--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I'm curious how many people were learning TM prior to > > "the ban". Probably as many are learning it now! The > > whole thing is so silly. Teach TM if you feel it's the > > right thing to do. What's the worst thing that can > > happen, MMY yells at you? > > The worse thing that can happen is that you break the promise you made when you > became a TM teacher.
What promise, specifically, are you referring to? > Of course, people are always free to do what they like, but are you > comfortable with advising people so cavalierly to go explicitly against the wishes of the > guy who taught them in the first place? > > > > > --- George DeForest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > The Town That Lost Its Guru > > > > > > Story from REDNOVA NEWS: > > > http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=210725 > > > > > > Published: 2005/08/17 06:00:00 CDT > > > > > > > > > > > > With eyes tight shut, legs crossed and mind > > > meandering, I briefly flirt with > > > inner peace. Beneath > > > a golden dome that is the British centre for the > > > teachings of a mystical guru > > > from the East, the > > > time has come to dabble with the power of > > > meditation. For a moment it seems > > > like paradise. > > > Then my eyes flicker, the faith fades and I remember > > > that I am in > > > Skelmersdale, Lancashire. > > > > > > Strange though it may seem, this new town of a > > > thousand roundabouts is the > > > European home to > > > the followers of the man whose cosmic notions so > > > entranced The Beatles in the > > > 1960s: the > > > Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Here they came to deploy the > > > force of transcendental > > > meditation (TM), > > > to find personal happiness and to make the world a > > > better place. > > > > > > Now, though, a dark cloud casts its shadow over the > > > Maharishi's British flock. > > > The UK, the 95- > > > year-old sage claims, has become a 'Scorpion > > > nation', and meditative teachings > > > merely serve to > > > 'feed the destroyer of the world'. The Maharishi, it > > > seems, is rather ticked > > > off about the Iraq War > > > and the arms trade. > > > > > > Teaching TM must cease in the UK immediately, he has > > > ordered. 'We are > > > rejecting one nation " > > > Britain " which has proven to be a poisonous, > > > divisive influence in the world > > > family,' the leader > > > blasts in a memo issued to his Global Country of > > > World Peace recently. > > > > > > It all seems slightly hard on his followers in > > > Skelmersdale, who set up base > > > here 25 years ago > > > and have built up a 400-strong community. Some of > > > the people here wonder why > > > their home > > > country has been singled out and the US left alone, > > > and a few have even mooted > > > the previously > > > unthinkable: disobeying the legendary figure and > > > carrying on teaching. > > > > > > 'He is deeply upset about the arms trade,' says > > > David Hughes, one of the > > > founder members of > > > the community, explaining that Britain, per head of > > > population, actually has a > > > worse record than > > > anywhere else in the world. 'This is an issue we are > > > all very concerned > > > about.' Teaching > > > meditation in the UK, it seems, could foster > > > energies that make the situation > > > worse. If the > > > community has to cease such activities, then it will > > > be for the greater good. > > > But the rest of > > > Skelmersdale is slightly nervous too, for they've > > > grown rather fond of the > > > Yogic fliers over the > > > years. > > > > > > With meditation has come an award-winning school, a > > > gym, a business centre and > > > new houses. > > > The Maharishi's men and women have injected cash > > > into the local economy and > > > some even > > > claim their presence has revitalised it. Now the > > > Yogics are being urged to > > > flee for larger, better- > > > funded settlements abroad. 'When we first came in > > > 1980 things were really > > > bleak,' explains > > > Hughes, a Lancashire man by birth. Hughes and a > > > handful of other devotees > > > opted for > > > Skelmersdale over other new towns because the rents > > > were cheap and it was near > > > the heart of > > > Britain, offering easy access from Scotland and the > > > Southeast. At the time, > > > very few other > > > operations viewed it as a viable centre. 'Now you > > > can hardly find any spare > > > business space. If > > > you want to set up here you have to build from > > > scratch.' > > > > > > It has even been suggested that their communal > > > meditation reversed the crime > > > rate in the > > > nearby Merseyside area from being one of the worst > > > in the UK to being among > > > the best " > > > although Hughes concedes that he still doesn't leave > > > his car unattended in > > > Liverpool at night. > > > > > > He admits that the general upturn is not entirely > > > down to the power of > > > meditation, but believes > > > that it has been a significant force. And the > > > economy certainly needed a > > > boost. In the 1960s, > > > Skem " as it is affectionately known locally " > > > survived the decline of the > > > mining industry only to > > > be turned into a concrete jungle. Its reward was to > > > be used as an overspill > > > town to resettle > > > crowded Merseyside. Industrial employers proceeded > > > to leave the town en masse, > > > and the only > > > growth figures related to crime, drug abuse and > > > poverty. > > > > > > But, as Hughes points out, things have been looking > > > a little better of late. > > > We depart the dome > > > for a tour of the town. 'It was originally proposed > > > that it should have a > > > population of 80,000,' he > > > says. 'But it's only really got up to 40,000.' > > > > > > Similarly, the meditation community needs to have > > > 800 members to affect the > > > way the country > > > lives, claims Hughes. With it languishing at just > > > 400 it could not possibly > > > oust the Blair > > > government and move the UK towards the goal the > > > Maharishi sets for all his > > > communities " > > > bringing peace to the world. So now they face the > > > prospect that their teachers > > > will heed the > > > guru's order to depart to the likes of South Africa > > > and the United States. > > > > > > But Hughes says that does not mean the end of the > > > road for Skelmersdale. 'Just > > > because we > > > cannot teach TM for the moment, does not mean that > > > we will go away. It is like > > > riding a bike: > > > once you've had your four lessons you can keep doing > > > it. Maharishi hasn't told > > > us to stop > > > meditating, only to stop teaching it.' > > > > > > Hughes, who first learnt TM as a student in the > > > 1970s, maintains that the > > > community will > > > remain and thrive. But as we stop off at the school, > > > attended by 100 pupils, > > > the headmaster > > > admits that the guru's advice concerned him. 'I was > > > a bit worried,' says Dave > > > Cassells, perched > > > in front of a chart akin to a periodic table, which > > > shows how the positive > > > power of the individual > > > can be displaced for the greater good. He now hopes > > > people will remain in > > > Skem, and opt to > > > learn meditation on weekend trips to Dublin (peace- > > > loving Ireland has also > > > escaped the > > > Maharishi's wrath). > > > > > > Hughes and I head back out to the roundabouts, and > > > he shows me the fabulous > > > new gym, 'with > > > a great swimming pool', the huge Asda and the > > > extended and refurbished > > > Concourse shopping > > > > > === message truncated === > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. 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