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chuckle
Unregistered User
(2/21/02 1:04 am)
Sri Daya mata's memo
A friend emailed me a copy of the memo sent out by Daya Mata regarding the changes at Mother Center. I cannot verify if this is the real memo; by the time I got it, it had been forwarded about ten times. These two passages appeared in the memo, and I would appreciate any feedback.

Quote:
To assist in the executive-level guidance during this interim phase, we have formed a Board of Directors workgroup, which will consist of the following Board members: Uma Mata, Brother Anandamaoy, Sister Shivani, Brother Achalananda, and Brother Vishwananda. The primary function of this group will be to help insure that as we grow, the ideals and spirit of our Guru are kept always at the forefront as the sacred guiding principles of our day-to-day organizational decisions and service. This workgroup will also attend to the spiritual and ashram life of our devotees. They will oversee the Spiritual Life Committees and work diligently to ensure that each monastic lives a balanced life that provides a firm foundation for their individual sadhana....

Each and every change we make in the organizational structure - and also the way we carry on our daily duties and interactions with other - must be reflections of our Guru's sublime how-to-live
principles. This is only possible when our spiritual life is vibrantly expressing itself in all our words and actions. Let us be known first and foremost as Gurudeva's disciples who strive every day to live, serve, and love God in a spirit of divine Friendship, harmony, and attunement. In Guruji's own words, "If you all work together with love, harmony, kindness, and humility, the work will sweep the world."


My question, primarily to those who have “been there” and/or are in a position to speak with some authority, is whether you feel these two statements are a sincere appreciation that things have not been so rosy and need to improve in both fundamental and more mundane ways or are they merely window-dressing?

My sincere hope it is the former.

Deep
Unregistered User
(2/21/02 7:56 am)
Meaning
For people who have seen behind the curtain see this letter as spin and damage control. They put out a list of yet another committee, dropping the names of SRF “rock stars” in an effort to show this means something. Why is another group, outside the board of directors, needed to “fix” this thing?

What is it they say they are trying to improve? Do they admit to problems in the letter in other places?

----- Uma Mata is part of the problem, she will be no help.

----- Anandamoy has been on the board for years and has done nothing. As strange as it may seem to the membership, Anandamoy is not a powerful force for goodness and righteousness in the ashram.

----- Shivani is part of the problem. The SS is being asked to clean up conditions for the prisoners.

----- Achalananda is an oursider. They have abused him for years and sent him off to outside ashrams so they don’t have to deal with him. Remember they fired this guy from running the printing facility years ago. He would be a help if they let him but that is not how they work. In this case the membership all know his name so he is being used for his reputation but will not be in a position to be helpful.

----- Vishwananda is a good guy but timid and won’t push for change.

“This workgroup will also attend to the spiritual and ashram life of our devotees.” Is this an admission of a problem? If they could just admit to a problem they would be on the road to recovery. They are still deep in delusion and believe that their actions directly must be perfect in the eyes of the membership. They themselves strongly believe that their own actions are one and the same with Master’s will.

The phrasing of both paragraphs is such spin it is almost embarrassing. If you are a member and do honestly believe their story that they are always divinely guided then I guess it makes sense. The SRF writers that produce this stuff really do think we will believe anything. This board is full of people who think otherwise.

fromLA
Unregistered User
(2/21/02 9:15 am)
Letter
The exerpts you posted sound authentic "SRF-speak" to me. One thing you should all be aware of: there is no admission or acknowledgement WHATSOEVER of any problem. Faye once said, "We don't have problems, we just have growing pains." If you don't understand this mind-set you will never understand what goes on within the asylum that is SRF. Read the two paragraphs carefully, putting out of your mind any thoughts YOU have of problems. Is there a single word that indicates that anything has been amiss? Not one. They are simply saying that "as we grow" they keep up and make changes to make sure nothing changes. Read it, that's what it says.

The way Faye deals with her responsibilities reminds me of Rodney King: Can't we all just get along?

Been there
Unregistered User
(2/21/02 10:18 am)
Ah those golden words
This memo basically says that the rebellion (the Spiritual Life Committees) is over and the old guard will never ever let it happen again. All the old guns are not only in charge of making sure there will be no change in "the work," but that no change will be allowed in the living conditions of the monastics. They declare themselves overseers of the whole she-bang.

Some people once regarded Vishwananda as a hope for sanity. But many of the rank and file who actually dealt with him daily were not been able to make a true or lasting connection. He will do whatever the Matas want. He sees it as his honor and duty to serve them.

The quote at the end reinforces the expectation that everyone accept this situation with a "good attitude." That means to smile and manifest perfect obedience or you will be made to feel very uncomfortable.

In Recovery
Unregistered User
(2/22/02 8:04 am)
Words! Just words!
Unless I see a radical change in the way they treat people, which I haven't, I won't give give those words any credibility at all.

It all boils down to how we treat ourselves and others. Geez! They even managed to slip in a quote of Master's to manipulate us into agreement in the name of harmony. It's sick.

I see no acknowledgment of problems in that message. Instead, I see a very cleverly and carefully worded message that steers clear of any admission of problems and slyly pushes the reader's focus onto other things.

KS
Registered User
(2/23/02 3:24 pm)
No break
In the old days Mother Center could spin these things with letters like this any time they liked. The membership had no way to express questions and if they did write or call in it was kept secret. People didn't know others had the same doubts.

In comes the Internet. Surely the tool of the devil. :)

They don't deserve a break. Let them have it! Spin all you like bad ladies, we will watch your actions not your words. In fact, save the paper from now on until you get your act together.

chuckle
Unregistered User
(3/4/02 6:54 pm)
Thanks!
I just wanted to express my appreciation, belated as it is, for the analysis you guys have done. I rather suspected you would respond as you have, and your reasoning makes sense. What this underscores is that if and when the SRF leaders do decide to declare "mea culpa" and institute some significant changes, they are going to make great efforts at convincing us that they really mean business; a mere PR campaign, no matter how slick, ain't gonna cut it.

Crog
Unregistered User
(3/4/02 7:28 pm)
Sweep
"The work will sweep the world"

I love that part of their memo. They feel that they are "the work" of course. The big surprise for them is that they are not. I believe that is what is being revealed to all of us. Don't look to this corrupt cult to LEAD as it will not. Master's work will grow and spread, just not SRF. The idea of a central bunch of people telling the rest of us how to live is old school.

KS
Registered User
(12/4/02 6:47 am)
Re: Sri Daya mata's memo
So what came of all this? It has been almost a year. We know they are "attending to the spiritual life of the devotees" by laying many of them off during the holidays. What else?

Chances are the group never even met and decided nothing. I suspect Achalananda never even knew he was on yet another committee. He is a good man. I hope someday he is in a position to help.

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