[FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sparaig LEnglish5@... wrote: Except introducing the mantra is to happen after 30 seconds IF the mantra doesn't appear on its own, spontaneously. Sheesh. Get checked, folks. Couldn't have said it better myself :-) Pay attention this time.
[FairfieldLife] Ignorance or dishonesty, or both? (was Re: Analyzing the TMO using the eco)
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, azgrey no_reply@ wrote: Yes I'm reading this as well as the other post with links toward the question I asked you. I thank you. I prefer to reply later in the week to both if that isn't inconvenient with you No, that's fine, take your time. I appreciate the notice. I won't be able to respond until Friday night or Saturday in any case, since (as you go on to note) I'm almost out of posts. I'll respond then to your question to me about advanced techniques as well. on the outside chance that we might actually be able to hold a civil conversation. That's what I was hoping we could do. Given your phrasing above, however, I'd just like to note that it would be difficult to find any instances of exchanges between us in which I've been uncivil to you *prior to* your having been uncivil to me. IOW, you can significantly enhance what you refer to as the outside chance of mutual civility simply by continuing to be civil. Your question to me was civil, and as you've seen, I responded with civility (the many prior instances of your incivility to me notwithstanding). Contrary to the assertions of some here, I don't hold a grudge when what initially inspired that grudge is not perpetuated. (Mutual civility, however, does not necessarily mean *agreement*. It's entirely possible to disagree without being uncivil, as long as both parties are sincere and maintain high standards of honesty and accuracy.) BTW, I don't consider the post from Vaj to Willytex that I appended to the one from Vaj concerning moi to be part of our discussion. It was just a way of saving posts. While I have you on the screen, one more bit of grist for this mill, a description of TM by Vaj in a different thread and context (#133674): Intent to sit, intent to close eyes (and remove them from their open state), intention to begin to use mantra as a tool to transcend, failing to maintain transcendence and then having the subtle (or even unconscious) intent to return to mantra to correct failure to maintain transcendent Does that last part (that begins failing...) sound like any meditation technique you've ever practiced? And one more, your recent response to raunchy: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, azgrey no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, raunchydog raunchydog@ wrote: Furthermore, there isn't an *always* do anything in the checking notes. You don't *always* start with half a minute of silence, if the mantra comes: Did you notice that the mantra came effortlessly? This is just the right start of the mantra, effortless thinking. Now close the eyes and take it as it comes. Checking Notes (General Points) section F: Regularity in meditation is of utmost importance and we always start with half a minute of silence and end with two minutes of silence. Raunchy, in her need to demonize Vaj chases her own tail but succeeds only in biting her own ass. Again. Would I be correct in guessing that you are/were not a TM teacher and were never trained as a checker? Would I be correct in guessing that you searched a text file of the checking notes for the word always? If so, you might want to read the introduction to the General Points. These points are not part of the checking algorithm; they're to be used only if the checkee raises a question or a problem to which one of the points provides an answer (We talk only on what he is talking). It's not clear why Point F's mention of the half- minute of silence is phrased differently from the eight other mentions that *are* in the algorithm. Point F is anomalous in other ways as well: the second part of it is about how long one should meditate, with reference to the fact that some meditators have been told to meditate longer than 20 minutes. What that has to do with the first part of Point F, which is about the importance of regularity plus the reminder about the half-minute in the beginning and two minutes at the end, isn't clear either. (Perhaps they were originally meant to be two different points and got lumped together by mistake?) IOW, if Vaj is hanging his entire argument on this single obscure and anomalous Point F that happens to use the word always, it's vanishingly thin soup. In any case, the point raunchy was making was that there's a prominent and obvious *exception* to the half-minute instruction right up front in Point 7 of the main algorithm, which she went on to quote. Regardless of the fact that Point F of the General Points says always, always does not apply in the case where the mantra comes spontaneously during the half-minute. In that case, even if it shows up three seconds after you close your eyes, you go with it. You don't wrench your attention away from it until the half minute is up.
[FairfieldLife] Chinese Government Bans Time Travel
On TV, anyway. :-) It's actually a fascinating tantrum, because what it seems they are trying to prevent is any kind of fictional revisionist history of Chinese leaders and political figures of the past. They don't want anyone writing a fictional story depicting people going back in time and discovering that Mao was kind of an insanely genocidal maniac, because...uh...he was. Or depicting past leaders that they've demonized as bad in a more positive way. This is right up there with the recent laws banning reincarnation unless it's been pre-approved by the Chinese government. :-) Chinese Government Bans Television Time Travel When it comes to time travel, the only obstacle greater than harnessing 1.21 gigawatts could be getting past the Chinese government. China's State Administration for Radio, Film Television has issued new protocol that essentially puts the brakes on all fictional time travel in the media. According to The New York Times http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/making-tv-safer-chinese-ce\ nsors-crack-down-on-time-travel/ , a statement from the Chinese government (linked to here in Chinese http://www.sarft.gov.cn/articles/2011/03/31/20110331140820680073.html ) explains that characters traveling back in time lack positive thoughts and meaning and that a program's portrayal of time travel can casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation. Several media outlets http://techland.time.com/2011/04/13/china-decides-to-ban-time-travel/ suggest that the concept of time travel has become increasingly popular with Chinese audiences, with characters often being transported back to ancient history. Some bloggers, however, claim that the new guidelines have been lost in translation. According to one Gamma Squad http://gammasquad.uproxx.com/2011/04/no-china-didnt-ban-time-travel-mov\ ies writer, The true purpose of the ruling seems to be to discourage the misrepresentation of historical figures in films and TV shows, including in time travel movies.
[FairfieldLife] Fairfield Life Checking Procedure
How long have you been posting to Fairfield Life? When was the last time you slimed a TM critic? * If his answer indicates that he has not been regular at sliming or has not slimed for some time, we say: It doesn't matter, we will see how you feel after checking. * Always ask: About how many many posts do you make a week sliming or insulting TM critics? * Whatever he says, we acknowledge by a word: Yes, good, fine, etc. and then start checking. Slowly open a post by a known TM critic. * It is better to refrain from using you, your,, or I whenever possible. Use we or our to create a sense of camaraderie and group paranoia. When we read a post by a TM critic, naturally we feel some discomfort, some hatred, yes? * If he says yes go to the next point. * If he says no keep repeating the words discomfort and hatred until he starts to feel those things towards you, then channel them towards the TM critics. Did you notice that epithets and names to call the TM critic came to your mind effortlessly? This is just the right start of posting -- effortless demonizing. This is how effortlessly we should think any epithet. Now this time, when we read the critical post, sit easily and after about half a minute, hit Reply and begin to spew epithets and venom in that same effort- less way. All right, let's post. * As he is typing, convey the following General Points as required: In this posting, we do not concentrate, we do not try to think clearly. That's not needed, and usually is not possible anyway. Endless repetition of the same old epithets and insults is not a clear pronunciation. It is just a faint idea of hatred. We don't try to make a rhythm of the hatred. We don't try to control the hatred. We do not wish that the hatred should not come. If a thought comes that 'I should not be hating,' we DO try to push it out. Don't feel sorry about having hateful thoughts. Hatred when dealing with TM critics is good. When the hatred comes, be completely absorbed in the hatred. When we become aware that the topics of conversation at Fairfield Life have drifted away from demonizing the TM critics, then we quietly come back to the hatred. Very easily we spew epithets and if at any moment we feel that we are in danger of forgetting our holy mission, we should try to persist in repeating the epithets. Repetition is the mother of intention. The epithets may change in different ways. Or, if we are not the cleverest pencil in the box, they can stay the same for years. No matter. No on the program TMer will ever notice if you repeat yourself for years. The only important thing is to keep repeating the epithets and insults until the TM critics go away. If they don't go away, just keep repeating the epithets, neither anticipating nor resisting change, just simple innocence. If we aren't successful in getting them to leave today, don't worry. The Laws Of Nature will surely smite them in time. There is no need to try to stop hating because hatred is an integral part of our meditation. Even if the mind is filled with other thoughts while the hatred is going on, there is no conflict. Unless we stop hating, that is. Our concern is with the hatred, and if other thoughts (such as something happy or positive or uplifting or productive or even normal) appear, we do not mind them. But we DO try to remove them. We should not be concerned with such things, but we innocently favor the hatred. OK, finish typing your post, innocently favoring the hatred, and press Send to hurl your epithet at the unbeliever. Then just sit comfortably and bask in the blissful afterglow of following your dharma. It is better? We thought it might be.
