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Raja Begum
Unregistered User
(10/14/01 6:40 pm)
Reply 		Spiritual Fascism: Getting to the Center of the Problem
"My Noncooperation is with methods and systems, never with men."
---- Gandhi

I'm itching to get to the central nervous system of the problem. I don't think we'll go far if we content ourselves with nebulous criticisms and flatulant bursts of name calling ("bad ladies"). If we can move our dialogue past collective tantrumming towards more objective analysis, we might discover a valuable set of principles which could help us for life. Realistananda --- who is much more of a moderate than I am -- had the idea when he brought to our attention that all organizations are flawed. One of my first postings entitled "Sleepers Awake" urged us to take responsiblity for the enslavement of our intellects. Life demands discretion on all levels. Hence, what we learn here, we can apply everywhere.

Personally, I think SRF is based on a fascist system. I mean this in the purest sense of the word. Read the following definition from a political glossary:

"Fascist: One who advocates a very strong form of statism*, a corporatist economy, modernization, regimentation, and strong central leadership. Citizens' purpose is to serve the state. Often includes appeals to a "glorious" past or pseudo-religious ideal, thus combining several facets of liberalism, conservatism and socialism into an organic vision of society."

(* Statist: Anyone who advocates a strong central government, especially with regard to finding solutions for societal problems. Can apply to both right and left. )

Analysis:

CORPORATIST -- Read my"Two Clashing Models...and a third"
pub78.ezboard.com/fsrfwal...D=58.topic

MODERNIZATION -- Always building. expanding, touring, promoting, and using technology to further its goals. Wants to keep up with the Joneses.

REGIMENTATION -- Masters of micromanagement. A policy for everything. Makes Sparta look like a Club Med Resort.

Strong Central Leadership -- (no comment necessary)

CITIZEN'S PURPOSE IS TO SERVE THE STATE -- What does SRF want? A lot of able and willing bodies who will work for low pay or no pay and who have the right attitude -- basically unquestioning loyalty and devotion to Mother Center.

APPEALS TO A "GLORIOUS PAST" --- Matas still living in the heydays of the 1940's and '50's. "You can only imagine what is was like" underscores everything they say. Keeping things quaint and provincial, the way they were in Master's time..."Those were the days"

PSEUDO-RELIGIOUS IDEAL --- Not us. SRF is pure.

COMBINING SEVERAL FACETS INTO AN ORGANIC VISION OF SOCIETY -- "In truth, SRF is a disorienting hodgepodge of models sorely in need of integration. Until we lay these discrepancies on the forge, what can SRF ultimately be but a place for winners and losers?" But they THINK everything is hunky dory in this Church of All Religions. So-- by golly -- it is.



Raja Begum
Unregistered User
(10/15/01 11:15 am)
Reply 		More on the Fascist Aesthetic
I want to make it clear that I am not implying Naziism -- an extreme from of fascism practiced by crazed followers of Hitler.

The concept of fascism, as I use it, is equally applicable in the discussion of many disciplines and subjects. For example, serious film critics use it to describe a style of filmmaking wherein the viewer's ability to view the spectacle objectively has been surrendered. Many American films do this. They don't allow us to think about what's happening to us, to reflect on themes and ideas while viewing the film.

Susan Sontag writes, "Fascist aesthetics ...flow from (and justify) a preoccupation with situations of control, submissive behavior, and extravagant effort; they exalt two seemingly opposite states: egomania and servitude. the relations of domination and enslavement take the form of a characterstic pageantry: the massing of groups of people, the turning of people into things, the multiplication of things and grouping of people / things around an all powerful, hypnotic leader, figure or force. The fascist dramaturgy centers on the orgiastic transaction between mighty forces and their puppets. Its choreography alternates between ceaselesss motion and a congealed, static, "virile" posing. Fascist art glorifies surrender, it exalts mindlessness, it glorifies death.

I can't help thinking about the SRF Convocation after reading this description. Especially the closing banquet where a long table is set on a stage, high above the crowd, and ministers are seated to the left and right of Master's picture in a formation reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper." I'm always humored by what I believe is an overuse of ushers at the Convocation, but also at the temples. There seem to be too many of them standing at intervals like human stanchions, with regulation smiles and hands guiding the way in a regulation flat and open-palmed gesture (no finger pointing please!). Then you sit down and you've got spectacle: the Masters' pictures, the obligatory pronam before being seated, the standard opening prayer, the minister with his regulation mannerisms and dress and tone and cadence of voice. And we are guided through chanting and guided in meditations and guided in closing and directed to the door. Then, when we leave, we have ushers to guide us out the parking lot much as they guided us in. And when we're not at temple or an SRF function we seem to carry on those behaviors wherever we go. Tell me if this isn't fascistic.

Plus, service readings are preordained, activities are scheduled and quantized down to the minute, jobs are micromanaged, decisions must be approved from above. The lecures, tapes, and videos reinforce it and teach it. For example, a number of people on this board have commented on Mrinalin's new video. As you watch her undergo her emotions, as elements of her family background and early days at Mt. Washington surface, as she talks fervently about Master, as the voice quavers and the tears sprout out of her eyes, watch how you subtly begin to assent to her way of thinking. The SRF communiques rob us of the space in our minds for judicious review of what's being presented to us. I'm not saying there is evil intent in the SRF leaders, but I am saying that, no matter what their reasons are, such thoughtless assent to authority is exactly the kind of surrender every great thinker in the world cautions us to avoid.

Raja Begum
Unregistered User
(10/15/01 11:22 am)
Reply 		More
"Fascist art glorifies surrender, it exalts mindlessness, it glorifies death."

SURRENDER -- to the way of life, to the Matas, to your supervisor, to ushers, to the "right attitude"

MINDLESSNESS -- no dialogue permitted, criticism or inquiry not allowed

GLORIFIES DEATH -- killing the ego, letting go of what you want to do, monasticism and celibacy...death to old self, no way out of the ashram except in "a pine wood box" (Premamoy).

Do you see what I'm trying to say?

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