[FairfieldLife] Judy's meltdown, deconstructed
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jst...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ wrote: What I like most about Judy is her cleverness. Who *else*, after all, could have conceived of proving that Barry's claim that she was obsessed with him and that she had spent the last 15 years in full-blown Gotta get Barry mode was a LIE by spend- ing 20 of her last 25 posts to FFL obsessing about Barry, in full-blown Gotta get Barry mode? Uh-huh. And how many of Barry's last 25 posts were in Gotta Get Judy mode... Only 5 or 6, Judy. That's all it took to set you up for a meltdown. And yes, I *did* set you up, inten- tionally. I wanted to clue Mike in to what he was in for in Fairfield, and unlike you I figured it was easier to get you to *demonstrate* what you are than to *tell* him what you are. Thank you for your cooper- ation. You fell for it AGAIN. Look back over the setup, Judy. The post that made you craziest, and that *caused* your meltdown was me simply pointing out that you had made a simple mistake in the year you first ran into me and became obsessed with me, and poking fun at you for it. You went CRAZY (as I intended you to do), Googling like mad, blaming the Google Search engine for your own ineptitude, and making post after post after post after post after post trashing me to (laughably) prove that you weren't obsessed with me. I *owned* you, Judy. And it only took me a few posts to do it. One to create the setup, and then a few more to pour fuel on the fire of your obsession. You did the rest. The fascinating thing from my point of view is that in the process of melting down, you revealed your *goal* in spend- ing all this time trashing me. You want, rather desperately, to convince *others* to trash me, too. When that doesn't happen, it makes you angry. When, in fact, people respond to my posts as if they *like* them, or me, after all the time you've spent trashing them, that makes you crazy. You go bat-shit insane, to borrow a phrase from another poster. And what you do *then* is wallow in self pity and turn on THEM, the other posters who won't do what you want them to do. You change from just obsessing about me to obsessing about Fairfield Life itself, and what the fact that the posters there *won't* do what you want them to do means about what low-lives they all are. You called everyone here STUPID. You accused them of ethical vacuity. You compared FFL to a.m.t., which you feel was a better place *because more people there did what you wanted them to do*. In essence, you took on the *entire community* of Fairfield Life for the crime of not doing what you wanted them to do. (See quotes below.) Here on FFL, being willing to stand up for the truth *is* pretty bizarre behavior, I guess. . . . Since most readers here politely refrain from *voicing* the conclusion that Barry is a chronic, pathological liar, continuing to treat him as if he were actually a decent human being despite having seen such a vast amount of evidence to the contrary, it's hard to avoid wondering whether these readers *are* stupid. After all, the only alternative would be that they think lying is perfectly OK, whereas exposing lies is something to be roundly condemned. I'm not sure which is worse, stupidity or ethical vacuity. Perhaps the latter is a function of the former. MAN, the hypocrisy around here is something else. Goodness knows there were hypocrites like Barry and do.rflex on alt.m.t, but most participants wouldn't stand for lying and called it out whenever they saw it. THIS is what I wanted you to demonstrate to Mike, Judy. Thank you for doing so. THIS is the mindset we were trying to warn him about -- in you and in people like you, and in the TM movement itself. Hopefully he has paid attention. Your biggest weakness, Judy, other than not being able to tell when you are being set up to take a big fall, is your self- pity. When things don't go your way, you WALLOW in that self-pity and blame others ( or the Google Groups Search engine :-) rather than realize your part in bringing yourself down. That's why I'm taking the time to explain to you what I just did to you. I *took advantage* of your ego and self-pity, and made a few posts that would cause you to WALLOW in them more than usual. And I'll do it again in the future, even after having patiently explained to you in this post what it is that I do. And you'll fall for it THEN, too, because you really ARE bat-shit insane. You don't have to be. You could GET OVER this insanity and self-pity. But you have to want to. And in *fifteen years* of me setting you up like this, and you falling for it *every time*, you have never wanted to. A pity. And a waste of life. Shamans have unmasked self-importance and found that it is self-pity masquerading as something else. - Carlos Castaneda Vanquish your self-pity right now,
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
Cool it is not. Apparently the climate is unbearable much of the year. Did you catch the this building has air conditioning accolade ? Girish Varma and Raja Kaplan are doing their best to convince Bevan and the Westerners to continue subsidizing the White Elephant in the middle of nowhere. I think the Westerners are waking up and doubt the efficacy of the place. The Brahmasthan of India pandit plan is based on the idea that the West, seeking the benefit of woo-woo rays would buy Yagyas - hence Yagya-factory idea. The Yagya offers the greatest profit margin in the TMO product line. Did you notice how there is no upper limit to the number and types, and cost of yagyas? The sad reality is that as much as has been spent there, much more will be needed, if only to paint the buildings and pay for the air conditioning. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter drpetersutp...@... wrote: It actually looks pretty cool. I hope they get enough people to fill it up. The speaker's. cadence. was.pretty.interesting. ..Isuppose...heisbeingself.referral..whenhe... .speaks --- On Sat, 3/7/09, Alex Stanley j_alexander_stan...@... wrote: From: Alex Stanley j_alexander_stan...@... Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009, 1:57 PM --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine salsunshine@ wrote: On Mar 7, 2009, at 10:30 AM, I am the eternal wrote: On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 9:56 AM, Rick Archer rick@ wrote: From a friend: Asher Ferguson, one of our young Purusha and this past year's MUM Valedictorian, is now working with Bevan in India. He created a delightful slideshow of the rising complex at the Brahmasthan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMFUIIag6To Rick, that was fantastic! Gosh, I haven't listen to Movemtentspeak in a few months an forgot that everybody has to speak with that peculiar cadence of Maharishi. You watched the whole thing? I couldn't get past the first minute. I couldn't either. The video drew me in with that picture of the cute sexy young guy, who I assume is the speaker, but his voice makes me wonder what the hell crawled into his head and ate his brain. Do they make them talk like that with some kind of TMO gene injection similar to the gay gene injection used on Peter Griffin? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXka0fmu6OU 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] Antiques that are NOT past their prime
Just to allay your suspicions, the antiques in question are automobiles, not members of this forum. :-) This weekend in nearby Sant Pere de Ribes there is a Concours d'elegance, a classic car show. And I do mean classic. The criteria for entering the show are 1) that the automobiles have to have been made before 1927, and 2) that they are still capable of making the 10-kilometer drive from Sant Pere to Sitges, where they par- ticipate in a grand parade, and then drive back again. It's an annual tradition here, and it's a shitload of fun. This is not my preferred era of classic cars; I tend to like the racing automobiles of the Stirling Moss/Juan Fangio era of racing. But I can appreciate the investment of time, money, and emotion that has gone into making these cars forget for a day their real age, and go on a Sunday drive as if it were still the early 1900s. Two of the automobiles in this parade are over 100 years old. The others are 78+ years old. But boy! are they dressed up for a Sunday drive. Waxed, made up, detailed to perfection, these automobiles are the equivalent of modern Victoria's Secret models. They make the other cars on the road want to curl up into a fetal position and die of shame. So do the owners of the automobiles. One of the things that makes this parade so much fun every year, and that has filled my town with tourists, is that the people who own the cars *dress the part*. They wear the clothing of the era that the car is from. Another thing that makes the show fun is that it is in Spain. Unless you are a classic car buff yourself, you probably don't know that some of the greatest marques of that era came from Spain. Hispano-Suizas, for example. There is a Hispano- Suiza in this show that once belonged to the King of Spain. Some of the stars of the silent movie era in Europe were driven around in these cars. And so now the current owners play dress up several times a year in different places in Europe, playing the roles of the stars themselves. It's an expensive hobby -- some of these cara are worth hundreds of thousands of Euros, and have required that much again in restoration, maintenance, and upkeep -- but it seems to me to be a benevolent hobby. The owners acually *drive* these magnificent automobiles. A lot of classic car collectors don't. I knew a guy in L.A. who owned a Ferarri Testarossa. Not the 2nd Testarossa, like the one that Sonny drove in Miami Vice, but the *original* Testarossa. It was worth over a million dollars. I asked him once when the last time he drove it was, and he had to think for a minute before coming up with, 12 years ago. His idea of what it means to own a masterpiece is to put it in a garage and leave it there for 12 years, waiting for it to appreciate in value. I wanted to say, Dude. Wake the fuck up! These cars are like beautiful women. Would you marry a beautiful woman and keep her in your house for 12 years? Or would you take her out on the town every so often, allowing her an opportunity to dress up and play to the admiring crowds? Would you dress up yourself, so that you looked good on her arm, and didn't mar her image? I don't have to make that little perched-on-the- soapbox-of-my-own-superiority speech here. The owners of *these* beautiful woman of the street *understand* beautiful women. They are temperamental. They cost you a bloody fortune to acquire in the first place, and then they cost you far more than that in maint- enance and upkeep. But damn! they are worth it. Every penny. And the way you demonstrate that is by taking them out on the town every so often, dressed to the nines, dressed to impress, so that they can tell from the approving glances as they strut by that they are NOT past their prime. They are still beautiful. They still have the ability to allure and to elicit genuine appreciation. They are not old women. They are grandes dames.
RE: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fairfieldl...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of nablusoss1008 Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 11:40 PM To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India Your analysis is correct. The americans had their chance. Much of the writings on FFL shows that they wasted this historic chance; that wide open door provided by His Holiness and a few very advanced american souls for that country. Rather, out of immaturity and foolishness the majority chose to close that door so generously provided by Maharishi and the Masters. Never underestimate the Hillbilly-effect ! Nature is very, very patient. But She is not forever patient with stupidity. The Movement belongs to those who move - Maharishi So Nabby, you're from Sweden or some Scandinavian country, right? What has the TM movement in your country done that's so much better than what the US movement has done?
[FairfieldLife] Angie's List
I just joined Angie's List. There aren't too many members in the Fairfield area and like FFL, it works best if a lot of people participate. Here's part of their invite a friend blurb: Angie's List rates more than 300 service categories, like roofers, plumbers, house cleaners, dog walkers, dentists, pediatricians etc., so you won't have any trouble finding quality companies, no matter what you need done! You can also submit your own feedback on the service companies you hire. If you haven't checked out their site yet, you should! http://www.angieslist.com
[FairfieldLife] Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
Interesting in contrast to the TM Org, where dysfunction and abuse-- the dark shadow--has never been confronted or even acknowledged by the org itself. In stark contrast even the Roman Catholic church has begun to process it's own shadow. But it's interesting to see how a parallel community to the TM Org successfully met and worked through it's own shadow: When yogi Amrit Desai's Kripalu Yoga community fell apart in 1994, an enormous sense of betrayal swept his disciples. A public disclosure of the master's secret affairs and manipulation of power and money over twenty years disillusioned many. Yet because he was also a creative and wise teacher, students were able to use the very practices he had taught them--of inquiry, balance, and compassion--to deal with their loss. After months of difficult meetings and councils, the master was asked to leave and the students were left to work with their confusion and despair. Over the years since, the community has rebuilt itself, dedicated to the principles of yoga and healthy spirituality that the crisis of betrayal taught them. And the master too claims he has learned important lessons from this process. - Jack Kornfield
[FairfieldLife] Re: Judy's meltdown, deconstructed
Barry, this is a malevolent funhouse view of reality, so GROSSLY distorted it's almost impossible to recognize. For the record, once again I'll enumerate the lies and distortions. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ wrote: What I like most about Judy is her cleverness. Who *else*, after all, could have conceived of proving that Barry's claim that she was obsessed with him and that she had spent the last 15 years in full-blown Gotta get Barry mode was a LIE by spend- ing 20 of her last 25 posts to FFL obsessing about Barry, in full-blown Gotta get Barry mode? Uh-huh. And how many of Barry's last 25 posts were in Gotta Get Judy mode... Only 5 or 6, Judy. That's all it took to set you up for a meltdown. Many more than that. And yes, I *did* set you up, inten- tionally. I wanted to clue Mike in to what he was in for in Fairfield, and unlike you I figured it was easier to get you to *demonstrate* what you are than to *tell* him what you are. Thank you for your cooper- ation. You fell for it AGAIN. False. You *tried* to set me up for Mike, but you failed. You kept trying, and you continued to fail. Look back over the setup, Judy. The post that made you craziest, and that *caused* your meltdown was me simply pointing out that you had made a simple mistake in the year you first ran into me and became obsessed with me, and poking fun at you for it. You went CRAZY (as I intended you to do), Googling like mad, blaming the Google Search engine for your own ineptitude, and making post after post after post after post after post trashing me to (laughably) prove that you weren't obsessed with me. That I made a mistake in the year didn't bother me at all. Difference of less than six months with regard to the start of a 15-year period, for pete's sake. I thought it was funny that you'd jump on that as though it were a significant error, as if I were trying to *hide* when we had first met. (And note that the reason I cited a date at all was in the context of denying Nabby's claim that I'd heard some nasty story about you back in the '70s.) The reason I went to Google is because you lied about what happened back then. The fact is that you became obsessed with *me* because you didn't like what I was saying about TM. (I'll remind readers once again that you've been so obsessed with me over the years that you started trashing me here before I even arrived.) 3. I didn't blame Google for ineptitude on my part. Google Groups Search was *not functioning* for some period of time. There's a discussion about that on one of the Google forums, in fact. Apparently it malfunctions repeatedly. I've run into that before from time to time, although it has usually worked for me just fine. It's now been at least partially restored, and I was able to find our 1994 exchanges and verify that you lied about them. The post of mine you reproduced here, in fact, confirms that in context. You not only lied here about our alt.m.t interactions, you lied both here and back then about our email exchange as well. I didn't make post after post after post to prove I wasn't obsessed with you. I made them to document the lies you were telling about me in post after post after post. It would be fascinating to see what would happen if I started lying constantly about *you*. Your freakouts here would be mild in comparison to what you'd do if I did. Although what frustrates you so is exactly that I keep telling the truth and make you look bad when you go into Gotta Get Judy mode and can't manage it without lying. As I noted earlier, you're a *writer*. What does it say about your skill with words that you can't come up with a good trashing without lying? How come I can manage it and you can't? I *owned* you, Judy. And it only took me a few posts to do it. One to create the setup, and then a few more to pour fuel on the fire of your obsession. You did the rest. guffaw You did your level best and failed *miserably*. You wanted me to freak out at your Dick and Jane bit and went crazy when I didn't. And all this was precipitated by my having owned *you*--again--the previous week, in particular (but not only) with regard to your lie about how few people here interact with me, and then your lie about *my* having lied when I documented the first lie. The fascinating thing from my point of view is that in the process of melting down, The meltdowns all along have been yours, not mine. you revealed your *goal* in spend- ing all this time trashing me. You want, rather desperately, to convince *others* to trash me, too. When that doesn't happen, it makes you angry. I've made this clear many times. I didn't just reveal it this time, I reiterated it. As I said, it's appalling to me that folks
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradh...@... wrote: When yogi Amrit Desai's Kripalu Yoga community fell apart in 1994, an enormous sense of betrayal swept his disciples. A public disclosure of the master's secret affairs and manipulation of power and money over twenty years disil- lusioned many. Yet because he was also a creative and wise teacher, students were able to use the very practices he had taught them--of inquiry, balance, and compassion--to deal with their loss. After months of difficult meetings and councils, the master was asked to leave and the students were left to work with their confusion and despair. Over the years since, the community has rebuilt itself, dedicated to the principles of yoga and healthy spirituality that the crisis of betrayal taught them. And the master too claims he has learned important lessons from this process. - Jack Kornfield Thanks for posting these Kornfield quotes, Vaj. I don't know him, but will now work to correct that. Can you recommend a good book to start with? What he says above rings so true for me, given my experience with the Rama trip, and with dif- ferent Internet forums in the time since, watch- ing as students used the very practices their teachers had taught them to work not only with but *through* their confusion and despair, and rebuild. Rebuild lives, rebuild spiritual communities shattered by abuse. In my case, I used one of Rama's favorite sayings, Listen to what people say, but watch what they DO, *on him*. I started putting him to his *own* tests. And he didn't measure up to the standards that he himself had set. So I walked away. And in the time since a lot of his students have banded together on Internet discussion boards similar to Fairfield Life, trying to figure out What just happened?, and more important, What happens now? There is a lot to be learned from watching a spiritual organization you were once part of implode. I am told that Chogyam Trungpa used to refer to his method of teaching as The path of fucking up. He believed, based on his experience teaching in Asia and around the world, that students tended to learn more from their fuckups (or those of their teachers or superiors) than they did from their successes. Maybe that's why he fucked up so much...to give them meat to chew on. :-) Whatever. All I know is that I wouldn't trade the EDUCATION I got from walking away from two spiritual organizations that had been important to me for anything I learned while within them. Talk about bleaching the cloth. It's EASY to sit back *within* an organization and think that its teachings are valuable while never having to put them to the test. It's often not as easy to walk away, and use those *same* teachings to look back and examine What just happened? using them. Students whose organizations cannot admit that they fuck up rarely get to experience this kind of education.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, cardemaister no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter drpetersutphen@ wrote: It actually looks pretty cool. I hope they get enough people to fill it up. The speaker's. cadence. was.pretty.interesting. LOL! I was somewhat irritated by that (,too)! Felt a bit like he was *trying* to sound, well, cool... I would say very detached, an instrument of the divine plan, in the throes of bliss This is what came to mind in the minute I watched.
