Does anyone know if some TM-Teachers has been in court with the TMO? In Norway we had one case in the 70ths, where some TM-Teachers were kicked out of the TMO, and they started their own organisation, teaching Transcendental Meditation. It was a Court-Case where the TMO lost. Afterwards it came to an Agreement that the TMO paid a lot of money to the New Organisation not to use the words Transcendental meditation. The New Organisation named ACEM is very successfull in Norway, they are holding courses everywhere regularly, they own Hotels with great Standards and is very much respected. They have changed the procedure, do not perform Puja, and has taken away everything that reminds about MMY. Why they was banned, was that they started to ask questions about the TMO, bookcounting, where does the money go, the dogma and MMY. Ingegerd
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "tmforlife108" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > TMO as a valid employer > > It will be interesting to see how things shape up in South Florida with the independent TM > teacher there. He recently posted here that he is having trouble with advertising TM as an > "unrecertified teacher". The TMO is trying to block that activity. Goldstein with MUM legal > had written a letter to a magazine there. I just found out Mike Scozzari has received the > standard cease and desist letter from a law firm representing the TMO. Mike said his legal > counsel is advising him not to respond to threats unless ordered by the courts. In addition > to a legal team, he has a publicist here in San Francisco that wants to do a feature on > independents who teach for less should this go to court. > > Back in 1993 here in California one independent TM teacher (a regular to fairfieldlife) told > me he advised the movement they would only hurt themselves if they took legal action > against him. The court and publicity could potentially uncover a long list of TMO errors > and embarrassments. If they threatened trademark infringement in 1993 but didn't take > legal action over all these years, any judge would question the validity of an unprotected > trademark. The California teacher referred to here teaches TM as an independent today > and has helped many people learn the technique charging much less than the national > average, He is successful because he is a good teacher. Lets not get lost criticizing him > for not sharing the income with national. They make that impossible for someone who > wants to make a living at this. Teachers should be making the majority of the course fee > with a small percentage going to the TMO for a franchise fee. That wold never happen as > the movement would not have a stronghold on the purse and therefore a stronghold on > the teacher. > > With the latest round of TMO stupidity and recertification to teach, and with promises for > salaries not kept, what legitimate U.S. court would accept the TMO as a valid employer? > I agree in part with an earlier post from spraig@ - The TMO does have the right to it's > trademark protection. L'm not an attorney either but if the owner of the trademark fails to > protect it and misuses it......that could be a very interesting question for the courts to look > at. The TMO has demonstrated itself to be an unreliable employer incapable of fulfilling > it's promises, withdrawing promised salaries with the latest recertification project. If > teachers pay to train to teach and the trademark owner makes that impossible, who then > has the right to use the trademark? The argument could be made in court that > overwhelming evidence exists to sue the tm org for Fraudulent & Deceptive & Exploitative > employment practices. > > I thought the letter to the magazine in south Florida was threatening. This TMO tactic is > designed to frighten and why go after the magazine. The recertified teachers there are > probably ticked off that someone is competing with them. Competition is good and > everyone should teach! I received an e-mail which I think did a good job of summing up: > > "The national course fee in the US set by the Transcendental Meditation Organization is 5 > times what it was in 1993. Consequently the numbers are way down, people are not > starting. Many experienced/certified teachers throughout the U.S. have had to settle the > problem of runaway prices by privately offering TM instruction at very reasonable rates. > Without compromising the original effective technique, TM can now be learned for less. > It's the same technique. People everywhere, rich or poor, should have the opportunity to > take the course and follow-up lessons." > > I wonder how many TM teachers there are who would like to teach if they knew they would > not be threatened. This latest event could be the rallying point for all of them - and don't > kid yourself, there are many! Of the 40K trained in the US, and so few teaching, there are > still many who would love to teach and could make a difference. I know the attorneys in > south Florida have been talking about a fund to help cover the costs if they go to trail. If > all TM teachers could benefit, independence could be for all. Maybe they are already free > of this and just don't realize it! > > Daniel Jeffers > > Sent to me from one recertified teacher from California......regarding TMO threat to the > magazine in Florida: > > "If anyone should be censored, it is the tm org. For trying to monopolize a universally- > beneficial spiritual teaching, and for trying to intimidate & prohibit qualified teachers from > sharing this teaching with the public. Most publications are natural advocates of free > speech. In our society we celebrate diversity of opinions & teachings & lifestyles. As one > attorney stated: "the tm org. has an illegitimate trademark------ -they've never