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    > Dealing with my doubts
        > What to think?		 New Topic

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HUM
Unregistered User
(8/3/01 9:16 am)
 What to think?
I don't know if anyone cares to discuss it, but this topic has been a long running debate for me. Yogananda said organizations are a "hornet's nest" and SRF sure is an example of that. I was not involved in Yogananda's time but his organization as it is now is pretty goofed up. I have served off and on for 15 years, and know many people at the local temples, and many have been seriously damaged by their closer involvement with SRF. They don't seem to read their own teachings. How to behave is a big part of what we are to learn!

Anyway, I dearly love Yogananda but SRF seems so troubled. How do you all who are involved keep it separated? How to still serve through SRF and not be so troubled by what they do?

What is my responsibility to try and change things? Do I have a responsibility? As a disciple of Yogananda's, do I use my free will to try and help things? Is it just my ego that thinks I can help?

Any advice would be appreciated.

James
Unregistered User
(8/3/01 3:22 pm)
 Free will
You have to use your own intelligence, feeling, reason, and attunement to make decisions. That is the Master's teaching. SRF is much better than all the other groups that say they are the channel: they leave you alone and don't say you need them to connect with God, only that you should get the techniques from them. Some of these other groups try to tell you that you can only contact God or Master through their leader. What nonsense!

But SRF is very paranoid if anyone questions the divine authority and perfection of the people running the place. It seems sad to me because it's unnecessary, but they may be gun shy because of people who tried to take over years ago. Things may not settle down until the current leadership dies off and some more reasonable people take over.

CF
Unregistered User
(8/3/01 4:13 pm)
 Primary Goal
Isn't SRF's primary mission to protect the teachings? I suppose that can come across as kind of paranoid sometimes as it becomes a "holy quest" to keep things pure. Someone tried to take over? Something like that would just make them focus more on the protection of Yogananda's work.

Who are the people running the place anyway? Do they really claim to have divine authority? Even Daya Mata doesn't claim to be perfect does she?

JS
Unregistered User
(8/11/01 7:33 am)
 Protecting
Their primary mission is not to "protect" but to distribute. A key difference that is part of the problem. They feel under attack and rationalize their disturbing actions based on this need to protect the teachings from the evil forces. It is a clever trick of maya's that their own actions are doing more harm than the things they are afraid of.

Yogananda did say nothing can hurt the teachings. What are they protecting then?

Eagle
Unregistered User
(8/11/01 11:40 pm)
 Answer to doubts
People people people! Having doubts is a normal, healthy part of a spiritual path. It is important to use our God-given intelligence to reason and question. Keep it up! Our questions will keep SRF honest, and right now they really need a prod in that direction. A highly-placed monastic who is poised to leave recently said, "Don't confuse the Guru with the organization. A lot of us have made that mistake."

It's the members who make SRF great (after the Guru of course) so serve each other and the community and world at large. Forget working for Mother Center, it's worse than a hornet's nest! You go there expecting the best and are sadly disappointed. But ultimately, our work is to perfect ourselves, and luckily we have our lessons and kriya. Don't let a bunch of unhappy, frustrated men and women in yellow and/or orange beat you down. Keep your mind on God and Guru...that's all that matters. Serve the temple if it makes you happy, but be honest and don't be a mindless robot or groupie. Don't quote the latest PR garbage they put out. Use your mind. If your intuition tells you something's fishy, it probably is. Make them tell you the truth when you ask a question. And please don't say, "such and such couldn't happen if Master didn't want it" because it doesn't work that way. Jesus hasn't interfered with the horrors done in his name for the past 2,000 years, so why do you think Master will step in and magically make it all better? He won't interfere with God's drama. Say, is anyone feeling a little Catholic lately?

As to the question of why SRF is so fearful. They wouldn't have half so many problems if they would just stop being so secretive. But secrets make people feel they are powerful and important, and there are a lot of insecure people in the management. They support each other's bad behavior, treat the employees horribly, spend money we donate on ridiculous projects (Mt. Washington expansion for example; expensive medical treatments for themselves while employees have a horrible HMO; law suits, law suits, law suits.)

But hey, don't get me started. Thanks to whomever originated this website. We really need to listen to each other and share our thoughts.

xmonk
Unregistered User
(8/17/01 10:48 am)
 Answer to doubts
I think the governor of Minnesota said it best: :"Organized religion is a trap; a crutch for weak minded people."

KS
Unregistered User
(8/17/01 1:29 pm)
 Organized
Saying "organized" possibly doesn't apply to Mother Center. But I understand your point. We have to seriously think about what we expect of them. They are not the repository of integrity and the moral authority for the world many people come to SRF expecting. If we can think of them as just the holders of the copyrights on the books, expectations are more reasonable. Of course that does not excuse the damaging behavior or help those there who are sick to get well. We reduce SRF to keeping the grounds clean and mailing the lessons. That way they don't need all those people, those monastics, and our donations. The fewer people there the fewer hurt.

They are certainly not going to be the place to go for monastic training for many years. That may be the most important message for this board: Look elsewhere for your spritual training. Look to the teachings directly.

GregsBrother
Registered User
(12/26/02 11:36 am)
 Re: Organized
I know its well over a year since the last post on this thread but,

"Did someone just quote Jesse Ventura!"

:)

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