--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_re...@...> wrote: > At any moment I could be out of a > job. Fortunately, because I live frugally and have > no debt, I'm a couple of years away from living on > the street, not a couple of months, but basically I > am in the same position as an auto worker who fears > being laid off or anyone else who fears that their > source of income will "dry up." > > And does this worry me, does it sometimes erode my > self confidence and get me down? Betcher booties, as > someone here likes to say. :-) >
Shake off that faint heartedness, oh TurquoiseB! Nistroi Gunjo etc. You an old TM initiate, you especially have a safety net. A safety net. Return to the program full-time and you can earn $700 per month, working for the upliftment of all Natural Law and Order. Return ye ransomed non-meditator. Takes only getting your meditation checked and the world would statistically be a whole lot better place for you and everyone. You are being served your return from Exile. Jai Guru Dev. It is beautiful how things work out. We are so happy for you. Jai Guru Dev. The domes here could use a few more disciplined meditators. We look with joy on your return to home. We all look to welcome you back, brother. Jai Guru. > At the same time, when this happens I try to remember > the Latin origin of the word "humiliation" and remind > myself that this is all a Good Thing, something that > is reminding me of my *real* importance, or lack > thereof. I'm ORDINARY. > > The "Laws Of Nature" do NOT necessarily "support" me. > God is NOT necessarily "on my side." The "system" is > NOT necessarily going to "take care of me." If the > shit hits the fan, I'm going to be as covered with > shit as everyone else. > > And that helps to remind me to be a little more humble. > But it *also* serves to remind me that I AM NOT ALONE. > > People who consider themselves the "Lords of the Uni- > verse" or having the "support of Nature" often tend > to be egoistic loners. They don't really NEED other > people, because things are going so well for them > *without* other people. It's often only when the shit > hits the fan that we realize that other people -- our > friends and fellow seekers -- are a far more important > resource than that paycheck. > > If we avoid the psychic depression that accompanies > an economic depression, most of us can remember our > strengths, and find some new way to put those strengths > to use, and "with a little help from our friends," not > only "get by," but do so with some grace. > > One of the reasons I have enjoyed this thread is that > it "bucks the trend" of the TMO, and of many spiritual > and social structures. So *MUCH* of the TMO mindset > was about not *admitting* that we got depressed from > time to time, or that our job security was precarious. > > In a way, it was like that old L.A. joke. Guy says > to another guy, "What do you do for a living?" He says, > "I'm an actor." First guy says, "Oh...what restaurant?" > That joke is a joke because it reflects the sad reality > of being an actor -- most of them are out of work most > of the time, but none of them are ever *allowed* to > admit that they're not working as actors right now. > Similarly, in the TMO people were generally not > *allowed* to admit that they were less than the perfect > members of the perfect society, all of which was work- > ing quite perfectly, thank you. > > I think it's a "step forward" that we can both *admit* > that sometimes not everything works perfectly, and > step forward to help our friends and fellow seekers > when that happens. There is *humility* in both sides > of this equation, and not an ounce of "humiliation" > in its degraded modern meaning. >
