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SRF Walrus > SRF Teachings and Ideals > What else you find in the teachings besides truth

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Raja Begum Unregistered User (11/22/01 8:11 am) Reply	What else you find in the teachings besides truth The average SRF lesson can contain 70 to 100 words and phrases loaded with negative suggestive power. I found proof of this once again after reading lesson S-2 P-38 on "The Law of Divine Healing." Please understand that there is the text...and then there is the metatext. The former is the set of words printed on the page. The latter are the collective implied assumptions, the innuendos, and the combined influence of word choice. Read the following paragraph from page 4: "Psychological diseases are caused by ignorance, lack of good company, lack of good judgment, bad karma, bad heredity, and wrong instincts. Psychological disease consists of susceptibility to temptation, fear, anger, greed, jealousy, worry, revengefulness, avarice, hate , gossiping, unkindness, mental and physical laziness, discontent, absentmindedness, untrustfulness, melancholia, bigotry, lack of introspection, and lack of self analysis." Let's count the repeated negative words: lack - 4x bad - 2x wrong - 1x On the same page, the word "lack" appears 3 more times along with 2 occurances of the phrase "want of." Professional psychological texts use the term "psychological disorder" in leiu of the SRF term, "psychological disease." The latter connotes some sort of individual stigma. The former term, which is in modern parlance, is less stigmatizing and more resonant with science. Something is not in order and can be remedied by the appropriate intervention. Which comes first: the chicken or the egg? SRF presents a long list of the behaviors and cirmunstances a psychological disease consists of, never admitting that these behaviors and personal circumstances may equally be symptoms and not causes. This further underscores the lack of scientific balance in the teachings. What kind of ignorance? Lack of concentration! You mean a person with ADD got ADD through having ADD? Oh, maybe the lessons mean mind-wandering? Why is the person's mind unfocused? Are there unresolved emotions? Is the person tired? Are they short on Phosphatidyl Serine nutrients? You can read the lessons and try to fix your lack of concentration for years with no results. Then you take the right supplements and the problem goes away in a few weeks. Why isn't this mentioned? Does one leave old friends for better company (in SRF) in order to avoid psychological disease? And when one leaves SRF, is he or she more susceptible to psychological diseases than when surrounded by church members? "Bad Karma" and "Lack of judgment" -- always the default excuse for everything that can't be explained logically. On and on it goes. But life isn't perfect. The hidden assumption here is that you shouldn't have these problems. But people do...all the time. Not being able to meet this expectation causes further stress, which leads one back to psychological disease. What a conundrum! Such besotting advice doesn't make people heal, it makes them condemn themselves. After the quote are mentioned 6 rememdies. One is introspective judgment"? Must introspection always go hand-in-hand with judgment, which is a loaded word anyhow? To instantly pair the word judgment with introspection makes a person susceptible to "shoulds" right from the beginning: I should be feeling A , not B. Another way to introspect is to create an awareness. Often by doing so, the primary emotion transforms and reveals what's underneath it. No need to judge or pass a verdict. Just watch and have revealed. Another suggested remedy is will power. Right! Like you're going to will away an organic disorder. The implied idea is that you should overpower a disease. Maybe you can. On the other hand, for most people, this is resistance thinking which more often than not leads to stress and further illness. Even mentioning the power of creating or dislodging habits at will is tricky business. Students end up substituting pragmatism for magical thinking. Why think in terms of process when you can make it go away in a thought -- like Master? Well, there's a reason why he's called a Master. The problem with the lessons is that its full of good ideas often presented irresponsibly and with great unconsciousness of the overall harm a simple choice of words can have on a person's thinking. If the lessons say to avoid negative thinking, and then, in its explanations, it peppers the discourse with negatively charged words, the person reading those words feels both inspiration and tension in the same moment. This is what is commonly known as "doublethink" -- when the mind upholds two contradictory ideas at the same time. This is all I have to say for now. It's not exhaustive. This is the beginning of an ongoing analysis of the effect of the teachings on SRF students. Your perceptions are appreciated.
Aurora Unregistered User (11/23/01 1:48 am) Reply	Negatives Could this explain why so many in SRF have low self-esteem and latent development. Or am I imagining?
