Spiritually Laid Back

Maharaja: You have met many anchorites and ascetics, but a fully realized man conscious of his divinity (swarupa) is hard to find. The saints and Yogis, by immense efforts and sacrifices, acquire many miraculous powers and can do much good in the way of helping people and inspiring faith, yet it does not make them perfect. It is not a way to reality, but merely an enrichment of the false. All effort leads to more effort; whatever was built up must be maintained, whatever was acquired must be protected against decay or loss.

Whatever can be lost is not really one’s own; and what is not your own of what use can it be to you? In my world nothing is pushed about, all happens by itself.

Here’s a page to wake up a few people. Talks of mind control techniques, charismatic leadership, deception, exploitation, and more.

I liked the line:
… if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.

Here’s another excellent one on becoming a millionaire guru. I hate to say that Vijay Kumar "Kracki" goes way beyond Steven Sashen’s list. But it will help to get you started.

And finally a few more links: Dick Sutphen’s The Battle for your Mind, and Rick Ross.

Just what is wrong with big time gurus ? Is it just a lust for power (which also implies money, sex, having a nice piece of whoever comes along, whenever you want it, for free, your right in fact). Or is there some serious pathology linked with it … such as NPD (Narcissist Personality Disorder).

Here’s what wikipedia gives as the criteria for judgment:

At least five of the following are necessary for a diagnosis (as with many DSM diagnoses, they must form a pervasive pattern; for example, a person who shows these criteria only in one or two relationships or situations would not properly be diagnosed with NPD):

1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by other special people
4. requires excessive admiration
5. strong sense of entitlement
6. takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy
8. is often envious or believes others are envious of him or her
9. arrogant affect

 Now lets pick any one guru of the many floating around … okay let’s take Kracki the whackie, VK, self declared God, Kalki Bhagavan, etc and check him out point for point. Let’s test drive the bugger.

 MATCHING DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA of NPD with VK (aka Kalki aka Kracki)

1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance - Give him 10 on 10 for this. Thinks he is GOD, the saviour, higher than the Buddha, Ramana, Christ and ALL others. The only liberator etc, etc. Incarnation of "Delusions of Grandeur".
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love - Full marks here too. Wants to take over the world. Has a temple being built for himself so he can be immortalized forever.
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by other special people - You bet your stinky butt. No one fits this bill better than "Kalki Bhagavan" does. Calls himself God and everything else. Claims on video that he comes from a cosmic conscious whereas all the others come from "some sort of planetary consciousness". To understand him you have to undergo his Mukti Deeksha (brainwashing, paid ofcourse) first. (Guess what, we still don’t understand the old fart)
4. requires excessive admiration - that’s an underrstatement, requires devotion and worship by all, after all that follows if you have declared yourself to be The God.
5. strong sense of entitlement - Yup, he is entitled to everyone’s money, belongings and life
6. takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends - check. takes advantage, take everything in fact
7. lacks empathy - check again. Doesn;t care for followers once they have done him service and spread his crack
8. is often envious or believes others are envious of him or her - well, very envious of Buddha and Ramana, and does all he can to run down truly enlightened people
9. arrogant affect - see previous points.

Now check your Guru out.

See also Guru Phenomenon and How Some Gurus operate.

A. Raman on why people need a guru:

The Guru phenomenon is baffling and mind-boggling because it breaks religious, national, social, racial, linguistic and cultural barriers. The appeal and presence of this global and industrious Guru business seems impressive. In some instances, the mere presence of a guru seems to heal the devotee of his apparent illness or psychological depression because the disciple is desperate for a cure and he will accept any lie to cure himself of his psychological problems. Gurus seem to provide motivation, inspiration, and a purpose or meaning to the lives of their numerous followers. The strong need for this authority and the need to follow, wonder and admire the guru seem deeply seated in the serious and committed followers or disciples. Gurus also seem to provide answers, certainty and security to their faithful flock.

