Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Baba-ism for Dummies

Ajay mailed me a video, an interesting one at that. This is a "How To" guide or "self-help video" to become a successful cult leader.


This refreshed my memories, when on insistence of Shivi, I joined Isha Yoga's spirituality program called Inner Engineering. The difference between me and other participants was that I went there with an "examining mind" and others with "submissive minds." Whatever was being said, shown, taught, their behavior, the ambiance, all was being scrutinized by this tiny brain. There was enormous effort by the yoga teachers (or cult preachers) to make it as logical and appealing as possible. But all this did not fit in frames of my logic and reasoning. Can't help it! This is the problem with people who suffer with OCD of rationality and logic. They just cannot take anything on its face value, just cannot believe in anything.

However, at that time, there was no negative evidence in my possession and there was no reason to disbelief what was told. I was open to all possibilities. I was practicing the Shambhavi Mahamudra , the yoga taught, religiously without fail. Though there was no "positive change" or "feel good feeling"  inside me as experienced by other participants. If you believe in something, your body and mind will create experiences which would fall in accordance with your belief. For example, if you think the medications will cure you, there is a fair chance that you will be cured even if you are given sugar pills and not real medications. This is called "placebo" effect. Similarly, if you practice some yoga believing you will have some strange experience, quite likely you will have "that" experience. Mind is smart!

Meanwhile, I laid my hand on a book called "Inner Journey" by Osho. Though I just skimmed through it, it was enough to prove that all the teachings and preachings of the program "Inner Engineering" came from the book "Inner Journey." Some days past, Jaggi Vasudev visited Bangalore and was welcomed by a houseful auditorium. This was discourse and Q&A session. A question caused quite a bit of discomfort to Mr Vasudev. It was "what do you think of Osho?" He answered "there is no point in discussing about a person who could not be present to justify what is being told about him." It was clearly a diplomatic denial of answer. It is called plagiarism in my language and those who fail to acknowledge others contribution in their thoughts deserve no respect, they are fraud.

These were enough for me to form an opinion about Isha Yoga and its founder. Meanwhile, I googled about cult and came across a marvelous book called "Combating Cult Mind Control" by Steve Hassan who himself was part of a cult before being rehabilitated. There was description of typical traits of a cult and I could exactly match them with those of Isha Yoga. If you analyze any of the fast-mushrooming cults  throughout the landscape, you would find the same superstructure. Same tactics to deceive. Same ways of exploitation.  The above video summarizes all of them pretty well.

Cults feed and grow well in a democratic environment because the authorities fear losing public support  as these cults are considered spiritual and religious, that is until the truth is revealed. Politicians and corporates both can be seen paying visits to the "keepers of the spirituality." In democracy, sun revolves around the earth until moronic majority believes otherwise. And when the power rests in the majority's tantrums, which authority would like to play with venomous cults?

Related Readings:

Save on Delicious

11 comments:

  1. Hi

    To start, I am an skeptic and a scientific mind myself, but you article quite astonishes me at different levels

    1. Explanation with no justification. The outcome is a dud
    2. Poor quality of english
    3. Disconnected prose
    4. Lack of understanding (Go back and read the Bhagvad Gita followed by science of Kundalini)
    5. Then, I suggest you attend a "English Language Course"

    ReplyDelete
  2. মহোদয় আনোনিমাস:

    একটি বহুমুল্লোমান সমালোচনা উপহার দেয়ার কারণে আমি আপনার কাচ্ছে কৃতজ্গো|সমালোচনাটি যথেষ্ট গঠনশীল এবং একই সঙ্গে সৃজনশীল|

    খারাপ ইংরেজির কারণে আমি আপনার কাচ্ছে খমাপ্রারথী|

    সরকারী ইস্কুলে পাঠ করার ফলে ইংরেজির এই হাল হইআচ্ছে|

    ইস্কুলের শীখখকগণ দের ইংরেজি গ্যান কোনো এক বিশেষ কারণে প্রাপ্তোবয়স্ক দের সাহিত্য র মদ্ধে সিমিদ্ধ চ্ছিল|

    বিগ্যান এর শীখখক এর কুণ্ডলিনি সর্বদা জাগ্রত হত ইংরেজি শিখখীকা গীতাদেবী কে দেখে| সুতরাং বিগ্যান এবং ইংরেজি দুটোর কোনোটাই ঠিক ভাবে শিখতে পরিলাম না|

