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Rigiditananda
Unregistered User
(11/29/01 2:27 am)
Reply 		Ma's Writings

This is the beginning of a detail analysis of the language in our SRF teachings. Ma's writings are the most judgmental of all. So, I begin here presenting concrete examples from her writings. Ma's judgementality has pervaded all the lessons and books. Ma is a wonderful lady, possibly a great saint, but her writings are extremely judgmental and damaging too.

“The behavior of others SHOULD not be allowed to rob us of our peace of mind.” Daya Mata/Only Love/How to Change Others/ Page 47/ First line.

Then she keeps going in a very judgmental language explaining the issue -- loaded with other “SHOULDS” and “ALL NOTHING THINKING” -- please read that first paragraph.

Now, do you realize the caliber of the above “SHOULD.” Who is beyond offense from others? The way she presents this ideal is not conducive to healing but to increase suffering. Why? Very simple. The next time someone hurts you, on top of your hurt you will recall this “SHOULD” located now in your memory. And you will say to yourself -- “I SHOULD not feel hurt; what’s wrong with me?” So, you felt hurt and now on top of that you feel inadequate and guilty, and your self-esteem goes down.

The same ideal could be communicated in a non destructive way using the language of “basic psychology 2001.”

“The behavior of others affect us only through our own thoughts. If our thoughts stay objective and positive, despite vicious attack of others, in theory, no one could hurt us. Such is the wonderful power of your mind computer -- through our thoughts we can neutralize any painful external situation. However, the path to such perfect mind control is long and requires the right understanding of the mind and how it works. It requires the right techniques to deal with the distorted/negative thoughts that naturally arouse in the mind of normal human beings, under the fire of vicious criticism. In the meantime, when you feel the hurt, if you can not shake out the pain producing thoughts, go paradoxically -- embrace your feelings and thoughts fully. Talk to yourself in this way “ I accept this feelings, I accept these thoughts. Paramahansa Yogananda says that all feelings are Bliss, so this feeling is Bliss too.”

Let us look at a whole paragraph now. Notice the judgmental language she uses here:

Daya Mata/How to Change Others/ Page 48/Third Paragraph of that talk.

“Be an example of what you want others to be. If you are inclined to lose your temper and fight back or speak harshly; if you scold the children unreasonably; if you are nervous and easily upset, shouting and speaking unkindly -- change yourself! That is the best way to change those around you. It is hard to do but it can be done. One’s effort ‘SHOULD’ be directed toward making himself a person who is respected and looked up to; whose word carries weight. He ‘SHOULD’ speak from true wisdom and understanding, NEVER from anger, nervousness, jealousy, or desire to retaliate when hurt.”

Notice the following here:

1) How judgmental is the general tone
2) In one little paragraph we find two “SHOULDS” and one “NEVER”
3) Imagine a poor man with all those symptoms: inclined to lose his temper and fight back or speak harshly, to scold the children unreasonably, to be nervous and easily upset and to shout and speak unkindly. There are millions in those conditions and much worse. Thousands go to therapy because of problems like these -- and for much less than this too. Think how healing would be to say to such individual -- CHANGE YOURSELF! A therapist who shouts such a "SHOULD," may loose his/her license in the spot.

Don’t you realize dear Ma that these are symptoms of mental disorders? It can be depression, ADHD, an anxiety disorder, an impulse control disorder, and so on. And, these labels are also symptoms. Of what? Brain disorders! I suggest you Ma read the best seller “Change your brain change your life” by Daniel Amen -- it might change your mind very quickly!

4) So, this poor man, who is suffering from some or all of these problems, which could be you, dear reader, or me, or any devotee around the world, who is most probably affected by a brain disorder, the next time he gets angry will remember Ma’s sound advice and will say “Ok, I SHOULD NOT feel this -- this is wrong! Will that stop the feelings? -- of course not. So, in addition to his painful anger now he will be angry with himself -- guilt! See how irrational is all this advice based on SHOULDS AND NEVERS?

Conclusion: Please read the SRF lessons and books. Note the countless “SHOULDS,” “MUSTS,” “NEVERS,” “ALWAYS” and so on. Think of the effect that judgmental language creates in the poor devotee. Introspect and see how it has affected you. If this language didn’t affect you, is because you didn’t take it seriously -- it can not be otherwise. But, many do. Many,
many took and still take this language very seriously. And many got very sick as a result.

