I enjoyed the trip down memory lane of movement history. It seems to me that blaming the people under the heads of the movement in the organization for how it runs, is buying into one of MMY's more cockamamie ideas about "deservability". Another explanation might be that MMY is just not a very pleasant guy and runs the group the way he wants it. He attracts the kind of person who enjoys having the power that goes along with phrases that begin with "MMY wants..." This group displays the same kind of unkind and often idiotic behavior that is common among power brokers in any group, like Congressmen or Senators. So mix in some well intentioned people who are controlled by the more ruthless in power, and you have a group that acts like the movement. All without blaming the followers, who must cower to the powers that be or be denied getting on courses. Other than some magical effect of a group dreamed up by MMY, there is no way for a top down authoritarian organization to be influenced by members.
--- In [email protected], new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Some recent posts have got me thinking. (A relatively rare even, I > know -- the thinking part.) Emerging is a speculative theory. It > assumes karma. Which I offer no proof, other than personal > experience, and that it has a lot of "air-time" in traditional > cultures. Nor do I subscribe 100% to such karma theories. But its an > interesting perspective. > > The basic theme of this theory is, looking at different phases of the > TMO -- in terms of karma -- perhaps the teachers and meditators got > the organization they deserved. Or needed. And the TMO changed colors > and flavors, to reflect the deservingness and needs of its participants. > > Observation: The TMO, specifically SIMS, of the mid-60s to early 70's, > was IMO, a pretty upbeat, energetic, heavily volunteeristic, > straight-forward, open, and dare I say, satvic organization. The > teachers, initially, were in mid 30s-40s, had had careers, were > trained in early India courses, and had lots of close, interaction > with MMY. Meditators were mostly students at top universities, and > creative types -- artists, musicians, etc. Most/many being bright, > capable and creative. From the fall of 68-sprint 1970, four India > courses trained a new wave of recent college graduates, energetic, > fresh-faced, activist types. Perhaps not quite as "satvic" as the > older teachers, but certainly more rajastic, with strong satvic > overtones. This new set of teachers set the foundation for the next > phase. > > The TMO of that era, was open, honest, flexible, colorful, > compassionate( people were taught for what they could afford), > fast-moving, with few or no "rules" -- and FUN. And elegant. The > centers at Berkeley, UCLA, Cambridge, etc. were beautiful, substantial > and dignified. In terms of karma, perhaps the teachers and meditators > got the organization they deserved. > > > Next Phase : Lots of new initiations from the new India teachers. > These new initiates were the feedstock for large new "massive" TTC's > in Estes Park, Mallorca, Fuiggi, L'Antilla. Standards for going to the > new European-based TTCs were quite a bit lower than the late 60's > India courses. College degree, personal interviews with Jerry and MMY, > strong academic and activity record, etc, were abondoned. If you were > not a walking psycho, you got accepted. And even them this criteria > was often waived. And this new set of teachers when let loose, taught > many new people. While many teachers in this group were stellar, as a > whole, the group was less vibrant, dedicated, > intellectually and socially adept, etc. As were the large mass of > people they taught -- taken as a whole, compared to the 60's SIMS > meditators. > > The TMO of this phase was more structured, rigidity grew, teachers > were less self-sufficient -- needing regional lecturers and "golden > boys" to draw the crowds, and needed regioan and a heirarchy of other > coordinators to settle center problems, squabbles, and wierd stuff, > that was much rarer in the 60's SIMS. In terms of karma, perhaps the > teachers and meditators got the organization they deserved. > > A third phase, was perhaps marked at the beginning of the siddhi's > courses -- particularly the field programs of flying and citizen > courses beginning in mid 77. Many dropped out within a year or so of > this, and much mainstream academic, religious and business community > support dried up. To remain a teacher, particularly a gov, one had to > talk of people flying and great powers. And tell others they could > easily obtain such. Gullibility, reduced critical thinking, double > talk, clinging to hopes and dreams -- all in all -- less grounded > people, were increasingly the characteristics of the population of > both teachers and students. There were /are some pretty strange > characters crawling out of the woodwork. > > The TMO was increasingly, opaque, paranoid, rigid, uncompassionate, > and less fun. In terms of karma, perhaps the teachers and meditators > got the organization they deserved. And/or needed. > > The last 25 years of the TMO, which I have mostly observed from afar, > meditators/ teachers seemed to have assumed a victims culture: "oh > aren't we so screwed by the TMO, I mean we obediently dropped our > pants, and then bent over. And the audacity of them! They actually > drove it in -- those bastards! We are victims! The TMO is dark and bad." > > Perhaps the fault dear Brtutus is not in the stars (externals) but in > ourselves. Perhaps people get what they deserve and need. > > And perhaps the next phase of the TMO, will be the reflection of a new > or transformed group that is more deserving of a more satvic, > compassionate, supportive, creative, open, flowing, happy, fun > organization. Like the mid-late 60s'. Even better perhaps. Perhaps > they will not (no longer) need to be guided by rigid guidelines and > iron-fist administrators. > > Perhaps the ME from IA is working to clean the current wave of TMO > participants -- and (re)attracting new ones. With the net result, the > TMO population of participants will be more deserving of a "great" > organization. And less need for a "totalitarian, scary" one. > > Just a thought. > 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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