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Raman Maharishi

Laura Gomez5 · 2004-12-14T20:17:02+00:00

A follower of that teacher actually asked me to drop by here, so I'm just checking in—let me know if you're around! 🙂

Started by Laura Gomez5 · Dec 14, 2004 · 👁 12 views · 46 replies

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Laura Gomez5 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2004

#41 · Dec 18, 2004

grizli said:But this whole idea of people just donating whatever they feel like might actually leave a TM teacher starving on the streets...

That’s the core issue right there... I don't think the payment principle itself is bad... it's just that it would be way too easy for a TM teacher to find themselves unable to maintain a decent standard of living, or maybe not able to afford basics at all... they'd probably end up hungry.

Yeah, hmm, and honestly, if a teacher is primarily motivated by the money... I highly doubt they'd actually turn out to be a good teacher.

I guess you could technically set up a system where the teacher works a regular job at, say, a Ford plant... and then teaches people after their shifts... but the real question is how much someone like that could truly dedicate to their teaching calling, and I mean, how would that whole dynamic even work?

Anonymous Veteran

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joined May 2005

#42 · Dec 18, 2004

I’ve always felt that when someone claims the title of Teacher, it implies they’ve completely moved beyond the grind of worldly necessities. Someone at that level should be able to live comfortably off the generosity or donations of students and those who truly value their work. At the end of the day, the Universe provides for all of us, and if you actually have the ability to guide others, you can trust you'll never go hungry. 😉 Honestly, the idea of Jesus or Buddha hosting paid seminars with set tuition rates—where you can only access the wisdom if you have the cash to cover it—just strikes me as absurd. 😛 On the flip side, anyone who treats "spirituality" as a career path or tries to "make a living from the divine" isn't really worthy of being called a Teacher. They’re essentially selling knowledge that was either passed down to them or gifted for free, which makes them more of a spiritual freelancer or craftsman. There's nothing wrong with that, provided it brings them fulfillment. Just like being a writer, a firefighter, or a doctor, there’s nothing wrong with people paying to learn a skill, whether it's spiritual insight or a foreign language class. Not everything sold is high quality—even "spiritual" products—but everything has its market. 😉 As long as there's a demand for people to buy spirituality, there will always be people selling it.

Laura Gomez5 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2004

#43 · Dec 18, 2004

Enchantress says:
I've always felt that if someone claims the title of Teacher, it implies they've completely moved past the needs of a worldly existence. Someone like that should be able to live off the generosity or donations from students and people who value what they do without a second thought. At the end of the day, the Universe takes care of us all.

That sounds lovely and all... but that just wouldn't fly with TM. The overhead alone is massive because the organization has grown so incredibly large since the seventies.

I mean, anyone who actually thinks they have the ability and the right to teach others surely knows they won't ever go hungry. 😉 It’s honestly kind of hilarious to imagine Jesus or Buddha charging tuition fees for seminars and making their wisdom available only to those who can afford the price tag. 😛

You really can't make that comparison... trust me.
Times are different now... and people are dealing with a whole new set of headaches that didn't even exist 2,000 years ago (like environmental pollution, high-pressure jobs, school stress, and stuff like that).

Anonymous Veteran

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joined May 2005

#44 · Dec 18, 2004

Laura Gomez5 said:That all sounds lovely and wonderful... but it just wouldn't fly with TM. Honestly, the overhead alone would be massive because the organization has ballooned so much since the seventies.

Look, anyone can start their own religious group, church, or whatever they feel like. People should absolutely be allowed to teach courses and sell the knowledge they've acquired. I'm totally fine with that. 🙂

You really can't make that comparison... trust me.
Times have changed... people are dealing with modern struggles that didn't even exist 2000 years ago (like environmental pollution, workplace burnout, school stress, etc.).

What makes a Teacher a Teacher is timeless and transcends space, so all those arguments (at least for me) don't hold water. If Truth were tied to time and space, what kind of Truth would it even be?! 😉 We've covered this extensively on this subforum already. 🙂
People have always faced challenges; only the nature of the problems changes. Instead of worrying about whether we'll catch enough food for dinner tomorrow, we worry about whether our direct deposit hits the bank account on time. 😉

Like I said, I truly have nothing against someone charging for their expertise by selling courses, books, movies, or anything else. Everyone has the right to do what brings them fulfillment. 🙂 It’s up to the buyer to decide if they're getting value, getting ripped off, or just wasting their money. 😉 🙂

nimblemarlin38 Newcomer

1 message
joined Dec 2004

#45 · Dec 20, 2004

Laura Gomez5 said:First off, TM teachers don't have other jobs. Maharishi told them they have to give one hundred percent to this calling and can't work anywhere else... we're talking massive overhead just for teacher salaries, and there are at least 20 to 30 of them in the US alone.
Then you've got about 22 TM centers, all of which have to pay rent to the city... you can imagine how high those costs go.

I happened to stumble upon this post, so I'll let you know that you're way off base regarding the above.
Maharishi my never demanded that TM teachers hold down no other jobs. Part-time teachers are actually the standard. If the ones here in America aren't working elsewhere, it’s probably because they don't want to.
Teacher salaries?!? You've got to be joking, or you're completely out of the loop. In the entire history of the TM organization, they have never paid anyone! If anything, a huge chunk of the money collected here goes overseas—I don't know the exact percentage, but it's somewhere between 50% and 80% depending on the course. The TM organization has always been strictly about collecting funds, and TM teachers are mostly just brainwashed people who volunteer to do it because that's what they've been told.

Elizabeth Miller8 Active Member

63 messages
joined Dec 2002

#46 · Dec 20, 2004

Raman and his famously enlightened cow 😁

Anonymous Veteran

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joined May 2005

#47 · Dec 20, 2004

Uranus said:Ramana’s famously enlightened cow, which we all know so well... 😁

Thanks, Uranus! 🙂 People have talked about this cow for ages, so it was high time we actually got to see a photo of her. 😛 😉

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