Glad Henry is back to exposing fake gurus again. Henry's new video on Fake Gurus and Foot Washing
Most of us know he has been allegedly harassed by lawsuits from the Butler cult. In my opinion, it is harassment without merit since he apologized and corrected a reporting error. All journalists sometimes get things wrong.
Why it matters; This cult believes Chris Butler is a “pure devotee”, a divine being above reproach. To criticize him or his activities is considered blasphemey. Blasphemy is a very serious offense in this cult. They will stop at nothing to destroy the source of blasphemy. If not with violence, then they will use any and all unethical means to harm their enemies, (in my view). They think nothing of destroying the lives and livelihood of their own members, what to speak of critics of their cult. They teach that if a devotee even hears a critical word about their guru that their spiritual life is over. They consider critics literally “demons”.
Other posters have allegedly had websites removed for using their own photographs and writing opinions. Computers have been allegedly hacked by the cult to gain information and corrupt files.
All of the documents I have posted here were fair use, but the photo site caved into the cult's legal threats and closed down accounts. However, all of the originals and many copies have been distributed. Anyone can request copies via this forum's PM.
Henry's video is very interesting. The revival of the practice of foot washing in Vaishnava circles goes back to the time when Chris Butler declared himself Jagad Guru after AC Bhaktivedanta's death.
What is also of note is that in the 1980's Butler (at Tusta Krishna's advice) began to align himself with former enemies; the greater Vaishnava community. They all had to scratch each other's backs to keep their scams running (in my opinion). At this time Butler downgraded his claim of Jagad Guru ~ the one and only guru of the universe ~ to an idea that there are many pure devotees, acharyas and lineages. In SOI biographies, he no longer mentions the Haribol Special where he proclaimed himself to be AC Bhaktivedanta's successor and wrote a scathing review of ISKCON leaders. Now he publicly says that he simply moved from being a “Siksha” (preacher) guru to a "Diksha" or initiating guru among many gurus of many levels. To insiders, he is still considered the infallible guru of all gurus and worshiped as such.
What follows are images from original photographs I obtained from the photographer. They have never been owned or copyrighted by SOI or other cult entity. Chris Butler is a public figure and these photos are FAIR USE. They show Chris Butler getting his feet washed by a Filipino follower named George at the Koolau temple on Kauai in the 1970's. The water was considered purifying and distributed as prasadam. People drank it.
Fair Use Foot Washing
Close Up
Who here recalls the video post of a SOI cult kid who shared a letter from one of her friends gushing about eating the sand from the footprint made by Chris Butler?!
Not sure how long these photos will remain up, so make sure you download them now. Also, I believe Katyayani, the southern California guruette, also accepted foot washing, allegedly. You can read all about her in Shyam Dodge's book
Side note: Shyam Dodge was once groomed to also be a "Jagad Guru" in the disciplic succession, but he woke up. Here is his interesting review on the great documentary Kumare.
A FORMER GURU REVIEWS KUMARÉ (THE ‘FAKE’ GURU)
Haribol Special Cover
Most of us know he has been allegedly harassed by lawsuits from the Butler cult. In my opinion, it is harassment without merit since he apologized and corrected a reporting error. All journalists sometimes get things wrong.
Why it matters; This cult believes Chris Butler is a “pure devotee”, a divine being above reproach. To criticize him or his activities is considered blasphemey. Blasphemy is a very serious offense in this cult. They will stop at nothing to destroy the source of blasphemy. If not with violence, then they will use any and all unethical means to harm their enemies, (in my view). They think nothing of destroying the lives and livelihood of their own members, what to speak of critics of their cult. They teach that if a devotee even hears a critical word about their guru that their spiritual life is over. They consider critics literally “demons”.
Other posters have allegedly had websites removed for using their own photographs and writing opinions. Computers have been allegedly hacked by the cult to gain information and corrupt files.
All of the documents I have posted here were fair use, but the photo site caved into the cult's legal threats and closed down accounts. However, all of the originals and many copies have been distributed. Anyone can request copies via this forum's PM.
Henry's video is very interesting. The revival of the practice of foot washing in Vaishnava circles goes back to the time when Chris Butler declared himself Jagad Guru after AC Bhaktivedanta's death.
What is also of note is that in the 1980's Butler (at Tusta Krishna's advice) began to align himself with former enemies; the greater Vaishnava community. They all had to scratch each other's backs to keep their scams running (in my opinion). At this time Butler downgraded his claim of Jagad Guru ~ the one and only guru of the universe ~ to an idea that there are many pure devotees, acharyas and lineages. In SOI biographies, he no longer mentions the Haribol Special where he proclaimed himself to be AC Bhaktivedanta's successor and wrote a scathing review of ISKCON leaders. Now he publicly says that he simply moved from being a “Siksha” (preacher) guru to a "Diksha" or initiating guru among many gurus of many levels. To insiders, he is still considered the infallible guru of all gurus and worshiped as such.
What follows are images from original photographs I obtained from the photographer. They have never been owned or copyrighted by SOI or other cult entity. Chris Butler is a public figure and these photos are FAIR USE. They show Chris Butler getting his feet washed by a Filipino follower named George at the Koolau temple on Kauai in the 1970's. The water was considered purifying and distributed as prasadam. People drank it.
Fair Use Foot Washing
Close Up
Who here recalls the video post of a SOI cult kid who shared a letter from one of her friends gushing about eating the sand from the footprint made by Chris Butler?!
Not sure how long these photos will remain up, so make sure you download them now. Also, I believe Katyayani, the southern California guruette, also accepted foot washing, allegedly. You can read all about her in Shyam Dodge's book
Side note: Shyam Dodge was once groomed to also be a "Jagad Guru" in the disciplic succession, but he woke up. Here is his interesting review on the great documentary Kumare.
A FORMER GURU REVIEWS KUMARÉ (THE ‘FAKE’ GURU)
Quote
Shyam Dodge
I’m Not Your Post-guru Guru
In the aftermath you cling to the hope that you still have some teaching to give. When the tenderly constructed illusion fractures, you pray that among the ruins a fragment of meaning remains—an insight dependant upon your own particular sadness. But what you’re left with, instead, is a crippling regret, an ego recovering from a savior complex. Life, post-mania, is one of tending to an irrational belief in your own total—and one-sided—complicity. You feel responsible for those you deluded.
In constructing a narrative out of this experience you find yourself consistently dumb. The ‘truths’ you attempt to elicit, to express, sound trite coming from your once holy lips. Everything falls short, until you realize that the only thing that breathed helium into your ‘insights’ was the highly tuned ears receiving your teachings.
The responsibility you feel is total. If you aren’t going to save someone from death (endless death, to be precise), then you’re responsible for ruining their life.
Thoughts like these held me captive for a very long time. I spent years in my post-guru life believing that I was in the process of deflating my enlarged skull only to find that I had yet to scale down my own sense of immeasurable importance. In my mind, I was still the most significant force in the lives of my former students. And I ached to feel that significant—that ‘connected’—again.
Haribol Special Cover