--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > > > > > > > > My opinion is that they developed the buddy system and > > > > all the other "precautions" because there had been a > > > > few really sad and serious situations where people did > > > > become unstable or have breakdowns while on various > > > > course, or even died. > > > > > > That is correct. Even though there were freakouts back > > > on the India courses (one guy lost it and ran through > > > the jungles screaming for several hours before they > > > could catch him), the concern on the part of the TMO > > > started, as I understand it, back in Estes Park, where > > > people were having all sorts of mental and physical > > > issues related to the long meds (no asanas then), so > > > Maharishi tried "rounding." > > > > > > When that didn't stop the negative effects of the longer > > > periods of meditation, he started to talk about "unstress- > > > ing" as related to this phenomenon, and claim that it was > > > because Westerners carried more "stress" in their systems > > > than people in India he had been more used to, and that > > > it was a Good Thing, because, after all, "stress" was being > > > released. And everybody just bought this, just as they had > > > everything else he had said. > > > > > > The addition of asanas to "program" on courses didn't do > > > anything to stop these negative side effects, however, as > > > anyone who was on the Fiuggi course should remember. The > > > first 2-3 rows at that course were reserved for "heavy > > > unstressers," and it was a real zoo. It looked like a > > > convention of people suffering from epilepsy, Tourettes > > > Syndrome, or both. Arms jerking and flying around, people > > > grunting and yelling and moaning -- and all of this *in > > > activity*, sitting in a lecture hall, not during "program." > > > In fact, most of these people were told to *stop* rounding > > > and meditate normally, and *the symptoms did not go away*. > > > For some of them these tics and jerks and uncontrollable > > > spasms lasted for months. (Please note that all of this > > > was the result of plain, vanilla TM, *long* before the > > > Sidhis and *their* brand of grunting and twitching > > > appeared upon the scene.) > > > > > > > My guess is that most of these people were unstable before > > > > coming to the course. I suspect this happens in all > > > > spiritual groups and churches, too. > > > > > > What I'm trying to tell you is that -- based on my exper- > > > ience and that of thousands of others who have attended > > > in-residence long meditation courses in other techniques, > > > NO SUCH PHENOMENA ARE PRESENT. No one ever had to > > > make up "rules" or "guidelines" to deal with such extreme > > > side effects, because they NEVER APPEARED. > > > > > > Personally, I believe that the basic laziness of the basic > > > TM technique is at fault. The techniques of meditation at > > > these other courses involved more focus. *Not*, as TMers > > > were often told, "concentrating" on the mantra or other > > > point of meditational focus, just being aware enough not > > > to sit there for long periods time -- or for the whole > > > meditation session -- lost in thoughts and daydreams. MMY > > > thought this was OK, but most other traditions -- those > > > based on *real* traditions as opposed to having been made > > > up, like TM -- say that the lazy, effortless approach > > > characterized by TM is debilitating, because long-term, > > > this practice causes people to get "stuck in the astral" > > > and become spaced out and reclusive and incapable of > > > being grounded in activity. That's certainly what I saw > > > on TM courses, but *never* on courses from these other > > > traditions whose courses I attended. > > > > > > > People who need a place to belong or to rest their weary > > > > and confused bones land in churches and Buddhist groups, > > > > etc. > > > > > > Not to argue, but I think such people would be more drawn > > > to churches than most Buddhist groups I'm aware of, because > > > in the latter one is expected to WORK, on a daily basis, > > > at resolving one's own problems. There is never that sense > > > that someone or something is going to "do it for you" that > > > we see in churches and in New Age groups. > > > > > > > For the TMO, to try and keep an eye on people somehow, > > > > people were paired into buddies so that a report would > > > > come if someone seemed odd. > > > > > > At which point, as I suggested earlier, NO ONE IN CHARGE > > > OF THE COURSE WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO. They had > > > never been *trained* in what to do. > > > > > > In my considered opinion, the main reason for the "Don't > > > leave the course" and the "buddy" rules was to keep spaced- > > > out people from wandering around in the towns the courses > > > were held in and thus giving TM and the TMO a bad name. > > > That happened enough times in the early days that they > > > were wary of it. > > > > > > But in retrospect I really believe that all of these side > > > effects of longer periods of meditation were the result > > > of the TM technique. I say this based on my *own exper- > > > ience*, both with TM and with a number of other techniques, > > > and both on TM residence courses and those given by the > > > teachers of these other techniques of meditation. And, of > > > course, on similar experiences reported by thousands of > > > people who had studied the latter techniques, vs. thousands > > > of people who studied TM. > > > > > > You don't have "rules and regs" to deal with "heavy > > > unstressing" on these other courses BECAUSE THEY ARE > > > NOT NEEDED. No such experiences ever arise for the > > > course participants. > > > > > > Why do they with TM? > > > > > > > > > > > Why? > > > > Dear Turqb and Susan, > > > > Soliloquy, > > > > As spiritually deceitful as their behavior and morally despicable and > > criminal as some of the leadership of TM has been been at times Buck is > > getting dang tired of defending them here in having to speak on behalf of > > their technique because they are unable to be here in dialogue with this. > > But let me say this on behalf them, Dammit of course other meditation > > techniques are not like this though they certainly have their crazies too, > > but those techniques are not nearly as powerful as this TM kind of > > meditating. > > > > The other techniques simply don't go that deep so they are less likely to > > show their casualties. This however is a powerful practice that does need > > supervision because it breaks down the ego and the relative. As a > > community TM'ers can be quite bright lit in the upper registers but > > transcending practiced solely and intensely alone of course has the danger > > of leaving people stuck in the higher chakras and disconnected as such. So > > comes the importance of life in the body-mind subtle complex and acting in > > life. Of course TM should teach this but as we've seen is a little short > > on this. This is exactly what the saints come to Fairfield to help with as > > they sit and visit with the meditating community. This also was what > > Maharishiji was working on with his last technique that he was developing > > even at the end of his life. So what. It's a learning process and we know > > a lot more now. Learn from it and get busy. > > > > "One TM meditator is worth a thousand of other meditators" is what one of > > them saints says in passing about Fairfield and TM meditators. > > > > Okay, that's it. Buck is dammed tire now of refuting these haters and > > speaking on behalf of them TM-TB'ers because their own dang defaults. That > > is all Buck will have to say about this. The meditators needs to come out > > and confront their own enemies here in their own dialogue. Buck is not > > going to help them anymore. Buck has helped them meditators plenty quite > > a lot and given them quite a lot and they have chose to not take it and not > > act any better for themselves. With this Buck is through with them and > > this. > > Good-bye, > > -Buck in Life > > Buck, I like my TM practice and do it. I am not a TM hater at all. >
Dear Susan, I know that. You are one of the finest, loveliest and most loyalist oldest FFL member to post here and I can see that. But as my last act as Public Defender of the Faithful on FairfieldLife, I just had to say these things out loud on behalf of all tru-believers here who are not free and cannot speak for themselves here. May the Unified Field give them strength. I now leave the post of FFL Public Defender to others. Live long and prosper, go in peace. -Buck, in Life
