--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > http://www.vice.com/read/international-scientology-news > > Great find. And great commentary all the way through > by the author. He WAY stuck the landing with his last > paragraph: > > "Final notes on ISN #52: Setting precedents in empowerment, > literacy, and peace is a fantastic thing. Rescue those in > need and surreptitiously feed them your rhetoric, and they > will naturally associate wellness with your agenda, when > in reality, those may be two separate things. The nature > of altruism is to serve as its own reward, and this is not > a comment reserved for Scientologists. Uplifting, supporting, > and providing compassion is pure only when it is unconditional. Otherwise, > you do no real service for anyone but yourself." >
Fascinating article. I did not realize that Scientologists are as successful as they seem to think they are. I can't believe they are quite that powerful in Hollywood, though. What a bizarre belief system. It gives off a cold, slick, inhuman feel - much more so that the TM magazines and promos. Some of it does ring true to the TMO - that totally sure sense that what they are doing is so right for the world, so beneficial, so unique. So certain that only their ways of running a business or a project will only help others and make it a success. And the touting of the briefest of recognitions for things done overseas in places that are really needy. The author is right about true compassion. What is interesting with TM is that compassion seemed to enter the conversation in a roundabout manner. Sure, we talked about the health and emotional benefits of meditation. But what we seemed to really want was people to do better so that we could use that data and feedback to get more people to learn. In fact, I always sensed a looking down on do-gooders and people who made a point of helping others. It was as if the only valid way to do good was to instruct someone in TM, all else was third rate and a waste of energy. That people who were struggling just must have that karma to work out. Rick posted a letter MMY wrote about a celestial conversation he had had with Mother Divine. I was surprised in reading that letter because in it MMY wrote often of wanting to help alleviate the suffering of humanity, of helping people. I had never heard him speak so movingly about wanting to help people end their suffering. I was not around for that phase of MMY's teaching. After his very young years, MMY talked a great deal about world peace but there was an emphasis on teaching numbers of people and getting percentages, not on how they really did with TM itself in their own lives. Somehow the individual got lost in the business of spreading the word. In fairness to MMY, though, he had talked for years about personal enlightenment, happiness and release of stress. After some years he left that conversation to his teachers and focused on numbers and the business of it all, as well as promoting ayurveda and jyotish. IMO, one of his main contributions to the planet was his organizing in a coherent and intelligent manner the idea of the evolution of individual consciousness, the levels of consciousness, and the whole concept of consciousness itself. He made it easily understood by Westerners, and I still think he cleared up lots of superficial interpretations prevalent in the East. He did a fine job with that - maybe I got brainwashed by it all, but that information has served me well. It still colors my perception even as I have steadily moved toward appreciation of brain functioning and also thinking about the whole spiritual mindset for myself.
