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chuckle chela
Registered User
(2/26/03 10:57 pm)
Reply 		Reality check: is it likely that SRF will change?
Some time ago I felt the need to list out all the possible factors that I felt might bring about significant change in the SRF organization. I came up with only three, ones that had been listed by others on the Walrus: (a) a massive financial crunch, (b) a significant number of SRF members (in the thousands) demanding changes, or (c) widespread negative publicity about SRF in the mainstream press or yoga/spiritual community. None of these is at all likely.

My list quickly did a 180 and became a list of all the reasons why I thought change wasn't very likely. While I think that any efforts to promote change have merit, it may be valuable to occasionally have a reality check. To this end, I offer the list of opinions I came up with.

The Top Thirteen Reasons Why SRF Isn't Likely to Change (in my opinion)

13. Forty monastics left the order in the last couple of years. This represents a significant percentage of the entire monastic order and an even greater percentage of those living at Mt. Washington. These 40 monastics sacrificed their vocations, and went through great suffering doing so, because they could see there was little chance for change and the environment made it too difficult for them to continue. This has had zero impact on SRF leaders, in terms of promoting change. Indeed, it appears to have hardened their resolve to maintain their course. This event, more than any other, should demonstrate to devotees that significant change is very unlikely in the near future.

12. Bro. Vishwananda gives his speech at the 2001 Convo. “We know what we’re doing,” he says, “and we’re not about to change to “modern” ways.” Clearly, this statement was made to let us know where the SRF leaders stand. More recently, Bro. Vishwananda mentioned that there were problems, that SRF was off track, that the spirit of "only love" had been lost, and that he wanted to hear from people. While this is laudable, some have expressed reservations about his ability to do much.

11. The SRF manifesto has it that the work is divinely guided, can do no wrong, and the plan is in the ether. Presumably, the plan doesn’t include pesky members asking questions.

10. As one Walrus member so brilliantly put it: “Thinking isn’t allowed; positive thinking is.”

9. It will be very, very difficult for the older SRF leaders to accept change, psychologically speaking. Look at how they reacted to the SLCs. The fears are deeply embedded and the leaders are, for want of a better term, set in their ways. They also deeply believe that they are doing the right thing. Regardless of however much we may disagree with their perceptions, they remain a fact, and a significant one.

8. It appears the leaders are carefully molding the next generation of leaders, according to laymembers who seem to be in the know. Bro. Vishwananda, former Bni. Jackie, Sisters Preeta, Midrani, Priya, etc. None of these monastics has been seen as being receptive to change.

7. Most SRF members, especially those in California, are happy with the way things are in SRF. They completely trust the SRF leaders. They don’t want change nor do they see the need for any changes. They don’t want to have to think about problems in SRF. Indeed, in my opinion, many would be cognitively unable to face the fact that SRF is far from perfect and that some changes might be beneficial. This is not meant as a criticism of these devotees: it is just stating what I believe to be the case. Look at what happened many months ago when these issues were raised at Yogananda.net: very few were even able to consider examining the issues, while a number felt the comments made in the Walrus represented whining, negativity, disloyalty. Astral7 is seen by a number of SRF members as a wonderful devotee who exemplifies real loyalty.

6. The Walrus has just over 200 registered members. Presumably, a significant percentage of these agree with the Walrus point of view (that change is needed). Two hundred members means almost zilch. While I suspect a few hundred, perhaps even a thousand or so members might share our point of view, unless several thousand ask for change and take significant action (see below), nothing will change.

5. Not one of the ex-monastics who has posted on the Walrus has held out much of a chance for significant change in SRF management style in the near future. Once again, this is something to consider carefully. These people know better than anyone else: they lived in the ashram for 5,10, 15, 20 or more years, they worked with the SRF leaders, they experienced the environment, they saw behind the curtain better than any of us laymembers could ever hope to. In the end, they had to get out, despite the hellish difficulties this has posed for them.

There were three significant efforts at change that I’m aware of: the efforts of the couple who ran the Encintas retreat who went to the BOD to raise issues and argue for changes; the Synthesis project run by the two members at Lake Shrine and MW; the formation of the SLCs by the monastics. None of these efforts met their goals; indeed, in each case, the BOD and some senior monastics actively thwarted the efforts at change.

4. It is unlikely that donations will drop radically since so few devotees, relatively speaking, will be withholding donations as a result of a desire for change. It will also be a challenge to convince some large donors to stop giving. They may well be very happy with the state of affairs as it is, and, understandably, they would feel good about this form of service that they are able to render.

3. Unfavorable publicity could promote some change. However, SRF is and will continue to be very careful to avoid such publicity.

2. Even if a largish number of devotees demanded action, the resulting debate within the SRF community might become rather unpleasant. It seems to me, based on my own experience (and I hope I’m wrong), that the SRF community contains a sizable number of members who don’t know how to discuss civilly, and the emotional disruptions could have undesirable consequences. The SRF leaders would be very anxious to avoid any such disruptions. Any such disruptions would be unnecessary, of course. Indeed, most devotees would not even have to know of changes (they could just hear the good news later on), but SRF leaders would worry about any possibility of turmoil.

