Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
deprofundis
Only the rich and famous - Vijay Mallaya, Rhea Pillai Dutt, etc - are
his followers.
Also he did not invent, discover or, create the Sudarshan Kriya.
All he has done has package and mass-market our India's centuries old
tradition of yoga, paranyama and other allied systems.
Can anyone help me unmask this "darling of the media", who zooms
around town in a Mercedes Benz?
James Duffy
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of Transcendental Meditation fame (and fortune).
I have never personally met Sri Sri R.S., but from those who have, I
have ONLY heard very positive remarks. His kirtan (chanting) is
suppose to be quite ecstatic....and I have heard many positive things
about his pranayam technique(s). Even a significant number of TMers at
MUM were doing his technique "in the dome"...a bold thing for any TMer
to do. I would also add that I know two individuals who are "into
him"...and they are not (financially) rich or famous.
james duffy
depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis) wrote in message news:<935c3c27.02040...@posting.google.com>...
Mystik
Very well. Who then did invent, discover or create the Sudarshan Kriya?
And what is it exactly?
atanu...@are.berkeley.edu
> Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
I too visited the Art of Living website about a year ago. My younger
brother who lives in India asked me to have a look. Here is what I
wrote back to him.
My dear ...,
I visited the site of art of living and looked at pretty much all
of the things there. www.artofliving.org
This is my opinion on the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. (Not just once but twice
Shri. I bet in a few years it will be Shri 108 times.)
First, whatever works for a person is what is important. So if
sudarshan kriya works for you, that is great.
Second, breathing is what is at the core of pretty much most
meditation practices. SSRS has repackaged a wellknown breathing
technique and commercialized it. To the extent that
commercialization of anything -- from candy to computers --
brings benefits to both the provider and the consumer, it is a
good thing. But one should be quite aware of the motive of the
provider--it is motivated by the desire for commercial profit.
That in itself does not make the good or service provided any
less than what it is supposed to be. But the consumer should be
aware that the provider does not work out of pure altruism. The
reason I am cautioning you about this is often a consumer may
start attributing superior motives to a provider where none
exists. And once you misjudge a person's motives, you can make
mistakes like putting them on pedestals, giving them all your
money, accepting all that is said uncritically, etc.
Third I read some of the archives. Finding overworked and
rehashed homilies was not too much of a surprise. I conjecture
that SSRS is an intelligent person who knows the art of
marketing. Many people search for answers to questions. These
questions arise in all humans and there is nothing new about
these. So over thousands of years, millions of people have asked
these questions and some have given answers. Of the whole range
and variety of answers that were accumulated over the thousands
of years, you can pick and choose what suits you. In the present
case, SSRS has picked his choice set of answers and presented
them to the audience that he wants to appeal to.
Again I must caution you that my comments are my opinion and do
not have an objective validity. What works for you is what
matters. Not what I think of the technique or some person. In
fact, that is the crux of the matter. The mind is the ultimate
and what happens to you is what your mind makes possible. If you
believe that something is good for you (and indeed it is not bad
to begin with), then it WILL be good for you. In medical terms,
it is called the placebo effect.
I have asked myself what the secret of most of the "new age"
gurus is. This is what I believe it is. First, they have to be
charismatic. An image is very important. Whether it be Rajneesh
or any other guru--a dashing figure is important. Then comes the
presentation: long flowing hair and a beard is good. It adds to
the mystique. Long hair is the substitute for a halo around a
person. Second, they have to be good marketers. A good marketer
looks at what among the things on offer is most likely to sell.
What, he asks, is it that the market demands? In our case, the
market demands easy answers and quick results. (Diet gurus are
also an example of this phenomenon.)
The first requirement is that the answer has to be easy to
comprehend. The masses are not nuclear scientists. Anything that
would involve thinking is quite out of the question as a general
technique. So come up with something that your intended customer
base is comfortable doing and go with that. That is the core, the
part that will have the 'sound bite' associated with it. Name it.
The name has to be catchy and has to become a brand identifier.
So you see "COKE IS IT" or Nike's "JUST DO IT".
The core then has to be packaged, put in wraps. The wraps is
where the talk and the seminars and the reconstituted homilies
and the books and the press briefings and the stories of
superhuman feats come in. The packaging is what impels a website.
It is the window dressing inviting a curious onlooker to step
into the store.
The core of the thing sold has an intrinsic value which is not
completely known to the prospective buyer. So the wrapping gives
pointers to people who have endorsed it. So a great basketball
player endorses coke or nike shoes. The masses reason: if MagicJ
likes Nike and he is much better than I am, I believe that Nike
shoes are worth the $200 a pair; hence I will check them out.
In our case, the window dressing that I found was a heavy
emphasis on talks at UN and WHO. Knowing a little about these, I
can imagine what the reaction to this is: Wow, he spoke to the
general assembly of the UN!! In truth, the UN is a large
organisation. {I can also claim to have made presentations at the
University of California at Berkeley to visiting delegations from
foreign countries. (Fact: I sometimes speak to Korean tour groups
who visit the university for a fee.)} One can speak to some
group in some room at the UN building--and truthfully claim to
have spoken at the UN.
I do believe that breathing techniques are very common. They are
also very effective -- otherwise they would not be so commonly
endorsed by various schools of thought. Vipassna is also a
breathing technique that claims its lineage to the Buddha
himself. What SSRS has done is what a few dozen Indian gurus have
done and will no doubt continue to do--packaging of what already
exists. In the US, that simple core wrapped in a few hours of
homilies sells for $250 (with a concession for students.) I don't
know what it costs in India but my conjecture is that since the
willingness to pay is lower in India, it will sell for somewhat
lower.
This has been a long reaction to your simple request that I
should have a look at the web site of Art of Living.
Yours etc...
Atanu
Romeo
>
> Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
>
> Only the rich and famous - Vijay Mallaya, Rhea Pillai Dutt, etc - are
> his followers.
You are 100% wrong.
>
> Also he did not invent, discover or, create the Sudarshan Kriya.
He never claimed to have invented, discovered or created Sudarshan
Kriya. He just revived a long forgotten method.
>
> All he has done has package and mass-market our India's centuries old
> tradition of yoga, paranyama and other allied systems.
Pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya are different. He teaches both.
>
> Can anyone help me unmask this "darling of the media", who zooms
> around town in a Mercedes Benz?
Oh! is it the Benz envy?