 If one were to develop a strong faith in an idea, a belief, a way of life, a philosophy or in a person, one could, unconsciously or consciously, end up modelling one’s whole life based on this strongly held conviction. This could gradually develop into a passionate devotion resulting in a commitment. Belief in God or a religious faith falls into this category. A committed communist or an atheist could also be committed to his faith in the fundamental principles of communism or atheism, like a believer in God.

Apparently, this form of passionate faith offers security and adds a sense of purpose to people’s lives. Most people find it difficult to live without this investment in faith or hope or conviction or an idea or a philosophy to hold on to. The person in question could be intellectually capable and yet may not feel secure without one or more of the aforementioned crutches that offer him psychological and emotional security or certainty.

In my personal observation, I have noticed that in Europe, especially in north-west Europe, people feel lost with the fading away of religion. There is nothing to give them certainty, a sense of belonging or a family feeling. The welfare-state has split the family, the state has taken over much of the pastoral functions of the clergy and terribly failed in providing the pseudo-spiritual cover essential for people to have hope and a semblance of sanity. Gurus from India have taken advantage of this vacuum in the market to make hay while the sun shines.

Kalki Bhagavan (Oneness University), (Sathya) Sai Baba and other numerous Indian gurus claim to be incarnations of the Creator. Few of their disciples seem to doubt their claims. Our world should be such a paradise with so many incarnations of gods on earth or especially in India. What is ironic is, India, the land of these gurus or gods, is rife with poverty, social backwardness, lack of education and religious and communal conflicts! These gurus are busily engaged in exploiting their disciples in different ways (viz. financially, emotionally and sexually).

Politicians, judges, police officers, technocrats, diplomats and people from all walks of life become gullible victims or followers of these gurus and offer protection, cover and credibility to these charlatans. When these gurus or glorified con-artists commit crimes they are not prosecuted because they have all the powerful people in politics, judiciary and bureaucracy ready to bail them out.

A.Raman
Please see this: How gurus operate.

(Note: The predictions stated below are ABSOLUTELY TRUE and have been witnessed by hundreds of partipants to the Lawn Darshans. I am getting many comments that these are false. This only shows that people defending K, are either not informed, or are telling lies to protect KB. These predictions will not be removed). 

Predictions of doom are a great way to augment one’s business. So we learn from correspondent nayanar. In 2004-2005, Vijay Kumar (who claims to be the 10th avatar of Vishnu, and The Kalki Bhagavan/Avatar) predicted disaster for the city of Mumbai (aka Bombay). Kalki predicted (in public darshans) Mumbai would slide into the sea, or crumble like a biscuit dipped in hot tea. And so to save Mumbai it was necessary that a certain number of people (several thousands) from the state of Maharashtra achieve the mahadeeksha. And to achieve mahadeeksha required sending 60 peple for the deeksha (costing Rs 5000), plus of course many paid donations of far more that that sum.

Only then could Mumbai be saved from crumbling into the Indian Ocean. And so crazed devotees, brainwashed and frightened by gory predictions of death and destruction went on a rampage through the state of Maharashtra convincing all and sundry to come for the deeksha to save their relatives in Mumbai, their state and its major city.

Similar targets of several thousand mahadeekshas were laid out for other states, although these were never publicly revealed. For all of these deadlines were also laid out, the penalty of course really being death for that city/state.

In his public darshans, it was also revealed that about 60% of mankind would be destroyed in a mega-tsunami that would come in 2006. A few months later, others gave me a figure of 90% !!! Of course, the only way to prevent all this was those 64,000 people who had to get enlightened, for whom 64,000 times 60 had to have the deeksha. If we go only by Indian costs, at a rate of Rs 41 per dollar, this comes to 470 million dollars. Add to that the donations that must be given for Amma’s darshan, Bhagavan’s darshan (Rs 100,000 then, now far more pricey we hear) and washing her dainty feet for Rs 100,000 (old rates, her feet are more expensive now) and you have a much larger sum.

The above prediction of global doom was carried over to the north by his dasas such as Pavitra and Rupali. In one place the dasa stated (smiling) that the Indo-Pakistan problem would be finished since there would be no Pakistan left.