    আপনার "writing English classes" এ আমি যুক্ত হআএ আমি আগ্রহী| দ়যা করে জানাবেন কোথায় আপনার পাঠশালা অবস্থিত|
    আমার কুণ্ডলিনি জাগরণ এর জননো আবার ধননবাদ জানাই|

    পুনশ্চ:
    ইংরেজি হরফে বাংলা না লিখে, বাংলা হরফে বাংলা লেখার প্রচেষ্টা করলাম| কিচ্ছু বানান ভুল আচ্ছে, সেটা এই ইংরেজ দের বানানো বাংলা সফটওআর এর কারণে| বিশেষ করে যুক্তাখর গুলো| পুনরায় খমা করিবেন|

    ReplyDelete
  3. You might have been there with a "questioning mind" but how do you know that others were there with a " Submissive mind "

    "Mind is smart!" it can delude us,it can make us believe as well as dis-believe many things. Its difficult to understand one's own mind and all its tricks and to know about others mind is even more difficult...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shivi - I think I made a big mistake by using the word "submissive mind." I may have been prejudiced in saying so and regret that. However, when you see people accept all that is said without asking any question, then that is an indication though not proof of submissive mind.

    ReplyDelete
  5. মহোদয় আনোনিমাস
    Respected Anonymous)

    একটি বহুমুল্লোমান সমালোচনা উপহার দেয়ার কারণে আমি আপনার কাচ্ছে কৃতজ্গো| সমালোচনাটি যথেষ্ট গঠনশীল এবং একই সঙ্গে সৃজনশীল|
    (I am indebted to you for gifting me with such a precious criticism. The same being enough constructive as well as creative.)

    খারাপ ইংরেজির কারণে আমি আপনার কাচ্ছে খমাপ্রারথী|
    (Forgive me for my rotten english.)

    সরকারী ইস্কুলে পাঠ করার ফলে ইংরেজির এই হাল হইআচ্ছে |
    (The reason for my bad english goes to my destiny that I studied in a government school)

    ইস্কুলের শীখখকগণ দের ইংরেজি গ্যান কোনো এক বিশেষ কারণে প্রাপ্তোবয়স্ক দের সাহিত্য র মদ্ধে সিমিদ্ধ চ্ছিল|
    (Knowledge of english among the teachers there was restricted to adult magazines)

    বিগ্যান এর শীখখক এর কুণ্ডলিনি সর্বদা জাগ্রত হত ইংরেজি শিখখীকা গীতাদেবী কে দেখে| সুতরাং বিগ্যান এবং ইংরেজি দুটোর কোনোটাই ঠিক ভাবে শিখতে পরিলাম না|
    (Science teacher's kundalini used to manifest staring at Ms Geeta, our english teacher. So neither I could learn science nor correct english)

    আপনার "writting english classes" এ আমি যুক্ত হআএ আমি আগ্রহী| দ়যা করে জানাবেন কোথায় আপনার পাঠশালা অবস্থিত|
    আমার কুণ্ডলিনি জাগরণ এর জননো আবার ধননবাদ জানাই|
    (I want to join your "writing english classes". Kindly let me know where your paathshala is located. Also I thank you for igniting my kundalini)

    পুনশ্চ:
    (P.S)
    ইংরেজি হরফে বাংলা না লিখে, বাংলা হরফে বাংলা লেখার প্রচেষ্টা করলাম | কিচ্ছু বানান ভুল আচ্ছে, সেটা এই ইংরেজ দের বানানো বাংলা সফটওআর এর কারণে| বিশেষ করে যুক্তাখর গুলো| পুনরায় খমা করিবেন|
    (I tried to write bengali using a software made by the english speaking lot. Thus there are some spelling mistakes. Especially the joined letters. Forgive me once again)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Engineering is based on science and science ,if one claims to scientific,is open to scrutiny and thorough examination.However,`Inner Engineering' as taught by SJV is kept secret and esoteric and is not open to scrutiny as regards to the claims SJV makes.He reminds me of a snake-oil salesman.Let truth prevail!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Check this out dude
    http://www.ishafoundation.org/news/happenings/Shambavi.pdf
    http://achyutktelang.blogspot.in/2013/03/my-experience-of-ishas-inner.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ravi, Try to do Shambhavi 2 times daily for 48 days. Then write about your experience or lack of it. That would be interesting to read. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's very informative video you've put up there and all the so called new age spiritual houses fit in this category

    ReplyDelete

Creative constructive criticism is accepted and expected.