Romeo
Breathing exercise.
root
aabe# In soc.culture.indian deprofundis <depro...@rediffmail.com> wrote:
>> Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
aabe# I too visited the Art of Living website about a year ago. My younger
aabe# brother who lives in India asked me to have a look. Here is what I
aabe# wrote back to him.
aabe# My dear ...,
aabe# I visited the site of art of living and looked at pretty much all
aabe# of the things there. www.artofliving.org
... snip
aabe# This has been a long reaction to your simple request that I
aabe# should have a look at the web site of Art of Living.
aabe# Yours etc...
aabe# Atanu
Well done! Very clear and articulate.
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Al
"deprofundis" <depro...@rediffmail.com> wrote in message
news:935c3c27.02040...@posting.google.com...
I have attended art of living course and I am not really impressed with it.
Sudarshan Kriya is good though! They talk stuff that many people have
already spoken off, oh!! and those artificial smiles on their faces is
disgusting. They act like peace lovers, but get angry if you question them
beyond what they feel is OK.
He is a CON, he claims to be Lord , I have seen his pics with people
calling him 'Dwaraka Krsna'. What a cheater??
He is one more Mayavadi who says " I am GOD and you are GOD, but now I am
your Master, so touch my feet".
Just one more so called Godman!!
-Al
Mystik
as......well..... mankind. We were made to breath.
I don't think anybody can have a copyright on any particular type of
breathing. It is a resource for us all.
The best breathing is "circular breathing" as taught by Steve Mensing
(Emoclear). I have heard that Shankar's method is similar.
Hey, it is just breathing.
deprofundis
Here is some food for thought from www.indiatimes.com:
Question: "What is the meaning of life?"
Sri Sri Ravishankar : "Ah … this you better find our for yourself.
Don't ask the meaning from me. It is like asking me to chew your candy
for you. It is not possible … Be with the question. I can tell you one
thing, it is very fortunate that this question arose in your mind. One
in a million people will get this question. It is a very sincere
question. It means you have started your journey toward the light. Be
with the question and don't be in such a hurry for a ready-made answer
from somebody. Go deep into yourself and you will find out."
"Celebrate when you are alone
Celebrate when you are with people,
Celebrate the silence and
Celebrate the noise.
Celebrate life and
Celebrate death."
… Sri Sri Ravishankar
Q.E.D
sher...@mailmetoday.com (Sherlock) wrote in message news:<4d1a3c52.02040...@posting.google.com>...
> You are wrong in calling him a con man. He is a great man.
> Well, i agree with you in that he gives preference to the rich and is
> very conscious about his image. I have heard that he spent an entire
> flight holding Vijay Mallayas hands. Now, would he have done so if
> Mallaya was an ordinary soul?.
>
> But then again, he has improved the lives of several people by his
> breathing technique. He is no Ramana or Ramakrishna, but definitely
> great.
>
> Keep in mind that inspite of his faults, he has done a lot for poor
> indians.
>
> Regards
> Karthik
>
>
>
>
> depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis) wrote in message news:<935c3c27.02040...@posting.google.com>...
atanu...@are.berkeley.edu
> Well, again. Art of living foundation is non profit. So he is not
> making any money out of it.
Being non-profit is neither necessary nor sufficient for an enterprise
to be good and useful. I suppose you are not a non-profit entity and
yet I would guess that the work you do adds value to society, just as
the work of the corner shopkeeper or the baker who are also in it for
profit. Hence it is not necessary to be non-profit to help improve
welfare.
Many entities who are non-profit are distinctly harmful to society. For
instance, most terrorists organizations are non-profit. Clearly being
non-profit is not sufficient for human welfare.
Regarding The Art of Living--I fully endorse the venture. I have
nothing against businesses. I endorse HP (whose first corporate
directive is "To make a profit"; then comes the other objectives that
are all worthy--but would make no difference if the first objective
were not met) too.
Whether Ravi Shankar is making money or not is a matter of definition.
> I am not saying that he is enlightened as his followers claim
> He is an ordinary man. But his breathing technique is different from
> what others teach and i know people who have benefited from it.
I support fully all ventures that give value for money as long as they
don't cheat the vulnerable. Thus, mass advertizing aimed at children
should be banned, for example in my opinion. But adults should be free
to dispose of their property (wealth and income) any which way they
wish. If someone wants to pay $400 to learn how to do breathing
exercises, they evidently value it at least as much and therefore the
trade is welfare improving.
> How can you make an impression just by visiting a website. I **do**
> agree with you that he knows marketing and he is certainly not
> enlightened. But that does not make him a con man.
It was just an impression--and I made it very clear in my letter that
I was expressing my opinion and it was not an objective and
dispassionate evaluation that a court of law would accept as coming
from an acknowledged expert.
I am not sure where you got the impression that I claimed that he is a
con man. I am not willing to question his motives. Perhaps he is a
genuine altruist and all the hype that surrounds his organization is
not his doing. Or perhaps he is a snake-oil salesman who preys on the
gullible. In any event, unless he engages in patently immoral
activities, he is presumed as good and useful to society as any other
business.
I believe that people like Ravi Shankar and Deepak Chopra are useful to
India in general. They are not perfect but neither are they any worse
than Bill Gates--they are doing what they like, they provide some
value, and if in that they also make money--good for them. RS and DC
actually increase the awareness about Indian philosophy abroad. They
are in a sense cultural ambassadors. Which is why I hope they are not
jerks. RS and DC don't belong to the same league as good old Jiddu
Krishnamurty, of course. JK was something else. Too celebral for the
average joe blow. But then JK did not have the marketing savvy (nor did
he want to have) that RS and DC have.
Marketing makes all the difference, really. How else can there be
multibillion dollar enterprises selling caramalized caffeinated water?
If sugar water can be profitably sold, why not a tried and tested
breathing technique?
> Ravi Shankar is no Ramana or Ramakrishna. But he is nevertheless a
> great man whose meditation technique has benefited people.
> Karthik
Depends on your definition of 'great' I suppose. My informal ranking
is thus:
1. Enlightened (and Great, Good, Useful)
2. Great (and Good, Useful)
3. Good (and Useful)
4. Useful
In "Enlightened" I would put the historical Buddha, Ramakrishna
Paramahansa, Mahavira, and a few others.
Great would include Einstein, Newton, Shakespeare, Tagore,
Krishnamurty, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Darwin, and many more.
Good would include many people who have invented stuff that have
benefited mankind--from the inventors of dynamite to penecillin.
The useful category is for the rest of us--you and me and a few billion
others. We don't do anything really harmful such as killing others.
Some of us are known--as Ravi Shankars and Deepak Chopras. Some make
big bucks--such as Gates. But most are merely useful and mostly
harmless.