[FairfieldLife] Barry's Meltdown: The Real Story
It occurs to me that the match that lit the fire under Barry's current meltdown-- although part of it was a hangover from his crashing and burning the previous week--was that I wouldn't go along with a claim Nabby made: _ Re: Coming to Fairfield, seek to learn. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote: Barry's been messing around with one technique after another, one guru after another, for decades and hasn't found anything he wants to settle down with and commit himself to. This, obviously, strikes at the core of the frustration and pain the Turq displays on FFL. Guru-shoppers tend to end up frustrated and confused. And after a couple of rounds with different Masters, serious Gurus won't have anything to do with them. They are denied access. Have you heard this story about Barry before, say in the late '70's, in California ? Yes you have. Never heard of Barry before I encountered him on alt.meditation.transcendental in 1995. _ After all the abuse Barry has piled on me and the vicious lies he's told about me in the past 15 years, here I had a chance to throw some dirt at him and give Nabby some credibility by pretending to have heard a nasty story about Barry 30 years ago, and I wouldn't do it. That was so contrary to the way Barry behaves, it was intolerable. He'd been trying to provoke me with his Dick and Jane bit, and it hadn't worked. He proceeded nonetheless to claim it *had* worked in a post addressed to Mike, but he could do that only by grossly misrepresenting what I'd said. So in response to my comment to Nabby, he took a desperate swipe at me by conjuring up the past, making a big deal about my having been slightly off with the date of our first encounters, and implying--knowingly falsely--that I'd started our feud, in a post to somebody else: ...she recently claimed that she hadn't encountered me until 1995. But she was *already* in full 'Gotta Get Barry' mode back in 1994. Google still has the posts. And it all went downhill for Barry from there. While continuing his attacks on me in other posts, he went rummaging around on Google to find something he could use to back up his lie. All he could come up with was a post in which I pointed out, in some detail, the deliberate misstatements *he* had made about an email exchange I initiated with him in an attempt to explain to him why I maintained TM was the most effective meditation technique currently available for householders, for which he had been putting me down repeatedly, in public. I had tried to respond reasonably but couldn't get through to him. I thought we could talk it through amicably if I could discuss my stance in terms of TM's private instruction; I didn't want to do that in public. The post of mine he reproduced details what happened from that point on--his gross intellectual dishonesty in the email exchange and then his public misrepresentation of it. *That's* what started the feud. I realized he couldn't be trusted, and he realized I wasn't going to meekly submit to his dishonest bullying. He quickly bailed out of that discussion, but from then on he had me in his sights. Anyway, in the present, it was my refusal to confirm Nabby's story that really set him off. That meltdown was seriously aggravated by his continuing failure to get me to perform for Mike, and then his humiliation at the post I stumbled across of his from 1994 in which he denounced the TM critics on alt.m.t in terms he heatedly rejects today. And he's still melting. He simply cannot get it through his head that he can't win by lying. He's also never figured out that his pose of not taking anything seriously is repeatedly belied by these meltdowns; they just demonstrate what an abject phony he is.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: When yogi Amrit Desai's Kripalu Yoga community fell apart in 1994, an enormous sense of betrayal swept his disciples. A public disclosure of the master's secret affairs and manipulation of power and money over twenty years disil- lusioned many. Yet because he was also a creative and wise teacher, students were able to use the very practices he had taught them--of inquiry, balance, and compassion--to deal with their loss. After months of difficult meetings and councils, the master was asked to leave and the students were left to work with their confusion and despair. Over the years since, the community has rebuilt itself, dedicated to the principles of yoga and healthy spirituality that the crisis of betrayal taught them. And the master too claims he has learned important lessons from this process. - Jack Kornfield Thanks for posting these Kornfield quotes, Vaj. I don't know him, but will now work to correct that. Can you recommend a good book to start with? What he says above rings so true for me, given my experience with the Rama trip, and with dif- ferent Internet forums in the time since, watch- ing as students used the very practices their teachers had taught them to work not only with but *through* their confusion and despair, and rebuild. Rebuild lives, rebuild spiritual communities shattered by abuse. In my case, I used one of Rama's favorite sayings, Listen to what people say, but watch what they DO, *on him*. I started putting him to his *own* tests. And he didn't measure up to the standards that he himself had set. So I walked away. And in the time since a lot of his students have banded together on Internet discussion boards similar to Fairfield Life, trying to figure out What just happened?, and more important, What happens now? There is a lot to be learned from watching a spiritual organization you were once part of implode. I am told that Chogyam Trungpa used to refer to his method of teaching as The path of fucking up. He believed, based on his experience teaching in Asia and around the world, that students tended to learn more from their fuckups (or those of their teachers or superiors) than they did from their successes. Maybe that's why he fucked up so much...to give them meat to chew on. :-) Whatever. All I know is that I wouldn't trade the EDUCATION I got from walking away from two spiritual organizations that had been important to me for anything I learned while within them. Talk about bleaching the cloth. It's EASY to sit back *within* an organization and think that its teachings are valuable while never having to put them to the test. It's often not as easy to walk away, and use those *same* teachings to look back and examine What just happened? using them. Students whose organizations cannot admit that they fuck up rarely get to experience this kind of education. What practices and teaching did MMY and the TMO provided that can be used to resolve conflicts an organizational disfunction? And how might these teachings explain and characterize how TMO'ers past and present confront cognitive dissonance and unreconcilable differences? Compare and contrast to the methods and teaching used in other organizations to resolve such. Take it as it comes. That which we put our attention on grows stronger in our lives (thus keep positive). Speak the sweet truth. Use the infinite organizing power of nature Avert the danger which has not yet come. Water the root, capture the fort (don't focus on the problem). That which is nearer the Truth last longer. Darkness is not a thing to be removed, just let in the light. Well begun is half done.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 7, 2009, at 11:02 PM, Rick Archer wrote: Hands off Alex. He belongs to Bevan. What do you suggest now Rick Archer? Of all the dire rumours you have presented on FFL, this must be amongst the lowest. Just kidding Nabby. Bevan has firmly established his reputation as a heterosexual. With who? I still can't put together the stories of him chasing with the Bevan I've seen. He acts and talks like a flaming gay. Sal
[FairfieldLife] Getting Sandbagged?
http://streaming.mou.org/MOU/Chat/19_Jan_09.wmv Interesting video on M. Vaastu use of sandbags for construction. Anyone who has made sandbag barriers in times of flooding may get it immediately. No foundation, on-site material (in many cases), extreme sound and heat insulation, flexible to earth adjustments, cheap, ecological, quick, can be constructed with limited construction skills, etc. Any experience with such? Thoughts?
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, lurkernomore20002000 steve.sun...@... wrote: I couldn't listen past about one minute. But it appeared to be going from blissful this, to very blissful that, to very, very blissful this and that. I don't know where it was going to end, but I'm thinking he was going to have to invent some new superlatives at the rate he was going. I watched the whole thing with fascination. The building project impresses me as an attempt to preserve a dying aspect of Indian culture and religion. I don't know the back story of the pundit boys, so I don't know if they are being saved from far shittier jobs or are being exploited into focusing on a skill which is basically unmarketable when they probably should be learning how to design circuit boards. But the concept of preserving the tradition of chanting in a world that couldn't care less mostly appeals to me. As wrong as I may think Maharishi is in his interpretation of what the whole Vedic chanting thing means, it is a beautiful tradition and I hope it doesn't die too soon. It is a link to part of our human past. The young Purusha man who narrated it was the Valedictorian (a word I could not spell without spell-check assistance!) which means that aside form being earnest and a good doobie, he is a very bright kid. I understand this phase of his intellectual life, but I can't help thinking that he could do better. Parroting the phrases of Maharishi instead of his own thoughts disappointed me, knowing full well the self-satisfied buzz of repeating words that you believe are absolutely RIGHT! There were a few specific areas I want to comment on. In the written intro he claims: The atmosphere here is absolutely incredible! I can feel that the Vedic Pandits are blessing the whole world. All we need is 8000 and then the world's problems will simply fade away - just like turning on the light instantly eliminates the darkness... My problem is that he is confusing his feelings with his beliefs. Of course they feed each, other but here he is using this feeling as the basis of the belief because it sounds more solid than to say the truth that someone TOLD him that their singing has an effect on the world. This critical erosion between fact and fantasy will plague him in his thinking until he gets out of the trance state that mushes these distinctions into one big happy feeling. Believing that feeling strongly about something makes it more likely to be true, Truthiness ,is a term of derision, not a celebration of enlightenment. In the slide show he claims that the feeling of the pundits were more powerful than the temple, again reiterating the belief that Maharishi's teaching is occupying the top bunk in the prison of religion and spirituality, and if anyone is going to have to leave the cell to turn tricks for cigarettes, it will be the punk religion. (Sorry for the prison analogy but I just finished watching one of those gritty MSNBC specials on the prison code so that is what comes to mind!) It is an aside that implies the hierarchy that we know is in Maharishi's teaching without having to say Religion go to the top tier in cell block 7 and service 'Big Dog's' big dog for a couple of Lucky Strikes. Then come on back so I can hit ya where the good Lord split ya, after you toss my salad, and before I lose your puck ass in my next card game with the Aryan Brotherhood. (Top that Bukowski!) Finally I would like to object to the claim that the pundit boys are somehow specially full of happiness and bliss implying it has ANYTHING to do with what they are all up to. I do shows for inner city kids with crack moms and they exude the same charm. Its called being a freak'n kid. It is what they are. Making a big deal about it in the context of any Maharishi school (before they grow up and discover kine bud, tip of the hat to Kirk) is ridiculous and insulting to humanity and our intelligence. In fact taking credit for TM people being cheerful because they go to bed early and take plenty of naps is also self-serving and deceptive. Oh the peaceless and suffering humanity as Maharishi condescends. They hold freak'n jobs wile raising kids without an institutional support of nap time which conveniently also gets them away from the very demanding job of raising a human with an insatiable need to grow neural networks by asking what is that and why? about everything in their line of vision for 14 hours a day. Oh yeah, one last last thing. Asher, don't give up on girls (or boys if that is your thing.) Your intelligence may make you feel a bit awkward, but you will find your groove in time if you practice. From the perspective of decades in your future, you will NEVER remember a particularly blissful meditation, but you will laugh out loud every time you think about getting deliciously drunk on a bottle of cheap Riesling with that saucy German au pair, and trying to make
[FairfieldLife] DST and Post Count
With the switch to daylight savings time, the post count will now be posted at 7:15pm.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
curtisdeltablues curtisdeltabl...@... wrote: snip From the perspective of decades in your future, you will NEVER remember a particularly blissful meditation, but you will laugh out loud every time you think about getting deliciously drunk on a bottle of cheap Riesling with that saucy German au pair, and trying to make love quietly between giggles under the bedroom of her hosting family. Good advice to the young man!
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradh...@... wrote: Interesting in contrast to the TM Org, where dysfunction and abuse-- the dark shadow--has never been confronted or even acknowledged by the org itself. In stark contrast even the Roman Catholic church has begun to process it's own shadow. But it's interesting to see how a parallel community to the TM Org successfully met and worked through it's own shadow: When yogi Amrit Desai's Kripalu Yoga community fell apart in 1994, an enormous sense of betrayal swept his disciples. A public disclosure of the master's secret affairs and manipulation of power and money over twenty years disillusioned many. Yet because he was also a creative and wise teacher, students were able to use the very practices he had taught them--of inquiry, balance, and compassion--to deal with their loss. After months of difficult meetings and councils, the master was asked to leave and the students were left to work with their confusion and despair. Over the years since, the community has rebuilt itself, dedicated to the principles of yoga and healthy spirituality that the crisis of betrayal taught them. And the master too claims he has learned important lessons from this process. - Jack Kornfield We had a few women from this area who joined Desi's group after getting worked over a little by the TMO. Makes me wonder how they made out - no pun intended And I live close enough to Swami Rama's place to know about some of the fallout from their lawsuits on the close in folks. At least the Brahmasthan is a little farther away. :/ JohnY
[FairfieldLife] Re: Getting Sandbagged?
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, grate.swan no_re...@... wrote: http://streaming.mou.org/MOU/Chat/19_Jan_09.wmv Interesting video on M. Vaastu use of sandbags for construction. Anyone who has made sandbag barriers in times of flooding may get it immediately. No foundation, on-site material (in many cases), extreme sound and heat insulation, flexible to earth adjustments, cheap, ecological, quick, can be constructed with limited construction skills, etc. Any experience with such? Thoughts? The exterior walls of our original house are made of rammed earth blocks (two 8 rammed earth walls with a 4 insulated gap in the middle), and a very important lesson learned is that thermal mass is NOT the same as thermal insulation. Thermal mass is great in locations where there is a large temperature difference between day and night, because the thermal flywheel effect keeps the inside of the house at an even comfortable temperature. In Fairfield, there's a certain amount of that in spring and fall. However, during the extreme seasons where there is only warm and warmer or cold and colder, the performance of thermal mass totally sucks. In adding on to our house, one of the goals was to wrap as much well insulated new house as possible around the original earth block walls. That's not to say that thermal mass is completely useless in Iowa's climate. Thermal mass is great for maintaining even temperatures inside, however, in climates like this, you *must* fully insulate the wall system on the outside. Even with the thermal break in the center of our earth block walls, the inside surfaces of those walls in winter were freezing cold to the touch. Bottom line: beware the hype and romanticization of thermal mass!
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
i actually thought the video was more grounded than what the TMO used to produce, and the building project is impressive and ambitious. the only thing that got me was that the speaker said at least 4 times how the buildings stretch as far as the eye can see. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, lurkernomore20002000 steve.sun...@... wrote: I couldn't listen past about one minute. But it appeared to be going from blissful this, to very blissful that, to very, very blissful this and that. I don't know where it was going to end, but I'm thinking he was going to have to invent some new superlatives at the rate he was going. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer rick@ wrote: From a friend: Asher Ferguson, one of our young Purusha and this past year's MUM Valedictorian, is now working with Bevan in India. He created a delightful slideshow of the rising complex at the Brahmasthan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMFUIIag6To Asher writes: The atmosphere here is absolutely incredible! I can feel that the Vedic Pandits are blessing the whole world. All we need is 8000 and then the world's problems will simply fade away - just like turning on the light instantly eliminates the darkness... Wishing you all the very best, Jai Guru Dev
[FairfieldLife] Cell Phone Tower Proposal
Dear Friends, Many of you have contacted me regarding the proposed cell phone base station (tower) installation here in Fairfield. I have answered the same questions so many times that I have written an article on one of my blogs that addresses this topic. If you would like to view the article, please visit: http://robertpalma.blogspot.com/ Blessings to all, Robert -- Thank-you very much. Sincerely, Robert E. Palma Jr. President/Chief Engineer Midwest Research Corp. Phone, Corp: 641-472-1515 x700 Phone, Direct: 641-472-5005 Email: rpa...@mrtel.com Web Corporate: www.mrtel.com Web Encryption: www.ketufile.com Cell Phone Radiation Safety Device: www.rfreduce.com Utility Power Line High Frequency Noise Removal Device: www.mxdna.com Mailing, Billing address: Midwest Research Corp. P.O. Box 2256 Fairfield, IA 52556 USA Shipping Address for U.S. Postal Service ONLY: Midwest Research Corp. P.O. Box 2256 Fairfield, IA 52556 USA Shipping Address for private carriers (UPS, FedEx, etc) ONLY: Midwest Research Corp. 108 West Palm Dr. Suite 304D Fairfield, IA 52556 USA
[FairfieldLife] Dollhouse, episode 4: Gray Hour
Best episode yet. Approaching the level of art. I am *not* projecting when I suggest that reincarn- ation is a theme in Joss Whedon's new TV series Dollhouse. It's really there as a major theme. This episode opens with Echo, obviously on another assignment and imprinted with a midwife's skills, is helping a woman to deliver a baby in a mountaintop chalet. During the final moments of the birth, Echo says to the mother, Here's a promise...all this... this scary stuff...you won't even remember. The mother gasps between contractions, I want to forget. I want to forget, and pushes one last time, and Echo holds up her baby. Cut to the CGI Bardo sequences of Echo's treat- ments back at the Dollhouse. If you haven't seen the series, they're like the graphics from the end of 2001 interspersed with flashes of the memories being wiped from her memory. Echo opens her eyes and says, as she does after every one of these treatments, and says, Did I fall asleep? It's a TV series about reincarnation. Technological reincarnation. Instead of the dolls getting new bodies and the same soul, in each new incarnation they get new souls in the same body. A succession of selves plays over them. It reminds me in a way of what Rama used to say about the Tibetan Book of the Dead. He viewed it not just as a User's Manual for the passage from death to rebirth, but a User's Manual for how to most effectively make the passage from birth to death a productive endeavor. It's a manual for living. Living with many selves, that come and go with alarming frequency, none of which is really you. Rama once had lapel buttons made up that said, Know thyselves. I still have mine. IMO it's the best way to deal with these temporary selves we find ourSelf wearing -- get to know them, make friends with them, and then let them go when it's time for them to go and be replaced with a new self. They die, but something remains. So too with the dolls of Dollhouse. With every treatment they are supposed to be wiped clean of any lingering impressions of these previous selves. But it isn't quite working for Echo. Something remains. To find out what that something is we can only hope that FOX's entertainment executives are wiser than its News executives. They could sink this series as they sunk Firefly. And I think that would be a real pity, because I think it's going to take more than twelve episodes to discover what that something is that persists as Echo when Echo becomes someone else.
