Oh man, you are right, I didn't catch that!
________________________________ From: turquoiseb <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 12:35 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Serious Question, Part 2 Great stories, nicely told. I never had anything to do with Kriyananda and his set, or the Yogananda trip, but I *completely* get the "similar vibe to MUM" thang, having experienced it in any number of spiritual trips. I have nothing to add to your excellent rap except to riff off of a typo in your post that you probably didn't notice but which set me to laughing -- Yodananda. :-) --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson wrote: > > That is a funny funny post - I do love your style of writing and I laughed > out loud when I read your quote of Bhairitu's take on FFL. > > One experience I have not mentioned here is that 2 years after I left MIU I > was with a woman in Boulder (not a TM woman) and she wanted to do a > "pilgrimage" with Swami Kriyananda at their place outside Nevada City called > Ananda. Ann and I had taken a trip to Portland where we made friends with a > couple who were into Kriyananda (I am still friends with them, Ann, not so > much). > > Anyway they had this tradition of doing "pilgrimage" going to India to visit > the places Yogananda and his guru Sri Yukteswar and his guru Lahiri Mahasaya > had lived and taught. > > Well, somehow some of the descendants of Yogananda got annoyed at people > wanting to traipse through their homes and told them to get lost - so in > 1989, Kriyananda organized a pilgrimage of one of Yodananda's nephews and one > other guy who was supposed to the the great-grandson of Lahiri Mahasaya to > come to America to Ananda. > > What struck me after being there at Ananda for a day or two was that even > though the techniques were different, even though they were really into music > and chanting, the vibe there was just like it was at MIU. I was struck by the > similarity of the way people dressed, the way they spoke, their polite yet > aloof manner and just about everything about the Ananda people was just like > the MIU crowd. I remember after the first meeting and then group meal I was > sitting in the dining hall thinking that you could take the MIU folks and put > them here and take these folks and put them at MIU, you would never know the > difference. > > One funny thing I heard was the nephew of Yogananda was in his 80's and when > he came to the US it was his first trip outside of India. When I met him, he > was tall, thin and had a very sweet, sattvic demeanor. The people from Ananda > who had been assigned to pick him up from the airport took him through San > Francisco where he insisted on trying out a trolley car. The Ananda people > nearly crapped in their pants because he got on the back of the car and swung > himself back and forth on the pole at the back of the car - they finally got > him to come in and sit down but one of them said he nearly had a heart attack > fearing Yogananda's nephew was going to fall off the trolley and get killed > on his watch. > > That old man was pretty cool to be around - the great grandson was kind of > full of himself, but all in all it was in interesting experience. Kriyananda > had not at that point been accused of sexual improprieties and had not fled > to Italy - he told all sorts of Yogananda stories including that Yogananda > had confided to him that he (Yogananda) had been Arjuna in a previous life. > > Not that anyone cares what I think, I was not overly impressed withe the > Swami - he just seemed like a kindly old man - there wasn't any real energy > there, but you would have thought he was God incarnate from the way the > Ananda people fawned all over him. > > > > > ________________________________ > From: turquoiseb > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 11:19 AM > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Serious Question, Part 2 > > > Â > You make good points, and I withdraw my parallel. :-) > > I think this place (FFL) is best approached as "enter- > tainment that has the capability of teaching." Like you, > I have learned from many in my time here, and as much > from those who disagreed with me as from those who > agreed. > > I'm fairly comfortable with my views of Maharishi, TM, > the TMO, and spirituality in general, but IMO *none* of > them constitute anything resembling "truth." They're > just ideas that I have. I don't so much "believe in them" > as "wear" them for a bit while toying with them. In so > doing, occasionally I throw them out onto the Internet > like spaghetti against a refrigerator; some idea-strands > stick, others don't. No big deal either way. > > I honestly don't think there is enough there there about > the whole TM experience to get emotional about or attached > to. For me, at least. But I enjoy playing