There is a constellation of things that relate to it. > There is a dogmatism in the middle that makes it essentially > difficult too to get the numbers needed.
Dear Howard, Well, try reading through these three links and likely you'll find a theme. The FF Directory of Active Spiritual Practice Groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/171981 The petition contained in post 3811 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/3811 That agreement to sign for meditating in the dome: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/172366 It won't improve much here until the TMmovement administratively backs down from its old dogmatic position. Would need to come to just asking that meditators do TM and TM-Sidhis as their practice while in the domes. That simple. You'll need to review the old guidelines to git to that. Stop looking at the administrative guidelines as the the teaching & de-couple the guidelines from the purity of the teaching. Also simplify that course 'agreement' that they have people sign down to a one-pager no smaller than 12 pt. font. That agreement as written is trying to catch and do way more than it should be to let practicing meditators in the dome. Stop the witch hunts if you can. Then get them to simply say that they are glad to have meditators in the dome practicing. Possibly then you'll see more trust from the old meditating community & more numbers in the domes then. It is about goodwill and trust and it will take a while to earn it. You'll have to do more than relax the dress-code. But, you might want to do something about the guys in gold crowns and gowns. That could help too. Also, some accounting controls and published transparency might help a lot too. How important are the numbers in the dome to you? However, do start here reading through these three linked posts. They may help your thinking about it all. Jai Guru Dev, -Doug in FF < Om, their grand experiment... What could they possibly do to get the numbers they need for their utopia? People seem to be staying outside or not coming back in. What could they do to change that direction? > > > > What would you tell Howard? > > Howard Settle > > > > On Apr 1, 2008, at 11:14 PM, dhamiltony2k5 wrote: > > > The numbers. I got introduced to someone who had lunch with Howard > Settle last week. Howard is wondering, why are there so few > Fairfield meditators in the domes? > > What would you tell Howard about this? > > > vaj writes: > I'd ask him if he was familiar with the concept of "support of > nature". > > I'd also explain that this is actually different from support of > millionaires.> > > > Doug writing: > > I think his support of all of this is exceptional amongst the > millionaires. Is extremely utopian in vision. > > Practically, there definitely are a number of meditators in town who > have benefited from Settle's support for being in the dome > regularly. Quite a lot of folks have always lived thread-bare to be > in Fairfield for the large group meditations. Folks who do live and > work, like poor church mice, getting by on what crumbs they need to > live. Simple lives to simply live here. Howard has actually > supported that generously. > > Howard's income has been a blessing to keep things going for a core > of some people. That kind of support gives a base line of > disciplined folks who still live in the middle there. It has been > extremely high-minded support to try to get a job done by Howard > Settle > > Recently a number of people I run in to of this category are not > renewing their `scholarships'. 600 a month or $700 a month is just > not enough & while the required attendance time is too much time to > live with. > > If Howard is going to continue with income support for the grand > experiment, take a look at the census bureau reports on income level > for just povery. Or, think of the lower Social Security payments > for retired working folks that are now about $1,200 per month. > > > http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/threshld/thresh07.html > > For instance, poverty at 10,787 divided by 12 is 906.50 per month. > 12% of the US population lives under the poverty levels. Probably a > higher percentage of meditators live there to be here in FF. > Probably higher percentages of the meditating community live in the > lower fifth of income than is usual to be here. There is a lifestyle > of high-thinking and plain living that goes on here that is utopian > special in people. Is partly what makes the place such a unique to > live. > > > Certainly, A million a month, if 50% would not get siphoned off to > Indian (?) pockets, could do a lot more direct help here in the > community. For various friends who have made use of the Settle > support I see that it has been extremely important to people here. I > can only admire and say thanks to Howard Settle and his wife for > thinking this way. > > That people hear that a `million a month' is being paid to > our `professional' meditators and yet only some few hundred are > getting 6 or $700 a month only confirms a cynicism of bad feeling > towards the TMmovement. Those rough numbers do not multiply out > close to a million bucks a month. Where is the rest of it going? > > Again, it would help the community a lot now to have some > transparency in how the money goes. The numbers are about generally > accepted perceived bad behaviors of the TMmovement. > > Of course these are not the only problems in the community with the > numbers. There is a constellation of things that relate to it. > There is a dogmatism in the middle that makes it essentially > difficult too to get the numbers needed. > > Jai Guru Dev, > -Doug in FF > om
