BY TRUTH SEEKER
Another teacher passed me your blog & it has been very healing for me to read it. I knew it’s content to be true as soon as I read it, as I had experienced most of it first hand. It also came across very clear to me that the writers of this blog are doing this blog out of good intention of healing anyone hurt by AOL & informing others & provide a much needed medium for people to express their truth & first hand experiences, to share & support each other. As inside AOL there is no place whatsoever for speaking up & those who do so are personally & viciously attacked. It is an atmosphere of secrecy & terror (some of it spiritual terror, ie using people’s love & devotion against them speaking up or explore their doubts!)
I had come to see the web of deception for a long time & hence stepped back. But the path of recovery (emotionally & spiritually) was a lonely & tough one. I wish I had access to a blog like yours when i had to work everything out on my own & felt isolated & on my own & had to deal with all kind of emotions (As I once was so devoted & dedicated to guruji & gave so many years of my life to him, so to get free was very painful, but the right thing to do.)
I know how the organisation works & I know how the policy of divide & rule works, how they get people to spy on members & how to attack people personally, isolate them, defame them, etc, etc. I am sure any person of integrity will come to the same conclusion re Sri Sri & his organisation. Those who continue deception have no integrity & have their head or hand in the trough!!
Anyway, just wanted to tell you how much I have appreciated reading your blog & how healing it has been for me. Few other teachers & volunteers who have also read your blog have found it useful & it has speeded up their recovery & helped them to break free.
I can not reveal my name as I don't want the Gestapo police on my door. I have been attacked personally many times for standing up & speaking out & knowing too much. And I know how low the Guru's bulldog terriers get!
Anyway, God bless you & all other contributor. I will be passing on your blog to others who wish to know more & free themselves from this web of deception.
Please keep up your good work. I don't think you have any idea how many broken hearts & disillusioned people are out there because of AOL. Once the word gets out about your blog (& I will do my best to do it), it will grow exponentially. And I do hope it will help to prevent any innocent people from getting caught & hurt & used in AOL as we once were.
Love,
Truthseeker
PS. Looking forward to the day, we can talk to each other by first name & not worried about the dangers of speaking freely. Now, it is too dangerous as I know how Guruji uses his dogs on leash & how threatened they feel when someone speaks up.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
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40 comments:
A few previous posts also mentioned that people are afraid to speak up against AOL. I am curious about the reason. Is it because AOL has lawyers that they can send after you or other more sinister reasons?
HI truth seeker. Welcome aboard. If we feel India is a democracy, we should disclose our names. But unfortunately the democracy is not that much matured here. Only hooligans and rowdy elements rule the roost. Even politicians are that. That is why we are not able to openly express our views in India, for fear of backlash. You may be aware of IIM grads, who were killed for exposing political misrule etc. But if you are in US or UK, you should be able to express your feelings with your own name. Do not worry. In those countries, nobody can come and threaten you. Anyhow more and more ex-AOLites are sharing their inputs and that would strengthen this blog and finally anti-AOLites would become majority and then nothing can be done by the dogs of SSRS. Do not worry.
Truth Seeker said:
Hope you never get to experience it firsthand. Of course they can't send lawyers after you. They act like any other cult, they start a vicious psychological & mental & emotional attack on the person who speaks up. They start defaming the person & spreading rumours & breaking the spirit of that person. They isolate the person & attack her/him left & right from every quarter. If the poor person has still got a lot of devotion to Guruji then they are left demoralised re why the "All knowing" Guru doesn't do anything. And worse still , over a period of time, they realise/observe that the "all loving" & "compassionate" Guru actually encourages the nasty attacks & even promotes those who are acting like vultures. So called loving Guru actually enjoys, like a sadist, these attacks & stirs them even more. It is all entertainment for him. He can hardly cover the deep pleasure he gets from it. Probably those who have inside stories can tell you how he even orders these attacks & then acts as if he doesn't know a thing about them if the victim complains to him. The person's love & devotion is used in very sick way to force her/him to take all the abuse & attacks with a smile (& even be grateful for them!! After all guru making them strong!!) . Some of the behaviours I have seen from Sri Sri & his senior teachers border psychopathological tendencies. They seem to have no care or concern for the victim & indeed enjoy it greatly. I have seen even if the person has a nervous breakdown they couldn’t care less & even blame the victim!! Must be the feeling of power & control these sick people enjoy!The poor victim tries her/his damnest hard to be a good devotee & tries to justify all abuses & use knowledge & show how good she practices the knowledge points!! She/he doesn't realise that it is her/his misguided devotion to a con man which is the real cause of her/his misery. The freedom comes by liberating oneself from the guru trap & realising all the cult indoctrination. The person needs to realise that her/his devotion has been misused at the hand of the Guru & his lackey's to control her/him completely & break her/his spirit.