with ideas about > it, as a form of amusement and as an opportunity to learn. > It's one of my weird ideas of fun. > > What many of my detractors don't seem to understand when > they cast me as a villain with a grudge against Maharishi > is that I really couldn't give a flying fuck about him. > He doesn't interest me. I'll never read a book about him, > and have trouble making it through any of his quotes when > they are posted here. He's so much a part of my past that > I really can't identify enough to get all that interested > in him. > > But THE TM MOVEMENT, and the people who populated it, or > continue to, THEY are more interesting. FFL is, as Bhairitu > suggests, "the Funny Farm Lounge." It's a zoo. It's a never- > ending education in the ongoing history of spiritual > movements -- or cults, if you prefer -- past, present, > and future. Sooner or later every quirk or weirdness I've > witnessed or even heard about in *any* spiritual group, > *anywhere*, *anytime* gets acted out here on Fairfield > Life. It's like a microcosm of spiritual weirdness. > > And, as that great philosopher Zaphod Beebelbrox said > so eloquently, "Anything for a weird life." > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson wrote: > > > > From Barry: > > > > "As for parallels, I think mine was apt. Michael obsesses > > on Maharishi and the TMO because it's an *ongoing issue*. > > None of the practices and dishonesty he's upset about > > have stopped; instead, they are normal, everyday policy. > > But there is another sense in which your stalking is > > like his (apologies in advance to Michael if I'm incorrect, > > none needed with regard to the Judester because everyone > > here knows I'm correct)." > > > > > > I may have tried early on to convince others here on FFL that another point > > of view might be wise, but it didn't take long before I learned that was a > > forlorn hope - for the last several months at least I have been asking > > questions and learning things both facts, personal anecdotes and opinions > > that have helped me make sense of my time with TM and make sense of TM and > > the TMO and Marshy in general. > > > > Aside from that, I do the same thing now that you say you do, I say how I > > feel or what I believe and I do pose questions sometimes to see what others > > believe - I have no illusions that anyone here will change their minds. > > > > I would like to thank to everyone who has posted here - I have been > > criticized for agreeing with you Barry and it is true that sometimes you > > can really cuss people out but for me I have gained a great deal of insight > > from your points of view and the stories of what you saw and did in the TMO. > > > > I have gained not only from what you and Sal and Curtis have posted it but > > others as well - if it weren't for Rick I might not have had my eyes opened > > to M's sexual escapades - and while others excuse the behavior and even say > > it made him "more human" for me it goes to credibility - I have a hard time > > with believing someone is doing things in my best interest when they are > > lying to my face everyday. It has been most helpful too to read much of > > Ravi and Bhairitu's posts - a perspective of TM from the Indian perspective. > > > > > > I have also gained from the exchanges with Nabby, Dr. D, seventhray and > > others who have disagreed with or criticized me - it helped me see that > > some people will hang on to their illusions no matter what - and I realize > > they believe I am hanging on to my illusions. FFL has been very helpful for > > me and at times quite amusing. So thank you everyone. > > > > ________________________________ > > From: turquoiseb > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 3:09 AM > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Serious Question, Part 2 > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Jackson wrote: > > > > > (snip) > > > > > > You vilify politicians and people in high finance who do the > > > > > > exact same things that Maha did and give him a free pass for > > > > > > doing what you don't tolerate in others. I understand it, but > > > > > > I shore don't agree with it. > > > > > > > > > > What good would vilifying him do, Michael? You appear > > > > > to enjoy wallowing in your outrage, but you won't be > > > > > satisfied until everyone else is wallowing in it too. > > > > > > > > Sorta the way *you* do when obsessing on Curtis or Vaj > > > > or myself or others of your enemies? Just sayin'... :-) > > > > > > Allow me to obsess a little more and point out that you > > > carefully, deliberately, and dishonestly failed to quote > > > the part of my post that refutes your accusation: Like > > > dishonest politicians and banksters, you are alive and > > > kicking and being destructive. > > > > If what you wished to accomplish was to *demonstrate* > > your