--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "dhamiltony2k5"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "dhamiltony2k5"
> <dhamiltony2k5@> wrote:
> >
> > >through
> > > American History.
> > >
> > > The story often seems to turn on the shakti of the spiritual
> > >practice
> > > and the character of the founder-teacher how quick things
>become
> > > doctrinal either rigid, stale or authoritarian. Blake has a
>good
> > > point in making the observation though. People everywhere have
a
> > > pretty good sense of whether there is shakti and they will walk
> on
> > >away
> > > pretty quick whence shakti drops out of a group. It is a
>common
> > > sense. That becomes a lesson in history when you look at it
>that
> > >way.
> > >159652
> > > -Doug in FF
> >
"We know the truth when we see it, let skeptic or scoffer say what
they choose. Foolish people ask you, when you have spoken what they
do not wish to hear, "How do you know it is the truth, and not an
error of your own?" We know the truth when we see it, from opinion,
as we know when we are awake that we are awake." ("The Over-Soul")
-Emerson
> >
> > Doug writing:
> > Watching people here with the different spiritual groups, there
is a
> > shakti or a spiritual energy meter that people do run for
> > themselves. Is the experience in FF that people have of their own
> > experience with it. They are practiced at metering shakti. They
> > meter it & rate it. The Shakti meter, a different meter from the
BS
> > meter.
>
> Lot of people here have their experience with it and know their
> experience.
>
> "We know the truth when we see it, let skeptic or scoffer say what
> they choose. Foolish people ask you, when you have spoken what
they
> do not wish to hear, "How do you know it is the truth, and not an
> error of your own?" We know the truth when we see it, from
opinion,
> as we know when we are awake that we are awake." ("The Over-Soul")
> -Emerson
>
>
>
> >
> > FF folks after 20, 30 and 40 years of spiritual practice(s) have
> > their own experience with it and they certainly do meter shakti
> > accordingly. Between the different venues available they
definitely
> > flow back and forth depending on the spiritual experience. It is
the
> > collective FF experience & there is a lot of cultivated shakti in
> > Fairfield. If there is not shakti in a venue then folks go on to
the
> > next one here where the spiritual energy is better. It is just the
> > experience here.
> >
> > Fairfield Directory of Active Spiritual Practice Groups:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/159929
> >
> >
> > > dhamiltony2k5@> wrote:
> > >
> >
> > > >mailander111@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I think I overstated Blake's point. It often happens that
> > > >movements become rigid and doctrinal, as indeed happened with
> both
> > > >the Shakers and some sects of Quakers as well.
> > >
> > > Angela, that is okay. Yet, Blake's point does make for a good
> > avenue
> > > in comparison criticism about succession in spiritual practice
> > > movements. A lot has happened after Blake for comparison.
> > > >According to William Blake, movements always end like this-
-
> > > stale, authoritarian, rigid.<
> > >
> >
> > > Of course this is interesting & relevant if only because the
> > > TMmovement we live with here has an aged founder.
> > >
> > > Nothing new under the sun, as they say. Succession in
spiritual
> > > movements ain't a new thing. Is interesting and may be useful
to
> > > look at how others have weathered it. Towards that end I spent
a
> > > week last summer living inside an old Shaker community studying
> > their
> > > experience particularly with succession. Like with the
Quakers,
> > > their story of succession, splintering and separation is so
well
> > > written about and recorded by first hand voices. Others too
> > through
> > > Am. History.
> > >
> > > The story often seems to turn on the shakti of the spiritual
> > practice
> > > and the character of the founder-teacher how quick things
become
> > > doctrinal either rigid, stale or authoritarian. Blake has a
good
> > > point in making the observation though. People everywhere have
a
> > > pretty good sense of whether there is shakti and they will walk
> on
> > > pretty quick whence shakti drops out of a group. It is a
common
> > > sense. That becomes a lesson in history when you look at it
that
> > way.
