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HUM
Unregistered User
(8/8/01 2:28 pm)
Reply 		Has SRF Management Failed?
At what point do we claim SRF Management has failed? At the wasting of millions of dollars on an accounting system? At the harassment of member-employees to the point that many don’t even attend church or meditate anymore? How about the degradation of the spiritual environment within Mother Center to the point that over 25 monastics, many with more than 20 years of service, have decided to leave? Think about that. 25 monastics have recently decided it is harmful to their spiritual lives to remain at Mother Center. Why would that be? They have not decided they don’t love Yogananda, they have decided that living there is harmful.

On the other hand most of the membership believes that SRF is directly run by the SRF Gurus. They believe that the free will of those in charge does not come into play or that they are perfect instruments of the Guru’s will. They have no awareness that ego still plays a part and that there are still people in the organization who want power, position, and prestige. These people are totally acting out of a position of fear and are now in positions of authority within SRF.

We all know that Yogananda has said that he will not allow this work of his to fail. So the fear is of losing what? Fear of what?

It would be nice if the most influential groups within SRF were not those fighting legal issues all the time (why is that?), those protecting the money and keeping it secret (accounting), and those trying to control public opinion (public affairs). I would think a spiritual organization representing a wonderful master like Yogananda would have completely different priorities. These priorities might include service to the members, a focus on tours and reaching out to the public, and creating a powerful spiritual environment for the growth of the lay members and monastics.

I think they have failed.

CF
Unregistered User
(8/8/01 3:23 pm)
Reply 		Has Management Failed?
Hey HUM,
If SRF can’t fail, then what are you worried about? These problems could all be part of Master’s grand plan to test the loyalty of those involved. No one is perfect, even SRF management can make mistakes. I am a loyal member of SRF and I do feel that SRF management makes mistakes. But Master is helping them and all of us.

What if SRF did waste money? Did it harm the membership? Their donations are still appreciated by Master even if the money is wasted. I’m not saying it was, but even if it was the money is still given with the right attitude and an expression of devotion.

As for the members no longer attending church, did their attendance depend on their treatment at their previous jobs? They can’t blame their treatment by people, and SRF is made up of people, on their own disillusionment. They should be stronger.

Master said many monastics would come, and many would go. Brother Bhaktananda has talked about the times when he was the only one left in the ashram. The monastic life style is difficult and most are not suited to it.

Neo
Unregistered User
(8/21/01 8:51 pm)
Reply 		Stronger? You Have No Idea!
The myths and legends about ashram life that circulate among the membership and the world at large, many of them deliberately maintained by SRF, have very little basis in reality. Most people have no idea what it is like to live in an SRF ashram and how much courage and spiritual integrity it takes to stand up and speak out against what is happening there, knowing full well it means sacrificing one's monastic life for the sake of the Truth. Those who do so face drastic repercussions. They are persecuted mercilessly by those in authority, and psychologically abused until they either go crazy, or leave the ashram, or both.

This is not to say it isn't worth taking a stand for the Truth. It's an absolute necessity. But be aware that there is a tremendous cost and sacrifice involved in doing so in the SRF environment. Personal inner strength is extremely threatening to the cult of Daya Mata.

What most people do not yet understand is what is really going on in the organization, and how incredibly well suited to a TRUE monastic life many of those who have left within the last year really are. The truth is, it is the organization that is no longer suited to spiritual life, and many of the monastics who are leaving are giving SRF "leadership" the ultimate feedback in the only way they have left -- spiritual growth is no longer possible in the ashram. No one can meditate deeply in the psychologically abusive environment SRF has created there. Not Mukti Mata, not Bhaktananda, not Anandamoy, not Daya Mata. No one. Getting them to admit such a thing publicly is quite another matter. To do so would be to lower the false screen of pseudo spirituality they have erected to perpetuate the organization in spite of the emptiness inside.

God and guru never FORCE people to change. The law of karma does that, often excruciatingly slowly. As has been pointed out elsewhere on this board, Jesus Christ has not interfered with all of the insanity of the various so-called Christian churches down through the centuries, and Master will not interfere with misguided SRF "leadership" either. He came and showed the way, and it is up to us to follow the path he has so clearly laid out. He is right there to help us every step along the way, but there isn't much he can do when we turn away. Daya Mata and the SRF organization have turned aside and gotten lost in a false front of mythical "spirituality."

When an organization loses its way, when it loses its integrity and sense of right and wrong, when it knowingly wastes millions upon millions of dollars to keep up a false front, when it knowingly uses people for its own ends no matter how much those ends are hurting hundreds, even thousands, of people, when its "leadership" constantly lies to in self-serving hypocrisy, then, yes, the membership is being hurt by it. How can it be otherwise? Those who do not understand what is going on are one thing, but once one sees what the organization has become, to continue to support it makes one an accessory to the wrongdoing.

People should be stronger? Yes, people should speak up, and that is exactly what has been happening. You have no idea what kind of Hell people are being put through BECAUSE of their inner strength and their incredible ability to "take it."

Is this "negative"? Unless we have been there, and "walked a mile in the other person's shoes," how can we really say? Are we speaking from direct experience or from spiritual theory? Can we open ourselves up to other points of view and maybe even learn to start questioning the unquestionable? Master himself said, "Truth is never afraid of questions."

YogiBear
Unregistered User
(9/29/01 12:12 pm)
Reply 		Accessory to the wrongdoing
From above message by Neo:

"...but once one sees what the organization has become, to continue to support it makes one an accessory to the wrongdoing."

I am wondering about this point myself. It seems continued support does lead people in the wrong direction. This is a difficult one. I am not sure where the line is between supporting Master and supporting these false Mata's (and mata wanna-bes like Jill and Mridani) who have made a kingdom for themselves, thereby hurting monastics and members who come in close to help.

KS
Unregistered User
(10/9/01 7:03 am)
Reply 		Yes
Yes, they have failed. By any reasonable measure, they have failed. By all these measures they certainly have:

- The spiritual atmosphere they have produced.
- How they operate the business (get books published)
- Their example
- Are they building yogis of those who come to them?
- How they handle the business, make decisions, lead projects, lead anything...

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