> Anyone who is so brainwashed that she thinks > of critics as "enemies" deserves only my pity. > That's my version of behaving kindly.
And if you're critical of the TMO, then you're the enemy of The Age of Enlightenment, Heaven on Earth, The Divine Plan, Sat Yuga, etc. --- TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Anyone who is so brainwashed that she thinks > of critics as "enemies" deserves only my pity. > That's my version of behaving kindly. > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sharalyn > Harris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > From: scienceofabundance > > Date: Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:31 pm > > Subject: Re: PS: From A World Where Everything > **WILL** Be Positive!! > > scienceofabu... > > > > >She used to be here in the beginning, but she did > not like > > >the "negativity", so she went and created her own > group where she > > >decides what can be posted and what cannot. > > > > Dear FairfieldLifers, > > > > I don't read FFL, but a friend sent me the > interchange in which someone > > posted my post to the Kiosk. I got a chuckle from > it, and indeed agree from > > past experience that many of the posters on FFL > are more in need of > > spankings (puntative, not recreational) for their > peevish, pouting posts > > they try to pass off as intelligent analysis but > which is actually only the > > whining of chronically dissatisfied personalities > who don't have the > > maturity to get beyond their small-minded egos. > > > > Even the most loving mother can lose her temper > when the kids act like > > brats. I haven't lost my temper but as Hafiz says, > "Sometimes (even) God > > gets TIRED of speaking sweetly." If I get tired of > speaking sweetly at the > > Kiosk, I could always come visit FFL where so many > brilliant minds are > > solving world problems. :-) > > > > Even so, there are kinder ways my opinion could > have been expressed. > That's > > what the Kiosk is about--speaking the sweet truth, > as the Vedas say, or as > > the Bible says, "think on these things (that are > good, pleasant, honorable, > > of good report, etc.) > > > > Yes, I know that it is honestly hard for some of > you to understand that > > being positive doesn't equate to being brain-dead. > If I recall, I myself > > thought that at one time, that if one didn't > criticize then it must because > > one didn't have the intelligence to do so. > > > > But this is mistaking CRITICISM for CRITICAL > THINKING--they're not the > same > > thing at all! One can be a critical thinker, > functioning in full > > self-referral discrimination, and even be in > protest against something--all > > without ever being negative. Even though there are > (or were when I was on > > it) some really wonderful and highly evolved > people on FFL, but being > > critical in the FFL sense is often not mature > critique or the honorable > > discussions of the wise making discriminations on > fine points of knowledge. > > Rather it is an ego puffing, us-versus them > mentality, the kind of thinking > > that says WE are better, smarter, more enlightened > than THEM, that THEY > are > > so bad that they deserve to be ridiculed, scorned, > and rejected by those of > > us who are too wise to be taken in by their > nonsense. > > > > But don't you see, anything spoken with sarcasm or > scorn is a put-down, > and > > put-downs are personal wars. The Vedas say there > are two reasons for > speech. > > One is to expand Knowledge and the other is to > expand ego. Criticism is all > > about the personal war, the ego's need to feel > seperate. It is divisive, > > dualistic. Its gives us a sense of superiority and > personal power. > > > > When FFL posters write with sarcastic wit, bash > saints and cast doubts on > > people and ideas, do you notice that you get a > feeling of power? That's ego > > feeding on that negativity. It carries a > particular pleasure with it that > > for some is addictive. But even if you are right, > what is gained? Criticism > > destroys fine levels of feeling and distorts more > delicate truths. > > > > For instance, wouldn't you agree that > ScienceofAbundance makes it sound > like > > I created the Kiosk because I am an unrealistic > bliss-ninny who just wants > > to be controlling? What was your reaction when you > read that? Something > > similiar to the feeling you get when you smash a > bad-guy ship in a computer > > game? Like you've WON something? This is ego. > > > > Some people criticize because they think it solves > problems by defining > > them. But what is gained by criticizing people who > are not there either to > > defend themselves or to hear and understand, or by > using criticisms based > on > > hearsay and personal opinion, and giving authority > to one's opinions by > > using a tone of scorn? > > > > So comes of this except to encourage doubt, fear, > dislike and disrespect? > We > > are none of us perfect beings. We all make > mistakes and do stupid things > and > > blunder around like jack-asses at times; even very > enlightened people > make > > relative mistakes in judgment and behavior. > Evenutually ALL of us wake up > to > > our mistakes. Oh s**t, how could I be so stupid? > So how would you want > > others to behave toward you when you make > mistakes? Of all the possible > > solutions to problems, criticism is the least > effective. The