> > >
> > > -Doug in FF
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> >
> > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Spiritual Practice Since Blake
> > > >
> >
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@ yahoogroups. com, "dhamiltony2k5"
> > > >
> > > > > > <dhamiltony2k5@ > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > Spiritual Practice Since Blake:
> > > >
> > > > > > > A lot of spiritual practice has gone on since Blake &
it
> > has
> > > >
> > > > > > > continued or ended in various ways not absolutely
stale,
> > > >
> > > > > > > authoritarian and rigid. There has been a progression
> > which
> > > is
> > > >
> > > > > in the American experience with it.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Yogananda with SRF is a good example of how a group can
> survive
> > > the
> > > >
> > > > > death of a founder. Theirs is not unblemished in story;
> > however,
> > > >
> > > > > they are active and currently guided by a founding
generation
> > who
> > > >
> > > > > knew the guru.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > SRF will likely be in transition again as an aging
> > > >
> > > > > founding generation themselves pass things to a next
> generation
> > > who
> > > >
> > > > > may not have known the guru personally at all. That time
in
> > > >
> > > > > particular seems is really a point where groups are apt to
> > become
> > > >
> > > > > extra or ultra doctrinal and potentially splinter over
> > doctrine.
> > > >
> > > > > Generational moves from the shakti experience of the
> spiritual
> > > >
> > > > > practice with the founder and the founding generation
towards
> > the
> > > >
> > > > > next generation where the reference becomes the word of
`what
> > was
> > > >
> > > > > said' and the doctrine of that as that word is re-read, re-
> > played
> > > >
> > > > >and
> > > >
> > > > > re-told by a following generation. It can become dead
> > > >
> > > > >administration
> > > >
> > > > > & and dead doctrine at that point as the shakti of a
teaching
> > is
> > > >
> > > > > administratively let out.
> > > >
> > > > Utopian spiritual practice in America is
> > > >
> > > > filled repeatedly and sequentially with variations on this
> theme.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > -Doug in FF
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Or, another example: the Society of Believers⦠the Shakers
> > lived
> > > as
> > > >
> > > > spiritual practice ashrams with their at least twice-daily
> > > spiritual
> > > >
> > > > practice of a sitting dhyanna silent meditation (by
community
> > > >
> > > > ordinance) retiring to their rooms to sit upright in half
hour
> > > silent
> > > >
> > > > meditation, not reading, not talking, not sleeping not idling
> or
> > > >
> > > > doing stuff otherwise; but, silent inner experience before
then
> > > going
> > > >
> > > > to group worship which included more meditation in group,
Was
> > the
> > > >
> > > > point of their community and industry, to have the time & the
> > > >
> > > > material resource to do spiritual practice.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Their communities functioned well this way for this purpose
> > > >
> > > > specifically for some decades after their founding guru,
Mother
> > Ann
> > > >
> > > > and the shaker founding generation beyond their deaths.
> Shakers
> > > >
> > > > lived well as spiritual practice communities doing this
> specific
> > > >
> > > > practice for some decades after the founding generation.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > In time they went in to doctrinal spin with generational
> > > transition.
> > > >
> > > > After some time they did away with the silent meditation as
> > > community
> > > >
> > > > practice, and then did the shakti dwindle. Shakers in time
> > became
> > > >
> > > > doctrinal as this all happened such that in their time they
did
> > not
> > > >
> > > > survive the social and industrial change and circumstances
> then.
> > > >
> > > > Their shakti experience of the spiritual practice that held
> them
> > > >
> > > > together dwindled. Times changed simply towards a form of a
> > dying
> > > >
> > > > hollow doctrine & work, work, work. So people left seeking
> > fortune
> > > >
> > > > elsewhere, on their own hook.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Or, likewise again with the Quaker movement in American
> history.
> > > >
> > > > Early founded on spiritual practice of group meditations, a
> > silent
> > > >
> > > > Patanjali-like practice on the discernment of bhuti and
purusha
> > > >
> > > > though using the nomenclature of the 17th Century. They
> became
> > > >
> > > > doctrinal in generational sequence in other ways in the face
of
> > > rapid
> > > >
> > > > social changes of the 19th and 20th century. They lasted
about
> > 300
> > > >
> > > > years with shakti before evangelical doctrinism broadsided
them
> > in
> > > >
> > > > the midst of the rapid social and economic changes of the
19th
> > > >
> > > > century whence their spiritual practice got split off, plowed
> > > asunder
> > > >
> > > > and over-run by doctrinal religionists. So it went.
> > > >
> > > > Yet even today within the Society of Friends (conservative)
in
> > the
> > > >
> > > > middle of their form there is a spark of light to be found.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Likewise it seems in a sequence with European and American
> > > >
> > > > transcendentalism of the 19th century. Spiritual practice
of
> > > >
> > > > transcendentalism contending with doctrinal `mistake of the
> > > >
> > > > intellect' religionism in sequence. Seems though that about
> > every
> > > >
> > > > generation someone comes forward and re-lights the way.
