The phrase, by the way, was "Solve the age old problems of mankind, in this generation"
Yes, it's advertising, and I don't really know of anyone who really figured it could really transpire, but it was a slogan to motivate the troops. And I was one who bought into it, and it did have a transforming effect on me. On the other hand, I was always a bit of an idealist. We evidently have different results from the practice. I made my statements of more balanced activity from my own experience. ---In [email protected], <anartaxius@...> wrote : ---In [email protected], <steve.sundur@...> wrote : Just to follow up on this. Yes, xeno, you can still have difficult days, even if you practice TM, which I try to do once a day. Perhaps you struggle under the assumption, as some others here do, that TM should solve all problems. I am afraid to inform you that it does not. I do not struggle with this assumption at all, I never had this assumption. The objection is to the way it is advertised 'The Solution to All Problems'. It is the deceptive marketing and the unnecessary fluff it is embedded with. In fact I ignored most of the sales patter. I had already had some moderately clear experiences that gave me a clue as to what enlightenment was about, and I was looking for a compatible meditation method. However, you may be heartened to learn, that the practice may give you a clearer, and more settled state of mind, such that you can deal with difficult situations in a more balanced way. I learned this long ago, and yet TM (and mostly equivalent techniques) are not for this either. Life does not change, these techniques are simply to get one to see that, to change one's perspective of a world that is absolute. There is some fallout, such as psychosomatic disturbances becoming less, but these are all side-effects. Promoting the side-effects as a reason for meditating is putting the cart before the horse, and it sets up unreasonable expectations for those whose nature is to fall into the trap of unreasonable expectations. Please let me know if you'd like me to elaborate, and I will be glad to do so. Not necessary. I'm here for ya. As for Jim's role at the peak, I believe you are a regular contributor there, and I don't recall that you have run afoul of any rules, written or unwritten. You may praise FFL, but I would say the worthwhile content has gone down to about 5% from maybe a peak of 20%. The trend does not look promising, IMO. The Peak has had a few good conversations, but it is pretty sappy most of the time. When people are challenged, often in an unreasonable way, an unfair way, you get to see their real psychology come forth, and get a better sense of their level of knowledge and how they express it. When everything is nicey nicey, that knowledge stays hidden, so you cannot tell if it is there or not.