[FairfieldLife] I guess now we know why the Co-op Funeral parlor is cheap
No expensive coffins. [Tasteless: A billboard advertising U.S. TV drama, The Walking Dead, pasted on the side of a funeral parlour in Consett, County Durham.] Tasteless: A billboard advertising U.S. TV drama, The Walking Dead, pasted on the side of a funeral parlour in Consett, County Durham.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
On Apr 14, 2011, at 1:05 AM, sparaig wrote: Okay, nice clear explanation, although one that I don't think would matter to 99 out of 100 people. But a real distinction nonetheless. Yea, I think discursive is a nice word for it. Except introducing the mantra is to happen after 30 seconds IF the mantra doesn't appear on its own, spontaneously. Sheesh. Get checked, folks. Pay attention this time. Exactly. IOW, it's a subtle but important distinction for TMers who know how to meditate properly. It's an important distinction because you realize that there are some people who will simply never have the mantra appear on it's own! Others will have intention to sit, close the eyes and pick the mantra up a very subtle, abstract level right off and fall in the groove. If they've repeated it enough, that groove will become automatic, spontaneous, sahaja.
[FairfieldLife] Ignorance or dishonesty, or both? (was Re: Analyzing the TMO using the eco)
About 2 weeks ago you quoted an anonymous source, presumably a TM teacher, who was relating a negative experience he had with the TMO about 30 years ago. I raised the issue that perhaps you might want to present as evidence something more solid. Your reply was that I just wasn't ready to hear the facts, or something very close to this. If you would like me to look up the instance, I will try to do so. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 13, 2011, at 11:19 PM, seventhray1 wrote: as a fall back, he will sometimes reply, you just aren't ready for the truth. Please post where I have said this. Thanks.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
On Apr 14, 2011, at 1:11 AM, sparaig wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 11, 2011, at 9:11 PM, Yifu wrote: Right! Looks to me that Vaj hates TM, for one reason or another. (re: somebody else's comment that he doesn't hate it). Whoa dude, huge non sequitur. The post was about Maharishi Ayurveda and disreputable yogis telling the dying they could save their lives, when really, they could not. Got agenda? EVerything I have heard suggests that MMY believed that things would turn out differently than they did. A Believer whose beliefs weren't confirmed by reality. How rare. How horrible. When people die because of it, out of touch with reality rather than established in reality makes a huge difference. Esp. when many assume you're the latter...any you're actually the former.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: ADHD: New study published on TM
On Apr 14, 2011, at 1:34 AM, sparaig wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter drpetersutphen@... wrote: Looks like a decent, interesting study that actually uses a control group! Plenty of studies on TM use control groups. Sheesh. Exactly. The use of inappropriate controls is an old TM researcher fudge factor.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Ammachi in Iowa
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Buck dhamiltony2k5@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Buck dhamiltony2k5@ wrote: No, you proly won't see too many of the dome-goers who are here on FFL go to see Ammachi. People's dome meditation badges are held hostage over them here by the TM movement. In living here with valid dome badges now, Fairfield folks who are in the domes mostly would be too scared to publicly attend for fear of becoming 'in-eligible' for the dome group meditations. So you're saying that Fairfield dome-goers are being held hostage by an organization that these days offers them absolutely nothing *but* a place to bounce on their butts on slabs of foam, and probably charges them monthly fees for that. And the reason that they're afraid to see Amma and risk no longer having to pay these monthly fees is that the organization will throw them out if they do, because by seeing another spiritual teacher they're somehow offending or cheating on their real spiritual teacher, Maharishi. Who is dead. Did I get all this right? Well, actually there has not been a fee for attending the dome meditations in some while. Essentially all the TM-movement does is facilitate the group meditation. They hold facility access hostage in fealty. It is not enough to meditate to just be a practitioner. You need to be a devotee or a liar to get in and be part of it. I stand corrected. Thank God for small favors. :-) However, if they refuse to give you a dome pass, do they take your names off the list for all the Begging Letters they send out to practitioners? Has anyone ever suggested that you live in a town full of crazy people? :-) People do have their own experience with it that makes meditating and meditating in a group real and compelling to themselves. There is a reality in it... I would never use the word reality for such a thing, but you can if you want. :-) ...and that is okay for a lot of people. What is held hostage is the facility access to the group meditation. Whatever. I still think they should take your names off the Begging Letter Lists if they won't let you in the domes. Fair is fair, and it would also save the TMO from receiving money that is potentially tainted with Other Teacher Cooties. :-) Really there are not very many people in the domes. It is not enough to just be a practitioner of TM to be involved with the TM-movement anymore. They effectively have a loyalty test to go to the domes for meditation now. Most mediators living in Fairfield are no longer involved with the movement programs. Look at the dome numbers, most of that daily number is the hired-in pundits here on visa from India. A few hundreds are various Westerners, some of whom are from Fairfield. By far, most meditators in Fairfield are not eligible for the domes by the dome policies and guidelines. It's a sad deal all around for the dome numbers. -Buck I'm just having some fun with the whole schtick, Buck. To me the whole *concept* of trudging through foul Iowa weather twice a day to bounce around on your butts is mirth-inspiring. Add to it the possibility that you might not be GOOD ENOUGH to trudge through foul Iowa weather to bounce on your butts together and it's downright side-splitting. And all to preserve the illusion that a bunch of people are so faithful to their former spiritual teacher that they don't cheat on him with other teachers even after he's dead. :-)
[FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 14, 2011, at 1:05 AM, sparaig wrote: Okay, nice clear explanation, although one that I don't think would matter to 99 out of 100 people. But a real distinction nonetheless. Yea, I think discursive is a nice word for it. Except introducing the mantra is to happen after 30 seconds IF the mantra doesn't appear on its own, spontaneously. Sheesh. Get checked, folks. Pay attention this time. Exactly. IOW, it's a subtle but important distinction for TMers who know how to meditate properly. It's an important distinction because you realize that there are some people who will simply never have the mantra appear on it's own! Others will have intention to sit, close the eyes and pick the mantra up a very subtle, abstract level right off and fall in the groove. If they've repeated it enough, that groove will become automatic, spontaneous, sahaja. Actually, since the old saying, which everyone I've ever met agrees with, is that it is impossible NOT to think about pink elephants if you have been instructed to not think about pink elephants, I suspect people just aren't thinking things through... Given that it is impossible to NOT think about something when you are told not to think about it, how can you assert that people won't spontaneously think the mantra at some point if they have deliberately put themselves into a situation where thinking the mantra is at last some of the time is a given? Its certainly possible that they don't understand what it means to think the mantra during TM practice, but as MMY points out, the thought OF the mantra is still the mantra. If you set yourself up to be thinking the mantra, then you already ARE on some level (as judy points out). Or, to put it differently, the first thing that pops in your mind when asked the question do you remember the person you met yesterday? is the answer to that question. It doesn't matter what you remember or even if you DO remember, the fact that the question is there means there is some kind of answer. Likewise, deliberately sitting with eyes closed in order to start thinking the mantra, IS thinking the mantra. It might be that you don't recognize your thoughts at this point as such and feel a need use some effort to introduce the mantra, but that only means that you are expecting the mantra to be of a certain quality of thought. There's nothing wrong with that, and in fact, we all do that, I am sure. Even so, whatever level of effort you find yourself using is always more than is needed. The nice thing about TM is that it is self-correcting. While TM practice is pretty much effortless, even at the most effortful, the nervous system changes over time to make the requirement of effort even less, if that is possible. As long as one understands that effort is not needed, then whatever happens is perfectly good. Any attempt to make things less effortful isn't worth the effort. Any attempting make things MORE effortful is also not worth the effort. Making some distinction between the mantra appearing on its own or not appearing on its own is counterproductive. I mean, why does the mantra appear in the first place? Or... just who is it who is thinking that mantra, anyway? Lawson
[FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 14, 2011, at 1:11 AM, sparaig wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: On Apr 11, 2011, at 9:11 PM, Yifu wrote: Right! Looks to me that Vaj hates TM, for one reason or another. (re: somebody else's comment that he doesn't hate it). Whoa dude, huge non sequitur. The post was about Maharishi Ayurveda and disreputable yogis telling the dying they could save their lives, when really, they could not. Got agenda? EVerything I have heard suggests that MMY believed that things would turn out differently than they did. A Believer whose beliefs weren't confirmed by reality. How rare. How horrible. When people die because of it, out of touch with reality rather than established in reality makes a huge difference. Esp. when many assume you're the latter...any you're actually the former. /me shrugs. But that's different then implying that someone is a disreputable yogi because they believe what their cultural/religious tradition (or what their own interpretation is) and were wrong. Lawson
[FairfieldLife] Re: ADHD: New study published on TM
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 14, 2011, at 1:34 AM, sparaig wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter drpetersutphen@ wrote: Looks like a decent, interesting study that actually uses a control group! Plenty of studies on TM use control groups. Sheesh. Exactly. The use of inappropriate controls is an old TM researcher fudge factor. Since delayed-start control groups (what this study uses so that it was termed as a decent study that actually uses a control group) are one of the most common forms of control groups found in TM studies, just which studies that used delay start controls are appropriate and which aren't, and how do you make that decision? Lawson
[FairfieldLife] Re: Ammachi in Iowa
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Buck dhamiltony2k5@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Buck dhamiltony2k5@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Buck dhamiltony2k5@ wrote: No, you proly won't see too many of the dome-goers who are here on FFL go to see Ammachi. People's dome meditation badges are held hostage over them here by the TM movement. In living here with valid dome badges now, Fairfield folks who are in the domes mostly would be too scared to publicly attend for fear of becoming 'in-eligible' for the dome group meditations. So you're saying that Fairfield dome-goers are being held hostage by an organization that these days offers them absolutely nothing *but* a place to bounce on their butts on slabs of foam, and probably charges them monthly fees for that. And the reason that they're afraid to see Amma and risk no longer having to pay these monthly fees is that the organization will throw them out if they do, because by seeing another spiritual teacher they're somehow offending or cheating on their real spiritual teacher, Maharishi. Who is dead. Did I get all this right? Well, actually there has not been a fee for attending the dome meditations in some while. Essentially all the TM-movement does is facilitate the group meditation. They hold facility access hostage in fealty. It is not enough to meditate to just be a practitioner. You need to be a devotee or a liar to get in and be part of it. I stand corrected. Thank God for small favors. :-) However, if they refuse to give you a dome pass, do they take your names off the list for all the Begging Letters they send out to practitioners? Has anyone ever suggested that you live in a town full of crazy people? :-) People do have their own experience with it that makes meditating and meditating in a group real and compelling to themselves. There is a reality in it... I would never use the word reality for such a thing, but you can if you want. :-) ...and that is okay for a lot of people. What is held hostage is the facility access to the group meditation. Whatever. I still think they should take your names off the Begging Letter Lists if they won't let you in the domes. Fair is fair, and it would also save the TMO from receiving money that is potentially tainted with Other Teacher Cooties. :-) Really there are not very many people in the domes. It is not enough to just be a practitioner of TM to be involved with the TM-movement anymore. They effectively have a loyalty test to go to the domes for meditation now. What I'm trying to point out is that it seems to be a loyalty test of one's loyalty to a dead person. There are no longer any living masters in the TMO, so there is no person one can go to within the TM organization if one has questions about their prac- tice or experiences that are not covered in the basic guidelines taught to TM teachers. (And I think that all TM teachers here will agree that that's not very much, and doesn't cover either the potentially disturbing experiences or the advanced ones.) So in a very real sense if meditators want answers to these kinds of questions, they pretty much *have* to go to teachers outside the TMO. And the TMO then reacts to this by excommunicating them. Most mediators living in Fairfield are no longer involved with the movement programs. Look at the dome numbers, most of that daily number is the hired-in pundits here on visa from India. A few hundreds are various Westerners, some of whom are from Fairfield. By far, most meditators in Fairfield are not eligible for the domes by the dome policies and guidelines. It's a sad deal all around for the dome numbers. What I've been trying to suggest in this series of posts, Buck, is that it's a sad situation which is perpetuated by the people it's being done to remain- ing silent and not blowing the whistle on this in public. I'm suggesting that if someone who has been through what you have gone through wrote a calm, not angry letter to the Fairfield newspaper explain- ing what really goes on, it would cause a ruckus, one to which the powers that be in the TMO would pretty much have to react to. Keeping silent about it and thinking that you can handle it in house is in many ways equivalent to the Church hierarchy covering up for priest misconduct. This kind of thing almost never DOES get handled in house. If such a letter were written, I think it should point out how many letters a year the person who has been declared not good enough to be in the domes receives from TM-related organizations begging for money. I honestly
[FairfieldLife] Ignorance or dishonesty, or both? (was Re: Analyzing the TMO using the eco)
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 no_reply@... wrote: Excursion It seems to me that introducing the mantra is much more a matter of putting my attention on it than thinking it. In some sense, the mantra is already there in the mind. During the half-minute of silence, the attention is sort of wandering around loose, and on some occasions it happens to land on the mantra before the half-minute is up, at which point I become aware of it and begin to meditate. Introducing it is more like, OK, your attention didn't land on the mantra while it was wandering. That's fine, but now it's time to aim at it so you can become aware of it and start meditating. This is obviously my wording and my interpretation based on my experience; nobody should try to emulate it. The actual instructions do a much better, cleaner job of giving the experience of how the mantra should start. End excursion Finally, I haven't gone into one facet of this overall discussion, the issue of effortlessness, because I didn't want to distract from nailing down the nature of Vaj's gaffe. Perhaps we can explore it at some point later on. Well done Judy, precise understanding of the checking notes. In the process you also make it abundantly clear that Vaj has no experience with TM whatsoever. He claims otherwise, but is lying as usual. His project is to denounce TM in any way he can and thus try to sow doubts amongst the lurkers here whom he hopes read his yearlong anti-TM-campaign. Yep, Maintain a good routine with healthy food and early bedtime. If you are sleeping consistently during program, it is an indication that you need more rest at home. Jai Guru Dev, -Buck
[FairfieldLife] Ashley Judd: 'The Soundtrack of Misogyny'
