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Claude pointed out to me this article on the last issue of Echoes of Africa and the Indian Ocean. According to officials of the area, many misconceptions still exist between expectations and it offered African abhyasis Sahaj Marg. Primarily on recurring questions about fear, such as finances of the Mission. The explanations have not been enough to dispel the rumors.

According to the article, a misconception circulating is that tutors say they are volunteers then they would receive money from the Mission. Overall, this is a misconception. But we can not forget the case of the Centre-in-Charge of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission in Mauritius that August 22, 2008, did not hesitate to seek outside funding so he can quit his job and exercise full-time role of "spiritual workers" (sic) at a rate of U.S. $ 50,000 per year.
To learn more, read 4d-Don

The abhyasis Africa have perhaps not wrong to remain vigilant as there are occasional abuses, and what is true for Africa is perhaps be elsewhere.

Mission Chari is constantly questioned about money and fear. Is that surprising?

Elodie

About Mission in Africa (Echoes of Africa 1 October 2010)


This development seemed to us essential because we have found repeatedly that in the current environment, despite the information provided by tutors, many misconceptions remain regarding the expectations that our brothers and sisters in the Region have vis-à-vis the Sahaj -Marg and Mission. To check the relevance of these expectations, we asked tutors in Abidjan, Brazzaville and Douala send us a list of common questions asked by brothers and sisters on the functioning of the Mission and what abhyasis can wait '.

Questions, confirm the observations made previously and emphasize that these expectations are generally in phase with the objectives of our Mission and its mode of operation. A series of articles is prepared, which wants an open discussion designed to resolve this information gap. It will have two parts: a first introductory established by this section and a second part to be published in the next issue, focusing on questions asked by our brothers and sisters. This reflection inspired by our brothers of the centers, we thought necessary, because this lack of information seriously hampers the functioning and evolution of some of our centers.


Membership in a spiritual way


deciding to join a spiritual path, the abhyasi in Africa is generally bearer of the doubts and fears developed in his family, community and professional, it manifests itself in different ways. At the verbal level, fears and rumors emerged in different discussions and questions raised during the question and answer sessions, or visits the centers. It is also often the echo of rumors about the finances of the Mission. The repetition of questions indicate that the explanations have not been enough to dispel rumors and misconceptions.


It therefore seemed appropriate to address these two aspects-that of fear, and the finance Mission - expressed in expectations that are rooted in the context of modern African societies deconstructed, or fear is manipulated and silver considered the vector of all organizations: worldly and spiritual.


Fear


The African today is not necessarily a member of a group with shared beliefs and value systems. Social systems in place have lost their character of integration of the main dimensions physical, social, spiritual, legislative, etc.. Thus the individual in modern society is prey to all sorts of upheavals group having lost most of their values and integrated mechanisms of regulation. The safeguards that were supposed to prevent someone from using the collective skills, religious or occult for selfish ends have been destroyed. The mechanisms of mutual assistance, solidarity and participation to any individual voluntary collective project that is secular, religious or initiatory have crumbled. While the group was once a welfare institution, the modern bands of today are expressions selfish, egotistical power, fear, intimidation, fierce competition, democracy illusory and unnecessary, and encouragement to find in the temples or elsewhere charismatic hardware solutions to its problems.


Fear is the most serious consequence of the disintegration of a traditional system that was holistic. The sense of respect for religious principles of the Law and the Community rules were taught and inculcated by several methods: education of children, theatrical performances, rites of passage, initiation, poems, stories and legends evening, songs to amaze or frighten. The truth, the purpose or the principles underlying the methods used were found only insiders or specific groups of people. What has survived the collapse of the traditional system, is fear. To enforce certain rules, the reference to the ancestors or spirits was also invoked. It also turned into fear - fear of the evil eye, the curse of the spirits and the dead - which face all sorts of solutions are implemented. These solutions are to consult witch doctors, marabouts and magicians, and to join religious movements, spiritual and esoteric for spiritual protection.


The proliferation and popularity of Pentecostal and evangelical groups in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa also resulted from the foregoing. The expansion is particularly evident in urban cities, where the clientele of these groups is made up of men and women from all social strata. They say being able to deliver forces of evil and demonic, and advice. The gospel of prosperity is broken down into promises success of family and work fast, miraculous healings and material prosperity for which miracles crusades are organized.