(I am not including the negative side of the scale here: that would
include Bush, bin Laden, Hitler, Mohammet, Genghis Khan, and so on.)
I believe that Ravi Shankar falls in the "Useful" category.
Cheers,
Atanu
> atanu...@are.berkeley.edu wrote in message news:<a8ig9n$sns$3...@agate.berkeley.edu>...
--
Mystik
work? What does the practice consist of?
peterr
<atanu...@are.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
news:a8kiqq$1ob5$1...@agate.berkeley.edu...
| In soc.culture.indian Sherlock <sher...@mailmetoday.com> wrote:
| > Well, again. Art of living foundation is non profit. So he is not
| > making any money out of it.
|
| Being non-profit is neither necessary nor sufficient for an enterprise
| to be good and useful.
Non-profit in this country means that 75 percent of the profit made
has to be ploughed back into the organisation in the following year,
with the remainder the year after.
Therefore it does not mean that activities do not make any money,
and the easy way to reduce profit is to increase the organization's
expenses and there are dozens of ways of doing this if this is the
intention.
"Non-profit" on its own is therefore a rather meaningless term and
can only be evaluated as meaningful by examining the intent, spirit
and actions of an organisation.
--
Namo Amito Fo
Peter Reber
"Life knows its needs"
truth4free
>
> Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
>
> Only the rich and famous - Vijay Mallaya, Rhea Pillai Dutt, etc - are
> his followers.
Teachers attract devotees according to their karma (the teacher's and
the devotees'.)
> Also he did not invent, discover or, create the Sudarshan Kriya.
Is he claiming he did?
> All he has done has package and mass-market our India's centuries old
> tradition of yoga, paranyama and other allied systems.
Most "gurus" today have done or are doing the same.
truth4free
>
> Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
On the other hand, having looked at his site (artofliving.org) he does
have the look of a phony about him. A little too self-conscious trying
to be a "guru" if you know what I mean. Also any group that talks much
about service to the world and "love moves the world" and so on is a
dead giveaway to run in the opposite direction as fast as you can.
coldc...@replytonewsgroup.com
heard it a lot.
But what is with having 2 "Sri"s in front of your name? Does this
means he commands twice the respect as someone with only 1 sri?
On 4 Apr 2002 05:52:23 -0800, depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis)
wrote:
Reply to newsgroup
Romeo
Mystik wrote:
> Uh, sorry to disappoint you guys but breathing has been around as long
> as......well..... mankind. We were made to breath.
You simply dont have a clue.
Al
"Mystik" <bodhisa...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f4ed7e1d.02040...@posting.google.com...
> Great. Could you please explain Sudarshan Kriya to me. How does it
> work? What does the practice consist of?
Take the "Art of Living" basic course, if you 're so interested and know it
yourself.
-Al
deprofundis
By Anjali Bagwe
Mahavatar Babaji, a Himalayan mahayogi said to be about 1,800 years
old, is the founder of kriya yoga. The world first heard about him
courtesy Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. Today, many
cults are growing around his enigmatic persona. Mumbai-based Dr Ram
Bhosle claims to have lived with him for six years.
Legend has it that the remote parts of the Himalayas are home to many
rishis, tapasvis and siddhayogis勇ternal Masters engaged in singular
methods of sadhana or disciplined practice dedicated to cosmic
exploration and in guiding the destiny of humanity through the ages.
They live in rough-hewn natural caves under glacial conditions. Some
have ashrams amidst verdant greenery, located at a vibrational
frequency at variance with the 'normal' three-dimensional one to keep
intruders at bay. Their abode has been verily named Shambala, Gyan
Ganj, or Siddha Loka.
In this phantasmagorical world of accomplished yogis, anything is
possible. A siddha sadhak (realized master) may simply choose to take
the form of an ancient tree to meditate undisturbed for hundreds of
years. Others, when they venture beyond the confines of their rarefied
sanctuaries, may fly through the air as themselves, or change into
swans, geese, eagles, or even into animals, fish and insects. There
are many creative ideas for teleportation, with some just travelling
on beams of light from one place to another!
Exalted as these beings are, a distinct feature common to all is their
complete identification with India and her Vedic heritage. When people
attain a certain level in their sadhana, they automatically lose their
narrow personal bonds of family, language, caste or province. Then the
old terrain of the Motherland takes over, so that it matters not
whether it is Kabir, Lahiri Mahasaya, Shirdi Sai Baba or Ramana
Maharshi, they all belong to India. And they converse with each other
using an argot common to the wandering sadhus (monks).
Thus it is that the venerable heritage of Gorakhnath and
Machhindranath is claimed for its own by Garhwal, Konkan, Bundelkhand,
Mewar and Coorg, and many a little girl in the remotest village of
India is put to sleep to the refrain of "Chalo Machhinder, Gorakh
Aaya...."
With his lithe and youthful figure, Mahavatar Babaji (whose feats have
been reported by Paramahansa Yogananda in his Autobiography of a Yogi)
is one such eternal master. He is the man with the 1,800-year-old
immortal body. He's also the founder of kriya yoga, a discipline
involving purification of the body-mind organism through breath
control techniques to aid longevity and spiritual evolution.
'Mahavatar' means 'great incarnation'. He is also known as Mahakaya
Babaji, the word 'Mahakaya' describing his immortal body. In some
circles the Hare Khan Baba being referred to sounds suspiciously
similar to Mahavatar Baba's persona.
TAMIL INCARNATION
Babaji comes with sanitized packaging shorn of ash, rudraksha or
kumkum tilak. Of course, there have been many Babajis over the decades
claiming to be the Mahavatar. There's a free-for-all on the Internet
with the various Babaji Web pages multiplying rapidly to a current
count of several thousand. Yet, the Self-Realization Fellowship
established by Yogananda in California almost sounds as if it holds
patent rights over the 'Babaji lineage'.
After conquering the West within decades, it's time for Babaji to
return home to capture the interest of Indians who are still obsessed
with pot-bellied gurus. A new international group called the Babaji's
Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas with a base of sorts in Pondicherry
recently held kriya yoga seminars in major metropolitan cities across
India. The Babaji they're selling is the same kriya yogi, but he's now
positioned in a new Tamil incarnation as Babaji Nagaraj and never mind
that he's been a permanent resident of the Himalayas for 1,800 years.
A book claiming to present new information about Babaji, written by
the Canadian guru and chief of the Kriya Yoga Order, Marshall
Govindan, presents startling claims about the Tamil origins of many
ancient rishis and siddhas, including Macchindranath and Gorakhnath.
