--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Turquoise, you name Sattyanand as being the source of the quote about > MMY being told to go and meditate, and not to teach. > Did you hear this from Sattyanand himself or from someone else? > Can you remember anything else that was said? > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > As usual when I post an honest, heartfelt, and > > *non*-putdown opinion of Maharishi, one of the > > terribly attached TBs reacts to it as if it was > > a putdown (not true), and as if she were feeling > > terribly threatened by the opinion itself (true). > > > > Allow me to clarify, for those who are less anal > > retentive about the things they believe. > > > > In the past on this forum, we have discussed > > whether it would really *matter* to people with > > regard to the benefits they have received from > > TM if Maharishi had, in fact, had sex with a > > bunch of his female students. The general > > consensus was No, it wouldn't matter. > > > > Why then are so many people so attached to the > > idea that he is enlightened? > > > > Would it really *matter* if he wasn't? Would > > the benefits they have received from practicing > > TM be any less? By their actions -- overreacting > > almost any time this subject comes up and getting > > all defensive about their belief (and that is all > > it is) that he is enlightened -- one really has > > to assume that it *would* really matter to them. > > My question is, Why? > > > > My completely honest, no bullshit, pondered-over- > > for-almost-40-years opinion is that Maharishi is > > *not* enlightened, and never has been. In all the > > time I spent in the TM movement, I never once > > heard him claim that he was, and based on reports > > here, I don't think he ever has. And yet people > > persist in believing that he is. Again, why, and > > more important -- *what difference would it make?*" > > > > My perception of Maharishi is of a well-meaning > > ordinary guy who had the fortunate experience of > > spending some time around someone who *was* > > enlightened, was inspired by that experience, > > and who decided *on his own*, and against the > > advice of that teacher, to try to spread the > > inspiration that he felt around, so that other > > people could feel as inspired as he did. > > > > This is *NOT* a putdown; it's a compliment. I > > *commend* Maharishi for his devotion to this > > desire to inspire. By contrast, I've worked with > > several other teachers who periodically threw > > tantrums and decided to *stop* teaching; Maharishi > > never has. That, in my book, makes Maharishi far > > more devoted to his desire to inspire others > > than the other teachers were. > > > > I *do* believe that he went against the direct > > advice of his own teacher in making this decision > > to teach, and at his own peril. Spiritual teaching > > is a perilous task; there are pitfalls and dangers > > in it, especially for those who still have a strong > > ego that would be easy prey for these pitfalls and > > dangers. *That* is what I believe that Guru Dev > > had in mind when he told Maharishi not to teach, > > and to follow his *own* example and spend his time > > in meditation, far away from the teaching process. > > (This information came from Sattyanand, many years > > ago.) We are talking, after all, about a guy (Guru > > Dev) who tried as hard as humanly possible to *avoid* > > being forced into the position of being a teacher > > himself. He *understood* the pitfalls and dangers. > > When they tried to make him the Shankaracharya, he > > literally disappeared for 21 days, hoping that they > > would change their minds and choose someone else. > > I think he had Maharishi's best interests in mind > > when he made the suggestion that he *not* teach; > > he must have known that Maharishi was not *ready* > > to teach, and *would* fall victim to the pitfalls > > and dangers that awaited him if he chose that path. > > And I believe that Maharishi did, in fact, fall > > prey to them. > > > > But that doesn't mean that I don't feel gratitude > > to him for what he taught me. TM, as cobbled-together > > and untested as it was, helped to start me on a > > spiritual path, and I am grateful to Maharishi for > > having made it available. But at the same time, unlike > > most of the other TM teachers I have met, I have never > > really considered him enlightened, and still don't. > > > > Many people would *like* Maharishi to be enlightened. > > They have various reasons for why they believe that. > > I have my own reasons for believing that he is not. > > My reasons may be correct or they may not, but it > > doesn't really matter, because it wouldn't *matter* > > to me whether he was enlightened or not. The benefit > > for me was in learning a useful beginner's technique > > of meditation, one that left me open to more inter- > > esting experiences with other techniques and other > > traditions. Maharishi didn't need to be enlightened > > to accomplish that. > > > > Haven't you ever considered the possibility that > > Maharishi coined his "learning to read" analogy (you > > remember the one -- the kid goes to school and learns > > "A, B, C" and then goes home and teaches his younger > > brothers and sisters "A, B, C") to describe *himself*? > > > > I guess my questions for the group as a whole are: > > > > 1. *Is* it important to you to believe that Maharishi > > was/is enlightened? > > > > 2. If so, *why*? > > > > 3. What *difference* do you think that would have > > made in his ability to teach you what you have > > learned from him? > > It*s totally out of the question that Satyanand would have been the source for this redicelous rumour. In fact, Satyanand traveled far and wide in Europe in the 60/70's teaching the exact same knowledge as Maharishi did. This fellow, turqoise, just didn't do his homework.
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