Hip Hoppers are hopping mad at Ashley Judd. She doesn't know her place. They are all indignant about a *white woman* kicking their asses for being misogynistic. Black women have been complaining about it for years they but they are not taken seriously. A call for more, not less, misogyny in hip-hop shows just how little regard hip hoppers have for black women who complain about misogyny as they mercilessly mock them: they should go on diet and if black women were objectified more often, maybe they'd be that much more motivated to hit a treadmill or eat a salad. The comments in the article are disgustingly misogynistic as well. http://www.xxlmag.com/bloggers/2006/05/is-rap-misogynistic-enough/ When I read Ashley's statement: I believe that the social construction of gender - the cultural beliefs and practices that divide the sexes and institutionalize and normalize the unequal treatment of girls and women, privilege the interests of boys and men, and, most nefariously, incessantly sexualize girls and women - is the root cause of poverty and suffering around the world. I thought she probably took a page from Hillary who makes women's economic power and security a cornerstone of American foreign policy Read more: http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2011/04/ashley-judd-soundtrack-of-misogyny.html
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
On Apr 14, 2011, at 9:07 AM, sparaig wrote: When people die because of it, out of touch with reality rather than established in reality makes a huge difference. Esp. when many assume you're the latter...any you're actually the former. /me shrugs. But that's different then implying that someone is a disreputable yogi because they believe what their cultural/ religious tradition (or what their own interpretation is) and were wrong. Hmmm. You believe I was making that claim? Seems odd, given his personal physician and the Vaidyas--who were from the same cultural and religious tradition--told him these people were terminal. I'd suspect, as did M's personal physician, that M was a megalomaniac. He didn't take advice from others simply because his ego was so damn big. Seems to me merely a common trend in Asuriac gurus like Mahesh.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 14, 2011, at 9:07 AM, sparaig wrote: When people die because of it, out of touch with reality rather than established in reality makes a huge difference. Esp. when many assume you're the latter...any you're actually the former. /me shrugs. But that's different then implying that someone is a disreputable yogi because they believe what their cultural/ religious tradition (or what their own interpretation is) and were wrong. Hmmm. You believe I was making that claim? Seems odd, given his personal physician and the Vaidyas--who were from the same cultural and religious tradition--told him these people were terminal. I'd suspect, as did M's personal physician, that M was a megalomaniac. He didn't take advice from others simply because his ego was so damn big. Seems to me merely a common trend in Asuriac gurus like Mahesh. Does it really surprise you that MMY was more of a true believer than most? L.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Analyzing the TMO using the economic psychology model
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 14, 2011, at 9:07 AM, sparaig wrote: When people die because of it, out of touch with reality rather than established in reality makes a huge difference. Esp. when many assume you're the latter...any you're actually the former. /me shrugs. But that's different then implying that someone is a disreputable yogi because they believe what their cultural/ religious tradition (or what their own interpretation is) and were wrong. Hmmm. You believe I was making that claim? Seems odd, given his personal physician and the Vaidyas--who were from the same cultural and religious tradition--told him these people were terminal. I'd suspect, as did M's personal physician, that M was a megalomaniac. He didn't take advice from others simply because his ego was so damn big. Seems to me merely a common trend in Asuriac gurus like Mahesh. Does it really surprise you that MMY was more of a true believer than most? L.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: ADHD: New study published on TM
--- On Thu, 4/14/11, sparaig lengli...@cox.net wrote: From: sparaig lengli...@cox.net Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: ADHD: New study published on TM To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011, 9:09 AM --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: On Apr 14, 2011, at 1:34 AM, sparaig wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter drpetersutphen@ wrote: Looks like a decent, interesting study that actually uses a control group! Plenty of studies on TM use control groups. Sheesh. Exactly. The use of inappropriate controls is an old TM researcher fudge factor. Since delayed-start control groups (what this study uses so that it was termed as a decent study that actually uses a control group) are one of the most common forms of control groups found in TM studies, just which studies that used delay start controls are appropriate and which aren't, and how do you make that decision? Lawson Good questions. I don't know. Most of the physiological studies done on TM are pretty decent (except for the really early ones). It's the psychological and social studies that are deeply flawed because of lack of control groups. They are considered pilot studies that reveal a correlation between TM and some measured variables but the TMO always touts them around as if they demonstrates causality. They don't. To subscribe, send a message to: fairfieldlife-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links fairfieldlife-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com
[FairfieldLife] Re: Guru Dev's last will testimony
So, I guess we can put this rumor to rest, since there's not any new evidence being presented - GD died of natural causes due to old age. He left a will which was carried out by the Jyotirmath Trust; there was no murder and the cook was not even in the same town when GD passed away. 'The Cook Did It!' http://www.rwilliams.us/archives/shantanand3.htm Nothing here about any 'murder' of GD by MMY! Vaj: Did you actually read it? It was sealed before the murder. Stop making weird shut up Willy, you're starting to sound like Judy now! So, I guess if their was a 'murder', or even the rumor of a murder, it would have been mentioned in the India press such as the 'Times of India', 'The Hindu', or 'Hinduism Today', at least once in the past 58 years, right? Apparently there has never been reported a murder of any Shankaracharya in the history of India. Please correct me if I am mistaken about this. According to Mr. Sundaresan: A few weeks after he passed away, a will was found, according to the terms of which, a disciple called Swami Santananda Saraswati was named as the first choice for succeeding to the Jyotirmath title. None of the civil suits in this dispute seems to have been framed in terms of contesting the legal bona fides of Brahmananda's will... http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/jyotirmath.pdf From the Hinduism Today: PASSED ON: Senior, retired, Shankaracharya of Jyotir Peeth, Swami Shantanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj, age ninety, on December 7, 1997, in Allahabad, India. Senior leaders of the VHP participated in final rites. Swami became Shankaracharya in 1953 after the death of his guru, Brahmanand Saraswati. Swami Basudevanand Saraswati is his successor.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Chinese Government Bans Time Travel
Now that we know what they are up to, we'll just have to go back in time and prevent the law from being passed!. From: turquoiseb no_re...@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thu, April 14, 2011 1:16:35 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Chinese Government Bans Time Travel On TV, anyway. :-) It's actually a fascinating tantrum, because what it seems they are trying to prevent is any kind of fictional revisionist history of Chinese leaders and political figures of the past. They don't want anyone writing a fictional story depicting people going back in time and discovering that Mao was kind of an insanely genocidal maniac, because...uh...he was. Or depicting past leaders that they've demonized as bad in a more positive way. This is right up there with the recent laws banning reincarnation unless it's been pre-approved by the Chinese government. :-) Chinese Government Bans Television Time Travel When it comes to time travel, the only obstacle greater than harnessing 1.21 gigawatts could be getting past the Chinese government. China's State Administration for Radio, Film Television has issued new protocol that essentially puts the brakes on all fictional time travel in the media. According to The New York Times, a statement from the Chinese government (linked to here in Chinese) explains that characters traveling back in time lack positive thoughts and meaning and that a program's portrayal of time travel can casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation. Several media outlets suggest that the concept of time travel has become increasingly popular with Chinese audiences, with characters often being transported back to ancient history. Some bloggers, however, claim that the new guidelines have been lost in translation. According to one Gamma Squad writer, The true purpose of the ruling seems to be to discourage the misrepresentation of historical figures in films and TV shows, including in time travel movies.