Of course all this money was not for Krishna, the prodigal son sitting in the US with a real estate business, or for his own future, but for that monstrous Oneness Temple that was to finish by June 2004, which was never to immortalize his name, but only for the enlightenment of mankind.

It makes sense that the public darshans have stopped, for now one can never quote Vijay Kumar (Sri Kalki Bhagavan) as having said or predicted anything. Orders/predictions etc will henceforth spring forth from his enlightened, celibate dasas whose words can always later be refuted.

However, unlike Indian drop-outs who rarely speak out, westerners are vocal, so the truth will come out.

Excerpts from characteristics and psychopathology of spiritual/cult leaders. This is yet another important read for those of you following big-time gurus. Time after time the story repeats itself.

Dr. Robert Hare, one of the world’s foremost experts in the field (of psychopathology), estimates that there are at least two million psychopaths in North America. He writes, "Psychopaths are social predators who charm, manipulate, and ruthlessly plow their way through life, leaving a broad trail of broken hearts, shattered expectations, and empty wallets. Completely lacking in conscience and in feelings for others, they selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret."

Harder to evaluate, of course, is whether these leaders’ belief in their magical powers, omnipotence, and connection to God (or whatever higher power or belief system they are espousing) is delusional or simply part of the con. Megalomania–the belief that one is able or entitled to rule the world–is equally hard to evaluate without psychological testing of the individual, although numerous cult leaders state quite readily that their goal is to rule the world. In any case, beneath the surface gloss of intelligence, charm, and professed humility seethes an inner world of rage, depression, and fear.

… Two writers on the subject used the label ‘Trust Bandit‘ to describe the psychopathic personality. Trust Bandit is indeed an apt description of this thief of our hearts, souls, minds, bodies, and pocketbooks. Since a significant percentage of current and former cult members have been in more than one cultic group or relationship, learning to recognize the personality style of the Trust Bandit can be a useful antidote to further abuse.

4.Pathological Lying

Psychopaths lie coolly and easily, even when it is obvious they are being untruthful. It is almost impossible for them to be consistently truthful about either a major or minor issue. They lie for no apparent reason, even when it would seem easier and safer to tell the truth. This is sometimes called "crazy lying." Confronting their lies may provoke an unpredictably incense rage or simply a Buddha-like smile.

Another form of lying common among cult leaders is known as pseudologica fantastica, an extension of pathological lying. Leaders tend to create a complex belief system, often about their own powers and abilities, in which they themselves sometimes get caught up. "It is often difficult to determine whether the lies are an actual delusional distortion of reality or are expressed with the conscious or unconscious intent to deceive. These manipulators are rarely original thinkers. Plagiarists and thieves, they seldom credit the true originators of ideas, often co-opting authorship. They are extremely convincing, forceful in the expression of their views, and talented at passing lie detector tests. For them, objective truth does not exist. The only "truth" is whatever will best achieve the outcome that meets their needs. This type of opportunism is very difficult to understand for those who are not psychopaths. For this reason, followers are more apt to invent or go along with all kinds of explanations and rationales for apparent inconsistencies in behavior "I know my guru must have had a good reason for doing this." "He did it because he loves me even though it hurts."

3. Grandiose Sense of Self
The cult leader enjoys tremendous feelings of entitlement. He believes everything is owed to him as a right. Preoccupied with his own fantasies, he must always be the center of attention. He presents himself as the "Ultimate One" enlightened, a vehicle of God, a genius, the leader of humankind, and sometimes even the most humble of humble. He has an insatiable need for adulation and attendance. His grandiosity may also be a defense against inner emptiness, depression, and a sense of insignificance. Paranoia often accompanies the grandiosity, reinforcing the isolation of the group and the need for protection against a perceived hostile environment.

