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Brain Fart
In the largest of their web sites they claim that the preparation
for Knowledge includes brainwashing. To support the allegation,
they quote a 1980s version of the instructor's manual and claim
that it contains some kind of brainwashing instructions. However,
the 'evidence' shows that the complete opposite is the case.
Some important sections makes no grammatical sense and appear
to have been deliberately altered. The hate group web site which
publishes it makes reference to possible "typing errors"
in a disclaimer. Even so, it demonstrates the following points:
* There is respect and care for the individual.
* Those waiting for self-knowledge are encouraged to ask questions
and get their questions answered.
* There is no pressure of any kind: those waiting are allowed
to take their time and proceed at their own pace.
* There is no doctrine or belief system involved. Rather,
those waiting should develop their own understanding and decide
for themselves whether or not they want self-knowledge.
As this document is already in the public domain, I have reproduced
some sections of it to illustrate the points that I have made
above.
Those preparing for Knowledge should be allowed to:
* "Evaluate for themselves what is being said."
* "Make room for growth."
* "Provide a basis for questions and answers."
"Decide whether they like it or not." should be
included in this section, but the verb "decide" has
been omitted so that only the phrase remains. By itself, the
phrase makes no grammatical sense.The alteration is obvious to
even the most casual reader.
The document also states that those waiting should decide
whether to "continue or not continue."
Regarding the conduct of the instructors,
the document states:
"When speaking, or answering questions, just be yourself."
"If you don't know the answer, then it seems obvious
that the appropriate answer would be "I don't know."
If you are unsure, then get clear on what the question is."
"From the instructor's point of view all answers should
lead a person to their own understanding. Answers must be such
in nature that they always go beyond the immediate need, further
the person's understanding and open new doors into their insight
and understanding."
ETHICS
"The principles of conduct governing an individual or
a profession- standards of behavior." (Webster's Third New
International Dictionary).
"It would be easy to create very specific rules, covering
very specific situations, and provide the instructors with a
great list of what not to do. But that is not the purpose of
this training. Rather it is expected that good conscious behavior,
good judgment, and good discretion on the part of the instructor
would be the most appropriate: The behavior, the character, the
display and the action of an instructor should always be impeccable."
Does any of this sound like brainwashing to you? In
my opinion, the only people who are brainwashed are Hate Group
who criticize it. Even in an altered or incorrectly transcribed
form, it is an amazing document. A person could do well to live
their life by the principles it advocates.
Before touring 'The Absurd' it would be helpful
to clarify some key points.
Introduction
'Ex-premie' web sites often refer to "the mind."
What is it exactly?
The mind = brain functioning + the sum of our learning
and conditioning (socialization) + environmental variables.
We need our mind to function and survive. It is essential.
However, two equally intelligent people can hold completely different
views on politics, religion or any other topic. Moreover, the
human mind is quite capable of justifying war, torture, suicide,
destruction of the environment and any other type of destructive
behavior carried out by supposedly sane individuals.
Knowledge
In my experience, Knowledge - taught by Maharaji - is the key to the
door of another dimension within myself that is not controlled or bound
by the mind. Every day of my life for the last 30 years I have been able
to access this place, this dimension inside of myself. The experience
is very calming and centering. There is a balance and a wonderful quality
to my everyday experience of life that was missing before I was shown
the way to find that dimension within. Since 1971, Maharaji has made Knowledge
available to hundreds of thousands of people around the world, free
of charge!
The absurd
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1.
Arthur Chappell has emerged from the lunatic fringe of apostasy
with a self-published book bearing the title, Brainwashed!
A cult survivor's tale. (2007)
A reviewer wrote, "Without wishing to be unkind to Mr
Chappell, his book is not what it purports to be. A more appropriate
title would be, for example, The Delusions of a Paranoid
Psychotic Person. In his misspelled but sobering account
Chappell describes meeting happy, smiling, open and friendly
people, and feeling that they are somehow sinister. He perceives
them to be somehow acting in concert, as though connected by
single thread of consciousness for a purpose that is vaguely
threatening, but not clearly understood or defined. Chappell
wants to escape, but is drawn to them, perhaps by their warmth
or kindness. His book may be useful as a reference for therapists
engaged in treating patients who remain functional in society
while suffering from various forms of psychoses or displaying
obsessive behavior similar to Chappell's."
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2. The author
(identified here as 'H') asked for her 'journey' to be removed
from Brauns' web site. However, parts
of it were pickup up and preserved on another site:
"Notions of Mind and Soul being
at odds with one another creates enormous inner conflict"
and may lead to the "feeling of going insane." "I
had to cut off an important part of myself - the brain - in order
to be a 'good devotee' or to be accepted by the group."
'H'
In more than a quarter of a century of practicing Knowledge
I have never experienced any such inner conflict, much less felt
like going insane. I have lost count of the number of friends
and acquaintances I have come to know over this period. All of
them have been shown how to practice Knowledge. None of them
have ever expressed anything remotely like H's account. Nobody
can "cut off the brain." The statement is absurd.
Moreover, group acceptance is not required and has nothing to
do with the practice of Knowledge. "Notions of Mind and
Soul being at odds," belong to 'H' only. Does she
know what her soul is? I doubt it. Can there actually be a conflict
between Mind and Soul? Only in H's imagination could
this happen. Any conflict within a human being exists on a mental
level. There were some very strange ideas around in the 1970s,
but this rubbish takes the cake. She goes on to write,
"the single most destructive thing
... was the idea that critical thinking or intellectualism was
being in your mind, when you were supposed to be with your spirit"
I have used critical thinking to analyze ex-premie propaganda.
I completed a university degree and a post-graduate qualification
after being taught to practice Knowledge. I achieved distinctions
or high distinctions in most units (Australian grading system).
I use my intellect on a daily basis. I know a person who lived
in an ashram while completing a university degree on a government
scholarship. Thousands of other people who practice Knowledge
have tertiary qualifications and use their intellect in the normal
course of their employment. They include doctors, psychiatrists,
lawyers, journalists, accountants, businessmen, teachers, leading
executives - people from all walks of life. It should also be
stated that Knowledge has nothing to do with "your spirit."
Hearsay
"If you throw enough mud, some
of it will stick."
It works like this: Suppose your neighbour, who has always
been jealous of your success, accused you of running over his
or her cat with your car. Your neighbour can't prove that
you did it, and you can't prove that you didn't do it. Your
neighbour has a couple of old buddies who share neighbourhood
gossip. Soon, the accusation has grown out of proportion. You
are told that you have been killing cats around your city and
having fur coats made from their skins for sale in a fashionable
chain of boutiques. Even people who have known you and trusted
you for years begin to wonder about you. Does this sound far
fetched? - exaggerated? It isn't. Most hate group propaganda
is based on this principle: Hearsay which cannot be proven,
and is difficult or impossible to fully disprove.
A lot of this stuff concerns Maharaji's personal life or lifestyle.
As someone wrote, "I'd hate to have my life examined from
the outside by a pitiless and hostile witness." (From a
pwk chat site) Criticism of his lifestyle is based on unstated
assumptions about how a teacher or master should live. But Maharaji
does not advocate any lifestyle or give advice related to lifestyle.
And he has never conformed to anyone's concepts concerning the
behavior of a 'spiritual master' (whatever that is). His topic
is Knowledge - full stop! He is the master of Knowledge, not
lifestyle. Therefore, any criticism of him based on his life
or lifestyle is irrelevant; a non-issue.
Responding to hearsay is a potential trap: any response may
only serve to publicize it. Does it rate a response? So far,
no-one has cared enough to bother about it, however, some examples
are listed below under "Ex-premie Toxic Nonsense."
The
Subliminal Hook
There are concepts that run deep in all of us - products of
our cultural conditioning. The idea that renunciation or voluntary
poverty and chastity are akin to holiness is one such concept
that we have absorbed, whether we are aware of it or not. We
can't avoid absorbing culture specific attitudes to some extent,
and most of us never question them.