Truth Seeker said:
Dear LAX,
I already in my reply to anonymous have explained how the intimidation/bullying/personal attacks/psychological games , etc are used against the devotee who speaks up. These intimidation/harrassing tactics can be(and are) applied by SSRS & his lackeys in any country. it is not dependant on the country, they use the person’s love & devotion against her through very sick psychological games , mental & emotional abuse, etc. A devotee is a devotee, whether it is in Russia or Turkey or India or Argentina. it is her devotion that is used against her/him.
And yes, I agree with you, more people free themselves from this web of deception, it is easier for other people to do so too. Soon it will take a momentum of its own and no PR attempt on behalf of SSRS would be able to stop it. That is the importance of Blogs like KLIMs. Those with inside stories are helping those caught in “guru trap” free themselves. Sure it is painful to see you have been taken for a ride. Sure it is painful to see your love & devotion has been abused. Sure it is painful to know your beloved is nothing but a very sick conman and he has got a bevy of devotees to do his dirty work for him.
But which one is better? To go through pain or stay in spiritual slavery & worse indeed to be part of deception.
RE: You may be aware of IIM grads, who were killed for exposing political misrule etc.
no, I am not aware, please tell me or if you send the relevant URL I will read it. Thanks
Speaking of sharing this blog with others and how it helps people, I tried to post this blog under comments on Huffington Post SSRS article but they would not post it. I did not say anything bad about SSRS or AoL so I don't know why they wouldn't post it. Maybe got flagged as spam. But anyway, someone else got it posted.
I also tried to post to Bawa and Dinesh's blog after Bawa posted an entry about all the comments he gets calling AoL a sham. Of course he didn't post it. I respect Klim much more for posting everything but abusive posts. It shows much more integrity, honesty, and willingness to listen. Not posting anything contrary to one's own beliefs shows the deep rooted denial and brainwashing that runs in cults. What a shame...I won't be wasting time reading his blog what with all the smiley faces and Jai Gurudevs.
Truth Seeker, I'd like to hear more details of your experiences if you care to share more in the future.
honesty and democracy in posting comments is appreciable. congrats.
Waiting for the time when all
b loggers will be proud to reveal their names.
wanna know what ways AOLres can harm those who speak against them.
A campaign highlighting AOLs charging exorbitant fee in the name of "donation" for various courses can open peoples eyes sooner or later.
Can someone tabulate comparatively differences in AOLs "kathani and karni"?
The differences between what they actually project n promise, what they actually do, and what is ultimately achieved.
The table should travel whole of AOL life.
Will be useful, healing and protective for many.
EX AOLs healing,satisfaction n solace will grow many fold if they save other from the trap. This is not a revenge but trying to undo enormous damage you must have done to many innocents as AOL propagator.
Why is there nothing published against Sri Sri Dollar in the Indian press?
The cult guru is the worst possible crutch be he SSRS or Puttaparthi Baba or x y z.
When I was in school Puttaparthi Baba was the most popular. My school principal was overtly thrusting him on all of us. I owe it to my grandparents who vehemently never ever swerved from the path laid out by Aadi Shankara. That is, the traditional ways of worshipping instead of resorting to quick fix instant branded patented enlightenment gimmicks ,conjuring of watch ,ring , laddoo or holy ash.
