Corboy proposes a specific diagnostic entity Guru Occupational Disease Cluster
Predispositions
* Ambition
* Inability to distinguish between clean money and dirty money
* Craving for prestige
* Greedy family members
* Creation of glamorous backstory
* Suppression Distortion of true background
* Presents as confident and charming; hides a long history of
studying various methods of social manipulation
* Early career often spent in retail, marketing, sales, teaching, in some
cases as a monk or junior clergy
* May study methods of trance induction, takes care to conceal this
* May study with exploitative gurus, if guru has bad reputation often hides this hides this from followers
* During pre-guru career phase, often involves self with other gurus, other
self help organizations, learning people management skills, logistics of
booking cheap rooms, advertising free meditation sessions, creating travel packages to retreat settings, etc
Worsens With Time - Deteriorating Course
Charismatic and Accessible During Early Career
* Often handsome and slim, when older will often become pudgy if not obese
* Gift of gab
* Sets up in areas associated with famous gurus (Tiruvannamalai, India.
* Rents space for events at reputable Zen Centers, other Buddhist centers, public libraries
* May set up as close to Harvard College as possible to make it seem guru is Harvard affiliated; may do this with other universities as well
* Offers free meditation classes
* Posts fliers on bulletin boards and windows of laundromats, Indian restaurants, health food stores, yoga studios, buddhist centers (Most Western Buddhists dread practicing wrong speech and hesitate to imagine that a charlatan guru is using their reputable practice center facilities and bulletin board)
* May set up yoga centers, sponsor vegetarian or vegan restaurants, food products, cooking classes,
* Cultivates and charms academics and scientists who are not alert enough to fact check and unaware they are prime targets for gurus on the make
* Creates a charity project to distract from spending bulk of funds on self and on enriching extended family
* Encourages some disciples to drop out of school or work if more useful in the gurus entourage (Guru says education inflates intellectual arrogance and is a hindrance to spiritual development)
* Insists other disciples stay in work place or finish their schooling if this makes them more valuable to the guru (Guru says work and education are that persons proper dharma, says it is householder practice)
* Guru and disciples say they are apolitical but acquire property, which means they will be very political, especially when dealing with neighbors
* Becomes expert or hires experts in PR, real estate, finance, website design, social media marketing, search engine optimization
* Generates excitement by announcing plans for ashram, solicites funds and donated labor
* Recycles material from other gurus and does not give credit
* Goes on tours, travels
* Uses same few quotes from Bhagavad Gita
* Emphasizes in early years how simple the practice is
* Denies it is a religion, claims its an alternative to and liberates from religion
* Discourages and devalues study of the tradition, to conceal own ignorance from disciples
* Uses silences, jokes, giggles when cannot answer questions
* Gets disciples to laugh at anyone who asks awkward questions
* Atmosphere around the early career guru is often free and delightful, lots of improvisation. Easy to socialize with the guru
Guruitis - Mid Career
* Enforcers appear - senior disciples who issue reprimands, run disciplinary meetings Disciples begin to fear them
* Stories told of the guru now have fear components. There is now dark talk of critics and former disciples having bad outcomes - sickness, car crashes, family misfortunes, insanity, etc
* Disciples disappear and no one says why or they are blamed for disloyalty
* Increasingly surrounded by and screened by entourage and limo drivers. In
extreme cases, accompanied by bodyguards
* Increasingly surrounded by people who look and act the same, often young and
attractive females looking increasingly goo eyed
* The guru plays favorites, with an inner select circle of favored disciples,
secret elite gatherings, other less favored disciples excluded.
* Does less and less for self, water and food and accessories always brought by
acolytes. One teacher who was a heavy smoker took his walks, an ashtray
carried alongside him by an acolyte.
* When gets sick claims bad thoughts or lack of faith from disciples caused it
* Taste in decor emphasizes throne like padded chairs on raised platforms, often has a vase of flowers alongside. Flowers in vase may be used as a prop for talks.
* If guru started out in western clothes, may increasingly select Indian or South Asian or Himalayan clothes and furnishings
* Demands more from disciples, simple path no longer simple
* Harder for disciples to have access to guru
* Pictures of guru become more prevalent
* Increasingly fussy about food
* May change spouses, signs of roving eyes, more and more one sees
young attractive people selected for front row seating and for entourage duty
* Temper flares and worsens - character deteriorates due to flattery,
social isolation, lack of opportunities to exercise patience
* Ingratitude for wealth and fame given by trustful disciples
* Loneliness not assuaged by fame and followers, must be hidden behind guru mask
Late Stages of Guru Disease
* Sexual acting out
* Bloated face and body, large stomach, dark circles under eyes
* Photographs of guru are usually from the younger years
* Ashram is built, guru becomes less able to function outside of controlled setting
* Travels less frequently, increasingly gives retreats or satsangs over Skype
* Rageful yet pathetically dependent upon a few trusted disciples, often rageful at same disciples
* Disciples may be assaulted verbally or physically behind closed doors by guru or by guru's favorites or both.
