Ha-ha! It was fun!
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@...> wrote:
>
> *Very* funny. Well done.
>
> "Someone has put up two pictures on the wall, one is Maharishi
> and next to him Jimi Hendrix."
>
> LOL. Excellent.
>
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "futur.musik" <futur.musik@> wrote:
> >
> > "Maybe one day the TMO will schism into two sects, the rationalists and the
> > bhaktis, each will seize a Dome, and its on!"
> >
> > Each would teach the same basic technique, same puja, only the atmosphere
> > would be quite different for each sect at initiation time:
> >
> > Rationalist TM:
> > The TM Center is in an uber modern building in the city, long thin windows,
> > high ceilings, industrial chic, painted a soft grey outside. You knock at
> > the door and are instructed by speaker: "Jai Guru Dev. Please enter your
> > code". You check your smartphone, find the file, hold the graphic up to the
> > reader and the door clicks open.
> >
> > Inside it is spacious, and spare, a faint smell of sandalwood and floor
> > wax. You take a seat on the micro-suede and chrome Scandinavian couch.
> >
> > There is a low black granite coffee table in front of you, TMO publications
> > arranged precisely to the right, with two small aluminum signs like name
> > plates to the left, one labeled "Fruit" and the other, "Flowers", both in a
> > san serif font. You place your offerings in the appropriate areas on the
> > table, and sit back to wait. You check you watch and see that you are
> > actually right on time.
> >
> > Just then a door opens. You look left and see the teachers, Gunter and
> > Lisa, both blond, tall, German, impeccably groomed, wearing single piece
> > grey jumpsuits, walking towards you. They are both smiling when they stop
> > in front of you (did Gunter click his heels together just then?).
> >
> > "Jai Guru Dev!!" They say in unison...
> >
> > Bhakti TM:
> >
> > The TM Center resides in a leafy tree filled neighborhood of big lawns and
> > comfortable houses, with plenty of parking. You park and begin walking up
> > the walkway towards a two story white cottage with red shutters. There is a
> > sign near the door, "Namaste! Come On In!". You step inside the brightly
> > lit foyer and instantly the aroma of fresh chocolate chip cookies hits your
> > nostrils. You start to get hungry until the strong scent of rose incense
> > also becomes apparent, almost overpowering.
> >
> > Someone is playing "Layla" and singing to it sporadically somewhere in the
> > back of the house. You look into the living room which has colored sheer
> > curtains at the windows and some brightly covered throws on the overstuffed
> > country furniture. Someone has put up two pictures on the wall, one is
> > Maharishi and next to him Jimi Hendrix.
> >
> > "Dude!"
> >
> > The voice comes from around the corner. You walk through the doorway, over
> > to a middle aged guy, trying for a ponytail with what is left, wearing
> > overalls and a grateful dead t-shirt.
> >
> > "Name's Krishna Patterson, and you are here to learn TM? Would you like a
> > cookie? Just baked! I've had six!"
> > You begin to take one while at the same time noticing that "Krishna" is
> > really buzzing from his sugar high. "Oh and here's `teach'!". A short woman
> > in a sari and a garland of flowers appears.
> >
> > "Hi, I am Saraswati Rutkowski, glad to meet you! Let's get started!"
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "futur.musik" <futur.musik@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Yeah, I can see the marketing problem it presents for the TMO if they
> > > discount scientific or demonstrable results. Since the TMO has always set
> > > scientific validity as a key objective, wrt marketing and fundraising, it
> > > remains an ongoing tussle for the TMO between putting enough scientific
> > > evidence out there to bolster the claims it makes and getting pinned down
> > > with those attempts, especially wrt things like sidhis and yagyas.
> > >
> > > Maybe one day the TMO will schism into two sects, the rationalists and
> > > the bhaktis, each will seize a Dome, and its on!