obsession, and your tendency to project onto those > > you dislike your *own* negative qualities, feel free. > > I "allow" you. By all means, obsess away. :-) > > > > I never even *read* the parts of your post that I snipped, > > much less deleted them "intentionally." That's something > > *you* repeatedly accuse people of, because you're...uh... > > insane, and you have a tendency to accuse others of the > > very tactics that *you* employ. :-) > > > > As for parallels, I think mine was apt. Michael obsesses > > on Maharishi and the TMO because it's an *ongoing issue*. > > None of the practices and dishonesty he's upset about > > have stopped; instead, they are normal, everyday policy. > > But there is another sense in which your stalking is > > like his (apologies in advance to Michael if I'm incorrect, > > none needed with regard to the Judester because everyone > > here knows I'm correct). > > > > That's the fact that it seems to *matter* to you both > > very much that you are able to *convince* others to see > > issues and obsessions the same way you do. You try to > > *persuade* others to believe the way that you do, and > > pile on to the issues you believe are issues. > > > > I honestly don't try to do that. I'm here just for my > > own amusement. I state my opinions -- making clear that > > opinions is *all* that they are -- and then allow others > > to react or not react, as they see fit. I don't get drawn > > into long ego-battles to establish my opinion as the > > correct one or the dominant one, and I don't try to get > > other people to defend an opposite position. If they > > choose to do that, it's their choice; if they choose not > > to, that's their choice too. Either way is fine with me. > > > > Compare and contrast with the Judester, whose *entire > > online life* can be accurately characterized as a quest > > to get other people to see things the warped way she > > sees them, agree with it, and align themselves with her > > in demonizing the people or orgs she believes are demons. > > Michael, you have a touch of that yourself, although > > not really in the same ballpark as The Corrector. She's > > obsessed about *her* nemesis (moi) for over seventeen > > years now, trying her best to get everyone on every forum > > we've shared to think badly of me and diss me the way > > they "should" according to her world view. > > > > What really gets her panties in a twist is that she has > > *failed* in this. People still manage to interact with > > me without wearing the hate-blinders she wants them to > > wear; people still realize that often I point out truths > > about Maharishi, King Tonytwit, TM, and the TMO, and > > react to them as what they are -- mere opinions, not an > > attempt to sell them anything. > > > > This drives her crazy. It drove her crazy when people > > continued to like Curtis and Vaj and Sal Sunshine, too. > > It *still* drives her crazy when people continue to like > > or say positive things about Andrew Skolnick, or Mike > > Doughney, or John Knapp, or John From Brazil -- all > > people she's dedicated *enormous* amounts of time and > > energy and hatred towards getting people to hate, too. > > > > What precipitated this set of attacks on MJ, from my > > point of view, is that this was happening again. A few > > people were reacting...uh...not negatively to Michael, > > and to me, so she "had" to step in to Correct Things. > > It's her dharma, you see -- she really does see herself > > as Andrew lampooned her: Judy Stein: Defender of the > > Faith. :-) > > > > Consider all of this, Michael. IMO, there is really no > > point in trying to convince TM TBs to believe anything > > other than the TM TB dogma they already believe. You > > can only express opinions, and then sit back and watch > > to See What Happens. Change takes time, and in matters > > of belief, only comes from within. > > > > Don't bother spending a lot of energy trying to convince > > them -- it simply cannot be done. Just state what you > > believe and then allow *them* to make your points for > > you by overreacting and going into "Kill the messenger" > > mode. If what you desire is to make the point that TM > > practitioners are cultists, their *own behavior* demon- > > strates this far better than anything you could say. > > > > As for Judy, I will *continue* to express my opinions, > > and a few feeble minds here will *continue* to join her > > in overreacting to them, and at the same time some posters > > here will *continue* to like me *anyway*, and there is > > simply nothing she can do about this. If she's been an > > absolute failure at this quest of hers for seventeen > > years, she's not going to turn it into a winning streak > > at this late stage of the game. :-) > > > > And in the end, that knowledge is the best possible > > revenge for seventeen years of stalking. :-) > > >