Distorted Unregistered User (11/23/01 4:30 am) Reply	The Source of all Suffering Dear Aurora YES! And much more. Mukti Mata gave a wonderful talk years ago --1985 - about Self-Esteem. A good part of the talk she was quoting from a book that had just come out to the market and was going to change the history of psychology -- Feeling Good, by David Burn MD. Still you can buy it. Today, Cognitive therapy is recognized all over the world as a very effective treatment for Depression, Anxiety and to increase Self-esteem. The doctors who created the modality found several groups of thoughts -- you can read this in his book -- which create depression, anxiety, low self esteem and so on -- all the known miseries! In fact, without these groups of thoughts we would live in constant happiness. They represent the universe of negative distorted thoughts, the source of all suffering. However, to make it even more simple and beautiful, this original 12 groups, can be in fact reduced to only 4... 1) "Should Statements" 2) All Nothing Thinking" (black and white thinking) 3) Labeling 4) Jumping to Conclusions Please go and check carefully the Lesson 38 Raja Begum talks about and you will see -- it is full of "Should Statements" (explicit and implicit shoulds). And, additionally, it is full of "All Nothing Thinking." But it is not just that lesson. This two groups of thoughts are rampant all over the Lessons and books -- it is a shame! Once you program your mind -- your self talk most especcially --with all that "crab," you are set for a depression or any mental disorder in the book. Master's insights are wonderful and they do not need all that "bossy language" and "extremist thinking" to be communicated." It is probably true that he used that language to preach during his stay in the West. That was the language of his contemporaries, and he needed to be listen. But, today our teachings sound completely outdated, and SRF doesn't want to change the communication style. Out of 100 people that take the lessons only 6 finish after three years -- well, you can guess why! Borrowing now from Rigiditananda's posting: However, paradoxically, the Lesson 85 says: "Churches SHOULD live abreast of times." Must we devotees obey the thousand “shoulds in the lessons and books, while those that concern the church are completely ignored by SRF? SRF is definitely hurting people by ignoring science. In the same Lesson we read: "Religion too should apply scientific methods and experimentation, and not rely only upon beliefs." Greetings to you -- Distorted
Aurora Unregistered User (11/23/01 10:09 am) Reply	Looking Isn't that "bossy" and "military" style language necessary to help us wake from delusion? I looked at the lesson this morning and I halfway see what you're talking about. Still its a bit abstract. Can you explain some more? Also, do the statements have any relationship to neurolinguistics?
Distorted Unregistered User (11/24/01 3:34 am) Reply	Necessary or damaging? Dear Aurora I do not think Master's divine insights need to be communicated in that military language. Such language damages people instead of helping. But the ultimate proof is; has it helped you to feel good about yourself, to feel more self-confident, and happier? Or that language has contributed to limit you in one way or another? In my experience it hurts me tremendously. And this is congruent with the abundant scientific research on the subject. I'm very ignorant about neurolinguistic, but it wouldn't be surprise me to learn one day that the Should Statements and All-Nothing thinking create neurological problems. It looks that you already got the flavor of lesson 38. If you keep looking at the words -- not only at the ideas -- you will be able to recognize Should Statements and All-Nothing thoughts all over the lessons and books. They are plagued with them! Look for words like "should do, should be, have to do, have to be, must do, must be, must not, ought to, all, never, none, always and so on. Then take a moment to consider how irrational is the sentence containing those words. Also, try to contact your feelings as you read the sentence. Do you feel more tense, more relax, motivated, hopeless? A combination of these things? Enjoy the journey -- it takes a long time to realize what a mess are the lessons and books.
mangomoy Registered User (12/16/01 1:28 pm) Reply	What is source of "quote" re: SRF-pres is God-real (A) In a post dated 10/19/01 by “blue cowboy,” he presents a “quote” from Master that “There will always be at the head of this organization men and women of realization.” (Posted under ‘Stuff about Ananda’ > ‘Focus on Love’). It's on this page: pub78.ezboard.com/fsrfwalrusfrm31.showMessageRange?topicID=6.topic&start=21&stop=40 Anybody: Please, what is the SPECIFIC cite for the source of this quote? Thank you. (B) If it’s a valid quote, I don’t see any way to read it other than Master’s flat, unqualified guarantee that the SRF prez will be God-realized. That would sharply contrast to testimony by many here that’ve worked closely with the current occupant of that office. It'd be DEEPLY disturbing that Master could have gone wrong about such a vitally important issue.
No way no how Unregistered User (12/16/01 1:44 pm) Reply	Re: What is source of "quote" re: SRF-pres is God- There is no source for this quote other than SRF lore and mythology. According to the book written by the well-known ex-VP who was run off by the matas, Yogananda never said such a thing. It was a myth that was spun after his departure. One of many "creative" changes, like the sisters who all of a sudden became Matas, and the so-called "Mother Center" which was never called that while Yogananda was alive. Looks like a few of those left in charge quite successfully re-channeled the "creative force" Yogananda so often spoke about and found endless new myths and stories and titles to create with it after he left...
