The Kracki Is A Killer

File under: Gurus Doin' Time, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

A sharp-eyed reader caught wind of last April's disastrous opening of that hideous monument to one man's monstrous ego, the "Oneness Temple." It was all made possible by the hysteria whipped up by the avaricious avatard in charge there, Kalki Bhagavan.  Not such a good start for the divine savior of the planet:

A day after the stampede which claimed five [now six] lives and left more than 100 persons injured, some of them critically, an eerie calm hangs heavily on the 500-acre campus of the ‘Oneness Temple’ which was due for consecration on April 26.

We find ourselves doubting that had anything to do with any actual remose being shown. As it turns out, the Kracki's ashram was busted for the incident:

The police registered a case under Section 304 A of IPC against the trustees of Sri Amma Bhagavan Deeksha Peetham, which was closed down after the stampede. DIG Sujatha Rao and SP Lakshmi Reddy are camping in the village to oversee the investigation process.

Instead of owning up to their complacency in the tragedy, the Kracki's crack-smoking PR spin squad responds with an attempt at some soothing bullshit:

In the continued interest of safety, all opening events have been postponed and the Temple has been closed to the public until further notice. At this time, only the Oneness Beings are being granted access to the Temple, where they remain meditating and praying for all of us and for the advancement of consciousness in our world.

A lot of good those "Oneness Beings" [Ed.note: Have you ever heard a more ridiculous title? It's like something out of a science fiction video game designed by brain-injured yoga instructors from Malibu, California.] were doing for the six folks who were killed.

To hear the Kracki's side of the story, everyone died quite naturally, almost peacefully:

We were informed by the police later that day that four casualties had been reported in the vicinity, primarily due to exhaustion and other natural causes...

Sure. "Natural causes." Like being crushed to death in a panicked mob:

According to initial investigations, the stampede occurred when the thirsty devotees, in the absence of any proper facility for drinking water, pushed and jostled with each in frenzy at a water point.

In the resultant melee, many persons, including women, aged and infirm were pushed and trampled upon by the surging crowd, leaving five persons dead and more than 100 injured.

He's the greediest big-time guru this planet has ever known. The godfather of all gold-lusting fauxvatars, now that Sai Baba is all shriveled up. Kalki Bhagavan is a pig, his wife is a cow, they are both criminal flimflammers, and now they can add negligent homicide to their resume.

When The Stink Just Stunk

File under: Gurubusting, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Another former AoL teacher comes forward with some miracle-mongering that failed:

As an AoL teacher, I was told how [Sudarshan Kriya] can cure cancer. So, one time a participant with cancer came to take my course. I contacted the ashram and was given many instructions. That this participant should do SK seperately, not with the rest of the class. That fresh flowers and a bowl of water and SRISRI's picture (all this would absorb the cancer vibrations) should be placed near him while he's doing SK and the teacher (me) should not remain in the room after the SK cassette has been switched on (because the teacher could get the cancer). The ashram also told me that many patients had been cured of cancer. But my student died. When I questioned the ashram, they did not have a logical reply, saying it was the destiny of that man.

It's the fail-safe clause of all miracle-mongering: when it works, it was "Guruji's" grace; when it fails, it was destiny, or the patient's sins. Over here we call that The Secret, the primary engine of ignorance that keeps so many New Age™ gurus' coffers full. Ignorance dressed up as spiritual truth is the only product that we can see produced at AoL.

We Are About To Stink Up The Place

File under: Gurubusting, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

This is a bit like America writing Osama Bin Laden a thank you note for 9/11, but here we go:

Some time back an Art of Living devotee came to me with his astounding healing experience, which I wish to share with you all.

Sri. P.Subramaniam aged 28 years, working in a small-scale engineering Unit. He earns a measly income just sufficient for him and his parents to make ends meet. The nature of the industry in which he is working is unpredictable and there are times when he has to strain himself for long hours to earn adequately to survive, thus resulting in the wear and tear of his health.

About a year and half ago he had persistent fever, body pain and had difficulty in eating and was diagnosed for Testicular Embryonal Carcinoma, a malignant germ cell tumor that occurs mostly in the testes. This type of tumor (cancerous) grows rapidly and spreads to the lungs and liver. He underwent Orchidectomy; an operation to remove the testicle and this was done to slow down the growth and spreading of prostate cancer. After the treatment, he somehow managed to carry on. After about a year, that is during April, 2004, he developed similar symptoms of fever, chest discomfort, multiple swelling in the neck and sleeplessness. He was admitted in a local hospital and on diagnosis it was found to be Testicular Tumor and Lymph Node Metastasis a type of cancer spreading through the blood. He was given chemotherapy first on 20.4.2004 and second on 7.5.2004 and third on 31.5.2004.

For the fourth chemotherapy he did not have sufficient money and therefore he approached Sri. M.Sendhilkumar, an Industrialist and a very devoted volunteer of AOL Coimbatore. Sri.Sendhilkumar not only helped him but also put him in the AOL Part I Course.

He joined the course on 14.6.2004 and on 17th after the first Sudarshan Kriya he experienced shocks and acute pain in the body and was disinclined to go to the course on the subsequent day, but with divine grace prevailing, he did the second Sudarshan Kriya which made him feel relaxed, energized and joyful. As he felt free from all the fears that were tormenting him, he wanted to shout and proclaim his happiness. It was a kind of rebirth for him and after so many months that night he slept very well. With Gurudev’s blessings he experienced deep rest.

