> Turq I think yours has a swell commentary in it. It's a fair > observation on some of what has gone on here. This was incredibly > utopian when it was initially called for back in the 1970's. `Move > if you can' type of call, to have large group meditations. > > Back then demographically it was two broad groups of folks who >picked > up and moved to try it. Some had enough much money that it did not > matter where they lived and this was just another place to have a > house. The other group had not much money and it did not matter > either where they lived so they picked up and came. It took >several > years for a middle-class to emerge. A middle-class either built up > itself here in time or moved bringing something with it something >to > live on. There was not much of any middle-class economy to move in > to directly initially. That came in time after the 1970's and 80's > formation years. Partly as we grew up demographically. That is >very > much part of the story of meditators in Fairfield. But the > meditating community has always been weighted somewhat towards the > extremes of wealth either way because of the nature of the >formation > years and who came to join. > > -Doug in FF >
19th Century invitation to join a transcendental grand experiment: "Our objects are to insure a more natural union between spiritual, intellectual and manual labor than now commonly exists; to guarantee the highest mental freedom, by securing the fruits of labor to do away with the necessity of menial services by opening according to tastes and talents the benefits of education and the profits of labor of the land; thus to prepare a society of liberal, intelligent, and cultivated persons, whose relations with each other would permit a more simple and wholesome life, than can be led amidst the pressure of our competitive institutions otherwise. To accomplish these objects we propose to take a small tract of land, which, under skillful husbandry, uniting the garden and the farm, will be adequate to a subsistence of the families; and to connect with this a school or college, in which the most complete instruction shall be given, from the first rudiments to the highest culture. Our farm would be a place for improving the race of humankind that lived on it; thought would preside over the operations of labor, and labor would contribute to the expansion of thought; we should have industry without drudgery, and true equality without its vulgarity Whether the time has come for the fulfillment of high hope, or whether the work belongs to a future generation, all omens now are favorable; a singular union of diverse talents is ready for the enterprise; everything indicates that we ought to arise and build; and if we let slip this occasion, the unsleeping Nemesis will deprive us of the boon we seek. For my self, I am sure that I can never give so much thought to it again; my mind must act on other objects, and I shall acquiesce in the course of fate, with grief that so fair a light is put out Pray write me with as much frankness as I have used towards you, and believe me ever your friend and faithful servant,... " -from an invitation written to Emerson from Geo. Ripley to come join the 1840's Brook Farm outside of Boston. To set up a living situation that would allow for time in life for cultivation of transcendental life. Evidently what we have here in FF is an old recurring American tradition in transcendental criticism by contrast with ongoing material modernism. Is very American actually and an old theme. Secular counter-culture, like the Waking Down folks or Tolle now on Oprah.com that is counter-valence to doctrinal religion and materialism in culture. Nothing is new under the sun. -Doug in FF http://infomotions.com/etexts/gutenberg/dirs/etext05/brkfm10.htm --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "dhamiltony2k5" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "dhamiltony2k5" > > <dhamiltony2k5@> wrote: > > > > > > Thanks for making this point Jeffry. In dismissing FF you > > (& others > > > do it too) assume that wealth is happiness. Yet there are a lot > >of > > > folks living very fine lives as 'transcendentalists' here living > > > under the wealth standard you are applying. > > > > TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > An excellent point, and one that isn't emphasized > > enough about places that one moves to for their > > "vibe quotient" rather than their money-making > > potential. > > > >snips> > > > > > But some places more than make up for their lack > > of "money-making quotient" with their "vibe > > quotient" and "quality of life quotient." From > > what I've heard of Fairfield on this forum, it > > is one of those places. Its quality of life does > > not depend on the TMO (thank god); it stands on > > its own. And from what I've heard, living in an > > area where the monthly cost of living is low has > > the benefit of adding to your "discretionary > > income." If you have money "left over" every > > month, you can save it up for a SV house, if you > > want one, or for other things. > > > > > > They make more money than I do, every last one > > of them. But when this subject comes up, I ask > > them what percentage of the money they make each > > month they get to keep or use as discretionary > > income. It's usually in the range of 5-10%. I may > > live in a backwater beach town in Spain that isn't > > where *anyone* who wanted to make a million bucks > > would ever live, but I get to keep about 75% of > > my monthly income. > > > > Plus I get to live in a neat place that offers me > > benefits I can't get in a big city. Like living in > > a psychic atmosphere that isn't "polluted" with > > the thoughts of millions of people who, sadly, are > > not the happiest of campers. Like not having to > > worry about random street crime. Ever. Like having > > cheap medical care. So living in the boonies *works* > > for me, and I can completely understand why living > > in Fairfield *works* for many of the people here. > > > > Do we all have little things that we *bitch* about > > with regard to our chosen "high vibe quotient" > > places to live? You betcha. But are any of those > > things we bitch about enough to cause us to move? > > Not hardly. > > > > Turq I think yours has a swell commentary in it. It's a fair > observation on some of what has gone on here. This was incredibly > utopian when it was initially called for back in the 1970's. `Move > if you can' type of call, to have large group meditations. > > Back then demographically it was two broad groups of folks who picked > up and moved to try it. Some had enough much money that it did not > matter where they lived and this was just another place to have a > house. The other group had not much money and it did not matter > either where they lived so they picked up and came. It took several > years for a middle-class to emerge. A middle-class either built up > itself here in time or moved bringing something with it something to > live on. There was not much of any middle-class economy to move in > to directly initially. That came in time after the 1970's and 80's > formation years. Partly as we grew up demographically. That is very > much part of the story of meditators in Fairfield. But the > meditating community has always been weighted somewhat towards the > extremes of wealth either way because of the nature of the formation > years and who came to join. > > -Doug in FF > om
