List Philosophy

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Periodically I like to clarify the philosophy and purpose of the list. We

are a Satsang. Harsha (besides being my name) means joy in Sanskrit. So

stands for joyous fellowship. Some fun and light heartedness

is part of the atmosphere here. Being spiritual hopefully does not mean that

we take ourselves too seriously. We encourage interaction in the context of

amity and goodwill and friendship. That does not mean that you should not be

natural or true to your feelings. E-mail is the type of medium that

encourages spontaneity but that spontaneity can be a double edged sword. I

myself have at times responded too quickly to a post with not the best

choice of words. E-mail is a medium that takes getting used to as the

softening and moderating effect of a smile, a touch, a hug is not there.

 

Since we are human and make mistakes, we are willing to overlook those in

others as well. Once someone has become part of the Sangha and made friends

here and is enjoying their company and the conversation, the thought of

banning them does not occur to us. In the couple of rare cases over the last

three years when people were banned, it was due to their continuous contempt

for the fellowship over a long period and what it stood for. This was

exhibited in reckless outbursts, attempts to intimidate or harass others,

swearing, and other generally nutty behavior inconsistent with the spirit of

the Sangha.

 

No one currently posting here even comes close to that (Thank God! :-).

 

At times, I get private complaints from people about the behavior of other

members on lists and even the attitude of moderators. My response usually is

that if someone has an issue, they should bring it up openly on the list so

we can benefit from everyone's collective wisdom and thoughts. Moderators

are long time members who have the interest of the list at heart. But none

of us are infallible in our judgment. And if we make mistakes, hopefully you

will point them out.

 

Love to all

Harsha