For all their hyped claims about skriya beating stress , they are extremely full of insecurity , anxiety all bottled up with a simulated smile.Proximity to their respective cult founders acts like a must have shot like the insulin shots for diabetics. In short the followers remain ENSLAVED .
Whereas internalising of Upanishads , Bhagavad Geetha , Yoga Vaasishtham , Viveka Chudamanai etc actually is exhilaratingly LIBERATING !
YES they are very insecure all the time. many of their deeds result from this insecurity.
AOL new recruits who are insecure in the beginning become more and more insecure with time and indoctrination.
Ever Smiling from outside with glazed robotic eyes but wrecked,damaged and insecure from inside.
this is what one becomes in AOL
whenever i seee Aols artificial imposed ever smiling face it remind me of famous jagjit singh's ghazal- "TUM ITNA KYON MUSKURA RAHE HO, KYA GAM HAI JISKO CHUPA RAHE HO"
KLIM if you think appropriate please post this as separate entity and invite comments.
From SSRS to all teachers in AOL, all are universally INSECURE.
SECURE always believes in ideology.INSECURE believes in numbers. SECURE believes in silence INSECURE believes in propaganda.SECURE believes life's day to day happenings are your greatest teacher, INSECURE believes you need a bearded guru to teach lessens of life.SECURE face and conquer the realities, INSECURE escape the realities.SECURED are "deep" INSECURE are "shallow" pretending to be deepest.SECURED find happiness in their own job and field, INSECURE look for other ways of happiness. SECURE believes in integrity and responsibility to family, society and the nation where as INSECURE is ultimately disintegrated, and owes responsibility to only his security provider.SECURE believe that with his learned knowledge and skills he can better serve the society, INSECURE does not believe in his own skill and allows himself to be used for non scientific beliefs.
The insecure are made to feel secure by fellow more insecure.
Cults are basically products of society's inadequacy and people's insecurity, low self esteem,lack of integrity, accountability and responsibility.
Low family and moral values may contribute.
Anon 10:36,
You think you've internalized all the scriptures, but in reality if youhave really done it, you wouldn't be writing here or even critical of SSRS or Baba or whoever. Because in Advaita Vedanta, there is no other, all is one. So you are SSRS, Baba, Sankara, etc. There is no other. If I have really internalized all the scriptures you quote, if I were you, I won't even be talking about it or boasting about it.
Many flock to such cult gurus claiming they had their diseases cured or got " healed ". So what??
A completely healthy body is also subject to death & decay.
I have had certain ailments cured by my doctor. That did not make me frame his photo followed by worshipping.
Read the following please :-
" Yogi Ramaiah told Ramana Bhagavan:-
" While travelling I saw a public performance by a magician...who was materialising a lot of things for the crowd.....was stunned & amazed how he could accomplish such feats.
When the show was over , the magician went about asking for donations from each of us extending a rusty container. I asked him " you have the ability to produce whatever you want at the mere wave of a hand including food..so why beg for money from us..why not fulfil your need with your magic ?"
The magician told his sad story how he did penance to win the favour of a Spirit that could perform whatever he desired. His wish was granted but with a stiff condition he could never materialise anything for himself or his family.
Ramaiah asked why he should agree to such terms wasting his life as a beggar when he could get no real benefit from his magic.
He said the Spirit had made it clear to him that the karma of his penance being inexorable , he would reap its fruits; if he opted out he would get killed instantly by the Spirit.Hence was destined to beg for the rest of his life.
Ramana Bhagavan remarked:-
" The fate of all who run after miraculous powers/siddhis is the same as that of this poor man".
So the good old counsel 'be careful of what you wish for' is never to be forgotten.
Let us not forget all the asuras performed mighty tapas only to ask for such megalomaniacal powers.
Do watch the hindi movie 'Pratha' starring Irfan Khan etc.
Gives a clear picture of how these faux godmen establish their mighty empires WITH the connivance of police , lawyers , politicians & the apathetic masses around.
" Where Ignorance is Bliss , It Is Folly To Be Wise ".
Long time back I was coerced by my friend to come & have a "darshan" of Mata Amritanandamayi. She had not become this popular then. Just a fledgeling organization.
