--- In [email protected], "Paul Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > So, you seem to agree that even the 'mighty' are as subject to the > law of karma as say you or I, yet I am convinced that a part of the > belief system espoused by TMers is a belief that any action > undertaken for the cause, is outside of the spectrum of personal > karma.
Yeah, that's the mentality that prompted some to agree to smuggle suitcases of money across international borders. I suspect that the authorities who caught a few of these people were not convinced that their devotion to the dharma placed them above the law. :-) > The idea as passed on to teachers of TM that truth is > different at different levels of consciousness seems to > offer up justification for deviousness, evasion and > sometimes downright dishonesty. It's not as if they haven't seen it being employed by the movement's leaders. Since many of these well- meaning students have bought into "the enlightened can do no wrong" Kool-Aid, and because they consider their teacher enlightened, such behavior tends to creep over into their own lives. > In fact, once one becomes exposed to individuals who > warp the truth to suit the cause (and themselves), > the capacity for moral discernment must become virtually > impossible. I've certainly seen it happen. > Many of the arguments against the Maharishi and his > teachings stem from a dislike of the way he and those > individuals who represent him show no compunction about > twisting words to suit ends. I would agree. > But if the 'cause' is about giving people the experience > of bliss and timelessness, how is this served by telling > porkies? The ends justify the means. I think you'd find a few on this very forum who would support this idea. Me, I've always been more comfortable with the Buddhist version: "The means *are* the end," meaning that karmically, there are only means...if they are unethical, then the theoretical goal that the person is working towards doesn't matter...they are still unethical. > No, all that is achieved is a mistrust of a man and his > movement. For many when they see the sight of such dirty > bathwater, they don't hang about to see whether it > contains anything of any real worth. And that is a shame, > a shame brought about by a so-called Maharishi! I think so, too. I think that plain, vanilla TM (that is, no siddhis, no "advanced techniques," no involvement with the TM movement at all) would be *extremely* beneficial for many people on the planet. A panacea? No. A way to achieve world peace? No. But beneficial as a way for them to practice an easily-learned and easily-practiced tech- nique of self development. But it doesn't seem to be being offered at a price that people can afford, and without all the baggage that has come to be associated with the basic technique. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Check out the new improvements in Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/6pRQfA/fOaOAA/yQLSAA/UlWolB/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/