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues"
> > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Although I did use some scientific terms because I believe that this
> > > > kind of claim could meet such a threshold in principle, it makes just
> > > > as much sense through the perspective in this sentence:
> > > >
> > > > "practical and solitary nature of the TM practice eventually won out."
> > > >
> > > > You felt results so you continued, right? Not scientific but practical.
> > > >
> > > > If we lower the bar below a scientific threshold and say
> > > > "this claim could be practically demonstrated so that people of good
> > > > faith could appreciate that it was true" wouldn't we be back to the
> > > > need for demonstration? This is not a claim that you will feel better,
> > > > it is about the world so we can share in its evidence together, in a
> > > > strictly "aw shucks ain't that a sight Ma" kind of way.
> > > >
> > > > You are making a case for apriori faith in the system which is fine for
> > > > believers. But since this is in principle testable, even if we accept
> > > > that for people who already believe it is not necessary,wouldn't the
> > > > message go out to more people just as it did for TM? Even though it
> > > > wasn't the science rap that drew you in, it was the thing that made it
> > > > rise above other spiritual practices in popularity.
> > > >
> > > > So I get that you don't find this necessary, what I am challenging is
> > > > why isn't this a priority in an organization whose purpose is to spread
> > > > this knowledge and preserve Maharishi's teaching.
> > > >
> > > > So on an individual level, sure I agree. But this is a claim about the
> > > > world and it will involve cash from donors right?
> > > >
> > > > There are plenty of ways that we use to distinguish fact from fantasy
> > > > in life. None of them that I know of are against such a demonstration
> > > > even if it doesn't meet true scientific standards.
> > > >
> > > > They say they can do this wonderful thing, show us as artists who want
> > > > to appreciate its glory.
> > > >
> > > > Is that a better fit?
> > > >
> > > Couldn't hurt. The TMO has always tried to have this rigidly scientific
> > > demeanor to justify its programs
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "futur.musik" <futur.musik@>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Although your arguments for scientific validation are valid, I am not
> > > > > sure it makes a lot of difference whether the sutras and yagyas are
> > > > > provable scientifically. While I can see Maharishi's attempts to
> > > > > bridge science and yoga as necessary to bring his message to the West
> > > > > initially, now that so many teachers and methods are here, it has
> > > > > become more of a spiritual cafeteria in terms of what each of us
> > > > > decides benefits us as a practice, vs. which technique can be proved
> > > > > rigorously by science.
> > > > >
> > > > > I remember my starting TM had nothing to do with science. I had
> > > > > already been exposed to Hindu, Buddhist and Christian religions and
> > > > > although I got a lot out of each one, the practical and solitary
> > > > > nature of the TM practice eventually won out. I am not arguing for
> > > > > TM, but rather to show that the science is nice to have but not a
> > > > > must have when deciding which technique to adopt as a regular
> > > > > practice.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues"
> > > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > And with this announcement we enter the realm of the testable.
> > > > > > Let's break it down:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > While Yogic Flying produces a powerful, generalized, non-directed
> > > > > > > surge> of positivity for the general well-being of society,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Actually sidhis themselves included many testable behaviors. But
> > > > > > that didn't really pan out too well did it? No one was able to
> > > > > > produce something specific that would prove the theory. It could
> > > > > > have happened, Maharishi predicted it would happen, but it did not
> > > > > > happen.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So they changed the claim to something they could paint a circle
> > > > > > around and claim victory, the panacea snake oil of "generalized
> > > > > > non-directed surge" (I think I saw that flick when it came out on
> > > > > > VHS, It stars Ginger Lynn who claimed to have a detachable jaw and
> > > > > > in the third scene with the pizza delivery guy made me a believer.
> > > > > > Now that's what you call a convincing demo of a claim!)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So they could have given a demo that would have changed the world
> > > > > > forever with the sidhis. The finding lost objects one that Larry
> > > > > > Domash bragged about doing would have been enough, and we would
> > > > > > have given Jonathan Shear's claim of understanding a squirrel a
> > > > > > polite pass. But they didn't, which in the rest of the world is
> > > > > > known as, they couldn't. They got off the hook by changing the
> > > > > > claim to be so broad that, "hey look a squirrel" worked for
> > > > > > movement believers. It did not impress the world at large who
> > > > > > pretty much unanimously responded to all these claims with "Yeah
> > > > > > right, hey do you want to go grab a coffee?"
