Hi Everyone:

Down below I suggesged to Chris that he get a job instead of posting on AAA.  I was just kidding, but that "get a job" comment reminded me of the ashrams.

In a few different ashrams I was housefather, and most of the premies who lived there worked full time (ususally at ghastly, boring jobs) and also slaved in "service" in other ways.  But there were always a few ashram premies who never seemed to be able to hold a regular job, and they were always the source of dismay for people like me who were trying to hold the finances together, get the premies to festivals, and keep up with the donation demands of Prem Rawat, who seemed to continually "need" another new plane, residence, fancy and expensive car, or whatever.  Seeing Rawat comment on how unreliable a Rolex watch is (which I think cost about $25,000), kind of tells you the kind of life he expected to live. 

Anyhow, there were always one or two people like that, in an ashram of say, 15 - 20 people.

Then there were ashram premies who would hit up people in the community so that they could go to festivals in foreign countries -- usually without permission.  I remember a premie named Nancy Silverstein used to always do that, and also a premie named Rumayana? (or something close to that).  Anyhow, for some reason these people never got kicked out of the ashrams, they just kind of hung around being gopis, not working, and being supported by everybody else.

Also, another theory about the ashrams:

1.  As an ashram premie, your life could be turned upside down, inside out and be either fun or hell, depending on how neurotic, or just plain nuts the initiator was who was staying in your ashram at the time;

2.  The closer you were to where Rawat lived (Miami, LA, Malibu), the looser the ashram rules were, and the less innitiators held much sway or were even really listened to.

Anybody recall that phenomena?