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In a thread way down
below, a premie named Harry responds to a
“gem” by Tonette as follows:
Hi Tonette,
Happy Birthday, first of all.
You probably won't care, but virtually
everything you wrote here regarding Maharaji, Pia
and Maharaji's not 'showing up' when people who he
knows and loves are ill or dying is flat-out
untrue.
Your characterization of Pia's site as 'twisted
and hateful' is your own opinion, but Pia knew
Maharaji very well and wanted to spend the end of
her life responding to and combating what she saw
(and many others including I see) as the utterly
false and increasingly nasty Web lynching of
Maharaji in progress. That's what she chose to do,
knowing she wasn't long for this world.
He did spend time with her shortly before she
passed. Afterwards, he acknowledged her, saluted
her spirit and quoted her on at least 3 different
occasions, publically, that I'm aware of. You also
lost your $100 bet. I'll gladly take the money if
you have no other place to send it. I won't violate
Ole and Pia's privacy but you're dead wrong on all
counts.
Maharaji has visited, called, held hands with
and spoken intimately with many people at their
point of departure. He has done so with 3 dear
friends of mine and others that I'm well aware of.
He's done this quietly and discreetly, and though I
have no need nor hope that you'll believe it, his
kindness and concern for those people left an
indelible impression on their loved ones and
'survivors.'
Personally, it meant a lot to ME that he cared
about my (and his) friends and acted on it.
Believe what you want, but it doesn't reflect
the real guy, Maharaji, at all. Very little here
does.
There are so many other false or gossipy things
here I could comment on...but this particular one,
regarding Maharaji's commitment over the long term
to those who have devoted their time and love to
him, cannot be left to stand so nakedly false
without a response. Had to say it.
I hope you have a great Birthday night and
perhaps in the future, you might think twice before
commenting with assumed 'authority' about people,
facts and events you're unfamiliar with.
best to you, Harry
* * *
Here’s the “gem” by Tonette that
set him to posting:
Exactly how many funerals has Maharaji attended
of his devotees who have died. Specifcally, his
ashram members, who were extraordinarily
instrumental in building his wealth. Huh? Gee, if
someone sent me even 10% of their income because I
was such an awesome person, don't you think that if
I gave a rat's ass about them, I would at least
show up for their funeral? In my private jet for
pete's sake? Talk about easy but more than that,
the right thing to do.
And Maharaji, you SOB, how you used Pia even in
her death! For a little history this was a long
term devotee who died recently(this past year) She,
Pia, launched a very twisted and hateful site to
discredit EPO and what was happening on the web.
This site was called 'it ain't so.' It was the
start of and in very many ways mirrored the CAC
attacks. A precursor to what was to come. Pia was
dying at the time, God bless her soul. She died.
But Maharaji in his never ever ability to use
people, mentioned her in one of his 'discourses.'
Obtusely. He never gave her a real recognition, nor
a congradulatory acknowledgement on all her work
with her site in countering the ex presence. He
used her even in death. What a bastard!
And I would bet $100 that Maharaji, in his
careful, loving recognition of this devotee of
many, many years did not so much as send a note, or
flowers, much less attend her funeral.
Yet he continued to use Pia, even after her
death.
That is what you are up against, 210.
But it is all so beautiful. Yeah_right.
My two shakes.
Warmly, Tonette
* * *
Since no one has responded to Mr. Harry, I
don’t want him to feel bad, like he’s
getting no attention whatsoever and go away mad, so
here goes a short one:
Harry: I kind of relate to what you said about
Tonette perhaps not knowing what she’s talking
about sometimes. I also hated this post of hers you
responded to. It was so tacky and without backbone
and mean. I was embarrassed when I read it. Even
though Tonette and I are “on the same
side” regarding the EPO and posting,
doesn’t mean I like or dislike everyone’s
attitude here. I don’t. I hate the nastiness.
(Note to Cynthia: Please lighten up. You’re
scaring people.) It’s these kinda posts that
are pushing me slowly away from this Forum and
steering me to write my goodbye speech like Swami
Suchabanana below. I know soon I’ll be leaving
my daily EPO reading and writing about this stuff
because it’s all too fucking much if you ask
me. I gotta just get on with life. Get over my
anger and pain. I and my therapist both feel that I
have gained a lot from my conversations here, but
it won’t go on for me for too much longer.
Just too much bullshit from both sides. Too much
immaturity to hang out with on a long-term basis.
Not everybody, but just enough of some.
Good for you, Harry, sticking up for M, if
that’s how you really feel. This is a free
forum, and it takes guts to do what you’ve
done. [Tonette can and does over-post at times,
it seems to me, and sounds a little too weird for
my tastes at times. I’m not really a Tonette
fan, you could say, and I could do with less of her
rantings. She seems to feel she needs to get her
two cents in at every turn to every post and
poster. But, even though I feel her post above was
ugly, the issue on this chat forum is not Tonette,
but M. But speculation by anyone is not helpful.
But don’t blame her if she can’t get a
whiff of your kind of reading material, like
“PAM Magazine -- Must Reading for Those Near
the Toes”. Maybe she’s just inhaled too
much laundry powder in that little laundry room she
lives in off her kitchenette or perhaps she picked
up some nasty bug at the hospital where she
practices nursing. No doubt about one thing -- she
is one upset person and feels she’s getting a
lot of assistance by being able to get it off her
chest here. It’s making me and you somewhat
ill, however. Ya take the good with the bad, and
use what’s good for you, I guess.
