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The Invisible Householder
Unregistered User
(9/6/01 8:35 am)
Reply 		SRF: Planet of the Monastics
I hope I'm not mistaken in my perceptions, but after 21 years in SRF, I have seen very few instances of the lay-disciples / householders being celebrated with the same fervor as the monastics.

Maybe its a case of "the grass is always greener." To be fair, there are growing numbers of monastics who feel very unimportant and uninfluential as individuals within the organization. That kind of powerlessness is tragic and can only promote the petty forms of power expression we see manifesting at Mt Washington. But, on the "outside" there are many times more lay-disciples who serve the work and endeavor to exemplify Master's spirit in the world and next to never do I ever hear a talk given by an exemplary householder. Dennis Weaver is like the only one I can recall--- and of course one has to wonder "Why him?" In a world of several billion, he would not be on my top ten of most inspiring speakers. But he's got nice guy appeal plus celebrity all rolled into one. Heck. if Scientology can put Tom Cruise and John Travolta front and center, we can give Dennis Weaver his day on the podium.

With Dennis Weaver, SRF has or had (I'm not sure which) fulfilled the minimum most possible need of lay-disciples to have someone they can identify with, another lay-disciple, inspire them on the path. With Dennis Weaver, in my opinion, SRF gave the absolute minimum concession. And ain't that true to form? SRF is brilliant when it doesn't want to do something. It grants the absolute minimum concession, a token effort, to appease the sheep who unquestionly worship them down in the nether regions sprawled around the feet of Mt. Washington.

Why did the Board of Directors early on decide to exempt married people from the presidency of SRF? Is that really necessary? Does Chrysler or Sony or Microsoft or IBM or Exxon or any other huge corporation require its CEOs to be unmarried? Which is more demanding: managing the United States of America or Self-Realization Fellowship? Didn't Master say the President of the United States has the most responsibilities? Must our President be unmarried to be the leader of 50 states while assuming one of the highest profiles in world affairs? Of course the Pope sleeps alone (as far as I know) and, following suit, so does the president of SRF.

Let's level here: Yes or No --- was Dr. Lewis an evolved soul? Was he not closer to Master than Daya Mata? What would have prevented him from being a capable president of SRF? There was a rule approved by the BOD stating that only unmarried people could assume the Presidency of SRF. They didn't say "only monastics" did they? They targeted married people. What does that imply?

I'm unmarried. Why can't I become the President of SRF? I have some degree of realization: I "realize" SRF is out of its mind. But seriously, am I or any of you different than any other ____ananda's? Or are we merely leftovers? How does one tell another is realized? The oranger the robe, the deeper the samadhi? I wear a Stetson hat today; does that make me a cowboy?

Yes or No -- Is Daya Mata realized? Does it make a difference? I know God is very active in my life. He absolutely let's me know this sometimes to my annoyance. So why do I need a pontiff to represent Him at the head of SRF? No. What would make me rest easy is knowing there's a responsible person heading SRF. A faithful person, one faithful to leaving Master's teachings alone. Master said the last word on sadhana. What else do we need but people devoted to making sure the electrical bills get paid and the mailings get out and a few questions get answered. Hey, we don't even need monastic counselors. Anyone practicing these teachings long and faithful enough should have their head filled with enough ideas how to help others. You don't receive divine permission through a memo.

Suppose I'm married. What good is advice from a person who has never slept with a woman, raised kids, or lived my myth? I'm out there slogging away with people as diverse in beliefs as colors in a crayola box. The SRF party line ain't gonna cut mustard in my world. The only thing I want the monastics to do is teach mediation techniques. I'll teach them how to live in the world. That's my speciality. Maybe, If I need advice on how to cope within a suppressive corporate structure, might I seek their opinion.

Board of Directors say we householders are too busily engaged with worldly activities to run a spiritual organization. Well well... what about all that time consuming litigation against competing spiritual organizations, the ceasless lobbying with city officials on behalf of the Mother Center expansion project, the daily management and investment of SRF's probably close to half-billion dollars worth of liquid and real esate assets? Hmmm? Do I detect a double standard?

The President of SRF is unmarried and a monastic. All board of directors and SRF ministers are monastics. All future presidents of SRF must have realization. SRF ministers and monastics are the sole one's appointed by the President to carry on the work of SRF. Married people or non-monastics cannot be presidents or ministers. Ergo, married people or non-monastics are either too worldly and lacking realization or too encumbered by worldy responsibilities to carry out the important posts of SRF. But our guru tells us anyone, even a lowly postman, can have realization. Is SRF elitist?

Try a visualization exercise just for fun: Visualize an SRF made up solely of householders. No monastics. Our guru wearing a trench coat and fedora hat, no swami wraps (If you're like any other non-deprogrammed devotee, you'll find this activity not only difficult but downright sacrosanct). Now ask yourself the following: What would the inspirational services be like? Who would speak? What kinds of activities would there be at the temples? How would the social climate be different than it is now? Did you do the execise?

To the best of my knowledge, only this year has SRF had a mixer for singles at Lake Shrine? What were they thinking all those 21 years I was a member? Was I supposed to hound prospective females in the parking lot after service or approach them while they practice silence at work retreats. All the hippest and coolest people I know meet, date, and even network at other temples...Jewish, Christian, Agape..you name it. I was a member of the stupid church. But my rationale was always that my church was so advanced that they do things differently. Isn't strange how we come to the defense of nonsense?

I've said enough...almost. But let me leave you with a few straggling throughts. "SRF is your church." How many times have you heard this? Okay, if its my church, I want things done my way. No more living for monastics. Heck I wish them well. I'm sorry some of them feel that the day to day operation of the facility is not enough and they need to do something extra like dinkering with the teachings ad nauseum or insinuating themselves into my lifestyle. I wish they'd find other creative outlets.

I'm proud to be a householder. Adam and Eve were not monastics. I want and SRF for householders by householders. Okay, I'm being selfish to the 200 monastics who need representation. But let's get real: Who's the majority here?

KS
Unregistered User
(9/6/01 12:07 pm)
Reply 		The Prez
Thanks for your thoughtful note. I hope you keep contributing. To add one thing to your message you forgot to mention that Rajarsi was both married and a busy businessman and somehow Master chose him to be president. Of course maybe he didn’t do a good job?

I would comment that as long as we severely downsize the job from that of Guru-replacement to just manager, it doesn’t matter who does it as long as they are good people.

widdlewaggle
Unregistered User
(9/21/01 7:02 pm)
Reply 		and....
Lahiri Mahasaya was married and had a couple of kids.... Sri Yukteswar was married and had a daughter..... ;)

KS
Unregistered User
(9/21/01 9:32 pm)
Reply 		That settles it
That settles it. Neither of them could be President of SRF. (Pretty funny isn't it?)

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