Naropa University - Is Naropa really a good fit for you?

[kingofaikido]

thanks Jessica. I can well imagine how bad things are under the surface. John let me in on some of the goings on. Rampant alcoholism, slack finances, unpaid staff, higgledy-piggledy courses, psychologies that don't work, the number of graduating students who can't find work where their qualifications aren't considered acceptable elsewhere as you mentioned, as well as lack-luster evaluations of masters theses in poetry that other universities, poetry orgs, etc find unpublishably bad.

[JessicaSideways]

@kingofaikido Oh yeah. A number of those things STILL go on at Naropa. Furthermore, Naropa has a very litigious nature because, whenever you talk about these things instead of engaging in dialogue with someone, they simply send an attorney after you. Not very Buddhist, I think.

[kingofaikido]

good luck Jessica! and i hope you get some justice. I support your cause.

[JessicaSideways]

@kingofaikido Thank you. I'll let you know when the new site is up so you can read all about all of the shifty things Naropa does. What I've mentioned in the video is only the tip of the iceberg.

[kingofaikido]

Try asking Stan Pranin at the Aikido Journal Online whose interviewed John many times before and is his friend. Last I heard, John Stevens worked for the Tohoku Fukushi University but I am not sure what he is doing now or what his latest contact email address may be. Best wishes

[JessicaSideways]

@kingofaikido I just shot off an e-mail to Mr. Pranin, through the Aikido Journal Online website. I do hope I get to get in touch with John Stevens. It sounds like his testimony would be valuable.

[kingofaikido]

you should contact John Stevens, the author of 'The Art of Peace: the Teachings of the Founder of Aikido '. He taught Buddhism at Naropa a long while back and discovered very soon that they weren't gonna or even intended to pay him his salary, using the excuse that they hadn't enough money and that 'self-less service' was part of what it meant to be a teacher of Buddhism. He still hasn't been paid twenty years later. As far as I know, he is still outraged.

[JessicaSideways]

@kingofaikido Thanks for the lead, hun - but would you know where he would be today?

[kingofaikido]

yes, the cost of education at Naropa seems astronomically high and astronomically growing. this seems counter-productive to the idea of a spiritual education, especially as its students are culled from the part of the community that is into 'selfless service'. that is to say, students DO NOT on average come from rich families.

as such 1) high fees (any fees at all) do not foster the Buddhist philosophy that teaches we are wise within.. wisdom is not conferred 2) thus, high fees constitute abuse