To Buck - while I appreciate positive thinking, and the desire for god things to happen, when I came into TM in the '70s I heard stories about people being pushed around by the leaders of the Movement, had my own experiences with it till I said so long in the 1990's and these kinds of strong arm tactics and inflexible attitudes on the part of TM leaders is still going on today - what makes you feel that any of it will change after at least 30 years of it being the way it has been?
________________________________ From: emilymae.reyn <emilymae.r...@yahoo.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 2:14 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for Wednesday <snip. "Again I don't understand why I've escaped harsher reprimands." This pretty much says it all. Excuse me? Buck, in addition to the 3 gov level recommendations, do they solicit anonymous "peer review" to weigh in? --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote: > > Well, it is unfortunate that the Rajas put themselves in this position of > interrogating folks against these un-published guidelines of theirs. This is > a really good example. Instead of just asking that people only practice TM > and the TM-sidhis in the Domes and not practice other spiritual techniques > this person, someone who we all know in the community, is there standing in > line with folks waiting for coffee downtown telling of being creep-ed out and > Of the visceral fear it triggered in a feeling of how invasive the interview > conversation was in the amount and detail of personal information they had > gathered about this person and were asking about. > > Next step for the person is to git three 'recommendations' from governors. > That means again going through this experience of applying for a badge and > the feeling of being creep-ed out by how invasive it was with three or more > people to get recommendations. They likely tell three others each about this > person's experience of being creep-ed out. Those each tell three more. This > is really not good in a community. It is just a bad position for the > TM-rajas to be in building dossiers around the guidelines and the Dome > numbers and interrogating people. > > In the long TM history around this thing with other saints where Maharishi > clearly said a lot of different things about visiting saints to a lot of > different people at different times, the Rajas should drop to being a lot > simpler just in asking people to come and help by being practitioners of this > again. There are really very few TM-virgins around but a lot of people who > could come and meditate. The gross numbers of people meditating in the Domes > are really quite paltry; however, the Rajas might want to quickly think again > about change and re-introducing a second element to this particular problem > even before their Nov 6 'election' campaign to increase the Dome numbers goes > too far towards re-soliciting people back. The Rajas need to work more at > reconciliation with their community rather than just hoping that people might > be nice and come back. Yes, time is of an essence and it is certainly within > the authority, power and responsibility of the TM-Rajas to improve on things like this. The ball is in their court to serve. > -Buck > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > Khazana I wouldn't say I'm fine with the system as it is since it seems to > > be so hard on other people. However, I have to also take into account my > > own experience. I wasn't questioned at all when I returned to the Dome > > after a 7 year absence. Though I had been to Amma several times and had > > been participating in Waking Down on a weekly basis right here in FF. > > Maybe I wasn't questioned because I'm not a gov. I don't know and I feel > > for the people who are given such a rough time about it all. > > > > > > OTOH, I too have been interviewed by Movement leaders and have had > > conflicts with them. Again I don't understand why I've escaped harsher > > reprimands. But I'll give an example. Years ago, after the end of a > > relationship, tantric teacher David Deida happened to come to town. Right > > away I knew I wanted to attend. I was an MUM grad student at the time. > > I was open about my participation in Deida's workshop. But perhaps more > > importantly I felt right about it. True, I was scared of possible > > consequences. But I was willing to take that chance because I felt I was > > doing what was right for me and my life. Also important, inside I > > acknowledged that I might be wrong. I was not 100% sure that I was acting > > rightly. But again, I was willing to take a chance that I was. > > > > > > That feeling of rightness, even when not 100% sure, even when afraid of > > possible consequences, is a grace and I do believe it is what has protected > > me all these decades on a spiritual path. I am deeply grateful for this > > grace. > > > > PS Yahoo has been acting wonky the last few days. Posts get to the > > archives right away and I read there to stay current. Posts to my inbox > > can arrive many hours after they were posted. Even my own! > > > > > > Remembering that Maharishi said, "What we have no control over we take to > > be the will of God."   > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: khazana108 <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 6:14 AM > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for Wednesday > > > > > >  > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > > > > > Yes, one would hope if you were interested in meditating with the large > > > > group that they would issue you a badge. That in itself is still a > > > > problem to surmount just coming in. I spoke with someone yesterday in > > > > line waiting for coffee, an old meditator here who just re-applied and > > > > still waiting to get a Dome badge and was appalled at the dossier that > > > > was compiled and questioning by the course office of private > > > > information they had gathered about concerts gone to and saints > > > > visited. Was really creep-ed out by the interview. However the air > > > > quality in the Domes is a lot better than before. They have been > > > > working at that. I am told tha smaller rooms around like out in > > > > Maharishi Vedic City have real nice air quality. I do notice the > > > > formaldehyde taint is not as great in some places around the dome > > > > depending on the flow of fresh air mix by the air handling system. > > > > Overall it is noticeably better. > > > > > > > > > > The TMO collects information on you? > > > > They definitely do this. The national course offices know exactly which TM > > teacher went to another organization or has been with another saint and so > > on. Basically according to all criteria they have for giving admission to > > courses, they will collect information. On that depends if you will get a > > batch or admission to any kind of course. > > > > > Why do you want to even > > > be in the dome if this is the sort of treatment you get in > > > a so called "coherent" atmosphere. Don't you think it's gone > > > wrong, the AofE course office shouldn't be like the east German > > > Stazi should it? Maybe you want to amend your unified field > > > poems a bit..... > > > > This will always remain an individual decision. I have friends who are very > > much in the center of the movement, and who struggle with these policies, > > mostly by keeping their mouths shut. You have to think about to whom of > > your friends you tell what. And this is then really like it was in East > > Germany with the Stasi, I have a brother, who grew up in this system and > > told me how it was. He said that it leads to a kind of a double mind, where > > you behave like an obedient GDR citizen OTOH and and with some close > > friends, whose opinion you happen to know, you rant about the system. > > > > And yet, there are people like Share, who are just fine with the system > > like it is, who don't seem to have any points of conflict with the > > movement, and for them it is just fine. You could say that the movement > > serves them well, until any of these conflicts arise. > > > > For me it is like it is with you: I wouldn't like to be in such a situation > > again, I prefer my freedom, and I am happy that in my present spiritual > > environment, there is not at all a problem with that. > > > > The only problem I see for the movement with these policies is that they > > will slowly alienate an increasing number of people. But in the end of the > > day, everybody has to determine the life style that works best for him, one > > has to cut out the piece of the cake in a way that works best for oneself, > > and not think of the rest. > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson <mjackson74@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. I quit going > > > > > to the Dome when I was on staff due to a really serious allergy to > > > > > formaldehyde, which in those days at least was a major component in > > > > > making foam. > > > > > The longer I was in the Dome, the worse I felt. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > So I stopped > > > > > going. I did program by myself in my pod room and felt great both in > > > > > and out of > > > > > program. As twice a day in the Dome was part of the staff program, I > > > > > was called > > > > > in to the Personnel Director’s office (Bill Sands) and he gave > > > > > me a serious > > > > > talk and threatened me with dismissal if I didn’t start toeing > > > > > the line. > > > > > > > > > > I told him about the allergy and he said it didn’t matter, > > > > > rules were rules. I showed him the letter I had from my allergy > > > > > doctor (Allen > > > > > Lieberman in Charleston SC) saying that I had to avoid formaldehyde > > > > > exposure. Bill > > > > > said it still didn’t matter. Rules were rules. No exceptions. > > > > > > > > > > So I returned to the Dome and after a couple days started > > > > > feeling like crap again. So I thought about things and decided to > > > > > write a > > > > > letter to then TM Sidhi Administrator Greg Wilson and told him my > > > > > story and > > > > > sent him a copy of the letter from my allergy