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SRF Walrus
Mt. Washington, Ca
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James
Unregistered User
(8/27/01 5:41 pm)
Reply 		Another comparison
Haven't posted here in a while, but have been reading. I did attend convo--how very bizarre. The overreaction to the Ananda people, who are around every year, was puzzling to everyone I talked to. And the closing speech was strange, even disturbing. The monk (not sure of his name, haven't seen him before this year) stood for a really long time before he said anything. I was afraid he wasn't going to be able to talk or something else embarrassing. And I hate to say it, but it is true and frightening: this is a crowd technique Hitler used to use all the time. I've never seen any minister, every, at any time, do this.

Anyway, that wasn't what I started off to post. What occurs to me is that the current situation is much like that of the ante-bellum South, where a "genteel" and "cultured" life style was supported by slavery. To visitors the South could be a wonderful place to visit, so long as they didn't look too closely, or actually find out how the real work was done. SRF is in that same kind of position. People can come from all over and be very inspired and uplifted, but they don't see what terrible methods are used to keep everything going. And, often things aren't kept going, but everyone is so willing to make allowances--and most members are, in fact, humble and have wonderful attitudes. But the monastics and the members who keep things going are paying the price. All the work that gets done is in spite of, not because of, the leadership. It is only because monastics and members are willing to sacrifice their bodies and minds and work ceaselessly to overcome all the bad decisions and waste and selfishness and mistreatement that the Lessons even get mailed, or people get counseling, or convocation even takes place.

So next time you start writing a big check, think first about whether you want to help the slave owners keep their plantation going. It's not what the Founder had in mind. And just like the US, it may take us 100 years to get past the problems and re-start on a better track.

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