7. Incapacity for Love
As the "living embodiment of God’s love," the leader is tragically flawed in being unable to either give or receive love. Love substitutes are given instead. A typical example might be the guru’s claim that his illness or misfortune (otherwise inconsistent with his enlightened state) is caused by the depth of his compassion for his followers, whereby he takes on their negative karma. Not only are devotees supposed to accept this as proof of his love but also are expected to feel guilt for their failings! It becomes impossible for members to disprove this claim once they have accepted the beliefs of the group.

14. Lack of realistic life plan/parasitic lifestyle
… the illnesses they don’t get are due to their powers, while the ones they do get are caused by their "compassion" in taking on their disciples’ karma or solving the group’s problems. This of course is another guru trick.

For the full article, kindly see this and also a previous post. I was linked to this article from the TM-Free Blog.

Q: It is easier said than done. A man comes to you with stomach-ache and you advise him to disgorge his stomach. Of course, without the mind there will be no problems. But the mind is there–most tangibly.

Nisargadatta Maharaj: It is the mind that tells you that the mind is there. Don’t be deceived. All the endless arguments about the mind are produced by the mind itself, for its own protection, continuation and expansion. It is the blank refusal to consider the convolutions and convulsions of the mind that can take you beyond it.

Q: Sir I am an humble seeker, while you are the Supreme Reality itself. Now the seeker approaches the Supreme in order to be enlightened. What does the Supreme do?

M: Listen to what I keep on telling you and do not move away from it. Think of it all the time and of nothing else. Having reached that far, abandon all thoughts, not only of the world, but of yourself also. Stay beyond all thoughts, in silent being- awareness. It is not progress, for what you come to is already there in you, waiting for you.

Q: So you say I should try to stop thinking and stay steady in the idea: ‘I am’.

M: Yes, and whatever thoughts come to you in connection with the ‘I am’, empty them of all meaning, pay them no attention.

I met the Guru Klucks recently at his coop in Madderass, quite a jolly old codger. He was at his chirpiest when i met him that morning over a cup of south Indian filter coffee. Quite an early bird he, gets up at 4 am. We got along really well from the start. Birds of a feather, you could say. He said that to me as the proverb occurred to me. Psychic, I thought.

"Did you find the place easily?", he asked, perhaps trying to break the ice. Yes, i responded, i just followed the signs saying "Golden Egg Foundation". "About 90 miles from the airport, as the crow flies", he said. I nodded respectfully.

Rotundamma wasn’t around so he was feeling relaxed. She’s always trying to clip my wings, he laughed. We sipped coffee, he pulled out his laptop and fired up Thunderbird to check emails and was loading Jody’s site alongside on Firefox. Jody’s site! You read that, i gasped? "Sure", he said, "i have my daily cuppa with it. Quite entertaining."

When are you coming over to the States, Sir?, i asked. "Never", he replied sadly. "I have a fear of heights, can’t fly."
I felt sorry, I should have guessed looking at him. Insensitive of me.

He said softly, "Look at me". I looked intently at his face … Sharp features, I thought, No way Jody could match that mouth. That’s a pecker for a mouth! i thought. A human came in asking if more coffee was required. He dismissed the human with a wave.

"You realize this is the first time someone is interviewing me, don’t you?" My mouth became bone dry at the thought of this. This was history in the making. The first interview of the one true liberator.

I fished in my pocket for the list of questions I had for asking His Holiness.
My pocket was empty. My mind was empty. There were no questions any longer.

The questions had vanished. The questioner had vanished.

"So that is how it is", he clucked, his eyes gleaming. "Thou art that".
Tears of love and gratitude rolled down my eyes. I prostrated, lying there for a minute.

Presently I heard a flutter, and looked up. He was perched quietly on the window sill, eyes closed in samadhi. I saw something beneath him, gleaming, golden, almost spherical.

I swallowed, as I realized that I Was That, and I had always been That, for there was nothing else to be.

Compassion and humanity do exist in this cruel world, as I was pleasantly surprised to find last night. But in the hearts of ordinary people, not the Vijay Kumar/Kalki Bhagavan’s and Ammas of this world.