Welcome to the club! Tibet too claims them for its own, and the
Gorkhas of Nepal and India claim to be the original descendants of
Gorakhnath.
The seminar is a casual affair, particularly since the group of two
conducting it has no organizational set up. There is very little
planning. In two days, you are to learn 144 kriyas or breathing
techniques, 18 yogasanas and numerous chants. That's instant
evolution. Devote 20 minutes daily to this and you zip past 50 lives'
worth of karmic atonement and time! Or so claims the venerable lady
acharya from California. The 60 participants in Mumbai are
administered a battery of short written assignments, duly checked by
the acharya, or head, in the course of the seminar. Gleanings of
wisdom pepper the proceedings. Participants are told that Sri
Aurobindo was close to attaining an immortal body during his lifetime,
but for the fact that he did not practice yogasanas.
The acharya presents charts on the macrobiotic diet, the staple no-nos
of which are chocolates and meat. All this and more is discussed over
a period of two days, inaugurating the advent of yet another New Age
cult in India.
MASTER OF MASTERS
Thankfully, there's a lot more than that to Mahavatar Baba, who never
left the shores of India and who's way beyond the reach of puny
intellectual property rights. He's a patriotic yogi and keeper of
ancient faith, whose mission for ages has been to stem the tide of
barbaric conquerors overrunning India. He has often changed the course
of Indian history, guided by otherwise immortal rishis, working way
above insidious parochial divisions.
Babaji's influence as a guru is said to have prevailed over the ages
from Adi Shankaracharya and Kabir to more recent saints like Sai Baba
of Shirdi, Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon and Swami Samartha of Akkalkot.
The last three were reportedly firebrand revolutionaries who were
given up for dead in the First War of Indian Independence in 1857. It
is said that the first was a Muslim, while the other two were Hindus.
They escaped to the Himalayas for sanctuary and were later given a
spiritual initiation by Babaji. They eventually returned as illumined
leaders of humanity.
Babaji mostly works in obscurity, even while serving as a spiritual
mentor to scores of masters. He has guided the destiny of India and
her people, yet he is perhaps one of the most accessible of
siddhayogis to walk in our midst in recent times. Over two millennia,
Babaji has continued to nurture hundreds of accomplished disciples.
One such disciple is an ageing healer, Dr Ram Bhosle, who lives and
works in Mumbai. He is a world-renowned massage therapist who has
treated illustrious patients like Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, among others. He has witnessed almost the entire 20th century,
traveling abroad 160 times. A freedom fighter, he had several arrest
warrants issued against him by the British during Mahatma Gandhi's
Quit India Movement and was forced to flee to the Himalayas. His
escape route cut a long swathe across Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Saurashtra, Sindh, Baluchistan, Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush
mountains, before he finally reached the Himalayas.
MAN OF MIRACLES
It was there that he chanced upon Mahavatar Babaji. He ended up giving
massage to Babaji, the latter offering him safe house initially for
three months, and ultimately for a period of nearly six years to-date,
spread over the intervening period. Dr Bhosle's stories throw
considerable light on the immortal master.
Once, when the two had taken shelter in a cave for the night, Babaji
asked him to go and fetch milk. A fierce snowstorm was raging outside
and Dr Bhosle thought the sage had gone mad. But when he gingerly
walked a few paces beyond the cave's entrance, merely out of deference
to his host, he was surprised to find a pitcher of fresh milk, still
warm to the touch, positioned on a ledge!
On another occasion, Babaji solicitously asked if he wanted a book to
read. Unbelieving, Dr Bhosle asked for Bharatmuni's ancient opus on
dance, Natyashastra, which was procured for him. Babaji remarked that
deep within the womb of the Himalayas was an unimaginable storehouse
of ancient texts. He also revealed that four rooms in that great
edifice were entirely devoted to astrology. Babaji also predicted that
from 2001 onwards India would gradually return to supremacy in world
affairs. Several decades ago, he had also forecast the end of all the
political isms of the 20th century.
Like great yogis, Babaji can supposedly materialize, dematerialize and
take on any form at will. He may choose to present himself as an old
man, an animal or a bird. He once promised a devotee that he would
attend a feast at the man's house, but seemingly did not. When the man
later questioned him, Babaji replied: "I was there. I was the dog whom
you fed the leftovers."
Babaji can travel anywhere in the universe. When he is too busy to do
so, he sends specific instructions to his chosen disciples through
birds. He's taught a chosen few how to discern birdcalls, and it may
well be that the pigeon stridently cooing at your window is actually a
messenger from the great seer!
WANDERING SOUL
The Mahayogi can be stern when the situation so demands, even while
displaying a great sense of humor and rare devilry at other times. He
once instructed Dr Bhosle to perform underwater meditation at midnight
in the sea off the Mumbai coastline to purify his healing energy.
Often, Babaji walked by to supervise his disciple's work, treading on
the waves. He would chat for a while, and then walk away nonchalantly.
Babaji sometimes greeted his disciple with an unprintable epithet, as
is often the custom in youth subcultures around the world. At one
time, the ageing Dr Bhosle reacted with considerable anger,
remonstrating that such swear words did not befit his status as a
mahayogi. Babaji replied: "These words are just creations of grammar."
Mostly, the language spoken by the Master is incredibly creative,
drawing from a fount of inspiring, lyrical Sanskrit words lending
themselves beautifully to new improvisations in Hindi.
Interestingly, Babaji's entourage of enlightened and immortal
disciples includes yoginis who are over 600 years old. Babaji conveys
the impression that he cherishes individuality and thoughtful
dissension, rather than servile obedience.
The sage with the immortal body has walked the length and breadth of
India and is inured to the ways of the seemingly berserk lone ascetics
that are a law unto themselves. There is no field of knowledge that is
beyond him and the transmutation of atoms is simply an entertaining
pastime. One day, Babaji took his entourage to a crematorium. There,
he picked up a skull and placing some faeces in it, he offered them to
his disciples, ordering them to eat. All of them declined, except Dr
Bhosle, who gingerly touched it with his tongue. To his amazement, the
revolting stuff had transformed into the most delectable dish.
In the 1950s, Babaji had set up an ashram in the Himalayan heights
above Badrinath. He eventually closed it down. A true wanderer, he is
not to be found in any one place, whether in the Himalayas or
elsewhere. Yet he is very much amongst us, in Mumbai or Delhi, as much
as he is in Badrikashram. He encourages disciples to strive for their
highest destiny. Neither God nor an angel, Babaji is more like the
atmik guru, or the inner light.
