Re: The downside of yoga

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guest
December 17, 2014 at 10:50 pm
Am quite shocked reading about all this. I remember going to a Gynecologist since i wanted to take up a long course at Bihar school. For the course we needed to be tested not HIV positive and as well not having any other STD. My gynaecologist warned me, that if a institution ask for such a test, and divides people in that manner under the umbrella of spiritual growth, i should be asking myself in the first place if i want to go there. He thought that was wrong.

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December 16, 2014 at 11:51 pm
If there is a God, there is no need for any intermediary. This is just horseshit that was created by those like Satyananda and those of his and other “lineages” seeking to have their feet washed, asses wiped and dicks sucked (literally). I was very closely associated with this Ashram, met Satyananda, Niranjan, and it’s absolutely clear that these guys are PURE evil. They had me sold with their donations and “helping the poor.” But this is no different than Pharmaceutical Companies and Tobacco companies, which start non-profits, give money away, build schools, etc. to build their appearance of helping the masses, while they stash away billions. And, I can assure you Satyananda, Niranjan, are all billionaires.

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kailas
December 17, 2014 at 10:02 am
BOYCOTT AND BEWARE OF AKHANDANDA BEING USED AS SCAPEGOAT (“FALL GUY”) BY NIRANJANANDA AND BIHAR SCHOOL OF YOGA TO PROTECT THEIR ASSsets and OTHER ABUSES CASES IN INDIA.

I think Matthew deserves to be thanked for his courage to propose this BoyCott. Most of us are still reeling after the wake this expose. Matthew’s strength in proposing this BOYCOTT is precisely what is needed. Words are cheap (very cheap and very profitable). That is the lesson, if any here: actions speak louder than words.

And, I’d like to say, that Akhandananda is just the tip of the iceberg. And, suddenly BSY distancing themselves from the Australian institution is just politics and further exemplifies the fact that NIRANJANANDA and BSY are no different than any money-making, industrial institution.

And, we in the Yoga community should go an AMAZON, FB, TWITTTER, etc and expose these guys and the so-called “bringing Yoga door to door” movement for what it is really about.

I know for a fact that there are many other abuse cases right at MUNGER and RIKHIA. In fact, one “swami” in Satyananda’s order had sex with a 15-year-old and got her pregnant. This is in Orissa, and he heads up the Orissa ashram of Satyananda. Any investigation will verify this fact.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Great work Matthew.

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December 18, 2014 at 7:11 pm
Hello Matthew

It’s indeed a devastating scenario for any sincere seeker or practitioner.
However, while being fully aware of such discrepancies, I am reminded that human nature can be also depicted on a bipolar basis of light and shadow.

The gloomy reports which have been previously attributed to a wide range of well known Indian and Tibetan Gurus such as Muktananda,Trungpa, Rajneesh,Satchidananda,Amrit Desai,Da Free John,Sogyal and others through the 70’s and 80’s – as well as many ISKON Swamis and more recently Pattabhi,Kausthub,Bikram and some of his western students have shown us that the combination of influential power and deviant sexual behaviors do come together.

Despite of it all, we cannot deny the benefit of a large array of teachings propounded by these individual at a massive global scale.

I have myself lived and served in a traditional Ashram-Mission for a number of years.Though a few contradictions could be found here and there just as some Brahmacharis or Swamis would eventually drop their vows, nothing seriously abnormal was in game. Humans have their own flaws and cracks within what can be called “elevated aspirations”.

Your phrase below has caught my attention:

“If as a teacher you rely on the of any of these organizations or guru-legacies to enhance or secure your authority, it is clearly in the interest of your integrity and the health of the broader culture to be transparent about how you understand and position yourself in relation to their shadows. If you don’t, you really have no right to be taken seriously as someone who can provide care to others.”

Yoga is one compound-system as old as Mankind and has been evolving all along the process.Many Masters have stood the test of time and integrity in the past and also present. Yes,there are trustworthy voices.

See,I don’t believe (and was never taught so) in following someone out of authority/inferiority complexes…Just as in the same breath, I tend to feel that no one is “my student” in the deepest sense of a loving/respectful relationship to be established from both sides.

Ancient Yoga scriptures and modern teachers have extensively written on the very subject of “falling from the path” as one of the likely things to happen. But that doesn’t invalidate the teaching nor the teachers who propound the so many (beneficial) practices out there.

