I sent this as an email to Dr. Hagelin, and have never heard a word. I forgot I
wrote it, and thought maybe with a few people on this site it would ring a bell.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <feste37@...> wrote:
>
> That's brilliantly put. I am wondering if you have sent this to anyone in the
> organization, since the wording of it suggests you are writing direct to the
> organization, not to the people in this Yahoo group.
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jwtrowbridge" <johnwtrowbridge@> wrote:
> >
> > I would like to give feedback from the perspective of one who loves TM, but
> > not how the organization is run. I have wanted to do so for many years. I
> > feel I have a unique perspective to do so. I am not angry. I am not
> > dependent on TM other than my wonderful program I practice. I have no ax to
> > grind other than a genuine desire to see the organization succeed. I wish
> > to help this organization from the point of view of one who is a family
> > man, a professional who sees the divinity of my practice, and the missteps
> > of the organization.
> >
> > My TM program is the only time during the day that I know my activity is
> > perfect. It is a perfect program. It is a perfect activity. It is perfect
> > knowledge. I have recently obtained all of the advanced techniques. I have
> > missed maybe five meditations in 40 years only because I enjoy it. There is
> > no other reason. Not for health, not for enlightenment, such is the joy and
> > power of my program.
> >
> > I have just finished 34 years as a public school teacher in North Carolina,
> > and I am still teaching. I have been married 30 years. I have two children.
> > My wife meditates. My two children have been initiated. From the beginning,
> > I have provided support to the TM Movement through the use of my house for
> > lectures, initiations, and whatever I have to offer all these years. I am
> > your biggest fan.
> >
> > I started TM on November 13th, 1971 and got the sidhis in `80 or `81 at
> > MUM. I practiced my program by myself over the decades until 5 years ago,
> > when I went to MUM to fly in the dome for a 7-week visit. I have gone ever
> > 2 years during the summer thereafter. I have never taken one dime of grant
> > money.
> >
> > I mention specific names and impressions in this letter, not to target
> > individuals, but to show relevant examples of what concerns me. I also want
> > to describe what could be done differently, especially if you want to have
> > credibility with Americans. The goal of this organization is not to appeal
> > to a particular leader or person, but to the widest possible audience who
> > will appreciate and practice the TM program in its purity.
> >
> > 2007: This incident exemplifies so many of the elements of what is wrong
> > with how the TM organization is managed. When I came 5 years ago, I was in
> > the dome for the IA course for just a few days when the men's group had to
> > move because workmen were replacing the roof. We moved to a flying hall
> > near the swimming pool. Unfortunately, a mistake had been made in preparing
> > the new hall. The floor and walls had been painted with a toxic, oil-based
> > paint, and the odor was awful, awful. The air in the new hall was extremely
> > noxious. Fans in the eaves of the building were run night and day. Sidhas
> > pleaded with Dr. Doug Birx not to move us into this situation. He said it
> > could not be helped. I spent one day in the new hall experiencing bliss
> > with an underlying headache. I never have headaches.
> >
> > I walked and hitchhiked to Vedic City to do program for most of the week
> > instead of going to this toxic hall. Once I was picked up by a Board of
> > Trustees member. I don't remember his name. In casual conversation, told
> > him I had not come from North Carolina to huff paint fumes. The next day,
> > thinking the fumes would be better, I went to fly in the newly painted
> > hall. It was better, but still not good. During the 10 a.m. experience
> > time, Dr. Bevan Morris asked Dr. Doug Birx an introductory question, "Is
> > there a problem with the hall?" I assumed that the trustee I had talked to
> > called Dr. Morris. Dr. Birx stated no. Who could question the bliss
> > emanating from this hall? he asked. He added that there were some problems,
> > but they had been worked out. He completely dismissed the issue.
> >
> > Who knows why Dr. Birx moved us into a hall that could have sickened the
> > whole men's flying group, but the result was they were exposed to toxic
> > fumes for a week due to his decision. And when he was questioned about
> > this, he did not admit a mistake had been made and remedy the situation by
> > moving the sidhas to a safe space.
> >
> > Systemic Issues: The TM movement employs managers who are brilliant and
> > well versed in the Vedas or special knowledge. However, this does not make
> > them skilled managers. The problems that allowed this one example to unfold
> > are systemic in the organization. People are good, and when good people
> > make wrong decisions, it is usually due to responding to the stressors and
> > structure of the system that is in place. I blame the systems under which
> > they are managing, and the environment of not recognizing issues that
> > should be addressed when they emerge.