Thank God , I listened to my instincts & walked away. People were behaving incredibly crazy. Screaming " Mata would slip into superconscious state during midnight...go into Devi Bhav...only the chosen fortunate will be hugged by her...all wishes fulfilled...blahblah.."
That nobody found it odd & that there was a sickening stampede is puzzling for me even today.
There is but ONE CONSCIOUSNESS.
There is nothing called super/supra/ultra/uber consciousness.
All their charities & donations business fail to awe me. She also charges hefty capitation fees for a seat in colleges run by her.All enjoy tax exempt status calling themselves non profit NGOs.
There is another extremely popular soothsayer in Chennai who many consider Goddess Incarnate. Running schools & colleges.
I was shocked when one of the colleges run by him told me " for a fee of a certain amount of lakhs , here & now we can give you a certificate that you are a qualified graduate. No need to attend college at all..."
Eloquent testimony of the credentials of these " holy people".
Is it any wonder bridges , houses approved by "qualified engineers" collapse? People perish owing to spurious medicines ?
Just saw ann advertisement on Zoo-Zoo cartoon, where the advertisement is Stay Calm. Subscribe Art of living alerts at Rupees 30 a month..
What an innovation to make money? I think AOL is surely having great marketing gurus. Otherwise they couldn't think of such innovation in making money?
thought of sharing this article, as it has a first hand observation of ssrs, by a journalist, an unbiased version I think, you can find it in the end of the article.
http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/the-decency-of-the-atheist
Anon @5:42 PM ,
Thank you very much for the link.
It is refreshing to know at least some NORMAL people are out there among this madding crowd.
It is not " faith ". It is
"conscientious stupidity & sincere ignorance ".
Appalling is the fact our Vedas discuss God , Creation & allied matters in such an extensive & exhaustive manner leaving absolutely no room for such idiocy to flourish.
By default celebs like filmstars , cricketers , so called well read judges , scientists like Abdul Kalam & of course the ever pompous IITians , seemingly powerful blustering chief ministers the entire lot have LIBERATED me :))
We insist man is the most evolved branding birds " bird brained " yadayada. I have serious doubts.
Don't you all realize that SSRS is a Divine incarnation? You have an ego ideal that he is disappointing and thus you complain about him. Come out of your childhood. Take advantage of the darshan and techniques of this God-Realized being. I'm not denying that you have had some bad experiences, but look at them carefully and you will see you are relating to him as a child, not as an adult. You want a lollipop to soothe your spiritual tummy ache. The Guru functions as Shiva and strips you of your absurd, ignorant notions that hold you in bondage. This can be a rough ride for an immature ego. To obsessively complain about someone is ridiculous. Discriminate; separate the good from the bad. If you need to move-on in your spiritual path, fine, move-on. To label any guru as all bad or all good are simply ignorant, immature notions you have in your mind. These are the points or hooks of your bondage. Do you want a guru to liberate you or make your ego feel good? You can't always do both which is unfortunate from the ego's perspective! If you have gained nothing from your involvement with SSRS you have learned nothing and will make the same immature mistake with another guru. You are seeking a perfect daddy or mommy and there isn't one out there for you so you rage.
To the anon poster who said Ravi Shankar is divine incarnation-
What proof do you have that he is divine incarnation. How did you realize that?
Anon @ April 12, 2010 12:52 PM
My parents are far from being perfect but mine at least don't consent fraudulent acts, lying, cheating, rape, and abuses in any form. Neither do they insist they are the best, in fact, they always humbly recognize they make mistakes. Of course, there are all sorts of parents out there, but those who do anything close anything against the law are hopefully processed by law enforcement and "the grace of God". In a spiritual path, one would expect at least a figure that is closer to a better parent rather than the contrary. It is not about looking for perfection in your parental figure but it is about looking for coherence and "walk the talk". It makes me wonder what parenting you propose for your own children or those of others ...
@Anon 12:52 pm
You are joking right ? It's actually very funny :).
If not - use some common sense. If a regular person does money laundering, and dupes people by taking money in name of charity - we would call him a fraud, and a cheat. But if it is done in the name of spirituality, and by someone who is claiming to be a saint - we "don't see bad in him".
Come on!...these are not faults of personality - these are serious issues - and don't you think a man of spirituality must have exemplary character. In fact, he is to be held to a higher standard.
All we are doing is calling his bullshit. He is not who he claims to be, he does not walk the talk.
It's good Anon 12:52 wrote in. Anyone in doubt of the faults of AoL would certainly read that and question the org. and the guru. I'm only surprised there weren't smiley faces placed strategically throughout the rampage.
To message of Anon @ 12.52pm
When I read messages of SSR worshipers, they strike me, as very similar, immature and lacking common logic. May be, having spent so much time in the company of "Divine incarnation", they dropped their egos. But where is their intellect? Probably, dropped it together with ego. Anyway, they continue teaching you how to discriminate. Isn't that funny!
Anon asked me,"What proof do you have that he is divine incarnation. How did you realize that?"
Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? There is no proof of this outside of ones own experience. I can only talk about my own experience with SSRS. I can't talk about yours. If you can't experience the divinity of your guru, then perhaps he is not your guru! Just because I experience SSRS as the Divine, doesn't mean I stop using my intellect. I'm sure I would have more of a problem with AOL or perhaps even SSRS if I was more involved with the AOL. I've taken the basic course and several advanced courses. Not interested in taking DSN and shilling on the street for AOL. But maybe this is my limitation, my problem, I don't know.
A true spiritual path can be difficult. Your limited notions are always being smashed. We want Realization on the ego's terms. Quite ridiculous. My point of posting here is to stop this over-simplified, immature casting of AOL and SSRS as some sort of rakshasa(demon). SSRS is a holy man doing wonderful things. People have conflicts with him and AOL. So what? Mature your spirituality. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Svetana said,"When I read messages of SSR worshipers, they strike me, as very similar, immature and lacking common logic. May be, having spent so much time in the company of "Divine incarnation", they dropped their egos. But where is their intellect? Probably, dropped it together with ego. Anyway, they continue teaching you how to discriminate. Isn't that funny!"
Really. How am I lacking in common logic? Be specific, please. How am I immature? I assure my intellect is quite intact and quite discriminating. You are over-simplifying my responses and painting me as all bad because then you can dismiss me. You are making the same mistake with me as you are with SSRS. If you have problems with AOL and SSRS, fine, move on. But to villainize me misses the entire point I'm trying to make to the readers of this blog. I'm not denying anyone's experience with AOL or SSRS, so don't deny mine. I include your bad experiences with my good experiences with SSRS. To see SSRS as all bad is a spiritually immature mistake. Let's talk about it without ad hominem attacks.
Klim and Co said,"My parents are far from being perfect but mine at least don't consent fraudulent acts, lying, cheating, rape, and abuses in any form."
This is the sort of hyperbole that is ridiculous. So, are you actually saying that people in the AOL or SSRS himself rapes people? How can you expect to have a serious discussion with anybody regardless of their position on SSRS and the AOL when you make such absurd assertions. Proof? Please, be serious. I want to talk about these things, but not have a conversation on the level of baseless assertions!
Peaceful Warrior said,"But if it is done in the name of spirituality, and by someone who is claiming to be a saint - we "don't see bad in him".
Come on!...these are not faults of personality - these are serious issues - and don't you think a man of spirituality must have exemplary character. In fact, he is to be held to a higher standard.
All we are doing is calling his bullshit."
You are not understanding my position. Interacting with a sat guru, like SSRS, is a very complex business for one's ego. I have discovered this in my 40 plus year relationship with MMY and my overlapping 20 year relationship with SSRS. I'm not telling you not to call the AOL or SSRS on their "bullshit" Of course there is bullshit going on! There is also Divinity going on too. That is the incredible paradox. If you are looking for a "perfect" guru or a "perfect" organization you won't find it.