* Disciples who donated years of their time and much labor are often
ignored or ejected
* The best and kindest disciples are leaving
* Paranoia as increasing number of former disciples instigate discussions online
* Takes lots of naps behind closed door of bedroom
* Wet eyed or dull eyed expression
* May binge watch TV or Netflix and claim to be engaging in some sort of
enlightened activity
* Drug use or alcohol use disguised as samadhi
If taken into police custody must often be taken first to hospital for medical evaluation;
often found to have Type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease or both
* Plead illness to avoid being jailed or get better treatment in jail
* May end life as recluse
* Diabetic gurus risk developing performance troubles;
Type 2 diabetes leading cause of this malady
[www.google.com]
Predispositions
* Ambition
* Inability to distinguish between clean money and dirty money
* Craving for prestige
* Greedy family members
* Creation of glamorous backstory
* Suppression Distortion of true background
* Presents as confident and charming; hides a long history of
studying various methods of social manipulation
* Early career often spent in retail, marketing, sales, teaching, in some
cases as a monk or junior clergy
* May study methods of trance induction, takes care to conceal this
* May study with exploitative gurus, if guru has bad reputation often hides this hides this from followers
* During pre-guru career phase, often involves self with other gurus, other
self help organizations, learning people management skills, logistics of
booking cheap rooms, advertising free meditation sessions, creating travel packages to retreat settings, etc
Worsens With Time - Deteriorating Course
Charismatic and Accessible During Early Career
* Often handsome and slim, when older will often become pudgy if not obese
* Gift of gab
* Sets up in areas associated with famous gurus (Tiruvannamalai, India.
* Rents space for events at reputable Zen Centers, other Buddhist centers, public libraries
* May set up as close to Harvard College as possible to make it seem guru is Harvard affiliated; may do this with other universities as well
* Offers free meditation classes
* Posts fliers on bulletin boards and windows of laundromats, Indian restaurants, health food stores, yoga studios, buddhist centers (Most Western Buddhists dread practicing wrong speech and hesitate to imagine that a charlatan guru is using their reputable practice center facilities and bulletin board)
* May set up yoga centers, sponsor vegetarian or vegan restaurants, food products, cooking classes,
* Cultivates and charms academics and scientists who are not alert enough to fact check and unaware they are prime targets for gurus on the make
* Creates a charity project to distract from spending bulk of funds on self and on enriching extended family
* Encourages some disciples to drop out of school or work if more useful in the gurus entourage (Guru says education inflates intellectual arrogance and is a hindrance to spiritual development)
* Insists other disciples stay in work place or finish their schooling if this makes them more valuable to the guru (Guru says work and education are that persons proper dharma, says it is householder practice)
* Guru and disciples say they are apolitical but acquire property, which means they will be very political, especially when dealing with neighbors
* Becomes expert or hires experts in PR, real estate, finance, website design, social media marketing, search engine optimization
* Generates excitement by announcing plans for ashram, solicites funds and donated labor
* Recycles material from other gurus and does not give credit
* Goes on tours, travels
* Uses same few quotes from Bhagavad Gita
* Emphasizes in early years how simple the practice is
* Denies it is a religion, claims its an alternative to and liberates from religion
* Discourages and devalues study of the tradition, to conceal own ignorance from disciples
* Uses silences, jokes, giggles when cannot answer questions
* Gets disciples to laugh at anyone who asks awkward questions
* Atmosphere around the early career guru is often free and delightful, lots of improvisation. Easy to socialize with the guru
Guruitis - Mid Career
* Enforcers appear - senior disciples who issue reprimands, run disciplinary meetings Disciples begin to fear them
* Stories told of the guru now have fear components. There is now dark talk of critics and former disciples having bad outcomes - sickness, car crashes, family misfortunes, insanity, etc
* Disciples disappear and no one says why or they are blamed for disloyalty
* Increasingly surrounded by and screened by entourage and limo drivers. In
extreme cases, accompanied by bodyguards
* Increasingly surrounded by people who look and act the same, often young and
attractive females looking increasingly goo eyed
* The guru plays favorites, with an inner select circle of favored disciples,
secret elite gatherings, other less favored disciples excluded.
* Does less and less for self, water and food and accessories always brought by
acolytes. One teacher who was a heavy smoker took his walks, an ashtray
carried alongside him by an acolyte.
* When gets sick claims bad thoughts or lack of faith from disciples caused it
* Taste in decor emphasizes throne like padded chairs on raised platforms, often has a vase of flowers alongside. Flowers in vase may be used as a prop for talks.
* If guru started out in western clothes, may increasingly select Indian or South Asian or Himalayan clothes and furnishings
* Demands more from disciples, simple path no longer simple
* Harder for disciples to have access to guru
* Pictures of guru become more prevalent
* Increasingly fussy about food
* May change spouses, signs of roving eyes, more and more one sees
young attractive people selected for front row seating and for entourage duty
* Temper flares and worsens - character deteriorates due to flattery,
social isolation, lack of opportunities to exercise patience
* Ingratitude for wealth and fame given by trustful disciples
* Loneliness not assuaged by fame and followers, must be hidden behind guru mask
Late Stages of Guru Disease
* Sexual acting out
* Bloated face and body, large stomach, dark circles under eyes
* Photographs of guru are usually from the younger years
* Ashram is built, guru becomes less able to function outside of controlled setting
* Travels less frequently, increasingly gives retreats or satsangs over Skype
* Rageful yet pathetically dependent upon a few trusted disciples, often rageful at same disciples
* Disciples may be assaulted verbally or physically behind closed doors by guru or by guru's favorites or both.
* Disciples who donated years of their time and much labor are often
ignored or ejected
* The best and kindest disciples are leaving
* Paranoia as increasing number of former disciples instigate discussions online
* Takes lots of naps behind closed door of bedroom
* Wet eyed or dull eyed expression
* May binge watch TV or Netflix and claim to be engaging in some sort of
enlightened activity
* Drug use or alcohol use disguised as samadhi
If taken into police custody must often be taken first to hospital for medical evaluation;
often found to have Type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease or both
* Plead illness to avoid being jailed or get better treatment in jail
* May end life as recluse
* Diabetic gurus risk developing performance troubles;
Type 2 diabetes leading cause of this malady
[www.google.com]