Not all who became initiators took it that way, though a lot of us did. I've been a big fan of that puja for a long time. There were years when I did puja every morning. It's funny that all my "heroes" were monks and renunciates (except for Vermeer).
*** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" <emptybill@...> wrote: > > I was at the Fiuggi 2000 course and we did not sign or pledge anything. > Learning the param-para puja and bBecoming a TM teacher was itself > considered a pledge. > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "marekreavis" <reavismarek@> > wrote: > > > > I was made a TM initiator by Maharishi on my birthday in 1972 in > Fiuggi, Italy. According to the number assigned me I was the 1018 TM > initiator that he made. > > > > I was never asked to take a pledge, either the one you printed below > or any other version. And the invocation to Guru Dev in the puja is not > a pledge; it's an invocation and a worship of Guru Dev. > > > > You are a smart enough guy, Richard, that you don't need to make stuff > up to make your points. > > > > *** > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" richard@ > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You two used to bow down to the Hindu Gods > > > > > and you took an oath to your guru to keep > > > > > the teaching pure. > > > > > > > > Bhairitu: > > > > Did you take an oath on TTC? > > > > > > > No, but everyone knows that when you become a > > > TM Teacher you bow down to your guru and pledge > > > to keep the teaching pure - it's in the Guru Dev > > > puja that you used to recite every day and it's > > > in the TTC pledge you made. > > > > > > http://www.rwilliams.us/archives/pledge.html > > > > > > > > So, NOW you tell us its not sacred? > > > > > > > > How do you define sacred? > > > > > > Scriptures: > > > > > > "Religious texts, also known as scripture, > > > scriptures, holy writ, or holy books, are the > > > texts which various religious traditions consider > > > to be sacred, or of central importance to their > > > religious tradition." > > > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_text > > > > > > > So you can't read Devanagari? > > > > > > > No, there's no reason for me to learn Devangiri, > > > since I'm not a Hindu and I don't read the sacred > > > Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. > > > > > > The TMers Pledge > > > > > > "It is my fortune, Guru Dev, that I have been > > > accepted to serve the Holy Tradition and spread > > > the Light of God to all those who need it. It is > > > my joy to undertake the responsibility of > > > representing the Holy Tradition in all its purity > > > as it has been given to me by Maharishi and I > > > promise on your altar, Guru Dev, that with all > > > my heart and mind I will always work within the > > > framework of the Organisations founded by > > > Maharishi. And to you, Maharishi, I promise that > > > as a Meditation Guide I will be faithful in all > > > ways to the trust that you have placed in me." > > > > > > Notes for readers: > > > > > > Here is the TMers pledge that all graduates of > > > TM Teacher Training (TTC) are required to sign > > > before becoming TM teachers. > > > > > > Source: > > > > > > 'Malnak v. Yogi' > > > U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, > > > Civil Action No. 76-341 > > > > > > 'Kropinski v. Yogi' > > > U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, > > > Civil Action Nos. 85-2848-852854 > > > > > >