As far as, "we don't see bad in him", that is not my mood-making perspective. This too is a spiritually immature as trashing SSRS and AOL. Again, it is a paradox to experience the overwhelming holy darshan of profoundly Realized beings like MMY and SSRS and then to also know, from the level of the personality, they can act in a manner which we might find to be unethical or maybe even immoral. This is our task to work through these things. Most of the posters on this blog are not doing this. They are simply trashing everything AOL and SSRS and not learning anything from their experience.
@Anon 5:03 PM
Looks like somebody drank the Kool aid!
Stop with the self-blame...your mind is impure and creates problems, but RS and his ilk are incapable of mistake.
Wake up and see - you are as much divine as they are.
Believe me, not everyone here is a novice, blindly criticizing RS We've all been on the path for many years - had our spiritual highs, lived the knowledge for many years. This is not shallow or blind criticism.
Respect and reverence is one thing, agreeing to justify wrongs by blaming your intellect/ego is a completely different thing altogether.
There was a time when you saw things as they are. Then you learnt to see everything through the lens of "knowledge". You've been on the path for 60 years!. It's about time, you let go of your knowledge, and see things as they truly are.
On a side note - none of us is looking for a "perfect organization" - we are just searching for the truth, if at all. Not looking to become a follower of anyone.
This blog is not out of malice, or anger - but a warning to innocent people, who become duped by spiritual con-men, and become zombies. Talk to people in AOL - they are all carbon copies of each other....and talk the same "knowledge points". How is that self realization or actualization.
All worshippers of Ravishankars or Puttaparthi Babas etc ,
Please do carry on as you find everything above board there.
You people have absolutely no business visting this blog & arguing asking for "proof".
That you footsoldiers visit , reading our opinions betrays your own doubts & insecurities .
A lot of " proof " not imagined but first hand reports were published by certain whistleblowers in Guruphiliac. No point in repeating .
Why should you people bother at all ? If your chosen gurus are so uber good , your time & energies would be better spent in continued worshippings , jaigurudev screamings than engaging us in wordy duel.
I see no diffrence at all between you frenzied followers and zealous proselytizers.
Answer to SS worshipper.
“I have discovered this in my 40 plus year relationship with MMY and my overlapping 20 year relationship with SSRS.”
It may mean that you are so closed, being brain-washed for such a long period of time, that there is no hope for you to understand anything that doesn’t fit into the limited and rigid frame of your concepts, but I will try to answer your question, anyway, once you asked about it, and so that you do not feel “dismissed”.
“How am I immature? I assure my intellect is quite intact and quite discriminating”
Spiritually mature people do not divide the world into “Divine Incarnations” vs. “Common Incarnations?” They know that there is only one Consciousness, one Being and we are ALL a part of it. This is all wonderfully explained in Vasistha’s Yoga (by the way, recommended by your guru). So, there is no difference between him, you, me and a tree. We are all Divine. In fact, you can learn much more from a tree, than from a guru, if you have eyes to see. Realize it now, and you will not need any gurus. From the same unique work of Indian philosophy you can find out that this realization may be of two kinds: one is based on contemplation (requires developed intellect and ability to discriminate) and the other one is based in direct realization (by the way, these are also means to abandon the ego-sense, you brood so much about). Since you are still holding so tight to the outer object (in your case RS) and attributing some special divine qualities to it, rather then bowing to your Self, this realization didn’t happen to you, that’s why the word ‘immature”.
I would recommend you to read “Vasistha’s Yoga, if you haven’t read it yet, or read it again if you have. There is still hope.
Wish you Peace.
Anon said: "I've taken the basic course and several advanced courses. Not interested in taking DSN and shilling on the street for AOL."
That's the point. You are trying to maintain the image of SSRS as divine in your head.
Yes he is an advanced yogi...when you meet him initially, something opens up inside you. That was my experience too.
But later I came to realize that he is a manipulative person, who has abused many people causing irreparable harm. One can not ends to justify means, but like his mentor, he does so all the time.
You may be okay with this kind of hanky panky in the name of spirituality, because you don't know better. (incidently this is how most abuse victims justify things) MMY and RS are definitely from the same ilk.
My suggestion: be a part of a more authentic spiritual community, where such things are not tolerated. Otherwise you may end up doing the same things, and justify them saying great gurus also did so.
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