Rigiditananda
Unregistered User
(11/29/01 11:54 pm)
Reply 		SRF Standards or Irrational Standards
From Lesson 99

As a human being you are different from animals, and as a human being you MUST (1st “SHOULD” here) make use of your unique powers of intelligence and reason. DO NOT (2nd “SHOULD” here) remain in ignorance and suffering. TEAR ASIDE (3rd “SHOULD” here) the veil of delusion and know things as they really are..... RESURRECT YOURSELF (4th “SHOULD” here) from the consciousness of human habits and human thoughts. Live (5th “SHOULD” here) EVERY SECOND (ALL NOTHING THINKING) in the consciousness of God. QUICKEN (6th “SHOULD” here) your understanding; QUICKEN (7th “SHOULD” here) your efforts. DO NOT (8th “SHOULD” here) keep your soul buried under ignorance, bad habits (9th “SHOULD” here), animal instincts (10th “SHOULD” here), and a mortal consciousness (11th “SHOULD” here). RESURRECT IT (12th “SHOULD” here) in everlasting freedom.

Notice the following:

1) In a small paragraph we find 12 “shoulds” and one “all nothing thinking.”
2) Can you perceive the judgementality behind the text?
3) Can you perceive the pressure she puts into normal human minds to self control themselves to such irrational degree?
4) Can you see that all these “Shoulds” are not only the so called “SRF’s standards,” but they are simply IRRATIONAL STANDARDS?
5) Can you see that she is requesting from us many things here that are way beyond our will power? Can you, or anyone here resurrect yourself? Tear aside the veil of delusion? Live every second in the consciousness of God? and so on? I have been in the path more than twenty years and I know I can’t do these things. Can You? Can a poor devotee in his or her second year in SRF (this is from Lesson 99) do such things; even just one of them?
6) Result: After you read this, you try,and you fail, if you try again, you fail again. Then you read more of this type of s... Result, you feel constantly inadequate and stupid.
10) Not all the lessons are so bossy. However, the language is quite similar to that of Daya Ma in Only Love. Did she write this Lesson 99? Who the hell wrote this garbage?

Musicman
Unregistered User
(11/30/01 1:19 pm)
Reply 		Bravo
This is a virtuosic and very important exploration of the SRF writings. I've been repelled for years by the all-or-nothing thinking, the hyperbole and absolutes. It has no connection to the life I lead or am likely to lead. Of course, we can hear the ministers saying something like "well, that's the ideal we aim for; we have to be realistic in the meantime." Fine, but why not say that right off the bat rather than making someone fish for that reassurance? The always-never hectoring and badgering is annoying, and has the opposite effect from the one intended. That may have worked in an earlier time with a different kind of disciple, but it will never gain much currency in our own time and place. The kicker comes when we see that those doing the hectoring and badgering, setting the impossibly high standards, are themselves falling hopelessly short of them, hiding their hypocrisy and ethical lapses behind a facade of impeccable piety. This is why so many of us are keen to expose the emperor's nakedness and put an end to this spiritual pretense and humbug.

Rigiditananda
Unregistered User
(12/1/01 6:39 pm)
Reply 		Excellent Music Man
Right on, and well said. Let us continue analysing the teachings and its hyperbolic language. Let us expose the extreme irrationality behind the so called "SRF standards."
Rigiditananda

Should Free
Registered User
(12/21/01 1:01 pm)
Reply
ezSupporter
 WHO SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN AND EDITED THE LESSONS AND BOOKS
Daya Ma is a guardian, so she has permeated the teachings with her own personality. She may think that it is her own DIVINE insights, but she deceives herself -- in reality it is her ego, her personality.

Guardians are excellent administrators. She should have operated from her strenghts and skills, but her obsession with the purity of the teachings made her keep tight control on the written teachings -- lessons and books. The result has been a catastrophe. The written teachings and books are full of shoulds, musts, oughts and bossy language everywhere -- plus innumerable serious problems. Such language is hazardous to our health. The teachings should have always been under the control of idealist types, because it is their strength. Mukti Mata, perhaps even Kriyananda (who seems to be an NF to me) would have done a much better job at communicating the teachings in writing.