premdas Registered User (12/16/01 3:22 pm) Reply	False quote See 3 sites for in depth explanations from older disciples long interested in this topic: anandaanswers, yogananda-dif, yoganandarediscovered. I don't remember exactly where within, but its there. Edited by: premdas at: 12/16/01 9:35:00 pm
KS Unregistered User (12/16/01 5:48 pm) Reply	Prez God Realized There is another topic with this same question about the president. pub78.ezboard.com/fsrfwal...D=13.topic Master can't have said that. This really does sound like something with a slight hint of truth that the bad ladies twisted to give their positions more credibility with the soft minded members. Members can’t question Master, so if he said it then the matas are on the right track and to be loyal to the matas is to be loyal to Master. Many monastics are hung up on this specific point. Loyalty. They see the place is not right but loyalty runs deep and the matas are the holders of Master’s legacy. Loyalty loyalty loyalty. Many a good members and monastics has been driven nearly insane by the incongruence. Master may have said that God knows who the future presidents are, or God will always be trying to help this work, or God intends for Kriya to be disseminated (at this time, the 1950’s) through SRF, etc…. All evidence points to Master never having said the President of SRF would always be a person of “realization”. Of course, even the perfume saint had a measure of “realization”, so what was actually meant?
Gray beard Registered User (12/16/01 7:16 pm) Reply	Re: Prez God Realized "There will ALWAYS be persons of realization...." My, my, but isn't ALWAYS a very, very, long time? Did Master mean ALWAYS or was that just a figure of speech? And if he did mean ALWAYS literally, god, what a concept. That he had the foreknowledge during his lifetime to see all future history beforehand, particularly as it applied to the organization, then decipher all the nuances of individual karmic patterns of all those future, then unknown to him, monastics who might be considered for the position of president. Well I know that we call him Master for a very good reason but to me that's quite a bit to swallow. Personally I've found a simple test that I've learned to apply to these types of claims. That is, prove it! Let's see it in his handwriting, unedited by those who've been "given complete control over his writings." Until that's produced I'll continue to believe the claim to be a SRF monastic urban legend. And transparently self-serving.
Reporter Unregistered User (12/16/01 7:29 pm) Reply	Prez always realized? Proof? The rumor is that Miralini is next, for a short time, then Uma. Uma the God-realized president? Enough of that rumor.
premdas Registered User (12/16/01 10:02 pm) Reply	Judge them...fruits of their labors She is a beloved disciple of Master. (Would she say that of me?) Doesn't she realize what this organization is doing to others? How the legal team has acted in her name and her guru's name toward others? How people are being treated unkindly within and outside of SRF? How few people in this world still don't know about guruji's work? She is either 1) kept in ignorance, 2) is senile (for too long), 3) is not bright, 4) is ineffectual, 5) uncaring, 6) cruel 7) other excuse? How could someone name themself "Mother of Compassion" and have so many issues of principle and clarity? And self-realized? Save these teachings from the irresponsibilities and ignorance of the current crop of "leaders": find those devotees who embody Yogananda's can-do attitude of love, energy and will-power, whether inside or outside SRF. Know them by their fruits. Share satsanga, chant, pray & meditate, do kriya, share Master's works and message with all true hearts. Om
Raja Begum Unregistered User (12/17/01 1:54 am) Reply	Primary Sources I agree with Gray Beard. I want to see Guruji's handwriting. Until then, how can I be sure what's from him and what's from them? I have no faith in these Matas anymore. Why aren't those documents available for public inspection?
KS Registered User (12/17/01 8:26 am) Reply	Where has the trust gone? My my. Where has the trust gone? We want to see Master’s handwriting before we believe something? I hope those monitoring this board for SRF are reading this stuff. Look at how your lies over the years begin to come back to haunt you. You all lie, or at least bend the truth, year after year, and what do you know? People begin to doubt all kinds of stuff. At some point they are going to stop believing things that Master really did say and intend but then it will be too late. The following is one of the best messages on this board... pub78.ezboard.com/fsrfwal...ID=2.topic
willy1080 Registered User (12/17/01 9:20 am) Reply	Re: Where has the trust gone? " At some point they are going to stop believing things that Master really did say and intend but then it will be too late. " That's very true !!! I am practising kriya with a non YSS group in India . All these years I used to read Yogananda's writings with lot of faith, but not after getting on the internet. After finding out that SRF has changed a lot of things , it is hard to make out how much of his writings are actually his own , and how much has been "added" Result is i have stopped reading his lectures , and everything else originating from YSS
premdas Registered User (12/17/01 12:59 pm) Reply	Goodwill; Failure & responsibility Here we have the crux of the matter: trust and goodwill. I was in the hospitality industry for many years and had to work w/the public/customers/clientele and maintain a responsive professional staff to insure our success. SRF had better wake up. It is a universal law/truth that where there is constriction, energy/love will find another path of less resistance. Their deep pockets eventually have to dry up. In the marketplace, they would be going broke. The power of these postings is not to be dismissed. These words are now in the ether. (Just don't hold your breath! Nor let your guard down, either. The battle is only in its early stages.)

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