Within a week after completion of the course, he took a haemogram test and the results were encouraging. The Doctor asked him to come back after a month and he had another haemogram test on 19.7.2004, which showed vast improvement, and he had become normal. This was further confirmed with another haemogram test on 21.09.2004 and finally he was back to his work with an added smile on his face.

Normally the side effects of chemotherapy are frightening as it leads to loss of hair in the scalp and in other parts of the body. It creates anemia and the patient gets tired easily, there could be difficulty in breathing and overall pain in the body. In the case of Sri.Subramaniam, he was indeed fortunate that his doing the sadhanas regularly two times a day eliminated the side effects. He does not feel tired at all and works with full enthusiasm and last but not the least the hair in his scalp is growing very fast and this is certainly a sign of his returning back to normalcy. He is confident that only because of the AOL Course he has been able to overcome the dreaded disease called cancer and is willing for any scientific study on his amazing healing experience.

While I was listening to the miracle I could feel tears rolling out of my eyes. Gurudev has saved the life of the sole breadwinner of a family. Along with Sri. Subramaniam and his family I am also grateful to my Divine Master for strengthening my confidence in Him.

We call that miracle-mongering, one of the high crimes of gurudom. Lance Armstrong survived metastasized testicular cancer and went on to win seven Tour de France bicycle races, but nobody is blaming a flimflamming guru for that.

And by the way, this was apparently published in an Art of Living newsletter, for those who seek to deny the truth that Sri Sri is playing the godman card every chance he thinks he can get away with.

What Has Made Sri Sri A "Saint?"

File under: Gurubusting and Satscams

Nothing more than his incessantly blowing his own horn.

Fairfield Ass-Bounce-Bo-Ree

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

The "pandits" are coming to Fairfield, Iowa, and those who are about to bounce, salute... "coherence-creation," which we take to mean creating susceptibility in potential marks for the TM™ movement. At any rate, the dupes who think that bouncing on their asses on a big foam pad all day makes a difference in the world – all by some mysterious supernatural force dubbed the "Maharishi Effect," (naturally named for their spectacularly grandiose late guru) – are gathering in Iowa, just in case you live there and have an ass-bouncing or pandit phobia.

Meanwhile, we began to wonder just how objective is the reportage of the Fairfield Ledger after this bit of TM™ propaganda was offered as a set of established facts:

Studies have shown that group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, including Yogic Flying, can foster harmony in society and reduce crime, war and other negative tendencies. In order to have the influence, research has shown the size of the group needs to exceed the square root of 1 percent of the population of a given area. That figure for the United States is 1,743.

It's quite clear the Ledger is a TM™ propaganda horn, just in case you live there but were under the impression they were a good, down home country newspaper.

Secret Scammer Sued

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

The Secret author Rhonda Byrne is being sued by one of her producing partners:

The lawsuit alleges that Rhonda Byrne, executive producer of "The Secret," and Robert E. Rainone Jr., a Chicago businessman, conspired to deny [film co-creator Drew] Heriot's rights to co-ownership and profits from the movie and related works. The combined gross revenue from DVD and book sales of "The Secret" currently may exceed $300 million.

The Secret, making greed good for all (except those not willing to be greedy enough to get theirs.)

Sri Sri: A List Of Wrong

File under: Gurubusting and Satscams

Recent commenters have suggested we lack proof to support our critique of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and AoL. But since it's his claims of divinity we're critiquing, the proof is right there in front of us as the culture of guru worship as it exists in AoL.

But then came Yunis, author of the new and excellent Answering AoL blog, who's put together a little list of some of the sins of Sri Sri:

* Saying that the effect of SK has been scientifically proven while it is not (or at least not the effects they mention).

* Not mentioning his guru (Maharishi) and evading questions about him until he is death.

* Writing a book about Islam as a Hindu spiritual figure that is full of mistakes and thus doing something very dangerous in a country like India where tensions are high enough about these topics (and admitting that this book "was written in a hurry" only goes to show how not enlightened he is, 'cause anyone who is the least bit enlightened would never ever write a book about that topic 'in a hurry' when it is to be published in India.)

* Organising NGO summits about that turn out to be complete scams.

* Claiming that "his organisation is working in poor rural communities to promote sustainable growth, and has reached more than 30,000 villages." Although this leads to the hopelessly absurd and impossible fact that in 11 years (or 4015 days) the Association for Human Values would have "reached out" (by which is meant: teaching and promoting organic farming, irrigation techniques, water harvesting development programs, drainage system development, etc.) to an average of more than 7 villages every day.

* A complete lack of transparency in financial dealings although millions of dollars are concerned. (Certainly if they should be able to "reach out" to 7 villages a day.)

* Saying that all the money goes to development courses although a taxfile of 2005 reports total revenues of $3.2M coming from giving courses while none of the money went towards international developmental or humanitarian programs, disaster relief, scientific/medical research or charitable activity. (So apparently they don't need the money of the richest part of the world to "reach out" to the poorest part.)