Money


is the context in which one can find in Africa while fighting for his own spiritual evolution. The call to the spiritual evolution can be easily marred by noise which at first sound as emergencies that must be met: protection against the evil eye and improving the material conditions of life, through membership in movements to achieve it. This is true where the Mission has centers: Abidjan, Douala and Bafoussam, and elsewhere. As elsewhere in the assemblies of issue, alongside the fear of money, some believe that the Mission also to propagate its teachings, is structured around money.


The misconceptions circulating about this are legion, including:


• The Mission of money. He had simply asked for the funds necessary to operate the centers, instead of inviting them to do abhyasis;


• Preceptors say they are voluntary, when in fact they are paid, or at least they receive money from the Mission.


Yet it is essential to our spiritual development and also for the development of Africa Mission, abhyasis that are sufficiently mature and responsible to clearly understand a number of facts. It is essential that they understand what is special about our course, that not only by our teaching strategy is free, it is not a trap as some think - designed to attract them. It is easy in a general context of lost values and suspicion that the explanations are not enough. In this context, it is also easy for those looking for easy excuses to hide behind these excuses not to participate in the centers.


In centers where space is leased, as in Abidjan, Douala and Bafoussam, shopping-in-charge and other tutors strive in vain, regularly, to invite the brothers and sisters to contribute financially for rental and operation centers. Invitations to contribute as a volunteer, no more echoes. It is always the same people, a handful, that contribute regularly putting on their head a financial burden would be lighter if shared by many. Some abhyasis ask for money to pay tutors for their transportation to the center. It should be emphasized in these cases, it is not the lack of justifying these claims, but for most, the belief that preceptors receive money. Some pose this as a condition to participate regular spiritual activities, just as if you had to buy their participation.


In the cases discussed here, this is not the modest resources behind these requests. Indeed, these same brothers and sisters are willing to spend more on activities they value. A brother can tell it difficult to find 1000 FCFA (about $ 2) to pay for transportation, but he will not mind and will instead find everything for a sum 10 times higher, 10000FCFA (around $ 20) for go watch the game of his favorite football team. Similarly, a brother can estimate he can not afford to give his monthly contribution of 2000 CFA ($ 4) for the activities of the center. Yet the same brother would not hesitate to leave 150000FCFA (300 dollars) or more and give them to a marabout supposed to resolve its problems. We thus see that this is not always poverty, or lack of some of our brothers and sisters who explain their expectations and their lack of involvement. Because at the same time, we see that the least advantaged abhyasis physically do anything to contribute and to become actively involved. These attitudes show rather than casual for those brothers and sisters, the practice spiritual as proposed in our way is not a real priority.


Mission


It should be recalled that the Mission is a nonprofit organization incorporated as such in India in 1945, including centers in different countries around the world are officially registered under equivalent statutes in accordance with the law of those countries. Wherever the mission is officially recognized, a Board of Directors is constituted whose members are elected for a limited period, generally three years. The duties of director Mission, in any association whatsoever, are volunteers. Only volunteers. Individuals do not receive compensation or to defray expenses incurred in performing their duties.


Persons wishing to serve the Master as tutors volunteer to serve. Preceptors do not receive financial compensation for their services. They receive, from the Mission, no material or financial benefit of any kind whatsoever.


sources of income of the Mission, as either at central level in India, or center of a country consist of membership fees, terms and amounts set by the Board of Directors, and donations given by members only by their willingness . Because, under its statute, the Mission does not ask, does or does not receive payment for services provided by the spiritual master, members of the Mission, whether they are visible and invisible services direct provided by the Master, or those relayed by the tutors and other leaders of the Mission.


funds collected by the Mission centers which contributions are actually collected and where donations are received, are used in their entirety to achieve the spiritual goals of the mission and are in no way invested in the business for monetary or material gains. To date, Francophone Africa, no center has managed to garner the minimum required contribution for the rental of a regular meditation room, much less to acquire or build a center worthy of the name. The meditation room rental in Abidjan, Douala and Bafoussam, to name just three examples, based almost entirely on voluntary donations a handful of members. This means that if current conditions souscotisation and scarcity of local donations persisted in the absence of exceptional gifts, these three centers are private meditation rooms.


As in the centers in India, many ashrams are built on donations as generous benefactors of, well, Africa, all financial and demographic proportions guarded, it is very possible that the abhyasis give themselves the means to measure their number and their financial capacity to meet the needs essential materials centers. Must still they want by combining their spiritual commitment, a commitment hardware also voluntary, sustained and regular. Only in this way they can create and maintain conditions of shelter material to the spiritual activities necessary for their spiritual evolution.

JN-MMK