Akasha: > do you hold that sadhana have not effect on behavior? > > Decreased anger, guilt, embarassment, jealousy, envy, and > > reactiveness, along with increased happiness, sparkle, crativity, > > love, tolerance, flexibility and compassion seem not only to be > > positive correlated with sadhanas but a causitive result of such. > >
Anon: > I agree with you that the regular practice of meditation can have the influences mention above. Over the past 35 years I have seen people who started TM, embraced the practice and philosophy, changed their diets, stopped smoking, went back to school, etc. all positive things.Years later many resumed old habits including hard core drug usage, smoking cigarettes, and other such behaviors. Is it the majority, I don't think so. > > However, could these behaviors change because of the idea that *now > I'm a meditator, meditator's are known to be non-reactive, > non-jealous, peaceloving, compassionate people, now that I meditate Ak: I am quite familiar with the "being an example" effect on behavior -- both seeing it and living it. But IME, such changes are superficial. The changes I was touching on are deeper, more substantial. However, I agree there can be a snapback effect when one stops being a teacher and is released from the need of "being ut a teacher". Or peer / social links with TMO folks diminish somewhat (or such peers become less TMOish, and thus good behavior within bounds acceptable to peers). And this can lead to adoption of old behaviors which are not affected by the sadhana-effect. But I think the latter still has a substantial effect on its own. Thats my experience at least. Anon: > Many people who learned TM, due to the era we started, were already in the Eastern get-enlightened mindset and the notion of being or emulating a Yogi was pretty well standardized and that was our model. So, even with the admonition to do nothing more than meditate for 40 minutes per day, we were pretty ready to take on saintly behavior. Ak: I think that the emulation, at least on the lower level of "parroting" and imitating specific behaviors -- if not quirks -- of TMO "role models" diminishes as one "grows up" -- from teens or early 20's to late 30s +. So there are at least five effects: i) sadhana, ii) feeling the need to be an example of TM benefits, iii) imitating TMO role models, iv) natural maturity, v) snapback effects. I think the first can be substantially distinguished from the others. Anon: > Peter put it so well in another post in this thread when he made > reference to people's projection of the God archetype. I think that is what very many have done. AK: IMO,improved behavior resulting from sadhana is a reality -- at least for many. This is easily distinguished from some theoretical model / baggage some carry with them regarding the attributes of "ideal behavior". To state that there is no pinnacle of ideal human behavior is a POV -- maybe true maybe not, but pretty irrelevant. The practical issue is whether sadhana / self-help / mentorships etc. can improve behavior over prior states. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
