On 04/20/2012 07:20 AM, turquoiseb wrote: > I have been characterized and vilified on this forum and > one other for many years as being "anti-TM." I'm not. I > think that TM -- as a simple (nay, simplistic) form of > easily-learned meditation, without its accompanying > baggage -- is essentially a Good Thing. If the TMO were > to sell it for what it is worth (the same $35 I paid for > it), I'd have nothing bad about to say about TM per se. > It has provided many benefits for many people over the > years, myself included. > > What I'm more concerned with, as I get older and read > with dismay the things that long-term TMers believe and > believe in, and the seeming lack of critical thought that > they bring to these things that they believe and believe > in, is TM's status as almost a "gateway drug." > > You know the term. Marijuana was supposed to have been a > "gateway drug" to harder, more dangerous drugs. And, to > some extent, it probably was. Generations who had been > told that one toke on a joint would turn them into mind- > less zombies or sex-crazed rapists took that toke, found > out it was not true, and learned first-hand that the > people charged with telling them the truth about such > things were liars. So many of them decided that the guy > who sold them the pot might *not* be a liar, and when he > told them about cocaine or meth or heroin, they now took > his word over the supposed authorities' word. > > I'm suggesting that the same thing happened with TM. We > were sold a simple form of meditation and found that it > worked. That builds up somewhat of a basis of trust in > the people who sold it to us. This is natural. > > The problem is that these people *then* sold us things > like "You can learn how to fly," and we *bought it*, too, > because we thought, "They sold me TM, and that turned > out to be good...how wrong can I go by trusting them > again?" > > How wrong? Well, you could -- over time -- begin to > believe in things that there is zero rational evidence > for, such as Bad Things happening to you if you enter or > leave a building from the "wrong" direction, or that > medicines containing large amounts of heavy metals are > good for you, or that astrology/Jyotish is actually a > science, or that people chanting words you don't under- > stand (or bouncing on their butts while merely grunting) > can bring about world peace. > > And it doesn't stop there. Fairfield, Iowa is looked upon > in the New Age world as a "cornucopia of suckers." Every > charlatan and huckster in the business plans a stop there > on his or her tour, because they know that long-term TMers > have so few critical faculties left that they'll buy > almost *anything*. Faith healing, people who claim to be > shakti-servers, others who claim that they'll get rid of > the demons within you (that only they can see, natch), > beads, baubles, trinkets, and what have you. > > TMers are *famous* in the larger spiritual community for > having almost no critical faculties. I'm thinking that it's > not because of TM itself, but because of the overall "dogma > environment" of the TMO, which taught that doubt and/or > critical thinking were Bad Things, things to be avoided. > You should just *trust* Those Who Know Better Than You Do. > And you know who they are, because they tell you who they > are. > > I don't think there is anything wrong with being able to > think critically. I *do* think there is something wrong > with no longer being able to do so. I see too much of the > latter in long-term TMers. YMMV.
Even at $35 I would be concerned about folks like the ones I checked that had roughness and weren't even straining. According other paths the mantras used in TM may be inappropriate for some. The original set that MMY used are more traditional for the general public. We don't know why he diverged with these other mantras other than they almost appear to be some obscure ayurvedic system. As for Jyotish, it can be amazingly accurate and not to be confused with the vague world of tropical westerner astrology. And the use of bhasmas in ayurveda is not that widespread and ayurveda properly learned can be quite an effective preventive form of medicine and inexpensive too. I recommend Dr. Lad's program because he has a lot of "kitchen cures" instead of expensive preparations.