Hence,
> > in
> > > >
> > > > sequence of spiritual progress a lot has happened since Wm.
> Blake.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > & this progress is very much part of the American experience.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -Doug in FF
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > According to William Blake, movements always end like
> this--
> > > >
> > > > > stale,
> > > >
> > > > > > authoritarian, rigid.
> > > >
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > Differently, an exact opposite of this kind of stale
> > doctrinal
> > > >
> > > > fate
> > > >
> > > > > > like of the TMmovement could be:
> > > >
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > -J.Krishnamurti, 1929 Speech Dissolving his organization,
> > post
> > > >
> > > > 7513
> > > >
> > > > > > http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/FairfieldL ife/message/
7513
> > > >
> > > > > >
> >
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > For example, Yogananda's group SRF now seems to have
> > survived
> > > >
> > > > the
> > > >
> > > > > > > death of their guru. They do have enduring active
> > spiritual
> > > >
> > > > > > practice
> > > >
> > > > > > > communities facilitating that work. Again last summer
> they
> > > >
> > > > > > gathered
> > > >
> > > > > > > for an annual week `convocation' near LA for about 10
> days
> > of
> > > >
> > > > > long
> > > >
> > > > > > > group meditations with about 4000 people. In their
> > > communities
> > > >
> > > > > > they
> > > >
> > > > > > > do regular long powerful group meditations as part of
> their
> > > >
> > > > > ongoing
> > > >
> > > > > > > spiritual practice.
> > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > By a same kind of coin as with TM, it could be as easy
to
> > say
> > > >
> > > > > that
> > > >
> > > > > > so
> > > >
> > > > > > > much of the `positivity' of late that the TMorg points
to
> > as
> > > >
> > > > > > evidence
> > > >
> > > > > > > is actually due to the SRF 4000 meditators in practice
> > > together
> > > >
> > > > > > last
> > > >
> > > > > > > summer. The powerful lasting influence of a larger
> > n=squared
> > > >
> > > > > > number
> > > >
> > > > > > > by contrast. After all, exponentially 4000 powerful
> > > >
> > > > > SRFmeditators
> > > >
> > > > > > > sitting in practice is a lot more strong than 1700
> sleeping
> > > TM-
> > > >
> > > > > > sidhas
> > > >
> > > > > > > in recline in group. Sit with the shakti of a SRF
group
> > > >
> > > > > > meditation
> > > >
> > > > > > > if you have not, to judge it. They got shakti that is
> > alive
> > > in
> > > >
> > > > a
> > > >
> > > > > > way
> > > >
> > > > > > > that by contrast the TMmovement group meditations are
> only
> > a
> > > >
> > > > > > forlorn
> > > >
> > > > > > > disheartened hope over what could have been with their
> > > >
> > > > movement.
> > > >
> > > > > > > -Doug in FF
> > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@ yahoogroups. com, Angela
Mailander
> > > >
> >
> > > >
> > > > > > > >wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > > > > According to William Blake, movements always end like
> > this--
> > > >
> > > > > > stale,
> > > >
> > > > > > > authoritarian, rigid. They begin with fiery spirit and
> end
> > > in
> > > >
> > > > > > > ashes.
> > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > >He describes the process in some detail and at great
> depth
> > > in
> > > >
> > > > > > > >his "Book of Urizen," which I read when I first got my
> > > >
> > > > children
> > > >
> > > > > > > >involved with TM, and I thought, hmm, here's a test
> case,
> > > and
> > > >
> > > > it
> > > >
> > > > > > has
> > > >
> > > > > > > been amazing to see how it went down exactly like the
man
> > > said
> > > >
> > > > it
> > > >
> > > > > > > would.
> > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > >So, perhaps, there is no need to speak of failure.
> > Instead,
> > > >
> > > > we
> > > >
> > > > > > can
> > > >
> > > > > > > realize that this is the natural process for any
> movement.
> > > >
> > > > This
> > > >
> > > > > > does
> > > >
> > > > > > > not mean that there is anything wrong with the
> technique.
> > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: "Maharishi Effect"
Quantum-
> > > >
> > > > Failure
> > > >
> > > > > > > Essay
> > > >
om
