Sri Sri Skates Again
File under: Back Room Gurudom
Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has dazzled us with his political skills once again by skating around a loaded question at an Asian business conference. When asked about his views of Narendra Modi, the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, home to violent anti-Muslim riots which Modi implicitly supported, and who was recently denied a visa to enter the US for his involvement in those riots; Sri Sri replied, "I don't comment on individuals because individuals are just part of one wholeness."Way to skate, Sri Sri! Nominated as an individual for the Nobel Peace Prize, he doesn't comment on other individuals, even when that individual (Modi) has seemingly fomented anti-Muslim terror under his political leadership, or at the very least has been caught looking the other way when horrific violence was being done to people in his territory.
This has definitely put Sri Sri at the front of the pack for the Most Hypocritical Guru of the Year Award by having his cake and eating it too. That is, nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize while he supports genocidal politicians. Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush could definitely take a few pointers from this guy. We believe he'd be awesome as the guru of the Republican Party if it wasn't already infested with obnoxious fundie Christians.
posted by guruphiliac @ 7:20 PM
9 Comments:
Ha Ha! I really pity you... Your venting anger against him is causing damage only to you, not him. I'd suggest you read some of his teachings and apply to yourself.
Right now, your closed mindedness wouldn't let you understand his statement. If he has said something, it is for a very good reason, which you cannot understand if all you want to do is argue!
If foulmouthing someone is all you can do for the country, stop it and relax. At least you'll save yourself. And let the few people who are actually doing good stuff do them!
Dude, you have drank the Kool-Aid and have lost all critical perspective. You are exactly what Sri Sri wants in his devotees. He's nothing but a self-glorifing loser with slaves like you who don't or cannot think for themselves. Good luck.
keep your pity for your soul man not for the writer. Only God can pity or save anyone not these fakes who make money. He is donating money in an attempt to save his soul from the wrath of the final judgement- the fire of hell. Supporting modi to keep his "DUKAN" running in Gujarat.
Why don't you guys open up your mind? How long will you be slaves/chamchas of such ideologies and Blockheaded bhakti
Well not everyone has to follow your way of slinging mud around and criticising 24/7. A statement against Mody would be enough to fuel the anti-Muslim sentiment and give enough
power to the hindu fundamentalists who are acting in his leadership.
I am not sure how aware you are of th e political situation in Gujarat, and do not see any reason for insisting that Sri Sri adopt your bitter style in dealing with the world any more than insisting that you adopt his way of trying to avoid controversy and keeping it simple. Probably this comment will also get filtered by your subjective selection effect, but just realise that sometimes you yourself comment irrationally.
A statement against Mody would be enough to fuel the anti-Muslim sentiment
That's like saying a statement against murder only makes people willing to murder more. Sri Sri refrained to censure Modi out of cowardice and greed. He didn't want to ding his fan base, which in India is comprised of many right-wing Hindu folk.
Much of India's press was waiting to see what Sri Sri was going to say at the conference, which ending up with Sri Sri copping out, using the excuse he didn't comment on individuals. Very soon afterward, he hypocritically abandoned his policy of not commenting on individuals when he saw the political expediency of commenting on the passing of Pope John Paul.
sometimes you yourself comment irrationally.
I find it amusing that my "irrationality" increases with the quantity of Kool-Aid drank by those commenting.
RIDDLES OF SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR’S PARASPIRITUALITY
My all friends, you must have seen Sri Sri Ravishankar pulled and ridiculed (not intentionally) by Prabhu Chawla in Seedhi Baat on Aaj Tak in June 2008. This is a charge sheet on CHARLATAN Sri Sri (Shri Shri) RAVISHANKAR. This man has spoiled the idea of spiritualism and has upheld hysteria in the name of spirituality. There are some riddles of Sri Sri Ravishankar’s extra-spiritual activities that I have befallen to. Most of the riddles are over and above the questions raised by Prabhu Chawla.
1. Ravishankar started AoL (Art of Living) as a spiritual movement. Why did he diversify to social leadership and ventured into education, hospitals, agriculture, reconstruction (as in Maharashtra) and many other things?
2. If he justifies his foray into education, social work and politics, then can he remain a Guru or Guruji? What kind of Guru is this who is attached to the same things with the same fervor and ambition as a non-Guru is? Isn’t a non-Guru better, who at least says, “Yes, I am attached”? If this is not attachment, then what should the inner driving force behind his entry in extra-spiritual domains be called as? Whatever he calls it as, will that be different from “attachment”?
3. I have been to his campus called Ashram in Bangalore. His AoL is based on Bhakti Marg. Why isn't there a single temple in his ashram of even a single Hindu God or Goddess, when his path is Bhakti Marg-based? Even non-idol worshipping churches have Christ’s idols! Isn’t this a lame attempt to attract the intelligentsia by exhibiting a non-idol-based “scientific” path? Then what about the Bhakti path that is actually taught by him? Can there be Bhakti Path sans idol worship? And he is not against idol worship as such. Then why no idol or temple inside AoL campus? Isn’t this a dichotomy of his preaching and his practice?
