Terra, you write:
 
"As to the origins of similar behaviours in ex-cult members, the answer is most
likely due to several factors. The first is that cults attract persons who
already possess and amplify in them the same escapist tendencies as those of the
cult leader. Thus, facing the truth is not only delayed, but the cult reinforces
the belief that it is wrong to do so."
 
I feel this is a very astute comment. There are karmic reasons why certain
sentient beings arrange to cross paths and gather experience with other sentient
beings, and why relationships such as "master and disciple" are formed between
individuals of all stripes, including complete rogues on the one hand, and very
naive 'seekers' on the other. Cults may indeed attract persons who have certain
karmic tendencies (such as to manipulate, or to submit to manipulation, etc.)
and provide situations where individuals can act these out, justify them by a
certain philosophy, and then see through the whole thing and learn something
valuable. This learning comes at a price; much time and energy may have to be
expended in order to "get it" (meaning to absorb the lesson).
 
The Mother's comment about CKG was that certain individuals seemed to need to go
through this kind of experience with a rogue such as him. The profound truth of
certain things which the Mother said has only sunk in and become evident to me
over a long period of time, but I believe she was correct in her assessment of
Chinmoy, and her observation of what was at play in those who entered into his
lila.
 
It is as you say: the cult persuades the member (disciple) that he or she are
seeing and living the truth. But really, the so-called "truth" which the cult
inculcates is just one particular spin - usually advantageous to the so-called
"teacher" or "master" (in this case, Chinmoy).
 
Then, if the disciple of the cult leader dares to grow, or rather to outgrow,
the parameters of the so-called "official, approved" truth, and to get beyond
awe of the so-called teacher, he or she will face a challenge that is a call to
be true to the inmost instincts, and possibly leave the cult.
 
The fact that a person sees and feels the serious flaws of the group and the
teacher does not mean that this individual is a complainer. The perception of
flawed patterns is not idential to a tendency to "bitch and moan". This is true
both during life in the cult, and after, and even on this ex disciple forum. 
 
The more we aspire, the more we feel a pressure for change, and this change can
be BOTH individual and collective. In fact, the Mother and Sri Aurobindo gave
importance to "collective yoga" and "collective aspiration". Some people
separate the individual and the collective, as if each of us were an
island, isolated from others, destined to work out our liberaton in solitude.
But no, we communicate, feel, relate, and are interconnected. Individual and
collective evolution in consciousness are inextricable, and compassion is a most
significant key to the interplay of the individual and collective aspiration and
yogic experience - compassion exercised with wisdom, not human sentimentality.
At least that's what I feel and believe at this point in my own journey.
 
Membership in the SCC cult for over 30 years, and subsequent experiences of
other paths and teachers has shaped the point at which I now find myself. Our
journeys differ, but if we can share our perspectives with mutual respect, much
can be gained.

--- On Wed, 7/8/09, terraaustralis01 <terraaustralis01@...> wrote:


From: terraaustralis01 <terraaustralis01@...>
Subject: [Sri_Chinmoy_Information] Re: Explaining a reference to T.S. Elliot
To: Sri_Chinmoy_Information@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 4:21 PM








I'm certain that disciples picked up these behaviours, particularly disciples in
close proximity to CKG. The culture of cults is invariably 'Conform or Leave',
so if people wanted to stay they had to tow the line.

If a disciple regarded CKG as God incarnate, then surely his behaviours were
thought of as divine, except where he rebuked disciples telling them to do as he
said, rather than as he did. Disciples desperately seeking approval from CKG
kept experimenting with their actions until they got positive feedback from CKG.

Some of the behaviour I had observed in a centre leader wasn't too inspiring and
I suspect that others in the inner sphere of the SCC abused power equally well.

As to the origins of similar behaviours in ex-cult members, the answer is most
likely due to several factors. The first is that cults attract persons who
already possess and amplify in them the same escapist tendencies as those of the
cult leader. Thus, facing the truth is not only delayed, but the cult reinforces
the belief that it is wrong to do so. Another reason is that the thought reform
that a person was subjected to in the cult takes a while to be undone,
particularly if the person is unaware of the extent of thought reform.

Terra.
 
> I wonder if any of these bad habits have rubbed off on any of the current
followers, or former followers (ex disciples)? In any situation where one takes
risks by being candid, or honest, or addressing issues squarely, or reporting
accurately, or situating responsibility squarely in the realm of individual
karma, it's tempting to speculate what is at work.  In a cult, it's easy to
trace denial to the leader. In a forum of ex cult members, it would perhaps not
be so simple and obvious.



















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