Om, those upholstered chairs in the front row. Slide 16. Ego? What kind of a donation might it take to get one of those out front of everyone else? Buddhists beware, TM dismantled a movement using chairs like those too. Forewarned is forearmed. Look where TM is now. -Buck
> > > http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/01/20/close_encounters_of_the_buddhist_kind > > > > Amazing photos really. > > If their goal was to create practicing meditators it > seems they did pretty well. In forty years, > how many million meditators? In a country > Of 67-68 million people. 2 in 'bout 70 people? > > TM taught about a million (900K) during a time a few years ago > in America. Back when the population was under 300 million. > 1 in 300. > > -B > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > This Slate.com article is for Nabby. I figure he'll really > > like the familiarity of a cult that stages elaborately > > choreographed rallies, has an evangelist vision that seeks > > to promote a "world morality restoration project" and a > > program that encourages hundreds of thousands of children > > to improve "positive moral behavior," and raises billions > > of dollars to spread its message. So far, it sounds a lot > > like the David Lynch Foundation, doesn't it? Besides, this > > cult has a headquarters that looks like a giant UFO. Nabby > > will like that. > > > > But wait. The cult is Buddhist. Nabby *won't* like that. :-) > > > > Hint, Nabs...neither do I. Talk about missing the whole > > point of Buddhist teaching. Icky as hell. Makes my skin > > crawl. But neat photos, so check out the slideshow-style > > article for them if nothing else: > > > > http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/01/20/close_encounters_of_the_buddhist_kind > > > > For the record, Southeast Asian Buddhism (this cult is > > Thai) has always been to Buddhism like Southern Baptists > > are to Christianity. Rules, rules, rules...everything > > revolves around the Vinaya, a Big Book 'O Rules that > > almost certainly was created centuries after Buddha's > > death, and has little to do with his teachings. And > > they've definitely turned what Buddha himself said was > > *not* a religion into one. As I said, I find it icky. > > But YMMV. > > >
