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Thanks Bob, for the
thoughtful post. And thanks also for agreeing to
discuss this with people who take the time to
address what you are saying.
First, regarding the ashrams, I lived in
Maharaji's ashrams from 1974 until 1983. I left a
few months before all the ashrams were closed,
later in 1983. So, I lived there a long time. So,
my point of view is 'valid' as well.
I do not pretend to say that ever minute in the
ashram was a drag. It wasn't. But much of that time
I hated the ashram, mostly the poverty and the
celibacy, the lack of privacy, but I think you have
to agree, that during that period Maharaji was
clearly viewed as a Supreme Being, who knew what
was best for us, and leaving the ashram would have
been a demonstration of extreme lack of faith in
him. Moreoever, Maharaji held ashram meetings in
which he denigrated those who might think about
leaving the ashram, and the initiators did the same
thing, parroting what he had said. So while, you
had "free will" to leave, that's very
misleading.
To be in the ashram for 10 years, my 20s
basically, I obviously wasn't doing anything else,
like getting an education, a career, and
relationship and a family, and all the things
people do in their 20s. So, for Maharaji and Elan
Vital to now claim that they were never intended to
be a life-long committment, that they were just
temporary, 'experiments' or that they were to
protect us from drugs or something is quite
offensive, and, in fact, lies. Since my dedication
in the ashram was to Maharaji, it is appalling that
he would lie about it now.
You said:
there was no 'ill-preparedness' when we all
left at the end. in fact, everyone i still have
contact with, lives and has lived, far above the
poverty line from the first day of their
're-integration' back into the mainstream.
While being above the poverty line is laudable,
I know for me, in my 30s I had to basically start
over on a career, because most of us in the ashram
worked menial jobs, and were often transferred or
given jobs in the cult so that we couldn't keep
jobs for very long. So, I don't think I was below
the poverty line, but I don't think it helped my
living standard to have lived in the ashram. And of
course, Maharaji gave us no asistence, serverence
or anything like it when we left to get started on
our own, despite the fact that he has millions and
lives like a king.
I also know people who, after the ashrams
closed, didn't fare too well, either financially or
psychologically, and Maharaji did absolutely
nothing to help with the transition, and even stuck
the ashram premies with the ashram debts. It was
pretty disgusting and there are quite a number of
people who are pretty angry about it. Mostly, it's
Maharaji's uncarring attitude towards us as people
that makes people the most angry.
who among us was physically abused? no one i
know of.
While there are some examples of physical and
sexual abuse, and also examples of premies who were
permanently injured ffrom their "service," I agree
that this wasn't wide-spread, but I think
psychological abuse was rampant, both by mahatmas
and initiators, and the most extreme, David Smith,
who engaged in wholesale psychological abuse of the
ashram premies in a couple of the ashrams I lived
in. He was a very sadistic person, and having
access to people who were vulnerable in the
ashrams, he preyed on them. Anyone who was in the
San Francisco ashram in 1981, for example, will
testify to this.
The ashram was a situation that put people in
vulnerable situations to anyone with an abusive
personality or illness. Since they were trying to
completely surrender their lives to Maharaji, the
ashram premies were vulnerable to him and to the
'powers that be' like David Smith, who were
operating on his behalf, and with his instructions.
But since Maharaji never even knew who we were, let
alone grave a rats ass about us, there was no
actual protection.
Some ashram premies were injured working at
DECA, for example, in 'service' and that's another
example.
who among us left w/ financial debts or
physical ailments? no one i know of
I know one ashram premie, now an ex-premie, who,
when the Montreal ashram closed, they had to divide
up the debt, and she was stuck with $20,000 in
ashram debt and took years to pay it off. G, who
posts here sometimes, said when the Washington DC
ashram closed, he got stuck with about $5,000 in
debt, just him personally. I guess I was lucky that
I left before anyone knew the ashrams were closing,
and although I just left with my clothes, I at
least had a job and no debt, although I soon was in
debt, just to get an apartment, etc.
So I think you might be lucky you didn't get
stuck with a debt, but I think people have a good
reason to be upset with the fact that Maharaji
first lambasted people for thinking of moving out
of the ashrams, talked about them as life-long
commitments so that people trashed their lives for
10 years to live there, and then just dumped the
ashram premies with no explanation when he felt
like it. Oh, yeah, and then he blamed US for the
ashrams not 'working.' It's pretty
reprehensible.
Regarding the techniques, I'm glad you find them
positive and helpful, and I think that's great. I
don't deny that some people find them something
they want to continue to do. I think the problem is
when people think Maharaji has something to do with
the experience they are having, or the fact that
meditation might have health benefits and the like.
Nothing wrong with meditation, it's the belief
system, that Maharaji is connected to it in some
way that is the problem.
Gee, Bob, I recall your name, but I don't know
if I ever lived in the same community with you. I
hope I didn't do anything awful to you when I was
an Elan Vital bureaucrat.
Joe Whalen
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