4. He doesn't earn anything and he is not an industrialist. That means the charity he is doing is out of charity of others. Why should there be a free food for all in most hours of the day in his ashram? Is it to impress the masses with charity? What kind of charity is this which is not his own? If he is using others' donations for this free food etc., then isn't this an unjustifiable extravaganza (on others' help) that has nothing to do with spirituality?
5. Why does a spiritual Guru color his hair? If it is because of his chele-chapate (disciples), his disciples' desire to see his hair black renders the Guru a failure. Why does he have to be in agreement with the thought of his disciples about his hair color?
6. His ashram has a shop named “Divine Shop”. Can a shop be divine just because it vends some so-called spiritual merchandise? Isn’t AoL itself a divine shop that sells spirituality for fee? If he can give free food to hundreds or thousands of non-course-takers each day, why can’t he give free spirituality? Why can’t he trade off food for spirituality? If he is not in a position to give spirituality, his prime business, without fee, why is he making that unsolicited charity in secondary business of giving free food to any visitor in the campus? Does he feel compelled to do the same as his rival Gurus are doing in their premises?
7. He had to be apologetic about the book on Islam. Doesn't that reveal an untrustworthy Guru? Doesn’t that suggest a lack of coherence of thoughts? If he is apologetic, he was wrong. If he is wrong, then how can he teach and claim to be a Guru.
8. He convened a meeting of Hindu leaders in June 2008 for AIDS and Swami Agnivesh attended it. Why was it called caucus, a term that has never been used in this context? Was it to impress the media who were talking of American caucuses at almost the same time? Wasn't that a blatantly unacceptable term, nevertheless?
9. It is a mentality of common man or good man or a naive man to say, "We should take what is good in him and leave bad". Isn't he taking an advantage of common man's condoning ability?
10. There is a lot of spirituality merchandising going on in AoL. You read a catchphrase "Music relaxes the soul" on each CD of AoL. Does or can the soul really relax? If this is "Just Like That", then what is NOT “just like that” in AoL?
11. People who have low self-worth (divorcees, criminals, sociopaths, anti-social personality disorders, failures) are seen taking recourse to AoL. Is it to learn spirituality or to take a recluse in AoL to save themselves from the onslaught of society? Isn't there an evaluation process as to who is coming for what? If this was for spirituality, it was OK; but what about those who hide in the fold of AoL to escape societal criticism? Is the Guru turning a blind eye to this for creating a mass base for his own career?
12. Why does a spiritual Guru have to start a marriage bureau? Does the Guru have a statistics of how many people are coming in AoL for getting married? Is the Guru giving these 'Value-Added Services" to widen his base?
13. If the marriage bureau is for the disciples to marry among themselves, are his disciples so weak that they cannot get along well with non-AoL spouse? If he advocates such marriages for growth in spirituality, how many such couples have grown to become saints? Isn't he denying “spiritual" spouse to a non-AoL bride or groom by this idea of intra-AoL marriages? Is spirituality taught by the Guru so effete that a disciple requires only an AoL spouse to practice it?
14. If his disciples are so strong in art of living, why are so many getting separated? If the art is not contributing to even keeping the marriage, what exactly are they learning? Are they learning how to separate and not have remorse? Are they learning how not to suffer and how to chill in spite of separating?
15. In Gujjar issue, the Guru went to Rajasthan to solve a problem. Wasn't that an attempt to make a foray into "peace politics" after "Hindu politics" with LK Advani? Didn’t he go there because of ease and acceptability in a BJP-run state? Was or is that the only problem in India? What about naxalism in Bihar? The Guru wanted an extremely red hot problem to solve, and not a simmering one like naxalism. In actuality naxalism, like many others, is a far more complex problem that requires mediation; but it is not amenable to getting resolved easily, there is no instant reward, and the Guru is not acceptable to non-BJP-run State politicians. Moreover, the Guru requires an absolute peace problem, not something related to communism as in naxalism. Isn't this longing for brokering peace, because there is no Nobel for non-peace-making politics? Why doesn't he solve the problem of his own mind that is so passionate, runs incoherently and pines for Nobel or Magasaysay?
16. He will, in a year or two, five at maximum, get a Magasaysay for social leadership because of his work in extra-spiritual field. But the real question is, will the prize not accrue to Art of Social Work and be wrongly credited to Art of Living?
Dear Jody, I want to start a new blog entitled "Sri Sri Ravishankar's Charlatanism". Can you let me know how this idea of exposing this pseudo-guru would be?
Can you let me know how this idea of exposing this pseudo-guru would be?
You start it, and I will blog it. And hopefully, people will come to read it.
Dear jody, please see the site I have started: www.charlatanravishankar.blogspot.com
This site will expose the charlatan Sri Sri Ravishankar and his desire to fetch Nobel.
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