And the Number One reason why it’s unlikely we’ll see change:

1. SRF leaders have all the marbles. Why should they change? Everything is going as they want, and they can get rid of monastics and employees who ask disturbing questions. Housecleaning by Divine Mother producing a few dust bunnies. Look at what continues to happen at Mother Center, as they pick off employees who continue to question, one by one. The leaders have all the power, all the respect and admiration (even adoration) of the vast majority of members. Why on earth would they want to change?





               
               

KS
Registered User
(2/27/03 6:33 am)
Reply 		Re: Reality check: is it likely that SRF will change?
Very good points. I appreciate the list. I’ll just add a few comments. For example I think they are in some measure of a financial crunch already. They have completely mismanaged their finances these last few years spending millions on lawsuits, software, and failed building projects. They even spent almost 1/2 million on new bathrooms at Hollywood Temple. Things are so bad they are having to lay off people. While these people are not really busy and probably should be laid off they have not been busy for years. The bad ladies are so opposed (fearful) of making decisions that they only laid people off when they had to for financial reasons.

13. When monastics leave it is almost always with a sense that the organization is hopeless, that change is not possible. I agree this is an big indicator. For myself I think God’s message here is that SRF is not what he wants. God did not intend for an all powerful monastic organization replacing the Guru. He may have wanted a simple publishing house and an org to maintain the properties, but not the catholic concentration camp we have today. SRF will and should pass away.

8. I would say that there is no specific molding going on for the next generation of bad ladies. What happens is that bad people survive and thrive in the SRF environment. Good people, sincere seekers, leave to get their spiritual lives back on track. People with little understanding of loyalty, people with desires for power, and people afraid to try to deal with life on their own stay. Just like the great salt lakes, the good people evaporate off leaving a poor toxic environment.

7. Most people in SRF have very little real interaction with SRF which is the way it should be. It is only those who get close who get burned.

6. The Walrus has only 200 registered users but there are over 1200 visits a day. I am not sure what that statistic means but there are a lot of unregistered users, you can see them listed as GUESTS. I suspect that since people need to give an email address to register they are afraid of something and won’t register. A lot of people might not feel comfortable posting their opinion either. Overall I suspect 1000’s have read the Walrus at some point. If you do some Internet searches on SRF you see the Walrus pop up all the time.

3. I agree there is not likely to be a lot of negative publicity. SRF hardly does anything so for them to do something that is criticized is unlikely! One complaint I have always had about SRF is that they never help the community, or provide any real service. That is not their focus! Their focus is to survive.

2. SRF members want to believe they are special and associated with the world’s greatest religion. It would take a lot of noise, and introspection, to break them out of that mold (double meaning) and get them to question things. SRF is not necessary for our spiritual lives and in fact holds us back. Therefore once people realize what SRF really is they just leave SRF. Because of that a large number of people complaining is probably not going to happen. SRF has a self “cleaning” pool. When people see the poop in the water they get out of the water they don’t try to clean it.

1. Number one is very true. The Matas see no reason for change and they have setup the environment so that they don’t really even have to listen to complaints. As said elsewhere the powerful Office of the President is a large group which isolates them from even the monastic community. Complaints never reach the bad ladies. Most devotees probably don't realize that the bad ladies even hide from monastics. They are rarely seen at all but by a few people.

Nice list.

Edited by: KS at: 2/27/03 6:44:42 am
soulcircle
Registered User
(2/27/03 7:49 am)
Reply 		Hmmmmmmmm Baby
;) We b on a roll!

X Insider
Registered User
(3/28/03 10:22 am)
Reply 		SRF happy as it is
Chuckle Chela

Just curious. Why do you still consider yourself an SRF member?

chuckle chela
Registered User
(4/15/03 7:21 pm)
Reply 		Re: SRF happy as it is
Sorry to take so long to respond, X Insider. Actually, I haven't been around much lately.

You asked a good question. Sometimes I wonder. Here's the short answer:

1) I've received a lot of benefits from my association with SRF and many of its members. Despite all the obvious faults, there is still a significant amount of good there.

2) I've never been "burned" as others have been. I suspect if I had been burned I would have left.

3) Rather than just complain, I've tried to do something positive. I'm still trying. When these efforts are finished, and if it's obvious nothing is going to change and I think things will remain detrimental (to the welfare of everyone), then I'll go. I've felt I couldn't leave without trying to do something myself, regardless of how inconsequential that might be.

4)At this point in my life and spiritual journey, I'm a wee bit attached to organizations (any two or more people engaged in shared purposes and means). If I leave SRF, I will probably be looking for some other sort of group of people to share the journey with. Let me hasten to add that I agree it's not necessary to be a part of SRF or any organization to follow Yogananda's teachings, or to follow any spiritual path at all.

5)On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I think strongly of leaving. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays I step back and decide to stay a little longer.

6)I've been very touched by conversations I've had with a couple of monastics, one a minister. One of them told me, "You have to understand that not everyone who was upset with what's been going on has left. Some of us are still here, still trying to do the right thing, trying to represent "only love," trying to make a difference." It has been comments and friendships like these that make it harder to just up and go. Again, though, one reason I can feel this way is that I wasn't burned.

7)I still feel, though, that significant change is not likely in the near future, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

I hope things are going better for you, X Insider, as well as for all the ex-monastics and the others who went through such misery. I think about you guys often.

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