[FairfieldLife] Isolation as mind control (Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India)
Nice insights, Curty. I just now figured out what emotion I was having when the slideshow first started: Jonestown Redux Something about the new buildings with no landscaping, dirt footpaths, and jungle-ish environment did it for me. I guess the only reason that Maharishi selected FF for our home town, was that Parson College was cheap to buy, but was it the main reason? Maybe all mind-controllers want their TBs in the most isolated circumstances where the town-gown conflict would keep the TBs tightly encased -- surrounded by a hostile world. A strategy as old as ashrams. If MIU was in any town bigger than FF, the TBs would have more opportunity to be tempted to re-join the real world if they were not always so easily identified as as cult-member and didn't have to face that cold front you get from the FF townies. Don't know what it's like in FF today, but in my day, everyone knew a townie from a Ru. And give the townies credit for having developed their cult-dar -- the Rus didn't have any better intuition than the townies when it came to sizing up the energy of others. It was so commonplace that I would often have a complete stranger talk to me as if I were a Ru without my having been queried about my status -- it was just a gimme, and it wasn't always negative. Sometimes, it would just be as simple as the you people meme -- You people are good customers. Something that was only mildly offensive -- not like I was an African American and the phrase was tossed at me. Heh, I wonder if any townie ever said you people to an African American TB and the TB never took offense? If Parsons had been located in, say, even a town the size of nearby Ottuma, it might have all fizzled much faster. Whenever I went to Ottuma -- usually to see a film -- not for fine dining -- I never not once ever ever ever had anyone give me the you're a Ru stare. I wonder what the townies around this Brahmasthan village think of the TBs? For that matter what do the townies in FF think of the pundit encampment? Is there some sort of list of jokes about that like Blond Jokes? If you've ever __, you might be a pundit. And, say, isn't wearing a crown and robes sorta like isolation? I mean, who's going to talk to you and ignore the costuming? If there is even a speck of doubt in any of the rajas, that crown must feel like a suffocating whole-body cast. Edg --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltabl...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, lurkernomore20002000 steve.sundur@ wrote: I couldn't listen past about one minute. But it appeared to be going from blissful this, to very blissful that, to very, very blissful this and that. I don't know where it was going to end, but I'm thinking he was going to have to invent some new superlatives at the rate he was going. I watched the whole thing with fascination. The building project impresses me as an attempt to preserve a dying aspect of Indian culture and religion. I don't know the back story of the pundit boys, so I don't know if they are being saved from far shittier jobs or are being exploited into focusing on a skill which is basically unmarketable when they probably should be learning how to design circuit boards. But the concept of preserving the tradition of chanting in a world that couldn't care less mostly appeals to me. As wrong as I may think Maharishi is in his interpretation of what the whole Vedic chanting thing means, it is a beautiful tradition and I hope it doesn't die too soon. It is a link to part of our human past. The young Purusha man who narrated it was the Valedictorian (a word I could not spell without spell-check assistance!) which means that aside form being earnest and a good doobie, he is a very bright kid. I understand this phase of his intellectual life, but I can't help thinking that he could do better. Parroting the phrases of Maharishi instead of his own thoughts disappointed me, knowing full well the self-satisfied buzz of repeating words that you believe are absolutely RIGHT! There were a few specific areas I want to comment on. In the written intro he claims: The atmosphere here is absolutely incredible! I can feel that the Vedic Pandits are blessing the whole world. All we need is 8000 and then the world's problems will simply fade away - just like turning on the light instantly eliminates the darkness... My problem is that he is confusing his feelings with his beliefs. Of course they feed each, other but here he is using this feeling as the basis of the belief because it sounds more solid than to say the truth that someone TOLD him that their singing has an effect on the world. This critical erosion between fact and fantasy will plague him in his thinking until he gets out of the trance state that mushes these distinctions into one big happy feeling.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltabl...@... wrote: I watched the whole thing with fascination. The building project impresses me as an attempt to preserve a dying aspect of Indian culture and religion. I don't know the back story of the pundit boys, so I don't know if they are being saved from far shittier jobs or are being exploited into focusing on a skill which is basically unmarketable when they probably should be learning how to design circuit boards. But the concept of preserving the tradition of chanting in a world that couldn't care less mostly appeals to me. As wrong as I may think Maharishi is in his interpretation of what the whole Vedic chanting thing means, it is a beautiful tradition and I hope it doesn't die too soon. It is a link to part of our human past. I have similar thoughts. And I think the TMO is missing the boat in terms of the way they could cast these projects. They could have quite wide appeal amongst green, multi-cultural, diversity loving hip people -- the starbucks, i-pod, world music generation. As, an example: The pitch (rambling first draft) The Interconnectivity and Sustainability Project The Project is about saving an endangered ancient cultural tradition that deeply embraces diversity and expores the interconnectedness of all things. All ancient cultures should be preserved as part of our rich global cultural heritage. The Project focuses on the ancient Vedic culture of India -- its ceremonies, art, architecture, song and dance that become living documents from the past, enlivening the richness, diversity and interconnectedness of this particular intriguing ancient culture. The Project seeks to establish a Williamsberg replication of this culture -- breathing life into forgotten traditions. It is as if its a vast performance art pieces, that seek to fully engage and include the audience as part of the performance. It explores in great detail its vision of the commonality of all people and all things in a vast web of Consciousness -- seen as the core source of thought, inspiration and achievements -- as well as natural process and rhythms. The Project uses the myriad of ancient methods and technologies that this culture utilized to explore all realms of Consciousness -- and in doing so -- to live in dynamic harmony with all peoples and nature. Its particular focus on sustainability is quite relevant for the modern age. Touring the various project sites, you will see full life replicas ancient architecture that seeks to connect its inhabitants with all of nature -- and ancient ceremonies that promise world peace and individual prosperity. Educational methods seeking to address the whole human person and spirit. And even the political methods of that day, you will see rajas dressed in the ancient garb, and attending to national and global affairs as prescribed by this ancient culture -- and its emphasis on ruling from the domain of Consciousness. The Project is open to the speculations and mystical insights of this culture. It raises some utterly astounding hypotheses -- such as how global peace and prosperity can be created even from chaos and suffering. While the core of the Project is focused on preserving the culture, these ancient speculations and insights are viewed respectfully and carefully. It is possible they present seeds of wisdom that can enliven the world community, its diversity and its inter-connectiveness. Thus the project has an experimental component. These ancient cultural traditions are both preserved and tested -- to explore their potential effectiveness in providing solutions to our ever complex modern society. If yoo are interested in learning more about the Project, or seek to contribute time or resources to its many goals, please contact
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer r...@... wrote: Your analysis is correct. The americans had their chance. Much of the writings on FFL shows that they wasted this historic chance; that wide open door provided by His Holiness and a few very advanced american souls for that country. Rather, out of immaturity and foolishness the majority chose to close that door so generously provided by Maharishi and the Masters. Never underestimate the Hillbilly-effect ! Nature is very, very patient. But She is not forever patient with stupidity. The Movement belongs to those who move - Maharishi So Nabby, you're from Sweden or some Scandinavian country, right? What has the TM movement in your country done that's so much better than what the US movement has done? That is a very good question Rick. To answer this I would say that the scandinavian countries did less than the americans did. Much less. At least in terms of building up India or bringing the Knowledge to all corners of the earth or usher in the Age of Enlightenment. Who invited Him into their homes in 1956 ? The americans did. Who started research on consciousness and TM; the americans did. Idealistic, bright and dynamic Americans, souls applying for Discipleship and Initiation into the knowledge of the Masters of Wiwsdom did everything they possibly could do when the Scandinavians souls, with a few excemptions, simply were onlookers. Compared to Americans, many now solidly on the path to further Initiations, the Scandinavians did shamefully little. Many there missed this rare carmic opportunity. After His first travel to the Scandinavian countries Maharishi was asked about His impression of these countries and He said: Norway is Sattva, Sweden Rajas and Denmark Tamas. My rant about America and americans versus the TMO must be seen in this light: The Americans where the first in the West to acknowledge His world-transforming teaching and His mission in creating The Age of Enlightenment for all to enjoy. In many ways they are the chosen people who, in the eternal Akasha Chronicles will be remembered for their role in transforming this earth into Heaven. In that country, The United States of America, Maharishi found those few, evolved, ready souls He needed to bring the blessings of Brahmananda Saraswathi to the whole world. For this the Americans are forever blessed and their role firmly recorded in the eternal Akasha Chronicles. If I left a different impression about this theme, I am very sorry.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, grate.swan no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@ wrote: What you wrote was totally brilliant and will NEVER happen because it contained the humility that the KNOWERS of reality will never assume. Modern people can smell arrogance a mile away and it never sells. They just can't give up their inflated self-perception that they know more than any other human about life because their master told them so. I watched the whole thing with fascination. The building project impresses me as an attempt to preserve a dying aspect of Indian culture and religion. I don't know the back story of the pundit boys, so I don't know if they are being saved from far shittier jobs or are being exploited into focusing on a skill which is basically unmarketable when they probably should be learning how to design circuit boards. But the concept of preserving the tradition of chanting in a world that couldn't care less mostly appeals to me. As wrong as I may think Maharishi is in his interpretation of what the whole Vedic chanting thing means, it is a beautiful tradition and I hope it doesn't die too soon. It is a link to part of our human past. I have similar thoughts. And I think the TMO is missing the boat in terms of the way they could cast these projects. They could have quite wide appeal amongst green, multi-cultural, diversity loving hip people -- the starbucks, i-pod, world music generation. As, an example: The pitch (rambling first draft) The Interconnectivity and Sustainability Project The Project is about saving an endangered ancient cultural tradition that deeply embraces diversity and expores the interconnectedness of all things. All ancient cultures should be preserved as part of our rich global cultural heritage. The Project focuses on the ancient Vedic culture of India -- its ceremonies, art, architecture, song and dance that become living documents from the past, enlivening the richness, diversity and interconnectedness of this particular intriguing ancient culture. The Project seeks to establish a Williamsberg replication of this culture -- breathing life into forgotten traditions. It is as if its a vast performance art pieces, that seek to fully engage and include the audience as part of the performance. It explores in great detail its vision of the commonality of all people and all things in a vast web of Consciousness -- seen as the core source of thought, inspiration and achievements -- as well as natural process and rhythms. The Project uses the myriad of ancient methods and technologies that this culture utilized to explore all realms of Consciousness -- and in doing so -- to live in dynamic harmony with all peoples and nature. Its particular focus on sustainability is quite relevant for the modern age. Touring the various project sites, you will see full life replicas ancient architecture that seeks to connect its inhabitants with all of nature -- and ancient ceremonies that promise world peace and individual prosperity. Educational methods seeking to address the whole human person and spirit. And even the political methods of that day, you will see rajas dressed in the ancient garb, and attending to national and global affairs as prescribed by this ancient culture -- and its emphasis on ruling from the domain of Consciousness. The Project is open to the speculations and mystical insights of this culture. It raises some utterly astounding hypotheses -- such as how global peace and prosperity can be created even from chaos and suffering. While the core of the Project is focused on preserving the culture, these ancient speculations and insights are viewed respectfully and carefully. It is possible they present seeds of wisdom that can enliven the world community, its diversity and its inter-connectiveness. Thus the project has an experimental component. These ancient cultural traditions are both preserved and tested -- to explore their potential effectiveness in providing solutions to our ever complex modern society. If yoo are interested in learning more about the Project, or seek to contribute time or resources to its many goals, please contact
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 10:26 AM, grate. swan no_re...@yahoogroups.com wrote: I have similar thoughts. And I think the TMO is missing the boat in terms of the way they could cast these projects. They could have quite wide appeal amongst green, multi-cultural, diversity loving hip people -- the starbucks, i-pod, world music generation. Actually, this, minus the sustainability angle, is the way Yagna by Choice presents its community to the UN, as preserving an ages-long tradition.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltabl...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, grate.swan no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@ wrote: What you wrote was totally brilliant and will NEVER happen because it contained the humility that the KNOWERS of reality will never assume. Modern people can smell arrogance a mile away and it never sells. They just can't give up their inflated self-perception that they know more than any other human about life because their master told them so. - There is a Perennial Philosophy. Too bad most adherents also belong to The Church of Absolute Truth. However, a David Lynch type grounded one could emerge to champion the below interpretation. Sort of a wrapper function -- who presents the TMO and its absolutism and ideologic ethos and MO (which is the inverse of OM) as part of the living out, acting out of the confidence that the ancients had in their world view. The TMO is part of the show. Bit actors reading their lines. Thus, the TMO is part of the performance art piece. The wrapper function MC explains this to the audience neutralizing the arrogance of the TMO. And if the MC is paying its own bills, and fund raising under is own momentum -- as David is doing -- the TMO will passively sit and --unable to do much, and enjoying the ride -- smile. I watched the whole thing with fascination. The building project impresses me as an attempt to preserve a dying aspect of Indian culture and religion. I don't know the back story of the pundit boys, so I don't know if they are being saved from far shittier jobs or are being exploited into focusing on a skill which is basically unmarketable when they probably should be learning how to design circuit boards. But the concept of preserving the tradition of chanting in a world that couldn't care less mostly appeals to me. As wrong as I may think Maharishi is in his interpretation of what the whole Vedic chanting thing means, it is a beautiful tradition and I hope it doesn't die too soon. It is a link to part of our human past. I have similar thoughts. And I think the TMO is missing the boat in terms of the way they could cast these projects. They could have quite wide appeal amongst green, multi-cultural, diversity loving hip people -- the starbucks, i-pod, world music generation. As, an example: The pitch (rambling first draft) The Interconnectivity and Sustainability Project The Project is about saving an endangered ancient cultural tradition that deeply embraces diversity and expores the interconnectedness of all things. All ancient cultures should be preserved as part of our rich global cultural heritage. The Project focuses on the ancient Vedic culture of India -- its ceremonies, art, architecture, song and dance that become living documents from the past, enlivening the richness, diversity and interconnectedness of this particular intriguing ancient culture. The Project seeks to establish a Williamsberg replication of this culture -- breathing life into forgotten traditions. It is as if its a vast performance art pieces, that seek to fully engage and include the audience as part of the performance. It explores in great detail its vision of the commonality of all people and all things in a vast web of Consciousness -- seen as the core source of thought, inspiration and achievements -- as well as natural process and rhythms. The Project uses the myriad of ancient methods and technologies that this culture utilized to explore all realms of Consciousness -- and in doing so -- to live in dynamic harmony with all peoples and nature. Its particular focus on sustainability is quite relevant for the modern age. Touring the various project sites, you will see full life replicas ancient architecture that seeks to connect its inhabitants with all of nature -- and ancient ceremonies that promise world peace and individual prosperity. Educational methods seeking to address the whole human person and spirit. And even the political methods of that day, you will see rajas dressed in the ancient garb, and attending to national and global affairs as prescribed by this ancient culture -- and its emphasis on ruling from the domain of Consciousness. The Project is open to the speculations and mystical insights of this culture. It raises some utterly astounding hypotheses -- such as how global peace and prosperity can be created even from chaos and suffering. While the core of the Project is focused on preserving the culture, these ancient speculations and insights are viewed respectfully and carefully. It is possible they present seeds of wisdom that can enliven the world community, its diversity and its
[FairfieldLife] Did Puki Win?
I thought of that video a month ago of the engaging and funny class president of MUM (scored highest on the Awesomeness Scale) who was trying to win some sort of funded travel award. I searched puki travel and the first hit was this. http://statravelers.com/student-travel-community/puki However, its not clear from this if she won -- or is just doing it anyway -- in the domain of consciousness -- until the prize money gets smart and deserving enough to find her. Anyone know of the success of Puki-ji?