Accident found us watching a movie about a medical student who goes on a tour of South America. The tour takes him through lands impoverished, to the San Peblo leper colony where he spends several weeks as a medico-volunteer. Ernesto is a regular guy, falling in love with girls, having fun, not a stuffy spiritual type. The movie shows his love for the inmates of the leper colony whom the nuns refuse to touch. He refuses gloves and shakes hands with lepers breaking the rules laid out by the nuns, which include not giving food to those who don’t attend mass.

His parting with the inmates is especially touching. It is to be seen. Made me feel ashamed, being such a spiritual type myself, it brought tears to my Kalki-hardened heart. The movie is "The Motorcycle Diaries".

Thank God there is love and compassion in our world, and it doesn’t require a Kracki and his fat-as-a-tick gluttonous wife to awaken.

Q: There comes a point in a person’s life when it becomes the witness.

Maharaj: Oh, no. The person by itself will not become the witness. It is like expecting a cold candle to start burning in the course of time. The person can stay in the darkness of ignorance forever, unless the flame of awareness touches it.

Q: Who lights the candle?

M: The Guru. His words, his presence. In India it is very often the mantra. Once the candle is lit, the flame will consume the candle.

Q: Why is the mantra so effective?

M: Constant repetition of the mantra is something the person does not do for one’s own sake. The beneficiary is not the person. Just like the candle which does not increase by burning.

Q: Can the person become aware of itself by itself?

M: Yes, it happens sometimes as a result of much suffering. The Guru wants to save you the endless pain. Such is his grace.

Even when there is no discoverable outer Guru, there is always the sad guru, the inner Guru, who directs and helps from within. The words ‘outer’ and ‘inner’ are relative to the body only; in reality all is one, the outer being merely a projection of the inner.

Awareness comes as if from a higher dimension.

Q: Before the spark is lit and after, what is the difference?

M: Before the spark is lit there is no witness to perceive the difference. The person may be conscious, but is not aware of being conscious. It is completely identified with what it thinks and feels and experiences. The darkness that is in it is of its own creation. When the darkness is questioned, it dissolves. The desire to question is planted by the Guru. In other words, the difference between the person and the witness is as between not knowing and knowing oneself. The world seen in consciousness is to be of the nature of consciousness, when there is harmony (sattva); but when activity and passivity (rajas and tamas) appear, they obscure and distort and you see the false as real.

Q: What can the person do to prepare itself for the coming of the Guru.

M: The very desire to be ready means that the Guru had come and the flame is lit. It may be a stray word, or a page in a book; the Guru’s grace works mysteriously.

(From I Am That - Sri Nisargatta Maharaj, p 341)

This piece came to us from an insider in the Kalki/Amma Oneness University maha-scam:

I have been associated with the cult of Sri Kalki Bhagavan (Vijay Kumar and his wife Padmavathi Amma), who positions himself as the Vishnu Avatar, and a God - although in recent years he has made his claims a little indirect, perhaps due to media criticism, and fear of ridicule.

I have served this cult for 2 year[s], attended their Deekshas, darshans and made large donations. I would like to bring to your notice that this cult is pressurizing its INDIAN devotees to donate large sums of wealth, if they want to remain in the good books of the disciples (dasas) who run the show, and progress further. We have even been told that if we don’t have the money we should take loans (the last case was Rs 100,000 [$2,220.50 US] which is a huge amount) , and donate the same to them. We have been told that we can repay the loans over a few years!

From the day we join we are pressurized to bring in new people and send them for the initial 3-day deeksha (costing Rs 5000 [$110 US]). This is because to qualify for the higher level we must send 60 (now 30) people for the program. First we are told that the 3-day program will enlighten us (for only Rs 5000!), then we are told - sorry the higher process will enlighten you. So we have no option but to talk others (family, friends etc) into joining and going for the 3-day program.

