Posted by Member108: Management fixing things

SRF Walrus

Mt. Washington, Ca

Open discussions about SRF

SRF Walrus > Specific Stories -- EZOP Only Section > Posted by Member108: Management fixing things
	<< Prev Topic \| Next Topic >>

Author

Comment

srfwalrus
ezOP
(8/5/02 7:36 pm)
Reply

Posted by Member108: Management fixing things

Posted by Member108: 5/13/02: Management fixing things
pub78.ezboard.com/fsrfwal...=121.topic
=====================

Most of the readers probably don’t know some of the history of SRF’s recent efforts to control the minds and attitudes of monastics and members. I wish to relay one interesting story I heard recently. A few years ago SRF brought in a nice couple from out of state to help SRF clean up it’s problems. I am told that at the time SRF management felt that the problems were that everyone was not getting along. Some people were not following the dictates of the more powerful nuns and management decided to bring in outside help.

Naturally they selected SRF members as they can be manipulated the best by the God Realized management. So this nice couple were brought in and basically told to straighten these people out. They had in their tool box a meeting style called sinthesis (or something similar) and claimed it had worked in really dangerous and damaged organizations. They could help rescue SRF and make everyone get along!

This meeting style had a set of rules. These rules were the following:

1. Everyone at a meeting is equal.
2. High perspective and high integrity
3. non-judgement of each others statements
4. perception = reality
5. trust each other to be honest
6. self-discipline
7. loyalty to each other and goals of the process
8. sanctuary, say what is needed, be honest and not have it repeated.

The whole process was a total flop and ended up making things worse. For example rule #8 was meant to set up a safe environment where people could say what they believed without fearing retaliation. This was really really needed. During these meetings part of the process was to record everything that was said (nit one, pearl two). Unfortunately this transcription was then used to demote some people, and helped get others fired. A healthy black list was also generated.

After one great session where many people expressed honest concerns about the direction of SRF the process was shut down. Management (Savitri, Uma Mata, Vishwananda) explained that Master didn’t want problems discussed. To discuss them was to acknowledge them and that wasn’t positive thinking. Management really thought people were that stupid. This is of course a reflection on the character of SRF management and on the power they thought they had to force people to believe these things.

Management then informed those involved in the initial meetings exactly what the problems were they were to fix and pretty much ignored the situation from then on. The two nice member consultants were ignored for months, possibly even a year, before they finally realized it and left. This is SRF’s way.

===========================

Response by Kevin 5/19/02
=============================
I was actually part of the Syntesis project at the Lake Shrine.
The couple of devotees were really of the most exquisite character and the highest intelligence. They put in months of work for SRF (apparently for free or a nominal fee).
They were so patient, intelligent and enthusiastic to work for SRF, at the time I thought: I wonder how long before they discover what they are against !
It worked very well at the Lake Shrine and a lot of hard points came up that were deeply buried under a molding crust of so called "loyalty". I have to say that it worked so well at first that I myself really hoped it might work for the whole organization. I assume that that was Devananda's plan as well. The Lake Shrine must have been a test case for the whole SRF organization which needed honesty and openness so badly.
Well, I don't have the details of what went 'wrong' at M.W. but at first it worked there too and the constitution of the Spiritula LIfe Committee was one of the results.
The problem was the deeply ingrained bad habits of an organization based on the authority of a (according to roomors, senile) president, and several charismatic and deeply authocratic figures (without counting the power struggles among managment) afraid of anything NEW and FREE ; quite a dangerous mix. I can easily see how most monastics got tired of the 'difficult' new atmosphere when one has more responsibility and has to decide more for him/herself instead than following blindly in evrything!. From a life where everything ws decided for you in the minute details to the upheaval of a more democratic state of things? Can you imagine the fear the monstics must have felt? how easier the previous life must have appeared to most of them! The dust deposited on SRF for half a century was shaken and the pollution must have seemed unbearable! The air unbreathable. Some negative results into any field would support and foment the guilt felt by so many for breaking from the mold, a mold created on the very feeling of blind obedience, fear, repression and guilt, where intellectuality is seen as a 'bad' attribute and individuality a thing of the devil.

Who would have thought that hell could actually be a life in an ashram? and the ultimate irony that the people in hell think they are the chosen ones? , the 'happy few', the really spiritual ones?!

Edited by: srfwalrus at: 8/5/02 7:37:58 pm

<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>

Email This To a Friend
Topic Control Image

Topic Commands

Click to receive email notification of replies

Click to stop receiving email notification of replies

jump to: