--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Buck dhamiltony2k5@... wrote:
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Jason jedi_spock@ wrote:
--- raunchydog raunchydog@ wrote:
Well, Buck, you're entitled to your opinion and in my
opinion the contract I made with Maharishi out of love
and respect for his great gift to humanity is still valid.
--- turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote:
Ahem. You're entitled to your opinion (however erroneous
it may be) as to what constitutes a gift. As someone
reported here not long ago, the TM movement *in India
alone* is worth about $1,114,380,000.00 US Dollars.
There has not been a *moment* that I know of since the
beginning of the TM movement in which this gift has
ever been one; it's been a profit-making enterprise
since Day One.
If you feel the need to honor a contract that was never
worth the paper it was printed on (meaning that it was
never a legal agreement to start with) with a businessman
intent on making money by charging as much as he possibly
could for mantras he ripped off from traditional Indian
teachings, that's your right.
If you're further willing to give up your right to read
what you want, study what you want, see the spiritual
teachers you want to see, etc., and instead just do what
you were told to do and believe what you were told to
believe by this same businessman, that also is your
right.
Just don't expect too many of us to have any respect
for you still being this gullible this many years later.
--- raunchydog raunchydog@ wrote:
I opened my heart to loving Maharishi because his gift of TM uplifts
the consciousness of the world. Even Buck who thinks Maharishi is a
skunk believes this. I respect Maharishi's tireless dedication to
bringing TM to thousands of people who now enjoy a more fulfilling
life. It's a gift that keeps on giving. My love for Maharishi is born
of hope for a better world. Respect from hateful cynics like you,
Barry, is at the bottom of my list of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
--- awoelflebater no_reply@ wrote:
I do not have a strong opinion of this matter either way. I meditated as
a young person until I was an older person. Attended MIU from where I
graduated in 1980. I had an entire family who meditated, two of my
sisters were initiators but I never once felt the inkling to join them. I
respected the technique and took it seriously. But in time, due to a
number of factors, it fell away for me and although occasionally I choose
to say my mantra I do not feel strongly either negatively or positively
about the practice or Maharishi. I did not invest myself in him
personally like you Raunchy or Barry or Robin or Buck or many others. So,
while I read about how the people who are the enforcers in the Movement
are what I would call dogmatic, power hungry, delusional and downright
bullies my life is not intertwined with this and so although I react with
indignation because this bothers me, it is not my world.
On the subject of loyalty to and love for Maharishi, that appears to be a
very personal and precious thing for Raunchy and, I am sure, for many
others. Even if the Movement and the practice is not all it was cracked
up to be the reality remains, for Raunchy, that she loves MMY and she
feels like it is the right thing (in fact could probably not feel any
other way, but she will correct me if I am wrong here) to remain
steadfast in her promise and her devotion to him. Even if Maharishi is
what Buck claims he was, a money-grabbing lecherous greedy man that does
not change, for those who were touched in a very deep place by him, the
reality of their personal, heart-felt relationship with him and it will
never change. I believe that one's devotion to something less than
perfect can purify things, can make them clean and can effect what may be
suspect and make it, somehow, beautiful, keep it true. In some way the
devotee can purge the imperfect with the perfection of their love and
loyalty. So the devotee is unscathed even while the subject of their
devotion may be corrupt. I am speaking not necessarily of Maharishi or TM
here but in what I believe could apply to any number of situations. I
respect utterly Raunchy's loyalty and trueness of heart here. Only she
can understand and feel what motivates her and I am pretty sure it makes
her the beautiful person she is just as the incredible human she is
allows her to feel what she does.
So, you are asking her to be a toadie. This is the strategy
TM-org always used to fill it's ranks.
Yeah, with friends like you, who needs enemies.
