Comments on THE GURU LOOKED GOOD by Marta Szabo: SEPTEMBER by Asterisk*

"At that point the "Exit" signs never seemed to gl...

2008-02-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

"At that point the "Exit" signs never seemed to glow brightly enough--maybe they should have flashed in psychodelic colors to get our attention."

January 20, 2008 11:36 AM

If only......made me smile, thanks anon.

A further comment on Anon's post of Jan 9, 8:40 a....

2008-01-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

A further comment on Anon's post of Jan 9, 8:40 a.m.---

I was on staff during much the same period and saw the same pattern.

"All hands on deck," incredibly important new initiatives by GM, NEVER got finished. Why? Because another "This is it" initiative would erupt just when we were getting our teeth into the earlier one.

So we were told to drop the old one, it had been superceded by the new one. And each new one came with the "Okay, this is REALLY it" label attached, so "Drop everything, and throw all your energies (or what were left of them) into this one."

Loss of credibility? And for the worker bees, no sense of ever accomplishing anything. Intentional on GM's part as another way of taking away our power? Or maybe something else.

Though labels are just labels and never point out the whole picture, for want of a better way of trying to understand what was going on, The thought "ADD?" popped into my head. It fits in many ways: constantly changing course, never finishing things, getting bored very quickly with "initiatives" and, unfortunately, also people.

Whatever you want to call it, it drove our lives too and made some of us wonder what the hell we were doing with our lives anyway? What about actually doing something, even something tiny, that helps a few or a lot of people, in an actual tangible way? Maybe just offer to drive someone to the doctor's office.

At that point the "Exit" signs never seemed to glow brightly enough--maybe they should have flashed in psychodelic colors to get our attention.

Anony wrote...The old value of consistency has som...

2008-01-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

Anony wrote...
The old value of consistency has some merit.

Consider the practice of meditation at the heart of Yoga and Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It's a practice of sitting still, not moving. It's like... if you watch a magic trick, you get fooled by sleight of hand. But if you slow it down, frame by frame, then you can see what's really going on.

Of course we don't spend our whole life in sitting meditation. But that stillness, that stopping, is a vital part of the process. In that stillness, we perceive truth and life-direction with a clarity we sometimes miss in the hectic, changing world. Once we get a taste of that true stillness, then we can make use of it in the rest of ordinary life.

The constant change that the poster describes in the SYDA org... isn't that just like any chaotic life situation, in which the absence of any stillness make us lose our direction? I mean... the higher-ups involved in dealing with the changing teachings and methods of SYDA... did they even maintain a regular meditation practice?

I'm not saying that everyone needs to practice sitting meditation... but we need to somehow find a clear stillness in the midst of the changes of life. Anony's post seems to describe a dynamic where the change was so random and constant that no one had the time or energy to question: Hey, wait a minute, what's all this supposed to be about? Why did I get into this, why am I staying with it (other than mere habit and inertia)? What's it all really about?

Stuart
http://stuart-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/

>>"The point is that Change for Change sake ONLY i...

2008-01-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

>>"The point is that Change for Change sake ONLY is not reponsible. It is like trying to sail a ship when the wind direction switches every few minutes. One needs to head a specific direction and hold course. "<<<

this was a brilliant and fascinating post! It's interesting just how much the focus in syda was on EXTERNAL change...more like a "circus of distraction" or a smokescreen.
When life is moving in tune with the natural flow that arises from within, there is no need to create this kind of artificial excitement. Things "change" in an organic and intuitive way without outside interference.

"It is not healthy, whether it is Siddha Yoga or A...

2008-01-11T04:35:00.000-08:00

"It is not healthy, whether it is Siddha Yoga or American politics, to sail such a disoriented path."

Great comment, I agree very much with this disoriented behaviour in SY, in so many things... not going anywhere and getting people tired and wondering wether such a path leaves somewhere...

Pp

MartaAny chance that you'll post another story by ...

2008-01-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Marta

Any chance that you'll post another story by Asterisk*? The last two have been really interesting!

I want to bring back our conversation to the "hot"...

2008-01-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

I want to bring back our conversation to the "hot" word "Change." and change in Siddha Yoga.

Gurumayi stated publicaly again and again how much she loves Change. As a former staff member, I witnessed many "changes" in the organization.

