" If the TMO possessed any grace which indicated its agreement with what is real and what is true, *there would have been no way for Bill Sands to act as he did when confronted with the fact of your helplessness before this allergic reaction to formaldehyde inside the foam*--which includes of course the matter of your baking those breads and desserts."
In this analysis, Robin, you are spot on. You may have sometimes a way to express yourself that is difficult to get for me, but as far as I understand you, you are completely right. I would say, at least to us, who were part of it, at a time, the movement and Maharishi represented the main stream of evolution. You say that it represented REALITY. This was certainly the case in the late 60s and early 70s. But then, at a certain time a break occurred, I can't say the exact time, somewhere in the 80s probably, or the late 70s, and in an increasing way, the movement, Maharishi himself, lost touch with reality, he lost touch with his followers, the whole inner circle of the movement was living in an ivory tower, in a world of their own imagination. Basically today, as I see it, the movement is dead. Of course, it still continues to go on for the people who are still involved, but these numbers get smaller, and the people get older. Most of the people are now between 50 - 70, more leaning toward 70 probably. Think about it within 10 or 20 years, the number of people in the movement will be greatly reduced. It will still go on, but you can already see, when they have no people anymore and run out of money, they start to have to sell property. It will be down-sized. You can look at similar Utopian movements, in India I know the theosophical society or Auroville. They are still there, but they are not a driving spiritual force anymore. The kids of the people, who were once there when the respective movements flourished, are doing other things, they are still spiritual, still may follow similar ideals, but in more updated versions. The movement would do good if it just would do what Buck wants to have from it: just organize group meditations. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Robin Carlsen" <maskedzebra@...> wrote: > > Dear Michael Jackson, > > Your story, in two parts, reads so well. You could not have established the > justice of your cause any better--because you told the story just as you had > experienced it--without opinion or resentment. The response of Bill Sands is > the story of the appalling failure of the Movement to in any way enlist the > support of reality, nature, the universe--whatever you want to call it [Third > Point of View]. If the TMO possessed any grace which indicated its agreement > with what is real and what is true, *there would have been no way for Bill > Sands to act as he did when confronted with the fact of your helplessness > before this allergic reaction to formaldehyde inside the foam*--which > includes of course the matter of your baking those breads and desserts. > > To me this is the most serious indictment of the Movement, that someone in > your predicament, presenting your case as honestly and respectfully as you > could, would precipitate the reaction that Bill Sands had--on numerous > occasions. Talk about failing to read reality. No matter what principles, > rules, regulations he was charged to enforce, for him to go right against the > whole momentum of how the truth was coming towards him as you explained your > physical vulnerability, well, this demonstrates--even way back then > (1987)--that Maharishi, TM, and the whole TMO enterprise was doomed. Bill > Sands denied his own human feelings and conscience to act in accordance with > an idea which was manifestly bizarre and indefensible *inside the context of > learning the medical fact of your condition*--what made it unhealthy for you > to meditate inside the Dome. > > To arbitrarily override all of one's intuition and natural human > feelings--which are there to make the kind of discrimination Bill Sands > refused to allow himself to make--means that the TMO, at the highest levels, > is, in some serious way, the enemy of whatever is loving and intelligent and > merciful inside the universe. I almost could not believe the effect created > by the unavoidable juxtaposition of your story--which only became more > dramatic when the matter of your being the master baker came up--with the > response of Bill Sands:--I almost feel more sorry for Bill than I do for you. > His having to act so totally against his own human nature in order, I must > suppose, *to please Maharishi Mahesh Yogi*. > > For Bill Sands to be put in that position to feel he had to act the way he > did when faced with the dilemma created by your allergic reaction to the > formaldehyde, this reveals something irreversibly corrupt in the entire > consciousness of the TMO. If there had been the very slightest justification > for the actions of Bill Sands we would have felt that. Bill Sands acted out > of obedience to Maharishi and those hierarchically above him; nevertheless he > did violence to his own soul--and surely some day he will come to know this. > > There is no answering this charge of cruelty and ruthlessness--I believe it > does go to Maharishi's own sense of arrogance and pride--Maharishi at some > fundamental level of reality entirely misunderstood what creation was all > about, and what the purpose was of having been created as a human being. With > all of my own involvement with Maharishi and teaching TM, your story stands > out as the cleanest and most damning revelation of the pathology of the TMO. > I am relieved, however, to feel how this has not embittered you--except where > it should. It was quite an experience *to find absolutely nothing that could > ever be said in defence of the behaviour of Bill Sands*; I am used to seeing > the point of view of the Movement in these matters, even as I would never > countenance submitting my soul to such misguided discipline and authority. > > The only truth that is contained in TM and Maharishi requires, in order for > this kind of incident to be excused, that somehow inside the context of the > human operation of the TMO there is more intelligence, more love, more truth, > more reality than there is contained in any other organization in the world. > In this instance the universe was presenting a challenge to Bill Sands in the > story you told him about your suffering from your reaction to the > formaldehyde: contrary to what he thought, he was to transcend the rules, > realizing that the particulars here mandated that he make a judgment > independent of what was asked of him by his superiors. What a terrible thing > it is for Bill Sands to live with this memory--thinking he was doing the will > of his Master (which he very well might have been doing), meanwhile > trangressing against the very intelligence which was providentially arranging > this conflict in order to challenge his blind and idolatrous orthodoxy. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson <mjackson74@> wrote: > > > > By that time I didn't feel I was being mis-used - it was just part of the > > junk one had to put up with if one had no money (which makes you a darling > > of the Movement) and wants to stay and be part of the MIU experience. > > > > I actually liked Bill although he was a bit aloof but I reckon he learned > > that from TM higher ups. When I did get ticked off was at the end of school > > year 1987 when he and my direct supervisor Brad O'nash called me in for the > > normal staff interview to see if I would be staying, talked about the > > extreme importance of the upcoming banquet for the DAC (Development > > Advisory Council) and asked me if they could count on me as the head of the > > bakery to do all the extra work making desserts for the banquets and I said > > yes of course I am not going anywhere. > > > > Then as soon as I had promised to do my best Bill told me I had to leave > > MIU immediately after the banquet weekend was over because I wasn't > > participating in group program. When I reminded him that I had Greg > > Wilson's written permission to do program in my room, Bill who had > > obviously prepared said "That is the Capitol (of the Age of Enlightenment) > > they don't tell us what to do over here at MIU. So you are going to have to > > leave after the last day of the DAC weekend. > > > > This was only about 2 weeks away, mind you. When I asked how long I had > > between the end of the banquet and leaving MIU, Bill said "5 oclock." > > > > "What?" says I. > > > > Bills says "The last meal of the banquet is noon, we want you out by 5 > > oclock that afternoon." > > > > Then I did get mad and told them that if that was the deal, I would pack up > > and leave right then and they could come make the breads and desserts for > > the DAC deal. Neither of them was willing to do anything so extreme and > > after they took me to task for going back on my agreement to do all I could > > with the banquet (which I countered with what the hell do you think you are > > doing to me?) they asked me how much time I wanted and I said 2 weeks from > > the last day of the banquet. > > > > Bill said that was too long and I got up to leave and said "Then the two of > > you will have to bake those desserts." They were both mad, but had to back > > down. Real baking is an art and there was no one else who could have > > stepped in and done what had to be done. > > > > After I walked out of the office, I just shook my head and laughed. It was > > just typical Movement trash behavior. And so I kept my word, did a great > > job with the banquet in addition to my regular duties. The banquet went > > well and I even saved the day by preventing a very obstinate and bullheaded > > Purusha guy they had sent me from ruining the dessert for a thousand people > > by not following my instructions (I was mad enough to punch him) > > > > And left 2 weeks later - it was just typical Movement treatment by the > > powers that be towards the people who actually make the Movement successful > > - from what some of your write, things have not improved in the last 25 > > years. > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: Share Long <sharelong60@> > > To: "FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com" <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> > > Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 1:33 PM > > Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for > > Wednesday > > > > > >  > > Jason, it's my experience that in every organization there are at least a > > few good people. Michael, I had a similar interview to yours. I am so > > sorry you were given such a hard time. I admire how you handled the > > situation.  > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: Jason <jedi_spock@> > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 4:05 AM > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for Wednesday > > > > > >  > > > > > > You know, all these cults and religions have his 'shit herd' > > mentality. I am thankfull that I never lived inside any > > cult or org. Being on the outside gave me a 'ringside view' > > of a spectrum of these things. I talk to a lot of people > > who are in cults and get an idea of what is happening > > inside. You are better off alone. > > > > All these orgs and cults are inhabited by such bureaucratic, > > pedantic, dicactic, dogmatic, zombie bots. > > > > --- Michael Jackson <mjackson74@> wrote: > > > > > > Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. I quit going > > > to the Dome when I was on staff due to a really serious allergy to > > > formaldehyde, which in those days at least was a major component in > > > making foam. > > > The longer I was in the Dome, the worse I felt. > > > > > > > > > So I stopped > > > going. I did program by myself in my pod room and felt great both in and > > > out of > > > program. As twice a day in the Dome was part of the staff program, I was > > > called > > > in to the Personnel Director's office (Bill Sands) and he gave me a > > > serious > > > talk and threatened me with dismissal if I didn't start toeing the line. > > > > > > I told him about the allergy and he said it didn't matter, > > > rules were rules. I showed him the letter I had from my allergy doctor > > > (Allen > > > Lieberman in Charleston SC) saying that I had to avoid formaldehyde > > > exposure. Bill > > > said it still didn't matter. Rules were rules. No exceptions. > > > > > > So I returned to the Dome and after a couple days started > > > feeling like crap again. So I thought about things and decided to write a > > > letter to then TM Sidhi Administrator Greg Wilson and told him my story > > > and > > > sent him a copy of the letter from my allergy doctor. > > > A > > > nd a couple weeks later to my surprise he wrote me a letter > > > back giving me permission to do program in my room, tho he suggested that > > > I > > > might consider serving MIU in some other capacity since Dome attendance > > > was > > > part of staff program. So I quit going to the Dome again. > > > > > > A couple weeks went by and I was called into Bill Sands office > > > again, with my letters in my pocket. After he gave me hell and pretty > > > much told > > > me my time at MIU was over, I told him I had permission from Greg Wilson > > > and > > > showed him my letter, or rather a copy of it, I wisely had the original > > > in my > > > room. > > > > > > Bill was completely discombobulated and hemmed and hawed and > > > puffed and blustered but had to back down, but he didn't like it. So I > > > went > > > back to doing program in my room and had great experiences and was much > > > more > > > effective in activity for about eight months until Bill found a way to > > > get rid > > > of me. > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Buck <dhamiltony2k5@> > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 12:52 PM > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for Wednesday > > > > > >  > > > This being Compassionate Posting Wednesday on FFL where ne'er a negative > > > word is written, I am not going to go on at all about just how stoopid > > > and undeserving it is that meditators who even live in Fairfield do not > > > come to the group meditation. No, I'll save that for tomorrow and then > > > may be also consider the fallen away and outright meditation quitters out > > > in the world too; all those who have fell off the meditation wagon and > > > even walked away entirely. I am excercising a lot of compassion for them > > > all right now today, > > > -Buck in the Dome > > > > > >