Dr Bhosle sounds a note of caution葉he masters are suprahuman, beyond
the frailties of emotion, and they demand total commitment to the
chosen path. It is of greatest importance to follow the light with
determination, discernment and detachment. The wise doctor concludes:
"There is no such thing in this world as miracles. Everything happens
through science. Only a person who doesn't understand science calls it
a miracle."
Romeo <rom...@onebox.com> wrote in message news:<3CACDD0C...@onebox.com>...
deprofundis
By Anjali Bagwe
sher...@mailmetoday.com (Sherlock) wrote in message news:<4d1a3c52.02040...@posting.google.com>...
> You are wrong in calling him a con man. He is a great man.
> Well, i agree with you in that he gives preference to the rich and is
> very conscious about his image. I have heard that he spent an entire
> flight holding Vijay Mallayas hands. Now, would he have done so if
> Mallaya was an ordinary soul?.
>
> But then again, he has improved the lives of several people by his
> breathing technique. He is no Ramana or Ramakrishna, but definitely
> great.
>
> Keep in mind that inspite of his faults, he has done a lot for poor
> indians.
>
> Regards
> Karthik
>
>
>
>
> depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis) wrote in message news:<935c3c27.02040...@posting.google.com>...
Romeo
>
> Great. Could you please explain Sudarshan Kriya to me. How does it
> work? What does the practice consist of?
Let me put it this way. It is a wonderful experience everyone should
undergo. Take the art of living basic course as Al suggested below. You
wont be disappointed.
hanu_man
> "deprofundis" <depro...@rediffmail.com> wrote in message
> news:935c3c27.02040...@posting.google.com...
> > Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
> >
> > Only the rich and famous - Vijay Mallaya, Rhea Pillai Dutt, etc - are
> > his followers.
> >
>
religion, it needs the support of the rich, not only wandering sadhus.
Something the Rabbis and the Pope have practiced for a while.
You see, the poor in India do not need religion. They have enough problems
to worry about as it is. Plus if they are keen, some wandering sadhu can
always teach them for free.
That's the way India has worked for thousands of years. People live for
the day, respect nature by living simply and the sadhus. in turn sadhus give
wisom to whom they feel fit for it.
Something impossible in the current world, dominated by Judeo-Christian
greed, fixation with the ego and destroying mother nature.
Since today all the nature that could be claimed ownership on the planet has
already been "taken", no one can stay alive without "worshipping the beast",
because all nature needed to stay alive will only be provided for money.
Babies born are naked in innocence and have no possession. WOrse,
we are leaving the babies not with assets (unspoiled and shareable nature),
but DEBT.
They are born where all nature and is already claimed - spirituality
would be a luxury in such a world. Maybe that is why the rich feel
interested in him.
It would be a cultural and spiritual tragedy if the only remaining major non
Judaistic faith were to be destroyed by missionary education and elite media
in india. The rich indians show only disdain for their own people and
religion. IMO, Shankarji deserves credit for bringing the rich indians
a bit closer to the Hindu religion. That way, HInduism may be able to fight
Judaistic faiths a bit longer.
> I have attended art of living course and I am not really impressed with it.
> Sudarshan Kriya is good though! They talk stuff that many people have
If it was good for you, be thankful. At the price, you won't get even a
blood pressure measurement in the US of A.
> already spoken off, oh!! and those artificial smiles on their faces is
Nothing in the spiritual realm is new. If you want "new" games, there's
other shops.
If you read the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra and the Yog Vashisht, you have
read all that any spiritual teacher can teach.
But then , reading is not the same as knowing...
> disgusting. They act like peace lovers, but get angry if you question them
> beyond what they feel is OK.
Be forgiving. They smiled at you without expecting favours in return. That is
a big thing in the Western world.
>
> He is a CON, he claims to be Lord , I have seen his pics with people
> calling him 'Dwaraka Krsna'. What a cheater??
HE does not claim to be Lord. Others may call him...this way the others feel
a direct closeness to God. This is common in India.
He may know the Self, infact it seems more likely than not.
Outside private guru-disciple talks, modesty demands that no one claim
enlightenment; yoga traditions are against open discussion of siddhis...
>
> He is one more Mayavadi who says " I am GOD and you are GOD, but now I am
> your Master, so touch my feet".
>
> Just one more so called Godman!!
You mean a bridge between God and Man? If you have no evidence of
ethical misconduct against him.... you could learn a lot from him :)
Al
> > disgusting. They act like peace lovers, but get angry if you question
them
> > beyond what they feel is OK.
> Be forgiving. They smiled at you without expecting favours in return. That
is
> a big thing in the Western world.
Really!! Is it that difficult??
> Outside private guru-disciple talks, modesty demands that no one claim
> enlightenment; yoga traditions are against open discussion of siddhis...
That's a smart way which these Swamis have started, they wouldn't do the
advertising, they let their so called disciples do.
> > Just one more so called Godman!!
>
> You mean a bridge between God and Man? If you have no evidence of
> ethical misconduct against him.... you could learn a lot from him :)
Well, I myself have no ethical misconduct...probably he can learn from me
too ;-)
-Al
hanu_man
> <SNIP>
>
> > > disgusting. They act like peace lovers, but get angry if you question
> them
> > > beyond what they feel is OK.
> > Be forgiving. They smiled at you without expecting favours in return. That
> is
> > a big thing in the Western world.
>
> Really!! Is it that difficult??
>
But the culture of "this is mine, and this is yours" (boundaries )
has destroyed spontaneity.
What is the reason behind it? Money and selfishness. For some other post.
> > Outside private guru-disciple talks, modesty demands that no one claim
> > enlightenment; yoga traditions are against open discussion of siddhis...
>
> That's a smart way which these Swamis have started, they wouldn't do the
> advertising, they let their so called disciples do.
>
But then, you don't have to believe them if you don't
want to. Or maybe some subtle resentment is showing up? It is for
YOUR benefit that all this charade called the world exists. Even if he or
anyone else claims to be enlightened, its of NO use to you. To relish the
mango, YOU have to eat it. The max he can do is to help you a bit. But with
that level of gratitude, you are not going to get very far.
Benefit from the good things, avoid what you consider as causing sorrow.
(read Yoga Sutras).
Its a relative world. "Nothing" is perfect. If you are a critic, you can
find flaws in everything. SOme people feel better doing that. THese are just
"games people play" :)
Question is, are you any better yourself after the criticism?
> > > Just one more so called Godman!!
> >
> > You mean a bridge between God and Man? If you have no evidence of
> > ethical misconduct against him.... you could learn a lot from him :)
>
> Well, I myself have no ethical misconduct...probably he can learn from me
> too ;-)
ONLY If you insist.
