Busted Again, Amma!
File under: Amma-All-Over-The-Amma, Satscams
File under: Amma-All-Over-The-Planet and Satscams
I have an overwhelming desire to begin this review with the words "holy hell," because that's how I felt after I reached that point in the book where the exposed hypocrisy just keeps piling up like a Arunachala-sized mountain of dung. While none of it really surprised me, all of it was surprising to read, as well as funny, heartfelt, and sincere. Gail is a true modern spiritual hero, so much more than the one she served, who in the end has always only been the scheming beneficiary of the popular idea that she is God. As much as the dark side now lies exposed in the blazing light of public opinion, the real lesson of the book is how Gail's sincerity and inner strength carried her through years of abuse. Some may say she was ill-advised, or even stupid to endure it, but I suspect that it was worth every second to her now. Amma's cruelty and spite have hammered Gail into an outstanding example of triumph over one of the world's most pervasive cults of personality. Hopefully she will serve as an example to others that their "goddess" can at times be little more than a stunningly entitled brat with an apparent personality disorder who essentially spreads lies about nondual realization by her completely fabricated persona. This book will undoubtably become one of the great works of anti-cult biography.
File under: Gurus Doin' Time and Hands Where They Don't Belong
In her complaint to the police, the victim alleged that she was raped on Saturday night when she had gone to seek spiritual assistance and guidance from the swami.As much as we love to bring news of the humanity of the allegedly divine, we just can't seem to get on board with these charges. The dude is 85-freaking-years-old, for Ma's sake! Why would he suddenly decide to try to tear off a piece of unwilling ass? It just doesn't add up... even to our jaded, mud-dwelling little mind.
You don't know this guy it seems. He was already charged with rape a couple of decades ago in India, where the newspapers were headlined 'Bhakta Bhalaat ke'. I have the old news clipping and I know a bunch of people who he's made sex advances to over the years, which is why I'd like to see him pay for his crimes. One woman... told me he tried to rape her... last year. 85? How does anyone know how old he actually is? Seen his birth certificate? The guy's a fraud through and through, he'll tell any lie to get his ends. He fakes language difficulties, he may be faking his 'aged frailty' too.Well! Once again, the contents and the cover don't match. We guess there's no age too old for a swami to be tryin' to get some.
[Ed.note: The top three posts here were actually published previously. They were temporarily removed by Google in response to a DMCA take down attempt by the Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, the organization behind Kripalu and Prakashanand. When I republished the posts with pictures and videos removed, they lost their place in the post stream.]
Some 50 of his followers prayed and cried for the guru, who, dressed in a traditional saffron-coloured robe, spent several minutes in a courtroom dock with other men charged with robbery, burglary and murder.Duh! That's where you end up when you're accused of raping a 22-year-old woman.
File under: Backroom Gurudom and Gurubusting
Labels: Backroom Gurudom, Gurubusting
File under: Gurubusting, Gurus Doin' Time and Hands Where They Don't Belong
A Hays County grand jury indicted Saraswati, also known as Shree Swamiji, on 20 counts of indecency with a child/sexual contact earlier this month. The investigation began last August.Get ready for another barrage by the Kreepalu Kool-Aid Brigade, a sizable force of shallow-minded followers who are sure to flood the net shouting about an imagined anti-Hindu conspiracy, the better to distract you from the possibility that these rather creepy-looking old men may have been raping and molesting in the name of Krishna for years.
According to the Associated Press, Saraswati is accused of groping two girls were under 17 on several occasions between 1993 and 1996.
Labels: Gurubusting, Gurus Doin' Time, Hands Where They Don't Belong
File under: Lost and Found Gurus
Hello,This passage describes Paul Saltzman's first meeting with the man he and Daniel are seeking, Raghvendra:
I'm a fan of your website, and was wondering whether you could assist me with a search as outlined in this article.
I met Paul Saltzman when he was in Rishikesh, and I'm keen to help him if I can. As that journalist notes, there's no trace of Raghvendra here - as he apparently fell out with the Maharishi's people and left town.
Might someone among your network still remember where he went, or is there someone who might know someone who might know something?
I've attached a few lines of context, which refer to a second guy whom Paul is trying to trace - an American called Al Bragg, who'd be roughly 70 by now. Any pointers on either of them would be gratefully received.
Thanks for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Daniel Simpson
As I hung around New Delhi, not knowing what to do, I was desperate for relief. A new American acquaintance, Al Bragg, asked me if I wanted to come along to hear the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi give a talk on transcendental meditation. "I'll try anything." I said, jumping at the chance. That night, the large auditorium at New Delhi University was jam-packed, overflowing with foreigners and Indians as we squeezed in against the wall at the back. On stage, a low dais was festooned with flowers. After ten or fifteen minutes, a short, curious little man draped in white cotton, with long scraggly graying hair and beard, entered at the rear of the hall and walked down the center aisle. Close behind, twenty Westerners followed, each of them wearing colorful Indian clothes and garlands of red, white, and orange flowers around their necks. They were, it turned out, part of a group of meditators on their way to At the entrance stood a faded, yellow, wood picket-fence gate. It was locked and a man in a slightly tattered, dark blue Nehru jacket stood guard. He spoke no English but motioned to someone inside and a short young man in his early thirties, with a lovely light-brown complexion and a short, dark, trim beard came to talk to me. He introduced himself in a quiet, warm voice as Raghvendra, a disciple of the Maharishi, and asked if he could help me. I told him I had seen the Maharishi speak at Delhi University a few days before and that I'd come to learn meditation. Raghvendra was kind, but firm, "I'm very sorry but the ashram is closed because the Beatles and their wives are here, and were doing a meditation teacher's course." I had nothing to lose: "You have to teach me." I said, " I'm in a lot of emotional pain." He considered this for a moment, then said, "I will ask the Maharishi. I will send you a cup of chai, but I may not be back for two or three hours."Apparently, at some later point, Raghvendra did in fact admit Saltzman and teach him meditation. While y'all know what we think of TM™ (a laughable global domination pyramid scheme that has folks selling sand at the beach to other folks), we'd like to see Saltzman contact his guru, Raghvendra, if he is in fact still alive.
I thanked him, dropped my backpack to the ground, and plunked myself down. I had no idea the Beatles would be there and, at that moment, it was not good news. I spent the afternoon resting there by the gate and wrote a letter to my parents and one to my girlfriend, hoping she would reconsider. A few hours later, Raghvendra returned. Again, he was soft-spoken and kind.
"I'm sorry," he said, "the Maharishi says 'Not at the present time'."
File under: Satscams
this guy is a total fake...he goes around the world collecting donations for his so called charity projects.. why i call him a fake...i caught him palming a small locket and than later "materialise" it....obviously inspired by sai baba...Needless to say, we are inclined to agree.