Edited by: Should Free at: 12/21/01 1:08:35 pm
Should Free
Registered User
(12/21/01 1:05 pm)
Reply
ezSupporter
 Come and Grade SRF
So, Have The Teachings Failed Us

This question is quite difficult to answer because the battle is not over. We are all trying to attain liberation and that may still happen. However, paradoxically, it may happen not as a result of keep practicing fanatically the teachings but of rejecting a good part of the them -- at least for some people. I'm convinced that only in that way we will be able to keep our sanity.

To answer the above question we need to brake down the teachings into its basic components, and make an impartial evaluation about the quality and effectiveness of the advise offered.

1) Clarity in regard to the ultimate goal of life
2) The quality of the advise on Yama Niyama
3) The quality of the advise offered on Asana (meditation posture)
4) The quality of the advise offered on Pranayama
5) The quality of the advise offered on How to meditate

Additionally, we have to look at other aspects, like:

6) The quality of the advise offered on nutrition (how to keep the body healthy)
7) The quality of the advise offered on how to keep the mind healthy
8 ) The quality of the advise provided on relaxation (physical and mental)
9) The quality of the advise provided on how to get along with others (relationships)
10 ) The quality of the advise offered on how to get along with oneself
11) The quality of the advise offered on how to succeed in life

You may think of other topics.

I suggest you rate the quality of each one of the above between A (superb) to F (failed).

A: superb
B: Good
C: Average
D: Poor quality
F: Dangerous


I came with this grades:

1) Clarity in regard to the ultimate goal of life: A
2) The quality of the advise on Yama Niyama: D
3) The quality of the advise offered on Asana (meditation posture) : F
4) The quality of the advise offered on Pranayama: C
5) The quality of the advise offered on How to meditate: D
6) The quality of the advise offered about nutrition (how to keep the body healthy): F
7) The quality of the advise offered on how to keep the mind healthy: F
8 ) The quality of the advise provided on relaxation (physical and mental): D
9) The quality of the advise provided on how to get along with others (relationships): C
10) The quality of the advise offered on how to get along with oneself: F
11) The quality of the advise offered on how to succeed in life: F

Try it out and see by yourself -- and let us share

srflongago
Registered User
(2/28/02 7:13 pm)
Reply 		Re: Ma's Writings
I am sure you would agree that each human being is conditioned to cultural norms by childhood environment and training. Yogananda's writings would be somewhat differently expressed and executed if the same soul were invested in a Buddhist from Thailand or a Confucian from China or a Tibetan from Lhasa or a Zorastorian. Yogananda's style and admonitions have to be read in the context of his orthodox Hindu background, that is, hindus learned to express ideas and precepts in English in his 1900 vintage childhood upbringing in British India. Faye Wright was brought up in formative years in an orthodox Mormon household in Salt Lake City.

Her modes of expression and admonition should be viewed in that light. (Yogananda emphasizied the unity of Yoga with all religions before 1935 when he converted MotherCenter to a Church and ordered out those renunciates at Ranchi who remaned in other Indian orders, such as the Ramakrishnan order. The original members of the SRF were from a substantial variety of religious backgrounds. The four Wrights and Laurie Pratt were Mormons.)

If you read the Book of Mormon, and the sermons of Mormon preachers for the 1915-1925 period when Faye was a girl, you will find a pervasive judgemental tone far stronger than that of the Roman Catholics or Episcopalians, a tone absent in the Sanskrit Hindu scriptures and the Pali Buddhist scriptures. I think your analysis applies to the Mormon mainstream literature as well. What you should conclude from this I do not know, perhaps it gives some distance and perspective.


Edited by: srflongago at: 2/28/02 7:18:06 pm
Should Free
Registered User
(2/28/02 11:23 pm)
Reply
ezSupporter
 Re: Ma's Writings
I think your point regarding the Mormon Church background is interesting to consider and may have its part in the whole picture. However, only just a part. The SRF monastic order seems to be quite close to the Catholic Church monastic orders too. The infalibility principle and the "we do not need feedback" seems to also be quite Catholic style. All BS anyway, SRF is a very imperfect organization and the teachings have serious problems at all levels.

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