--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "geezerfreak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > And the TBs of TM are, without a shred of doubt, > living in a cult.
I agree, but I'll add another dimension to it. As you say, the point is not in recognizing that one has been part of a cult, but in getting *past* the cult mindset. And one can do that and still feel positively about the group, or even still work for the group. IMO the first step of that process is being able to say the word, and apply it to oneself without fear and aversion and anger. I find that when I meet someone who spent a long time in a spiritual trip like the TMO (or the Rama trip, or many others), one of the key indicators as to whether I will be able to get along with them or not is how they relate to that word "cult." The bottom line for me has always been the same: -- If they get angry and defensive and say, "No it wasn't a cult," I know that we're never going to be able to get along. They are still involved in protecting some silly notion of self, and are not likely to be able to get past that long enough to have and serious fun. -- If they can say, "Sure, it was a cult," and LAUGH, there is a potential friendship there. The people I find that it's fun to be with are able to say, "Cult? No problem...of *course* it was a cult...but I learned a lot and had a lot of fun." They have left behind any part of self that isn't comfortable admitting that they were once part of a cult. What's the big deal about admitting that one was part of a cult, after all? *Everybody* does some stupid shit in one's life. The smart ones move past the stupid shit, while IMO the dumb ones prolong the stupid shit by denying for years (or even decades) that they bought into it. 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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> 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/
