Note To Sri Sri: Peace Ain't For Pussies
File under: Gurubusting and The Siddhi of PR
Recently, an Osho swami blasted Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for being a complete pussy and wimp for backing down from a debate with a loud-mouthed Muslim speaker who criticized a book Sri Sri had just published:
Zakir Naik also picked on Sri Sri Ravishankar for publishing a book on comparitive Islam and Hinduism. This book had Sri Sri Ravishankar comparing some Islamic ideas and concepts and claiming that it originated from Hindu culture. Sri Sri Ravishankar not anticipating the confrontation tried to play it down and looked like he wanted to rush back to the cave in his Ashram. He also was openly apologetic about the publication of this book and tried to escape from the awkward situation by claiming that this book was printed in a hurry and it was written with an intent of bringing the two religious communities closer in the context of a Muslim-Hindu riot. He also pledged that he would not allow printing of further copies of the book.For the famously fame-lusting seeker of his own PR, "peace" is a mere code-word for "phame", and all Sri Sri's talking about bringing peace is nothing more than an excuse to distribute yet another self-aggrandizing press release.
One of the first of our many posts about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar makes mention of his complete failure to censure a murderous Hindu politician who was complicit in the Great Muslim Massacre of Gujarat in 2002. As we recall, Sri Sri used "I don't comment on individuals because individuals are just part of one wholeness" as his utterly lame excuse.
In truth, Sri Sri was playing to the murderous Hindu nationalist right, which makes up a good portion of his own satsang's population. Given the choice between standing up for peace or his own interests, you know which way Sri Sri's gonna to go.
Labels: Gurubusting, The Siddhi of PR
posted by guruphiliac @ 11:30 AM
16 Comments:
what peace whould he be backing down from?? I think the political groups mentioned are all spoiling for a fight.
Hey Jody, I really don't think that Dr. Zakir Naik is such a great example for the kind of Islam you would want to respect. I find his scholarship lame and one-sided. For example see his definitions of fundamentalism and terrorism. He could have used these terms to clear up his position and distance himself, but instead he is given to word-plays. I've seen him in Indian TV and thought he was very funny. I don't think he represents anything even close to your mindset. Give me a hundred Sri Sris's instead of one Naid!
I don't think he represents anything even close to your mindset.
Me neither. But nonetheless, Sri Sri still pussed out.
what peace whould he be backing down from?
From calling Modi a genocidal terrorist.
Jody, I think you best stay out of Indian politics. You've demonstrated in the past that you understand very little about the Indian social / political environment, and you look utterly foolish when playing the pundit.
Even if Sri sri is a pansy, playing to the other side does the world no good. As Hanuman said, I'd rather have a pansy being idolized than an anachronistic fundamentalist. Just because India in its gracious secularism allows idiots like Naik free speech doesn't mean we need people like you to indirectly endorse him or imply that he is the "better man". Any radical muslim reading your blog would love to think that's what you mean.
Even if Sri sri is a pansy, playing to the other side does the world no good.
Hold on a minute. It was Sri Sri playing to the other side by going wussy and pulling the book. There is no endorsement, implied or otherwise, of any kind of radical position, Muslim or whatever.
Any radical muslim reading your blog would love to think that's what you mean.
Folks will read what they want to read, regardless of the original intention of the writer.
It was Sri Sri playing to the other side by going wussy and pulling the book.
Hardly. He was merely covering his own ass. It's pretty open knowledge that Sri Sri supports the Hindutva cause - just like you said. There's no way in hell he could have convinced a largely Muslim audience that was mesmerized by Naik. Unless he had the intellect and the balls . To prove that Vedanta is far more sophisticated and non-dogmatic than Islam would entail risking that the gathered audience (as well as other fundamentalist Indian Muslims) would go apeshit.
Jody,
Instead of wasting your time blaming by always criticizing what these "Gurus: are doing why don't you try doing something yourself and lets see if you're so smart!!! Its easy to criticize, huh???? Why don't you take one of the Art of Living basic course before you blog next?
ciby said...Why don't you take one of the Art of Living basic course before you blog next?
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ciby, I took one of those courses my own self in 1990... Had to go all the way to Nacadoches, Texas to participate... The breathin was OK, although we've got a 300 pound beautician here in Dime Box who part time teaches yoga at the local work out center and she gives out the same breathin exercises for $5.00 and don’t even claim to be God All Mighty! The thing that hurt me was when we paired off to look into each others’ eyes. I was the only grown man there. Everybody else was a college student from Stephen F Austin State U and these young girls did not want to look into the eyes of a fat man! One claimed that my face turned into a wide screen TV showin a seed hog devourin his young! There was also a kind of class mutiny since none of the men would look into the eyes of another man, which we do not do in Texas unless we’re plannin to gut somebody with a Bowie knife! Sittin in a circle and breathin like we was taught made me tight in the britches even though I was wearin overalls and ever time I’d accidentaaly pass gas, there would be complaints and hog snortin noises from the students! Finally, takin 10 minutes to eat a grape was also a trial for yours truly! I just could not understand the waste since I could have easily ate a bushel of fried okra in the same length of time! All in all I was glad to have this experience over! One final blow was that I was in such a hurry to get back to Dime Box and stop payment on my check, I lost control of my pick up and went in a ditch. A tire blew out and when I bent over to jack up the wheel, my britches split, my glasses fell off and broke and I slipped in the mud there and chipped a tooth on the back bumper! My spare tire was also flat which meant I had to hitch a ride home in the back of an old boy’s hog hauler. It was just me and a sucklin sow all the way back to Dime Box!
