Landmark Forum - Part II

I understood quite a lot of things by observing people who attend landmark forum. Primarily the educated, upper-middle class, urban population attend this and they don't have any clue of what life is all about. The materialistic life style has taken toll totally, which makes them live a miserable life with wrong perceptions, notions and beliefs. Suddenly they realize that the situation it out of control and start thinking about 'one-stop' solution for all their problems.

They look for one 'thread' on which they can hang on for rest of their life and forget their worries. The start identifying the thread by attending course like: Landmark forum, Art of living, Ramdev yoga and then getting associated with them. Other examples include: Kanchi ashram,ISKCON, Saibaba ashram, Aurobindo ahsram, Amritanandamayi etc. In a way all these organizations and courses teach almost the same universal values like: humility, responsibility, community service, treating everybody equal, selflessness, service etc.

In my point of view, its absolutely fine to learn any of these courses. But the problems starts when people go overboard and start indulging themselves. This indulgence turns into addiction after some time and they become mobile sales person for the organization they are associated with. They start forcing their friends, families and relatives to sign up and promise that all their problems will be solved in a jiffy. When such communities becomes bigger in size it results in scandals, murders and controversies.I don't want to take up any specific examples here as everyone of us has come across some or the other experiences.

Here are my conclusions:
  1. No course, religion or ashram is bad. Everything is created with a good purpose of making things better for humans.
  2. It is also OK to get associated with any of these 'threads' and learn their courses. But becoming sales person is really dangerous
  3. No course can bring in 'transformation' overnight. It takes years of focus, commitment, dedication and perceverence to even get a feel of real self transformation. For normal human beings it is better to learn a course and start implementing the techniques in real lives.
  4. Forcing others to take up any course or join a group is not correct.

Comments

Unknown said…
Reading the first post reminded me of the time when i went for the art of living course. The second post made me realize that you too think similarly. I guess all these courses are ways to get people focused, on any particular issue or idea, which can be easily marketed by appealing to the "I want to do good" part of the human nature.
Sourav said…
I agree with you Jay. It feels embarrassed when someone pushes for it. Some people are just too much obsessed with these kind of courses offered by different communities/ organizations. Situation become worser when these people gets diverted towards following the cult than practicing the yoga/pranayams in their everyday life.

Yoga & meditations defintely have some benefit on human minds and body, but it is individuals choice to pursue it or not.
Anonymous said…
In one sense I agree to your view point and in other sense I dont. Let me elaborate a bit.

I agree essentially all courses are same and intention of starting most of these courses are for good. Although many times what I've seen is, when these organizations grow big...focus on the original intention gets slightly off. And that is when we find inconsistencies in way these organizations perform.

I also agree that forcing others to do course or attend satsangs is not a comforting thing. But looking at the way society is heading...bad influences for youngsters, decreasing human and family values, so called cosmoplitan life style...with so much of a negative drift in the society, some amount of positive force towards a good purpose is always a welcome. Dont you feel so? I understand you, I too have been in those situations..I get such marketing calls on my mobile at 10pm night and feel what is this. But looking at a broader social perspective...it makes all the sense. Now-a-days I feel it rather feel happy when a young guy walks to me and talks about some developmental programs/courses than some friend asking me to join for pubing or watching cricket/movie or road roaming. Especially with so much freedom (monetary & time) its so easy for youngsters to sway away doing worthless things (for killing their weekend time). I think having options to do some useful things(courses you mentioned), and marketing or propaganding useful courses is far better than Vijay Mallaya marketing his Kingfisher :-) Isn't it a good thing happening to the society, seeing young generation being responsible for a cause -- even though it seem like addiction, but worthful to the society and their own time. Better than if the same younsters lying in the pub or lingering in the road.

A great person once told: Hang on to one small purpose(of good intention) in life..make that purpose your dream, your breath, your life. That is the only was to achieve everything else in life. One small thing done with intense devotion leads for the whole life to blossom - this is the secret of life. Certainly its worth giving a thought.

Have a wonderful day!

-Pen Pal
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