RE: [FairfieldLife] Macbook Love
Alex, did you see Jim Karpen's article about Boxee in this month's Source? http://boxee.tv/. Looks like an interesting thing to play with if you have a Mac connected to your TV. Doesn't work with PCs yet.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltabl...@... wrote: What you wrote was totally brilliant... Absofuckinglutely, dude. May I say that I am *SO* happy to have your evolved soul and Oscar Wilde-like wit among us here at Fairfield Life. If you feel like it sometime, please fill us in on a little of your history. No intrusion intended, merely curiosity. I just would love to know what factors in your life led you to being so cool. :-) ...and will NEVER happen because it contained the humility that the KNOWERS of reality will never assume. Modern people can smell arrogance a mile away and it never sells. I wouldn't say never. I met The Donald once. Arrogance and lingering Pharoah-complex-from-another-life in spades. It sold very well, until rec- ently. One will see in the future whether the combover of arrogance is able to withstand the winds of change. They just can't give up their inflated self-perception that they know more than any other human about life because their master told them so. If, as I suspect, you can step back and see *yourself* as the dog in this scenario, you *remember* what it was like to live within the cocoon of this inflated self-perception. You *remember* what it was like to believe that you knew more than the peons around you. That *ability* to remember, IMO, gives us an advantage over those who are not *able* to tell that that's their current state of attention. It *allows* us to step back and look at the hideously center-of-the-universe fantasies of those who are still lost in this mindset, hav- ing both been there and then washing our hands, leaving the bathroom, and thrown the paper towel in the trash, having done that. There was a time when I believed this stuff, too. Even though I can only PRAY that I was never as much of an Evil Dead 2 cast member as this guy. At my *worst* I was overenthusiastic and over-programmed, but not to the point of sounding like Leonard Nimoy on smack like this guy. I walked from the TM movement over 25 years ago. At that point, this guy would have stood out in the crowd, and would have been perceived by MOST people as gone, over the top, lost in a fantasy world that had no relationship to even what even the TBs around him considered reality. Now, he sounds better than the Rajas do. He, at least, is not trying to convince Germans to embrace Invincible Germany. He is not trying to convince world leaders to tear down their capital cities and then rebuild them from the ground up according to Vedic principles. He's just waxing blissed-out-edly about seeing a few brown boys and projecting as much positivity onto them as he can possibly muster up. Can you *imagine* how this fellow would really *react* to the German au pair coming on to him, the babe who Curtis suggested? IMO, based on this one well-meant but IMO Jonestown-like slide show, he would have shrunk back in horror from the well-meaning German hausfrau, and considered her one of Satan's Minions, sent to tempt him away from the One Path, the Highest Path, the Pathway To Enlightenment That Only We Know About. She would be a ho from the hell worlds, sent here to tempt him into their fiery depths. Call me a non-knower of reality, but Dude!, given the choice of seeing the German au pair peel off the layers of her clothing and watch- ing the pundit boys peel off the layers of Maya by chanting Vedic verses between puffs of ganja, I'm gonna to go every time for the German hausfrau. But that's just the kinda lowlife scum I am.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
On Mar 8, 2009, at 10:12 AM, TurquoiseB wrote: Thanks for posting these Kornfield quotes, Vaj. I don't know him, but will now work to correct that. Can you recommend a good book to start with? I've only read After the Ecstasy, The Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path. It's about what happens after one glimpses enlightenment and how 'there are no enlightened people, only enlightened action'. It also details many of the pitfalls of the spiritual path and many groups. I understand his other books are quite good too, but I've only heard the occasional talk over the years.
[FairfieldLife] Frank Rich: Some Things Dont Change in Grovers Corners
WHEREVER you come near the human race, there's layers and layers of nonsense, says the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Those words were first heard by New York audiences in February 1938, as America continued to reel from hard times. The Times's front page told of 100,000 auto workers protesting layoffs in Detroit and of a Republican official attacking the New Deal as fascist. Though no one was buying cars, F.D.R. had the gall to endorse a mammoth transcontinental highway construction program to put men back to work. In the 71 years since, Wilder's drama has become a permanent yet often dormant fixture in our culture, like the breakfront that's been in the dining room so long you stopped noticing its contents. Requiring no scenery and many players, Our Town is the perennial go-to High School Play. But according to A. Tappan Wilder, the playwright's nephew and literary executor, professional productions have doubled since 2005, including two separate hit revivals newly opened in Chicago and New York. You can see why there's a spike in the Our Town market. Once again its astringent distillation of life and death in the fictional early-20th-century town of Grover's Corners, N.H., is desperately needed to help strip away layers and layers of nonsense so Americans can remember who we are and how lost we got in the boom before our bust. At the director David Cromer's shattering rendition of the play now running in Greenwich Village, it's impossible not to be moved by that Act III passage where the Stage Manager comes upon the graves of Civil War veterans in the town cemetery. New Hampshire boys, he says, had a notion that the Union ought to be kept together, though they'd never seen more than 50 miles of it themselves. All they knew was the name, friends the United States of America. The United States of America. And they went and died about it. Wilder was not a nostalgic, sentimental or jingoistic writer. Grover's Corners isn't populated by saints but by regular people, some frivolous and some ignorant and at least one suicidal. But when the narrator evokes a common national good and purpose unfurling our country's full name in the rhetorical manner also favored by our current president you feel the graveyard's chill wind. It's a trace memory of an American faith we soiled and buried with all our own nonsense in the first decade of our new century. Retrieving that faith now requires extraordinary patience and optimism. We're still working our way through the aftershocks of the orgy of irresponsibility and greed that brought America to this nadir. In his recent letter to shareholders, a chastened Warren Buffett likened our financial institutions' recklessness to venereal disease. Even the innocent were infected because it's not just whom you sleep with but also whom they unnamed huge financial institutions are sleeping with, he wrote. Indeed, our government is in the morally untenable position of rewarding the most promiscuous carrier of them all, A.I.G., with as much as $180 billion in taxpayers' cash transfusions (so far) precisely because it can't be disentangled from all the careless (and unidentified) trading partners sharing its infection. Buffett's sermon coincided with the public soul searching of another national sage, Elie Wiesel, who joined a Portfolio magazine panel discussion on Bernie Madoff. Some $37 million of Wiesel's charitable foundation and personal wealth vanished in Madoff's Ponzi scheme. We gave him everything, Wiesel told the audience. We thought he was God. How did reality become so warped that Wiesel, let alone thousands of lesser mortals, could mistake Madoff for God? It was this crook's ability to pass for a deity that allowed his fraud to escape scrutiny not just from his victims but from the S.E.C. and the money managers who pimped his wares. This aura of godliness also shielded the legal Madoffs at firms like Citibank and Goldman Sachs. They spread V.D. with esoteric derivatives, then hedged their wild gambles with A.I.G. insurance (credit-default swaps) that proved to be the most porous prophylactics in the history of finance. The simplest explanation for why America's reality got so distorted is the economic imbalance that Barack Obama now wants to remedy with policies that his critics deride as socialist (fascist can't be far behind): the obscene widening of income inequality between the very rich and everyone else since the 1970s. There is something wrong when we allow the playing field to be tilted so far in the favor of so few, the president said in his budget message. He was calling for fundamental fairness, not class warfare. America hasn't seen such gaping inequality since the Gilded Age and 1920s boom that preceded the Great Depression. This inequity was compounded by Bush tax policy and by lawmakers and regulators of both parties who enabled and protected
Re: [FairfieldLife] Dollhouse, episode 4: Gray Hour
I don't know Turq, so far I've watched only a half hour of it. Very bad arc, the episode didn't draw me in at all. Mainly a chic flic I guess. Eliza has told the critics to hold out for episode 6 where Joss's episodes begin. This just may not be my cup of tea. I stopped at the end of the antecedent and will watch the consequence tonight. I'm not alone on this a lot of people on AVS Forum are disappointed with the series so far. Liza Lapira (Ivy) can be quite funny. She was great in Huff as Maggie the secretary for the Oliver Platt character and had a small roll on this last season of Dexter. Apparently this is the only episode she is in. Instead I fired up the DVD player and watched a z-movie comedy called Brutal Massacre. It is a mockumentary about a z-movie horror film production. Even the making of on the disk was a spoof. Jerry Bednob who played Maharishi in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story plays the cinematographer and Brian O'Halloran from Clerks plays the assistant director. Not a great comedy but held my interest better than the first half hour of Dollhouse. TurquoiseB wrote: Best episode yet. Approaching the level of art. I am *not* projecting when I suggest that reincarn- ation is a theme in Joss Whedon's new TV series Dollhouse. It's really there as a major theme. This episode opens with Echo, obviously on another assignment and imprinted with a midwife's skills, is helping a woman to deliver a baby in a mountaintop chalet. During the final moments of the birth, Echo says to the mother, Here's a promise...all this... this scary stuff...you won't even remember. The mother gasps between contractions, I want to forget. I want to forget, and pushes one last time, and Echo holds up her baby. Cut to the CGI Bardo sequences of Echo's treat- ments back at the Dollhouse. If you haven't seen the series, they're like the graphics from the end of 2001 interspersed with flashes of the memories being wiped from her memory. Echo opens her eyes and says, as she does after every one of these treatments, and says, Did I fall asleep? It's a TV series about reincarnation. Technological reincarnation. Instead of the dolls getting new bodies and the same soul, in each new incarnation they get new souls in the same body. A succession of selves plays over them. It reminds me in a way of what Rama used to say about the Tibetan Book of the Dead. He viewed it not just as a User's Manual for the passage from death to rebirth, but a User's Manual for how to most effectively make the passage from birth to death a productive endeavor. It's a manual for living. Living with many selves, that come and go with alarming frequency, none of which is really you. Rama once had lapel buttons made up that said, Know thyselves. I still have mine. IMO it's the best way to deal with these temporary selves we find ourSelf wearing -- get to know them, make friends with them, and then let them go when it's time for them to go and be replaced with a new self. They die, but something remains. So too with the dolls of Dollhouse. With every treatment they are supposed to be wiped clean of any lingering impressions of these previous selves. But it isn't quite working for Echo. Something remains. To find out what that something is we can only hope that FOX's entertainment executives are wiser than its News executives. They could sink this series as they sunk Firefly. And I think that would be a real pity, because I think it's going to take more than twelve episodes to discover what that something is that persists as Echo when Echo becomes someone else.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Dollhouse, episode 4: Gray Hour
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu noozg...@... wrote: I don't know Turq, so far I've watched only a half hour of it. Very bad arc, the episode didn't draw me in at all. Mainly a chic flic I guess. Eliza has told the critics to hold out for episode 6 where Joss's episodes begin. This just may not be my cup of tea. I stopped at the end of the antecedent and will watch the consequence tonight. I'm not alone on this a lot of people on AVS Forum are disappointed with the series so far. Not being wired with an interest in esoteric or subtle reality, the series doesn't grab me in the same way it does Barry. For me, it's purely a matter of the surface entertainment value, and the last episode was only 'meh'. I'll probably continue watching it, but I much prefer Fox's other new series, Lie to Me.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradh...@... wrote: 'there are no enlightened people, only enlightened action'. Ah. That's a good one. A good test for one and all (particularly if one feels one doesn't exist. Who cares. Lets see what it does for the world.) Of course, those proclaiming enlightened action will be as entertaining as those claiming enlightenment: My action is so much more enlightened than your action. But still, something a bit more grounded than advaita fluff. In fact, I would welcome dick comparisons of enlightened action. Makes one aim more for the fences -- even if one desnt exist and if only to sooth the ego (existing or projected). The more fence aiming we all can do in making the world a bit better place is a good trend. An if the theories of karma and sattwa have any merit -- enlightened action will tend to attract resources for more powerful action. Thus it provides some criteria. (If we want to succumb to comparing things and people, making top 10 lists, judging this and judging that.)
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 7:42 AM, mainstream20016 wrote: Cool it is not. Apparently the climate is unbearable much of the year. Did you catch the this building has air conditioning accolade ? Girish Varma and Raja Kaplan are doing their best to convince Bevan and the Westerners to continue subsidizing the White Elephant in the middle of nowhere. I think the Westerners are waking up and doubt the efficacy of the place. The Brahmasthan of India pandit plan is based on the idea that the West, seeking the benefit of woo-woo rays would buy Yagyas - hence Yagya-factory idea. The Yagya offers the greatest profit margin in the TMO product line. Did you notice how there is no upper limit to the number and types, and cost of yagyas? The sad reality is that as much as has been spent there, much more will be needed, if only to paint the buildings and pay for the air conditioning. What these buildings actually look like to me are motels. Cheap motels of poured concrete with one window and an Indian-styled facade. Similar to what the Muktananda people did but they used existing Catskill hotels. I spoke at length to his successor and he said to me that what ended up happening was spirituality became a business. Instead of being one-pointedly engaged in sadhana, he and his sister were always just worrying about money and the mortgages on all their properties! So he up and left.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Macbook Love
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer r...@... wrote: Alex, did you see Jim Karpen's article about Boxee in this month's Source? http://boxee.tv/. Looks like an interesting thing to play with if you have a Mac connected to your TV. Doesn't work with PCs yet. Yeah, I saw it. Didn't really grab me.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Judy's meltdown, deconstructed
On Mar 8, 2009, at 5:58 AM, TurquoiseB wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jst...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ wrote: What I like most about Judy is her cleverness. Who *else*, after all, could have conceived of proving that Barry's claim that she was obsessed with him and that she had spent the last 15 years in full-blown Gotta get Barry mode was a LIE by spend- ing 20 of her last 25 posts to FFL obsessing about Barry, in full-blown Gotta get Barry mode? Uh-huh. And how many of Barry's last 25 posts were in Gotta Get Judy mode... Only 5 or 6, Judy. That's all it took to set you up for a meltdown. I actually found her tales of being a back-stage groupie much more interesting--even though I actually expected to see some more bad poetry from Raunchy. Of course I'll never look at William Duvane the same knowing he had performed oral sex on Judy. I actually had to skip breakfast after that. :-) It's kinda like finding out Sean Connery was making out with Pat from Saturday Night Live, he just never would seem as debonair and macho again.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 12:54 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote: What these buildings actually look like to me are motels. Cheap motels of poured concrete with one window and an Indian-styled facade. And these cheap motel like building differ from the modular buildings brought into VC in what way? That the ones in VC are designed for the definite 4 seasons of Iowa? That there's a lot more land in VC versus the intended number of pundits? OK, what else?
Re: [FairfieldLife] Macbook Love
Rick Archer wrote: Alex, did you see Jim Karpen's article about Boxee in this month's Source? http://boxee.tv/. Looks like an interesting thing to play with if you have a Mac connected to your TV. Doesn't work with PCs yet. Devices like this have been around for awhile. They just are becoming less a geek item and advertised to the general public. I've had a AVel Linkplayer2 for over 4 years. It plays a lot of media via server that is on my PCs including my Linux box. It also plays some web shows directly off the Internet. It also plays HD content off data DVDs and used the first generation Sigma Designs chip set which the second generation wound up being in HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players. Western Digital has a box that will play files off USB sticks (in case you don't have a home network) and my player even does that too. My local Fry's has a end cap of these kind of devices from Hava, D-Link, Buffalo, etc.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, grate.swan no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: Yet because he was also a creative and wise teacher, students were able to use the very practices he had taught them--of inquiry, balance, and compassion--to deal with their loss. - Jack Kornfield Thanks for posting these Kornfield quotes, Vaj. I don't know him, but will now work to correct that. Can you recommend a good book to start with? What he says above rings so true for me, given my experience with the Rama trip, and with dif- ferent Internet forums in the time since, watch- ing as students used the very practices their teachers had taught them to work not only with but *through* their confusion and despair, and rebuild. Rebuild lives, rebuild spiritual communities shattered by abuse. In my case, I used one of Rama's favorite sayings, Listen to what people say, but watch what they DO, *on him*. I started putting him to his *own* tests. And he didn't measure up to the standards that he himself had set. So I walked away. What practices and teaching did MMY and the TMO provided that can be used to resolve conflicts an organizational disfunction? And how might these teachings explain and characterize how TMO'ers past and present confront cognitive dissonance and unreconcilable differences? Compare and contrast to the methods and teaching used in other organizations to resolve such. Take it as it comes. That which we put our attention on grows stronger in our lives (thus keep positive). Speak the sweet truth. Use the infinite organizing power of nature Avert the danger which has not yet come. Water the root, capture the fort (don't focus on the problem). That which is nearer the Truth last longer. Darkness is not a thing to be removed, just let in the light. Well begun is half done. I wrote the above, thinking, well yeah! Speak the sweet truth, water the root -- that does explain my perception of some in the TMO who seem in denial and on an artificial cloud 9. Then I thought some more -- questioning if there might be some merit to using the Maharishis' tools to solve problems of growth, transition and cognitive dissonance withing the TMO. The TMO appears to promote non-confrontation with the problem itself. This could manifest in denial -- or a martial arts / tantric type focus on transforming what you have into something more useful. The Esctasy article was interesting in this regard. Reconciling huge trauma -- really awful shit most of us can't imagine -- with the introduction (new element / turning on the light) o deep love, compassion, sympathy and empathy for the situation, its players and victims. Which by the accounts of the article, seems to work (at lest for some). I am neither a TM apologist or a critic. But I like to see if there is something useful in things -- even if there are less useful elements. (Sparking teeth of the dead dog). Its not pollyannish, its pragmatic. Thus the question: is an appropriate, internal (within the TMO) TMO rules-based approach a valid way for TMO's to deal with cognitive dissonance, scandals, etc? - not denying the problem (when practiced honestly) but rather a focus on a solutions-focused approach and not the phenomena itself. - that has some merits in disengaging from the emotions of a situation -- which can powerfully sway one from clear thinking. - it can (ideally) allow acceptance of the issue without getting all judgemental. Unconditional acceptance. No drama. - a recognition of the complexity of life and the need fo holistic solutions -- not piecemeal. Not band-aids on the kids arm everyday -- but rather teaching him to tie his shoelaces and look where he is going. Provide the fishing pole and not the fish to hungry third-worlders. - a patience to let things work themselves out once the initial correct conditions are established. Not focussing on each detail of the healing process itself. - faith -- a word I don't care for much -- or track record and extrapolation. Thus, TM works for me, thus I will tend to believe the less provable claims -- based on the track record. What I am thinking, not yet resolved, is that the tools of the TMO used by TMOers in solving TMO problems may trigger a different response than we might choose, understand or care for. But, giving some nod to cultural diversity and flexibility, our ways may not be perfect, and theirs may not be also. But is their approach totally bogus and naive?