[FairfieldLife] Re: YO! Curtis, if you're listening..
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, seventhray1 steve.sundur@... wrote: I'm so glad you picked up on this Steve! It is one of the most wonderful uses of technology isn't it? The way the mother (sometimes the father) waddles in with talons balled up to gather them together to keep them warm is one of the cutest most tender things I have ever seen. And the fact that it is all live rather than manically edited for action, action, action, as in most animal shows, makes watching them such a Zen privileged. How about seeing the mother and father delicately feeding them with that linoleum cutter beak! The whole thing is magic. For those who want to check it out: http://www.raptorresource.org/ I've been turning everyone I know onto the Decorah Eagles. We've got them on at work as an occassional diversion. Today after I took my Dad to the doctor I came in and said, Dad, I think you might enjoy this. Two and half hours later when I came to return the wallet he gave me (before his dr. visit), there he was sitting in the same place fixated on the eagles. I haven't been this interested in something since The New Yorker Scientology article. Thanks for the heads up on that one. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@ wrote: Very informative Joe! --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Joe geezerfreak@ wrote: I'll definitely check it out later today. Paul has always had a very keen appreciation for the sound of his records, whether solo or duo. For years he worked with the amazing sound engineer Roy Halee. Here's a decent article about Roy: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep08/articles/classictracks_0908.htm I see that Phil Ramone mixed the new album, another sure indication of quality. I'll want to get this on vinyl when it comes out (as it surely will) or high-rez digital. Audio is really going through a time of rebirth right now, not just with the vinyl revival, but also (and primarily with) computer audio. Its fun to watch the reactions of people who only know their music from MP3's or CDs when first exposed to a really good vinyl rig or 24/96 digital. Eyes widen and jaws drop as the realization sets in that real fresh squeezed orange juice is available instead of the audio Tang that they've become accustomed to. The price of entry into the high-rez world has been steadily coming down as well. Excellent quality asynchronous digital to analog converters (DACs) are available for under $200. Good times brother! --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Joe geezerfreak@ wrote: Way to go Bill! Bill was one of my favorites from the regional coordinator days. He's been into the sky for many years.way back when he lived in (I think) the New Mexico desert where he did many beautiful cloud formation paintings. New Mexico will do that to you. :-) Even as a confirmed non-God-ist, there were sunsets that caused me to stand, clap, and shout Author! Joe, I don't know whether Paul Simon's new album is your kinda music these days, but listening to it tonight on my studio headphones, I found myself longing to hear it on your beyond-state- of-the-art sound system. It's just the most remarkably *mixed* album I've heard in years. An amazing collection of instruments, from all over the world, somehow blended and mixed such that they don't overwhelm the vocals and his still-amazing lyrics. Many thanks to Rick for posting the listen free link to this album. What a revelation. Paul is four years older than I am, and at the top of his form. I don't know about anyone else, but I find that inspiring. Dude's got chops at 69 that mus- icians a third of his age would kill for. My faves so far are The Afterlife (hilarious), the stunningly beautiful Dazzling Blue, and the Knopfler-like guitar riffs on Love and Blessings. Here are the funny lyrics to The Afterlife, clueing us all in to what we've got to look forward to. :-) After I died and the makeup had dried I went back to my place No moon that night, but a heavenly light Shown on my face Still I thought it was odd there was no sign of God Just to usher me in Then a voice from above sugarcoated with love Said, Let us begin You got to fill out a form first And then you wait in the line You got to fill out a form first And then you wait in the line Okay, new kid in school Got to follow the rule You got to learn the routine Whoa! There's a girl over there With the sunshiny hair like a homecoming queen I said Hey, what'cha say, it's a glorious day By the way, how long you been dead? Maybe you, maybe me, maybe baby makes three But she just shook her head
[FairfieldLife] Re: Ammachi in Iowa
turquoiseb: What I've been trying to suggest in this series of posts, Buck, is that it's a sad situation which is perpetuated by the people it's being done to remain- ing silent and not blowing the whistle on this in public... Anyone can pretty much tell that Turq has not attended very many group meditation sessions, either TM or Buddhist. Most of the rules employed by the TMO at the various domes agree with most zen sesshins I've attended over the years. In fact, meditating in the Patanjali Dome would be considered liberal by most zen masters and Tibetan lama mediation leaders as well. It would be amusing to see Turq inside an actual Buddhist retreat to see how he would sneak in some ice cream to eat while sitting on the mat!
Re: [FairfieldLife] Chinese Government Bans Time Travel
On 04/14/11 01:16, turquoiseb wrote: On TV, anyway. :-) It's actually a fascinating tantrum, because what it seems they are trying to prevent is any kind of fictional revisionist history of Chinese leaders and political figures of the past. They don't want anyone writing a fictional story depicting people going back in time and discovering that Mao was kind of an insanely genocidal maniac, because...uh...he was. Or depicting past leaders that they've demonized as bad in a more positive way. This is right up there with the recent laws banning reincarnation unless it's been pre-approved by the Chinese government. :-) Chinese Government Bans Television Time Travel When it comes to time travel, the only obstacle greater than harnessing 1.21 gigawatts could be getting past the Chinese government. China's State Administration for Radio, Film Television has issued new protocol that essentially puts the brakes on all fictional time travel in the media. According to The New York Times http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/making-tv-safer-chinese-ce\ nsors-crack-down-on-time-travel/ , a statement from the Chinese government (linked to here in Chinese http://www.sarft.gov.cn/articles/2011/03/31/20110331140820680073.html ) explains that characters traveling back in time lack positive thoughts and meaning and that a program's portrayal of time travel can casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation. Several media outlets http://techland.time.com/2011/04/13/china-decides-to-ban-time-travel/ suggest that the concept of time travel has become increasingly popular with Chinese audiences, with characters often being transported back to ancient history. Some bloggers, however, claim that the new guidelines have been lost in translation. According to one Gamma Squad http://gammasquad.uproxx.com/2011/04/no-china-didnt-ban-time-travel-mov\ ieswriter, The true purpose of the ruling seems to be to discourage the misrepresentation of historical figures in films and TV shows, including in time travel movies. The documentary Last Train Home will give folks a good idea of what China is like. It's about country folks who go to the city to work and yearly return home for a visit. It's about the hassles they have with that mess as millions try to do the same thing. You'd think that the Chinese bureaucracy would come up with some organized program for it. Funny thing is the police try to keep the crowd roped in and the people are walking up to them asking why are you doing this? You're just like me. You may want to do this some time? And no they didn't get marched off and shot (like US propaganda would have you believe). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1512201/ China is too big to exist. If they were smart they'd break up into regional countries. Same for the US. We need the nine nations of North America.