In my limited view,it is ok to (still) feel good about one’s chosen lineage despite of the bad oranges in the basket.

Demanding an immaculate behavior from those whom we may follow is unrealistic. Same if we try to apply that unto ourselves…

As far as providing care to someone else, that is totally up to a number of factors which cannot be summarized in a single sentence or solution.

To deal with circumstances (even in the extreme mentioned cases) is part of a learning process related to karmic intricacies way beyond our reach.

Of course, recovering from trauma requires time, therapy and much Love.

If this “Lineage Paranoia” gets wide-spread, we may be well left alone with a bunch of egotistic,intellectual new breed of “non-believers” who could,in the mid to long run,end up doing no much better than their prosecuted tyrants…

So let there be the books,methods,comments and imperfect masters…

Stone-throwing, boycotting and the like sound like juvenile rage against a mirrored effect of our own fears, after all there lies a psychotic schema within all of us.

May we all be free from these negative tendencies and potential dangers.
That much we can pray…

Certain things ought to be considered within the boundaries of a legal system, witnesses, trials and an abiding social law.

Transferring those over the Yoga community as an implacable jury can eventually do more harm than good, I’m afraid…

Best;
Gopala

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Kailas Mahesha
December 18, 2014 at 10:53 pm
Gopala — your nonsensical verbal diarrhea couched in a sense of intellectual humility is simply…. : BULLSHIT.. There is no need for gurus or lineage or intermediaries to truth — that is the truth of this entire set of events.

Stop being an apologist for the Indian “culture” of such gurus and lineage, which are frankly not Indian at all but Brahmanical bullshit and subjugation, and this is a “low caste” Indian telling you that.

Go listen to the testimonies of those who were abused and fucked with — it’s time to end the illusion.

Disgusted!

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Huz
December 19, 2014 at 8:27 am
Hey Matthew, firstly, great work in getting all these findings in one place. I can image the amount of hard work you must have put in!

The accounts of the victims are really shocking, especially when allegations are also made on Swami Satyananda. It is extremely hard to believe, but like they say, ‘there is no smoke without fire’.

Also, I wonder why there is not even a single complaint coming out of India (since the biggest Ashrams are located in Munger and Rikhia) against Swami Satyananda or for that matter Swami Niranjananda (who is the current Head of organization). All the complaints or blogs (eg. Janaki’s blog) are from people outside India.

Personally, having read books from Bihar School of Yoga, I can surely say they have immense knowledge and good practices one can follow in daily life, so boycotting books even before charges are actually proved in court is a bit immature at this stage. This is just my opinion and I respect opinion of people who may think otherwise.

BTW, I just wanted to check if you know why did Australian High Court overturned the decision on a technicality? Does this mean that earlier charges due to which Akhandanand was convicted, were proved incorrect?

Finally, I wish people learn to be their own Gurus or at least stop blindly following so called Guru’s. No harm in taking in positive teachings, but just don’t follow things blindly.

Best regards,
Guy-Without-A Guru:)

(Corboy: In India, police and politicians can be purchased by wealthy gurus. Anyone abused is easily terrorized into silence. Plus, they know where your family live and can terrorize your family. l

This may be why so many guru exposes are done outside of India by persons who
have grown up in materialistic democracies which do posit that the human individual has an inherent dignity. Amma and Muktananda and Amrit Desai and ISKON
and Rajneesh were exposed in America by their abused American disciples.

Sai Baba of Putthaparthi's pedophile abuses were exposed by his American, British, Australian and Western European disciples.)

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Kailas
December 20, 2014 at 12:59 am
good question Huz, on why India looks the other way, and no major media in India has said very little.

The reason is that the Brahmanical Caste Based system of India, where there is a virtual apartheid, of lower and upper caste, uses the Gurus and Yogis and Superstition to control the masses, and maintain the caste system.

In short, India needs its Gurus, and they will look the other way on abuse, because the whole society is sexually repressed. This is why there is so much rape and nearly 90% of woman in India have experienced incest.

BSY is accepted and condoned because they serve the interests of the Bourgeois of India. Niranjan is an actor — his teeth are fake, and his vibhuthi on his forehead is makeup.

Let’s stop deifying Yoga, its Gurus and go look at the real way to liberate and enlighten ourselves — boycott, and expose BSY is the first step to be a good citizen and enlightened soul.