1. In 1991 women staff members were asked to become stylish, wear expensive short-length suits and have new haircuts. Catherine Parrish was even asked to dye her hair brown!

2. Catherine was "in" as the CEO, got rid of George and then was "out." almost persona non grata.

3. Afterwards there were several reorganizations - one couldn't keep track of who was "in" and who was "out".

4. Then Lester Strong and Tom Morse were "in". Gurumayi endorsed them whole-heartedly in staff meetings and told staff that if they couldn't support them, they should leave.

5. Then Lester and Tom were "out" and Gurumayi chastised the staff for going along with the changes that happened during their time.

6. During Lester and Tom's time, long term staff signed an agreement that they would receive a pension. When Tom and Lester left, these same staff members were asked to return the agreement, all pensions were off.

7. The Premotsava Initiative was a "big deal", now it has disappeared, dissolved into history.

8. Devotees were personally asked by Gurumayi to move to the South Fallsburg area and buy homes. Now these people are not allowed in the Ashram and have no contact with Gurumayi.

9. Devotees were encouraged to come to the Temple and sit and meditate with Bade Baba for comfort, wisdom and inspiation. Now the Temple is closed.

10. In the past, swamis traveled around the world, speaking at retreats, giving courses, teaching and writing. Now all but a couple of swamis perform administrative tasks at the Ashram, not teaching and not writing.

11. In the past the scholars taught courses and were available for lively spiritual discussions. Since the flap over Meditation Revolution, the scholars no longer come to the Ashram.

12. People were asked by the Guru to move to the Ashram, gift the Guru expensive items and big donations. After spending down their resources, the Guru attacks these same people for trying to take financial advantage of the Foundation (for stipends, medical expenses). GM publicaly blames these staff for being irresponsible to not plan for their retirement.

In Siddha Yoga, there is a "damned if you do and damned if you don't "syndrone". A way to work on our egos? I don't think so. A cunning conscious or unconscious effort on the part of the Guru to keep people off balance and control them, Perhaps!

The point is that Change for Change sake ONLY is not reponsible. It is like trying to sail a ship when the wind direction switches every few minutes. One needs to head a specific direction and hold course.

I see a global map in my mind's eye on which a dotted route of the Siddha Foundation journey has been traced. I see it wandering all over the map with no clear destination in sight.

It is not healthy, whether it is Siddha Yoga or American politics, to sail such a disoriented path.

Real change is hard as we all know and takes commitment and perserverance even when the sailing is tough or boring or tedious.

Fresh starts are fun and stimulating to the creative juices. I was attracted to Siddha Yoga by its unpredictability that seemingly worked. It was like living with an exciting person who makes life fun and interesting. The only problem is that at the end of 40 years, there is no money in the bank and friends are getting tired of being used.

We need people in place both in Siddha Yoga and Politics who can help the ship hold a steady course once the destination is identified.

The old value of consistency has some merit.

Maybe we're talking politics here because there's ...

2008-01-09T03:40:00.000-08:00

Maybe we're talking politics here because there's a connection between Bush/Cheney/Rove world and Gurumayi world. I've always thought so. The whole delusional- righteousness-masking-pathological-selfishness thing.

So the urgency about breaking free from a leader (Bush et al) that isn't a pathological liar, delusional, selfish and hypocritical is pretty high for me - kind of like PTSD flashback of leaving Siddha Yoga.

Dan Shaw

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obamaWorth t...

2008-01-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obama
Worth the read- Dan Shaw

Wow. Though the song was cute but hackneyed. This brilliant article makes me want to read more of Andrew Sulivan's writing. And I'm a committed liberal thinker.

Thanks for improving the tenor of my morning. And gee, I wonder if any of us will finish out the week discussing Siddha Yoga in the devotee/exdevotee blogverse? I mean, given the recent trend here and elsewhere.

Maybe a switch to the realpolitic of the US is a needed breather.

K.

I think Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic got someth...

2008-01-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

I think Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic got something very right about Obama - Sullivan is a gay Republican, which makes me scratch my head in wonder. I often find him to be dead wrong about a lot of things. But this article was very perceptive, I thought-

it's at

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obama

The article is titled Goodbye to All That.