* Claiming to be in the tradition of Gandhi while his acts and words are (provably) far from it.

Yunis is like us, only researchier.

Also, a word to the TM™ faithful: we predict Sri Sri is coming to take as many devotees from his former mentor as he can muster.

Sri Sri Infects The Internet

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Art of Living Kool-Aid distributors are working overtime to make Sri Sri Ravi Shankar more famous in the States with some viral internet popularity scamming. From a message sent on the U.S. AoL mailing list:

If we can have you and the people in your network (local satsang groups and other AOL networks) follow the simple steps below, we will have an EXTREMELY powerful marketing campaign for guruji on the internet.

If we can have a large group of people follow the steps below, we can have the links to articles/blogs on guruji, shoot right up to the homepage of the website of an extremely popular site digg.com. This is a very powerful way of marketing, as lots of people visiting digg.com would see it on the homepage.

But what of those who will see through this blatant gaming? AoL has a plan for that too!

There seem to be a lot of comments on the two articles listed below on digg.com. If you did digg it, then do remember to go back and give a "thumbs up" to the comments that are pro-Art of Living, and a "thumbs down" to those comments that are anti-Art of Living.

Also, it would better if the people who dugg the two articles also dugg a few more (random) articles as well, and made a few random comments on some other random articles as well, so as to camouflage this campaign, otherwise it becomes very transparent, if you read the comments. It should appear that we are just normal users of digg, if you understand what I mean.

Yes we do. You are dishonestly gaming the digg.com system to make a seemingly pathologically narcissistic guru even more pathologically narcissistic.

We hate to break it to you, but AoL's marketing campaigns have always been transparent, as clear as the air above Annapurna.  This attempt at ranking fraud is perfectly compatible with what AoL has been doing all along, which is to create a constant sensation around the rather hapless little man they are calling guru.

Gp Vs. Sri Sri: Head To Head

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Look at what appeared in the comments this morning:

In a satsang at the Art of Living centre in Germany last night, someone asked Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: “Guruji, I have observed that Guruphiliac seems to follow your every move and then writes negative things about you. Why are they doing this?”

This is the gist of what Guruji said:

Sri Sri, of course, doesn't have a clue about anything other than burnishing his own image. Observe:

I have inherited an ancient lineage and my job is to further its cause. Neither by thought, nor through word, nor by deed, have I ever done any harm to anyone, nor will I ever do so in the future; it is simply not in my nature. Nobody can expose me because there is nothing to expose: I stand tall, clean and naked in front of the whole world.

Sri Sri has appropriated a lineage as a platform upon which he writes his story of self-glorification, its cause perverted to provide a means by which fame and fortune are achieved. Ex-devotees who were close to Sri Sri agree, he is a vain facsimile of a guru, hypocritical when dealing with politicians (see Narendra Modi) and ambitious for personal fame at the expense of those who are giving him money for "good works."

I do whatever maximum good I can, and I inspire others to do so. These people who keep writing about me simply cannot leave me alone - they must be in deep love with me! (laughter)

Even hiding behind his facade as the world-saving guru, an unremitting narcissism still shines through. He can only see the world as a reflection of his own glories as an object to be loved. There's a term for that: narcissistic personality disorder.

When they keep comparing me with other people all the time, I must have made a very deep impression on them. I cannot help it if they can’t get over me - that’s the way I am! If I am that bad and fake, they should simply be able to ignore me and move onto the truth - but why are they are holding onto me, again and again?

Me-I-I-me-I-I-me-me: the self-reflective code of a narcissist. The hypocrisy built-in to Sri Sri's gurudom demands constant recognition. He hides behind the white robe and smirk and preaches "love" as a seemingly unassailable defense against criticism as he flies first class and stays in 5-star hotels when he comes to take your money.

If they are trying to teach me a lesson, if their intention is to correct me, then I’m sorry, I am incorrigible! (laughter)

We aren't trying to teach Sri Sri anything. We're just making sure folks understand that he is no true guru.

If their idea is to stop people from coming to me, and if people do stop just by reading these blogs, then I really thank them; it is good for me, it reduces my responsibility!

Petty bravado from a man who knows his machine will take in 20 more people for every one we might influence.

If they think I am doing this for publicity, they are unaware of the disadvantages of popularity. I pity them.

A very well-put suggestion that Sri Sri is suffering for us all by being famous. Has ever a more insincere statement been made by a person who calls himself guru?

Celebrities enjoy only popularity, but spiritual leaders have a huge responsibility with that popularity. People do not go to celebrities for guidance and blessings, but with spiritual leaders they do.

God help those who go to Sri Sri for his guidance and empty blessings.

First class flying, five-star staying, and his adoring millions; that's why we believe Sri Sri has become a guru.

If they think I have no right to exist on this planet, then they can crucify me; I am afraid neither of death nor of being defamed.

Sri Sri has every right to exist, and we have every right to call him a self-aggrandizing nincompoop. His pouring a few gallons of Kool-Aid down the throats of dupes in Germany in his own defense only speaks to a need to protect his image, another hallmark of narcissism.

I am not afraid, because nothing can destroy me.

He means, "I have nothing to fear. I am insulated by the thousands of people I've fooled into believing I'm God."

