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Ask the Swami
by Swami
Beyondananda
Dear Swami:
It would seem that with all of the powerful
group meditations being
done these days, that someone would use
meditation to help reduce crime
in our cities. In fact, I seem to
remember that there was some kind of
experiment a while back, but I don't remember
hearing what the result
was. Do you know anything about this,
Swami?
Sara Ann Rapp,
Midland, Michigan
Dear Sara Ann:
As a matter of fact, I know just what you are
referring to. Several
years ago, 2,000 meditators converged on
Washington, D.C., a city long
plagued by senseless, random crime.
After six months of rigorous,
focused meditation, I am happy to report,
senseless random crime was cut
in half! For some inexplicable reason,
however, pre-meditated crime was
up sharply.
* * * *
Dear Swami:
I have often heard you refer to your humble
beginnings in Oklahoma and
your beloved guru, Harry Cohen Baba, but I've
never heard you say much
about your dad. Is there some dark
family secret lurking there? Did
your father have any significant influence on
your life?
Tab Lloyd,
London, England
Dear Tab:
Yes, it is true. I came from humble
beginnings -- literally. I was
conceived at a Humble gas station just outside
of Muskogee, Oklahoma,
and I tasted poverty at an early age.
And poverty tasted a lot like
Spam. During these early years, my
father had many odd jobs (being odd
made him particularly suited for this kind of
work) until one day when I
was about seven, he came home and excitedly
announced that he had a new
job. From that time on, he was home only
seldom, and I began to hear
children talking about my dad in whispered
tones at school.
"Mama," I said one day, "is it
true what they are saying about papa?
That he travels from town to town enrolling
people in Dale Carnegie
courses?"
She took my hand, and I'll never forget what
she told me. "It's true,
son," she said, "Your papa is just
an enrolling stone." But you know
what? He became one of the most
successful recruiters in the country.
On one of his rare visits home, I asked him
for the secret of his
success.
"Sonny," he said to me, "if
it's one thing I've learned in life, it's
never look back. Whenever anyone turns
me down, I just smile, tip my
hat, and just keep enrolling along down the
road to the next prospect.
And that's why I have no regrets."
I took my papa's advice to heart, and time and
time again it's proven
true -- an enrolling stone gathers no remorse.
* * * *
Dear Swami:
I think our so-called criminal justice system
is a waste. Instead of
really helping perpetrators become useful,
productive citizens, inmates
are just left to languish in prison only to
become more bitter and
alienated. And worst of all, we the
taxpayers have to pay to keep them
there! Isn't there some kind of program
where these miscreants can earn
their own way and make a positive contribution
to society?
Xavier Onassis,
Palm Springs, California
Dear Xavier:
You know what? I have a news clipping
here that talks about exactly
that kind of program. The small town of
Immodesto, California this past
year came up with a unique way to employ
exhibitionists sentenced to
perform community service -- and save money as
well. Instead of wasting
electricity running flashing yellow lights,
Immodesto is using real
flashers to slow down traffic. First,
they bought some surplus "Slow
Down When Flashers Flashing" signs for
next to nothing. Then, they
stationed an actual flasher about 500 feet
past the sign. Not only has
traffic slowed at these crucial spots, but now
it barely moves at all as
curiosity-seekers from all across the state
have come to observe the new
traffic control program.
Some
controversy did erupt, however, when one
out-of-town paper accused Immodesto of not
just using convicted
exhibitionists but also recruiting some out of
work Bay Area actors
looking to expose themselves to a wider
audience. Nonetheless, the
flasher experiment has been successful and has
even spawned some new
programs. For example, in nearby Napa,
rageaholics are being used to
stomp grapes at local vineyards as part of a
new Stamp Out Anger!
program.
* * * *
Read also:
"Who
Is Swami Beyondananda?"
and
more
articles from the Swami
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