Worth the read-
Dan Shaw

Dear Anon 2:44:THANK YOU! Just love it!!!M

2008-01-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Anon 2:44:

THANK YOU! Just love it!!!
M

Marta you'll probably love this song if you haven'...

2008-01-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Marta you'll probably love this song if you haven't yet heard it.

http://www.maddywyatt.com/#

Click "Listen now" to hear it

Hillary's personality AND her personal history, ta...

2008-01-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

Hillary's personality AND her personal history, taken togehter, make it UTTERLY impossible for her to generate a similar broadly-appealing positive enthusiasm.

As a little attempt to connect this line of discussion to Siddha Yoga... I think there are so many problems caused in both the spiritual group and the political realm by the failure to be open and honest, simply truthful.

Imagine if, back in the Clinton years, Hillary had simply and honestly and intelligently explained to the people exactly why she believes that government needs to be involved in the health care system, and what this involvement should be. Maybe it would have helped her plan succeed, maybe not, but it would have set up the issue for discussion and education among the public, and that could have made a difference by now.

I'm suspicious that Hillary focused on closed-door meetings to craft a health plan because she simply didn't think the public is smart enough to know what's right. She didn't think it was worthwhile to educate the public, but rather to create the plan in secret and then get the public to support it without really understanding it.

I don't think that the political realm and spiritual realm are different. Some spiritual teachings refer to "Dharma," and lots of people think that's some mystical mysterious thing. But it just means "Truth." Simple, straight-forward truth is what's missing in both SYDA and the political arena.

Maybe people are ready for a bit more truth-telling. I think the success of both Obama and Huckabee come from the fact that both at least appear to be honestly communicating what they really believe... rather than crafting a message that they think will "win" for them.

Who knows, maybe both these guys are just good actors. But I'm saying that when I see them speak, they're the ones who seem the most authentic in articulating their honest perspectives, and apart from the specifics of the issues, that's what people are responding to.

Stuart
http://stuart-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/

..'Which, I believe, is the reason why he's winnin...

2008-01-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

..'Which, I believe, is the reason why he's winning. His positivity seems genuine. Hers clearly seems to be a well-practiced act.

And most voters are, I believe, smart enough to see the difference.

-A republican for Obama '08"<<

Dear ROO,
I'm not sure this is the place for it...but, I have to say (I am the poster warning of "iconizing" Obama)...I agree with you. I met Hillary Clinton in the late 1960s when she ws a student leader at Wellesley College. I don't think I've ever met a more intelligent woman...very, very committed to change and ethical government. I would love to be able to support her now but I can't..for exactly the reasons you allude to above...She has become a "pol" and, even though I agree with many of her positions (especially regarding Health Care...a national disgrace), I don't trust her. I think she will do what is "expedient" rather than what is "right". Too much of that is what has created the mess we're in now. I am, actually, an Obama supporter.Just don't want to set him up on that "guru's throne".

best to all

Dear Marta,Just discovered your blog. I like your ...

2008-01-06T06:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Marta,
Just discovered your blog. I like your writing alot. I still practice SY in my own way and feel this sort of dialogue is very valuable and incredibly important. It's a shame you were threatened with legal action and that anyone would even feel threatened by anyone's right to free speech.

People want CHANGE. A break from the past two adm...

2008-01-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

People want CHANGE. A break from the past two administrations.

Obama IS change.

Clinton is just more of the same.

I for one, don't want a progression of another 4 to 8 years of Clinton Two after undergoing the rabid, society-splitting partisanship of 4 years of Bush One and 8 years of Clinton One and 8 years of Bush 2.

Twenty-four to twenty-eight years of the same two families in charge of the United States?

Unprecedented.

And smacking of somehow going against the anti-monarchic principles upon which the US was founded.

And thus utterly undesireable, at least to me. Time for a new path.

Hills is more of the same old from the past 20 years.

Barack is a total breath of fresh air.

Which, I believe, is the reason why he's winning. His positivity seems genuine. Hers clearly seems to be a well-practiced act.

And most voters are, I believe, smart enough to see the difference.

-A republican for Obama '08.

>>"can't think of any white-skinned people who mov...