Once we have sent so many people, and we find no change in us, it is very difficult to step out. I have still not told my family that I have left, for loss of face. In order to convince 60 people to go, we have to exaggerate and make tall claims. We have to create a miracle out of each little incident that happened to us (such as getting a green light on the way to work) etc. We have to keep talking of unending grace, and say things like "our whole life has changed". We are all basically sincere people, but we start telling lies without realizing it, and a time comes when we are stuck.

New people are lured in by promises of unending "grace", and then after we tell them lots of stories (most of them are just heard from others, no one has any evidence of them actually happening.), then the disciples ask them to make donations, or go for paid darshans in order to get that "unending grace". These darshans are expensive and the latest one is that we can touch Amma’s feet for Rs 100,000. Prior to going for the higher process we were all told that in order for the higher process to be a great success we should make this donation. Many of us are very ordinary people, some have left our jobs to pursue a spiritual goal, so the amount is no small order.

Even the higher process (known as Mahadeeksha, for two weeks) has made no difference to anyone. Although it does seem to us, that the program for foreigners (21 days, USD 5500) has resulted in some enlightened people (such as Freddie Nielsen and Kiara Windrider - we are told by the dasas that they are enlightened), however in India there is not even an attempt at spiritual growth of devotees. It is only talk of great "celestial miracles", and enlightenment is always round the next corner, after the next darshan (read: donation).

Because of all the stories we perpetuate, the number of devotees has really gone up dramatically, each wondering when his turn for endless grace will come. They claim over 30 million devotees, although I don’t know how this figure has been computed.

Sarlo, I write this to you primarily because I am concerned that large numbers of poor and low-income people in India are being fleeced by this cult, each hoping that his string of problems will magically vanish after a darshan or deeksha. When nothing happens their suffering increases.

We actually convince ourselves that we are happier than even before for a while after the deeksha. In that short period we are pushed to recruit more people and share our great experiences with others.

The experiences we narrate are always the tales we were told by the disciples about others who got great grace.

"If you trust me, believe when I tell you that you are the pure awareness that illumines consciousness and its infinite content. Realise this and live accordingly.

If you do not believe me, then go within, enquiring ‘What am I?’ or, focus your mind on ‘I am’, which is pure and simple being."

Contrasting this are teachers such as J Krishnamurthy who ask us not to believe anything. To start with an unconditioned mind. Which makes sense too. But how do you get that unconditioned mind? JK speaks of meditation, but as yet (I have read half of The Awakening of Intelligence), he hasn’t yet explained his form of meditation. JK talks about this and that, good and evil, the problems of the world, religion, you name it … IMO well suited for intellectuals.

Ramana Maharshi did not spend his life talking about good and evil, and other philosophical topics. Bhagavan Ramana always pointed us back to the "I", the direct path. Ramana’s advice was for each person who came, not restricted to the privileged class.

Severe Depression after Oneness University Deeksha/Oneness Blessing 

After the 21 days processes (of Vijay Kumar aka Kalki Bhagavan of Oneness University), many went into a deeper depression than they ever had had before. To explain why the majority got into deep depressions, Bhagavan introduced a great concept: “The dark night of the soul”. The deeper you went into the dark night of the soul, the more profound would your enlightenment be once Bhagavan had given it to you.

Psychosis after Oneness University Deeksha 

Even after local deekshas, in Europe as an example, there are people who have become psychotic. Some have to be admitted to mental hospitals, a few have even committed suicide. How many, I do not know.

The officials of Chennai airport soon began to complain about Bhagavan. They contacted Golden City wanting to know what they do to all these Westerners who come to the airport in psychotic states after going through the 21 days process.

 
New ways to save the world

This is a pattern I have seen many times during my 15 years of being Bhagavan’s disciple. Bhagavan comes up with new ways to save the world. When one “experiment” doesn’t work, or the temporary results fades away in people, he quickly starts a new project with full enthusiasm and new extreme promises. The fervor he and his disciples have for every new “infallible” approach to give mass enlightenment is so intense that the old failures are easier to forget. Why should we think about the past when THIS TIME Bhagavan will definitely make mankind enlightened?

— Narrated by Freddie Nielsen here