> >
> > This one example reveals a lot about the dynamics of how the organization
> > is managed. This dynamic is repeated a thousand fold up and down the
> > organization, resulting in less than stellar results. No one holds the
> > leadership accountable. And there is no mechanism in place for the rank
> > and file to report problems, concerns, or issues. There is no mechanism for
> > addressing problems. There is no mechanism for reporting how problems are
> > addressed. This is systemic throughout the organization.
> >
> > In any well-run organization, the manager would have stated the obvious: A
> > mistake has been made. Let's go to our rooms for week, and do program there
> > until this hall airs out. This should not have been a big problem. Dr. Birx
> > could have called for help to solve the problem from staff below him, and
> > staff above him. It appears his decision was made in isolation, as are so
> > many others. I can infer also that the Board of Trustees is more of a paper
> > tiger trusting on management to make the right decisions. Dr. Morris trusts
> > Dr. Birx to make the right decision, and neither questions the other.
> >
> > The Nature of Conflict: There is a misunderstanding in the movement about
> > what the nature of conflict is. I have seen this over and over. The
> > Maharishi tape in which he talks about always seeking the positive instead
> > of the negative, in which he describes the saint who was shown the dead
> > cat, and comments on his beautiful teeth, has been greatly misunderstood,
> > and used to the great misfortune of the movement.
> >
> > I have a master's degree in early childhood education with emphasis in
> > guidance, and a bachelor's degree in mental retardation. I hold
> > certifications in teaching students who are learning disabled, mentally
> > handicapped, behaviorally emotionally disabled, as well as curriculum
> > instruction and public school guidance. I am an expert in working with
> > dysfunction, confrontation, and conflict. I deal with conflict all day
> > long, and have for decades.
> >
> > There is a difference between being negative and dealing with conflict.
> > Conflict is just the environment trying to normalize, evolve, grow.
> > Conflicts that exist are a tool, a means of change that enable you to
> > normalize the environment. If conflict is there it is OK. Conflict and
> > confrontation are part of the normalizing process. It is part of life.
> >
> > This point alone could save the movement untold problems, and has lost it
> > untold support. Through its unintended actions, (how it handles conflict)
> > the TM movement has disenfranchised scores of TM teachers who would
> > otherwise have been certified, scores of meditators who would be in the
> > dome, scores of people who would start TM.
> >
> > There are of course many dissatisfied people who when even handled by best
> > practices are still angry. It's just that so many have been mishandled, and
> > feel the organization does not listen, will not change, say they are
> > negative, and have been dealt with in such a fashion that their revenge
> > energy is tapped, causing problems for the organization, and the individual.
> >
> > In an organization with enlightened management, almost all problems are due
> > to poor management or poor systems. They manage from the point of view that
> > if you believe that people are good, then good people want to be competent.
> > They want to do a good job. If you believe that people are bad, then you
> > believe they have to be closely supervised, and forced into doing a good
> > job.
> >
> > The goal of management is to move people to autonomy. If a person is
> > inexperienced, or incompetent you give more directing telling statements
> > with the goal always of moving them to becoming as independent, and
> > autonomous as possible. The successful manager's role would then be that of
> > a cheerleader, one who provides resources, and removes obstacles to allow
> > everyone to achieve his potential. It would enliven the basewin win.
> >
> > This means the organization is managed from bottom to top. The person who
> > has the most information to solve a problem is closest to the problem-- the
> > store clerk, the janitor, the citizen meditator, the TM teacher, the
> > visitor. Enliven the bottom, and they will come out of the woodwork to help
> > you. They possess untold passion, and ideas to help this movement do what
> > management could only dream they could doreach the widest possible
> > audience who will appreciate and practice the TM program in its purity.
> > This is the goal. This is what the TM organization is about.
> >
> > Transparency in decision making: Good management is transparent. It has
> > nothing to hide. When I managed in a residential facility for the severe
> > and profound developmentally disabled (Black Mountain Center in North
> > Carolina) we had a sentence or phrase with which we could measure every
> > decision. This way any person in the organization, any person, could
> > approach management, and state his problem, and suggest a solution based on
> > our "what we are about" statement.
