what you have assured > me > alreadyâ"I'll be a hit. > > BatGap not for me. Why? Because, Bob, I am only interested in obtaining > something beneficial FOR MYSELF, not in providing anything of spiritual > benefit > for others. To have Rick (I like him very much, even as I have never met him) > interview me, would be tantamount to implying, after all: AFTER SECLUSION FOR > 24 > YEARS MASKED ZEBRA HAS EMERGED WITH A NEW MESSAGE. Even if has nothing > formally > prescriptive in it. > > No, public appearances will only recommence after my death. Then, if I am > capable of doing something extraordinary, I will consider BatGapâ"because > then > for sure I WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. > > I see how very little I have to say here, Bob, except how refreshening it was > (to my battle-scarred egoâ"HEY, MZ! YOU MEAN YOU STILL HAVE AN EGO? THERE'S > all > the proof you need that you were deluded) to find your postsâ"which seemed > to in > the service of creating some space for me to get a hearing of sorts. > > Well, I think I have had my chance, and it just may be (as I hinted at at the > end of the last post to Ravi) that I have come to the end of the line. After > all, I may have fallen off the wagon there, getting so wrapped up in refuting > Raviâ"and defending myself. I went for the bait (even though I am sure Ravi > was > thinking he was just acting normally)â"I should have just let Ravi say what > he > said and leave it at that. > > It's usually not a wise idea to try to DEFEND oneself. My post from Sunday is > far more representative of my state of mind and heart than this latest post > of > mine in answer to Ravi's provocation (unwitting as it was). > > But again, Bob Price, I appreciate the gesture of friendliness. I think you > may > have struck truth in your concern in the post that follows this oneâ"it > seems a > pretty compelling intuition. Alas, I got drawn in and lost some of the > humility > and self-sacrifice that I find is pretty goddamn indispensable for me to stay > sane these days.â"And as a context within which to respond to others, > especially > those who would cavalierly ignore the suffering and vulnerability that was > behind that long post from yesterday. > > I believe the sincerity-irony quotient was not sufficiently in evidence to > balance the intense, I'm-going-to-bring-this-guy-to-justice, need that may > have > too powerfully overtaken me. > > Hey, Bob Price, probably time for me to shut this thing down now. Believe > me, > your posts have beenâ"so farâ"a welcome sight. > > On second thought: hold off plans for that tour. I have to rethink it. > > Not sure of your reference (in your subsequent post) about keeping Turq > warmed > up. Did you contemplate my taking him on too? > > May I strike a final serious tone here Bob? I write on this terrific blog > ONLY > in order to clarify my own thinking and beliefsâ"and so far in a certain way > it > has been gently transformative. The very notion of me imparting any truth or > wisdom is anathema. I have been through something incredible with Maharishi; > I > am telling my story. This mostly is for my own benefit, not for others. That > is, > in the telling, I help myself. > > See how humourless I suddenly can become? > > I hope in your positive remarks about me you have judged me more or less as I > am. > > Thanks again, Bob. You will find out whether or not this is my last post soon > enough. > > Enough. > > MZ > > P.S. Caravaggio never too gruesome for me (as in I liked Mel Gibson's The > Passion of the Christ). Karen Armstrong the former nun (one hundred years ago > she would still be one, and undoubtedly a quite beautiful oneâ"i.e. in a > state of > grace) has only acted normally in view of the departure of the Holy Ghost > from > the Church (compare VaticanI to Vatican II). She writes wisely and > persuasively, > but after all, as far as she is concerned, Mohammed was probably as inspired > as > Jesus. What else can she say? God has withdrawn the means to know him, and > the > sense of sin has gone out of the world. MZ > > --- In [email protected], Bob Price <bobpriced@> wrote: > > > > Does anyone sleep around here, good Lord? > > > > MZ, > > > > I'm thrilled you've decided to stick around. I'll consider my question > >answered, > > > > heck you gave blastedangelsa pass! > > > > I'm getting more excited by the minute about our possible collaboration. > > After > > > > we work out a few details I think a 10 city tour, possibly following > > another TMO leader, might be just the ticket. Judging from your impact on > > the > > disinterested I can only imagine the response we'll get from the truly > > interested. > > But as mentioned, a few details may need to be ironed out before we go > > large. > >So > > > > as your probationary manager maybe we could throw a couple of ideas > > around, > > I think someone mentioned that, at it's best, FFLis a forum for ideas. > > > > For starters, I'm not sure about the Aquinas endorsement of burning > > obstinate > > heretics at the stake? How that would fly on Larry King? > > Sure there a few posters on FFLthat might look good doing an impersonation > > of > > Joan of Arch, I'm sure we all have a few in mind, > > but I'm not sure that's an event we want to kick off with. I mean people > > like > > Ravi and the Rish would be safe, hell they've never been baptized, > > but a couple of lapsed Catholics like ourselves just might get swept up in > > the > > > enthusiasm. I'm thinking something a little more low key, > > more of a bi coastal effort and then build toward the heartland, if you > > know > > what I mean. > > > > Actually, I'm wondering about the whole 13th century positioning, the > > intolerance thing could be a bit of a sticky to spin? > > Have you considered something more Axial Age, say 900-200 B.C.? We might > > be > > able to get a quote from Karen Armstrong. > > I love how she boils the best of EAST/ WEST spiritual endeavours down to > > "The > > Golden Rule", an obvious sound bite. > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/30/books/review/30wilson.html > > > > I may be getting ahead of myself but I've been throwing around some ideas > > for > > tour logos. I've always been a huge fan of Caravaggio, > > although I thought his John the Baptist was a bit gruesome. > > > > What do you think of some type of rendering of this one? > > > > http://www.backtoclassics.com/gallery/caravaggio/narcissus/ > > > > Fingers crossed, I'm still hoping Rick might loosen up and interview you on > > BatGap. For an old drama hand like yourself that might be just the inciting > > incident we're looking for. > > > > PS: I thought the substitute teacher comment was cheap and uncalled for. > > > > > > > > a litle humour > > >