2008-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

>>"can't think of any white-skinned people who move me as these people have"."<<

Um, I respect your feelings but why load the burden of "white middle class expectations of the black messiah" onto Barak's shoulders? Remember the 1960s? The Panthers? and those cocktail parties on the Upper East Side hosted by Leonard Bernstein..where "black folks" were set apart as having a "special kind of purity" and all the rich white folks talked about how they were the "only ones" who were fit to lead?
I like Obama alot better than most people who get to the level he has gotten to politically but I don't think it's a real good idea to make him into some kind of icon. Archbishop Tutu, as powerful and charismatic as he is, is no "saint"...believe me. I know from working with him in the 1970s. If you don't set people up as being superhuman, you save yourself alot of tsuris. Better to examine the programs..if you can make it through the rhetoric..imho.

"can't think of any white-skinned people who move ...

2008-01-05T04:28:00.000-08:00

"can't think of any white-skinned people who move me as these people have".

Geez, Marta, what about the founders of the US back in the late 1700's? It may seem passe now, but in their day, what they did with setting up the US was pretty danged revolutionary.

It was interesting to see the results from Iowa. The only age group Hillary really scored with were folks over 45 years old, PARTICULARLY over 60 years old. And then it hit me: She appeals to her own generation. She's 60 herself. Those who were actively part of the Vietnam War protest and "Summer of Love" era, are the ones she appeals to.

Younger people like us can only relate to how she's acted since being First Lady and then Senator.

I'm actually a Republican, and don't agree with Obama's politics. But I truly think he's on to something and may roll right on into the White House. And the reason is this:

He's quick-witted enough, and personable enough, and positive enough, that people relate to him. QUICKLY. His speaking style generates an enthusiasm and an excitement and a positive feeling, that people latch on to. And want more of.

Hillary's personality AND her personal history, taken togehter, make it UTTERLY impossible for her to generate a similar broadly-appealing positive enthusiasm. People watch her and listen to her and wonder "Can we really trust her? Is this all an act? What does she REALLY believe and stand for?" She doesn't look genuine.

Barack DOES. And people grasp it right away.

She doesn't have any more experience than he does. But you listen to him and watch him perform, and quickly sense "This guy's a FAST learner." She, on the other hand, is a broken record following a sound track from 15 years ago. And it's now outdated.

I will readily admit that there's really nobody in my own party who really thrills me at all. I'm not supportive of many of Obama's views but I really have to admit that the guy's enthusiasm and positivity really fire me up.

Just IMO.

You Tube video on how to start a cult; about ten m...

2008-01-05T04:27:00.000-08:00

You Tube video on how to start a cult; about ten minutes; a must-see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E

Yes, exciting about Obama! And, back to the cult ...

2008-01-05T04:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, exciting about Obama!

And, back to the cult thing, this is a spot on mockumentary on how to start a cult, an approximately 10 min. long film on You Tube - here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E

I think Gurumayi's too far gone to ever be humble ...

2008-01-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

I think Gurumayi's too far gone to ever be humble again.

Yes, I am very very thrilled that Obama won last n...

2008-01-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am very very thrilled that Obama won last night. I was sure he would. I've been rooting for him since I first heard him speak at the Democratic Convention 4 years ago -- I thought then, and I still do -- that this is a person who can transform history -- like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu (I can't think of any white-skinned people who move me as these people have, but I know they exist). I really think Obama will win the Democratic nomination & then the presidency. All we have to do is keep him alive.

Anony wrote...What does "truth appears fresh in th...

2008-01-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

Anony wrote...
What does "truth appears fresh in this moment" even mean?

Right now, what do you see? What do you hear? What are you doing?

In your question above, are you expecting someone else to explain what the truth of this moment is? That's not the point. No one else will ever explain it for you. Even your own thinking won't explain it for you.

All these words, like "truth" and "this moment" are just pointers. Forget about the words and names and ideas; what are they pointing at? It's all already your own, and all you need to do is pay a little attention.

Stuart
http://stuart-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/

This may not be the best place to say this, Marta,...

2008-01-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

This may not be the best place to say this, Marta, but.......

CONGRATS ON OBAMA!!!!!!!

:-)

GO OBAMA GO!!!!

2008-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

GO OBAMA GO!!!!