We do charity with the hard earned money from our courses. We are, of course, rich with people and with good character, and I am ready to share this wealth with anyone.

Open the books for auditing by an independent accounting firm so we can see just exactly how this wealth is shared.

Lest these people understand their hatred is nothing but love standing upside down.

Note the deft characterization of our criticism as "hatred." A timeless technique which insulates Sri Sri from having to answer any criticism whatsoever. It's not love standing on its head, Sri Sri. It's love coming to strip you of all the vainglory with which you've wound yourself so tightly. You can speak to a crowd of your own hapless dupes, but you'd run from an audience of those who've left their comments on this blog. That's a love you just aren't built to deal with.

Shadow of the Guru Coming Soon!

File under: Gurubusting, Hands Where They Don't Belong, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Joan Radha Bridges, a prominent ex-SYDA devotee who was diddled by Baba Muktananada, has just released a trailer for her film, Shadow of the Guru:



As welcome as we might find this material personally, we're not sure many folks other than the anti-cult histrionics set is going to pay for it. Hopefully Ms. Bridges will see the importance of getting this work out to as many individuals as possible without having the same profit motive as some of the folks she's examining.

A TM™ Story

Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Longtime and now ex-TM™er Bronte Baxter and her new blog, "Splinter in the Mind," give us a window into the history of the TM™ movement and how the Maharishi had to continually adjust his teachings in the face of the constant stream of missed milestones he so hastily and grandiosely set up for himself:

But something happened on the way to paradise. Slowly and subtly, the tone of the guru’s teachings changed. What used to be 20 minutes twice a day became hour-long, then 90-minute, meditations. The mantras were reshaped into “advanced techniques,” and chanting and Vedic readings (hymns to the gods) began. In a bold move, Maharishi began teaching courses in TM-Siddhis, a slew of paranormal abilities which he said humans could develop. Turning invisible was one of the siddhis; levitation was another.

That's somewhat reminisent of the tactics of Sri Sri Ravi Shakar, a former devotee of the Maharishi who seeks to replace him as new guru to the widowed TM™ community. An Art of Living retreat attendee relates:

Do you know that I was actually emailed twice as a reminder to attend a follow up 'breathing' session for tonight. I found that very suspicious - I just spent 4 days breathing - do they think I forgot the technique that quickly?!

Extend ignorance, improve sales. The Maharishi pioneered it, and now Sri Sri has borrowed the business model.

Thanks to Bronte for sharing her story. It's already a classic in the burgeoning annals of ex-TM™er testimonials.

Srisrientology

File under: Gurus Clockin' Dollars, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Scientology has their Clearwater, Florida, headquarters, so the Art of Living – the Scientology of Vedic-based spirituality – is building a headquarters in Florida as well:

Affordable vacation, retirement or primary home in NW Florida: At the heart of this master planned community will be a Meditation and Yoga. This community will be a sanctuary to relax, rejuvenate and learn the art of living.

Seems they forgot to mention lining the pockets of their founding fauxru with more cash.

More AoL Evil

File under: Gurubusting, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

A reader supplies us with a bit more AoL/Sri Sri exposé:

Most people in India have been numbed by these spiritual conmen like Ravishankar. As you mentioned there is no news or any intelligent conclusion or minutes of the summit which is available.

I was involved in this organization in the early and mid 90s when it was still small and had not grown into the full blown cult that it is now. But all the cultish prpoganda mechanism and publicity stunts were right in place even then. Ravishankar had learnt a lot from his guru Maharishi Mahesh yogi on organising events and mobilizing funds. Mahesh Yogi was also the crazy guy who taught yogic flying. Esentially you can sell anything in this mad spiritual business market and there are enough gulliable people who will buy.

I was also instrumental in strating up some of the social welfare and development activities of art of living and one of the first teachers of AOL to teach in Bangalore central jail. However these social welfare activities are a big mask and the intention of this organization is the self aggrandizement of the Guru and his cult. Most of these social movements and adoption of villages are big publicity stunts. I know it first hand. I left this movement when I realized their sham social welfare schemes were used to recirculate money from alternate sources (black money) into personal assests for Ravishankar, his family and associates and all the while doing some token social work. Incidentally Ravishankar's immediate family (Sister, Brotherin law, father - Pitaji and others) are the main members of the AOL trust.

It is another matter about the law suits and land grabbing the ashram did and encroached on the Green belt sorrounding bangalore. There was a law suit in Karnataka High court on this which Ravishankar's sister Bhanu and another teacher (now he has left AOL) used to attend court for almost two years. Finally they won and went through an out of court settlement.

Take even the example of the village adjacent to the ashram - Udipalya. There is no development work done in this village except that their land has been encroached by the ashram. The land this village used to use for Grazing their cattle in the late 80s is now no longer available. Now you find hotels, restraunts and STD booths opposite the ashram all owned, controlled by aol devotees and of no benefit to the villagers. All the people who own and control these establishments are not locals from Udipalya.

It is difficult to fight a mighty powerful and vicious organization like Art of Living cult. Although it is a losing battle, I commend [this whistle-blower] for at least taking up this issue.

Vicious and powerful – all brought to you by that false prophet of peace, the fame-whoring and money-lusting Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Sri Sri's NGO Dojo A No Go

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Authentic world peace-workers are finally getting wise to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's flimflamming:

I am back from Ravi Shankar’s Sangam 2008 within a few hours of its inauguration. It was supposed to be an “all-India NGO summit for protection of environment and access to social justice.” In reality, this was one of the cleverest hoaxes perpetrated in the name of a spiritual movement using the facade of NGOs.

We should keep away from this “spiritual” person. His is a commercial ashram doling out psychological products specially for some foreigners and middle-class women who have studied in English medium schools. Many are working there as volunteers. It was impressive to see how so many could be motivated to give their services free of cost to produce profit for an institution. This requires genius of the highest order.

I even met a professor from IIT Bombay who is a volunteer there. When I expressed my disappointment with the whole show, she was very “sympathetic” and assured me that she too felt the same way at first, and later thanks to “guruji” she could see the light.

Uniformly every volunteer to whom I complained about the NGOs being taken for a ride, responded in the same manner as though all of them were robots programmed by some unknown force. The whole campus is filled with security people. Going from one place to another place was like going from one section of a jail to another where every gate is protected by a security guard.

After charging Rs 5,000 as a delegation fee, Art Of Living was providing us a room to be shared with two others, and with no towels, soap, drinking water, etc. The food was sub-standard. We were expected to wash dishes after eating.

We did not go there as his disciples. I do not think delegates were taking part to learn about self-help as his disciples may be expected to do. I refused to wash dishes which was not liked by some. This is not because I dislike it. I have done it often. But I did not pay Rs 5,000 to do that. Moreover on the website, I was offered better lodging and food facilities.

What a wonderful way of advertising his product by charging us!

Companies pay money to advertise their products, but here Ravi Shankar collects money from us and introduces us to his product.

There were satsanghs, “free” introductory yoga classes, visit to his first abode, etc. I am sure some NGOs would have decided to buy his products and will act as his emissaries. Of course, there will be a few like me who will attempt to do just the opposite. There were spies in the ashram observing people like me. It was obvious and at one time I was even frightened.

During an evening satsangh, there were some planted questions put to Ravi Shankar. Still, his responses were pedestrian at best. One of the questions was about the new burning topic of global warming and climate change and what he (Ravi Shankar) thought about them.

At first, he ridiculed those who are worried about such things and proceeded to give the example of the Y2K phenomenon. Ravi Shankar dwelt on how foolishly people worried about Y2K, about places exploding, about the world coming to an end, etc and how nothing of the kind took place. He was suggesting that Y2K was not a problem and so also global warming. Little did he take into consideration the elaborate precautions taken by the world to prepare for Y2K and how India became the world capital for IT and outsourcing as a result.

What a pity such an ignoramus is considered as a “guruji” even by the firebrand Vandana Shiva.

Someone asked the question about the unrest and violence in Kashmir and his response was to pat the questioner and to state that youth should get involved.

After spending less than 24 hours, I decided to leave the place. The cult-like environment was suffocating. Some other delegates from Mangalore with whom I have been conversing also decided to leave after the inauguration. One of the speakers Ananth Nadkarni, vice president, Tata council for community initiatives, too decided to leave early. Another speaker who was to talk on HIV left even before the end of the first day.

But for Vandana Shiva, none of the advertised experts and well-known speakers (R.K. Pachauri, Ashok Khsola, et al) were present. Is it possible that their names were prominently placed to sell the Sangam?

We were told that about 500 delegates had registered and there were three silver sponsors. They must have raised at least Rs 30 lakh and the incremental cost would be no more than Rs. 3 lakh. This is an excellent and clever way of making huge profits. Business colleges should use this as a case study. We should admire the entrepreneurial capabilities of Ravi Shankar. It needs genius.

Despite being a keynote speaker, Vandana Shiva spoke for just few minutes and that too in a rambling manner. She took the opportunity to bash Tata’s small car, the Nano. Her so-called keynote speech was dull and did not dwell on the main subject. A high school student could have delivered a better speech with greater insight.

A High Court judge also gave an uninspiring talk making no substantive points except offering “pranams” to “guruji“. What a joke!

I attended the first workshop and it was also equally boring. Speakers were more interested in offering pranams than dwelling on the subject.

I do not think we can collaborate with this group. When they were pressing us to register all the time, and not giving us any suggestions on how we could collaborate, I knew this was a commercial establishment and not a spiritual centre as is advertised. Perhaps we should write an article on how NGOs should guard against such frauds in the future.

I am sure during your meeting with Ravi Shankar and his people, you would have come to the same conclusion. Let us now revert back to the poverty issue and stop any idea of collaborating with Ravi Shankar.

I am planning to demand the return of payment since facts were misrepresented to me while registering. I am exploring the possibility of filing a case in the consumers’ forum.

Big ups to the reader who alerted us to what amounts to be very revealing, but not at all surprising, evidence of Sri Sri's latest scheming. What is continuously surprising to us is how people can mistake the Art of Living org and its power, money and fame-lusting founder for anything other than the massive Kool-Aid distribution plot it so obviously is.

