|
|
|
Regarding the 'free to go your own way whenever you want' -Of course there is no apparent coersive element at these meetings and people will often leave without so much as a second thought. Of course there is an agenda to convert people though, and most people are aware of that. I would have thought that it is arguable that there are plenty of coersive guilt trips and suggestions at later stages of the process. The public meeting is the 'harmless appearing' Stage One of the seduction process if you like.Of course if one wants to buy into the whole thing you are free to do that. Don't you admit though there was a guilt element though as you got more into it? Maharaji yelled at us, warned us, often used fear-mongering speech. There was a major agenda to surrender (there's a rap in there somewhere?) that wasn't there at first. One other thing that may be worth adding... My own brother went through the whole aspirant program and only left (freely and without restraint!) at the beginning of the Knowledge session itself. I can assure you that it was an extremely traumatic experience for him to make that decision and one which he would never describe as having been easy. In fact leaving at that stage was damaging to him. I think he has never really got over the pain and confusion that he went through leaving (as he was 'free' to do at that stage.)
They say the higher you go the further you fall. I think Maharaji did a good job of making people lose confidence in their own judgements. It was hard for a young guy to walk the other way when all the sheep were going the other.
Modified by Pat W at Thu, May 26, 2005, 06:12:38
|
