RANGER20: Are the teachings bad? 12/17/03

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SRF Walrus > Links to Really Good Threads > RANGER20: Are the teachings bad? 12/17/03
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srfwalrus
ezOP
(12/18/03 6:31 am)
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RANGER20: Are the teachings bad? 12/17/03

Here is a pretty good message from the LONG message thread titled "Are the teachings bad?". It is from RANGER20 and was posted on 12/17/03.

pub78.ezboard.com/fsrfwal...1&stop=255

Quote:

I don't know, Ranger20, there are views of reality that are open to other views, and views of reality that are not open, and often these closed systems use guilt and forms of manipulation to keep people in line.

RANGER20 goes on with his message...
This actually makes a nice segue into some materials I found last night that bear on the loyalty/guilt issues in SRF.

For quite some time I've had the thought that the organization was somehow more open and accepting when I first came, and that it's turn toward the dark side was relatively recent, like the Walrus is relatively recent.

Looking for some stuff in the garage last night, I found a dusty old folder with a lot of early SRF material in it. Old letters from the president. I found the brochure for my first Convocation at the Biltmore. I'd saved everything, notes, tickets, etc (thus the "nostalgia" I mentioned on another post today). I found a receipt indicating that I'd bought every book and tape in sight. I had also picked up a bunch of "Center Department Bulletins."

I had never read these bulletins, because they seemed a lot less interesting than the books and tapes and I never got back to them. Dated between 1976 and 1979, these are updates and instructions aimed at officers and helpers at centers and meditation groups - assumed to be true believers I guess. I almost threw them all out, because at first glance they look really boring, but at the garbage can, I decided to bring them back in for a quick read.

What I saw in those 3 years of bulletins was the most concentrated "fear factor" hammering on the loyalty issue of any written or spoken "teaching" I've come across. (they must have been having some trouble at the time - there is also a section about "other organizations claiming to teach kriya").

The SRF president was explicitly made (almost) co-equal to the guru, "the president, who is always in complete attunement with the guru."

Loyalty to the organization was made an integral part of loyalty to the guru.

The penalty for disloyalty to either was explicitly stated to be extra incarnations: "God will say, 'what's the matter with you'..." That charming quote was attributed to Yogananda.

There was a section of advice on how to avoid the fate of "those unfortunate souls" who have strayed.

It was actually pretty appalling, and at this point, even kind of funny. I realized that the author(s) had the same kind of "parent issues" I had. "What's the matter with you!" was a frequent parental question. It's not the question of any God I'm remotely interested in. It reminds me of the concept of the nasty "demiurge" of some of early Christian Gnosticism. I actually felt sorry for the people who composed this.

I thought about giving exact quotes, (and though I could do so on request), the whole thing was just kind of depressing, and I didn't feel like rereading it. The overall effect for me was almost the opposite of what the authors intended, as in making me wonder again how I could have given so much loyalty to an organization that didn't deserve it.

I am interested in picking up again, some of my recent review of some of the writings of Yogananda are likely to be original, and to look through more of the online East-West articles.

It's pretty well established that there are no public writings or lecture transcripts in which PY said the president was always going to be Self-Realized, as the organization claims.

What about the rest that was concentrated in these bulletins? I can't remember anything outside of lessons whose authorship can't be established. I feel a new interest in looking at some of the writings. Recent postings on the walrus have certainly raised the "where there's smoke..." issue. Does the punitive stance of the organization regarding "loyalty" reflect something of the founder? I know I'd prefer to think not, but I certainly have to check.

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