A reasonable check is spiritual knowledge and lack of ethical misconduct.
If you are modest enuf to claim the first, maybe you can be a guru :)...
AFAIK, there is no ethical misconduct against his name. And if you know of
any (other than someone calling him something), you should let others know
so that people know the truth.
But it appears you are maligning him purely because of cynicism.
Obviously, gratitude is not strong in this modern world...
Al
> Its a relative world. "Nothing" is perfect. If you are a critic, you can
> find flaws in everything. SOme people feel better doing that. THese are
just
> "games people play" :)
Smart way of putting it! Actually you have the ability ot become a so called
"Guru" ;-)
Perfect??You should read www.asitis.com about Sthithaprajna. Donot make your
own statements, read the scriptures.
> Question is, are you any better yourself after the criticism?
Speaking the truth is not always criticism, he is still a CON, claims
himself a master and God, duh!
> A reasonable check is spiritual knowledge and lack of ethical misconduct.
Lack of?? There's no negatives in 'The Perfect'. Someone has ethical conduct
is the right word than "lack of or no ethical misconduct".
> But it appears you are maligning him purely because of cynicism.
As I said I spoke the truth that he is a CON.
> Obviously, gratitude is not strong in this modern world...
Gratitude to whom is the question.
-Al
dalit
Al wrote:
>
> Speaking the truth is not always criticism, he is still a CON, claims
> himself a master and God, duh!
he must learn humility from dalits
>
>
> Gratitude to whom is the question.
to dalits
aryanviking
Mumbai, April 10
Suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist Mohammed Afroz Abdul Razak who was released
from a Mumbai jail has decided to teach yoga and mind relaxation
techniques.
Soon after his release, he told reporters that the "the Art of Living"
course imparted to him in the jail has made him a different person.
"I was not keen to attend the course, but later I found it very relaxing
and it helped me unwind my mind," he said.
He would start a class on the course in Mumbai in eight to nine days and
"if any one is interested he can join it", a newspaper reported.
A TV channel reported that Afroz would like to go on a pilgrimage to
Rishikesh if he is given permission by authorities to leave the city. "If
I am given permission, I would like to go to Rishikesh," he told the
channel.
Afroz refused to answer quieries relating to his case.
''I would not like to talk on that. I have faith in law,'' he said. On
being asked whether he has undergone pilot training, he said, ''Yes, I am
a qualified pilot''.
But he added, "I am confident that God will bail me out. I have full
faith in the judiciary and I will come out clean." He also thanked his
parents and his father Abdul Razzak.
deprofundis wrote:
> Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a con man?
>
> Only the rich and famous - Vijay Mallaya, Rhea Pillai Dutt, etc - are
> his followers.
>
deprofundis
"I might conduct Art of Living (meditation) courses for the people."
-Mohammed Afroz, Al Qaida activist and suicide pilot, on being granted bail.
in The Times of India, Mumbai, Wednesday, April 10, 2002.
For further details, contact
Art of Living http://www.artofliving.org/
Osama Bin Laden, Cave # 23, Tora Bora, Afghanistan.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_ID=6404420
sher...@mailmetoday.com (Sherlock) wrote in message news:<4d1a3c52.02040...@posting.google.com>...
> You are wrong in calling him a con man. He is a great man.
> Well, i agree with you in that he gives preference to the rich and is
> very conscious about his image. I have heard that he spent an entire
> flight holding Vijay Mallayas hands. Now, would he have done so if
> Mallaya was an ordinary soul?.
>
> But then again, he has improved the lives of several people by his
> breathing technique. He is no Ramana or Ramakrishna, but definitely
> great.
>
> Keep in mind that inspite of his faults, he has done a lot for poor
> indians.
>
> Regards
> Karthik
>
>
>
>
> depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis) wrote in message news:<935c3c27.02040...@posting.google.com>...
deprofundis
Go see a good psychiatrist.
sher...@mailmetoday.com (Sherlock) wrote in message news:<4d1a3c52.02041...@posting.google.com>...
> I am appalled at your hatred of him. Granted, Ravishankar is no
> enlightened man and he seems to be very media savvy. Granted that his
> fees are high and granted that he likes rich people.
>
> But what does someone teaches does meditation courses have to do with
> the taliban?.
>
> As buddha said, you will be punished not for your hatred but by it.
>
> Deprofundis, If you have something useful to contribute to these
> forums, please do so. Otherwise dont. Crass remarks against someone
> who might essentially be good person is one of the worst things one
> can do.
>
> Best Regards
> Karthik
>
>
> depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis) wrote in message news:<935c3c27.02041...@posting.google.com>...
deprofundis
<<Granted that his
fees are high and granted that he likes rich people.>>>
Need I say more?
<<But what does someone teaches does meditation courses have to do with
the taliban?.>>
Also see his website where he claims to have a solution for terrorism.
sher...@mailmetoday.com (Sherlock) wrote in message news:<4d1a3c52.02041...@posting.google.com>...
> I am appalled at your hatred of him. Granted, Ravishankar is no
> enlightened man and he seems to be very media savvy. Granted that his
> fees are high and granted that he likes rich people.
>
> But what does someone teaches does meditation courses have to do with
> the taliban?.
>
> As buddha said, you will be punished not for your hatred but by it.
>
> Deprofundis, If you have something useful to contribute to these
> forums, please do so. Otherwise dont. Crass remarks against someone
> who might essentially be good person is one of the worst things one
> can do.
>
> Best Regards
> Karthik
>
>
> depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis) wrote in message news:<935c3c27.02041...@posting.google.com>...
hari har singh
Sat Nam - Hari Har Singh
deprofundis
"hari har singh" <hari.ha...@gmx.de> wrote in message news:<a965l5$8lu$1...@unlisys.unlisys.net>...
deprofundis
> How many times have you stopped to help someone else you dont even
> know?. How many times have you thought of improving the condition of
> the wretched of the earth and how many times have you acted on it?>>
sher...@mailmetoday.com (Sherlock) wrote in message news:<4d1a3c52.02041...@posting.google.com>...
> You may not be knowing the meaning of the term "Brainwashed". A
> brainwashed person will not say anything against ravishankar even to
> the extent i have in my earlier post. I do not do any meditation and
> certainly am no follower.
>
> I have personally seen art of living people go to central jails, feed
> inmates, conduct free yoga classes. I have heard of them going to
> villages , opening schools, giving free treatment.