Sri Sri's Shameless Flimflamming

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

How does an inveterately preening pretty-boy fame-whore get people to believe he is a divine guru? Simply make up some bullshit like this and start getting your "guru" on:

In my experience, the stories really came up in the first phase of the teacher training course (TTC1), which is an indoctrination intensive. Let's see. There was the one told by one of the seniormost teachers and devotees in the US about the space ship that landed at the outskirts of the Bangalore ashram when he and others were staying there for an extended period of time. The visitors had come to see SSRS, of course. More detail wasn't available. Yet another time, they observed him talking in some unknown language looking up in the air. Upon inquiry, SSRS explained that Vasistha had had his ashram at the same location many years ago and that people in those days were much taller, hence his looking up. The devotees asked what instructions had Vasistha brought and the reply was that SSRS wasn't taking instruction from anyone.

Another story, from the same person, was about how SSRS, through a nonchalant-looking gesture of his hand sent a ball of blue light up the nostrils of a kid, whose mother had brought him to a meeting with SSRS in the US early on (late 80s or early 90s) and who had been looking quite disturbed and inadequate. This teacher asked SSRS about it and he replied "Oh, you have seen my magic?" and then explained that the child had time moving backwards in his perception, which he fixed.

Another senior devotee and teacher tells the story of an event which finally convinced her of SSRS's divinity, where a large aggitated male charged SSRS, shouting "Satan! Satan!" in a church in DC, where SSRS was giving a talk. At the last moment, as he was towering over the totally unperturbed SSRS, the man fell down at the guru's feet and started crying.

Then there's the story told by one of the swamis, who was a skeptic when he met SSRS, but a hug sent him into another dimension of consciousness, after which he became a follower. Another story by the same swami has SSRS insistently asking him to not leave the place wherever they were staying that night (I think it was in Delhi). The still immature in his faith in the master swami did not comply and left in a car with other devotees. The next morning, SSRS showed him a newspaper with a story of a car accident the previous night in which a bunch of young people the swami's age had died. SSRS said it should have been the swami, had it not been for a intervention by SSRS. The swami is greatful to SSRS for saving his life (and apparently sending the victims to their doom). In yet another story by the swami, SSRS revealed to him that he was the one who did not go into fight in the Mahabharata as the Lord (SSRS) wanted to preserve him and arranged things so (this was a little vague). The swami had forgotten this, but SSRS remembered.

Another story has SSRS's body go lifeless and droop in a car seat causing distress in the teacher driving him to the venue of a course. He came into the body for a few moments to calm her down and then went out again. Later, at the course venue, she spoke to a participant who assured her that SSRS had been at the course venue all the time that she had been driving him there.

Last year, when he came to the US after visiting Mongolia (where they claim about half of the population has taken AoL courses), stories were told of two paralized ladies getting up from their wheelchairs healed.

Absolute. Complete. Total. Horseshit. This is exactly how a guru flimflammer works. Welcome to the criminal enterprise known as the Art of Living, with its mastermind con man and charlatan, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

How The Art Of Living Slithers Into Your Life

File under: Gurubusting, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Our man who forwarded the resignation letter he sent to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his Art of Living staff delves further into the process of their mind control. This is Cult Indoctrination 101, folks. These same practices and techniques have been employed by almost every destructive cult that has defiled the name of spirituality:

While it is true that AoL does not force its members to stay, it uses control in a more subtle way. Subtle control is a much more effective technique than an outright dictatorial approach and it allows for capturing a much larger human base over an extended period of time. It also is a way to maintain a respectable public face.

How does AoL do it? The approach has many aspects but at its most basic it involves setting a standard for goodness/purity/wisdom/power and convincing you that you do not live up to this standard, while placing itself as the means through which you could get to meet the standard. The standard itself is personified in the image of the guru. The way for you to achieve the standard is to totally surrender to the guru, while making it clear that anything you do not wish to surrender represents an attachment which prevents you from achieving the aforementioned standard. This is all placed in the generally positive sounding framework of personal advancement and humanitarian work, which attracts people who generally have in inherent desire to be better and are curious to learn the secrets of Creation. It is a very subtle system of suggestion and reinforcement in which most of the work of convincing is done by the participant. Since the standard is mostly unlivable, there is in effect constant justification for doing more and more training with the guru at a higher and higher cost. Part of the positive reinforcement is based on how well you are able to recruit for the organization, recruiting of course being cast in much more engaging terms, such as sharing the wonderful knowledge with people, inviting people to our beautiful path, educating the ignorant and transforming the world into a much better place.

People who leave AoL are not viewed as strong from within AoL. If one left after taking a couple of introductory courses, they were never strong enough. If one left the way I left, after a longer involvement and having become a teacher, then one went off their center and is, by default, not strong enough as well. While the stated goals of many AoL programs is to make people "stronger", what is meant by that is to make people more devout volunteers and recruiters for AoL. Barriers are supposedly removed in courses so that the people whose barriers were removed become more efficient at helping advance AoL itself. For example, if you were a shy person who felt uncomfortable talking to people, you get to proselytize for AoL in the streets and overcome that limitation. One of the requirements for advancement in AoL is the ability to recruit (bring to courses) many people. The other criteria are devotion to SSRS, regular sadhana and a drug-, alcohol-, tobacco-, and meat-free diet.

