After some months in Europe, Andrew went back to the USA,
to start the revolution there. About 100 people from Europe
followed him and they built up a community in Marin County.
People lived in some houses, they lived close together without
any privacy. They celebrated the feeling of "enlightenment"
and were going to "satsang" almost every night. Most of them
had given up their lives and profession in Europe and where
doing jobs like house cleaning, window cleaning, house painting
and gardening. After some time the teaching started to change
and also Andrew's involvement in community life changed. In
the beginning the reaction of his "disciples" had overwhelmed
Andrew quite a bit, but after some time he felt the need to
emphasize more and more on what they had to do and how they
should live. "It doesn't matter what you think, it matters
what you do".
What started as something very spontaneous and very liberating
and lively, turned into something like a psychotherapeutic
community. (Anyway, the history is long to describe. Some
people, like Luna Tarlo, do know it from their own experience,
much better than I do and has written about it very clear.
Read her book.)
Comparison of "Behaviors" outlined in BITE
model to Cohen's group:
1a. Preferable the member lives with other members and is
only with them. Because they must make a good impression (to
the outside world, not to look like a crazy cult) they don's
separate from family, etc. but of course when you have a different
view on life and when you don't have any time left to socialize
outside of the community ..... what to do with friends?
b. They must look decent, correct, good to the outside world,
so they do what they can to look like that. There's no dress
code officially, but it's clear and it's known and it's very
important how you look like.
c. Vegetarian and more and more organic. Andrew himself is
totally mad about all kinds of vitamins. On the other hand:
many sweets, cookies, etc. Sometimes even wine or champagne.
And lots of coffees. All the cooking and eating is done together,
important part of socializing in Community life. Too important
in a way. But because it's done together it's totally under
control.
d. Five hours is more than enough. There's a strict schedule
of daily work (by having a regular job and bringing the money
in), at least 2 hours of meditation, physical exercises like
pushing ups, running, prostrations, preparing food and eating
it together, discussions groups, telephone calls with other
centers, with the main center, with Andrew or his committed
students, women meetings, men meetings.
e. Every student has to pay. There are members, serious students,
formal students and committed students. They all pay a fee.
If you have financial problems it's known and you will be
guided (controlled) by another student.
f. No time at all. And if there is, it is with other community
members. No vacations, because there are retreats with Andrew.
Entertainment, like movies or theatre, if there is time and
money: it's always TOGETHER. The celibates (who shave their
heads after making a vow on celibacy for at least one year)
are not allowed to see any movies which might have any naked
bodies or sexual scenes.
2. For sure. If you do have a child elsewhere or a sick mother
there is some room, a way to be out for a while, but you have
to take a stand, you have to be strong, because there's social
control (pressure) and it's very strong.
3. Oh yes. I didn't know about that, because rules like that
are never described forehand anywhere. So I decided to sign
a contract to change profession. It was a good opportunity:
study, new job, everything. When I told this to the committed
student, the local community-leader he blamed me for deciding
without asking permission to anyone. At this point I had no
idea about that, lucky me, it helped me to see what I had
moved into. I was 38 years old and was used to decide by myself.
Of course I talked about it a lot, also that time, with other
community members, but it didn't come into my mind that the
decision could be on anyone else but me.
4. Yes yes yes.
5. YES. Like: more meditation hours; being sent away; getting
advice from Andrew, like shave your head and make a vow on
celibacy or make a vow on no speaking; doing 1000 prostrations
a day or push-ups; being sent away to the attic of the house
by your roommates; etc. etc.
6. Individualism is good as long as your skills bring goodness,
wealth, money, etc. to the community and especially to Andrew.
Which means individual talents or capacities. For the rest:
individualism stinks, it's all EGO and ego is bad. (Except
when it's Andrew's ego. Than it's a black or white perspective
which comes from an enlightened view.)
7. Rigid rules and regulations. Only the problem is that
many of those rules are never told. So you have to find out
by yourself and sometimes discover them by doing the wrong
thing. Which gives an enormous stress.
8. There's a hierarchy which is frightening. You have to
find out, because it's not said. You need to obey, totally,
especially to Andrew and to his favorites (so you have to
know his favorites). Otherwise you can fall out of favor and
be send away. (Lucky you!!!! A chance to wake up.)