[FairfieldLife] Scenes from India - The Big Picture - Boston.com
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/scenes_from_india.html
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, grate.swan no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, grate.swan no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: Yet because he was also a creative and wise teacher, students were able to use the very practices he had taught them--of inquiry, balance, and compassion--to deal with their loss. - Jack Kornfield Thanks for posting these Kornfield quotes, Vaj. I don't know him, but will now work to correct that. Can you recommend a good book to start with? What he says above rings so true for me, given my experience with the Rama trip, and with dif- ferent Internet forums in the time since, watch- ing as students used the very practices their teachers had taught them to work not only with but *through* their confusion and despair, and rebuild. Rebuild lives, rebuild spiritual communities shattered by abuse. In my case, I used one of Rama's favorite sayings, Listen to what people say, but watch what they DO, *on him*. I started putting him to his *own* tests. And he didn't measure up to the standards that he himself had set. So I walked away. What practices and teaching did MMY and the TMO provided that can be used to resolve conflicts an organizational disfunction? And how might these teachings explain and characterize how TMO'ers past and present confront cognitive dissonance and unreconcilable differences? Compare and contrast to the methods and teaching used in other organizations to resolve such. Take it as it comes. That which we put our attention on grows stronger in our lives (thus keep positive). Speak the sweet truth. Use the infinite organizing power of nature Avert the danger which has not yet come. Water the root, capture the fort (don't focus on the problem). That which is nearer the Truth last longer. Darkness is not a thing to be removed, just let in the light. Well begun is half done. I wrote the above, thinking, well yeah! Speak the sweet truth, water the root -- that does explain my perception of some in the TMO who seem in denial and on an artificial cloud 9. Then I thought some more -- questioning if there might be some merit to using the Maharishis' tools to solve problems of growth, transition and cognitive dissonance withing the TMO. The TMO appears to promote non-confrontation with the problem itself. This could manifest in denial -- or a martial arts / tantric type focus on transforming what you have into something more useful. The Esctasy article was interesting in this regard. Reconciling huge trauma -- really awful shit most of us can't imagine -- with the introduction (new element / turning on the light) o deep love, compassion, sympathy and empathy for the situation, its players and victims. Which by the accounts of the article, seems to work (at lest for some). I am neither a TM apologist or a critic. But I like to see if there is something useful in things -- even if there are less useful elements. (Sparking teeth of the dead dog). Its not pollyannish, its pragmatic. Thus the question: is an appropriate, internal (within the TMO) TMO rules-based approach a valid way for TMO's to deal with cognitive dissonance, scandals, etc? - not denying the problem (when practiced honestly) but rather a focus on a solutions-focused approach and not the phenomena itself. - that has some merits in disengaging from the emotions of a situation -- which can powerfully sway one from clear thinking. - it can (ideally) allow acceptance of the issue without getting all judgemental. Unconditional acceptance. No drama. - a recognition of the complexity of life and the need fo holistic solutions -- not piecemeal. Not band-aids on the kids arm everyday -- but rather teaching him to tie his shoelaces and look where he is going. Provide the fishing pole and not the fish to hungry third-worlders. - a patience to let things work themselves out once the initial correct conditions are established. Not focussing on each detail of the healing process itself. - faith -- a word I don't care for much -- or track record and extrapolation. Thus, TM works for me, thus I will tend to believe the less provable claims -- based on the track record. What I am thinking, not yet resolved, is that the tools of the TMO used by TMOers in solving TMO problems may trigger a different response than we might choose, understand or care for. But, giving some nod to cultural diversity and flexibility, our ways may not be perfect, and theirs may not be also. But is their approach totally bogus and naive? From what I've seen the TMO is one of the most inept organizations [next to the
[FairfieldLife] Re: Scenes from India - The Big Picture - Boston.com
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer r...@... wrote: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/scenes_from_india.html Some stunning and gorgeous pictures. As an aside, the first couple give modern Hinduism a Disneyland type flavore. (Mommy, Mommy, Sleeping Beauty, I mean Ganessh, just kissed me!) Referring to my prior post casting the the TMO revival efforts to creating a Williamsberg type display of ancient culture, perhaps it should / could be a Disneyland of ancient culture. ((Its a Blissful world, a Blissful, Blissful world ...)
[FairfieldLife] Re: Judy's meltdown, deconstructed
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradh...@... wrote: snip I actually found her tales of being a back-stage groupie much more interesting--even though I actually expected to see some more bad poetry from Raunchy. Of course I'll never look at William Duvane (Devane) the same knowing he had performed oral sex on Judy. Actually Billy never tried to get into my pants, unlike several other members of the crew. He was happily married (still is) with two kids and got razzed a lot because he'd always leave the bar early to go home. But he wouldn't have had any luck if he had tried to get into my pants. You wouldn't have recognized him. He was incredibly slovenly, actually physically dirty, wore filthy, torn clothes, always needed a shave and a haircut. He was an aspiring playwright at the time, not so much interested in acting, and he was doing a kind of starving-artist shtick. The idea that he would one day turn into a handsome, sexy, elegant hunk that women drooled over would have given everyone who knew him a fit of the giggles back then. But despite his appearance and bad language, he was a shirt-off-the-back kinda guy (the rips therein notwithstanding), and we all loved him. Very funny dude, too, extremely bright.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Scenes from India - The Big Picture - Boston.com
On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 2:02 PM, grate. swan no_re...@yahoogroups.com wrote: Some stunning and gorgeous pictures. As an aside, the first couple give modern Hinduism a Disneyland type flavore. (Mommy, Mommy, Sleeping Beauty, I mean Ganessh, just kissed me!) Referring to my prior post casting the the TMO revival efforts to creating a Williamsberg type display of ancient culture, perhaps it should / could be a Disneyland of ancient culture. ((Its a Blissful world, a Blissful, Blissful world ...) Very stunning, well framed and good resolution. I felt that I was back in India, without the squirts. With respect to the first few, I kept wondering just how the Macy or Mummer's parade looks from another culture.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Judy's meltdown, deconstructed
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jst...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: snip I actually found her tales of being a back-stage groupie snicker This is funny. Missed it the first time through. Apparently Vaj is envious of my actually having been gainfully employed in theater.
[FairfieldLife] Bush to International Criminal Court?!
Ex-UN prosecutor: Bush may be next up for International Criminal Court http://rawstory.com/news/2008/ExUN_prosecutor_Bush_may_be_next_0307.html http://www.freedomofspeech.netfirms.com/
[FairfieldLife] Re: Dollhouse, episode 4: Gray Hour
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu noozg...@... wrote: I don't know Turq, so far I've watched only a half hour of it. Very bad arc, the episode didn't draw me in at all. Mainly a chic flic I guess. That may be true. I have been honest from the start in admitting that I am reading in a lot into this new Joss Whedon series, because I like Joss Whedon. On the other hand, I really *like* chick flicks if they are done well. They reveal a point of view that is useful to learn from, even when they were written by men. Take Sex and the City, for example. Chick flick TV series to the max. Written for TV almost entirely by men. Go figure. Take When Harry Met Sally, written by a woman, but *in conjunction with* Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal and all of the other men on the set. They used to sit around and jackpot ideas past each other, based on their respective different points of view, and many of those points of view made it into the final shooting script. I give all the credit for this to Nora Ephron, for being not only a wonderful writer with a strong point of view, but also a wonderful human being with an openness to *other* points of view. Would the dialog in the batting cage have come from Nora Ephron? Of course not. It's a purely guy thang. But was it *relevant* to the chick flick Nora was writing? You betcha. So it made it into the movie. That's my definition of an artist. Eliza has told the critics to hold out for episode 6 where Joss's episodes begin. This is interesting information. I know from the few fansites I have ventured into that FOX has edit control on the first five episodes. Being the network that is risking its financial bottom line by airing this series, they have the right to demand that Joss rewrite these first five episodes if they don't match what they thought they were paying for when they first heard his pitch. And that's cool. I completely *understand* the dynamic of market forces. Dollhouse* does NOT have a universal appeal. It's OUT THERE. It's a VERY conceptual series. In other words, what it is about is not what it's about on the surface. It's in the class of other great TV series as Deadwood and John From Cincinatti. It's about what lurks beneath the surface, for those who see it there, or (and I admit this fully) who only imagine that they see it there. Joss Whedon may have NONE of the philosophical themes I see in his series in mind when writing it. Then again, given his history and some of the things he has said in interviews, he might. I don't care. I have fun seeing in his series the things I see in it. They might NOT have been intended by him. He might never have even *conceived* of some of the things I see in his series. But seeing them there makes me smile. Why I think I can get away with seeing them there is that I don't claim that they are really there. It's not as if I am watching a silly TV series full of babalicious fembots and declaring them Dakinis. I don't feel that Joss' silly TV series is on the level of the Vedic literature, and thus imbued with Eternal Wisdom. It's just that I can amuse myself by seeing Eternal Wisdom *IN* his silly TV series, even if just for an hour a week. It might not be there. But it makes me smile to think it is, for an hour a week. Liza Lapira (Ivy) can be quite funny. She was great in Huff as Maggie the secretary for the Oliver Platt character and had a small roll on this last season of Dexter. Apparently this is the only episode she is in. Was she the Asian apprentice to the Meganerd in the series, Topher? Great character. I wanted *instantly* to see more of her. She's my favorite babe of the series so far, the only one I'd have asked out.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 10:28 AM, curtisdeltablues wrote: There were a few specific areas I want to comment on. In the written intro he claims: The atmosphere here is absolutely incredible! I can feel that the Vedic Pandits are blessing the whole world. All we need is 8000 and then the world's problems will simply fade away - just like turning on the light instantly eliminates the darkness... Curtis, do you remember during the TOU Course, when Purusha was singing that silly song about When we get 7000 we'll throw away the foam... or something along those lines? And then when they got over 8000, they immediately switched to, When we get *10,000* we'll throw away the foam... Oops. Sal
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 10:28 AM, curtisdeltablues wrote: Finally I would like to object to the claim that the pundit boys are somehow specially full of happiness and bliss implying it has ANYTHING to do with what they are all up to. I do shows for inner city kids with crack moms and they exude the same charm. Maybe they're secretly pundits when they go home. Its called being a freak'n kid. It is what they are. Making a big deal about it in the context of any Maharishi school (before they grow up and discover kine bud, tip of the hat to Kirk) is ridiculous and insulting to humanity and our intelligence. Are you saying that the video was, in effect, *lying,* Curtis??? Wonder how long it'll take Judy to jump on this one...don't think I'll wait around for that to happen. Sal
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 3:40 PM, Sal Sunshine salsunsh...@lisco.com wrote: Curtis, do you remember during the TOU Course, when Purusha was singing that silly song about When we get 7000 we'll throw away the foam... or something along those lines? And then when they got over 8000, they immediately switched to, When we get *10,000* we'll throw away the foam... Oops. Sal Actually, it's the next stages in achievement of the flying sutra that scares me. What do you do if you can fly in the air, almost? I mean like you're 50 stories in the air and your engines cut out. Has the TMO thought that far?
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
Re: Amrit Desai and Kripalu Center. Our ashram (about which serious ethical questions regarding the leadership were raised) had a kind of informal friendship with the Kripalu Center (Amrit Desai's former group), so I studied its recovery with interest. I felt very happy about how much better the Kripalu resolved the crisis than about how we basically avoided ours, but am uncomfortable that Amrit Desai continued in the guru business. One thing which troubles me is how gurus, after they've been busted (for acts of hypocrisy) often eventually become gurus again without mentioning anything about their past mistakes. Amrit Desai's new website: http://www.amrityoga.com/ ...offers (so far as I can tell) no narration of his shady past (although Kripalu Center is mentioned) which included unhappy episodes of a sexual nature. While it is very understandable that he doesn't want people to know about his past mistakes, I would prefer that prospective students be able to judge the background themselves, to help balance their possibly very positive emotional response to the ashram environment. In many areas of civic life, government requires that fiduciaries provide disclosure of risks their clients are subject to. In many areas of the country, the whereabouts of sexual predators are disclosed to the community. How about some disclosure requirements for gurus? Cam --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradh...@... wrote: Over the years since, the community has rebuilt itself, dedicated to the principles of yoga and healthy spirituality that the crisis of betrayal taught them. And the master too claims he has learned important lessons from this process. [Jack Kornfield]
[FairfieldLife] NEWSWEEK: The bogus GOP claim Obama is bleeding the wealthy
A War on the Rich? The bogus GOP claim that Obama is bleeding the wealthy NEWSWEEK - To hear conservatives tell it, you'd think mobs of shiftless welfare moms were marauding through the streets of Greenwich and Palm Springs, lynching bankers and hedge-fund managers, stringing up shopkeepers, and herding lawyers into internment camps. President Obama and his budgeteers, they say, have declared war on the rich. On Tuesday, Washington Post columnist (and former Bush speechwriter) Michael Gerson argued in an op-ed that Obama chose a time of recession to propose a massive increase in progressivitya 10-year, trillion-dollar haul from the rich, already being punished by the stock market collapse and the housing market decline. The plans are so radical, there will not be enough wealthy people left to bleed. CNBC's Larry Kudlowwrote that Obama is declaring war on investors, entrepreneurs, small businesses, large corporations, and private-equity and venture-capital funds. Other segments on the financial news network warn of a tax on the rich, a war on the wealthy. My personal favorite was a piece from ABCNews.com, which had to be rewritten and reposted because the original was so poorly done. (The revised version isn't much better.) It quotes a dentist who is contemplating reducing her income from her current $320,000 to under $250,000 by having her dental hygienist work fewer days and by treating fewer patients. [That way, she] would avoid paying higher taxes on the $70,000 that would be subject to increased taxation if Obama's proposal is signed into law. It's hard to overstate how absurd these claims are. First, let's talk about the massive increase in progressivity that Gerson deplores. It consists largely (but not exclusively) of returning marginal tax rates to their levels of 2001, before Gerson and the epically incompetent Bush administration of which he was a part got their hands on the reins of power. Obama wants to let marginal rates for families with taxable income (not total income, but taxable income) of more than $250,000 revert from 33 percent to 36 percent, and to let the top ratecurrently 35 percent on family income above $357,000revert to 39 percent. (Here are the current tax tables.) There's also talk of cappingnot eliminating, but cappingdeductions on charitable giving and mortgage interest. Obama's proposals don't mean the government would steal every penny you make above the $250,000 threshold, or that making more than $250,000 would somehow subject all of your income to higher taxes. Rather, you'd pay 36 cents to the government in income taxes on every dollar over the threshold, rather than 33 cents. Second, this return to 2001's tax rates was actually part of the Bush tax plan. The Republicans who controlled the White House and the Republicans who controlled the Congress earlier this decade decreed that all the tax cuts they passed would sunset in 2010. They put in this sunset provision to hide the long-term fiscal costs of the cuts. The Bush team and congressional supporters had seven years to manage fiscal affairs in such a way that they would be able to extend the tax cuts in 2010. But they screwed it up. Instead of controlling spending and aligning tax revenues with outlays, the Bush administration and its congressional allies ramped up spending massivelyon two wars, on a prescription drug benefit for Medicare, on earmarks, etc. Oh, and along the way, they so miserably mismanaged oversight of Wall Street and the financial sector that it required the passage of a hugely expensive bailout. Even before the passage of the TARP, the prospect of extending all the Bush tax cuts was a nonstarter. Once Bush signed the $700 billion bailout measure into law, extending tax cuts was really a nonstarter. The national debt nearly doubled during the Bush years. So if you want to blame someone for raising taxes back to where they were in 2001, don't blame Obama. Blame Bush, his feckless Office of Management and Budget directors, his economic advisers, and congressional appropriators like Trent Lott and Tom DeLay. Third, we know from recent experience that marginal tax rates of 36 percent and 39 percent aren't wealth killers. I was around in the 1990s, when tax rates were at that level, and when capital gains and dividend taxes were significantly higher than they are today. And I seem to remember that we had a stock market boom, a broad rise in incomes (with the wealthy benefitting handily), and strong economic growth. Fourth, we also know from recent experience that lower marginal rates on income taxes, and lower rates on capital gains and dividends, aren't necessarily wealth producers. The Bush years, which had lower marginal rates and capital gains taxes, were a fiasco. In fact, if you tally up the vast destruction of wealth in the late Bush yearscaused by foolish hedge funds, investment banks, and other
[FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
Interesting point of view. Welcome, Cam. What on earth drew you to this place? How did it happen that you've been either lurking in the background and just now chose to post, or that drew you from afar to this mention of Amrit Desai on this forum? I really am just curious. If you have been lurking here for some time, you might have become justifiably wary of exposing yourself in such an environment. Me, I'm just curious as to what drew you here, and what you have done with the aftermath of the questions of leadership that affected your ashram. That's an interesting thing to have gone through, and I empathize. Been there, done that. A couple of times. What draws you here? What path led you here? And, if you feel these questions intrusive, allow me to step back and ask a less intrusive Monty Python question, What is your favorite color? :-) --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yateendrajee mcint...@... wrote: Re: Amrit Desai and Kripalu Center. Our ashram (about which serious ethical questions regarding the leadership were raised) had a kind of informal friendship with the Kripalu Center (Amrit Desai's former group), so I studied its recovery with interest. I felt very happy about how much better the Kripalu resolved the crisis than about how we basically avoided ours, but am uncomfortable that Amrit Desai continued in the guru business. One thing which troubles me is how gurus, after they've been busted (for acts of hypocrisy) often eventually become gurus again without mentioning anything about their past mistakes. Amrit Desai's new website: http://www.amrityoga.com/ ...offers (so far as I can tell) no narration of his shady past (although Kripalu Center is mentioned) which included unhappy episodes of a sexual nature. While it is very understandable that he doesn't want people to know about his past mistakes, I would prefer that prospective students be able to judge the background themselves, to help balance their possibly very positive emotional response to the ashram environment. In many areas of civic life, government requires that fiduciaries provide disclosure of risks their clients are subject to. In many areas of the country, the whereabouts of sexual predators are disclosed to the community. How about some disclosure requirements for gurus? Cam --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradhatu@ wrote: Over the years since, the community has rebuilt itself, dedicated to the principles of yoga and healthy spirituality that the crisis of betrayal taught them. And the master too claims he has learned important lessons from this process. [Jack Kornfield]
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
On Mar 8, 2009, at 2:09 PM, grate.swan wrote: I wrote the above, thinking, well yeah! Speak the sweet truth, water the root -- that does explain my perception of some in the TMO who seem in denial and on an artificial cloud 9. Then I thought some more -- questioning if there might be some merit to using the Maharishis' tools to solve problems of growth, transition and cognitive dissonance withing the TMO. The TMO appears to promote non-confrontation with the problem itself. This could manifest in denial -- or a martial arts / tantric type focus on transforming what you have into something more useful. The Esctasy article was interesting in this regard. Reconciling huge trauma -- really awful shit most of us can't imagine -- with the introduction (new element / turning on the light) o deep love, compassion, sympathy and empathy for the situation, its players and victims. Which by the accounts of the article, seems to work (at lest for some). I am neither a TM apologist or a critic. But I like to see if there is something useful in things -- even if there are less useful elements. (Sparking teeth of the dead dog). Its not pollyannish, its pragmatic. Thus the question: is an appropriate, internal (within the TMO) TMO rules-based approach a valid way for TMO's to deal with cognitive dissonance, scandals, etc? - not denying the problem (when practiced honestly) but rather a focus on a solutions-focused approach and not the phenomena itself. - that has some merits in disengaging from the emotions of a situation -- which can powerfully sway one from clear thinking. - it can (ideally) allow acceptance of the issue without getting all judgemental. Unconditional acceptance. No drama. - a recognition of the complexity of life and the need fo holistic solutions -- not piecemeal. Not band-aids on the kids arm everyday -- but rather teaching him to tie his shoelaces and look where he is going. Provide the fishing pole and not the fish to hungry third-worlders. - a patience to let things work themselves out once the initial correct conditions are established. Not focussing on each detail of the healing process itself. - faith -- a word I don't care for much -- or track record and extrapolation. Thus, TM works for me, thus I will tend to believe the less provable claims -- based on the track record. What I am thinking, not yet resolved, is that the tools of the TMO used by TMOers in solving TMO problems may trigger a different response than we might choose, understand or care for. But, giving some nod to cultural diversity and flexibility, our ways may not be perfect, and theirs may not be also. But is their approach totally bogus and naive? My guess is, if anyone in the TM org--certainly while MMY was alive, and probably today as well--tried to confront the situation in the same healthy way they did with Amrit Desai, they'd be immediately ousted. Bags packed for them. Let's face it: totalitarian regimes don't respond well to input that goes against the grain. In order to reform the TM org you'd naturally be faced with the fact that not only was MMY very wrong in many things he did and many things he said, he was also imperfect and just a normal human being. You'd be forced face- to-face with his unenlightenment. IME TB types develop unconscious defense mechanisms that allow them to navigate around these areas of difficulty. After all, these are often very intelligent people. How could they simply miss things that were intuitively or so obviously incorrect? One way is to simply navigate away from areas of cognitive dissonance instinctively. Another way to do this is to slavishly believe everything the teacher says as if he was the voice of God Almighty, not a Hindu salesman in silk. Another way is to isolate yourself, the mushroom effect if you will: keep in the dark and let them feed you shit. Avoid other teachers or if you do hear another teacher and they conflict, always take your teachers side. My teacher restored the tradition and what came before is the improper tradition, is an easy track to ride on when these situations present themselves. Also don't read outside material or source materials. This is one reason why TM org ideas, while drawn extensively from Hindu sources, deliberately don't quote the actual sources. The only way you typically get to these sources (if at all) is to make it into the TM Org Master of Vedic Science program. And the only people who could ever make it into such a track would be a total TB.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Confronting the shadow of spiritual dysfunction
On Mar 8, 2009, at 4:50 PM, yateendrajee wrote: Re: Amrit Desai and Kripalu Center. Our ashram (about which serious ethical questions regarding the leadership were raised) had a kind of informal friendship with the Kripalu Center (Amrit Desai's former group), so I studied its recovery with interest. I felt very happy about how much better the Kripalu resolved the crisis than about how we basically avoided ours, but am uncomfortable that Amrit Desai continued in the guru business. One thing which troubles me is how gurus, after they've been busted (for acts of hypocrisy) often eventually become gurus again without mentioning anything about their past mistakes. Amrit Desai's new website: http://www.amrityoga.com/ ...offers (so far as I can tell) no narration of his shady past (although Kripalu Center is mentioned) which included unhappy episodes of a sexual nature. While it is very understandable that he doesn't want people to know about his past mistakes, I would prefer that prospective students be able to judge the background themselves, to help balance their possibly very positive emotional response to the ashram environment. In many areas of civic life, government requires that fiduciaries provide disclosure of risks their clients are subject to. In many areas of the country, the whereabouts of sexual predators are disclosed to the community. How about some disclosure requirements for gurus? Fascinating insight. Perhaps we should call it the Jimmy Swaggart effect or the Ted Haggard effect?
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 2:00 PM, I am the eternal wrote: On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 12:54 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote: What these buildings actually look like to me are motels. Cheap motels of poured concrete with one window and an Indian-styled facade. And these cheap motel like building differ from the modular buildings brought into VC in what way? That the ones in VC are designed for the definite 4 seasons of Iowa? That there's a lot more land in VC versus the intended number of pundits? OK, what else? I was struck on the BBC meditation video, where they go to Maharishi Vedic City (as they called it) of not only how obviously whacky some of the people seemed and how vata-deranged the Johnsons seemed but how disorganized the place looked just driving around. (The Johnson's seemed like Nazi's trying to be polite to the Jew who showed up at the Fuerher's birthday party) For an org that prides itself on it's self- organizing power it looked like a place I would not want to live. It certainly didn't look at all like the neat mandalic pictures one saw before it was built.
[FairfieldLife] OT Metalinguistic markers in PaaNini's dhaatupaaTha?
In my understanding, the dhaatupaaTha is a section(?) of PaaNini's ASTaadhyaayii that in effect is a list of Sanskrit verbal roots (dhaatu-s). Here is a sample in ITRANS 5.2 -transliteration: 1\.426 kepR^i.a 1\.427 gepR^i.a 1\.428 glepR^i cha | 1\.429 mepR^i.a 1\.430 repR^i.a 1\.431 lepR^i gatau | 1\.432 hepR^i.a 1\.433 dhepR^i cha | 1\.434 trapUSh lajjAyAm | 1\.435 kapi chalane | 1\.436 rabi.a 1\.437 labi.a ... 4\.60 mR^iSha titikShAyAm | 4\.61 Ishuchir pUtIbhAve | ityudAttau svaritetau || 4\.62 NaHa bandhane | 4\.63 ra~nja rAge | 4\.64 shapa Akroshe | iti NahAdayastrayo.anudAttAH svaritetaH || 4\.65 pada gatau | 4\.66 khida dainye | 4\.67 vida sattAyAm | 4\.68 budha avagamane | 4\.69 yudha samprahAre | 4\.70 anorudha kAme | 4\.71 aNa prANane | 4\.72 ana ityeke | 4\.73 mana j~nAne | 4\.74 yuja samAdhau | 4\.75 sR^ija visarge | 4\.76 lisha alpIbhAve | iti padAdayo.anudAttA anudAttetaH | aN tUdAttaH || Now, Vyaasa's comment on the first suutra of YS contains for instance this claim: yogaH samaadhiH (yoga [is] samaadhi). The same idea in Bhoja's comment is expressed in a style that feels quite a lot like that of PaaNini, namely: 'yuj samaadhau' anushiSyate... There seems to be a problem there: there is at least one violation of the rules of sandhi, namely, the voiced consonant 'j' is not allowed at the end of a word, especially when the following word begins with the voiceless sibilant 's'. We are not at all sure about that, but we think it should rather perhaps be 'yuk samaadhau', like in the passive perfect participle, or whatever, namely, 'yukta'. Furthermore, 'samaadhau' should perhaps be, according to the rules of sandhi, like 'samaadhaav', as in 'te samaadhaav upasargaa', because the following word begins with a vowel. Now, if we look at the suutras(?) of the dhaatupaaTha above, we can notice, staring at 4.74, that 'yuj samaadhau' should actually be 'yuja samaadhau'. So, PaaNini seems to take advantage of some metalinguistic markers, or whatever, that seem to vary according to the type of the verbal root in question. For instance for the root 'yuj' the possible metalinguistic marker is simply 'a' at teh end. Unfortunately, we have no idea, what those possible metalinguistic thingies are supposed to mean, or stuff.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 4:49 PM, Vaj wrote: I was struck on the BBC meditation video, where they go to Maharishi Vedic City (as they called it) of not only how obviously whacky some of the people seemed and how vata-deranged the Johnsons seemed but how disorganized the place looked just driving around. (The Johnson's seemed like Nazi's trying to be polite to the Jew who showed up at the Fuerher's birthday party) LOL... For an org that prides itself on it's self-organizing power it looked like a place I would not want to live. It certainly didn't look at all like the neat mandalic pictures one saw before it was built. What I found a bit disconcerting the one day I drove around there with a friend from out-of-town was that there nobody outside, anywhere, despite the fact that it was a beautiful, sunny day. Can't remember if it was a weekday or not, so people could have theoretically been working...but, even so, *nobody* outside? Is enjoying the sun also considered OTP? Sal
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 6:12 PM, Sal Sunshine wrote: What I found a bit disconcerting the one day I drove around there with a friend from out-of-town was that there nobody outside, anywhere, despite the fact that it was a beautiful, sunny day. Can't remember if it was a weekday or not, so people could have theoretically been working...but, even so, *nobody* outside? Is enjoying the sun also considered OTP? IIRC that's the exact way it was in the BBC vid. Deserted. Left Behind could have been filmed there with no advance warning. It certainly didn't look like where the Vedic June and Ward Cleaver would have lived.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Dollhouse, episode 4: Gray Hour
TurquoiseB wrote: Liza Lapira (Ivy) can be quite funny. She was great in Huff as Maggie the secretary for the Oliver Platt character and had a small roll on this last season of Dexter. Apparently this is the only episode she is in. Was she the Asian apprentice to the Meganerd in the series, Topher? Great character. I wanted *instantly* to see more of her. She's my favorite babe of the series so far, the only one I'd have asked out. Yes, that's her. She had a great role in Huff always being frustrated by Oliver Platt playing a wild and crazy attorney for Huff (Hank Azara). And she was the internal affairs cop that would keep driving up to talk to the Jennifer Carpenter character in Dexter to make her suspicious of her partner but if I recall right it turned out that the partner and her had an affair that went back so she was trying to back at him.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine salsunsh...@... wrote: On Mar 8, 2009, at 4:49 PM, Vaj wrote: I was struck on the BBC meditation video, where they go to Maharishi Vedic City (as they called it) of not only how obviously whacky some of the people seemed and how vata-deranged the Johnsons seemed but how disorganized the place looked just driving around. (The Johnson's seemed like Nazi's trying to be polite to the Jew who showed up at the Fuerher's birthday party) LOL... For an org that prides itself on it's self-organizing power it looked like a place I would not want to live. It certainly didn't look at all like the neat mandalic pictures one saw before it was built. What I found a bit disconcerting the one day I drove around there with a friend from out-of-town was that there nobody outside, anywhere, despite the fact that it was a beautiful, sunny day. Can't remember if it was a weekday or not, so people could have theoretically been working...but, even so, *nobody* outside? Is enjoying the sun also considered OTP? Sal Well, you see, Vaastu puts its residents in total harmony with nature. That harmony is disturbed if they actually go outside into nature. Going outside to get in touch with nature is for those of the underclass who can't afford Vaastu.