> >
> > Our phrase was "How does this help active treatment?" Active treatment was
> > what we were about. It could be a goal to improve a client ability to hold
> > a spoon, and increase independent dining, or a goal to reduce a behavior
> > problem, increase mobility by getting out of a wheelchair, and so forth.
> >
> > All decisions were measured by this statement of what we were about. This
> > mobilized the organization, and released immense creativity from all
> > employees. The greatest desire of people in an organization is to have
> > autonomy in their jobto feel needed and heard, to contribute, to make a
> > difference. We saw evidence of this in the improvements made as a result of
> > all players in the group. I have done this. It works. It works, and it is
> > respectful of all people, and defuses, and enlivens, and keeps the
> > organization on the cutting edge moving toward its organizational goals in
> > a natural, life affirming way. It also promotes egalitarianism. We are all
> > equal. We just have different roles.
> >
> > Making decisions based on a shared mission dismantles ego, status, hidden
> > agendas. No one can use resources for selfish purposes or hidden agendas.
> > It can empower the bottom employee, or in the case of the TM movement, the
> > meditators who support the organization's mission through daily practice.
> >
> > These management principals I describe are so like the values of TM, yet
> > they are the antithesis of what the TM movement actually practices. Even
> > from his enlightened position, Maharishi constantly made adjustments and
> > changes to see what would work and what didn't.
> >
> > An additional component to creating a transparent organization is openness
> > in accountability and responsibility. This information is not publicly
> > available on the TM website. Where is the information about who is on the
> > Board of Directors? Where are the minutes from their meetings? Where are
> > the organization's by-laws? Outside of the organization's 990, required
> > under federal law, where are the annual reports that show what the
> > organization has accomplished, performance metrics, details on income and
> > expenditures?
> >
> > How do we know the current model isn't working? Just look at the anemic
> > statistics on dome usage as an indicator. People vote with their feet. To
> > determine why the dome program is foundering, go to the base for the best
> > decision-making. The top of the tree does not speak to the roots.
> >
> > I tell people that the knowledge is the real deal. That they should trust
> > their experiences, trust their program, trust the holy tradition, and if
> > you see something you don't like just turn your head. We all do. That is
> > because there is no system in place to do otherwise.
> >
> > I have meditated for over 40 years based solely on that I enjoy it.
> > Something this powerful will not be stopped. It will get there, but nature
> > demands it must evolve, and grow, and greet this day, this time, this
> > culture, this age.
> >
> > How else do I know the current system isn't working? As I shared meals on
> > the MUM campus, if the organization/management subject was broached, TM
> > teachers and non-teachers alike just shook their heads in resignation.
> > They see what I see, and have done as I have done.
> >
> > I do love you guys. It's just that the current model is not working,
> > despite the fact that there is more talent in the TM movement than I have
> > seen in any organization bar none. I could not shake a tree on the MUM
> > campus without five brilliant TM teachers falling out. Use the talent that
> > has been thrown at you, more plentiful than sand on the beach. Do not just
> > depend on a handful of bright stars. There are many stars wishing to
> > contribute toward your goal.
> >
> > And finally, there is no upward movement in the organization. If you become
> > a TM teacher, the top leadership positions seem to be life appointed. The
> > organization is stagnant, dependent on just a few leaders, though brilliant
> > and talented, who seem to do it all with no structure in the organization
> > to enliven all the myriad multitalented potential of the organization.
> >
> > There are so many examples of poor experiences I have had over the years
> > that give the impression of unprofessionalism from the very trite to the
> > significant. I know I am not the only person who sees these things and
> > knows that below the tip of the iceberg lies a larger problem. These are
> > well known. It is not the intention of my letter to enumerate, but to give
> > but one more voice only to suggest, to prod, to affirm, to encourage you to
> > recognize, and solve themto grow, to change.
> >
> > For lack of a better expression, I would like to suggest that their needs
> > to be a separation of church and state. The church is the purity of the
> > knowledge, and the state is how TM is administrated, the organization. The
> > organization should consider some of the principles I have suggested. There
> > is nothing wrong with conflict. Conflict is just an opportunity to solve a
> > problem. It is how something maladaptive, and disorganized becomes
> > beautiful.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Jai Guru Dev,
> >
>
