That was her take on the issue, not mine - the original deal was the story of Vedaland being pitched to CPs after weeks of rounding and the deceit onthe part of the PR guy when asked what was Henning doing at that moment (when the PR guy apparently knew he was dying) - but it brought up for me a multitude of unethical behavior on the part of TMO - this was for me an anecdote that removed possibly my last remaining good feeling toward the TMO - I had thought the one area where they behaved with integrity was safeguarding the mental/emotional stability if you will of the CPs by having only truly residence course related material presented to them, thereby showing they really were most interested in the evolution of the CPs.
Your post here Curtis shows me that I was wrong. The issue also was raised as to how people who still love the TMO make excuses for their unpalatable behavior. As far as I can see, the TMO reps have always behaved with a remarkably consistent unsavory flair and energy - it didn't and doesn't happen every day at every TM facility in the world, but the behavior is consistent and pervasive. And that is the most telling fact about TM and its effects. Then there are those like I used to be that say, "Well, so and so who has been with M for years and is a raja is an ass, and lots of crappy things happen in the Movement, but TM is still something I get the good out of." And since I once made my way through life for years that way, I understand the point of view. However, if TM had the beneficial effects that are claimed for it in the intro lectures still today, such points of view would be unnecessary since the long time meditators would one and all have become exemplary figures in life and society. This is obviously not the case, therefore one can conclude that TM does not perform as advertised, does not have the long term effects claimed for it. And now one can wonder if the long term effects of misusing and abusing people that the TMO regularly engage in is an effect of practicing TM within the confines of the TMO only, or is an effect of TM practice itself. Having known many long term TMers who are decent people, I would have to say it cannot be just TM practice itself. But if TM delivered on its advertised results, the effects should lead to a purity of thought, behavior and action unparalleled heretofore on earth in the organization that teaches and promotes it. And that hasn't happened. ________________________________ From: curtisdeltablues <curtisdeltabl...@yahoo.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2013 12:39 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Challenge: Talk about the issue, not the people who brought it up --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 wrote: > > > > > I've never encountered any form of sales-pitch on ANY course during > > > decades in the TMO. > > > So far we only have your version of this. > > > > So you never taught 3rd night of checking which includes the > > sales pitch for a residence course as a mandatory part of it? > > The issue is sales pitches *on rounding courses*, Curtis. > The complaint (I guess you missed it) is that you're told > not to make major decisions (such as purchasing what is > being sold) while you're rounding. OK so only my residence course and fundraiser held on rounding courses apply. I took Nabby's word "any" to mean any. > > > Never taught a residence course which also included making > > a sales pitch for advance programs like the sidhis? > > This is the only one of your questions that's relevant > to the issue. > > But of course you can't *apply and be accepted for and > then pay for* these advanced programs on a residence > course. All that would have to take place after the > course was over. So whether a pitch for the programs > violates the "no decisions while rounding" recommendation > depends on whether that means decisions that would be > *implemented* while you were rounding (which is how I > always understood it), as opposed to decisions you > could only implement once the course was over (and > had presumably had a chance to give the decision some > non-spacey thought). > > > Never attended any of the MANY fundraisers held at the bigger facilities > > that I both attended or ran for years? > > > > Never promoted Ayur veda or its many products at your TM center? > > > > Were you ever a teacher in the field? Selling programs was our total focus. > > > > The brochure version of TM that you pitch here only works on people without > > experience of the organization, like maybe someone at an intro lecture. > > > > If I had kept all the Telexes from National commanding me to pitch the next > > TM product through the next big campaign, I could turn them over and never > > need sketch paper for the rest of my life. > > Again, the question isn't whether the TMO makes sales > pitches; obviously no one would claim that it does not. > It's whether the TMO has made sales pitches at an > inappropriate time and place. Thanks for filling in the context for the full discussion. People did buy Ayur Vedic products and advanced techniques while rounding on courses I've been on. I think the prohibition about making decisions does not apply to any decision to get deeper into the movement in the movement mindset. That is always considered to be a life-supporting decision, so there is no chance of making a mistake because you were "unstressing". But it is commendable that the movement would even give this advice at all because even if we drop the idea of stress release as they see it as I have, the state you are in is one of heightened suggestibility and this is sound advise. But with the exemption of decisions that the movement can profit from, there was an element of dubious ethics in play. At the CNL in DC they held regular fundraisers on the last day of residence courses pitching this and that and getting people to stand up and make public donations. Then they would chase the people around after the course to get them to make good on the decision they had made on the course but often regretted later. >