I took one of those courses my own self in 1990
Chuckji, I could not think of a bigger waste of time than to endure Sri Sri's attempt at cult indoctrination, although it might have been fun to watch you suffering through it. ;)
Yes, Jody, I fully understand your meanin! One good thing was that half the young girls in my class were rodeo barrel racers! Their jeans were so tight you could read the date on a dime in their back pockets, as the sayin goes! It's a real shame when a fella has to make hisself god in order to teach people some well known breathin techniques! What if Sri Sri was just content to be the sweet little butt swishin boy God made him! He could have done a lot more good. Think of how much more good old George double Yuh could have done if he would have been content to just own half of the Texas Rangers ball team and not allowed himself to be made into the president!
PS It took a lot of hot water to get the smell of that sow off me and since I was practicin my new breathin techniques on the way home, I inhalled so much of hog inside me, I was breathin out hog for a month! All I can say in BeWare good buddy!
Jody, I do not believe this story of Mr. Chuck concerning taking an Art of Living course has the ring of truth. I cannot believe what the man is saying. His description of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is beyond rude, in my opinion. Might I reccomend the taking of a respectful attitude about a superior person such as Sri Sri. The man has proven his saintliness over and over again. Who is this Texan to judge such a one as SS Ravi Shankar? Mr. Chuck should remain as a judge of livestock only.
Sharma,
Get to know SSRS a bit better and you might not respect him so much. If only the bulk of his Indian following knew! Chuck gives a very accurate description of the AOL course, from his own perspective, of course. Why should anyone feel that Ravi Shankar is superior to them? Because you do? He started off as a sincere man with some knowledge, quite a lot of it, in fact, some compassion, good intentions, and got, imo, overwhelmed by the money, the name and fame. He changed very quickly as he because famous. If you didn't know him in 1990, then you cannot possibly know that fact about him. The man is a fallen yogi. That's about it. I feel sorry for him and all his devotees. They will get lead nowhere by him. The great Tiruchi Swamigal (now in Maha Samadhi) was someone whom Ravi Shankar went to for advice and help. He felt that Swamiji was superior to him, evidently. I was once present when Swamiji counseled a distraught young man who had been threatened by Ravi Shankar (that he would be destroyed if he left him without permission). The man said that he had been told by SSRS "you will never be happy in this life if you leave me. I will destroy you...." Sickening, really. Then Tiruchi Swamigal replied, laughing: "It would have been better of Ravi Shankar would have gotten married, I think. Why should you be destroyed or unhappy if he says so? So many people never heard of him, and they live perfectly happy lives! You have followed a blind man and you yourself are blind. Now, you have ended up in a pit as a result. It's good you have left. Go and tell everyone what you know about him. Write a book about it. It will do him some good, maybe". Then he laughed a lot. If you knew Tiruchi Swamigal, then you know that it's rare for him to have someone sitting for long in front of him. So I was indeed fortunate to be a "fly on the wall" as this conversation took place that day. And so I felt good that I had already made the decision not to follow SSRS any more, knowing how corrupted he had become, and how corrupt the entire organization was.
You should know more about him before you praise him so highly. Don't be tricked by all his trappings and brainwashed disciples. If you are, yourself, a brainwashed disciple, I pity you.
mr sharma said...Mr. Chuck should remain as a judge of livestock only.
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Mr. Sharma, you may be write since my mule, Da Free Jack is always tellin me the same thang!!
Anyone can get off being a guru if most of your students are young, pretty, and perfumed.
Chuck, if you really and truly passed gas during that Art of Living deal, that was fant-ass-tic.
If more people ripped big farts in satsangs, it would clear away all the wanna be gurus, leaving only the serious ones who can deal with the farty glory of the ordinary human body.
As for SSRV starting out as a reasonably decent guy before the fame and money kicked in---
thats the problem with money. In India and other parts of the world, if you make it big, you are not simply a citizen who has become successful.
You become a clan leader. All your most distant relatives show up and you gotta support them.
There's something hard wired into the psyche. The instant there is fame and wealth, there is no distinction between spiritual and political power in India. Its all gloomed together.
A successful guru becomes a king, a power broker, and his or her devotees become a powerful source of votes, if they are Indians, which means the politicans show up, sucking the guru's ass.
And if the guru attracts lots of rich Western devotees,that means he or she is bringing valuable hard case and tourist dollars to a still poor nation.
So you are not just a guru--you become a Rajah with a horde of relatives and hangers on to support.
Its enough to corrupt anyone,no matter how sane they are when they start out.
Anyone coddled by an entourage is at risk.
From One Anoymous to Another.....
Isn't he the same Swamigal whose Mutt has encroached on acres of public land & who was called "Land Sharkigal" by the papers when he was alive?
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