--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings <no_reply@> > wrote: > > > > Why is john Hagelin a coward??? > > What is he afraid of??? > > > > ...that I AM NOT AFRAID OF???!!! > > > > Why is john Hagelin a coward??? > > What is he afraid of??? > > > > ...answer this > > Ah, a perfect opportunity to re-emerge after my shorter- > than-expected vacation. > > It's been fascinating being away from the fray, traveling > about and being around normal people most of the time. :-) > > On returning from my Road Trip, I spent about an hour > "catching up," and I thank those who encouraged me to stick > around. I've decided to take you up on the offer, at least > for a little while, and with some self-imposed restrictions. > I plan to spend a maximum of 20 minutes a day :-) reading > FFL, and then to do so very, very selectively, reading only > what catches my eye, and avoiding those posters whom time > has proven a waste of time. If I post, it will be as an > exercise in writing, not as a prelude to or an invitation > to argue. > > One of the spiritual teachers I worked with used to say, > "Writers write because they're trying to figure things out." > For the record, that's all I'm doing...trying to figure > things out. These raps are not my idea of What Is True, > and I'm not trying to sell the ideas in them to anyone > or convince anyone that they're "true" or "right." > > I post the comments as what they are, Just My Opinion. I > will not respond to any comments others make about them, > and to be honest can't even promise to read the followups, > if there are any. Unlike many of the people here, I don't > really feel any need to defend my opinions as anything other > than what they are -- just my opinions, made at a particular > point in time, possibly changing at another point in time. > If others want to comment on them, that's their business. > The posts themselves are the only comments I have to offer. > > Here's the first of them: > > ************************************************************ > > Reading some of the FFL posts from the last month, pretty > much at random, I came across a few (both the opinions of > FFL "regulars" and quotes from others in the TMO) that > suggest to me that TM has degenerated into a path in > which the few lingering True Believers are acting out > of a profound fear of CC. > > No, not Cosmic Consciousness. I'm talking about Cosmic > Cooties. > > Over the decades, the TM faithful have been told, by > Maharishi directly and by those he trained to parrot his > words, that certain things in life contain Cosmic Cooties, > and that to come in contact with these things is to chance > getting the cooties on yourself. > > To doubt the infallible Truth of the TM dogma is definitely > courting cooties. There can be no question of this -- all > you have to do is watch and see what happens to those in > the TMO who give expression to their doubts. They are > whisked out of sight and quarantined as quickly as a leper > would have been chased out of a medieval village. Doubt > cooties are *contagious*, after all, and you can't allow > those who have them to mingle among the uninfected. > > The other thing that definitely is infected with these > highly contagious cooties is being open to knowledge from > or representatives of other spiritual traditions. The > attitude could be emblazoned on a T-shirt: SEE A SAINT, > GET COOTIES! > > Such is the fear of Cosmic Cooties at this point that > the official TM organization won't allow anyone who has > *admitted to* any contact with either of the cootie- > infested behaviors to be part of civilzed...uh, I mean > evolved...company. They are weeded out and sent off to > the hell world that the TBs have been trained to believe > awaits them. > > I believe that this is a really sad phenomenon. Not just > for the organization that espouses it, but for the indi- > vidual seekers who buy into this dogma of fear as Truth. > What it creates in them is a path based on self hatred, > because *they* have doubts, and cannot admit them. And > *they* are still curious about spiritual experience in > other traditions, and they cannot admit that, either. > > The True Believers who have been trained to be terrified > of Cosmic Cooties have also been trained to LIE -- not > only to the organization they belong to (which is sad > in itself), but to *themselves*, which is heartbreaking. > > *EVERYONE* who has ever pursued a spiritual path has had > doubts. Mature spiritual traditions accept this, and > accept that these doubts are a natural and a positive > aspect of the spiritual process. They have mechanisms in > place so that seekers within their traditions can safely > express their doubts. If the doubts grow strong enough, > these traditions have no problem with wishing the seeker > well on his or her Way as they take a leave of absence > to explore them, and then they are always willing to > welcome the doubter back into the fold when they have > come to some sense of balance about them. This strikes > me as sound spiritual policy, one that has its roots in > a legitimate desire that the students really evolve, > not stay the same out of a sense of shame and fear. > > *EVERYONE* who has ever been attracted to one spiritual > tradition strongly enough to devote decades of his or > her life to it *also* is curious about the experiences > of and the teachings of other traditions. Again, it's > natural, and mature traditions actually *encourage* > their students to see other teachers and read books > from other disciplines. There is none of the "Don't > do that...you'll get cooties!" fear-based dogma one > sees in the TMO. > > I find the position adopted by many of the TBs really > sad, because of what it does to *them*. You can see the > fear in their writings, and hear it in their "voices" > in the things that they say. They are TERRIFIED of > cooties. And in almost every case, they know that they > already HAVE them. They *do* have doubts, but feel so > paralyzed by self hatred and fear of exposure that > they cannot bring themselves to express them. They > *are* curious about other techniques and other forms > of spiritual practice, but they can't admit it, > to others or to themselves. > > So they react angrily, vehemently, expressing their > distaste for this "disgusting" behavior on the part > of those who *can* admit it. But who is it that they're > really disgusted at? > > I think it's themselves. They have bought into this > fear of cooties for so long -- all the time knowing that > they themselves are closet cootie carriers -- that their > form of spiritual practice has become self hatred. The > anger you hear in their words is really aimed at > THEMSELVES. The disgust you hear in their voices is > at THEMSELVES. They *have* cooties already, and they > know it, but rather than deal with this shadow side of > their own being, they project it at those who are more > honest than they are, those who have left the FOC > (Fear Of Cooties) operating system behind them. > > I suggest all of this as a way to help the more > balanced posters here feel more compassion for some > of the more strident voices among them. The angrier > these voices get, the more they demonize others who > think for themselves and are honest about their doubts > and their "extracurricular" interests, the more angry > they really are at themselves. The more they demonize > these cootie-infested individuals, the more they > internally demonize themselves. > > These are really sad people. Yeah, I know that they're > strident and nitpicky and obnoxious, but that's just > because they're treating others in their words the way > they treat *themselves* in their inner thoughts. IMO > these people really *hate* themselves, for the crime > of being NORMAL. That's really what this FOC operating > system is all about. Those who have bought into it only > consider mythically-perfect enlightened beings worthy > of their respect. Normal people have cooties, and thus > are to be despised. > > Well, that's not the way I see it. I say LONG LIVE > COOTIES! Don't resist them, don't demonize them, don't > rail against them -- EMBRACE them. Your cooties -- your > natural doubts and your natural curiosity -- are your > strengths, not your weaknesses. As the Buddha told us, > only normal people ever realize enlightenment. Those > who hate their own normality, and project that hatred > of normality onto others, are hating their own enlight- > enment, and pushing it further away every day. > > COOTIES RULE. Doubt and curiosity are the cornerstones > of a successful spiritual practice. Hate them and you > end up hating yourself, and spirituality itself. > > ************************************************************ > Hi Barry, and welcome back! Hope you had a great vacation!
As a quiet exception to your remark above that everyone one a spiritual path has doubts about it, I just want to mention that despite having done TM for over 30 years, I have never doubted the effectiveness of the technique. Sure I don't associate with the TMO anymore, and have come to a more balanced view of things regarding my spiritual outlook, but the effectiveness of TM I have never doubted, nor my belief that it is the most effective meditation technique available. To me, its sorta like aspirin- cures a headache or heartache every time. 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/