[FairfieldLife] Maharshi Mehi
http://www.sadgurumehi.com/gallery/photoList.html
[FairfieldLife] Re: YO! Curtis, if you're listening..
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, seventhray1 steve.sundur@ wrote: I'm so glad you picked up on this Steve! It is one of the most wonderful uses of technology isn't it? The way the mother (sometimes the father) waddles in with talons balled up to gather them together to keep them warm is one of the cutest most tender things I have ever seen. And the fact that it is all live rather than manically edited for action, action, action, as in most animal shows, makes watching them such a Zen privileged. How about seeing the mother and father delicately feeding them with that linoleum cutter beak! The whole thing is magic. For those who want to check it out: http://www.raptorresource.org/ For those into this A animal thang (and I...uh... sheepishly admit to being one of them), here's a cool slide show of some of the 1300 new species of fellow sentient beings discovered on this planet recently. 1300. That's way cool, IMO, and kinda offsets a lot of the Bad News we hear on the News. Man, if there had been a Yoda Bat when I was growing up -- let alone growing up as a hippie -- I would have SO had one of these dudes as a pet. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/13/new-species-2011-conservation-international_n_848787.html The Chinchilla Tree Rat rocks, too. Dude would just drop right in at one of my parties. The Walking Shark is too weird even for me; you either swim or you walk -- doing both is ego. The Ghanaian arachnid reminds me of the night I was out at Joshua Tree in the middle of the night with my girlfriend and we ran into the Tarantula That Ate Chicago. Bigger than my fuckin' SUV. At least at the time. :-)
[FairfieldLife] Re: YO! Curtis, if you're listening..
Excellent find! Wowsa! --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, seventhray1 steve.sundur@ wrote: I'm so glad you picked up on this Steve! It is one of the most wonderful uses of technology isn't it? The way the mother (sometimes the father) waddles in with talons balled up to gather them together to keep them warm is one of the cutest most tender things I have ever seen. And the fact that it is all live rather than manically edited for action, action, action, as in most animal shows, makes watching them such a Zen privileged. How about seeing the mother and father delicately feeding them with that linoleum cutter beak! The whole thing is magic. For those who want to check it out: http://www.raptorresource.org/ For those into this A animal thang (and I...uh... sheepishly admit to being one of them), here's a cool slide show of some of the 1300 new species of fellow sentient beings discovered on this planet recently. 1300. That's way cool, IMO, and kinda offsets a lot of the Bad News we hear on the News. Man, if there had been a Yoda Bat when I was growing up -- let alone growing up as a hippie -- I would have SO had one of these dudes as a pet. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/13/new-species-2011-conservation-international_n_848787.html The Chinchilla Tree Rat rocks, too. Dude would just drop right in at one of my parties. The Walking Shark is too weird even for me; you either swim or you walk -- doing both is ego. The Ghanaian arachnid reminds me of the night I was out at Joshua Tree in the middle of the night with my girlfriend and we ran into the Tarantula That Ate Chicago. Bigger than my fuckin' SUV. At least at the time. :-)
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fairfield Life Checking Procedure
To sum it all up, this monk states, Whatever arises goes away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOswy82REnw --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@... wrote: How long have you been posting to Fairfield Life? When was the last time you slimed a TM critic? * If his answer indicates that he has not been regular at sliming or has not slimed for some time, we say: It doesn't matter, we will see how you feel after checking. * Always ask: About how many many posts do you make a week sliming or insulting TM critics? * Whatever he says, we acknowledge by a word: Yes, good, fine, etc. and then start checking. Slowly open a post by a known TM critic. * It is better to refrain from using you, your,, or I whenever possible. Use we or our to create a sense of camaraderie and group paranoia. When we read a post by a TM critic, naturally we feel some discomfort, some hatred, yes? * If he says yes go to the next point. * If he says no keep repeating the words discomfort and hatred until he starts to feel those things towards you, then channel them towards the TM critics. Did you notice that epithets and names to call the TM critic came to your mind effortlessly? This is just the right start of posting -- effortless demonizing. This is how effortlessly we should think any epithet. Now this time, when we read the critical post, sit easily and after about half a minute, hit Reply and begin to spew epithets and venom in that same effort- less way. All right, let's post. * As he is typing, convey the following General Points as required: In this posting, we do not concentrate, we do not try to think clearly. That's not needed, and usually is not possible anyway. Endless repetition of the same old epithets and insults is not a clear pronunciation. It is just a faint idea of hatred. We don't try to make a rhythm of the hatred. We don't try to control the hatred. We do not wish that the hatred should not come. If a thought comes that 'I should not be hating,' we DO try to push it out. Don't feel sorry about having hateful thoughts. Hatred when dealing with TM critics is good. When the hatred comes, be completely absorbed in the hatred. When we become aware that the topics of conversation at Fairfield Life have drifted away from demonizing the TM critics, then we quietly come back to the hatred. Very easily we spew epithets and if at any moment we feel that we are in danger of forgetting our holy mission, we should try to persist in repeating the epithets. Repetition is the mother of intention. The epithets may change in different ways. Or, if we are not the cleverest pencil in the box, they can stay the same for years. No matter. No on the program TMer will ever notice if you repeat yourself for years. The only important thing is to keep repeating the epithets and insults until the TM critics go away. If they don't go away, just keep repeating the epithets, neither anticipating nor resisting change, just simple innocence. If we aren't successful in getting them to leave today, don't worry. The Laws Of Nature will surely smite them in time. There is no need to try to stop hating because hatred is an integral part of our meditation. Even if the mind is filled with other thoughts while the hatred is going on, there is no conflict. Unless we stop hating, that is. Our concern is with the hatred, and if other thoughts (such as something happy or positive or uplifting or productive or even normal) appear, we do not mind them. But we DO try to remove them. We should not be concerned with such things, but we innocently favor the hatred. OK, finish typing your post, innocently favoring the hatred, and press Send to hurl your epithet at the unbeliever. Then just sit comfortably and bask in the blissful afterglow of following your dharma. It is better? We thought it might be.
