I'm new to FF Life so plmk any changes I need to make in how I'm submitting...
Please excuse any newby gaffs.
I see a dramatic drop-off of FF Life posts between 2016 and 2017. Why?
*
It appears in the comments with the Communal post 11/24 that there are two
contrasting views:
a) the FF TM is thriving, andb) that FF TM is declining. Both are partially
true, and neither is 'the' story. Neither is an objective or complete view.
Both trends are happening:
1. a) Finances, participation (TM), and infrastructure are building,
increasing, and, b) shifts in core values are taking place in order to continue
that growth (MUM enrollment is up, not only Compro, but non-compro domestic is
well up). Annual Fund is successfully raised every year, and the amount is
higher and higher. So visitors to FF saw the surface, the buildings, the many
people, the signs of funds and creativity.
Some frequently point to Sidhas leaving and deceasing, but, many Sidhas and
young continue to arrive, and the young TM people here are much more into
babies than we were.
FF Life description or definition on its home page says there are 2,000 Sidhas
locally. A Mvmt leader w easy full access to IAD stats said ten years ago that
3,500 have badges locally. So I believe number of local Sidhas is at least
3,000 and may well be higher.
What is needed to understand the local decline vs growth situation, to see how
much decline, and how much growth, are data, statistics, not just guessing and
anecdotal observations.
2. Continual change of mission (de-prioritization of Super-Radiance, and
lessening of campus 'community' (informal social mixing of income and asset
levels, and positioned w non-positioned, around food and music). Most visitors
do not see this.
Some things driving the mission change are:
a) Disinterest/disbelief of youth in Maharishi Effect and their lesser interest
in higher states of consciousness and sadhana lifestyleb) Different admin
priorities. MUM and MF are more income-driven now, and Super-Radiance does not
appear to them to be 'bringing in money.' It is a more surface view, more
'chhandas-based' view, rather than a more 'consciousness-based' or
'rishi-based' view. More materialistic, less spiritual view (using 'spiritual'
in its more limited definition, in contrast to 'materialist')
c) Widespread desire or need 'to be led' on the part of many Sidhas, rather
than self-sufficient initiative. This is common all over the U.S. in many
spheres, such as political (over-focus on US President, etc.).
d) strong desire and tendency of youth on campus to be just with one another,
to not mix with elders (we're too intense, driven, directed, and other reasons)
e) many other different characteristics between youth and boomers (too many to
list here now)f) particularly small number of Gen X, between boomers and
millennials, to serve as mediating bridging function
g) Theory X rather than Theory Y mgmt style - a planetary situation, not just
Movement by any means
The young students paying tuition are driving values and priorities. And, the
wealthy boomer donors are not as oriented toward SR (Super-Radiance) and campus
community (informal mixing w non-wealthy/positioned). Two dozen Movement career
HR pros have taught me about this and evaluated the situation clearly and
objectively.
Another major trend is that the younger generation is blending in far more w
the non-meditators in values and life style. And the non-meditator youth are
also becoming more open to alternative values and lifestyle. There is a clear
merging going on. You will not hear a young person use the term
'non-meditator.' Probably not 'meditator' either. They don't think like that.
People are people to them. Much less 'spiritual idealism' in youth. And
'spirituality' is being defined differently. Following a guru is seriously out
of fashion among youth, especially collectively following the same guru. And
close association w any large institutions or movements, especially spiritual.
All this is particularly true of young men.
These all work against mission maintenance.
This is all withing a changing local Movement cultural context of (imho) more
and more bliss, happiness, friendliness, silence (vertical) and, decreasing
friendship, trust, integrity, intimacy (horizontal). And other than the bliss,
this trend appears national to me. Social scientists tell me this is
predictable from mgmt style. The world is still mostly Theory X, not theory Y
(HR terms for top down (X) and egalitarian hierarchy (Y).
I should read it again, but what is said in the string about 'the past is a
lesser developed state' seems self-contradicting. The sentence after it,
beginning "But..." reinforces the saying 'the past is lesser developed,' it
doesn't contrast with it.
Summary: The TM community (local and global) is growing, but by shifting
mission (away from Super-Radiance and away from down-home community/family
values, toward just TM, and increasingly institutional-corporate-formal
underlying tone and content (not necessarily inPR imaging). Global reporting
by Mvmt leaders focuses far more on TM and yagyas than Super-Radiance groups.
Two main Ministers talk about Super-Radiance a lot, but Rajas (deciders) do not
mention it much. So this mission shift is not by any means just a local
phenomenon. This is why we formed the Super-Radiance Action Team (SAT), after
much success in increasing Super-Radiance numbers 2008-2012.
The global TM leaders do not think in terms of Fairfield as they used to.
Maharishi zeroed in on the IAA ("There is nothing more important in the global
Movement than the Invincible America Assembly." - M). The global TM leaders do
not, since they are moving away from SR. So the FF community plays a much
smaller role globally than it did w Maharishi. A second horizontal more outward
step is a natural succession after a deep transcendental guru-based,
moksha-based dive within the first 50 years. SAT is doing what it can to
maintain something of SR and community.
* BUT Please Keep In Mind: The Domes cost $240,000/year (HVAC + admin + repairs
+ amortized major repair) AND $294,000/year for the IAA Grant ($350 for 70
Sidhas on Grant per month X 12 months)... That's $534,000/year ! Who is paying
that? MUM and MF. Donations toward this are relatively small. John Hagelin has
that bottom line. That is not commitment? That is a gigantic commitment. It's
just that, if we are going to spend that much money on a project, isn't it
worth a matching sizable investment of promotion and attentive careful
management (a great deal of which is or could be free)? If we are going to
spend that kind of huge $ on a program, it's worth doing a great deal to take
care of it managerially and promotionally. Alert donors are looking for
progressive, healthy programs going somewhere. Or if in decline, a good plan,
and determination of people w the skill and commitment to turn the decline
around. No?
This is about the science and field of community development.
The differentiation betw institution and movement (mission) in the post is
accurate and important. FF TM is a tiny portion of what is going on worldwide,
esp w DLF. Check the DLF website's Advisory Board and Board of Directors. That
is where a huge amount of $ is, and is going. This appears to be a prominent
future of the Movement:
https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/message.html
The single most important, fundamental point here is to not wait for anyone
else, any leader/s, to take action or lead, but to take appropriate and
effective action oneself. a) attending Group Program, b) giving constructive
candid feedback to admin c) donating to IAA, Domes, SAT, d) so many other good
things that can be done.
"God helps those who help themselves." - quoted by M
"Don't expect things to be done for you." - M
"Angels are not going to come down from heaven to do this for you. You have to
do it yourselves." - M to IAA
Thanks for your attention
