Wow I had no clue Barry !!!! God - I need to look for a job ASAP, 'cause yeah I bristled as I whistled reading your original post - thanks for this detailed explanation - you know 'cause I had no clue, I was like I had to compartmentalize.
You saved my butt Barry - you really did. I am forever indebted to you man. Did you ever try your luck as a Guru? Love - XOXO. On Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 11:59 PM, turquoiseb <no_re...@yahoogroups.com>wrote: > ** > > > Since some seemed to...uh...bristle at me just telling > it like it was about the time I spent with Rama, I guess > I should continue, explaining why I posted it. First, I > did it because Share asked, and in a way that seemed to > contain no malice, only curiosity. Second, I wanted to > make the case that *all spiritual paths are not the same*. > > Over the years I've gotten used to long-term TMers just > assuming that everyone else's spiritual paths -- the > day in, day out of it all -- was similar to theirs. Au > contraire, Pierre. Maharishi emphasized certain things, > and considered them valuable, and other teachers do the > same, but with completely different things. > > In this particular example, what I was on about was the > importance of career, and the place it holds in one's > spiritual progress. I've found over the years that many, > especially those from New Age or Hindu-based traditions, > seem to "divide" their lives into separate compartments. > There's their "spiritual life" -- the meditating, "going > on courses," bouncing in the dome, and stuff like that, > which they seem to consider their spiritual life, and > then there is *everything else*, which many seem to think > is almost antithetical to the "spiritual life," in that > it keeps them from doing the things that'll get them > enlightened (or whatever they hope it'll get them). > > Suffice it to say that this is *not* a universal approach. > In many Buddhist traditions, for example, one's "Day Job," > meaning career and the 22-23 hours per day they spend > *not* meditating is seen as just as important as medi- > tating, and just as much an opportunity for spiritual > growth. Rama was of that ilk. He taught that one's career > presented a marvelous opportunity to practice "being > spiritual in the world," meaning to 1) do a good job at > it (because doing a good job is better for you than doing > a shitty job), and 2) to practice *succeeding*, and thus > accomplishing measurable things in the material world. > > As a result, whatever *else* may be legitimately said about > him and his teachings and the impact that they had on his > students, most of them followed his advice and put a lot > of energy into developing their careers. And it paid off. > They made *shitloads* of money, and excelled in their > chosen professions, often rising to the tops of companies > or starting their own. At least a dozen students I know > formed their own companies and became millionaires; most > of the rest still earn enough to put them in the sometimes > hated 1%, even in this economy. > > NOT that this in itself is an overly laudable goal. What > money does for one is give you FREEDOM. Freedom to travel, > to take time off whenever you want to go to Bhutan or go > diving in Bali, and money to spend on teaching meditation > for free or whatever gets you off. As ambivalent as I may > be about the Rama guy, I still think that this was all good > advice, and it paid off for those who followed it. Once he > was gone, they still had their careers, and they still had > the freedom it brought them. > > I was never in the "gotta make millions" camp, that just > not being one of my priorities in life. But, largely as a > result of his prodding, I built up my skill set and my rep > such that even today, at my age, I can pull in the big bucks > if I choose to work in my chosen field. I thoroughly enjoyed > taking some time off and doing part-time writing in other > fields these last few months, but to be honest I'm enjoying > digging into some serious, hang-ten high tech again more. > It gives me an opportunity to excel, and *that* gives me > an opportunity to progress in my spiritual path. > > For me, and for many who feel similarly, there is no > difference between our Day Jobs and the rest of our lives, > or our spiritual lives. It's all a continuum, 24/7, every > moment of which gives us the opportunity to progress. Call > me crazy, but I think that's a more sensible approach than > that followed by people who believe they're only progressing > towards their spiritual goals when they're meditating or > "on courses." > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > > > turq on Lenz: When we went on "courses" we stayed in five-star > > > hotels and dined at five-star restaurants. > > > me to turq: what is significance of 5 star establishments in > > > this context? Why put word courses in quotes? > > > > 1. We never *had* "courses" in the sense in which you > > think of them from TM and the TMO. We never went to > > some location to learn some specific teaching, avail- > > able only there. When we went "on the road," it was > > always a combination of fun, teaching, and journeying > > to places of power. And fun very much *was* a part of > > every such journey, and viewed as just as important > > as any teachings. For example, we used to travel to > > power places in the Southwest (Grand Canyon, Monument > > Valley, Canyon de Chelly, etc.), to Paris, Amsterdam, > > and London (for teaching and fun), and to other places > > like Hawaii or Bali. > > > > 2. There are rankings of both hotels and restaurants > > in the world, based on their quality. For example, > > there are about 10 five-star restaurants in Paris, > > but there are only 16 five-star restaurants in the > > entire United States, as rated by the same Michelin > > Guide. Rama felt very strongly that to be successful > > in one's profession (something he valued and taught), > > one had to become comfortable in such environments, > > so we tended to have special events in such places. > > There are similar ratings for hotels; when we went > > to both Paris and Hawaii, we stayed in five-star > > hotels there. > > > > In other words, do not make the mistake of thinking > > that spiritual paths were as spartan as they were > > in the TMO. And in answer to your unasked but likely > > question, no, not every student could afford these > > outings, but I could. My salary level quadrupled > > within a few years of beginning to study with the > > guy (largely due to his influence, prodding, and > > training he provided), and stayed high all the way > > through. Richard will probably chime in with horse- > > shit he's read on websites about students being > > dirt poor and giving all their money to the guy, > > but much of that is simply not true. When you're > > making over $1000 a day as a consultant on Wall > > Street, as I was towards the end of my time with > > the Rama guy, you can afford to eat or stay at > > five-star joints. > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: turquoiseb <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> > > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > > Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 12:25 PM > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Majorca Spain to turq and Ann > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > > > > > turq, is this the REAL truth about your attitude towards > > > > TMO? That they employ bad cooks and don't offer the > > > > local food? > > > > > > I was speaking about one course in particular, on > > > which the cooks could have spoiled the best food > > > in the environment. On other courses they mainly > > > rendered in bland and tasteless. Things may have > > > gotten better over the years, but if not you may > > > just not have a very developed palate. > > > > > > > Are you really just a foodie after all? I'm beginning > > > > to suspect that this is this case, having heard you > > > > wax fondly about French meals, etc. And now this > > > > about the food on your TTC. Anyway, I hear you > > > > and understand. And admit that now I'm curious > > > > about the food associated with Mr. Lenz and his > > > > courses. > > > > > > When we went on "courses" we stayed in five-star > > > hotels and dined at five-star restaurants. No > > > "movement" cooks whatsoever. Also, most of us > > > were omnivores, so accommodations were made for > > > the real vegetarians, but few of them had to > > > be made. > > > > > > > >