[FairfieldLife] Japanese struggle w/Chinese characters
According to a 2007 government survey, one-fifth of Japanese 16 or older often encounter Chinese characters they cannot read, while one-third have trouble writing them without looking them up. Nearly half said they still need to master the 2,000 characters considered necessary for daily life. http://snipurl.com/derrj [www_japantoday_com] Aso's reading blunders spark study spree TOKYO Reading Japanese isn't easyeven for the Japanese. Take Prime Minister Taro Aso. He's made so many public blunders that an opposition lawmaker tried to give him a reading test during a televised session of parliament. The Japanese leader bungled the word for frequent, calling Japan-China exchanges cumbersome instead. Another time, he misread the word toshu (follow), saying fushuor stenchand sounded as if he were saying government policy stinks. While the media and Aso's political rivals have been quick to heap ridicule, many Japanese have seen a bit more of themselves in Aso's goofs than they would like to admit. Since his missteps, books designed to improve reading ability have become all the rage. Aso's nemesis is his mother tongue's notoriously tricky mishmash of Chinese characters and its two sets of indigenous syllabaries. Here is what heand all Japaneseare up against. Just reading the newspaper requires knowledge of about 2,000 characters. Another 50,000 are less common but useful to recognize. And that's just for starters. Most characters have several different pronunciations depending on the context. For instance, the two characters in the prime minister's surname can be read several ways. The first character, which means linen, is pronounced asa or ma. The secondmeaning life, raw, or to occur or growcan be pronounced nama, sei, sho, or ki, to list just a few possibilities. And together, they are pronounced Aso (Ah-so). During last month's televised parliament session, opposition lawmaker Hajime Ishii chided Aso for his stumbles, saying: We'd better discuss Chinese characters. Then holding up a cardboard panel with a list of a dozen words, he asked: Can you handle them? Aso refused to take the impromptu test, but Ishii didn't back down. Today, those who can't read Chinese characters are scoffed at, and people are rushing to buy textbooks, he said. Perhaps you deserve credit for boosting their sales. Literacy-boosting books are selling briskly. One titled, Chinese Characters that Look Readable but are Easily Misread, released a year ago, has sold more than 800,000 copiesmost of them since Aso's mistakes first got national attention in November, said Yukiko Sakita, a spokeswoman for Futami Shobo Publishing Co. We owe a lot to Prime Minister Aso, she said. Many people don't want to make mistakes like his. The book has held the top spot in the weekly best-seller rankings compiled by Japan's largest distributor, Tohan Co, since the beginning of this year, ahead of The Speeches of Barack Obama, which ranked second for weeks before falling to 17th this week. A text like this holding the No. 1 spot is extremely unusual, said Tohan official Hiroki Tomatsu. As far as the book ranking is concerned, Mr Aso beat Mr Obama. Gossip magazines have compiled lists of words Aso has misread and blamed the prime minister's love of comic books, or manga, for his weakness. Manga brain, one magazine lamented. At a school in Aso's hometown, Fukuoka, children who make reading mistakes are called little Taros. Aso's gaffe over Japan's relationship with China occurred in a speech in November, when instead of saying the countries' exchanges were hinpan, or frequent, he proclaimed them hanzatsu, or cumbersome. His most embarrassing stumble, however, was over the word unprecedented, which takes three Chinese characters to write. He read the third character incorrectly, saying mee-zoh-you instead of mee-zohsuch a basic mistake that it would turn a high school kid's face red. Aso may be trying too hard, said Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, respected statesman and grandson of a renowned poet. Some people just fall deeper into trouble the harder they try, he said. Some pundits have acknowledged Aso isn't alone in the struggle with the written word. It's not just Aso, columnist Kenichiro Horii wrote in a recent issue of the Weekly Bunshun magazine. I feel awkward ridiculing someone else's reading mistakes. Haven't you made mistakes in the past, too? According to a 2007 government survey, one-fifth of Japanese 16 or older often encounter Chinese characters they cannot read, while one-third have trouble writing them without looking them up. Nearly half said they still need to master the 2,000 characters considered necessary for daily life. Japanese is difficult, the best-selling primer on reading said. But we don't want to humiliate ourselves in public.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 no_re...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer rick@ wrote: Your analysis is correct. The americans had their chance. Much of the writings on FFL shows that they wasted this historic chance; that wide open door provided by His Holiness and a few very advanced american souls for that country. Rather, out of immaturity and foolishness the majority chose to close that door so generously provided by Maharishi and the Masters. Never underestimate the Hillbilly-effect ! Nature is very, very patient. But She is not forever patient with stupidity. The Movement belongs to those who move - Maharishi So Nabby, you're from Sweden or some Scandinavian country, right? What has the TM movement in your country done that's so much better than what the US movement has done? That is a very good question Rick. To answer this I would say that the scandinavian countries did less than the americans did. Much less. At least in terms of building up India or bringing the Knowledge to all corners of the earth or usher in the Age of Enlightenment. Who invited Him into their homes in 1956 ? The americans did. Who started research on consciousness and TM; the americans did. Idealistic, bright and dynamic Americans, souls applying for Discipleship and Initiation into the knowledge of the Masters of Wiwsdom did everything they possibly could do when the Scandinavians souls, with a few excemptions, simply were onlookers. Compared to Americans, many now solidly on the path to further Initiations, the Scandinavians did shamefully little. Many there missed this rare carmic opportunity. After His first travel to the Scandinavian countries Maharishi was asked about His impression of these countries and He said: Norway is Sattva, Sweden Rajas and Denmark Tamas. My rant about America and americans versus the TMO must be seen in this light: The Americans where the first in the West to acknowledge His world-transforming teaching and His mission in creating The Age of Enlightenment for all to enjoy. In many ways they are the chosen people who, in the eternal Akasha Chronicles will be remembered for their role in transforming this earth into Heaven. In that country, The United States of America, Maharishi found those few, evolved, ready souls He needed to bring the blessings of Brahmananda Saraswathi to the whole world. For this the Americans are forever blessed and their role firmly recorded in the eternal Akasha Chronicles. If I left a different impression about this theme, I am very sorry. Nab, you are a very funny guy. That's a 'compliment' with an awful lot of backhand in it. There's just no response to this stuff... JohnY
[FairfieldLife] Hi, TurquoiseB
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_re...@... wrote: ...I'm just curious as to what drew you here, and what you have done with the aftermath of the questions of leadership that affected your ashram. I'm an MIU alum, and am undertaking a review of my spiritual past. You'll notice I've made a few posts recently. The questions of leadership at my ashram came to my attention after I'd left the ashram. Within a couple of years of that revelation, I became associated with my present traditon. I've been dialoging backchannel with an old MIU classmate who has participated in this list. I've also corresponded with a former MIU professor who, ironically, feels a close relationship with the tradition I'm currently following (although he's still deeply involved with the TM movement). That latter dialogue has taught me to remember the many positive things about TM, and I do feel there are many strong positives. For example, I recently needed relief for apparent stress caused by my caregiving duties (24-7) for a family member, and found TM quite effective in relieving the symptoms of excess stress. But there have been, now and then, some things about my understanding of the movement which I've felt a bit uncomfortable about. I feel there are people here who might help me understand more about these issues. Yours, Cameron D. McIntosh
[FairfieldLife] Re: Barry's Meltdown: The Real Story
Holding Barry's feet to fire Truth be told at last Meltdown proves him willing liar Tripped on pages past Google search prevailing Epic battle won Protesting loud and wailing Skewered, cooked well done Poked with fork and finished Juicy plump for plate Hoisted on his own petard Reverse of fate too late Words line up in tight phalanx Marching truth on page Shooting letters straight from hip Fairest, Authfriend, winsome sage raunchydog http://tinyurl.com/575x99 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jst...@... wrote: It occurs to me that the match that lit the fire under Barry's current meltdown-- although part of it was a hangover from his crashing and burning the previous week--was that I wouldn't go along with a claim Nabby made: _ Re: Coming to Fairfield, seek to learn. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 no_reply@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote: Barry's been messing around with one technique after another, one guru after another, for decades and hasn't found anything he wants to settle down with and commit himself to. This, obviously, strikes at the core of the frustration and pain the Turq displays on FFL. Guru-shoppers tend to end up frustrated and confused. And after a couple of rounds with different Masters, serious Gurus won't have anything to do with them. They are denied access. Have you heard this story about Barry before, say in the late '70's, in California ? Yes you have. Never heard of Barry before I encountered him on alt.meditation.transcendental in 1995. _ After all the abuse Barry has piled on me and the vicious lies he's told about me in the past 15 years, here I had a chance to throw some dirt at him and give Nabby some credibility by pretending to have heard a nasty story about Barry 30 years ago, and I wouldn't do it. That was so contrary to the way Barry behaves, it was intolerable. He'd been trying to provoke me with his Dick and Jane bit, and it hadn't worked. He proceeded nonetheless to claim it *had* worked in a post addressed to Mike, but he could do that only by grossly misrepresenting what I'd said. So in response to my comment to Nabby, he took a desperate swipe at me by conjuring up the past, making a big deal about my having been slightly off with the date of our first encounters, and implying--knowingly falsely--that I'd started our feud, in a post to somebody else: ...she recently claimed that she hadn't encountered me until 1995. But she was *already* in full 'Gotta Get Barry' mode back in 1994. Google still has the posts. And it all went downhill for Barry from there. While continuing his attacks on me in other posts, he went rummaging around on Google to find something he could use to back up his lie. All he could come up with was a post in which I pointed out, in some detail, the deliberate misstatements *he* had made about an email exchange I initiated with him in an attempt to explain to him why I maintained TM was the most effective meditation technique currently available for householders, for which he had been putting me down repeatedly, in public. I had tried to respond reasonably but couldn't get through to him. I thought we could talk it through amicably if I could discuss my stance in terms of TM's private instruction; I didn't want to do that in public. The post of mine he reproduced details what happened from that point on--his gross intellectual dishonesty in the email exchange and then his public misrepresentation of it. *That's* what started the feud. I realized he couldn't be trusted, and he realized I wasn't going to meekly submit to his dishonest bullying. He quickly bailed out of that discussion, but from then on he had me in his sights. Anyway, in the present, it was my refusal to confirm Nabby's story that really set him off. That meltdown was seriously aggravated by his continuing failure to get me to perform for Mike, and then his humiliation at the post I stumbled across of his from 1994 in which he denounced the TM critics on alt.m.t in terms he heatedly rejects today. And he's still melting. He simply cannot get it through his head that he can't win by lying. He's also never figured out that his pose of not taking anything seriously is repeatedly belied by these meltdowns; they just demonstrate what an abject phony he is.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 5:19 PM, Vaj wrote: On Mar 8, 2009, at 6:12 PM, Sal Sunshine wrote: What I found a bit disconcerting the one day I drove around there with a friend from out-of-town was that there nobody outside, anywhere, despite the fact that it was a beautiful, sunny day. Can't remember if it was a weekday or not, so people could have theoretically been working...but, even so, *nobody* outside? Is enjoying the sun also considered OTP? IIRC that's the exact way it was in the BBC vid. Deserted. Left Behind could have been filmed there with no advance warning. It certainly didn't look like where the Vedic June and Ward Cleaver would have lived. LOL, Left Behind sounds about right could be a stage set for Village Of The Damned also. Sal
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 5:31 PM, grate.swan wrote: What I found a bit disconcerting the one day I drove around there with a friend from out-of-town was that there nobody outside, anywhere, despite the fact that it was a beautiful, sunny day. Can't remember if it was a weekday or not, so people could have theoretically been working...but, even so, *nobody* outside? Is enjoying the sun also considered OTP? Sal Well, you see, Vaastu puts its residents in total harmony with nature. That harmony is disturbed if they actually go outside into nature. Going outside to get in touch with nature is for those of the underclass who can't afford Vaastu. LOL...yep, the great unwashed masses...like most of us here. Sal
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine salsunsh...@... wrote: Curtis, do you remember during the TOU Course, when Purusha was singing that silly song about When we get 7000 we'll throw away the foam... or something along those lines? And then when they got over 8000, they immediately switched to, When we get *10,000* we'll throw away the foam... Oops. Sal That is really funny! I did wonder that they said the pundit boys were flying but didn't see any foam. If bouncing on foam hurts our backs I wonder how it is bouncing on dirt. Sucks to live in the third world even with some first world guru money! On Mar 8, 2009, at 10:28 AM, curtisdeltablues wrote: There were a few specific areas I want to comment on. In the written intro he claims: The atmosphere here is absolutely incredible! I can feel that the Vedic Pandits are blessing the whole world. All we need is 8000 and then the world's problems will simply fade away - just like turning on the light instantly eliminates the darkness... Curtis, do you remember during the TOU Course, when Purusha was singing that silly song about When we get 7000 we'll throw away the foam... or something along those lines? And then when they got over 8000, they immediately switched to, When we get *10,000* we'll throw away the foam... Oops. Sal
[FairfieldLife] Clarification Requested On the Financing of Centers
Vaj's Jack Kornfield quote on problem areas with gurus reminded me of an unanswered question. When I was initiated, my best sense of the status quo was that the operation of the center was financed collectively by the initiators who taught there, through proceeds from a portion of the initiation fees. The ongoing programs (checking, lectures) didn't generate revenue and were not subsidized by TM's parent organization (TMO). A couple of years ago, I received a mailing from a guy who was setting up a TM Center in my area. He was renting a suite in a rather upscale mall. I Emailed wishing him good luck, wondering if he was receiving seed money from TMO, and cautioning him to be careful if he was not. I never received a reply. A little web-cruising suggests that the planned center is indeed in operation, with a spa to boot (though the spa seems to have been discontinued). Somewhere (though probably more than one conversation) I'd concluded that initiators were being quite selfless in their service to the meditator community, and that the bulk of income from their services went to the parent organization. Has this pattern changed (I hope)? Cam McIntosh --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj vajradh...@... wrote: One common area of danger in spiritual communities is the misuse of power A second problem area for teachers and communities can be the misuse of money A third common area of harm is misuse of sexuality.
RE: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
Comments from a friend not on FFL: Man, this guy from the slideshow sounds dull. I've visited this place last year after Maharishis cremation. It's a extremely dry desert like area in the middle of nowhere. There is this little landmark from the government indicating the middle of India and Maharishi claimed to have found the real middle of India about 500 meter from the official site. Probably because he was not allowed to put the official site under construction. This whole undertaking is so absurd. Training poor kids to become praying robots. Transferring huge amounts of money (that's easy to corrupt) and building stuff that will be definitely devastated in a few years. Who needs 16000 pundits? World peace absolutely not!
[FairfieldLife] How to Get a Double-Line Author Display (I Assume it's In the Profile)
I've noticed that some folks have two lines in the author column in the Messages section of the Yahoo! Groups Web Interface. All I have is a single line with my profile name (yateendrajee). I'd be happy to have my given name appear, so if anyone can explain how to create a top line in the author field please let me know. Thanks, Cam McIntosh
[FairfieldLife] Post Count
Fairfield Life Post Counter === Start Date (UTC): Sat Mar 07 00:00:00 2009 End Date (UTC): Sat Mar 14 00:00:00 2009 210 messages as of (UTC) Sun Mar 08 23:57:05 2009 23 authfriend jst...@panix.com 18 TurquoiseB no_re...@yahoogroups.com 15 Rick Archer r...@searchsummit.com 14 Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net 13 I am the eternal l.shad...@gmail.com 12 nablusoss1008 no_re...@yahoogroups.com 12 grate.swan no_re...@yahoogroups.com 11 Sal Sunshine salsunsh...@lisco.com 9 do.rflex do.rf...@yahoo.com 7 Bhairitu noozg...@sbcglobal.net 7 Alex Stanley j_alexander_stan...@yahoo.com 6 curtisdeltablues curtisdeltabl...@yahoo.com 6 cardemaister no_re...@yahoogroups.com 5 lurkernomore20002000 steve.sun...@sbcglobal.net 4 yateendrajee mcint...@scn.org 4 jyouells2000 john_youe...@comcast.net 4 arhatafreespe...@yahoo.com 4 Robert babajii...@yahoo.com 3 raunchydog raunchy...@yahoo.com 3 Peter drpetersutp...@yahoo.com 3 Nelson nelsonriddle2...@yahoo.com 3 Duveyoung no_re...@yahoogroups.com 3 Arhata Osho arhatafreespe...@yahoo.com 2 satvadude108 no_re...@yahoogroups.com 2 enlightened_dawn11 no_re...@yahoogroups.com 2 boo_lives boo_li...@yahoo.com 2 bob_brigante no_re...@yahoogroups.com 2 BillyG. wg...@yahoo.com 1 sparaig lengli...@cox.net 1 ruthsimplicity no_re...@yahoogroups.com 1 pendarvis28 pendarvi...@yahoo.co.uk 1 off_world_beings no_re...@yahoogroups.com 1 mainstream20016 mainstream20...@yahoo.com 1 jimjim5886 jimjim5...@yahoo.com 1 emptybill emptyb...@yahoo.com 1 dhamiltony2k5 dhamiltony...@yahoo.com 1 Tom azg...@yahoo.com 1 Marek Reavis reavisma...@sbcglobal.net 1 Kirk kirk_bernha...@cox.net Posters: 39 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] Re: Hi, TurquoiseB
---No problem. To understand more about the Movement or anything else, chant OM Mani Padme Hum a few million times: http://www.dawaarts.com/gallery_bodhi_detail3_13.htm In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, yateendrajee mcint...@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB no_reply@ wrote: ...I'm just curious as to what drew you here, and what you have done with the aftermath of the questions of leadership that affected your ashram. I'm an MIU alum, and am undertaking a review of my spiritual past. You'll notice I've made a few posts recently. The questions of leadership at my ashram came to my attention after I'd left the ashram. Within a couple of years of that revelation, I became associated with my present traditon. I've been dialoging backchannel with an old MIU classmate who has participated in this list. I've also corresponded with a former MIU professor who, ironically, feels a close relationship with the tradition I'm currently following (although he's still deeply involved with the TM movement). That latter dialogue has taught me to remember the many positive things about TM, and I do feel there are many strong positives. For example, I recently needed relief for apparent stress caused by my caregiving duties (24-7) for a family member, and found TM quite effective in relieving the symptoms of excess stress. But there have been, now and then, some things about my understanding of the movement which I've felt a bit uncomfortable about. I feel there are people here who might help me understand more about these issues. Yours, Cameron D. McIntosh
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 4:49 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote: I was struck on the BBC meditation video, where they go to Maharishi Vedic City (as they called it) of not only how obviously whacky some of the people seemed and how vata-deranged the Johnsons seemed but how disorganized the place looked just driving around. Hold on here. Chris Johnson vata deranged? Heck when Chris has the time he and I sit down and listening to him speak is like trying to be patient for an old country boy stretching every bit of his story out. I never ever thought of Chris as vata anything. OTOH, I can see that he doesn't take kindly to being bothered. I'd expect him to get easily flustered when the wind shifts, which I suspect is the reason he appears to thrive in that office of his taking things very sssooowwwlll.
[FairfieldLife] Isolation as mind control (Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India)
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung no_re...@... wrote: Nice insights, Curty. I just now figured out what emotion I was having when the slideshow first started: Jonestown Redux Something about the new buildings with no landscaping, dirt footpaths, and jungle-ish environment did it for me. I guess the only reason that Maharishi selected FF for our home town, was that Parson College was cheap to buy, but was it the main reason? Maybe all mind-controllers want their TBs in the most isolated circumstances where the town-gown conflict would keep the TBs tightly encased -- surrounded by a hostile world. A strategy as old as ashrams. If MIU was in any town bigger than FF, the TBs would have more opportunity to be tempted to re-join the real world if they were not always so easily identified as as cult-member and didn't have to face that cold front you get from the FF townies. Don't know what it's like in FF today, but in my day, everyone knew a townie from a Ru. And give the townies credit for having developed their cult-dar -- the Rus didn't have any better intuition than the townies when it came to sizing up the energy of others. It was so commonplace that I would often have a complete stranger talk to me as if I were a Ru without my having been queried about my status -- it was just a gimme, and it wasn't always negative. Sometimes, it would just be as simple as the you people meme -- You people are good customers. Something that was only mildly offensive -- not like I was an African American and the phrase was tossed at me. Heh, I wonder if any townie ever said you people to an African American TB and the TB never took offense? If Parsons had been located in, say, even a town the size of nearby Ottuma, it might have all fizzled much faster. Whenever I went to Ottuma -- usually to see a film -- not for fine dining -- I never not once ever ever ever had anyone give me the you're a Ru stare. I wonder what the townies around this Brahmasthan village think of the TBs? For that matter what do the townies in FF think of the pundit encampment? Is there some sort of list of jokes about that like Blond Jokes? If you've ever __, you might be a pundit. And, say, isn't wearing a crown and robes sorta like isolation? I mean, who's going to talk to you and ignore the costuming? If there is even a speck of doubt in any of the rajas, that crown must feel like a suffocating whole-body cast. Edg snip,, My experience has been different here as I am older than a lot of the locals and usually dress in at least as beat up clothes as they do and, can spit out tractor model numbers as well too. After doing some welding repairs on some farm equipment, I can fit in pretty well in either group. Most of the local people are good neighbor types and there are some good friends amongst them. Last fall, in the old hardware store here, I was buying a few bolts for a project I was helping with at MUM and when I told that I was at MUM, they sympathized with my problem. I wonder if, in the beginning of things here ,the local people could have had the outlook that if they had some problem, they might find a meditator who would help them. Things would have worked out differently I believe. N.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 9:04 PM, I am the eternal wrote: On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 4:49 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote: I was struck on the BBC meditation video, where they go to Maharishi Vedic City (as they called it) of not only how obviously whacky some of the people seemed and how vata-deranged the Johnsons seemed but how disorganized the place looked just driving around. Hold on here. Chris Johnson vata deranged? Heck when Chris has the time he and I sit down and listening to him speak is like trying to be patient for an old country boy stretching every bit of his story out. I never ever thought of Chris as vata anything. OTOH, I can see that he doesn't take kindly to being bothered. I'd expect him to get easily flustered when the wind shifts, which I suspect is the reason he appears to thrive in that office of his taking things very sssooowwwlll. You could be right, it could just be plain old fear. In any event, they should probably have found a different 'Vedic Ward and June Cleaver'!