>
> As i said, Ravishankar may have his faults. As long as he does not
> break the laws of the land, whats the problem?. He is no saviour, but
> he has done a lot of good.
>
> How many times have you stopped to help someone else you dont even
> know?. How many times have you thought of improving the condition of
> the wretched of the earth and how many times have you acted on it?
>
> As some one commented the good and the noble often fall prey to small
> talk of the weak and many.
deprofundis
or go to http://www.learningmeditation.com
> Great. Could you please explain Sudarshan Kriya to me. How does it
> work? What does the practice consist of?
bodhisa...@yahoo.com (Mystik) wrote in message news:<f4ed7e1d.02040...@posting.google.com>...
deprofundis
http://www.time.com/time/time100/phonies/index.html
coldc...@replytonewsgroup.com wrote in message news:<3cb1eb98...@news.earthlink.net>...
hari har singh
"Sherlock" <sher...@mailmetoday.com> wrote in message
news:4d1a3c52.0204...@posting.google.com...
> You really know what he does when no one watches?. If you do, then you
> have a right to post it here. Else quit making baseless allegations
>
Everybody has a right to post here.
And everybody has a right to not read it :-)
hari har singh
> <, Everybody has a right to post here.>>
>
> True, but does that right include casting aspersions on the character
> of a person you have never met?. Without any solid proof?. Meeting
> rich people is not enough proof.
Yes, that includes the right to publish ones own narrowmindedness. :-)
> > And everybody has a right to not read it :-)
>
> Which is what i should probably have done :-)
That's the point :-)
>
>
> "hari har singh" <hari.ha...@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:<a9e2tj$jg0$1...@unlisys.unlisys.net>...
> > "Sherlock" <sher...@mailmetoday.com> wrote in message
> > news:4d1a3c52.0204...@posting.google.com...
> >
> > > You really know what he does when no one watches?. If you do, then you
> > > have a right to post it here. Else quit making baseless allegations
> > >
> >
> >
deprofundis
Will Sr Sri Ravi Shanker kindly head for Kashmir, The West Bank and
Tora Bora since he claims to have the solution of terrorism.
http://www.artofliving.org/SolutionToTerrorism.html
depro...@rediffmail.com (deprofundis) wrote in message news:<935c3c27.02041...@posting.google.com>...
deprofundis
four types of gurus in details: the real guru (SadGuru), the fake
guru, the universal guru (ParamGuru), and a guru (subject matter
expert, teacher).
ALL ABOUT GURUS
by
Dr. Ramananda Prasad, American/International Gita Society, Fremont,
California, USA
The contact of great souls who have realized the truth
is very helpful. Reading scriptures, giving charity, and doing
Saadhanaa alone may not give God-realization. A God-realized soul can
awaken and kindle another soul. But, no guru can give a secret formula
for Self-realization without His grace. It is said that human birth,
faith in God, and the help of a sadguru come only by His grace. The
Vedas say: The one who knows the land, gives direction to the one who
does not know, and asks for it (Rigved 9.70.09). One has to complete
the journey with his or her own efforts. One has to row his or her
boat through the turbulent waters of this world. People discover the
truth by their own efforts. Krishnamurti said: "The precepts of Truth
are essentially an individual process." Just as the complete spectrum
of sunlight is not visible to human eye without a prism, similarly, we
cannot see the light of Brahm without the grace of Guru, God, and
Gita.
Personally, we feel that anybody who does not share
the knowledge fully is not helping either his own spiritual progress,
the progress of the society, or the followers. The Eastern gurus
should learn the art of sharing from the West. The material progress
of the world is mostly due to the sharing of scientific and
technological knowledge of the West. Any body who meets the minimum
requirements can learn anything in the universities in the USA. The
fees are affordable and the requirements not very difficult to meet.
This is not the case with the so called spiritual masters writers have
come across. Most, if not all, Indian spiritual masters (that this
writer has met in USA or in India) are very miserly. They are really
not serving the people, or their disciples. I hope this article
promotes the concept of true sharing of spiritual wealth by the
possessors of the wealth for the upliftment of the humanity. Lord
Krishna has condemned all those who do not help others with a selfless
motive in the true spirit of selfless service, or Nishkaam Karm Yog.
The Vedas prohibit the sale of God in any form. It
says: O mighty Lord of countless wealth, I will not sell thee for any
price (Rigved 8.01.05). The role of a guru is that of a guide and a
giver, and not of a taker. Before accepting a human guru, one must
first have — or develop — full faith in the guru, and leave the human
frailties of gurus out of consideration; take the pearls of wisdom and
throw away the oyster shells. If this is not possible to do, it should
be remembered that the word guru also means the light of Jnaan, the
true metaphysical knowledge, that dispels ignorance and delusion, and
the light comes — automatically — from Par-Brahm, the internal Param
guru, when one's mind is purified by sincere Saadhanaa, Sevaa, and
Surrender (Gita 4.38). One must follow the scripture with faith,
especially in this age when it is very difficult to find a sadguru.
There are four categories of gurus: a false guru,
guru, Sadguru, and Param guru. In this age too many false gurus are
coming to teach (or give a mantra) for a price. These false gurus are
the merchants of mantra. They take money from disciples to fulfill
their personal material needs without giving the Taartamya-vidyaa, or
Brahm-jnaan, the true knowledge of Brahm. Saint Tulasidaas said that a
guru who takes money (or any form of Sevaa from the disciples and does
not remove their ignorance of metaphysics goes to hell (Tulasi
Raamaayan 7.98.04) ). Jesus also said: Watch out for false prophets;
they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but they are
really like wild wolves on the inside (Matthew 7.15).
A guru is the one who should impart true knowledge and
complete understanding of Sat and Asat. The most common meaning of the
word guru is the subject matter expert, a teacher or the guide. Thus
any human being who imparts you any knowledge, spiritual or material,
becomes your guru for that knowledge. Rishi Dattaatreya had
twenty-four gurus, both human as well as non-humans, such as: Earth,
water, fire, sky, air, sun, moon, as well as some birds, beasts, and
insects, because, he learned lessons from their lives.
A Sadguru is a Self-realized master mentioned in Gita
4.34. A Sadguru helps the devotee maintain God-consciousness all the
time by his or her own spiritual power. When Antah-karan, the subtle
senses such as the mind and intellect, is purified; Supreme Lord
Krishna, the Param guru, reflects Himself in the Chitt of a devotee,
and sends a guru, or a Sadguru to him or her.