Leaving AoL is not encouraged. Attrition is one of the biggest internal problems for the organization and special efforts are made to retain people. It is interesting that there is no graduation from AoL. Even the most senior devotees, who have been with SSRS for 25+ years, are still there waiting for guidance from him. I find this very telling as to the ability of AoL to create liberated beings. [Ed.note: Liberation? What liberation? There is NO liberation from AoL, except the liberation of money from your bank account.]

I am not surprised at all [some] don't view AoL as a cult based on [their] limited experience of [just] two courses. AoL uses progressive indoctrination and does not ask for big commitments from you upfront. The purpose is to not scare people away. Many times in a basic course you won't even see a picture of SSRS or may not even have him mentioned. You get some pleasant experiences, you may even get some eye-opening realizations (really, common sense ones, which we tend to forget in a stressful daily life). But once hooked on the path, the commitments you are asked to make will increase and you will gradually get exposed to the inside view of things, whereas the responsibility you were encouraged to take for yourself in the basic course is replaced with surrender to SSRS, who is now depicted as the biggest incarnation of the Divine that ever was, you will get to hear the so called "guru stories", which are not for everyone to know and which perpetuate the myth of his miraculous powers, you will be convinced how the effect of SSRS's 80 or so years in this incarnation will be felt for the next 5000 years, and so on and so forth. Before you know it, you will find yourself basing your identity on your association with AoL, finding it hard to relate to other people, who you and your fellow devotees now view with benign superiority, and making SSRS the ultimate source of every experience you have in your life (for which you keep the guru dakshina flowing, thank you very much).

The Art of Living indoctrination sneaks up on you like a snake in the grass, and before you know it, you are envenomated with their Kool-Aid and stuck with a preening poseur for a guru who seeks nothing more than your mindless adulation and dollars to support his rich and prosperous first-class lifestyle, all while he claims to be helping the poor and less fortunate. Compared to that high-living pig, we are all poor and less fortunate. Let's pray that the fortunes of some of his victims allow them to escape the evil grasp of this cult before their bank accounts are depleted and their friends scattered to the winds.

Defection! An AoL Teacher Sees The Light

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Hot off the tip line: a former Art of Living teacher explains why he found Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's incessant plotting for ever-increasing amounts of money and fame to be nothing more than a sick cult-propagation scam:

Dear Guruji, fellow teachers and volunteers,

My name is [redacted] and I am an Art of Living teacher in [redacted], USA. I have been involved with Art of Living since 2002 and became a teacher at the Canadian Ashram in the summer of 2005.

I am writing to you today to say that I can no longer sincerely continue as a representative of the Art of Living organization. The reason is simply that I am not inspired by the organization any more. I do not connect with, do not agree with and cannot support in the future:

1) the increasing corporization of the Art of Living organization

2) the intensifying promotional push on all fronts

3) the increasing course fees making it so difficult for many people who need help to participate in programs

4) the pressure on participants in AOL to raise and donate funds

5) the hype and myth creation used for indoctrination

6) the effective undermining of people's self-trust and making them dependent in an infantile way on idealized images of the guru and his special abilities, and a perception of inferiority relative to him

7) the misrepresentation of the placebo effect as the result of the speciality and uniqueness of the practices or the grace of a person

8) the ongoing emphasis on specialness of the organization's leader and his omniscience

9) the resultant cultish atmosphere within AOL and the possibilities for manipulation of all sorts

10) the focus on organization growth and perpetuation rather than the advancement of the people involved and deeper self-inquiry

11) the lack of transparency and accountability for the use of funds, projects implemented, etc.

12) the organization's acting increasingly like a business in the guise of a non-profit

13) the frivolous use of exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts in promotional efforts (as to the scale of humanitarian efforts or the scientific evidence for the benefits of the practices, for example)

14) the conflict between encouraging people to donate a dollar a day to support poor children, etc. and staying in the presidential suites at expensive hotels (e.g. Ritz-Carlton), flying first class, etc.

The list can continue, but there is no point in that. The fact is that I no longer feel I can stand behind the Art of Living Foundation and its efforts. There is an inherent conflict between my perceptions of the organization and its real goals, and my position as its representative. Therefore, I resign from this position with relief.

I do not regret any of the past, but I feel I need to continue my path outside of the confines of Art of Living. I am grateful for my experiences with the organization in the last few years, but I cannot sincerely invite people I care about into it in the future.

If I am making any errors in my assessment, they are solely my responsibility and I am ready to face the consequences of such errors. I realize that this message may create some discomfort somewhere and may generate passionate reaction. I am also aware how the points I am making above can readily be explained away with references to my ego, ignorance, lack of commitment, wrong priorities, etc. All that is fine. Things be as they may, the fact is that this is how I feel currently and this is the action my heart propels me to do. That is the same heart that brought me into Art of Living in the first place. I have nothing else to trust.

Why am I doing this in such a public way then? Because that is what my conscience is telling me to do. Because there may me others who may feel this way but feel compelled to follow the party line at the expense of severe internal conflict. Perhaps this can help them feel not alone or afraid to speak out. Perhaps eventually this may help put AOL back on track - yes, in my perception of what the track should be, but I have nothing else to go by but my perception. As do all of us.

Color us wildly and self-righteously justified in bringing you the truth: the Art of Living org is nothing more than a cult scam, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the lowest form of fame-whoring fauxru known to the modern world at this time.