[FairfieldLife] Travellers and Magicians
For those with cable or satellite, the superb Travellers and Magicians by Khyentse Norbu is playing on the Sundance Channel this month. Not to be missed! http://www.sundancechannel.com/films/500205217
[FairfieldLife] Breaking Bad
Season 2 of Breaking Bad starts tonight at 10:00 pm EST on AMC. You can't miss this crazy show about a repressed high school chemistry who discovers he has lung cancer and becomes a meth cook and frees his soul.
[FairfieldLife] Lessons of Enlightenment
The time has come to impart the Lessons of Enlightenment for the ushering in of the New Millennium. The lessons are offered to facilitate the unfolding of the New Age, which symbolizes the restoration of humans to their intended evolutionary pathway to allow for the maximum evolution and expansion of Universal Consciousness. This is an era of renaissance through which you can awaken from the sleep-inducing, dogmatic, and manipulative assertions of mankind and realign yourself with the divine source of universal knowledge that lies within. This is a time of great potential and opportunity. This is a time for each entity to rise to the challenge of participation in the turning of the tide and in the laying of the groundwork for accelerated development. This is the time to realign with the Universal Divine, the Love Force, the Universal Consciousness of All That Is. http://www.transactual.com/cac/cachome.html http://www.transactual.com/cac/cachome.html
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 8:27 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote: On Mar 8, 2009, at 9:04 PM, I am the eternal wrote: On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 4:49 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote: You could be right, it could just be plain old fear. In any event, they should probably have found a different 'Vedic Ward and June Cleaver'! Yeah. More like the town's mayor wearing his white silks and Burger Boy King hat. Now that woulda been funny.
[FairfieldLife] Benefit Concert Packages | David Lynch Foundation
http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/concert-packages.html
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Mar 8, 2009, at 8:27 PM, Vaj wrote: On Mar 8, 2009, at 9:04 PM, I am the eternal wrote: On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 4:49 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote: I was struck on the BBC meditation video, where they go to Maharishi Vedic City (as they called it) of not only how obviously whacky some of the people seemed and how vata-deranged the Johnsons seemed but how disorganized the place looked just driving around. Hold on here. Chris Johnson vata deranged? Heck when Chris has the time he and I sit down and listening to him speak is like trying to be patient for an old country boy stretching every bit of his story out. I never ever thought of Chris as vata anything. OTOH, I can see that he doesn't take kindly to being bothered. I'd expect him to get easily flustered when the wind shifts, which I suspect is the reason he appears to thrive in that office of his taking things very sssooowwwlll. You could be right, it could just be plain old fear. In any event, they should probably have found a different 'Vedic Ward and June Cleaver'! Yep, like 'Raja' Bob Wynn. Sal
Re: [FairfieldLife] Lessons of Enlightenment
Thanks. --- On Sun, 3/8/09, transactual d...@transactual.com wrote: From: transactual d...@transactual.com Subject: [FairfieldLife] Lessons of Enlightenment To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, March 8, 2009, 9:57 PM The time has come to impart the Lessons of Enlightenment for the ushering in of the New Millennium. The lessons are offered to facilitate the unfolding of the New Age, which symbolizes the restoration of humans to their intended evolutionary pathway to allow for the maximum evolution and expansion of Universal Consciousness. This is an era of renaissance through which you can awaken from the sleep-inducing, dogmatic, and manipulative assertions of mankind and realign yourself with the divine source of universal knowledge that lies within. This is a time of great potential and opportunity. This is a time for each entity to rise to the challenge of participation in the turning of the tide and in the laying of the groundwork for accelerated development. This is the time to realign with the Universal Divine, the Love Force, the Universal Consciousness of All That Is. http://www.transactual.com/cac/cachome.html
RE: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fairfieldl...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of I am the eternal Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2009 8:05 PM To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 4:49 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net mailto:vajradhatu%40earthlink.net wrote: I was struck on the BBC meditation video, where they go to Maharishi Vedic City (as they called it) of not only how obviously whacky some of the people seemed and how vata-deranged the Johnsons seemed but how disorganized the place looked just driving around. Hold on here. Chris Johnson vata deranged? Heck when Chris has the time he and I sit down and listening to him speak is like trying to be patient for an old country boy stretching every bit of his story out. I never ever thought of Chris as vata anything. OTOH, I can see that he doesn't take kindly to being bothered. I'd expect him to get easily flustered when the wind shifts, which I suspect is the reason he appears to thrive in that office of his taking things very sssooowwwlll. Chris is also a very cool guy, having brought some great rock bands to town and having stood up to Bevan when the latter tried to get him to fire an employee who happened to be an Amma devotee.
[FairfieldLife] Tennis Match at Empty Arena
Incredible! Any guess what 'characterizes these idiots'? --- On Mon, 3/9/09, World View ummyak...@yahoo.com wrote: 1,000 Police Deployed for Tennis Match at Empty Arena in Malmo, Sweden http://english. aljazeera. net/news/ europe/2009/ 03/2009371418369 35467.html http://english. aljazeera. net/news/ europe/2009/ 03/2009371418369 35467.htm\ l Anti-Israel protesters have clashed with police outside a Davis cup match played in Malmo in southern Sweden. The game between Sweden and Israel is being played without an audience because the police could not guarantee the security of the players. About 100 masked protesters tried to storm the arena in Malmo on Saturday afternoon, throwing rocks and firecrackers at the police who had put up barricades outside the stadium. Hundreds of police pushed the crowd back using truncheons. After the protesters dispersed, clashes continued in other parts of the city. Around 100 people were apprehended and at least six were formally arrested, according to Ewa Westford, a police spokeswoman. No injuries were reported. About 7,000 people gathered at a square in the centre of the city for a peaceful protest, with speakers condemning Israel's offensive in Gaza and urging support for the Palestinians. As they marched towards the arena, they were joined by the masked demonstrators who attacked police with eggs, rocks and firecrackers. Tight security About 1,000 police were deployed in Malmo to keep the protesters from entering the arena. Special riot vehicles had been brought in from Denmark. Henrik Kallen from the Swedish Tennis Federation spoke to Al Jazeera from inside the arena. He said the match had not been disturbed. I can't comment on if it was right or wrong to from a security stand to ban fans from the match but what is unfortunate is that some local politicians have used it for their own agenda, mixing sports and politics and making national politics out of something they should not get into. Since Israel's three-week war on Gaza ending in January, activists and politicians have called for the game to be stopped. The municipality of Malmo said its decision that the match be played in an empty arena was taken due to security concerns, without any political motives. But Ilmar Reepalu, the mayor of Malmo, told the newspaper Sydsvenska Dagbladet after the war on Gaza that his personal opinion was that the game should not be played at all. Limited audience The three-game tie started on Friday with about 300 journalists, sponsors and special guests present in the 4,000-capacity hall. It didn't feel like a Davis Cup match, it felt like a challenger match, said Harel Levy, one of the Israeli players. It's sad, I think it has affected Sweden more than Israel. Hopefully it will never happen again. Malmo, which is home to a large number of immigrants, many of them from the Middle East, has been heavily criticised by the International Tennis Federation and Israeli players for its decision to close the tie to the public. It is the second time that a Davis Cup tie has been held without spectators. The first was in 1975, also in Sweden, when the Swede Bjorn Borg and his team beat Chile, which was ruled at the time by dictator Augusto Pinochet. * * * * * * *** WORLD VIEW NEWS SERVICE To subscribe to this group, send an email to: wvns-subscribe@ yahoogroups. com NEWS ARCHIVE IS OPEN TO PUBLIC VIEW http://finance. groups.yahoo. com/group/ wvns/ http://finance. groups.yahoo. com/group/ wvns/ Need some good karma? Appreciate the service? Please consider donating to WVNS today. Email ummyak...@yahoo. com for instructions. To leave this list, send an email to: wvns-unsubscribe@ yahoogroups. com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 10:13 PM, Rick Archer r...@searchsummit.com wrote: Chris is also a very cool guy, having brought some great rock bands to town and having stood up to Bevan when the latter tried to get him to fire an employee who happened to be an Amma devotee. Oh yes. I wondered whatever happened to her. She was an excellent head of housekeeping. I was of course blown away when she told me that she had gone over to the Dark Side. Chris has this developer image of VC where in every direction there's Temple to the Holy Tradtion, expat Indians thronging to tour, shops, flats and houses all around him. He sees MUM soon not much of anything. But as I've relayed before. my suite for half a year abutted the lobby and was diagonal to Chris' office. I could hear during the hours long con calls Maharish playing Chris against MUM. Maharishi knew how to trade them rugs.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Macbook Love
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu noozg...@... wrote: Rick Archer wrote: Alex, did you see Jim Karpen's article about Boxee in this month's Source? http://boxee.tv/. Looks like an interesting thing to play with if you have a Mac connected to your TV. Doesn't work with PCs yet. Devices like this have been around for awhile. They just are becoming less a geek item and advertised to the general public. I've had a AVel Linkplayer2 for over 4 years. It plays a lot of media via server that is on my PCs including my Linux box. It also plays some web shows directly off the Internet. It also plays HD content off data DVDs and used the first generation Sigma Designs chip set which the second generation wound up being in HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players. Western Digital has a box that will play files off USB sticks (in case you don't have a home network) and my player even does that too. My local Fry's has a end cap of these kind of devices from Hava, D-Link, Buffalo, etc. I've had an Avel LinkPlyer2 for about 3 years or so, too. I just loved the device even with all its clunkiness. I had about 4 computers streaming to it. Coupled with a good bit torrent client, I have had not much need for premium cable or a dvr. Just download an xvid rip and stream away! I recently retired the AVLP2 because I do most of my streaming downstairs in the family room through either the XBox360 or the Playstation 2. My wife bought an HDTV LCD for the bedroom over Christmas, so I purchased an AppleTV for it. I really thought the AppleTV sucked until boxee came along. Boxee makes the AppleTV worthwhile for me and I would not have purchased the unit if boxee were not available. My favorite feature of boxee has been the utilization of dvd menus from ripped content on a networked computer somewhere in the house. Never got dvd menus working on any of the firmware releasse for the LinkPlayer2. Boxee streams wonderfully. I don't have any need to share with community, and it is not a feature that attracts, but maybe over time it might work out if my friends and family join the boxee community. 2 months ago, NONE of my relatives were on facebook, now just about everyone is and we all are sharing like crazy. Boxee is in alpha on all platforms, yet I've seen better performance in this alpha product than I have in many so called release version. Happy viewing, all. (end of unsolicited product endorsement)
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slide show of Brahmasthan of India
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer r...@... wrote: Comments from a friend not on FFL: Man, this guy from the slideshow sounds dull. I've visited this place last year after Maharishis cremation. It's a extremely dry desert like area in the middle of nowhere. There is this little landmark from the government indicating the middle of India and Maharishi claimed to have found the real middle of India about 500 meter from the official site. Probably because he was not allowed to put the official site under construction. This whole undertaking is so absurd. Training poor kids to become praying robots. Transferring huge amounts of money (that's easy to corrupt) and building stuff that will be definitely devastated in a few years. Who needs 16000 pundits? World peace absolutely not! The essense of money laundring is the mispriced transaction .. I'm just saying :/
Re: [FairfieldLife] Who are the famous folks you've had interaction?Re: A Close Shave....
I'm 43. I grew up in North Hollywood. I lived in Toluca Lake where Bob Hope lived. Us kids used to knock on his door every week and his fine butler or wife were as fine as can be. Made excuses. I met Bob Hope though at Burbank Studios open autograph day as well as Red Skelton, Red Buttons,Curly Curly of Three Stooges would answer his door every other week in Burbank and us same kids would get his autograph. Tony Adolescent beat me into the LA punk scene at a Go-Go's concert. I met Gina Schock once and we chatted. The kid from Red Cross and the girl from Venus 5 stole liquor for us all across the street from the Whiskey, when I was thirteen. I knew Animal, Tar, Cheifs, Cirlejerks, Black Flags, Motherfucker named Eugene who I hated. All this part of Decline 1 which premiered at The Egyptian on Hollywood Blvd, no room but to go lay on floor in front. I met Hunter Tompson, Heather locklear, a host of actors and actresses. Josh Broland Jr. Christina Applegate. George Harrison. Casts of too many shows to name as I did extra work. I remember saying how much I hated Kirk Cameron and then he was laying asleep right next to me. Saw RD Jr and those guys at Century City mall. Met entire cast and directors on Freddy Kruger 4, They Live, including working with Roddy Piper and Lou Gosset, terminator machines and John Carpenter. I've talk to whatshisname Dirty Harry once on the set of his movie Bird. Went out with a Mexican video model. Talked once to Prudence Farrow about modelling and got the story of her song from her. Saw Doug and Debra at union theatre lots of weeks. Was set up by my sister to go out with daughter of famous old actor. Knew Britt Ekland's daughter. My childhood friend was first husband of Patricia Arquette and was singer of Waster Youth. Other people, every day in LA sone other actor.
[FairfieldLife] 'Just Say No, update...'
Cocaine production surge unleashes wave of violence in Latin America Cocaine production has surged across Latin America and unleashed a wave of violence, population displacements and corruption, prompting urgent calls to rethink the drug war.More than 750 tonnes of cocaine are shipped annually from the Andes in a multi-billion pound industry which has forced peasants off land, triggered gang wars and perverted state institutions. A Guardian investigation based on dozens of interviews with law enforcement officials, coca farmers, refugees and policymakers has yielded a bleak picture of the war on the eve of a crucial United Nations drug summit.Almost 6,000 people died in drug-related violence in Mexico last year alone, an unprecedented level of mayhem that is showing signs of spilling northwards into the United States. More than 1,000 have been killed already this year in Mexico. A new trafficking route between South America and west Africa has grown so quickly that the 10th latitude corridor connecting the continents has been dubbed Interstate 10.Almost all those interviewed agreed that insatiable demand for cocaine in Europe and north America had thwarted US-led efforts to choke supply and inflicted enormous damage on Latin America. We consider the war on drugs a failure because the objectives have never been achieved, said César Gaviria, Colombia's former president and co-chair of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy.Prohibitionist policies based on eradication, interdiction and criminalisation have not yielded the expected results. We are today farther than ever from the goal of eradicating drugs.The commission is urging a paradigm shift from repression to a public health approach, including decriminalisation of marijuana. Dismal statistics about coca cultivation, cocaine exports and murder rates have amplified calls to replace a policy which dates back to Nixon with one which focuses on curbing demand. The strategy of the US here, in Colombia and Peru was to attack the raw material and it has not worked, said Colonel René Sanabria, head of Bolivia's anti-narcotic police force. A report by the Brookings Institution, and a separate study by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron which was endorsed by 500 economists, have joined the chorus demanding change. The debate comes to a head on Wednesday when ministers from across the world convene in Vienna to forge a new UN approach to drugs. The European Union and some Latin American countries hope to shape a strategy based on harm reduction measures, such as needle exchanges. But holdovers from the Bush administration are lobbying Barack Obama to stick with traditional US emphasis on supply.Even Colombia's president, Alvaro Uribe, who backs Washington's drug war, has sounded the alarm. Organised crime could destroy us all if we do not come together to fight it, he told regional leaders recently.The crucible is Colombia, the world's main cocaine exporter. Since 2000 it has received $6bn in mostly military aid from the US for the drug war. But despite the fumigation of 1.15m hectares of coca, the plant from which the drug is derived, production has not fallen. Across the whole of South America it has spiked 16%, thanks to increases in supply from Bolivia and Peru. Defenders of the drug war point out that the military-led strategy clawed back territory from armed groups and stabilised Colombia. It's not fair to say there has been no progress, said Aldo Lale-Demoz, head of the Bogota headquarters of the UN Office on Drug and Crime. We are not winning and we are not losing. We are controlling.Successive US drug czars put a brave face on the results but Washington's patience has frayed. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office concluded the war had failed in Colombia. It was commissioned by Joe Biden, then a senator, now the vice president.A spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which spearheads Washington's approach, hinted the new administration may switch tack. Rory Carroll in Caracas The Guardian, Monday 9 March
[FairfieldLife] This is why you're fat
http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/post/81700285/pork-brains-in-milk-gravy http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/post/81700285/pork-brains-in-milk-gravy