A real guru is the giver. He never asks any money or a
fee from a disciple, because he depends on God only. A real guru would
not ask anything from a disciple for personal or even for
organizational gain. However, a disciple is obliged to do the best he
or she can to help the cause of the guru if one has really benefited
from the services and wants to promote it for the benefits of others.
The aim of the American Gita Society (AGS) is to guide and serve
people without a fee. All our services are absolutely free. Sage
Yaajnavalkya and his father also believed that one should not accept
any fee from a people without giving him or her full instruction and
understanding (Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad 4.01.02) of Aksharaateet or
Par-Brahm, Akshar or Brahm, and Kshar or Naaraayan, and His various
expansions such as: Param-Shiva, Paramaatmaa, Avyakt, Gaayatri,
Durgaa, Kaali, Brahmaa, Vishnu, Mahesh, Purush, Maayaa, Prakriti, and
Jeev together with their functional relationships with the one and the
only One Supreme Person, God. This was the beautiful Vedic tradition
that has been completely lost in Kaliyug due to the conflict of
personal and organizational interests of modern gurus.
Our own Atmaa inside all of us is the Param guru.
Outside teachers only help us in the beginning of the spiritual
journey. Our own mind, when purified by Nishkaama Karm, prayer,
meditation, Jap, Kirtan (the congregational chanting of holy names),
and scriptural study, becomes the best channel and guide for the flow
of divine knowledge (See also Gita 4.38, and 13.22). The Divine Person
within all of us is the Param guru, and one must learn how to tune in
with Him. It is said that there is no greater guru than one's own
mind. A pure mind becomes a spiritual guide and the inner divine guru
leading to a Sadguru, and Self-realization. This is expressed by the
common saying that the guru comes to a person when one is ready. The
word guru also means vast, and is used to describe Brahm or
Paramaatmaa, the Param guru and the internal guide.
The wise spiritual teacher disapproves the idea of
blind personal service, or the guru cult, which is so common in India,
and is being imported abroad. A Self-realized master says that God
only is the only guru, and all are His disciples. A disciple should be
like a bee seeking honey from flowers. If the bee does not get honey
from one flower, it immediately goes to another flower and stays at
that flower as long as it gets the nectar. Idolization and blind
worship of a human guru become stumbling block in the spiritual
progress of both the disciple and the guru and bring downfall of
Hinduism.
One must follow a scripture of his or her choice with
firm faith, especially in this age when it is difficult to find a true
guru. Adherence to the high teachings of the scriptures will ward off
all evil and bring about goodness. If a bridge is built, even an ant
can easily cross the river, no matter how big a river is. Similarly,
the scripture is the bridge to cross over the river of Samsaar.
The ignorance of true metaphysical knowledge (Ajnaan)
is humanity's greatest predicament and root cause of all evils in the
world today. There is only one God, and all creatures are His
children, then it is childish to fight in the name of Father! In some
religions, however, only the members of one's own sect are considered
favorites of God, and others are considered infidels. The Vedas say:
Let noble thoughts come to us from everywhere (Rigved 1.89.01).
Different religious teachings are but different expressions of the
Supreme. They are to be respected, not regarded as instruments of
division. The dignity and welfare of humanity lie in the unity of
races and religion. True knowledge of religion breaks down all
barriers, including the barriers between faiths. Any religion,
prophet, preacher, sant, mulla, or prachaarak that creates the walls
of conflict and hatred among people in the name of God is not a
religion, but selfish politics in disguise.
We read in the media, both in India and the US, about
holy-men, swamis, and gurus getting involved in immoral and criminal
activities. This suggests that all saffron clad may not be holy. In
fact, in India many smugglers, thieves and robbers disguise themselves
in a saffron robe. In USA there are many phony gurus and sants who
work for money, name, and fame to satisfy their worldly material
desires. Many of these false gurus do not understand the Vedic
scriptures, and start their own brand of Hinduism to the extent that
they declare themselves as Bhagavaan (God) or some other name. They
distort the meaning of the scriptures and quote scripture written by
some unknown false guru that says: (human) guru is Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva, all in one. Surrender everything to me. These gurus do not know
that we can evoke the potential energy of cosmic forces by
contemplating on deities. Such gurus will neither fight when Hinduism
is attacked nor preach among the poor, sick, tribal, and Dalits in
India or abroad.
In historical times there were many gurus such as
Vishwamitra, Vashishtha, Adi Shankaracharya, Ramkrishna, Dayanand
Sarasavati, Vivekanand, Yoganand, Nanak Dev, Buddha, Mahatma Mahavir,
Christ, Muhammad, etc. Even today there are many great souls who are
spreading the true Vedic knowledge. This article is NOT againt Gurus,
but only a warning to beware of.
Do not think that anybody who wears a saffron or any
other type of sectarian robe is naturally a Jnaani and a guru. Be very
careful before you accept a guru and touch his or her feet. And
remember the Indian saying: paani piyo chhaan kar Guru chuno jaan kar
(Drink water after filtering, and accept a guru only after completely
knowing him or her). If you have not yet found a true guru yet, wait
and remember what Guru Nanak said: The best of all efforts is to
always remember and repeat the name of God within the temple of your
heart.
"Blind surrender to an authority (Guru) is an emotional indulgence and
illusory security upon which the guru thrives."
Remember the Sanskrit verse: Shri Krishnam Vande Jagad-Gurum --- Bow
down to the Universal Guru, Lord Krishna.
OM TAT SAT
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The Aims and Objectives of AGS include the following:
1. To publish the Bhagavad-Gita in English and other
languages and distribute it at a nominal subsidized cost, and put the
Gita in libraries, hospitals, hotels, motels, and other public places
throughout the world, starting from India and the USA, similar to what
the American Bible Society has done for the Bible all over the world.
2. To Spread the basic Non-sectarian Universal Teachings
of Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita and other Vedic scriptures in an easy to
understand language by establishing branches of the Society in other
countries to be named as: International Gita Society (IGS).
3. To provide inspiration, help, and guidance in
establishing Gita Study and Discussion (Satsang) Groups, and provide
free Gita correspondence course to the youth, students, busy
executives and other interested persons.
4. To provide cooperation and financial support to persons
and non-profit organizations engaged in the study and propagation of
the Vedic knowledge by arranging lectures, seminars, and short courses
on meditation, yoga, and metaphysical sciences.
5. To break the barriers between faiths, and establish unity of races,
religions, castes, and creeds through the immortal non-sectarian
teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Ramayana, as well as other
major world scriptures such as the Dhammapada, the Bible, the Koran,
etc.; and to promote the Universal Brotherhood of Mankind.
http://www.gita-society.com/section2/2_aboutgurus.htm