You were quite right to refuse the conversion Turquoiose, since one should ONLY practice a technique that has hundreds of studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals decade after deacade. Everything else is like untested base jumping.
OffWorld --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > well said, Rick. As it turns out, I had a similar > conversation with a former Rama student recently. > Like your friend, this gal was trying to "save" me > from my backsliding ways and "help me" return to a > "proper and correct" understanding of who and what > Rama (Frederick Lenz) was. > > I tolerated it for a few moments, making jokes the > whole time, trying to get her to lighten up. But > lightening up just wasn't in the picture, because > she had decided that I really needed to be "saved," > and that she was just the one to do the "saving." > > So finally I said to her, "Look...here is where I'm > at with regard to any of this. Anything I think or > believe about Rama is just a theory, and one that I > am not particularly attached to. I am willing to > state at any time that I could be completely WRONG > in my ideas about who and what he was. Can you say > that about YOUR beliefs about him?" > > She hemmed and hawed and dodged the question for > some minutes, but I kept repeating it, saying that > if we were to have any kind of meaningful discussion, > we should start off on the same footing, both of us > with ideas about the man we were discussing, but both > of us willing to admit that these ideas might be > WRONG. She kept dodging. I kept repeating the ques- > tion. Finally she flew into a purple-faced rage, > yelled at me for a few minutes, and stormed off, > hopefully never to darken my door again. > > The thing is, she was UNABLE to say the words, "I might > be wrong." She couldn't get them out of her mouth. To > do so would have opened a Pandora's Box for her that > she wanted no part of. Her faith was based on the abso- > lute *certainty* that she was right, and she could not, > even for a moment, admit even the *possibility* that she > might be wrong. > > I kinda suspect that the friend who wanted to "help you" > would have reacted the same way... > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <rick@> wrote: > > > > He said: > > > > If you sincerely want to know the truth, I'll help you come to > terms with > > Maharishi and the Movement. But Ricky, if your heart is already > set and I > > would be wasting my time, then, you can go on with the negative > judgements > > and good luck. > > > > > > > > I said: > > > > I thought a lot about this and kind of "felt" my way into it during > > meditation, and here's what I think (and feel). I love you, Bobby, > Paul > > Morehead, Craig Pearson, my old Purusha buddies, and the many good > souls in > > the movement. Most of the people I just mentioned love what > they're doing > > and seem to be thriving doing it. Bobby (to whom I'm Cc-ing this > note) > > absolutely glows with love, energy, and enthusiasm. I consider him > a genuine > > saint, (although, being a genuine saint, he wouldn't admit or even > know that > > he is). So many of the people I just mentioned are brilliant at > what they > > do. I couldn't hold a candle to them. My heart recoils at the > thought of > > engaging them in a conversation in which I would be obligated to > bring out > > things that might dampen their enthusiasm and devotion. If it ever > becomes > > more evolutionary for some of these people to leave the movement > than to > > stay in it, then probably that's what they'll do. Most of those > who stay in > > the movement will see them as having fallen or become deluded, > because > > seeing their course of action as perfectly acceptable might shake > the > > foundations of their own motivation. But those who leave can live > with that. > > > > > > > > The conditions you've set up for our discussion are not equitable. > You > > clearly imply that you possess "the truth" and that I am mired > in "negative > > judgments" from which you might extricate me. I don't regard you > or anyone > > as having a monopoly on the truth. If some of my own judgments are > overly > > negative, I'd certainly like to revise them. Others may be > insightful or > > well-informed, but for you to see them that way would be to start > a crack in > > the cosmic egg, and as I said above, I don't want to do that. I > don't mean > > to sound condescending, but chicks have to peck their way out. > Helping them > > from the outside can be injurious. > > > > > > > > My guiding principles are pretty well expressed by the quotes on > the home > > page of FairfieldLife: > > > > > > > > "What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the wish to find > out, which > > is the exact opposite." ~ Bertrand Russell > > > > > > > > "The healthy mind challenges its own assumptions." ~ The I Ching > > > > > > > > "Whatever you think, it's more than that" ~ Incredible String Band > > > > > > > > "Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not > believe what > > your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But > > whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be > kind, > > conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings -- > that > > doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide." ~ > Dharma-pada, > > Buddha Shakyamuni > > > > > > > > "Take what you need and leave the rest." ~ The Band > > > > > > > > I do not claim to know the truth. I hope my judgments, if I am > making any, > > remain open to revision as new information presents itself. And I > try never > > dismiss any information out of hand. "Pretty much any topic is > fair game." > > (Another line from the FFL description.) We don't live in a black > and white > > universe and a fundamentalist, holier-than-thou attitude, whoever > expresses > > it, is a reflection of individual ego, not of the true nature of > things. It > > reveals a failure to appreciate God's infinite, all-embracing, > compassionate > > nature. > > > > > > > > So I hope we always remain friends, and can spend some fun time > together, as > > I often do with the Moreheads, without friction over our different > > orientations. Perhaps a few years from now we'll each see things > from > > different perspectives, and long discussions will be appropriate > and > > fruitful. > > > > > > > > Your pal, > > > > > > > > Rick > > > > > > > > P.S. The Vikings say they're coming for you next. > > >