But your blanket statement that very little
about Maharaji on EPO/Forum 7 is true, I take issue
with. Your post wants to just wash away all the
facts of M’s insensitivity over 30 years
because he was nice to a few close friends of
yours. How about you? Will he be there at your end?
How did these friends of yours get close? How did
they hit the “Arjuna” lottery? How did
the rest of us fail? Why were we so far away? Not
devoted enough? Not rich enough? Not enough
meditation? Bad clothes? Bad hair? Karma?
I take issue because what I personally have
written about M myself and his lack of care for me
on this Fourm7 chat was and is true, believe me.
You relate this to an “utterly false and
increasingly nasty Web lynching of Maharaji in
progress.” Isn’t that a little off the
wall? We’re just expressing ourselves as to
what our experience has been and what we’ve
seen. You speak about “the real guy,
Maharaji.” I know him, I think. Isn’t he
the one in the picture on my premie friend’s
living room wall in the baby blue satin pants and
actual flower top with a jeweled crown on his head,
holding a flute showing off his Arthur Mary dance
steps dancing to “Don’t you Think
I’m Sexy” by Rod Stewart? Or, isn’t
he the one on the golf cart who can’t ever
stop and talk to you or me or anyone of your
friends in 30 years -- because he can’t come
down off the stage and get to know you or them or
really care about any of you or us? Can’t
learn from anyone. Can’t talk to anyone.
Can’t share with anyone. Originally, he said
he knew everything. Omniscient, he said he was.
What happened? Was that the “real guy”?
Is he not the Lord of the Universe? The Superior
Power in Person? And when did he stop being so?
What happened there? But why did he have us sing
Arti too him just a few months ago? Will he be with
every single one of his devotees at their darkest
hour? Will he abandon some of them? Which ones? Or
is the “real guy” the nice daddy of four
beautiful kids and wife in Malibu? One happy
nuclear family. Or is the “real guy” the
one that his mother, Mataji, disinherited; or is he
the one with the big Malibu mansion with security
guardhouse, swimming pool, tennis court, recording
studio and 14-bay garage filled with autos who
flies a leased top-of-the-line executive jet around
the world with a large entourage and production
company to make more videos, tee shirts, photos,
hats, logos and mugs for sale?
Wasn’t the “indelible impression”
that Maharaji left on these deceased people’s
families at their funerals/deathbeds really more
like “Wow am I glad that this guy in the
$1,000 suit is gone from THIS family forever. Did
he work as a school teacher/social worker like my
son/daughter for even one day in his life? What the
fuck is his claim to fame that it took all of the
attention of my child so far away from his spouse
and children and parents for so many years that we
were so happy when the ashrams closed we could have
cried? Though over the last 20 years we could have
built many playgrounds and funded after-school
programs in our neighborhood with the large checks
for cash that my kid had sent in to him. For what?
To build his daughter a restaurant? For his
continued adulation and gratification? Another
antique BMW? Another new Lexus? How sad. At the end
of the day, I was so glad for Pia’s website
because I couldn’t understand what was
upsetting to her and so I had to go to EPO to find
out what was going on, since M’s EV is more
secretive than the FBI. I found out what was going
on. I’m history.
Your premise that his showing up at the
deathbeds of your friends shows “Maharaji's
commitment over the long term to those who have
devoted their time and love to him” is crooked
logic. Did he ever once answer any of my letters in
this lifetime and answer the questions I had asked
hm? Never. Why would he come to my funeral? Or call
me in my last hours of life? Did he even
acknowledge the wedding invitation we sent to him
representing over 45 years of combined devotion
from the bride and groom? Not a word in response.
Were your friends some of the chosen few because
they were rich and sent in their money regularly?
How about the hundreds and hundreds of other
full-time devotees that he cares zero about? Never
met them. Never talked to them. Their funerals and
deathbeds? I doubt it. Why, he doesn’t even
know who they are? I don’t think he’d be
there. Or, does he do this for the poor single mom
30-year devotee with the four flaky kids in a
rented Milwaukee townhouse who couldn’t go to
Australia (let alone Long Beach) to sing Arti to
him last April or the farm worker from southern
India who can only send in one rupee a month? Did
he show up there for their deaths or funerals?
Ever? How often? Did your friends in effect buy his
visit at the end? Were they allowed to get to know
him during their lifetimes based on anything other
than their good looks, connections or money? Who
was the last premie in Wisconsin or Michigan that M
has talked with in this lifetime and when? What
about those poor people who surrendered to him the
reins of their lives, as he instructed them to, and
dedicated their entire life’s work, income,
family to his cause only to see him close the doors
on them after 10 years and throw them out? Let
alone answer their mail. Has he even thanked them
or their families once in their lifetime, let alone
at the end, at their deaths? Is he a humanitarian
or a collector of wealthy things? At least the
alleged crooks at United Way gave SOME of its
collected funds to real charities doing real work
for the less fortunate and didn’t just travel
around the world for meetings and stay at fancy
hotels and fly in private jets and eat at the best
restaurants -- on all the dime of the donees --
like Maharaji with his “events.” Even his
brother helps the less fortunate, it seems. Have a
heart, man. Recently, M went to seven cities and
let people talk to him after 30 years (no questions
allowed because someone asked him if he meditated
in an early event and he got very angry), but what
about the premies in Caracus, Finland, Norway,
Austria, Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana? When do they
get to meet Maharaji face to face and say anything?
Can they afford his visit? Or should they just wait
for the broadcast of the videotape. Harry,
you’ve got a point there. Work harder to stay
real close or you might not make the list, like
Tonette.
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