Kracking Up Families In India

FIle under: Satscams

The Bhagavan Kalki is cunning. He cuts a very low profile in the mediasphere while his cult festers like an open sore of the soft skin of Mother India, and anywhere there's a New Agey™ community in the West. His speciality, besides playing God (if God were a failed insurance man turned religious flimflammer), is cultivating ridiculous amounts of slavish devotion in what we can't imagine to be anything else but India's equivalent to American white trash. A distressed member of a Kracki-infected family relates:

I have been intensely troubled by the reach and scope of this scam. This fraudster calling himself Kalki, first said he was Bhagwan. Then they made sure, young boys had to join and become monks before they crossed the age of 19. That way he got a lot of middle class family boys who never got to finish their education. Even should they want to get out of the rotten system, they will have nothing to look forward to. My sister and her husband would have had a bread winning son in their midst now and would also have been happy and contented, instead of worrying about where they will live etc.

After that "Kalki" changed his mind. If you ask me, you can make out the scam, the many times this organisation changes rules so it can squeeze the "devotee" or the duped ones royally. So now, he raises the age bar. My niece also joins.

First the monks shave heads. And wear white. Then they are told they can wear normal dresses. So my sister and her husband go around buying clothes for the children, paying for their keep, paying for "darshans" and "Kalki" employs them to propogate his false status and powers. Suddenly an "Amma" appeared on the scene. Kalki gets to be happily married and live with his family. Not the poor duped monks. But their hallucination is strong.

My sister does all sorts of funny antics, wears white, doesn't read newspapers and acts high and mighty about having "arrived" spiritually. Such a woeful charade. Nothing has changed, problems have increased.

All the family which had this "divine" enlightenment, must have taken some strong drug filled stuff, because all of them had serious health problems after that. But they keep paying up to "Kalki".

A whole family's life is changed and it doesn't seem to be for the better. If you can no longer rationalize and "think" for yourself, it can in no way be a better life. The effect is like drugs, or some awful connection. The teachings have always been there in our spiritual texts, why does society need a fraud and a "presence". Such folly.

Such unmitigated evil. Truly, the blackest soul on the planet is the Kracki. He has perverted Vedanta to enhance a criminal enterprise, and he's leading hundreds of thousands down a primrose path toward a future of world-Krackidom that's just not going to come.

We look forward to the day the whole thing implodes. May those who got involved get uninvolved safely, but we've got a feeling it's going to be very, very warm where the Kracki and his co-conspirators are headed between lives.

TM™'s Vedic Lead-Poisoning

File under: Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

The recently-deceased Maharishi Mahesh Yogi made it to 90-years-old. Obviously, he wasn't using his own Vedic "health" products:

Tests by the Iowa Department of Public Health found the herb Garbhapal Ras was comprised of nearly 3 percent lead. Maharishi Ayurveda Products Ltd. is identified on the product bottle as the manufacturer, the lawsuit states.

On the other hand, lead-poisoning would explain a lot about the crazy old coot...

Prem's Propagandist Pilloried

File under: Gurubusting, Satscams and The Siddhi of PR

Prem Rawat, the multi-millionaire con artist who was once known as "Lord of the Universe," has been laughing all the way to the bank since the 70s. Meanwhile, his webmaster and head of PR, Jossi Fresco, has been getting nailed all over the net for appointing himself VP of Whitewashing at Wikipedia. Here's another hammering of the disgraced mouthpiece:

Jossi aka Jossi Fresco is not your usual, everyday Wikipedo admin: day and night, he's also the webmaster and publicist for Prem Rawat, cult leader and Lord of the Universe. (Prem Rawat AKA Balyogeshar, Sant Ji Maharaj, Guru Maharji Ji, Maharaji, Goom Rodgie) Since he became an administrator on the Wikipedia, controlling their pages about Prem Rawat became just part of his job. Jossi doesn't only try to control Prem Rawat pages on the english Wikipedia: he's also signed up for Wikisource, Wikiquote, and a few of the Wikipedias in other languages to make sure they only have nice things to say about his Master. He even signed up to Metawiki to make himself look really serious. As the Wikipedia's Captain Cult, he extends the blessings of his admin powers and experience in gaming the system to other cultists looking for total cult PoV.

We wonder if Jossi gets to fly in Rawat's 60-fucking-million-dollar Gulfstream jet; a ridiculously ludicrous expenditure for any organization, let alone a non-profit charity promoting itself as the protector of the poor.

Kinda makes you wonder just how sincere old Prem really is. He's spent hundreds of millions on jets, helicopters and a huge Malibu mansion, all for himself. The guy lives like an emperor, and he's been doing it since he was a teenager, a scamming prodigy in fake gurudom. The saddest thing of all is that people have been falling for it all that time.

Whether the fat kid pimped as Buddha or the fat cat flying his own huge, private jet, Prem Rawat represents the epitome in hypocritical gurudom. Unfortunately, it's all-too-distressingly easy to mask with a little regular PR mojo.

He ain't no Lord of the Universe, but his persistent lording of his various "contributions" is keeping him in the catbird seat. It's the same game Sri Sri is playing, a seemingly unassailable tactic that keeps folks projecting divinity where greed and gluttony prevail.