doctor. > > > > > A > > > > > nd a couple weeks later to my surprise he wrote me a letter > > > > > back giving me permission to do program in my room, tho he suggested > > > > > that I > > > > > might consider serving MIU in some other capacity since Dome > > > > > attendance was > > > > > part of staff program. So I quit going to the Dome again. > > > > > > > > > > A couple weeks went by and I was called into Bill Sands office > > > > > again, with my letters in my pocket. After he gave me hell and pretty > > > > > much told > > > > > me my time at MIU was over, I told him I had permission from Greg > > > > > Wilson and > > > > > showed him my letter, or rather a copy of it, I wisely had the > > > > > original in my > > > > > room. > > > > > > > > > > Bill was completely discombobulated and hemmed and hawed and > > > > > puffed and blustered but had to back down, but he didn’t like > > > > > it. So I went > > > > > back to doing program in my room and had great experiences and was > > > > > much more > > > > > effective in activity for about eight months until Bill found a way > > > > > to get rid > > > > > of me. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > From: Buck > > > > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 12:52 PM > > > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for > > > > > Wednesday > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > > This being Compassionate Posting Wednesday on FFL where ne'er a > > > > > negative word is written, I am not going to go on at all about just > > > > > how stoopid and undeserving it is that meditators who even live in > > > > > Fairfield do not come to the group meditation. No, I'll save that > > > > > for tomorrow and then may be also consider the fallen away and > > > > > outright meditation quitters out in the world too; all those who have > > > > > fell off the meditation wagon and even walked away entirely. I am > > > > > excercising a lot of compassion for them all right now today, > > > > > -Buck in the Dome > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Forwarded Message ----- > > > > > > From: DailyGood.org <clubs@> > > > > > > To: sharelong60@ > > > > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 7:15 AM > > > > > > Subject: The Science of Compassion > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > DailyGood.org > > > > > > You're receiving this email because you are a DailyGood subscriber. > > > > > > Trouble Viewing? On a mobile? Just click here. Not interested > > > > > > anymore? Unsubscribe. > > > > > > > > > > > > October 23, 2012 a project of ServiceSpace > > > > > > Have compassion for everyone you meet, even if they don't want > > > > > > it. What appears bad manners, an ill temper or cynicism is always a > > > > > > sign of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen. You do not > > > > > > know what wars are going on down there where the spirit meets the > > > > > > bone. > > > > > > > > > > > > - Miller Williams - > > > > > > The Science of Compassion > > > > > > "As human beings, we will inevitably encounter suffering at some > > > > > > point in our lives. However, we also have evolved very specific > > > > > > social mechanisms to relieve that pain: altruism and compassion. It > > > > > > is not just receiving compassion that relieves our pain...The act > > > > > > of experiencing compassion and helping others actually leads to > > > > > > tremendous mental and physical well-being for us as well. It is our > > > > > > ability to stand together as a group, to support each other, to > > > > > > help each other, to communicate for mutual understanding, and to > > > > > > cooperate, that has taken our species this far." Dr. James R. Doty, > > > > > > the Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and > > > > > > Education at Stanford University, describes the scientific > > > > > > underpinnings of compassion in this piece. { read more } > > > > > > Be The Change > > > > > > As Dr. Doty writes, "Compassion is the recognition of another's > > > > > > suffering and a desire to alleviate that suffering." Recognize > > > > > > somebody's sadness, isolation, or suffering and try to connect with > > > > > > them. { more } > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > COMMENT | RATE           > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >   Related Good News > > > > > > Offbeat Graduation Speech Gets Standing Ovation 10 Keys To Happier > > > > > > Living Secrets to Longevity 7 Habits of Mindful Eating > > > > > > How to Transform Negative Emotions 9 Essential Skills Kids Should > > > > > > Learn 8 Weeks to a Better Brain What the Internet Does to Your > > > > > > Brain > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers "good news" > > > > > > to 121,683 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To > > > > > > unsubscribe, click here. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Other ServiceSpace projects include: > > > > > > HelpOthers  // CF Sites  // KarmaTube  // > > > > > > Conversations  // More > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >