Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: a critical view
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
10 Spiritually Transmitted Diseases - applies to TM!
This Huffington Post Article describes life in the TM Movement all too well!
To read the article titled 10 Spiritually Transmitted Diseases, click here.
6 comments:
revoluce
said...
Caplan has clearly touched on a number of the problems some of us have with TM practitioners. I'm not sure about which "spiritual path" or practices she may (along with her controversial partner, Marc Gafni) be in fact promoting.
I think any "spiritual" path or any mundane path can be catastrophic to oneself. It depends entirely, or so it seems to me, on the individual and how the individual perceives or does not perceive that path.
That said by way of caveat, it must be entirely obvious to many of us that some "paths" just don't seem very safe whilst others hold some appeal.
To a great extent, I think, how we react to that repulsion or appeal paves the way we will follow and quite possibly the way in which we might follow it.
Whether or not we wake up to the realization that we have been in error or whether or not we wake up to the realization that we have made the right choice is something for which we remain responsible, whether we like it, appreciate it -- or not.
Could TM be right for some people? Quite possibly. Even the extremes to which Mahesh pushed the envelope quite possibly might be good for some particular person (although, quite frankly, as open-minded about this as I'd like to be, I cannot quite fathom how that could be).
Other caveats? they seem obvious enough now: look carefully before you make decisions, consult if you can, check out documents like the one posted here, don't bet the ranch, make sure you ALWAYS know where the exit is.
Probably one ought also not to burn one's bridges behind one, as well
Reading the article...although she made some good points, it came across as supercilious and judgemental. She has spent 15 years doing this? Perhaps it was just the condensed nature of the article. I recall a seminar with a very humble, practical Tibetan teacher some years back; the seminar was on managing emotions. He said the very worst thing anyone on the spiritual path can do, which reduces a person to the lowest rnng possible, is to start thinking they are more spiritually advanced than others.
Caplan left out the "blind in one eye" disease, which renders the self important Dr Caplan able to see the cults others are in but not the cult that she is promoting and profitting from. But then her cult leader teaches "cutting edge spirituality".
I think the problem here is this "leader" business. In business there are managers and supervisors, in spirituality there are leaders. Big difference. As in war making, the leaders are the ones who lead you into death.
Another approach: Why do we need leaders? Is there some new spiritual truth that has not been known before? Some new revelation were not privy too? Nope. Hence we don't need another clown performing spirituality.
6 comments:
Caplan has clearly touched on a number of the problems some of us have with TM practitioners. I'm not sure about which "spiritual path" or practices she may (along with her controversial partner, Marc Gafni) be in fact promoting.
I think any "spiritual" path or any mundane path can be catastrophic to oneself. It depends entirely, or so it seems to me, on the individual and how the individual perceives or does not perceive that path.
That said by way of caveat, it must be entirely obvious to many of us that some "paths" just don't seem very safe whilst others hold some appeal.
To a great extent, I think, how we react to that repulsion or appeal paves the way we will follow and quite possibly the way in which we might follow it.
Whether or not we wake up to the realization that we have been in error or whether or not we wake up to the realization that we have made the right choice is something for which we remain responsible, whether we like it, appreciate it -- or not.
Could TM be right for some people? Quite possibly. Even the extremes to which Mahesh pushed the envelope quite possibly might be good for some particular person (although, quite frankly, as open-minded about this as I'd like to be, I cannot quite fathom how that could be).
Other caveats? they seem obvious enough now: look carefully before you make decisions, consult if you can, check out documents like the one posted here, don't bet the ranch, make sure you ALWAYS know where the exit is.
Probably one ought also not to burn one's bridges behind one, as well
Here's another, and much briefer, definition of diseased spirituality ..
"A cult is when the leader is having sex and no one else is."
A quote from a sci-fi author, whose name escapes me.
Reading the article...although she made some good points, it came across as supercilious and judgemental. She has spent 15 years doing this? Perhaps it was just the condensed nature of the article. I recall a seminar with a very humble, practical Tibetan teacher some years back; the seminar was on managing emotions. He said the very worst thing anyone on the spiritual path can do, which reduces a person to the lowest rnng possible, is to start thinking they are more spiritually advanced than others.
Caplan left out the "blind in one eye" disease, which renders the self important Dr Caplan able to see the cults others are in but not the cult that she is promoting and profitting from. But then her cult leader teaches "cutting edge spirituality".
Betty
I think the problem here is this "leader" business. In business there are managers and supervisors, in spirituality there are leaders. Big difference. As in war making, the leaders are the ones who lead you into death.
Another approach: Why do we need leaders? Is there some new spiritual truth that has not been known before? Some new revelation were not privy too? Nope. Hence we don't need another clown performing spirituality.
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