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But happy days are here again folks, if the movement will step up
> > > > > > they have a chance once again to redeem themselves and convert the
> > > > > > world. All that is needed is for them to produce exactly what they
> > > > > > are claiming to. And before you are too quick to say "oh that
> > > > > > Curtis is being a butthole again" think about this for a minute.
> > > > > > This is a chance for them to prove to the world that their claims
> > > > > > are true, so why are they not doing it in a form that the rest of
> > > > > > us could appreciate? The fulfillment of the world plan is right
> > > > > > there in front of them, isn't it? Am I being unreasonable for
> > > > > > asking them for a convincing demo? When did TM become the a branch
> > > > > > of the Evangelical Church of Jesus the Redeemer? Why is faith
> > > > > > necessary when a demo is possible?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > <Yagyas create a
> > > > > > > very focused, concentrated influence of positivity designed to
> > > > > > > neutralize specific threats. Like the threats that are looming
> > > > > > > today.>
> > > > > >
> > > > > > All they have to do is pick 3 things. 3 things that need
> > > > > > yagya-ing. 3 things that are broken or not enough of something or
> > > > > > too much of something we don't want. Why is it improper in
> > > > > > principle to insist that they first put their money where their
> > > > > > mouth is with a decent demo of this effect that we can all see if
> > > > > > in fact it is specific? Why aren't they the ones insisting on one
> > > > > > if they are so sure of this that they will accept people's money
> > > > > > for them? Hell, they deserve to put down a wager with all of us
> > > > > > skeptics. If they could do X then it is reasonable for them to ask
> > > > > > us to pony up and pay for the next round, right?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So I challenge any believers in yagyas here to come up with 3
> > > > > > things that we could verify that Yagyas could fix. I believe it
> > > > > > deals with the issue of the simultaneity not equaling causation
> > > > > > problem by asking for 3. Wouldn't that do it? And if it isn't
> > > > > > scientifically airtight (also an anatomically enlightening scene in
> > > > > > the above mentioned movie) wouldn't it be a good faith demo worthy
> > > > > > of more research? Since the whole TM thing is not supposed to be
> > > > > > faith based why is it out of line to expect that they do what they
> > > > > > claim first?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But they wont, and I have a pretty good idea of why. I saw this
> > > > > > routine before with the sidhis. Nobody ever guesses which shell the
> > > > > > pea is under in this game.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" <dhamiltony2k5@> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > All area Satsangs:
> > > > > > > While Yogic Flying produces a powerful, generalized, non-directed
> > > > > > > surge
> > > > > > > of positivity for the general well-being of society, Yagyas
> > > > > > > create a
> > > > > > > very focused, concentrated influence of positivity designed to
> > > > > > > neutralize specific threats. Like the threats that are looming
> > > > > > > today.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > [LAUNCHING: THE NEW NATIONAL YAGYA PROGRAM]
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Maharishi has designed the most powerful system of Yagya the
> > > > > > > world has
> > > > > > > ever seen. The Maharishi National YagyaSM program is a massive
> > > > > > > application of Yagya on a national scale, specifically engineered
> > > > > > > to
> > > > > > > produce the largest possible impact on an entire nation.
> > > > > > > Focus for 2012: Maharishi Yagyas® for the Nation
> > > > > > > Join us in this great endeavor, please.Let us launch this
> > > > > > > powerful new
> > > > > > > program,
> > > > > > > may abundant good fortune smile on America, and may Maharishi's
> > > > > > > great legacy of peace and enlightenment permanently bless the
> > > > > > > human
> > > > > > > race.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Jai Guru Dev
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
