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SRF Walrus > Treatment of Members/Monastics > The plain and simple on the Matas
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Myth Unregistered User (10/4/01 6:19 am) Reply	The plain and simple on the Matas Starting a new thread for this: *Quote:* From PostMonk (10/4/01) in response to a question from Shadowman (….Have they really lost their marbles? Daya seems like a sweet grandma on tape and at Convos. But I heard she and the other Matas have split personalities. …) Dear Shadowman, I spent 16 years under the matas' rule. Here's the skinny. They sincerely believe they are doing God's will. That much is certain. But that is about all the praise I have. They are arrogant, elitist, xenophobic and often downright cruel. They rule by total fear. Abuse, humiliation and exile are meted out to those that dare question or disobey. (Why do you think Bhaktananda has been in Hollywood these past few decades?) Absolutely no one is trusted except for the "chosen few". It doesn't matter how long you've been in, how devoted your are, how intelligent your are. If you're not in their circle you're an expendable pawn to be watched and used to the organization's benefit. If you are in the circle you can act with impunity. Abuse people, spy on them, distort the truth, claw your way to more power --- it's all OK as long as a mataji knows your name. In short, the organization is run by a few of xenophobic women stuck in 1952 and surrounded by a bunch of handpicked, power-hungry wormtongues. That is their way. It is the way of the matas. Shadowman, I would not put it that way (they are doing God’s will), I would say that the matas do think they are “protecting Master’s work”. They believe that God’s will flows through them and therefore their own will tracks with God’s will. (i.e. Ego) They are scared old ladies who are in way over their heads as they have not made the effort to really learn how to lead and manage. They fear fear fear. Fear someone will cause SRF to fail, fear their own insecurities and incompetence will be revealed, fear criticism, and fear the loss of their positions. Fear is a long term habit now and their reactions get worse and worse, more abusive. This fear causes strange and disturbing things. The abuse that PostMonk describes certainly happens and is a reaction to the self-imposed stress they feel. As the membership has grown (although only slightly as almost as many leave as sign up!) they have gotten more and more members involved to help. This has caused a great deal of stress in trying to maintain the illusion that mother center is a wonderful place. The strain is starting to crack them. And the members up there are really getting discouraged. The matas rarely see many people, even 90% of the monastics rarely see them. And for good reason. When people do come in contact they are quickly discouraged and see the truth. Even the matas realize this. The image they put out in public is a lie and a great strain for them. So they keep contact with the public down. And even when they show up at Convo they have a police and usher escort, with every door and hallway covered as if there is some danger. The real purpose is to keep members away, they don’t want to have to fake some interaction. Do they show up at the Convo Open House? Temples? Christmas open house? Why not? A women working up there recently said, “I feel like I was lied to for 20 years”. The realization that SRF is just a clumsy cult is a hard one, since it was founded by a great Master like Yogananda. The future of Master’s work is not with this organization, at least not with it holding a key central leadership role. It may eventually survive as a small group of humble devotees maintaining the grounds and publishing the Lessons, but not in its current form. I believe that message is clear.
Deep Unregistered User (10/4/01 6:41 am) Reply	Matas In my experience criticism of the Matas goes over like a lead balloon. Their reputation, with most members, holds up the very foundation of the SRF image. Weird, but the image and worth of SRF is measured by devotees to be the worth and stature of the Matas and not of Master. Therefore if you criticize the Matas you criticize the SRF teachings. People read Master’s words and feel the truth and inspiration and know they are real and good and right. If they see the truth about the SRF leadership it is very disturbing as most believe that would reflect on Master’s teachings being the truth. The message we are being taught by Master with this realization about the mata’s true nature is that they are not the same as “Master’s work”. They may not even be necessary. But don’t talk about this with most members. Your own reputation will suffer as they don’t even want to consider it. And to be honest it may not matter for those not involved too closely with SRF. I’m not sure. As long as their faith doesn’t cause them to try and move closer!
Shadowman Unregistered User (10/4/01 8:58 am) Reply	In response Myth wrote: ------------------------------------------------------------------- "The realization that SRF is just a clumsy cult is a hard one, since it was founded by a great Master like Yogananda. The future of Master’s work is not with this organization, at least not with it holding a key central leadership role. It may eventually survive as a small group of humble devotees maintaining the grounds and publishing the Lessons, but not in its current form. I believe that message is clear." --------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree. Maybe it is good SRF org. took a turn for the worse so early in its history. Let it stand as a cautionary tale for the ages. I believe we've all picked up on precisely where the true movement of Master's work is headed. Most likely in the simplicity you mention in your post. We, who have been alienated from our spiritual family, are forerunners of that breed of disciple. And I take great pride in my disenfranchised status because it feels a lot like the early days when people visited not an organization run by a bunch of mischief makers but ran in networks amidst the exalted presence of Larhiri Mahasaya and Sri Yukteswar. Since the Matas come from a different generation than us, they are not equipped with (because they were never taught) the sophisticated psychological tools that have surfaced over the past twenty years. Their generation thought of individuals more iconographically. Blacks and whites -- few gray zones. Their whole "psychological" effort involves the fabrication and maintenance of a chrome-shiny, perfect-world, "Leave it to Beaver" persona. Put your best foot forward; fake the missteps (its nobody's business). Well Ms. Matas, IT IS OUR BUSINESS!! TO THE MATAS: Any person who accepts a role of high profile before the public has subjected him or herself to scrutiny. Your inner psychological condition, your motives, ARE the business of every inquiring devotee because real live human beings are placing their lives under the influence of your guidance. IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE THIS RESPONSIBLY...BE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO STEP DOWN FROM YOUR POSITION. Since the ruling hunta want to play by the rules of the world, why don't we insist on term limits to the presidency. SRF is in no need of a bunch of Mayor Daly's. What would help the work most is for a bunch of intelligent devotees to call the organization on the hot seat and get these administrative problems ironed out. There should be a great debate. The Matas should be put on review. The mess should be utterly cleaned up. Congress made a bit of history last week by giving the President Bush carte blanche powers to go to war however he sees fit. Only one representative, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, voted against it because she saw in the passing of this vote a serious trend towards the erosion of the democratic process. You would think she met with disapproval from Senators and Representatives alike. But you know what? They all saluted her courage. That would suggest that many of them wanted to save face and thus voted accordingly rather than by conscience. Why am I bringing this up? Because, if Senators and Reps can't be courageous, how do we expect little milquetoast devotees to make a stand? And, if they can't, then nature will precipitate a moment of crisis when all involved will have no choice but to publically face the issues

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