well said, Rick. As it turns out, I had a similar conversation with a former Rama student recently. Like your friend, this gal was trying to "save" me from my backsliding ways and "help me" return to a "proper and correct" understanding of who and what Rama (Frederick Lenz) was.
I tolerated it for a few moments, making jokes the whole time, trying to get her to lighten up. But lightening up just wasn't in the picture, because she had decided that I really needed to be "saved," and that she was just the one to do the "saving." So finally I said to her, "Look...here is where I'm at with regard to any of this. Anything I think or believe about Rama is just a theory, and one that I am not particularly attached to. I am willing to state at any time that I could be completely WRONG in my ideas about who and what he was. Can you say that about YOUR beliefs about him?" She hemmed and hawed and dodged the question for some minutes, but I kept repeating it, saying that if we were to have any kind of meaningful discussion, we should start off on the same footing, both of us with ideas about the man we were discussing, but both of us willing to admit that these ideas might be WRONG. She kept dodging. I kept repeating the ques- tion. Finally she flew into a purple-faced rage, yelled at me for a few minutes, and stormed off, hopefully never to darken my door again. The thing is, she was UNABLE to say the words, "I might be wrong." She couldn't get them out of her mouth. To do so would have opened a Pandora's Box for her that she wanted no part of. Her faith was based on the abso- lute *certainty* that she was right, and she could not, even for a moment, admit even the *possibility* that she might be wrong. I kinda suspect that the friend who wanted to "help you" would have reacted the same way... --- In [email protected], "Rick Archer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > He said: > > If you sincerely want to know the truth, I'll help you come to terms with > Maharishi and the Movement. But Ricky, if your heart is already set and I > would be wasting my time, then, you can go on with the negative judgements > and good luck. > > > > I said: > > I thought a lot about this and kind of "felt" my way into it during > meditation, and here's what I think (and feel). I love you, Bobby, Paul > Morehead, Craig Pearson, my old Purusha buddies, and the many good souls in > the movement. Most of the people I just mentioned love what they're doing > and seem to be thriving doing it. Bobby (to whom I'm Cc-ing this note) > absolutely glows with love, energy, and enthusiasm. I consider him a genuine > saint, (although, being a genuine saint, he wouldn't admit or even know that > he is). So many of the people I just mentioned are brilliant at what they > do. I couldn't hold a candle to them. My heart recoils at the thought of > engaging them in a conversation in which I would be obligated to bring out > things that might dampen their enthusiasm and devotion. If it ever becomes > more evolutionary for some of these people to leave the movement than to > stay in it, then probably that's what they'll do. Most of those who stay in > the movement will see them as having fallen or become deluded, because > seeing their course of action as perfectly acceptable might shake the > foundations of their own motivation. But those who leave can live with that. > > > > The conditions you've set up for our discussion are not equitable. You > clearly imply that you possess "the truth" and that I am mired in "negative > judgments" from which you might extricate me. I don't regard you or anyone > as having a monopoly on the truth. If some of my own judgments are overly > negative, I'd certainly like to revise them. Others may be insightful or > well-informed, but for you to see them that way would be to start a crack in > the cosmic egg, and as I said above, I don't want to do that. I don't mean > to sound condescending, but chicks have to peck their way out. Helping them > from the outside can be injurious. > > > > My guiding principles are pretty well expressed by the quotes on the home > page of FairfieldLife: > > > > "What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the wish to find out, which > is the exact opposite." ~ Bertrand Russell > > > > "The healthy mind challenges its own assumptions." ~ The I Ching > > > > "Whatever you think, it's more than that" ~ Incredible String Band > > > > "Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what > your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But > whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, > conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings -- that > doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide." ~ Dharma-pada, > Buddha Shakyamuni > > > > "Take what you need and leave the rest." ~ The Band > > > > I do not claim to know the truth. I hope my judgments, if I am making any, > remain open to revision as new information presents itself. And I try never > dismiss any information out of hand. "Pretty much any topic is fair game." > (Another line from the FFL description.) We don't live in a black and white > universe and a fundamentalist, holier-than-thou attitude, whoever expresses > it, is a reflection of individual ego, not of the true nature of things. It > reveals a failure to appreciate God's infinite, all-embracing, compassionate > nature. > > > > So I hope we always remain friends, and can spend some fun time together, as > I often do with the Moreheads, without friction over our different > orientations. Perhaps a few years from now we'll each see things from > different perspectives, and long discussions will be appropriate and > fruitful. > > > > Your pal, > > > > Rick > > > > P.S. The Vikings say they're coming for you next. >