[FairfieldLife] Post Count
Fairfield Life Post Counter === Start Date (UTC): Sat Apr 09 00:00:00 2011 End Date (UTC): Sat Apr 16 00:00:00 2011 382 messages as of (UTC) Thu Apr 14 20:49:18 2011 49 authfriend jst...@panix.com 42 Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net 38 turquoiseb no_re...@yahoogroups.com 30 Yifu yifux...@yahoo.com 22 WillyTex willy...@yahoo.com 17 seventhray1 steve.sun...@sbcglobal.net 17 Ravi Yogi raviy...@att.net 14 Buck dhamiltony...@yahoo.com 13 sparaig lengli...@cox.net 13 Bhairitu noozg...@sbcglobal.net 12 curtisdeltablues curtisdeltabl...@yahoo.com 10 wayback71 waybac...@yahoo.com 10 nablusoss1008 no_re...@yahoogroups.com 10 Rick Archer r...@searchsummit.com 10 PaliGap compost...@yahoo.co.uk 9 whynotnow7 whynotn...@yahoo.com 8 Joe geezerfr...@yahoo.com 7 Sal Sunshine salsunsh...@lisco.com 6 azgrey no_re...@yahoogroups.com 6 John jr_...@yahoo.com 4 raunchydog raunchy...@yahoo.com 4 merudanda no_re...@yahoogroups.com 4 merlin vedamer...@yahoo.de 4 Mike Dixon mdixon.6...@yahoo.com 3 cardemaister no_re...@yahoogroups.com 3 do.rflex do.rf...@yahoo.com 2 Tom Pall thomas.p...@gmail.com 2 Peter drpetersutp...@yahoo.com 2 Dick Mays dickm...@lisco.com 1 wleed3 wle...@aol.com 1 shukra69 shukr...@yahoo.ca 1 m 13 meowthirt...@yahoo.com 1 emptybill emptyb...@yahoo.com 1 dharmacentral no_re...@yahoogroups.com 1 Yifu Xero yifux...@yahoo.com 1 Xenophaneros Anartaxius anartax...@yahoo.com 1 wle...@aol.com 1 Robert babajii...@yahoo.com 1 Duveyoung no_re...@yahoogroups.com 1 Alex Stanley j_alexander_stan...@yahoo.com Posters: 40 Saturday Morning 00:00 UTC Rollover Times = Daylight Saving Time (Summer): US Friday evening: PDT 5 PM - MDT 6 PM - CDT 7 PM - EDT 8 PM Europe Saturday: BST 1 AM CEST 2 AM EEST 3 AM Standard Time (Winter): US Friday evening: PST 4 PM - MST 5 PM - CST 6 PM - EST 7 PM Europe Saturday: GMT 12 AM CET 1 AM EET 2 AM For more information on Time Zones: www.worldtimezone.com
[FairfieldLife] Warner's Theater
New York City, 1926 http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/4/36886.jpg
[FairfieldLife] Inner planes of creation
http://wayofmystics.webs.com/thepath.htm
[FairfieldLife] Spiritual Ambrosia
http://wayofmystics.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=49181292
[FairfieldLife] Soul traveller Steve DeWitt
http://soundcurrentrider.com/SoulTravel.html
[FairfieldLife] Steve DeWitt's journeys to other planets
http://soundcurrentrider.com/VisitedPlanets.html
[FairfieldLife] TMer Joke
Q: Why did the TMer throw out the can of Orange Juice? A: Because it said CONCENTRATE on the label.
[FairfieldLife] Ignorance or dishonesty, or both? (was Re: Analyzing the TMO using the eco)
(az--still more grist for the mill...) If Vaj believes his recent posts bolster his claim to have been a TM teacher, somebody needs to tell him that they're doing precisely the opposite. It appears he wasn't a checker either, and quite possibly not even a TMer. Unless, of course, he's deliberately misrepresenting the instructions for TM in an attempt to confuse readers who weren't themselves TM teachers or checkers. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: snip I think you'll also see that I answered the question of introduction of mantra/ discursive vs. sahaja if you look over the posts. I was really curious how many people had broached the subject, as the question what do I do if the mantra doesn't start or appear (as a mentation)? was a common one. The likelihood of a TMer asking this question is vanishingly small. If it were ever asked, the response would be along these lines (my words, interpreting what would be going through the teacher's mind): What do you do if the mantra doesn't start? Haven't you been listening? If the mantra doesn't start, dummy, you start it, at the end of the half-minute of silence. You don't just sit there waiting for it to appear. Only the most inattentive TMer conceivable could possibly wonder what to do if the mantra doesn't start. - --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@... wrote: [az asked:] Vaj: Care to elaborate, expand, or explain what you mean when you refer to the discursive level? Introducing the mantra, 'as if any other thought', rather than allowing the mantra to spontaneously (sahaja) begin on it's own. One involves discursive thought and a slight amount of effort, the other is spontaneous and emerges from silence: like a bubble from the bottom of the ocean, or froth from waves. [Lawson wrote:] Except introducing the mantra is to happen after 30 seconds IF the mantra doesn't appear on its own, spontaneously. Sheesh. Get checked, folks. Pay attention this time. Exactly. IOW, it's a subtle but important distinction for TMers who know how to meditate properly. It's an important distinction because you realize that there are some people who will simply never have the mantra appear on it's own! TMers who know how to practice TM properly follow the instructions to start with half a minute of silence, then begin to think the mantra. The entire checking algorithm is constructed based on the assumption that the meditator will introduce the mantra following the half-minute of silence. If the meditator reports (on his own initiative; the checker does not ask any questions that would elicit such a report--it actually would be an interruption of the normal procedure) that the mantra has emerged on its own *during* the half-minute of silence, it's treated as an exception. There's a special branch of Point 7 of the algorithm to respond to it. This branch is used to call the meditator's attention to the experience of effortlessness in thinking the mantra. Others will have intention to sit, close the eyes and pick the mantra up a very subtle, abstract level right off and fall in the groove. If they've repeated it enough, that groove will become automatic, spontaneous, sahaja. If a TMer *has the intention* to pick up the mantra on a subtle level during the half-minute of silence, the meditator has ceased to practice TM. No such intention is called for during the half-minute of silence. If the mantra happens to emerge from the silence, it does so in the absence of any intention on the meditator's part. (For that matter, if the TMer has the intention to pick up the mantra on a subtle level *after* the half- minute of silence, that isn't TM either; there's even a General Point explaining that this would constitute effort during meditation.) There is nothing in the checking algorithm or General Points to suggest that the mantra *should* emerge during the half-minute of silence. As noted, the algorithm assumes that it won't. If it does, fine. If it doesn't, fine; start it after the half-minute of silence is up. Vaj's assumption that it's *preferable* for the mantra to start on its own (much less that the meditator should *intend* for it to start on its own--an obvious oxymoron) is not reflected anywhere in the instructions for TM. It's purely Vaj's invention, and if it were to be incorporated into the instructions, those instructions would no longer be for TM as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
[FairfieldLife] Ignorance or dishonesty, or both? (was Re: Analyzing the TMO using the eco)
Vaj's Teacher: http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/ladyinfernos.jpg --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@... wrote: (az--still more grist for the mill...) If Vaj believes his recent posts bolster his claim to have been a TM teacher, somebody needs to tell him that they're doing precisely the opposite. It appears he wasn't a checker either, and quite possibly not even a TMer. Unless, of course, he's deliberately misrepresenting the instructions for TM in an attempt to confuse readers who weren't themselves TM teachers or checkers. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: snip I think you'll also see that I answered the question of introduction of mantra/ discursive vs. sahaja if you look over the posts. I was really curious how many people had broached the subject, as the question what do I do if the mantra doesn't start or appear (as a mentation)? was a common one. The likelihood of a TMer asking this question is vanishingly small. If it were ever asked, the response would be along these lines (my words, interpreting what would be going through the teacher's mind): What do you do if the mantra doesn't start? Haven't you been listening? If the mantra doesn't start, dummy, you start it, at the end of the half-minute of silence. You don't just sit there waiting for it to appear. Only the most inattentive TMer conceivable could possibly wonder what to do if the mantra doesn't start. - --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: [az asked:] Vaj: Care to elaborate, expand, or explain what you mean when you refer to the discursive level? Introducing the mantra, 'as if any other thought', rather than allowing the mantra to spontaneously (sahaja) begin on it's own. One involves discursive thought and a slight amount of effort, the other is spontaneous and emerges from silence: like a bubble from the bottom of the ocean, or froth from waves. [Lawson wrote:] Except introducing the mantra is to happen after 30 seconds IF the mantra doesn't appear on its own, spontaneously. Sheesh. Get checked, folks. Pay attention this time. Exactly. IOW, it's a subtle but important distinction for TMers who know how to meditate properly. It's an important distinction because you realize that there are some people who will simply never have the mantra appear on it's own! TMers who know how to practice TM properly follow the instructions to start with half a minute of silence, then begin to think the mantra. The entire checking algorithm is constructed based on the assumption that the meditator will introduce the mantra following the half-minute of silence. If the meditator reports (on his own initiative; the checker does not ask any questions that would elicit such a report--it actually would be an interruption of the normal procedure) that the mantra has emerged on its own *during* the half-minute of silence, it's treated as an exception. There's a special branch of Point 7 of the algorithm to respond to it. This branch is used to call the meditator's attention to the experience of effortlessness in thinking the mantra. Others will have intention to sit, close the eyes and pick the mantra up a very subtle, abstract level right off and fall in the groove. If they've repeated it enough, that groove will become automatic, spontaneous, sahaja. If a TMer *has the intention* to pick up the mantra on a subtle level during the half-minute of silence, the meditator has ceased to practice TM. No such intention is called for during the half-minute of silence. If the mantra happens to emerge from the silence, it does so in the absence of any intention on the meditator's part. (For that matter, if the TMer has the intention to pick up the mantra on a subtle level *after* the half- minute of silence, that isn't TM either; there's even a General Point explaining that this would constitute effort during meditation.) There is nothing in the checking algorithm or General Points to suggest that the mantra *should* emerge during the half-minute of silence. As noted, the algorithm assumes that it won't. If it does, fine. If it doesn't, fine; start it after the half-minute of silence is up. Vaj's assumption that it's *preferable* for the mantra to start on its own (much less that the meditator should *intend* for it to start on its own--an obvious oxymoron) is not reflected anywhere in the instructions for TM. It's purely Vaj's invention, and if it were to be incorporated into the instructions, those instructions would no longer be for TM as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
[FairfieldLife] Des Moines, 1907
Panorama of Des Moines, 1907 http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/6/50260.jpg
[FairfieldLife] Yokohama
http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/5/43129.jpg
[FairfieldLife] Witch of Endor raising the Spirit of Samuel
http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/6/51372.jpg
[FairfieldLife] Ignorance or dishonesty, or both? (was Re: Analyzing the TMO using the eco)
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@... wrote: (az--still more grist for the mill...) If Vaj believes his recent posts bolster his claim to have been a TM teacher, somebody needs to tell him that they're doing precisely the opposite. It appears he wasn't a checker either, and quite possibly not even a TMer. Unless, of course, he's deliberately misrepresenting the instructions for TM in an attempt to confuse readers who weren't themselves TM teachers or checkers. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: snip I think you'll also see that I answered the question of introduction of mantra/ discursive vs. sahaja if you look over the posts. I was really curious how many people had broached the subject, as the question what do I do if the mantra doesn't start or appear (as a mentation)? was a common one. The likelihood of a TMer asking this question is vanishingly small. If it were ever asked, the response would be along these lines (my words, interpreting what would be going through the teacher's mind): What do you do if the mantra doesn't start? Haven't you been listening? If the mantra doesn't start, dummy, you start it, at the end of the half-minute of silence. You don't just sit there waiting for it to appear. Only the most inattentive TMer conceivable could possibly wonder what to do if the mantra doesn't start. - --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: [az asked:] Vaj: Care to elaborate, expand, or explain what you mean when you refer to the discursive level? Introducing the mantra, 'as if any other thought', rather than allowing the mantra to spontaneously (sahaja) begin on it's own. One involves discursive thought and a slight amount of effort, the other is spontaneous and emerges from silence: like a bubble from the bottom of the ocean, or froth from waves. [Lawson wrote:] Except introducing the mantra is to happen after 30 seconds IF the mantra doesn't appear on its own, spontaneously. Sheesh. Get checked, folks. Pay attention this time. Exactly. IOW, it's a subtle but important distinction for TMers who know how to meditate properly. It's an important distinction because you realize that there are some people who will simply never have the mantra appear on it's own! TMers who know how to practice TM properly follow the instructions to start with half a minute of silence, then begin to think the mantra. The entire checking algorithm is constructed based on the assumption that the meditator will introduce the mantra following the half-minute of silence. If the meditator reports (on his own initiative; the checker does not ask any questions that would elicit such a report--it actually would be an interruption of the normal procedure) that the mantra has emerged on its own *during* the half-minute of silence, it's treated as an exception. There's a special branch of Point 7 of the algorithm to respond to it. This branch is used to call the meditator's attention to the experience of effortlessness in thinking the mantra. Others will have intention to sit, close the eyes and pick the mantra up a very subtle, abstract level right off and fall in the groove. If they've repeated it enough, that groove will become automatic, spontaneous, sahaja. If a TMer *has the intention* to pick up the mantra on a subtle level during the half-minute of silence, the meditator has ceased to practice TM. No such intention is called for during the half-minute of silence. If the mantra happens to emerge from the silence, it does so in the absence of any intention on the meditator's part. (For that matter, if the TMer has the intention to pick up the mantra on a subtle level *after* the half- minute of silence, that isn't TM either; there's even a General Point explaining that this would constitute effort during meditation.) There is nothing in the checking algorithm or General Points to suggest that the mantra *should* emerge during the half-minute of silence. As noted, the algorithm assumes that it won't. If it does, fine. If it doesn't, fine; start it after the half-minute of silence is up. Vaj's assumption that it's *preferable* for the mantra to start on its own (much less that the meditator should *intend* for it to start on its own--an obvious oxymoron) is not reflected anywhere in the instructions for TM. It's purely Vaj's invention, and if it were to be incorporated into the instructions, those instructions would no longer be for TM as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Excellent post, Judy. Thanks. Vaj's General Point: If the meditator says the mantra doesn't appear on its own after 30 seconds, tell him to start the mantra discursively. If he says, WTF? Say: Have the intention to pick the mantra up from a very subtle level until you fall into a groove. Keep doing
