Normally, a screening at the Fine Arts Theatre tends to be an entertaining experience - occasionally thought-provoking - depending on bill-of-fare.
When I arrived for a sneak preview of - "Spiritual Warrior" - a table was set up in the lobby and a rep from a publisher was touting the book of the same name by author John-Roger.
A pretty blond woman noted that the concepts in the book were used by the character in the movie to achieve his goals; hence, the promo to push the publication.
Curiously, there was a large can sitting on the table with a sign taped on it which read "Donations".
As theatre-goers arrived, they were informed that the book was free, but donations were required to take in the film.
This is where it got tricky.
If anyone was inclined to pop a dollar or two into the can, the staff at the door firmly noted that a "donation" was required.
Then, if you can believe it, patrons were advised that the offering for an adult was $10.00 and $5.00 for a child.
Golly! What kind of chicanery was this?
I always thought that a donation was just that: cash given "freely".
The Webster Dictionary defines the term as follows:
Main Entry: do·na·tion
Pronunciation: \dō-ˈnā-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English donatyowne, from Latin donation-, donatio, from donare to present, from donum gift; akin to Latin dare to give — more at date
Date: 15th century
: the act or an instance of donating: as a: the making of a gift especially to a charity or public institution b: a free contribution : gift
Once an actual value is set, the entrance fee would then be defined as the "ticket price", wouldn't it?
Screwy, if 'ya ask me!
When I picked up the book and thumbed through it, I noticed right off the bat that the slim volume - from some oddball publisher I never heard of - appeared to be a total "rip-off".
For starters - the term "Spiritual Warrior" - was one coined by well-known Master Trungpa Rinpoche.
Rinpoche is widely acknowledged as a pivotal figure in introducing Buddhadharma to the Western world.
In fact, he developed a revolutionary approach to teaching the "dharma" to the North American culture, in a bold contemporary way.
The Eastern Master was known for his fearless stance on an approach which he taught should be free from hesitation, true to the purity of the tradition, and utterly fresh in approach to the scriptural texts.
In 1974, Rinpoche founded the Naropa Institute (Naropa University), which became the first and only accredited Buddhist‑inspired University in North America.
He lectured extensively at the institute and his book - Journey without Goal (1981) - is based on a course he taught there.
In 1976, he established the Shambhala Training program.
The teachings consisted of seminars that presented a nonsectarian path of spiritual "warriorship" grounded in the practice of sitting meditation.
His book - "Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior" (1984) - gives an overview of the Shambhala teachings
But, Mr. John-Roger (what kind of a name is that anyway?) has not referenced the spiritual leader to my knowledge.
Inside the covers, the quick fix-it Guru has also expounded on a myriad of concepts and ideas with spiritual leanings which appear to have been lifted from Sacred Buddhist texts and Yoga teachings known to have been passed on down (by virtue of documentation) throughout the generations.
If you've studied - Easter Religion, philosophy, and new age spirituality - that becomes apparent from the get-go.
John-Roger hasn't given one credit to the sources; in fact, he appears to be passing off all the spiritual "material" as his own.
That's kind of like reciting a famous quote from Christ and acting like you just coined the little nugget of wisdom on the spot.
Ironic - that a man who claims to be so developed spiritually - would attempt to steal the "wisdom" of the sages in a bold-faced effort to claim it as his own.
At this juncture, a scripture springs to mind:
"Beware of false prophets". (Matthew 7:15)
Mr. Jolly-Roger is obviously one.