Most ex-premie propaganda presents Maharaji in a negative
way and, generally, it also contains some kind of 'subliminal
hook' that is designed to latch onto these deeply embedded concepts.
Negativity plus the subliminal appeal to our conditioning:
the tabloid press loves it, and it is a favorite 'ex-premie'
tactic.
EX-premie Toxic
Nonsense
Two examples: 1. Maharaji
hunts rabbits at Amaroo. 2. Armed guards carry sub-machine guns
at Amaroo.
The real facts are revealed in this
letter:
"Hello,
I just thought I might say something about the rabbit issue
at Amaroo.
First, they are not rabbits, they are hares, and one of Australia's
worst introduced pest species, responsible for the devastation
of millions of acres of Australian bushland by nibbling off the
growing shoots of young trees. In early '92, IRCC was advised
by Ipswich Council that the hares on the property had to be reduced
in numbers. Management asked me to begin a culling (shooting)
program of hares and feral pigs, and the farmers on both nearby
properties asked me to do their places as well. I did, plus another
property a little further away.
I kept a low profile regarding premies, as so many are city
people and New Age types as well, and I knew it would distress
them. In early '97 it became public knowledge, and many people
wrote to MJ outraged that a cruelly sadistic hunter (me) was
loose on the property. His response was to borrow a rifle from
me and let himself be seen by a group of people holding it. I
have no evidence that he actually fired it, and I was not there.
John McGreggor says that he did, but it doesn't bother John that
he was not there either. After that single afternoon, six years
ago, the rifle was returned to me and is still in my safe.
That's the story of the rabbit shooting. Does it make any
difference to you?"
Chris Hamerton
Ipswich, Queensland
The armed guard story came from Neville Ackland. Neville
was subsequently arrested for possession of unlicenced, unsecured
firearms and $2.5 million worth of marijuana. He smoked far
too much of his own hooch and lost the plot - a condition also
known as marijuana psychosis.
More facts that they don't want you to know
Is Knowledge really available free of charge?
Yes it is. Moreover, there is no cost to attend video events.
No plate will be passed around. There may be a donation box at
the back of the venue, however, donations are a private, personal
matter and are made voluntarily. You will not be asked to contribute.
In my area there is also a free video library. Excess funds from
the video event fund are used to maintain this library. As far
as I know, similar arrangements exist in many countries around
the world.
What is it about Maharaji that is so special?
Probably everyone would answer this differently. Most people
just enjoy hearing him speak, either live or on video, and that
is true for me also. But it is not the only reason. There is,
in my experience, a part of me which is not bound or restricted
by birth and death. In my experience, Maharaji has the unique
quality and ability to be able to trigger conscious awareness
of that part of my being. This experience is not necessarily
associated with practicing the techniques of Knowledge. The first
time this happened to me was in Sydney, 1976 - before I was instructed
in practicing the techniques. It was the second time I had seen
Maharaji in person. It was totally unexpected, and up until that
point - the most powerful experience of my life.
I am quite sure that a lot of people who have Knowledge have
not experienced this kind of phenomenon, and if they have,
they are reluctant to talk about it. Experiences like this are
of a very personal nature - difficult to describe, and easily
misunderstood. In this age of empiricism and cynicism, it takes
a very good reason for a person like me to make the statements
that I have just made. Quite a few 'ex-premies' have had similar
experiences. Their rejection and denial, and their attempts to
explain it all away are astonishing to me.
N.B. I am not suggesting that practicing Knowledge
will produce any similar experience.
The ultimate rip-off
Regardless of our circumstances or lifestyle, with Knowledge
we have a way to go within ourselves - if we choose - to find
meaning that may be difficult or impossible to describe. What
a silly tragedy it would be to throw that away. Knowledge is
in my experience, priceless. I really could not put a value on
it. In effect, ex-premies are asking me to join them in throwing
this away - and to join them in an orgy of self-congratulation
for having ripped myself off by abandoning a priceless part of
my being.
Then and Now: Moving on. Knowledge remains the same.
The message is the
same.