ONLY good it > > does is to make the criticizer and those who agree > with him feel good. It > > makes everyone else miserable. It creates > defensive anger (like you > perhaps > > felt reading the beginning of this post?). > Criticism reduces life flow and > > is discouraging. It takes away hope for positive > change. It closes the door > > to positive solutions or to real understanding. It > smashes fine feelings. > > > > And what goes around comes around. Someday it will > be your turn to stand > in > > front of the judge. What will the judge see in you > to criticize, and how > > would you like to be treated at that time? > > > > I am not perfect. I have a critical intellect that > used to be mean-spirited > > and judgmental and still makes me hell-on-wheels > if I lose my temper. But > > I've learned the difference between critical and > critique, and I have gained > > the understanding that it isn't necessary to be > critical to be intelligent > > and discriminating. The goal for the Kiosk was not > to be unrealistically > > la-la positive, but to have a forum in which, just > as in any genuinely > > loving family, we can cultivate that which is > kindly and supportive for each > > other, that which is good, pleasant, and > up-lifting, a place where people > > can feel safe to post without getting bashed. > > > > As controller of what gets posted, it is not my > job to be The Thought > > Police. There have been times I've felt weighted > down with the > > responsibility of having to make a judgement about > whether to post > something > > or to allow someone in as a member. I didn't > realize that there would be > > things that are not clear cut. I have made and > will no doubt continue to > > make mistakes. I can only do my sincere best. The > guideline is, is it > > life-supporting (positive)? > > > > You probably will agree with Maharishi when he > says, "Everything has its > > place, but the dinner table is not the place for > manure." The Kiosk is like > > saying, "During the time that we as a family are > sitting down to eat > > together, we will behave with courtesy and > kindness and not upset our > > digestion by permitting anyone to sling manure." > The Kiosk is a place > where > > the theme is to be FRIENDLY, where the > non-friendly are ignored or > > encouraged to go elsewhere. If FFL is the place to > go where to find > > unrestricted critical expression, then the Kiosk > is a place to go for > > nourishment of what is positive, pleasant and > supportive. What is so > > terrible about that? > > > > Since creating it, I have had so little time to > tend or promote it that > > (despite the fact that it continues to grow in > numbers) there isn't much > > activity on it, mostly forwards of inspirational > news, Maharishi stories, > > etc. There was some discussion in the early days, > but it was stiff and > > strained because most posters were not sure how to > go about being real > and > > being positive at the same time. Discussion > thrives on contraversy, so when > > critical contraversy was not allowed, many didn't > know how to handle it. > > Also, there was not enough people in the early > days for things to happen > > naturally. > > > > I'd hoped it would become not only a place for > discussion but also a lively > > place people could go, like the physical kiosks in > villages, to send or read > > the news that is the heart of a community, the > human aspect: what's > > happening where, who's getting married, who's > having babies, who is ill > and > > needs help, who made their transition, and so > forth. Is a pet lost or in > > need of a home? Does anyone need a baby sitter or > a ride to the opera? > > Individuals or businesses may communicate what > they have for sale or are > > doing as a service, hopefully as if they were > speaking to friends and family > > and not merely exploiting it as a site for free > advertising. (In this case, > > there's a fine distinction between news and > advertising exploitation but > > maybe you get the idea.) > > > > It is a misunderstanding to think that the > restriction against negativity > > disallows one to be genuine or realistic. > Certainly some people who are > > "positive" are just in bliss-ninny denial, just as > many people who are > > critical are in oppositional denial. But it is > very much possible to be > > FULLY in self-referral honesty without being > negative. It is surely a mark > > of civilization and an enlightened community to be > in support of behaving > > kindly. Anyone can criticize. But it requires the > development of > > communication skills and personal growth to see > what there is to > appreciate. > > The Kiosk is a place for appreciation. If you > couldn't be friendly and > > supportive without a sense of hyprocracy, then the > Kiosk wouldn't be the > > place for you to hang out. > > > > Having said that, I warmly invite all of you to > come join, to post your news > > or talk about your services, and certainly it is > open to discuss ways to > > make it useful for the community or to offer help > with the management of it > > and having it go in directions you'd find useful. > > > > Best wishes to you, friends and enemies alike. > > > > Namaste, > > Sharalyn > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!' > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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