I've heard that in the beginning Maharishi wanted to teach TM for free. But the Westerners told him that people would not value it if it did not cost money. When I began in 1975, the cost was one week's salary. Also, I know some New Age teachers who say that there must be an exchange of energy in order for what they impart to be effective.
________________________________ From: navashok <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 5:09 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Speaking of puja --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson wrote: > There are others like former TM teacher Bob Fickes who say the puja > ceremony helps to refine the awareness of the initiator and gives the mantra > its potency. He has said without the puja the mantra won't have the proper > vibration or potency. That's how we were told on our TTC. That's exactly the logic given to the TM teachers at the time. > Still others, specifically Raja Badgett Rogers has said that the mantra > doesn't work unless there is the offering or dakshina of the fruit, flowers > and money, and it is the offering, the gift, that makes the mantra work and > of course the flowers and fruit are part of the puja. The logic of this, with the speciphic emphasis on money here in this context makes my hair stand on end, really! We weren't told this on TTC, it must be a new thing. It is a merchants attitude to God/ Spirituality. 'I give you enough money, and you render my mantra effective.' This has been called spiritual materialism by Chögyam Trungpa. Reminds me of catholic indulgence. IMO this twisting is exactly how knowledge is lost. In the same vein is the idea that scientific research 'belongs' to somebody who sponsored (bought) it, and therefore 'belongs' to him, like somebody here recently posted.