Those of us who practice Knowledge
have moved on. Time, maturity and changing circumstances make
'moving on' a natural process.
Some of us set up businesses. Others completed their tertiary
education and now work in some professional capacity. A make-believe
film maker with an ipana smile became a real film maker with
an even bigger smile. And as someone once wrote, "Housemothers
have become housewives as well as mothers."
But, the early 1970s were a very special years. The gift Maharaji
- Prem Rawat - has to offer was new to the West.
"I traveled from Delhi to Sydney, a long journey, and
when I arrived in Sydney, David Lovejoy ...welcomed me and straight
away asked me to do a press conference. I said "OK, Let's
go." and we went into that room and it was the first press
conference of my life. Change of country, change of language,
change of seasons, and then people were asking all these strange
questions about the third eye and about this and that. And because
I couldn't understand English that well, I couldn't understand
their cynicism: I was just simply normal and not reacting, so
they thought I was cool... There were some beautiful articles
in the newspapers the next morning, and some news on the television."
(Padarthanand, an instructor, spent three years in Australia
after his arrival in July 1973. A whirlwind tour of cities and
towns followed his arrival.)"We had taken over a school
hall, and people were staying in tents. The hall was quite full,
with three or four hundred people, mostly from Australia and
a few from New Zealand....And when I spoke I had such a deep
feeling, but I was trying to translate from Hindi into English
in my head. After the program some people came to me and said,
"Oh we don't care about your English, we like the feeling."
Padarthanand 1997
The 21st century is technologically
different, but the feeling remains the same and Knowledge is
the same. The message is the same, and the opportunity that existed
then exists today.
"Isaac Newton only discovered the law of gravity; he
did not invent it. In the same way, this Knowledge is within
you. I can only show you how to experience it for yourself so
that your heart can be satisfied." Glastonbury, England
1971
"What I offer is a way to be able to go within and savor
the beauty that is within you. I do not create the beauty. It
is not a mental thing. It is not an imagination. It does not
come from a book. It does not come from ideas. It is something
already within you." Copenhagen, Denmark 1994
"It is simple because it is already within you. It is
profound because it defies every explanation. It is something
that cannot be written about; it can only be felt. And you have
the capacity to feel it." Seatle, Washington, USA 1994
"I am not proposing solutions to world problems. I do
not have any. What I am proposing is that within each individual
is the domain where peace can be found. This is the premise of
Self-Knowledge, and this is the message that I feel is sorely
needed in this world. How important it is for that one message
to be accessible to everyone.
More than just words, I offer people Knowledge, a practical
way to feel the contentment that is already inside them. My message
is neither new nor old. It is timeless: the peace, the contentment,
that people seek is within. It was, is, and always will be. Now
is the time to turn within." USA, April 2002
Quotes from Prem Rawat spanning 31 years, from 1971 to 2002
| "Nothing
is more beautiful than a human being adorned with peace." |
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In a world at war, is inner peace possible?
"There is a symphony playing inside. We can awaken to that possibility.
That's all it is, a possibility. It is possible to be fulfilled, to
be in peace within. It is possible to understand the value of each breath,
to acknowledge the yearning for life. It is possible to turn pain into
gratitude, doubt into knowing. It is possible to turn all the questions
into one answer. One answer. What kind of answer? The one answer that
does not have a question." Prem Rawat
"Have you looked into each other's eyes? Have you seen that the
God who's within you is within the other person as well?
Everything else is just thoughts, theory. We need true experience. Until
human beings have that true experience, they won't recognize each other.
In every human being, there is a lamp. Everyone feels that the lamp
within them should be lit. There is no human being who does not want
peace in their life. But people are caught up in descriptions and definitions
and are unable to have the real experience of that peace.
Look for that experience. I don't say just come to me. Look for it.
Wherever you find it, it's good because it's about peace. And you should
have peace in your life. If you can't find it, then come to me. I offer
the mirror of Knowledge in which you can see your true reflection. You
can experience the peace that is within you and fulfill your life. Within
you is both that precious gem and the person who will recognize it."
Prem Rawat July 29, 2006
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