I wrote about this to quite a few people. NoBody except Sir Rick Archer bothered to reply.
I think this idea of Superiority has become a Dogma.
The sooner the TM movement gets rid of this Chain [Golden Chain] the better off it will be.
I think it's Voltaire who said, "Only fools rever the chains that bind them."
TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 08:16:13 -0000
Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: The four classes
Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: The four classes
So were you. It was part and parcel of the TM teaching. And furthermore, YOU still believe it, Shemp; it is part and parcel of what you say on this forum. YOU are the onewho keeps saying that TM is all you need. All we're sayingis that you were actually taught to believe that, something you seem to have forgotten.
The issue, as I see it, is that the TM approach to
spiritual development *IS* seriously limited, and in my opinion deals with primarily "elementary school"
aspects of the enlightenment process. Knowing this,
and knowing that he didn't really have anything to
offer *other* than elementary school topics, Maharishi
has since pretty much Day One endeavored to make
people comfortable with staying in elementary school
forever.
First, he made it "off the program" to read books from other traditions or see other teachers. This is smart because if you never know that there is more out there than the TM movement offers, you'll never miss it.
Second, Maharishi created a *very* strong "TM is the
best and *all* other techniques and traditions are lesser" mindset in his students. You see it here *EVERY DAY*, whether it manifests itself as the pure bigotry of a Bob Brigante or just the ignorance of TMers who are just "believin' what they were told." This mindset contributes to people being complacent about what they are taught by the TM movement and accepting of it as "all that *needs* to be taught." They think, "*Because* all other techniques and traditions are lesser than TM, what could they possibly have to teach me?" They have so thoroughly accepted the "TM is best" bullshit that it has become a set of blinders for them, keeping them from even *noticing* that there are huge aspects of the spiritual process that TM doesn't even touch on in its teachings.
Third, Maharishi created an Inquisition-like arm of
the TM movement, whose job it is to come down on those for which the first two techniques don't work, and who *were* curious enough to study other traditions. When that happens, the first step is usually a proclamation, declaring that "IT'S NOT TM" and will not be countenanced. (Similar to the recent proclamation about diksha.) The next step after that is to excommunicate anyone who still persists in this "off the program" activity.
At the end of the process, you have gotten rid of any-
one who had the first-hand experience of having learned things of value that the TM movement doesn't teach (or in many cases, even know about), *and* you have created an example for the remaining students of *what happens to them* if they *dare* to learn anything but the elementary school stuff fed to them by the TMO.
It's a pretty fascinating cycle to watch, even after all these years. The only thing I can really feel about it all is compassion for those who have submitted to this stuff, and even more compassion for those who claim it wasn't done to them, and that they became the TM bigots they are all on their own. I mean, compassion IS in order; there are a lot of smart people on the TM internet forums who really could have done something with their spiritual aspirations. But instead they *settled* for repeating elementary school over and over and over, in some cases for thirty years or more. And now they spend their days lashing out at anyone who suggests *that* they settled for elementary school. It's really a mindstate to be pitied, not reacted to.
spiritual development *IS* seriously limited, and in my opinion deals with primarily "elementary school"
aspects of the enlightenment process. Knowing this,
and knowing that he didn't really have anything to
offer *other* than elementary school topics, Maharishi
has since pretty much Day One endeavored to make
people comfortable with staying in elementary school
forever.
First, he made it "off the program" to read books from other traditions or see other teachers. This is smart because if you never know that there is more out there than the TM movement offers, you'll never miss it.
Second, Maharishi created a *very* strong "TM is the
best and *all* other techniques and traditions are lesser" mindset in his students. You see it here *EVERY DAY*, whether it manifests itself as the pure bigotry of a Bob Brigante or just the ignorance of TMers who are just "believin' what they were told." This mindset contributes to people being complacent about what they are taught by the TM movement and accepting of it as "all that *needs* to be taught." They think, "*Because* all other techniques and traditions are lesser than TM, what could they possibly have to teach me?" They have so thoroughly accepted the "TM is best" bullshit that it has become a set of blinders for them, keeping them from even *noticing* that there are huge aspects of the spiritual process that TM doesn't even touch on in its teachings.
Third, Maharishi created an Inquisition-like arm of
the TM movement, whose job it is to come down on those for which the first two techniques don't work, and who *were* curious enough to study other traditions. When that happens, the first step is usually a proclamation, declaring that "IT'S NOT TM" and will not be countenanced. (Similar to the recent proclamation about diksha.) The next step after that is to excommunicate anyone who still persists in this "off the program" activity.
At the end of the process, you have gotten rid of any-
one who had the first-hand experience of having learned things of value that the TM movement doesn't teach (or in many cases, even know about), *and* you have created an example for the remaining students of *what happens to them* if they *dare* to learn anything but the elementary school stuff fed to them by the TMO.
It's a pretty fascinating cycle to watch, even after all these years. The only thing I can really feel about it all is compassion for those who have submitted to this stuff, and even more compassion for those who claim it wasn't done to them, and that they became the TM bigots they are all on their own. I mean, compassion IS in order; there are a lot of smart people on the TM internet forums who really could have done something with their spiritual aspirations. But instead they *settled* for repeating elementary school over and over and over, in some cases for thirty years or more. And now they spend their days lashing out at anyone who suggests *that* they settled for elementary school. It's really a mindstate to be pitied, not reacted to.
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