defended > it in the past 40 years------and it will certainly fail in court, whenever it comes to court" > ---- they, the tm org., have not followed the laws in this situation-------this is simply a > dispute or difference of opinion within a particular spiritual teaching: the government & > laws do not take sides in these disputes-------for example, the government does not try > to influence who will be elected pope, or what position the southern baptist convention > will take on issues, or what approach they will take to promote christianity-----or what > approach should be taken in the teaching of transcendental meditation, etc. It's a free > marketplace of ideas, and as true american citizens, we respect the right of everyone to > freely speak and teach the truth as they believe. The tm org., on the other hand, does not > truly respect the u.s. constitution------they openly support the establishment of > monarchies throughout the world, and they openly function as a monarchy within their > own org. structure. They believe the monarch has the absolute authority to control all > information & education, and they are openly calling for the entire world to be one > country, under the rule of an absolute monarch! Judging by the history of the tm org., > and its horrible mismanagement, destroying a vital worldwide movement that was > benefitting millions of people, this is very alarming. We can respect their right to express > their viewpoint, but the O.S. constitution and the majority of Americans are not likely to > allow them to implement their vision of a totalitarian society! They force people in their > own org. to bow down to appointed kings wearing robes & crowns! They are calling for > the destruction of all homes & buildings & cities in the world, destroying all the treasured > cultural & historical landmarks, even reversing the direction of the flow of major rivers in > Europe, just to conform to their dictation as to what is proper. They talk in idealistic > terms of "world peace" and developing everyone's full potential, but this is obscuring the > truth that they wish to control every detail of a person's thought & life! At their > "university" in Iowa (for objective history, see www.geocities.com/bbrigante/ > updates.html), they are taking millions in federal funds, while violating federal laws------ > they claim TM is not a religion or lifestyle (it's true---it isn't) but in practice, they rigidly > suppress all freedom of speech & assembly on campus. One recent example (among > thousands): a student was informed by the dean of students, that she could not teach a > yoga class in town, off campus, because that style of yoga was not sanctioned by the > university. The university for years has warned students not to attend the meetings of any > other spiritual teachings (other than established mainstream religions). Students who are > caught doing so, are expelled. It goes on & on. The teachings of Maharishi & TM are > wonderful & practical, but have been grossly distorted by an overbearing organization in > the past several years. Trained & experienced independent TM teachers, have the right in > this great democracy, to present the truth of Maharishi's teaching freely to the public, and > to share the benefits of TM freely with the public. A great example of the great benefit to > our society from independent TM teachers is the work of the Enlightened Sentencing > Project in St. Louis, Missouri, where 12 judges have directed hundreds of probationers to > learn TM (see Farrok's web site - www.tesp.org). The TM org. focuses its programs on the > superrich: following the basic recommendations of the org. can cost an individual > $50,000 to $100,000 per year, or more. They have the right to do that [although it seems > their nonprofit status might be called into question ], but the government will not take > their side in suppressing the activities of independent TM teachers." > > > > Below is a letter from recertified teacher John W Chandler. He sent this to Farrokh, > Farrokh sent it to me: > > This poor TM Teacher left his job to go for recertification. Read his story. > . > "Just came across your e-mail address and was wondering how you were doing? > > I just went through 4.5 months of major stress. I quit my job at the bank and signed up > for the TM Peace Palace Project as a Recertified Governor/Director. Then the next thing I > knew, they canceled our course, told us to get to work right away, and by the way "you're > not going to get paid or reimbursed for your expenses until we decide you deserve it". > Boy did I hit the roof when they pulled that switch on us. Nevertheless, I stuck it out for 3 > months before I quit. So, I lost 4.5 months of income, lost my old job, all my seniority, my > 401k contributions, my territory and my credibility. All because I dared to believe the > movement was going to honor their word when they said they would pay us $4000/month > salary + reimburse any expenses we incurred setting things up. They lied. So, now I'm > free of the movement. I'll never trust or believe anything they say ever again, and > unfortunately I don't trust MMY as much anymore either; although he may be heavily > influenced by the greedy people around him. > > Fortunately the bank is taking me back and I start again next week, but at a lower rank, > less salary, no matching 401k funds, and less vacation. Oh well, live and learn. > > So, that's my bright and cheerful update. Hope yours is going better. > > John W Chandler > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Need Help? Get Help! Tools and Strategies for Healthy Drug-Free Living</a>. http://us.click.yahoo.com/wI.OUB/dbOLAA/d1hLAA/0NYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! 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